The Express. — London, England, 1847-12-21 00:00:00

pomp.= I IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS. —MONDAY, DEc. 20. The Bad of SHAFTSAIBUST took ha meat, m Deputy Speaker, at 4 o'clock. PUBLIC BUSINESS. YETIVONS—By Lard FASNAAII, from various Oars in Ireland. Lieveaare, sad Dorertshiret—the Earl of Ethasoacitem, from pima out head, grata deauseadoas br llorasa catholic priests from the allot : teas a place aot heard, *gaunt the admission of Jews to parjament. ►lBnn BEADlNG.—ltallsray Audit Bill. - - - - ROYAL ASSENT. TIM royal assent was given by commission to the Public Works (Ireland) Bill, the Crime and Outrage (Ireland) • Bill, and the Railways Bill. The lordscommissioners were the Earl ef Shertesbury, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Lord Campbell, and Earl Forteecue. AUDITING RAILWAY ACCOUNTS. Lord MONTEAGLE, after a few introductory remarks, laid on the table a bill for the better auditing of railway ac counts by the Hsilway Commissioners, which was read a tint tame. POOR-RATES (IRELAND). Lord MONTEAGLE said that it would be recollected that, in the discussion last erasion on the poor-law for Ire land, nothing was morn debated than the manner in which the rates were to be levied—whether on the electoral divi sions or the unions at large, and it had been decided that they should he levied on the electoral divisions. He under stood that the poor-low commissioners in Ireland were treat ing the rates collected in the electoral divisions as a common and united fund, and were issuing them indiscriminately for the purposes of the poor-law. If it were no, it would in fact be introducing union-mill which had been refused by parliament. He wished to as whether the fonds were so applied, and whether the rates were levied on the electoral divisions or the unions ? The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was not aware that there bad been any deviation in this respect from the course pre scribed by the act of parliament, and he trusted that nothing had taken place in Ireland inconsistent with the provision that the burthen of the rate should be thrown on the elec toral divisions. Nothing had come to his keewledge to came him to believe that such had been the case. CRIMINAL CODE.—BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS. Lord BROUGHAM said that in consequence of some reports to the contrary he wished it to be understood that it was his intention, after the recess, to bring forward certain bills of which he had raven notice ; among others, one for a digest of the criminal law, and another for the prevention of bribery at elections. So far from the late election giving him any reason to supposes that such a bill was unnecessary, it had the more convinced him of its absolute nee, esity. Ile believed the only remedy for such bribery would he the so lemn declaration, upon oath or upon honour, at the table of the House of Commons, by every member that lie had not directly or indirectly, by himself or his agents, given or pro mised any money, gift, or advantage to any person to induce them to vote for him, and that if any one had done so on his behalf it was without his knowledge. The noble lord also urged the nue miry of the appointment of a public prosecu tor, and the establishment ef a board for drawing public acts of parliament. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. The Marquis of LA.NSDOWNE moved that the house do adjourn till the 3rd of February. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH said he would say a few words on the question of adjournment. He did not agree in the expediency of the separatiou of parliament at this mo. merit, but he thought that since they had met, it would be better to go on with the transaction of public business at a period of the year when men would attend to public business, instead of sitting till the end & July, when it was coal; known they would not do so, and measures were shuffled through both houses is a manner most discreditable to perliaineat. When July came, be was sure they would deeply regret not having better employed the month of January. It was not, however, merely on these general grounds that he objected to the adjournment, for he thought it most expedient that parliament should continue sitting with • view to the more effectual operation of the act which had been passed for the supprs mien of crime and outrage in Ireland. They knew that that had taken place which invariably occurred, namely, that the meeting of parliament itself, without taking any stem, tended to allay disorders and check outrage in that country. Murders hod not been so frequent as before—asamsination had been checked, and the assassination committees, as they were called, had held their hand-, because the eye and the hand of parliament were upon them ; and if the operation of the act which had been passed was carried out without their feeling the hand of parliament upon them, and unless the govern ment were ready at any day to pass further measures if this should fail, th. re would be great difileulty in carrying it out, and any anticipations of its suocesa would be disappointed. The act itself was most ineffective, as well as the means of carrying it into effect. It was only by military means, by a winter campaign, 11 sudden and secret marches, by combinations, and by tho use of masses of men that the government could carry it out with the limited means which they had in their power. He could not expect from the Irish governent nt, or even from the skill of the wile," lord at its heal, that perfection of plan, that secreey of execution and of combina'ion with the limited military means which were at his disposal, which alone could pro duce the effects intended by parliament ; therefore, parties anent should have been kept together, se that at any mo ment the government might have been ready to come down and propose other measures. The cardinal point for their consideration was, the tranquillity of Ireland; and un less that were obtained, so long as that country re mained distracted England most continue to be not a first, but a second-rate power. As parliament was abcut to separate, he was desirous of considering why they had been called tog thin, and what ha I been done He believed that bat for a letter addressed by two of her Majesty's ministers to the directors of th Bank of England, counselling them to do that which might have caused au infraction of the Bauk Charter Act, and which would have rendered neceseary a bill of indemnity both for the govern ment and the Bank direction, they would never have been called together. As it happened, there had been no viola tion of the law, and parliament having met, the govern meat proposed certain measures. What were they ? There was not one which could be considered other than as a repa ration ef previous and recent error iu measures passed by parliament. The Public Work; (Ireland) Bill was a mea sure to repair reckless and inconsiderate legislation eighteen months ago. The noble earl at the head of the colonial department had been compelled to brier/ in • measure to sus pend the constitution which, with little knowledge of the is lands for which he was legislating, he bad established for the government of a portion of the antipodes. Another measure of reparation for the tactics of parliament was the redress of the monstrous grievance of railway speculation. The Biil for the sappers:win of Crime and Outrage in Ireland, which was, in fact, an arms bill, was the reparation of an error in rejecting an arms bill a year ago. They ought to legislate. so 01 to be able to wait reto see the effect of measures in a few years, though that was *parliamentary ambition which could hardly be expected from a reformed parliament. A year ago a letter lad been written, which was called Mr. Labouchere'a letter (we were governed now more by letters than by acts of parliament), which extended the provisions of an act which had been passed six weeks before. Then there was a letter from two of her Majesty's ministers, which sus pended an aet which had been passed three years two. We were beginning to be governed more by royal ordinances than acts of parliament. He was wrong in saving that all the measures of this session were passed for the rparation of errors; there was one original measure which some persona might say was ono for the reparation of a eery ancient error, an error by