The Express. — London, England, 1851-07-11 00:00:00

OCC V PA!! lON Lot 4 J. a sssi that ansestaws...-- eenstsests of Eaglaad that than was so 0-- tar=t occupatsoss al present of the oer. 'THE V Led SEYMOI. Mg to state that rag poor, he had represented to the Commirleseen of Serer that it would irate the Yew bed_ Bing to the mgre a rent number of whisk weld be tordoortirsde vellessatsemess, hewover, hood no an* sad now di bri e radirlmildr. • hoopoes' the* • pest mom WOO% Ir. *Mei r larhortiwt Bib . 611 W the Urilnd bolo linesum. Lea Limpid% boos. lir. Albania ear's home. ari sowed Wow. hod bon sere or Ws enudig-41101PIAIII-lbrhypot Nis pier Id AS ' pyllBdeiree ia • mem that end* set he sso. et the OA pions orlVltholillisirm Bills Mee inalgood ran Asa. of the Ishii mid weer be = rogue& the Valid throw mama gums) Theadam M~aisropensatior nerd with the swoomants, and siert& Me Orem& ; and the termer world, of course, recover Sr idle briery they lad sustained. it B. HALL, is elooregoorso of the answer of the whir lord, begged to give Mks thud this day he should ask sad geisha fund ell them espresso would be defroyed it! shwa also put the question. Ade had been already mead da times this series, et the Under-Secretary for the Home Dignereent whether they world lave a bill brought in fee se posigins of removing thus se men ? (Cheer.) OFFICIAL RETURNS. C. LEWIS, in answer to Mr. WlWl:octave, stated that Orlair discrepancies in the revenue accounts furnished by fir tit government, as compared with the accounts twined by • former government, arose from the eireum roue that the latter did not include, as the former did, the Post-office return, sad the property-tax returns; and that in relation to the corn returns the account, of the late go vernment were based upon the Winchester, thus of the meant government upon the imperial bushel. CHIEF JUSTICES' SALARIES BILL. This bill was read a third time and . passed. CHURCH BUILDING AMENDMENT BILL. In answer to • quietism, Lord J. RUSSELL seAssd his intention. if possible, to take the adjourned debate ea the second reading of this bill on Thursday nest ; but he could not quite promise trial he would. INHABITED HOUSE DUTY BILL. On the motion that this bill be read a third time, Mr. DISRAELI reiterated the objections he hail pre t t i l urged against this portion of the finance scheme cons by the Chancellor of the Etchequer. Instead of being made a complete substitute for the abolished window-tae, • large deficiency was left, for which the house would have hereafter to provide by an Menus in the burthen of dine taxation. He strongly disapproved of • measure that pointed to such • mutt, and progneeticated that berme lone the house and the country would join in condemaiatal policy which involved the necessity of an addition to tie ' existing pressure of the taxes weighing directly upon pa perty and income. Lord J. RUSSELL would not enter into the guidon raised by the hors. gentleman, fur it was quite certain that, the principles upon which the government had acted were considered by all economists to be most reeoncileable with sound policy. but he would congratulate the house on having at length got rid of the window duty, which bed in terfered so much with the comfort and happiness al the people. (Cheers) The bill was then read • third time and prod. The following bills went through the same stage :—The Assessed Tales Composition Bill; the Public Works, Fisheries, etc., Bill ; and the Public Works (Ireland) Bill The Unlawful Oaths (Ireland) Bill, the Turnpike Roads' (Ireland) Bill, and the Private Lunatic Asylums (haired) Bill, were read • second time PROCEEDINGS OF SIR JAMES BROOKE. Mr. HUME rose to move an address to her Malogy "that she will be graciously pleased to appoint her rood commission to inquire into the proceedings of Sir Jame Brooke on the north western coast of Borneo since his ap pointment as her Majesty's ' commissioner and consul general to the Sultan and independent chiefs of Borneo,' and especially into the attack made by her Majesty's and the lion. East India Company's naval fumes, under his ad vice and direction, on certain wild tribes of that island, called the Sakanen and Santos Dyaks, on the night of the 31st July, 1649; and further, that her Majesty will graciously command that the opinion of her Majesty's judges be taken and laid by her Majesty's ministers be fore this house, touching the legality or otherwise of the holding by Sir James Brooke, at one and the same time, of the following apparently incompatible offices—vie., of sovereign ruler of Sarawak, be being a British subject; of her Majesty's commissioner and consul-general to the Sultan and independent chiefs of Borneo, he (Sir James Brooke, residing at Sarawak, where there is no independent chief; and also of the appointment of governor of the British settlement of Labuan, distant three hundred miles from Sarawak, at which British settlement Sir James Brooke has not been actually present more than a few months during the last three years." He said he regarded the question as one of great importance to the character of the government and the country. He wished that his object should not he misunderstood; great pains had been taken to misrepresent it. He had been asked, Why revive this question after two years, when all the facts had occurred ? No delay had taken place on his part. On no question had so much doubt and difficulty existed in the way of obtaining the necessary documents. The hon. member for Surrey had charged him with under taking this question at the suggestion of an individual who had quarrelled with Sir James Brooke. This was a gross injustice. No one in that house dared say that he had ever brought forward any question from pnvate or improper motives. (Hoar, hear.) His attention had been drawn to the quietism in the session of 1849, after it had been takes up by an association in the city. lie had been induced to take it up . by an extract from •S' re paper, which appeared in the Doily New of the 25th June, 1849. Mr. Hume here read the extract referred to, which stated that in March and April the naval force of the Nemesis, belonging to the East India Company and in the pay of the British government, had joined a collection of prahus with Sir James Brooke, and had proceeded to attack certain portions of the Dyaks of Samba' and Sakarran rivers, in the island of Borneo ; but the paragraph which most attracted his attention was the one in which it was asked whether it was creditable to our naval forces to aid or take part in cruel butcheries sad brutal murders of the helpless and the de fenceless. After reading t'sis account, he (Mr. Hume) asked the First Lard of the Admiralty if any despatches had been received from the Nemesis. The answer was, none what ever. The proceeding had taken place in March—his in quiry was made at the end of June. Every naval officer was bound immediately to transmit despatches detailing such transactions as these; what would the hour then Pink of the pmesedings in this case? No information grid& be obi that session. In the first week of the en