which parliament was de dared to be exclusively Christian. Remedial =mural fir securing the tranquillity of Ireland, and for establishing the defences of the country against foreign invaders, it was not considered expedient to bring in in this sudden session ; but they were postponed until after Christmas. One only on ginal measure was introduced, mid that was not of a na tional or public character, and hardly rose to the animation of a party character ; but it was one of a local and personal nature—it was a City bill, brought in by • City member, to enable a Jew millionaire to sit in the House of Commons. All other measures were postponed ; but the government could not postpone making the amends honorable to the Stock Exchange, and gi ing to an individual the distinc tion, Wit was one, of being the first Jew member who sat in the House of Commons. Ile viewed this state of things with distrust and dismay. It was said these were bold measure*, and characteristic of a bold minister Another measure had been adopted by which the brand of discord had been cast into the church, and that was called a bold measure. But this was not the boldness in a minister which be (Lard Ellen borouge) wished to see. He wished for a minister who would tell the teuth to the people, and would propose what he thought right—who would tell parliament the extent of the extreme peril in which the interests of the country stand, mid who would manfully proeues such extreme measures by which alone those dangers could be averted. If instead of such bail Ines* they proposed measure. for the mere repave' ion of recent errors, and brought in no original measure, but one of a paltry and personal nature, questionable in its principle, and abhorrent to the fee-jests of a great portion of the community, he cure-seed, that whatever dismay be entertained with regard to the real dangers of the country, it was increased when he contemplated the character of the government, and the manner in which the affairs of the country were administered. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said it was only because he did not believe that pailiarnent e mid usefully legislate at preeent beyond what had been done to provide for the suppression of crime and outrage in Ireland that he had proposed the adjournment of the house. lie believed, and such was the opinion of that and the other house, that that bill was passed, not because there were no other mea sures which might have been introduced, but be cause enough had been done to enable the local government in Ireland to try the experiment of how for, -with the powers which were given to them, peace and tran• quillity could be restored to that country. Some weeks must edemas before that could he judged of; and, if circumstances showed the insufficiency of the measure, parliament could be convened at a short notice. With respect to the other obser vations of the noble earl, he did not desire to offer any reply to them ; be would only say that, with regard to the parti cular original measure to which the noble earl had alluded, it was one necessary to the complete representation of the people, which would otherwise have been left imperfect. Their lerdships then adjourned to 3rd February. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MONDAT, DEC. 20. The Brum Wok the char at a quarto . before four teOloak. PUBLIC BT:SEKILBS. Cam Low &norm l'aernos.-Col. Donwa presented a petition from Oapt. Badller. 111 co-nplaining that the petition peseanteti spinet bag Mum Ina informal as to the monotonies entered into. !IRBY BEA DLNO.—Jens ihaabilinea Belief Bill. IsECOND ILEADINCL —New Zealand Bill. Several members took the oaths and their seat'. ROYAL COMMISSION. The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod (Sir A. Clifford) fillINDOSed the house to attend in the House of Peen to hear lie royal assent given by commission to =Tent bills, for which see Lords' report. NEW WRITS. On the motion of Mr. TUFNELL new writs were ordered for the city of Wells, in the room of W. 0. Ha ter, Esq. ' who sin= has election had secreted the office of her Majesty's Judge Advocate General, and for the borough of Caine, in the room of the Earl of Shelburne, who &Woe his election had accepted the office of one of the comraimionen for executing the office of Lord High Admiral. ELECTION PETITIONS. The SPEAKER acquainted the house that he hadreceived a report from the examiner of recognisances stating that the sureties in the following election petitions were usexception able--vin, Carlow, Aylesbury, Bewdley, South Staffordshire, Nottingham, Harwich, Andover, Lincoln, Hythe. North Essex, Stafford, Colchester, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Chelten ham, and Walsall. PRIVATE BUSINESS. Mr. LABOUCHERE roes pursuant to notice to call the attention of the house to the report of the select committee appointed to consider the mode of conducting the private business of the house daring the foment session. He said that when he moved the appointment of the committee be had stated that although considerable improvements had been effected in reducing the expenses and securing propriety of decisions on private bills, he conceived thatt here was room for still further improvement, especially in reference to o ppesed private bills. On this subject the committee had been furnished with the beat evidence, that of the Speaker ; et the hen. member for Lancaster (Mr. Greene), who for some years past had, as chairman of ways and means, superin tended the private business; of Mr. Palk, counsel to the Earl of Shaftesbury ; and of the learned gentleman who filled the office of counsel to the right hon. gentleman in the chair; and the result was that it appeared that, in consequence of the strict vigilance exercised by the chair man of ways and means in excluding objectionable clauses, parties desirous to get them =sorted got up a sham opposition to their own measure, for the chance of the ear mittee to whom the bill might be referred, either through oversight or inexperience, passing them. It was, therefore, proposed in the resolutions contained in the report of the select committee, that all private bills, whether opposed or unopposed, or tent down with amendments from the House of Lords, should be submitted to the supervision of the chairman of ways and means, therhy to give him the same authority in this house as was exercised en such matters by the Earl of Shaftesbury in the House of Lords. He had enter. twined doubts whether the chairman of ways and moons would be enabled to discharge the additional duties ; but la the evidence a sufficient case had nut been made out to warrant him in proposing the appointment by the hotter of a second officer, independent of the chairman of ways and means. He was the less inclined to do so, because the private busi ness of the smitten was likely to be much lighter than it had been of previous years, and because, at least, the experiment recommended by the committee ought to be fine tried. With these obserratiens he moved the house to agree to the resolutions which bad unanimoualy been adopted by the select committee. Sir R. H. INGLIS suggested that then should be furnished to members, not merely breviates of private but of all public bills, and he also suggested as worthy the con sideretion of the government that a measure ought to be introduced for the appointment of an assistant Speaker, to fill the chair in the event of the Speaker beins incapacitated by illness, or any other cause, from taking it. It was re markable, that during a period of sixty years there had only been four occasions on which the business of the house had been suspended by the unavoidable absence of the Speaker: the first was in the case of Lord Sten:south, in 1790, whete anew* was occasioned by the dealt of his father ; the next wee the case of the late Lord Canterbury, who= absence was caused by the death i•C his rather ; the third instance was in 1817, when the late Speaker Abbott was, on the 14th of April of that year, compelled by illness to retire from the chair, which was not filled until the 24th of April, being a suspension of business for ten days, and in the last there had been a suspension for one day. Now, though these instances were rare, he thought the house ought to provide for similar contingencies, lest the business or the country might be suspended at a most critical period, The resolutions were then put and agreed to. JEWISH DISABILITIES. Lord J. RUSSELL brought up a bill founded on the rap lutions on the subject of Jewish disabilities agreed to by the committee on Friday evening. He moved the first reading of the bill, and stated that he should move the second read ing on Monday, the 7th of February. Mr. SPOONER said he could not but regret that the noble lord had proposed an adjournment for so long a period. Lord J. RUSSELL—That motion has not yet been made. (Laughter.) Col. SILiTHORP protested against this additional en croachment on " the constitution." He verily believed that if the devil were to appear in human form he would be admitted to that house. (Laughter.) He bad always re garded the noble lord opposite (Lord J. Russ .11) as a pillar of the church ; bet he should be glad if the noble lord would inform him why two or three members of that house (Jews) were to be exeused from taking en °Ali which was incum bent on all other members ? also, what was to be done with the Jewish memhs rs in ease they refused to attend the house, or any of the committees, on a Saturday, on which cley they sometimes eat? (Laughter.) Lord .1. RUSSELL soil the usual course was, supporting there was a call of the house, tad any hon. member did cot attend, that he should be taken into custody, and afterwards discharged on payment of the fees. (Laughter.) He anti cipstee, it there sheiud be a call of tLe house on a Saturday— Col. SI BT HORP —Not a call. Lord J. RUSSELL—Or if the attendance of hon. =em cee should be required on a Saturday— Col. SIBTUORP —On Fridge night, Friday night. Lsughter.) Lord J. RUSSELL raid in the contingencies eupposed, he could answer for it that the members of the Jewish per suasion,—if parliament should think them madded to sea's, —would be very well commend to pay the penalty alluded to. (Laughter.) The motion was then agreed to. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. Lord J. RUSSELL moved " That the house at its rising do adjourn to Thursday, the 3rd of February." Consider. ing the period at which the hotter had assembled in former years, and considering that they had already got through some business - the Queen's speech and the address having been received and adopted—whereby they would be enabled Immediately to proceed to business on their reassembling, be had not thought it necessary to propose an earlier period of meeting. (Hear.) He certainly thought he was consult- ing the general sense of the house is proposing the adjourn , went until the 3el of February. Mr. SPOONER repeated his regret that so long en ad ioe lord's total igno ran ce e eepeo t e lthe l s t ta m te e o se f t b h e e g e r w e i a n t g lna te nu e f b ac e t n u c rtg le districts. Around Birmingham and in Wales, they were continually discharging hand., and great distress prevailed. All the house had done to relieve it was to appoint a come miter, which wale not possibly propose any remedy till several months had elapsed. The commercial distress had been arrested, in some degree, as far as lane houses were concerned ; but it was now falling on that class whose con , dition was of mut importance to the house. The poor man's ' capital wan bin labour; this taken away, the consequences must be fearful. The railway speculation had been blamed for the panic there might have bee n improvidence in that speculaiieu ; but this alone was insufficient to account for s. the serious derangement of our monetary matters which had ensued. What was now the case? Could it be supposed thst the country was benefited by the now general stoppage of railway works? To say that nothine could prevent fluc tuations and panics was but to add insult to injury. In the iron districts he was informed that in a very short time eery furnace would be out of work; the baud, would be discharged ; and en incalculable amount of distress would be inflicted on retain dependent on them, retail dealers and ethers, who were now called on to pay the income tax. Many of the orders recently cent them America had been exeuted; others bad not been given out, nor would they be, on account of the monetary distress, having recently extended to America, where discounts could scarcely be had on any terms. There was a great scramble, in fact, between the two nations which should get the largest amount of gold. Under all these circumstances, he thought it most uncle visible that the house should adjourn for so long a period without doing something to unloose the shackles of our fot. tered turreney. Should another crisis supervene, would ministers again authorise the susiension of the act of 1644 ? If s the Bank would be perfectly authorised in refusing to listen to them, but in acting recording to the letter and the spirit of the act of 1844, That act authorised the Bunk to make a certain amount of item's, and, after what the govern ment had done, the Bank would be pettedly justified in pur. suing its own course. Ministers Lad incurred a gr. at ie sponsibdity in proposing this long adjournment. He would propose as en amendment that the adjournment should only extend to Thursday, the 13th of January. (" Oh, oh.") Mr. NE WDEGATE said he must also bear testimony to I the lamentable prospect of affairs in the midland districts. He seconded the proemial of his hon. colleague. Mr. MONSELL snuffs d to the state of Ireland, and said that, if remedial measures were not at once prepared, so as to be ready to submit to the house immediately on its re-emembling, it would be impossible to pass them in time. The large sums of money remedy spent in Ireland, ao far from affecting the real evils of the country, hod dealt only with effects. Out of 921,476 heads of families, no fewer than 840,963 were in a state of depend ing*. In thirty-three Irish unions a comparison of the empalation with the rateable value showed that the average ties 18e. per head of the population; while in the worst ends of Doted that proportion was 41. 13.. per head. What illeeld be the condition of Bore tshire it its population was eaddenly inernmed five-fold, without any addition to the arm of subsistence? The result in Ireland would be, AM the population must gradually sink, and that the die 11111111 would be greater than ever. It was wild to imagine &Neilsen evils would ever be remedied in what was called Ileteourse of nature. The population must be thinned, but them who remained would be still in distress. He trusted niesters would duly weigh their responsibility, and be pre pond with remedial measures ; at the mine time, he did not alt for such as might tend to decrease self-reliance. (Hear.) Mr. P. SCROPE-expressed hie Terra that no me Item for facilitating the employment of the able-bodied poor in Ire land had been proposed by the government before the ad journment. He did not expect any great reduction of the number of destitute persons in the next few months as the result of the mearuree passed last session. The poor law unions were not empowered at present to give employment of a productive charader. Power aught to have been given to beards of guardians to giant employment on waste lands. It there should.he two or three undred thousand able-bodied men out of employment in the next two months there would be throe or four thousand destitute persons in the majority of the unions. He called upon the government to take the whole subject of employment int o serious consideration. The ceestioa was one of the deepest interest to England as well (Laughter. THE EXP . ~ . XY rho treat of employment in this made the haat/ of an leopewtatio• of labourers from and y fearful. What would be the result of , roofs iin Wl' I lotion if not to incomes the existing dimities ? There ' ems at present a premium fur clearance' to Ireland, and so long aa that existed the mo t fearful results for both coun tries might be expected. Lord LINCOLN said it would be in the recollection of the noble lord (J. Russell) that izothe last session he moved for an inquiry, by atm can coamimion, into the subject of oolonieation as a mode of employing the able-bodied destitute poor of Ireland. The noble lord, while acceding in sub stance to that motion, said he should &deist the crown to make the proposed inquiry through the medium of the Colonial-office, reports being obtained front the different colonial governors. As the subject of employin g the surplus labour of Ireland would be brought before the house in dif ferent forms