singes siskie_soked the government whether any official afialllllllll Tina been received of the massacre of the 81st Joypserding. The answer was that none had been susgail. Oa ea 21)th of March he moved for copier of Aikird Tsellses instructions. Sir F. Baring stated that sere of the paws they had not got, and there was one of lb= *ay shosobl have to wntc out hr. In April he somowed hie inquiry, bet could still obtain no anonne. Oa the 9th of May, on the vote fur head le again introduced tt ie subject ; it was post ilions various causes, till the 12th of July, Whoa Sir F. -Bring stated that the instruction had been written for, but owing to the death of Sir F. Collier and other circumstances there had been great die, culty in obtaining them. In the mesa time, the govern ment had promoted the racer against whom this charge had been Made. This would show that there had been no delay on his part ; he had done all in his power to bring on the question. Here were we, who hesitated as to the punishment of death for murder, allowing the slaughter of l;i00 persons without any authentic details of the trans action being known hers. It was not the character of Sir J. Brooke alone that was implicated, but that of the government. It was well known that the Admiralty reins lotions required all officers to scud home returns of the transactions in which they were engaged. The death of Sir F. Collier was alleged in excuse, but why had not his successor done it ? lie would now state the grounds on which he claimed this inquiry, and would confine himself to the papers laid on the table of the house. On the lith of March last, a dispatch from Cap tain Wasps be Capt. J. H. Johisetone, was printed. which contained en eserint of the elaeleellt. It was as follows: fir, —I bow Os bows to taro on, the se the *Us July, lto, I yeselest Instrottleas dsaCopan hedalasm other tifta tre deep Akelwah stator dem to lona to mires le grossa oars woe deeded souses between the efts llownek awl Tem Jog IMO, roast by a oft isle orderOw Mune Iresia rd C L. etllerart, ana talker? litedre edge rafts 11Theirede had Idthwto rwastnato gauss, hat redly Omen at a nomads soft to say pies awn hat wales WOO M regdoll. Om Or adios ha wen Mad. by the ft free Oats. Varodoes do e Met Os mew pet to am gos OM% ana to a shee MI ta with It 8010 n Oft ▪ seassokills soaping two hid, and tees rafts In Ms lerra it eis learreg tape; ea ee eft aleast ot then I bid Ihnm lewd ire tide with ershear Oft sleep the aft lika sb mo ran brag absea Men. or ftwet. , dr st awarno aft at the wee tins kee tarty ping yank up sea mast oil Ifteilot Ire es eft, Ws thee =WeelgUie s line, ad &Meg ma pads. la ire loamy ' they IN es Mg meg to • deism amain bedenerilt ef seawAt. wake au - sod were% wlthma Meade, with eer Sra Renew tallesse granswNrrepsewl on Se the Barg loon todeetreesise op with: Scot rood soh sweisselay, sad dolma lbw to detail. by no a asofte ft et gram Oa eft wriebetry, sal they gram as hides lam, withal& i i awai =fornd b rrit i t h b e i t r iosie m Ze=eg i robles isla vhdl We t a ir aewelotiO. • • ••• 4. Assort —Ms Mee =seL ls trilw river /Mao (a teasel aft Mar* berm the te goad the nolo river, wino we eftwel er &- Mega Ilfteight ot the essay, who oft tided ie oft their mime dr river Phi& On the 7th, the twee rerma having eWwnaw/ beret (after a right reftwoo) tio graded toms, a =stray, salt, nieces, and ea del wlege hoe at the lejane and pomaded ep da dens les Irma giogg Rendat, shkh the bars went le efts= st 40 sem end Mewsysi owed villages en the bale. On thr lath m dreg. di the Own tdsnpwls6, whieb isolator* the strew psi. Oast s mida lea wsrmaie two deft W o the YAW ems ha lea Wig the Ostia Seel& blr w t/Mr. teas stria poy sine. ease• ele llel l= Erg abl. ad Os twee noose he aroma I treg Otesheowsno espy at • Peter from the emir Deed eller an Itisilatks.-4. Ibis. as ( 4 1.1113 2. WAWA; 011111111111111 L lige wee led to believe, Om a siassakellsa boa' fide V. Callisr, that he was reftbing hot erdoliod wNki pa prosesdiess, and he segretteml ars they could nal haw ble own account The Had of brie attacked wore issedhol in the Si Are Pew of Mai, 1849; i t . they were Yrrymli s ikt asiesslin. That very Z e irgPor had been laid baton bath baggy, 'woman( IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. mouss (3T , LORDS.—TutrzsDAT, ItILS 10. The LOto Catascau.oa took his seat M in iamb. PUBLIC BUSINESS. PETITIONS PRESENTED. Anumetow or Jaws to Pazt.tusaor.—By Leg RE VIISDALII. from • prises not beard. against the &dairies of Jews se partiarneat. 1401,01110-rovers Btu--By the Doke of CLEVE LAND. from Thulium Is Aeon of this bill. CLICIWIIIO or Towna.—By Lead WHAENCLIFFE. from M. Loomed's, in lasangslablig et beiag is eluded with Ogriews el ' bagel", bmald by WI !Wed of Health fee elemesing town. Ts#II4IWILTATIOX TO Vas Dlist s S (4119. —My Lord L/TT ELTON. front perms in this coleny, spirt the be llow tsugMrtation of eonviste thither. • - Remoras. Christmas BOUM 8atm.417 the Duke ofSlll=l.lll. taiiirbisithisted IL Beeirreo, Reath- , pm sir Tarim ions in this bill. work.POOR RATES (IRELAND). TM Berl of OLF.MGALL mid he had nosini lelins from persons in Galway, eons of ibe mednet of the per rase eollerrom. la am iamto.me M nos add a fame, al sheep seise" be poor venns; when. Is b• did set owe a farthigt nomedmkee. the sheep owe odd, and the whets mendree brains for W. by the entor Ida erlf. Whilst nitkoming Os kw" its scold WM th= Unity a 'MSS that In the maims ef Onesemd nod the ILaw Lids Amnion Camparet Lerries t land gm &- Orem of ejectment against 979 hemem-411111.9 whit were obtained at the quarter swigs sem Moe apt and 320 were ga last week. If Sine SOS ilmdike went ejected, 5,01)) persons, at least, would be tstaal out destitute upon the world. Ile could not believe that It wee the intention of this company to put the eifesteasets in fors ; but if it was, and this was the way in which English capitalises were to deal with Irish tenants, he wished Ittihad joy et Endlieb landlords and aftLITIMCI companies. COUNTY CO KIS. Lord BROUGHAM stated that it was not his Intentions at this advanced period of the session, to proceed either with the bill for consolidating the system of the bankruptcy and sooty courts, or with that for conferring an equitable jurisdiction on the county courts. The Burnes& and Freemen,' Parliamentary Franchise Bill was read • second time, on the :notion of Leg DLO soar. PRIVILEGE. Lord CAMOYS brought up the report of a committee appointed to inquire into en alleged fraudulent petition, which, after some conversation, was ordered to be punted. ATTORNEYS' AND SOLICITORS' REGULATION ACT AMENDMENT BILL. Their lordships went into committee on this bill. The Karl of ULENOALL proposed amendments in one of the clauses, but the purport of them did not reach the gallery. Lord MONTEAGLE said the bill was good as fat as it went, and be would give it hi , support. The Marquis of CLAN KICAII E hoped his noble friend would not pr,s, his amendment. The Karl of OLENOALL withdrew the amendment. as 4 the hill poised through committee. Their lordships then resumed. MERCHANT