in the next session, he hoped that the house would be in possession of a sufficient number of reports from the different colonies to enable them to form a just opinion on the whole question. Mr. HINDLEY said their constituents would no doubt ask them en their return what they bad done during the present siting. He must complain of the want of energy and stringency in the measures which had been brought for ward, especially in the ease of railways. (Cries of "Oh, oh.") They had, within the lest two or three years, autho rised the raising of 215,030,0001. for the construction of rail ways. Did any one believe that this sum would be advanced? (Hear.) The Manchester manufacturers could not stand the competition with railway companies fax money. He would suggest to the government whether they could not Amin the cooperation of leading railway directors in the introduction of a bill immediately after the recess, under which directors of railways should not be allowed to make calls to an amount exceeding 6 per cent. on the authorised capital within six months, er to borrow money at more than 6 per cent. within the lame period. He would make an ex ception in cases in which two-thirds of the shareholders signi fied a willingness to pay a greater amount. The hon. member then proceeded to refer to a notice which be had pot on the paper with reference to the committee on the Bank charter. He thought no practical beneficial result could arise from the appointment of that committee. (Cries of "Oh," " oh.") He could not agree in the statement that the apt of 1844 was suited for fair weather, hut not for fend : the reverse of this appeared to be the truth. Why was no clause introduced which world have had the effect of preventing so much rail way speculation ? (Hear, hear.) The object of his notice was to give no instruction to the committee to inquire why the Bank of England had reduced the minimum rate of dis count, on the 27th of August, 1846, to three per mint., and had continued it at that rate till the 4th of January in the present year. Such conduct appeared to him altogether unjus• tifiable. Such had been the result as regarded the cotton ma nufacture, that whereas at the period when the reduction of which he complained took place, the price of cotton was 4ld. per lb., at the beginning of the present year it was 71d., or 70 per cent. higher. Considering the large railway expendi• tare, the failure of the potato crop, mod other eireuenstances in the position of the country, nothing could be more ;Aurae able than this cheapening of money. Mr. GLADSTONE said that a few evenings before, in answer to a question from himself, the noble lord at the head of the government had stated that he did not expect to be able to introduce his bill on the subject of the navigation laws at an early period after the recess. He (Mr. Gladstone) apprehended that at the present period, and especially after the inquiry . which had taken place last session, it was ex tremely desirable that the defiuitive decision of parliament on this most imporant question should he given during the present session. (Cheers.) He hoped that in order that the shipping interest, and the other interests concerned, might not be kept in a protracted state of suspense, opportunity would be afforded within that period of arriving at a conclu sion on which they might repose. (Hear, hear.) Col. SIOTHORP could see no advantage whatever to be gained from the proposed adjournment. Sir L. O'BRIEN said he could not allow the present dis cussion to pass by without thanking . the house fur the aid which it had given to Ireland last winter. But he wished to inform the house that he people in various pert* of that country were in a great state of destitution at present. The gentry were surrounded by multitudes of starving neopte, and it was utterly beyond their power to meet the destitu tion that smelled, unless parliament contineed that aid which it so generously afforded last year. He did not think that much benefit would be derived from the Coercion Bill, male sit it was followed by remedial measures. (Hear.) Mr. BERRIES hoped that the hon. member for War wickshire would not press his motion to a division ; but he hoped the representations which he gave of the distress in the manufacturing districts from which he came would re ceive the utmost consideration of parliament He did not think that they bad bestowed sufficient attentioo on that subject; and he trusted that it would be taken into considera tion at the earliest perod after the recess. There was another subject of great importance, the currency question, on which he did not wish to raise Any discussion at that time ; but he hoped that one of the earliest days after the re-asesemblieg ofiparliament would be allowed him to make a motion Oil the ,object. Lord J. RUSSELL, in reply to the observations of the hon. bare the member for Clare (Sir L. O'Brien), said he could not contradict the statement that great distress pre vailed in many parts of Ireland, and he believed that great exertions were making by the owners of property in that country to alleviate that distress. The applications under the Land Improvement Act showed a wish on their part to give employment to the people. But when the hon gentle man went on to express a hope that parliament would afford relef,he must say that it would be necessary in the first place te have it proved that every exertion had been made to carry into effect the pravidons of the 1 iw which had been passed last session for the relief of the destitute in Ireland. (Hear, hear.) They did not regret the relief which had been given last year; but it was considered at the time, anti had been proved since, that the giving of that relief would be a eerioua burden on other parts of the country. (Hear, hear.) He did not think that the deficiency of the harvest of 1816 would have been such ea to afflict this country with the high price of provisions which prevailed, but when they had spent millions.to enable the distiried in Ireland to obtain Loud the consequence was a high price of provisions, such as had not existed mince the war, and great speculati in, which afterwards led to failures, and in some respect* to commercial diesese. (Hear, hear.) He did not say that this was a reason why they should not afford assistance to re lieve distress in Ireland ; but he begged to call attention to the statement made by the boa. member fur Warwick. shire respecting the di-tress in the manufacturing districts ; and as no one would ask that those who were out of employ ment in those districts should be assisted by the consolidated fund, so they could not propose any assistance from the imperial treasury for the relief of the people of Ireland till all the means which th • Irish poor law afforded had been tried and proved inefficient. (Hear, hear.) With respect to the motion on the subject of the currency to which the right hon. gentleman who just sat down alluded, he would be ready, when it came on, to state his views to the hotsee; and although he differed from the right hon.gen tleman respectirig theoperation of the act of 1841, he hoped be might rest confident that they did not differ in the opi nion that the convertibility of paper into gold ought to be preserved—(hear, hear)—and that the right lion. gentleman would not give the countenance of his high authority and opinion to any of those schemes which had been propounded by the gentlemen of Birmingham—(near, hear)—which he believed would prove injurious not only to the prosperity and welfare but to the character and good faith of the country. (Hear, hear.) With respect to the navigation laws, he had hesitated to make any 'atomise that the ques tion would be brought forward after the recess, seeing that they had measures to introduce which they thought ne cessary for the improvement of Ireland, and that they had only eight days in the month for government business. He was not in a state to say, till they had all the revenue returns before them, whether they might not find it necessary t i bring the subject forward soon after the reassembling of parliament. But be was quite ready to declare that the question should be entertained at such a period as to give members time fur discussing the subject, and all others that were connected with it (Hear, hear.) The Irish mea sures, which were now undergoing the most anxious con sideration, would be submitted to