SEAMEN'S FUND. The Earl of ELLE:480E01:011 rose to move for " a copy of a report from Mr. Alcaander Glee Finlaison to the Right lion. 11. Lel...inches on the merchant seamen's fund, datialMalreh 1e,1850, and laid before the Howie of Com mons, and by them ordered to be printed on the 20th of March, IMO; also, any reports received by the Board of Trade since the report of t h e commission of 1148, relating to the present condition and prospects of the merchant seamen's fund." These were papers which they ought to have in their postesion before they proceeded to the consideration of the measure JeAely introduced into parlia sent concerning the merchant seamen's fund, and be moved for them with the view of making some observations on the bill for winding up that fund—a measure soon to come before their lordship', and one which ho thought af forded evidence of culpable negligence on the part of the government, who, instead of treating British seamen with any sort of regard, did, everything in its power to disgust theta. Such conduct, !weever, wee only of a piece with the inroads daily made un the old establishments of the coun try, and with the disregard shown to those who had deferred best at the hands of the nation ; nor could he help saying that, in hi, opinion, the greatest calamity which could betel a constitutional state was the protracted continuance of a weak and timid coven:merit. Earl GRANVILLE did not wish to enter into any dis amnion on the bill at present. lie would only say that it did not deserve the description given of it by the noble lord. It was certainly net the duty of a government, whether weak or timid, to pass measures diametrically at variance with the wishes and opinions of those most interested in them. Such a measure had been proposed by a commission of which the noble torsi woo chairman, and the government, finding it impooible to curry it out, had brought forward the present bill for winding up the Seamen's Fund. Ile could out concur in Lord Ellenburough's observations un the state of the country. On the contrary, he believed that it was never in a more prosperous condition, and he con templated the efforts made to increase our commercial mosperity and improve the intellectual and moral state of the people with feelings of confidence rather than with the alarm cm:nosed by the noble earl. After some observations from Lord COLCUrrina the motion was agreed to. LODG I NO-HOUSES BILL. On the motion of tlu Earl of Sli A 'Tully KT the above bill went through committee and ear reported. GUNPOWDER STORES (LIVERPOOL) MEEK'''. TION REPEAL BILL. On the motion of EMI Ursa v LLis this bill was raid a second time. HEALTH OF TILE METROPOLIS. Esrl GRANVILLE give notice that on Monday he should reque.t the iitteution of their lordships to a report by Mr. Grainger mem the sanitary condition of certain parts of the metropolis. Their lordships imAjournsd at 7 o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TRUIUMAY, JtiLT 10. T►e S took the chair at 12 o'clock. Pit' VATE BUSINESS. The I..orde* amendment. to the Cork and Waterford Railway Bill, and the Ureat Malvern Improvement, Police, &wen, Waterwork., Um, and Markets Bill, were coral den4l and agreed to. The Vannene listate Society (Ireland) Bill, and the Manchivter, Button, Matlock, and Midland Junction Railway Bill were eeverally read a third time and paned. - ruaLiC BUSINESS. PETITIONS PRESENTED. MERCHANT 811•18101 . 11 Ft:NO.—By Mr. WILLCOX, front Southampton, praying that this bill bo postponed till the next x mown. -- Foam's Viol/IL—By Mr. KEOGH, from the eorn. millers and other inhabitants of the borough of Athlone, praying for an alteration in the laws regulabng the impor tation of foreign Sour into Ireland ; and Lord NAAS from taw millers of the county of Armagh, complaining of the depression of 'heir trade arising from those laws. HARWICH ELECTION COMMITTEE. Thr menthe's of this committee, Yams. Joke tie IL Willthby. Mr. Jame Kershaw Mr. George Arkwright. is Mr . William Drake , were nears. MERCILLIIT SEAMEN'S FUND. The hose nest into committee on this bill. On clause 15, LABOVCIIERE mid the object of this claws vas to take the awes of the porta generally, and to imply them to litluidatioa of the claims. He thought he was net oohing anything unreasonable in asking them to take them funds throughout the country as a whole,and apply them to theGQui datiun of the claim. upon them. He guaranteed the rusting pensions, and therefore all those ports where the pensions were, from good mauagernent or good luck, comparatively high, would receive the benefit of the good management or good lilac. so far as the rousting pensions were con cerned. lie proposed to secure to every receiver of • pension the amount of his pension; the bill also provided that every pcnon who hail contributed to the fund may, if he think tit, continue to contribute and have a pension when he becomes entitled to it, but he allowed no new con tributions, as he thought the beat course was to get rid of this fund system altogether. Mr. FORSTER approved of the principle of the hill. The had system had always been unpopular with NOW Kr. CARDW ELL attributed the bad state d Ike dands to the improper interference of the legislature. Kr. T. M. GIBSON hoped it would not be lheessi arr • moment that any of the fonds should be wllltheldi Acs the general farad. The clause was agreed to. The other clauses of the bill wen dm ergot is, comet clause 26, which was postposnaiL Mr. MARDCARTLE propels' es eiillseel clause, to the effect that all monies now laveatell so Sarin in the names of the trustees of any output. she be laid out or disposed of in such manner as the Inuelmes titters, and seamen of each outport shall, at a geselhorM ho Galled by the treasurer of the fond or the resolver oldie prat, deter mine. In the port which he represented. Rim ha the fund with great prudence, and bad • Women In hand, and they thought it ezceedingly sash that they should be deprived of this sum, and that it should be thrown into the general fund. After some discussion, Mr. HARDCAST LE withdrew the clause. The CHAIRMAN then reported progress, and asked leave to sit again. LANDS CLAUSES CONSOLIDATION (IRELAND) BILL. The home then went into committee on this bill. The various clauses up be the 13th were agreed to, except the 12th, which wee wrack est. The CHAIRMAN then reported progress, and salted Isms to sit again. The house then remised. VALUATION (IRELAND) BILL. The committee on this bill was bet for Monday at 12 O'clock. Th e ho l m then, at 3 o'eleek, adjourned until 3. The house resumed at 5 o'clock. THE CRYSTAL PALACE. Mr. STAFFORD gave notice that be should this day move for the production of a copy of the warrant under her Majesty's sign manual for the orcupstiou of the site, and also a copy of the deed of covenant and the conditions attached thereto under which the bolding was erected. iiiiiVifiti . On the nod= el kr. Hamm. now weir wen adored for dr bresigh Ilseeteree" lomat by the Earl of Wpm% assoplompo of the Mee e e t e neellee of bet Wiry% leseeherd awl fer the el Amadei, went by