parliament immediately after the recess. (Hear, hear.) With respect to an observa tion that had been made, that now the Coercion Bill was passed it might not be brought into operation, he begged to say that the Lord-Lieutenant - of Ireland had been applying himself to the consideration of the state of that country, and that consideration would not rest on empty declarations or words, but he was prepared to act with that vigour and energy which belonged to his character. (Rear, hear.) In carrying out the law which bad passed, and thinking it of the utmost inipirtance that parliament and the government of Ireland shnuld not be (migrated in their attempts, he was prepared on the port of the g ivernment to give every mist ance which was necessary for the peace of Ireland and the suppression of outrage. (Hear, hear.) With respect to the subject of congratulation which bad been referred to by the ' noble lord the member for Falkirk, he could only say that the information which he required would be laid on the table of the house, and if any motion were made, the goveru snent, although he could not may that they had any plan of emigration for the present year, would be prepared to state their views on the subject. He was sorry to say that in North America, and especially in Canada, great prejudice existed against emigration from this country, in consequence of the state in which the Irish emigrants of I tZS year were landed. (Hear, bear.) He hoped the hon. member for Werwickehire would net press his motion. Col. DUNNE wished to bring under the notice of the house and the government the fact, that in some cases where there were paid guardians in Ireland they had substituted a union rating twitted of a rating by electoral divisions, which he be lieved was an evasion of the law. Sir B. HALL said that the returns which had been lately laid on the table of the house with respect to the money raised in England and Ireland for the relief of the poor, and which were made up to the Ist or January, 1847, showed ' that Is. 71d. had been raised in England, and only 81d. in Ireland. He hoped that the returns up to January, 1848, would soon be laid on the table of the bout°. While they were anxious and willing to grant any relief that was just and reasonable to Ireland, they must look to the position of their own countrymen. (Hear, hear.) He regretted to be obliged to state, that in the parish of Marylebone, which was one of the richest districts of the world, and which con tained 140,000 inhabitants, there were 27,003 who were re ceiving pirochial relief, out of whom 10 per coat. were Irish. (Hear, hear.) Mr. GRATTAN said that the bon. baronet forgot to men tion that all the wealth of the rich Irish absents(' was anent In this country. Sir 0. GREY said that the ramie to which the bon. loas meet alluded would be in the hands of members in a few days, and it would show the amount of poor-rate collieted in every month during the year. That amount would show a great Inman during the present year. (Hear, hear). With reared to what had fallen from the hon. member for Portarlington (Col. Dunne), he was not aware of the fact that the paid guardians had substituted a union rating ; but if they did, it must hare had the sanction of the pair-law 'REBB, TyEEIDAY : IArENING, DECEMBER 21, 1847, eenualseimen, end Mat entail he given upon a fell tonal. deletion of the ere. Mr. DEERING said that e rate of 6..6d. was levied in the parish in which het resided, end when Irish property was rated to that amount, they might then, and only then. come forward to ask relief from his muntrymen. (Hear, hear.) After a few words from Mr. SPOONSIt, the amendment was withdrawn, and this motion for the adjournment till the 3rd February , was agreed to. CASE OF THOMAS DRURY. Mr. EWART begged to ask the Secretary for the Home Department a question with n ferenee to the case of Thomas Drury, who was convicted at the Wakefield sessions in De cember, 1845, on a chants, of stealing a horse. The prisoner Gould have proved an alibi, but was too poor to have himself properly defended. He was sentenced to seven years' trans ponation. The prisoner was then confined two years in Wakefield gaol, and afterwards two years in Pentouville, when he was transported to Van Diemen's Land. Shortly after hie arrival in that country a prisoner, named King, medessed that he had stolen the horse, and assumed the name of Drury. He wished to ask the right hon. gentle man whether ho had received any intimation of these facts, and, If so, what measures would he taken for the relisf of the innocent mail ? Sir G. GREY admitted the correctness of the statement, and said that an inquiry had been instituted into the case. Whilst he would caution his hon. friend ageing the state. mint of one convict made to relieve another of the offence of which he had been convicted, he might state that there were circumstances attending this case which tidied for an there -est two witnesses at the inquiry. It appeared that a were two v. at the trial to prove an alibi, one of whom was examined and failed to do so, and the other was not called. He might add that the prisoner wag not transported as a crnvict, but with • conditional pardon. THE RIVER PLATE. Mr. EWART wished to tek the noble lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, whether, in the arrangement of the hos tilities on the River Plate, measures had been adopted for the purpose of opening to general commerce the navigation of the River Kite and los tribotaries ? Lord PALMERSTON said the River Plate was en estua ry of the sea, and was therefore open to the comm.-Yee of all nations, but with regard to the rivers Parana and Uruguay, they were as internal rivers subject to the central law of nations, which ..svianed the dominion over a river to the country through whose territory it passed. If it divided two states, each was entitled to the common navigation of the river. RATING OF STOCK IN TRADE. In answer to a question from Sir IL H. IvoLte, Sir G. GREY said the government were not prepared with a measure on this subject. POOR-LAW (I REL AND). Mr. KER wished to ask whether, in a case where the poor-law guardians in Ireland determined to increase the ac commodation of their workhouse, so as to receive a greater number of paupers than usual, they were to be saddled with the tame number of relieving officers as other unions ? Sir G. GREY had Lot received not;cc of the question, and, as it was a matter of detail, was not prepared to answer it; ; but it was the duty of the poor-law commissioners to see that the law was prance) , carried out. STATISTICAL RETURNS. Lord G. BENTINL-K had, on Nov. 23rd, moved for and obtained a retarn of the number, tonnage, and crews of Bri • tish steam-usaels which trade between Holland, Belgium, and France, and it had been so incorrectly made th no less than 16 vessels, 8 of them government, and 7 merchant-steamers had been entered twice over. One, the Sir William Wallace, bad been given the a times over. The result was that the returns showed 90 ships where there should only have been 72 ; and a similar mis,tatrment was of course given u to the wooer and number of men. It was impossible for the house to legislate pycperly it statistical returns were so incorrectly made, and he therefore thought it neceteary to call atten tion to the subject. Mr. PARKER said he transmitted the order to the ens tom-house, and no doubt it had not been strictly obeyed. A duplirate of vessels had been given, because they had bee. e. tered twice, both inwards and outwards. There was no wish, however, to deceive the house, and the total number had not, therefore, been added up, or the result woul d have appeared as the noble lord stated it. He would git the rotor., altered in conformity with the wishes of the noble lord. ECCLESIASTICAL COMMTSSION. Mr. HORSM AN wished to ask the right ►on. gentleman the Home Secretary whether it was true that Lord Ashley had declined serving any lon2er on the Ecclesiastical Com mis ion, and, if so, whether the vacancy bad been filled up by the appointment of Lord Ba n don ? Sir G. GREY said the noble lord the member for Bath had some time ago written him to say, that in consequence of his other engagements he wished to retire. The vacancy had been offered to Lord Bandon, partly on account of his own qualifications and the assiduous attention of his father, Lord Harrowby, and he was happy to say that the ruble