the Let et Amadei led • ateeptenee of the Chiltern Hundreds. their 111 "... just all the to or a square to deeds booms" aor C sur hod bees edgmreMd is it. He would admit the provides., mad misehlef of die pirates in those waters ; fifty yea» "gil l ke had atm* hem • to them, bat these were rasa ttaa easseirst port 1 having no bosomed's with the Do% argomeat sate, they hog. their tr massed by Admiral had bees drapthee . Them" I V ides% .u&s phase liable. as emadatioo, to tramapeoletios it ahem yea's; they wets to be takes sad brought to trial. If they resited day might be killed ; but if they made so resideose. web mane aught not to be pursued.. Mr Jaws books lia amoimilled that most of them were SIMS, Ming umbst 3/Metimination ought to be made in such eases; to isserey doom all withest distiostiou, moo, woods, sad elibbes.eintilimeverbeleadded. th i s MIMI* the treaty et NINO bad boss Yr This only pre her Kip jostrovonolidolooforofoopturtne vowels. Thema duct oldie bed bees a directoislatioa of this traegy. nobs/ It is le waft the mammary information hem the mosalmot et lase liejoetre deveemacnt, or from say of die stallemes emoometed with the East India de peetmeeits Is was obliged to have MOMS@ to the naval AWN webg ea the coast of Borneo at that period. But before adueeflsg to the replies received from them he would, in order to show the unfitness of the Sekarran and Sarebas tribal hr piratical undertakings, quote the gedeion of Sir J. Brooke himself on the subject. He damped them as being the most savage of the various local tribes, and delighted in hunting and fishing. Their weapons tom• prised the sword and spear, but fire arms they had none, and consequently never used any. In fact such was their dread of firs arms that the discharge of musketry put them to flight. That was the opinion of Sir J. Brooke ; and he thought • better witness against himself need not be desired. The neat testimony he would adduce was that of Captain Daniel, of the East India navy, to whom he (Kr. Hume) applied for information in duseme. Now Captain Daniel was on the Bornean coast in IMP sad and his reply was " that whilst on the coast he wet fell in with a pirate ; nor did he ever hear of moileffilism being offered by the tribes to foreigners." Now IMO Mee • strong proof, ea coming from • gentleman and an Wiser ; who had been in command of a vessel on the Borneo coast for a considerable period. (Hear, hear.) In ano th er letter which he (Mr. Hume) received front an officer whe commanded a ship on that coast for 16 months, the wriem said that during that period he never saw a pirate, whisk greatly disappointed him, as he was led to suppose that the coast abounded with them. The writer also continued 119 say that he had been informed by merchants that small coasting vessels, under the English flag, traded without molestation on these waters. He (Mr. Hume) in bringlag the matter forward did not seek in any way to aggeaSmu the charges. His object was to vindicate she hamar af the country, the cause of humanity, = ur ta might say, the character of her Majesty's who, by the way, so far from endeavouring to neaeftg the evils of the case, voted lathe two last years sums of 1 as head money for the murder, he would term it, et those inoffensive men, at least in offensive in a piratical sense. (Hear, hear.) By the evidence of another naval officer, who served in • frigate at Labuan, it appeared that he never saw a pirate there. The different tribes, he remarked, made war upon each other, like their more civilized brethren in other parts of the world. But so little were they dreaded, that vessels of 4.5 tons, with crews of eight and ten men, ran constantly between Singapore and Borneo. (Hear, hear.) The officer himself stated that, in consequence of ill-health, he went to Labuan in a vessel of 45 toes, with • crew of 4 men, the only arms on board consisting of am double-barrelled fowling piece. Now, with such proofs as these before him, he could not help appealing to that honest and to her Majesty's ministers in the case of these unforter nate men, who had been so cruelly dealt with. If sige other proof were needed, he had by him • documemt signed by 63 merchants of the colony, substanthting the statements he had already laid before the house. Ms NOM was to call the attention of the house to the massmers of these wretched 1,500 human beings, on the plea that were pirates, though no proof whatever existed of their being such. Sir J. Brooke, in a letter to Lord Palmontim, declared that he did not object to inquiry ; and he (Mr. Hume) should assert that without inquiry it was not pos sible to clear up the character of that gentleman. (fleer.) A commission was sent to Sir J. Brooke—the individual who was more implicated than any other—to take evidence. Mr. M'Dougal and Mr. Crookshanlui, the latter of whoa was in the pay of Sir J. Brooke, were the commissioners appointed. There was only one European witness ez iunined, that witness being Sir J. Brooke himself, and he made an affidavit in court which was entirely at variaaes with all his former statements. Now, he would ask whether there was anything like justice in sending a com mission to the very man who was the mast im plicated in the whole of these proceedings, to have the evidence taken. The commissioners acted in this respect contrary to what, as lawyers, they should have done, and contrary to what justice required. This alone would*: tify and demand an inquiry. (Hear.) A great deal had been made of an address which had been presented to Mr J. Brooke, signed, as was stated, by all the merchants la Borneo. He had analysed the signatures to that address, and he found that only 13 out of 27 merchants had signed, the remaining 14 refused to do so. This address was pre 'caeca in January last year. Another address, from the Dutch settlement of very recent date, was sent here and presented to Sir .1 Brooke. Why had the parties who signed this address slept oa their oars so long? Why had they not moved in this matter when it was first known that he had been en deavouring to bring these atrocities to light and hail been doing everything in his power to obtain information. He could not but think, therefore, that this address had been prepared for the occasion. Sir J. Brooke, in his reply, ' made a reference to him (Mr. Ilume). But he had been for so lung a time accustomed to these paper bullets, that he was not afraid of them now. (Cheers.) His object was to have an inquiry into thew matters is which the character of the country and the cause of humanity were involved, and in which the credit of her Majesty's government, who adopted these proceedings, was implicated. (Hear.) There was one remaining point of which some notice ought to be taken. He had on former occasions put qucatlona to the noble lord at the head of the government, and to the noble lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, respecting the position of Sir J. Brooke. He had been told that Sir J. Brooke continued to hold her Ma jesty's commission as governor of Labuan, and that he had Um in receipt of 1,5001. a