lord had consented to become a member of the COMMiISiOII. Ih erpreoo. MAILS Tbe Medea Mosel moDy — ZMarsaWas, to the ma d up =AMA. I==reng . Kong, krt., will be made up on the atlas The re elge, °poreq Lisbon, Modefra, Cadix, and °Manila , will be mime en the tmralee of the Vth December. The man tar New Meth Melee Van Diemene Land, and New Zealand Abe aria up pa the evening of the S let December. The melte Om Britian North Amman, Berme , * and tie Unite ;bum be nude lap on the meningM t e Hsi December. The Wee Idle Molts, excluding Bermuda, Nassau, Havana, llocidinee. New Orleans, Vera Cruz, Trunp4oo, and Porto Rico, and Including these for Madeira, lacmel, Carthagena, nanta Martha, Chapel, reeema, Weg Coast of South America, and St. Juanale lfieengia will be made up on the morning of the 2nd Janaary. The gal for tire Bran* the Riser Plate, Monte Video, rernare. sees, Bak* Madeira, and Boamos Ayres, will be made lap on tie treeing MM. 4tb Jemmy. TO COESSITONDINTIL • Aivernuasesto loam's.' Or Luxor; Louisa ....Li mot b. r Or et leg. pe. beamte.TooK by T.o fieldek at Ur My et MOH Mini A? LONDON IMIDOZ. Tar. Drg—lionlai. f Ws. past I Mumma. tk mt. 194 I. To-Yea•evr—MarkkAag. I, mks. put iiftiffeem k 9 aka Fast I. LONDON, TUESDAY, DEC. 21. THE HAMPDEN controversy is proceeding with re newed spirit, to the great satisfaction of the enemies of the church, of those partisans of different sects within the body of the church who are more anxious to annoy their opponents and to narrow the terms of communion than prudent or careful for the mainte nance of security and peace. Dr. HAMPDEN himself and Dr. MEREWETHER, dean of Hereford, are the last contributors to the materials of the conflict. Dr. HAMPDEN'S letter contains assertions of his innocence and detailed professions of his faith which will, we think, satisfy all c7ndid persons that, whatever ex pressions he may have used in argument, be fully holds the orthodox creed according to the standar d. of the church of England, and to the general belief of the clergy and laity belonging to it. We believe his present statements to be not inconsistent with the arguments in the Baropton Lectures, which have given rise to so much dissatisfaction. It is one thing to say, as Dr. HAMPDEN is accused of having said, that the formulas by which early and late controversialists have sought to reduce theology to a science are to be judged by the rules of logic, and criticised as productions of human intellect: it is another and a consistent allegation that the cor re-ponding religious facts, the practical principles, which the dogmas of the church were intended to protect, are of divine origin and obligation. It was impossible that the divines of Antioch or Alexandria could affirm or deny propositions in any terms but those which their scholastic habits of thought had provided them with. The language of the Athanasian majority of the church necessarily involved assump tions, allusions, and distinctions, introduced into it by the intellect of successive reasoners for non-spiritual purposes. Dr. HAMPDEN probably wished to explain the history and the imperfections of some of the pro positions which have been adopted by the church. He now professes, and it ITEM always has professed, to hold the same doctrines which such propositions were calculated, perfectly or imperfectly, to express. In this respect Dr. HAMPDEN'S letter may be use ful as a method of allaying the alarm which his appointment has caused. His present language, with its popular scriptural phraseology, will be much bet ter understood than his historical and logical criticism. Candid believers will see that he adopts the phrases which have always been familiar to them in sermons, in devotional books, arid in the language of their reli gious instructors. He still, no doubt, uses dogmas and propositions ; but they are common, easy, and well-known. It is utterly impossible to accuse him of sociniauism, without disbelieving the most direct and solemn asseverations of his catholic belief. The severer critic will not fail to see is the present letter some characteristics which, while they account for the existence of the charges agaimit Dr. HAMPDEN, go far to take off their force. It is evident that the bishop elect is a most awkward and obtcure writer. The inelegant and cumbrous style, which makes it difficult to read through the present pamphlet, notwithstanding its temporary interest, must be a very inadequate vehicle for subtle distinctions of logic and of critical investi gation. We by no means doubt that he understands himself, and, as far as we have seen it is not difficult for a candid reader to conjecture his meaning ; but the want of transparency in the style is an excuse for the incapacity of well-meaning inquirers to recognise their own opinions under its veil, though not for wilful perversion or studied misrepresentation. It is unfortunate that Dr. HAMPDEN appears to have written his letter in a state of angry excitement, which, if we may believe Lord .L ItesseLL, would, if felt by the opposite party, show "a sad want of Christian charity." His antipathy to the tractarian body aught not to have led him to attribute exclusively to them the act of five-sixths of a university, which, as he well knows, contains a considerable anti-tractarian majority. Lord J. Russetes language, in speaking of the vote of convocation as an unworthy proceed ing, was, probably, stronger than any phrase of cen sure applied by a minister to a corporate act of auy public body within the memory of man. Dr. HAMP DEN, who is himself a member of the governing body of the university, and who apparently approves of as exactly similar proceeding in the case of Mr. WARD, ought to feel that the blame attached to a corporate resolution cannot fall exclusively on an obnoxious fraction of the majority which sanctioned it. Dr. HAMP DEN has, no doubt, reel iced much annoyance, or, as he calls it, suffered "cruel persecution. Neverthe less, we think it would have been better if he had treated his opponents, who are like himself within the pale of the church, with more courtesy and temper. He can hardly think that all the bishops who oppose him are semi-papiets. It would have conciliat.d many opponents if he had shown a dispo sition to interpret their conduct favourably. Par tisans, and especially enemies of his impugners, will welcome his querulous language, or any other element which may add bitterness to the controversy. Those who stand aloof from ecclesiastical contro versies will regret to see the desire on Dr. HAMP DEN'S part to stigmatise his opponents as heretics, while they continue to disapprove of the correspond ing charge against himself which has provoked him to retaliation. We repeat that on the main point, the charge of heterodoxy, his exculpation seems complete. Dr. MEREWETHER'S memorial is a more singular step in the proceedings. It is drawn up with ability and care, apparently by a lawyer, and contains a prayer to the Queen tither to revoke the nomina tion of Dr. HAMPDEN, or to appoint some proper tri ' bunal to consider the justice of the sentence pro flounced by the Convocation of Oxford. We believe that the Dean of HEREFORD is not one of the Tracts rian body denoanced by Lord JOHN ItussELL and Dr. HAMPDEN; but in this case he has committed an act of indiscretion, which is more tangible and more properly within our cognisance than the vague charge of hostility to protestantism. We certainly did not expect that the dean would court the martyrdom of a preenaunire : and wo are satisfied that if the penalties supposed to be incurred were of a less monstrous and preposterous kind, it would not have occurred to any functionary that it was his duty in the present case to brave them. The conge d'elire which issues from the crown to deans and chapters to elect a bishop, has been from its origin, centuries before the Reformation, a mere formality as far as the cathedral bodies were concerned. The long struggles of the kings of England, as well as of other European sovereigns, with the Papal see, for the right of investing bishops, were on both sides conducted without any regard to a supposed right of in terference by subordinate ecclesiastical functionaries. The king claimed to admit the bishop to his tempo. ralities by homage, while the Pope required that the pall should be received from Rome, as a condition of exercising spiritual power. The deans