year, whilst the surveyor-general WI been doing the duty foe several months during his ab eam. He also inquired into the nature of his position and the 'Meat of his authority as sovereign of Sarawak, as the UMW States had entered into negotiations with him re spelling a treaty of commerce. The noble lord the Secre ting fee Foreign Affairs, said that a treaty of momma might be entered into ,• but he did test Wino that one was concluded ; that Sir J. Week* was justified in the course he adopted ; that Sarawak was nut British territory ; and that he could net state in what position Sir J. Brooke stood. Now the (Mr. Hume) maintained that it was not competent Ike Sir J. Brooks, as a British subject, to possess indepen dent territory without the consent of the crown. He made that statement on the authority of the opinion of Dr. Lashington, is the case of the New Zealand Company. The hon. sentlersaa here read the opinion of Dr. Lushington in which be stated that a British subject could not posse's territory eves ia a country not under the dominion of the crown, without the consent of the crown. Well, then, he (Mr. Hume) wanted to know in what po sition Sir J. Brooke stood ? ',Hear.) They had already paid 20,0001. for the murder of 1,500 or 2,000 unfortunate human beings. This of Bade should surely induce the house to trace the a uthors of the act, and to order an inquiry in all these eases. This inquiry should be by a commission. This house had immediately and with out hesitation sent out a commission to Ceylon to inmate into the handwriting of a captain in her Majesty's service. The present question is a matter of vast importance, sad a commission of inquiry should also be sent out. He had to lament on the present occasion the absence of the late right hon. baronet the member for Tamworth, because he had - in his possession a letter from that right hon. gentleman, in which, after reading an account of thew transactions in the papers, he expressed his opinion that an inquiry ought to take place. It was dated Nov. 211, 1849 : Wbitsiaa, Tiff ISIL MOle, —I drek you fa anamialka WM pia bow S. um I trest lb, ber geeernmem sea k Is le ails Melinda imp lambi la arallas ' weer streammesse bees Weser yea to m = es the His Lei sf me Treesury. I riot with 'rest pin as es. ISMS of W treneseticen w wadi yea raw, but eked eseposia gust *meat mon ttao pnassillogi aorta Sir Isms Brealie spirt NM aas eyas &ma% wail s te r lualrai aft mord io drabs gines.— ran ., , (lama) Lana Pia. Lary Wise,. 34. Oaradh. He (Mr. Hems) now asked for those explanations which the late Sir R. Peel said, on the spur of the ream& ought to be given ; end from eapreseions which hal afterwards fallen from that right hon. gentleman he (Kr. RUM) was satisfied that if he were present amongst them Mat il6t he would support an inquiry into these transactions, He had now stated his case, and in doing so he hut pedigreed a most painful duty. His object was to elicit the truth. He defied all the powers of the government and of the Lore to do away with the foul spot which al ate dissamis ma on Sir J. Brooke without inquiry. He (Yr. Hams) assail be glad if it were proved that he had taken an erroneous or too strong a view of the matter. He wadi so far acquit the government, that he believed they wee, not aware of many of the facts which he had stated whew they adopted the proceedings of Sir J. Brooks. Let ends MS be selected to conduct the inquiry as these who sat en the Ceylon com mission. The East India Company had many able men under them, who could made* ers inquiry. Let them get any instructions the loverearint_ *erred to lave, pro vided only an opportunity ins Mae! havlng thee* matters thoroughly sifted. (Cheers.) He would only add that such an investigation alone could fees the government and Sir J. Brooke from the stigma which these papers east upon them. (Cheers.) The hon. gentleman concluded by movint ti C moti Mr. HART seconded the motion. Oa the question being put, Mr. HEADLAM said that he was present hat year whin the hon. member for Montrose brought before the house a proposition similar to that which he submitted to it on the p-esent occasion. He had not at the time any particular interest in the subject, nor had he the honour of being ac quainted with Sir J. Brooke ; he had not any more 90.• curate acquaintance with the (motion than should be • was - sisession was lest by ai.laslori tr. of 169 against 29. (Hear, bear.) Upon that socaeion matters of a private nature will& had little to do with the subject really under dia- Susie° were introduced into the debate by those who spoke in defence of Sir J. Brooke, and he must sly that when a high-minded gentleman ad aam of high character was gravely charged in that house with no less a crime than wholesale murder, it was not surprising if the friends of Pk L Brooke sought to trace out the calumny to its source .--dist they did not confine themselves to the question blare the house, but endeavoured to prove that the sources Item which these calumnies proceeded were foul and per il& (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Headlam) was a lawyer, and lawyers had a maxim, that a man once acquitted ought not to be tried again for the same offence. (Hear, hear.) The, doctrine he believed to be formed on true juWos, mis• policy, and experience. It was wise and just, became It rendered it necessary for those who made a charge to tem plet* their cum at the time it was brought forward, and prevented them from seeking to eke it out by subsequent matter which possibly might come to their knowledge. (Hue) But though generally wise and true, ho would not carry the doctrine to any absurd length, sou to exclude all subsequent discussion in matters of grave public moment and importance. And if the hon. member for Montrose had brought before the house any important evidence which was not before it on the former discussion; any new matter that might be likely to influence the opinion of the govern mimt, and upset the former decision of the house, he might have been justified in dragging Sir J. Brooke again before the house and country. But after listening to the speech of the honourable gentleman he did not find that he adduced any material facts beyond these which he brought forward on the previous occasion. (Hear, hear.) The new documents which had been laid before the house, so far from establishing the case against Sir J Brooke strengthened the evidence in his favour. (Hear.) Every new paper, fact, and deposition tended to establish the fact that the verdict given by the house on the former occasion was a right and true one, and showed that they ought to reject the proposition now made by even a larger majority. (Hear, hear.) The hon. and learned member, after referring to the nature of the charges contained in the motion, went on to ; say that it was divided into the question oepolicy and the question of murder. In England it was not usual to combine a question of policy with an in dictment for murder. He did not think there was any thing incompatible in Sir J. Brooke holding the various offices which he possessed, but supposing that it was incom patible, the judges of the land were not the persons by whom that question was to be considered. The hon. gen tleman said that the Serena and Sakarran tribes were not pirates, that they were harmless and inoffensive native tribes, and perfectly innocuous from their want of civilisa tion, at least against any European power. Ile said that all their wars bore the character of intertribal war, and that they never committed piracy, but that even if they had, the conduct pursued towards them on the 30th of July, 1549, was not justified by any act of piracy committed at the time, or if so that it was marked by an unjustifiable degree o f cruelty. Such were the charges. Now in page 62 of the documents which had been presented that morning, a description was given of these pirates by . different witnesses, in which it was stated that they lay in wait to attack and plunder, and that they massacred women and children without pity. (Hear, hear.) Well, Borneo was a large place, end it was said that the persons to whom this description applied were not llyalts. But it so happened curiously enough that in these papers which were written without any reference to these chancre, " the llynk tribes of Sarebas " were specifi cally mentioned as pirates. (Cheers.) That they burned and massacred all that came within their reach— that they had no fire-arms, but only javelins or spears of wood. (" Hear, hear," from Mr. Cobden.) The hon. gentleman cheered the latter part of the description, but he should recollect that there were four braes cannon taken front the pinks on the night of the 31st July, and that several of these had fin-arms. (Hear.) Now, let him compare with this dessetltiss tint et Sir J. Brooke, as given in his Milunisian Os piney: pirriesses as NM et Santee mobs gamed tato than who Wm blow be, , y-usrell mks% sub as Mc la. mfthe lighter Dye Iris Alb ads than axesanningile la swift pralregoin nit rattier rhos yes* l• snob their ; sehltra the worst miegandif Wien Arab thsmselves at 1 . 11214,1 1/1 111 Iffif _MAY NON • WM= ler piracy-a Irinineinsgm omen 111 la MB Militants; mg although mew sindlyaning testask ova followers. they mesa frequently seek great by NAY. sobress Is hod, mum, and gespowacr, to ad who will agree SUS agarbitsat rate to repay them in slaves. This description was still further borne out by the descrip tion given in page 83 of the documents which had been dis tributed that morning. In another part of the same dom. liaenighs it w eis aswid nt out during the east mmemet; In the month of flesslion n only on as the east moaasea begins to be felt awl the sea Is sift es pinta, quit their retreats, sad betake themselves to plans lane they boor to meet with soma OW Chia vaael. so soon as a Vomit Yis sight they start la gamed. saremod them with their some weft and bwad. if the merchantman contrivee to escape the pirates be can se issue his rune without fear; in the contrary ease the vessel is delivered up to piing% and the crew are either murdered or made primero such is the undue* of the pirates during the whale of the an manatee. _ Some hon. gentlemen thought it strange that all vessels sailing near Borneo had not been attacked ; but what he had just cited accounted for it. (Hear, hear.) In the year 1824 a treaty was entered into with the Netherlands for the express purpose of suppressing the Demean pirates. At a later period Sir James Smoke, instructed by the Foreign office, used his power and influence for the same purpose, in consequence of complaints having been made by the mercantile community of this country; and for having adopted the best mode of suppression he was stigmatised in that house as a murderer. (Hear, hear.) The difficulty of establishing the caw of the rajah really consisted in the magnitude and number of the proofs; only those who had gone through the papers knew how complete it was. The honourable member then read a letter which had been written by a naval officer at present in the coast-guard, and formerly serving on board the Ariadne ship of war in the Indian Seas, in which the writer bore his personal testimony to the existence of pirates on the coast of Borneo, and stated that on one occasion he himself narrowly escaped with his life from them, and that at another time an attack upon the Ariadne by three prahus filled with men was prevented only by Snag a 24-pound shot across their bows. The writer added that he thought an instance like that, where a vessel of war had been attacked by these " daring robbers," was sufficient to convince even Mr. Cobden himselt of the piratical character of the tribes. (Laughter and hear.) In the year 1844, Captain Keppell was engaged in similar operations against the Dyaks of Sarebas, and his conduct was then acknowledged and approved by the company at Singapore, the commander-in-chief on the station, and the Lords of the Admiralty. Captain Keppell said that on that occasion the pirates were the first to fire, and that in less than a quarter of an hour they were driven from their guns. Captain Keppell then proceeded to say that no less than 66 guns of various sizes were taken, as well as a vast quantity of ammunition ; that a ton and a half of gun powder fell into the hands of our people, and that besides this IN piratical boats were destroyed. After having puniabied the two principal tribes of the pirates, Captain lian*nest determined on attacking the tribes who fur nisW HIM lire-arms, who mustered 10,000 warriors and amid put Ile sea with a hundred prahus; and he stated in hie superblbet the interests of British commerce wouldlibe reedy obreaced by the continuance of measures for the amoyesmites of piracy in these saes. All he meant by that Wm. that after making these essesples some slight super 'Mks might be exercised, is as Is prevent the renewed growth of these piratical eiwimiresitim, said their return to limit farmer practices; and illeht &ippon and Sir James Beesiut seamed both Is esseedi Os opimism that very little Mae we* be seism y Ise Oat purpose. But this plan wee we siseerd. sad dm remit ores OM the tribes, forget ** wise find taus piece, alpha moseted to their old Weelleel i and in ceeemptence 1 I lIIIIINt example of them was winked to be foie in MA With regard to this quails ef “ piracy," he osolbeesi that he was a little Burpolemi at liaise Met imettime which had been pro pounded by the hon. riswidek for Montrose. The hon. mambo! OBSIIIIMI to tab* that in respect to pirates who resew* about the sem murdering men and women, and I destroying all the vessels that tame within their reach, no amp lies ill be taken except to capture them and bring them W trial ender the 3rd and 4th Victoria—(hear and a laugh) --that when the pirates were returning from a marauding expedition to the river from which they bad sailed forth, a steamer and one or two boats were then to catch them. 1 That instead of preventing their issue from the river in the first place, the forces were to wait until they had seen the met of piracy committed, and afterwards proceed to capture mod try them according to law. He (Mr. Headlam) could sot agree that that was the best mode of suppressing piracy. lie dui not think that such a course had ever been adopted by any nation in the history of the world, and he did not beim that that was the intention of the treaties between shis msammy and the Netherlands, and Sir James Brooke se a this Wfte of Borneo. A question might arise as to WWI Oluratsded piracy, and Sir James very properly stated utin tli nc e e higechoippeosirei•sorcoonapenslttiotiLted(Hwan. against a s s s clear to him that the plunder or seizure of 48si zreesd ) 84t T t h h o o e f e ra zi c tb u trsd ou o t f e re r c f " e a re p pirates were stated by Sir James Brooke to consist in the fact that they no longer ventured to take the sea in force, and that the loss of life and injury to commerce had greatly diminished. These good effects, he said, continued for two years; but in 1846 he was convinced that the former habits of the people were too strongly planted in them to be era dicated by peaceful means, and that the impression pro duced upon them had g radually worn off. In that year their depredations at sea became more frequent, though not of a formidable character, and after his departure for Eng land, in 1847, the pirates threw 'off all reserve, and ha rassed the trade as much as before. In consequence, Sir James made representations to the commander-in-chief in the Indian Seas, who, after satisfying himself of the facts, ordered Commander Parker to make a similar attack to that which had been made with so much success in 1844. There instructions of Rear-Admiral Collier had been produced, and they comp:etely justified Commander Parker in the course he had pursued—(hear, hear)—and not a word was contained in them which showed that the admiral enter tained the slightest doubt of the propriety of making such an attack. It was said that European vessels had not been assailed in the Malayan Archipelago. But let the house ob serve the mode in which the trade was carried on in those seas. Vessels were sent from this country to Singapore, and from thews their merchandise was conveyed in small 4 coast of Borneo, and it was against those tbe acts of piracy were committed. And if atop ' to this transit of European Roods from • CIIMi of Sarno, surely it was practically the injury to commerce and to particular tribes as if Yarope.n vessels themselves had been in point of fact, European vessels bad been N he admitted the number was not very r.) With regard to the allegation of cruelty brought against Sir James Brooke, the quoted a passage from the letter of Common _ , to the effect that when a consultation took place 4i board one of her Majesty's ships on the Bornean coast, with the view of making arrangements for "cutting of" about 3,000 of the pirates who had escaped in the action of the previous day, Sir James Brooke decidedly rejected the proposal, as ono which was calculated to °cession " un necessary effusion of blood." He held in his hand • letter written by the Bishop of Calcutta, in consequence of • visit to Sarawak, which was full of sanguine anticipations with regard to the future. It was dated the 24th of Janu sty, 18.51, and was addreeeed to the honorary secretary of the Borneo Church Mission. Totbe am C. D. Megaton j i. on. Semetary is the Boohoo Church Society. 841116MInde Wet Maamer, on way from Sarawak to Sin gapore. Jan. 24, 1112 I . Orr r=t — labs l S WPM Mr does at Sarawak. I have eon . seeradlod the to Ow nowt of the diocesan, the Lord Moped kola I hale tits state ofthe infant and wolhasod tally with est and maim cesplais anal milikagrib KM P. ilbodowagal I haws osavessod am with the gentry, sod have read thalami who rdlibibld r this mats which bars warred in Ms hod tow yessm. arts is toy MI gessamilow Uri limo is wo Wise es the lace of the to be compost with disc of Wirria& 11. It hes sees throws to Mbar laimprim Moog by mi racle. Onset Ent datf i lrraame al heathen iparsollb 014 411 7, end desolation, where pale y. col maim tos s tegration. and head hunting Magi Amend day. so Amiens were in the aunt may ef Wog orenslewM utterly, is goer, so to speak, like the paradise tif OW. Dellesnows hes be prodeimed—recuraty of per. ▪ ead .00nel eighth as watigidegial and paternal distribn. Dm the oils oak so extending esisidooros are already ema il lanarek, sad spread Ing aim the whole western coast of Berra The Mho sea Is free ikon isorenderv, and all Europe and Amino osay pumas their peopetelostegoilsos from Singapore to La bus..lllo talks der That Chriatima taisaboo is begun to assail, end crown all 7 b 6 . 9 issalaar bbelsilign. Two things quite unetampied favour the deelp--let Englishmen ham beacons first knows to the oppressed Drees by • angle Euglieh gentleman of benevolence, Went, rad An gular Madam and tact for governnaent who Me received m a token of g y ro from the native princes, a tract of land Bout 70 miles by 20, as Ms oars territory. To the ',meat of the inhabitant& of It, this gitielebis man, who ie now mortised as the Rajah of tiorawsk, is Moots time, his fortune, hie seal , his health, his body and rout. The no govarninest of our lb moused sad beloved Queen Victoria at home, Ms come forward with her &Matruh, and brave captains, to essiat In reducing the plosive which •naketed the ovate, to alines and tnuaquillit, by deed. a &Moat unezempod heroion. Par James armee has y been made Governor of lobusn. The last engagement with the pirates about a yea and a half ante, when 130 war boats, with 1,0 , 10 banditti were intercepted in the very act of plundering end eettigg fire to villages wising native wools, end murdering their crews, has humbled and alarmed the whole tribe, and the chiefs ere sending Maliellgerl to Sarawak promising to turn themselves to ho. met occupations In the meantime, the population of the town has increseed in nine years from 1,26 0 to 11,M10 mule, and, including the whole territory, to 36,000. 2. The peace thus eetabliehed, like that of the Boman empire at the inaunation of our Lord, prepares for the gospel. render. the diffusion of It peactcable, and mile Imperatively on the Christian church at boas to soma with eagerness the session to which nothing parallel has perhaps ever occurred. 6. The second peculiarly favourable circumstance 1. that the oil. lions of poor Drake have no religion of their owe, marcely a no two of • Deity, no Igabomedan *hammy, no Ilindne menu, no priest. hood, Do written book, no PEII4II/1, no beads; and are led by • strong Maim of gratitude fora deliviraime tram a worm than Egyptian b ald ose, to place unboteded coandence is the truth and disonimmetineve of the rajah, ad to solicit instructito in his religion, and to follow the • habits of the "white people." 