and chapters were merely the organs of the power which disposed of episcopal sees. When HENRY VIII. finally broke with Rome, he naturally left the functicns of the chapters as he fsund them. They had no claim to prefer, and no power to abdicate. The king grasped the power of the Pope, in addition to that which his predecessors had exercised; and adopted as the ministers of the royal prerogative those who had formerly owned a divided allegiance to their own sovereign and to Rome. There was no need to guard against a claim of the cathedral bodice to choose a bishop. The only danger to be apprehended was, that they should per severe in obedience to Rome. It was with this view that the much-talked-of Act of 25 Henry VIII., c. 20, was pasted. It was afterwards, with many others, for, similar purposes repealed under PHILIP and MARY, and re-enacted by 1 Elia. c. 1. The act provides that the dean and chapter shtul proceed to election of the candidate named in the king's letter within 12 days after the receipt of the cove trelire, and in de fault of their so doing, it provides that th em e absolutely appoint the bishop by letters Waal this distinct and intelligible clause had stood e k e; we suspect that Dr. MEREWETIItieI memorial, ut many of the reclamatioas which have pre ce d e' . would have remained unwritten. The act c d chapter is so clearly ministerial that a mead ree would lie to compel them to perform it. Pr i Le, an indictment for misdemeano r wou ld also lie i t ' t disobedience to an act of parliament ; bit the reme d y is the Queen's Bench would be quite s e t ticient. There are hundreds of similar dutie s ea upon public functionaries by our law ; j e 4; must sign overseers' accounts with o ut c a d d i e , them, nor will the Queen's B e n c h alloy durel refuse. Indeed, we may lay it down as a soand rie position, in morals as well as in law, that *p si s mandamus lies, conscientious objections are oat place. In almost all offices the party who elects er d appoints is different from the party who foram admits. A ministerial duty can never be 'Vaal to involve a right of discretion. If any amid, * proof of the true character of the duty thrown op ti e chapter were wanting, it is supplied by tee bet Edw. VI., which recites that the election under to cow crelire is a mere form, and nut a real elect* and that it is indeed somewhat derogatory to o e prerogative; and accordiagly proceeds t o curt, that certain fees shall be paid as provided —no do u b t to some friend of the good cause and of the pi e% protector. All that the dean and chapter have ta c k , is to see that the eonge d'elire is in due form. id s minister has forged the Queen's sioiature, they lay resist without memorialising. If Dr. NlEurwere n is really anxious to avoid undue resistance to eh lawful prerogative of the crown, he would still u well to withdraw his remonstrance, which is fon* on a misconception, and on an imaginary rtspe. (Ability. As we have indeed shown, the act of Henry HE does not even trust to the ordinary legal methodi c / enforcing statutory duties. If the dean and chapte r fail to elect, the right of formal election lape l ;$ the crown, and may be exercised by letters pe nt It seems impossible that even ez abundant., meal the royal prerogative could have been bettercured fa. but the King who, as it is well known, ivasaccastotosi himself to draw and settle his own acts of parliament, had some favourite formulas expressive of his oil peculiar tastes and practices, which were liberelly appended to his enactments; especially on maw of religion. After tying up the nominal electors of bishops by ordinary civil and criminal mead. ties for their obedience, and farther providing against their possible contumacy by ps s i ag them orer altogether in case of need, the Ki t winds up the act by a string of prannunires direehel against all possible persons who should interfere in any way with the act, or with the royal supremacy, eluding deans and chapters who fail to obey the oogf d'Rire. Oddly enough, in this penal clause it is es. sumed that they have twenty days to obey the man- date, while the enacting clause allow., them only twtlve. It is this provision which the Buthop of nurrut justly stigmatises as the most outrageous relic of tyranny still existing in the coneritution. It SW we have seen, not only oppression, hut wholly superfluous. It is a ghost of extinct persecution which tempts the appearance of martyrs. We have throu,ghout this dispute endeavoured to assuage its violence, and recommended those who are dissatisfied with Dr. HAMPIWS'S appointment to re. consider the objections, and at least to submit to irresistible and lawful power. We hope that the appointment will, on the other hand, be carried through calmly, firmly, nod without producing unnecessary irritation. There are, tio doubt, persons ..cho, in the excess of their anti-cleriesl zeal, have become fanatical supporters of the prerogs. tive; and who will urge the application of lIP.NRT THIS Etennt's tyrannical punishments to the recusant functionaries. If statesmen wish to see the whole tide of public opinion turned in favour of the oppo• vents of Dr. HAMPDEN, they had better inflict ups them the monstrous martyrdom of forfeiture of pen perty and perpetual imprisonment. Some of . the same batch of statutes may easily be raked up we the importers of Routish hulls; and we may have vet prisons filled, as in the time of HENRY VIII, hit self, with catholic and protestant confessors for thee respective churches. It is true that Dr. 11E1EWETHQ can be compelled to elect br mandamus ; it is to that it is wholly immaterial whether he elects or aet It is possible to create a general disturbance, sal that hope is to religious partisans a sufficient motive for endeavouring to realise it. Lord JOHN Russet', has thus fir the matter in hi own hands. He mar make the chapter elect, without persecuting the members of it, or he may elect with. out their assistance. If Oxford or Peterborough sue the vacant see, instead of Hereford, there would le no cove (retire issued—the crown would present It once. The practical supremacy of the crown sll moderate men would unite to uphold, if it was se dangered. This being secured, the less that is said about the abstract claims of different authorities the better. When will churches learn the wisdom of the rule, quieta see movere THE rise and progress of that most complicated d national diseases, which has afflicted, and which hoe not yet left Ireland, form the subject of an importing, intelligent, and, from its tenor, apparently official, article in the number of the Edinburgh Reriew noir in course of publication. The description of the disease and its nature is followed by an ample state ment of the various and successive remedies applied, by which all at least that was acute and imminently menacing of the malady was obviated and altered. The history of this disease—this crisis, as • the reviewer terms it, forms, indeed, the " great fact" of Lord imam RUSSELL'S administration, and on the whole, notwithstanding many inevitable errors, the way in which it was met, and its worst results lire• vented, offers la monument of humanity, zeal, rig' lence, and exertion, triumphing over a mass of sea appalling and prodigious obstacles, such as no govern• went of the present, or indeed of any past age, his raised for itself. "Organised armies, amoun'ing altorther to some hundred , of thousands. had been rationed before; but neither socket nor modern history can furnish a p the tact that upwards of three millions of persons were fe: very by the neighbourhood of their non homes, by administrative arraneeinvata, emanating trim, and conttolled by, enema• teal office." The great inference drawn, and the great truth illostratid, in the remarkable history here given 01 the Irish crisis, is the superiority of a purely eleemo synary system to the more specious plan of giving food in exchange for labour. When ministers first took into consideration the best mode of relief, they shrunk from adopting either the poor-law system authorities, or divisions, as the basis of any of their operations, not wishing to compromise that new sad invaluable institution by the pressure, failure, a odium, of a necessarily hurried sod gigantic plan d temporary relief. Time has shown] t hat the poorkw system, though but in a skeleton state, would have been far the best and most economical to have pa upon. "This system reached its highest point in Ju1y,1847, Id" out of 2,010 electoral divisions, into which Irel.nd is divide'. 1,826 had been brought under the operation of the set, sol 3,020,712 persons received aerate esti ins, of ekes 2,265,511 were adults, and 755,1,8 were children. Ths prase was moderate compared with the magnitude at thu object. The amount at which it was originally estimate" by the commission was 3,000,0001. Parliament was Wadi. provide for 2,200.0001., and the sum actually expended uses 1,557,2121., of which 146,6311. was paid to the commissars' for meal from government depots." The superiority of eleemosynary to labour-rate r lief is summed up by the reviewer in the following Paggage 'Another point which has been established by the resultd these extensive experiments in the science, if it 61 .1 t f called, of relieving the destitute, is, that two thine. oug° l " be carefully separated which are often confounded. Improve meat is always a good thing, and relief is oecarionally ase sensory thing, but the mixture of the tiro is aPaost sleep bad ; sail when it is attempted on a lance scale, sndril proper means of keeping it in check, it is likely to affect al very injurious manner the ordinary motives and mau which the business of society is caned on. Relief , ta k es . itself, offers, if it is properly administered, no motive** represent the condition of the people ; and being hole' some to the higher, and distasteful to the lower dasessj LI a capable of being carefully tested and subjtcted to effoor control. But when relief is connected with profits* '7" provements and full wages, tho most influential porous • each locality become at once interested in establishing 5_., 0 . • in favour of it, and the higher are always ready t 0. 140 the lower classes in pressing forward relief works olt g of urgent general distress, which it may be impost:Rals! analyse and difficult to resist. Relief ought to be con as much as possible to the infirm and helpless. Wafist." mesas of which improvements are carried on, should begT, by preference to the able.bodied and vigorous. Belief olle' to be on the lowest scale necessary for subsistence. .yrig should be sufficiently liberal to secure the best exertion s . the labourer. Belief should be made so unattractive 0* tarnish no motive to ask for it, except in the absence of Mil THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT. Mr. B. CAitPia Mic;dtlLsl 3 ;;;Cdentoitb; Board of Trade whether the Board of Trade, en pubic grounds, con , tarred is and approved of the opinion and advice expressed I lt st ay th e commis i t o o n e h rLo zilsv i ity=l: l 4 letter r io the h 3 e t h u f com missioners of railways elated, " That they were of opinion that no case had been made out to c.ill for a special ref sr. nce on the suhject of the Maths and Hants (meaning the Hun gerford Extension) Railway, under the Act 9 & 10 Vic., c. 105, sec. 10; and that he was under a wrung impression in supposing that the cam has been already referred by the Board of Trade to the commissioners of railways under the act of parliament above-mentioned." Mr. LABOUCHERE said the hon. member misunder stood the position of the railway department with reference to the Board of Trade. The departments were separate, and he, as President of the Board of Trade, bad nothing to do with the corn sivmdenee to which the hon. member re. ferred. It was true he had stated that he bad " referred " a letter of the hen. member's to the Board of Trade ; but the word " referred " had not been used in the sense put upon it by the hon. member. CITY OF DUBLIN ELECTION. Mr. O. A. HAMILTON, after Mating that he undetetood the government wonld not oppose hie motion, moved the the eonsiderado p ?t: .., the pe titi on EdwardEdwardOrog - an, - E!, .. • M.P. (presented 17th o:eember), complaining that reoognisance entered into by the petitioners against the return was not in the form prescribed by the Act 7 & 8 Vie. e. 103, and that the same he referred to the committee to be appointed to inquire iroo the petition presented by Sir Willoughby Jones, Bart., M. P. Sir 0. GREY maid he did not think it would he fair to treat this petition dill rently From that the house had already referred to a committee, and he should therefore accede to the motion.—Agreed to . CO SUTTEE OF PRIVILEGES. Sir G. GREY nominated the Committee of Privileges as follows:—Mr. Bernal, Mr. W. Wynn, Lord J. Russell, Sir R. Peel, Lord Vb.count Palmerston, Mr. Goulbarn, Lord 0. Bentinck, Mr. Hume, and Mr. G. A. Hamilton, and all the knights of the shires, gentlemen of the long robe, and merchant, in the hou.e. Mr AGLIONBY not object, but thought the com mittee would be rather unwieldy, if all the gentlemen of the long rot* in the house were to serve upon it. Sir G. GREY said the c •mmittee of 1840 was similarly constituted, and they Lad made a very elaborate and useful re part. The motion was then agreed to ; the committee to meet on 'Wtdneaday, the 7th of February, and every succeeding Wedneatlvy, and Friday.. NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT BILL. Mr. LABOUCHERE moved the second reading of this bill, whereupon Mr. GLADSTONE, pursuant to notice, inquired of her M jesty's povtrnerient whether the answer of Governor On y •o that part of the despatch of Earl Grey, dated the 23rd day of December, 184 G, which related to public lands in New Zealand, had yet iwen received, and whether it was intended to lay it at an early period on the table of the house ? Mr. LABOUCHERE said every particle of information received by the government on the subject of New Zealand bad been laid on the table of the house. After a few b.erva•ions from Mr. AOLIONBY, the bill was read a second time, to be reported Friday, Feb. 4. THE CHELTENHAM ELECTION PETITION. Mr. WALPOLE nominated the select committee for the consideration of the petition of Sir Willoughby Jones, Bart., M.P. Mr. Walpole, Mr. Attorney General, Sir F. Thesi. ger, Sir G. Grey,Sir It Peel, Yr. Serjeant Tolfourd, Mr. G. Turner, Mr. Boma', Mr. Greene, Mr. Wrightson, and Sir W. Reathonte. ----- Lord J. RUSSELL did not object to the committee, but observed that two hon. and learned gentlemen, the Solicitor- General and Mr. Romilly, who had taken an active part in the debate, were not nonsinatt.d. He mentimed this feet ; but he replied that he did not wish to alter the coestitu. tion of the committee, the ha. so as it was probable that he might not, under any circumstances, consider himself bound by their decision. Mr. WALPOLE d..fendcd the list, but said if the go vernment pressed the appointatmt of any other members, he should not object. Sir 0. GREY said It had been observed to him since he entered the house that all the legal gentlemen upon the com mittee, except the Attorney-General, whose opinions ho did not know, had already expressed themselves favourable to one view of the question. He thought the hon. gentleman, during the Teems, had better consider whether he would not put on the committeo the names of other members. Mr. WALPOLE repeated that he should be exceedingly glad to put on the committee the names suggested by Lora J. Russell, if the noble lord would permit him to add the names of two members from his (Mr. Walpole's) owa side of the house. Tejo committee as nominated was then appointed. The house adjourned at half-put eight o'clock. MUSKETS for IRELAND.—A policeman at Man chester Ku been di.missed from the force, very properly, fur buying lire-arms from the pawnbrokers for the purpose of aanding them to Ireland, DEATH FROM LEAVING THE POKER IN THE FIRE. —An inquest was held last week on the body of E. Terre', a child about five years old, whose father is a joiner, living in Chorlton-upon-Idedleek. On the Thursday morning pre vious the servant girl had put the poker between the bars df the grate, in order to make the fire burn; after it be came red hot, it fell out at the feet of the deceated, the bottom of whose night-gown it immediately set on fire. The servant was unable on the instant to extinguish the flames, having a younger child on her knees; but the mother, bear ing the screams of the children, ran down stairs, and wrap ping the cradle blanket round the deceased, succeeded an extinguishing the flames, an abo.it four minutes from the falling of the poker; but not before the deceased was so se verely burnt that she died on the Saturday. " Ac icidental death."