7. In truth, when I stood on the hill on which the church la created • end viewed the stabit town, and watched on the river honks and • beheld the make bwse and school °lathe College llill which crowned the opposite shore, I mulct not but break into thank/riving to the Cod ' of All Lime fur his wonderful weeks. • b. And during the solemn servos of coneecration I Ink. d with • antemotent as the neat wooden ediSoc, with it. early Englialt arches, ito nave 70 feet by 22, 111111 2.2 feet high, its side aisles, its Imrolsome • communion plate, placed on the holy table, and its Chelan., comae- I . Imam, tat tot whom 11 were Dale ant Chinese school children, j seated In the Wale), land when I Masted in whainistering the Mooed supper to 19 communicants, bevidis the clergy, my heart wee &Meet • t • full to premed. 9. Wall England then fell to support the work thus prooperanaly • begun 4 Impusable ! It is not in the manner. of our Christian bet. lain to forget what she was hen& 1,400 years ago, in as low a state j of Wham mas the Drake, and Infested with Eurolitan pirate,, se j they with Asiatics. No ; she is well aware that what the taiopel has done tor England, it can do for Memo, to hr. (signed) D. Caul:rm. I Even should the vote of the house at the present , time be adverse to Sir James Brooke—even should his conduct in regard to these transactions be condemned by public opinion, which he (Mr. Headier's) did not believe would be the case, in the history of the country he would rank amongst t hose benefactors of his race whose great public services his own cotemporaries were unable to appre ciate. Ho trusted, however, that by its decision on the present occasion the House of Commons would du full justice to a public servant who had been must uujustly and unfairly attacked. (Hear. U ) Mr. RQUHART had failed in discovering any evidence of the piratical character of the Dyak tribes, which Mr. Ileadlam had endeavoured to make out by confounding Dyaks with Malays. His impression of the case was, that the inhabitants of Sakarran and Sarebas were pirates be cause Sir J. Brooke was established at Sarawak. If these tribes were not pirates—and there was not an iota of evi dence that they were—there was an end of the case ; if they were pirates, the proceedings against them had not con. formed to the law of nations and the rules of the service, and the government itself had passed at censure upon them by abolishing head-money. Mr. MILNES observed that the Malays and Dyaks were ethnologically the same ; the Dyaks were a race of Malays of milder character, whose habits were corrupted by the more ferocious settlers on the coast. The putting down these predatory communities at once was real humanity, and he thought those who brought forward this ease so frequently, from a spirit of false and spurious philanthropy, inflicted an injury upon the character of the country. Ile thought the house would do well to reject this motion. Mr. IL DRUMMOND, giving Mr. Hume full credit for the sincerity of his motives, did not scruple to trace these attacks upon Sir James Brooke to a determination to ruin his character. The difficulty of replying to the speech of Mr. Hume was that it contained nothing which had not been replied to lest year. Mr. Drummond characterised the whole transaction as a very discreditable one, and ex pressed his hope that the house would reject the motion. After a few words from Mr. lii'GßEoua, . . Mr. B. COCHUANE read extracts from a letter of Ad miral Sir Thomas Cochrane, testifying to the existence of piracy on the coasts of Borneo, and to the high principles that had inspired the administration of Sir James Brooke, whom he (Mr. Cochrane) looked upon as one of the most mild, considerate, and single-minded men he had crer met with in all his life. (Cheers.) Mr. GLADSTONE said he looked upon Sir Jame Brooke as a man of an energy truly British ; and he be lieved that, as far as his intentions went (whether he was liable to error in judgment or not he would not say), he was • man of a philanthropy truly Christian. (Cheers.) He (Mr. Gladstone) could not vote for the motion before them, because its character was that of a personal charge against Sir James Brooke. 'There was no doubt that the hon. gentleman (Mr. Hume) would be the first to admit that such was the case, and to argue that a vote of the house favourable to the motion would imply a presumable acquiescence in tb at charge. Ile (Mr. Gladstone) did not think, however, that there was any reason whatever why there should be an inquiry; for this was a matter that properly came under the discretion of the executive. (Hear, hear.) With respect to the destruction of so many human beings alleged to be pirates, on the par ticular occasion in question, there was no reason in the world why Sir James Brooke should be selected as if he was singly or mainly responsible for the pro ceeding. This was a matter on which they were able to form a judgment, and he challenged the hon. member for Montrose to show that he was the party who ought to be called upon to give an account of the matter. Sir James Brooke was Rajah of Sarawak, consul under the Sultana Borneo, and Governor of Labuan —but in none of these capacities had he any authority over the officers of her Majesty's ships. (Hear, hear.) He therefore was not, either primarily or properly, responsible in the face of the house. If the house thought there had been a questionable use of naval power on the part of this country on the 31st of July, 1845, in the waters of Borneo, they were not entitled in Justice or fairness to call in Sir James Brooke, but they must deal with it as an ordinary question of naval service. (Hear, hear.) Upon this ground, then, he should have been most unwilling to accede to the terms of the motion; but he must confess that he did not regard this as a question whether these: tribes were piratical or not. It certainly appeared to him that an examination of the testimony was in favour of the opinion that these particular tribes were distinguished from the rat of the Dyaks of Borneo, not simply as being addicted to barbarous warfare, but as guilty of specific acts which had the peculiar character of piracy. It was true that it might not be of that formidable kind which attacked European ships, or other vessels of great force, but it had this essential feature of piracy, that they made no distinction between friend and foe. This was • case in which he would attach great weight to the testi mony of Sir James himself. He knew the delicacy of his position ; but such was his entire confidence in Sir James's integrity, that he would receive his evidence on a matter of fact with the most unqualified and unswerving belief. (Hear, hear.) But, after all, this matter had been fairly raised in a judicial manner. It was tried before Sir Christopher Hawlinsoa in 1849, and it was quite plain, from • perusal of the depositions, that the question was clearly before him, and he had decided that these tribes were piratical. Nor could he (Mr. Gladstone) but attach great weight to the judgment of an English court which went, at least, to the extent that the neighbouring , tribes were piratical. The question had arisen fore Sir Stephen Lushington, on an objection to pay head-money, on the ground that the parties were not pirates. Dr. Lushington gave his decision (this was in 1844) that these tribes were of that character. But while he (Mr. Glad stone) did not think that there was sufficient ground for a motion of inquiry, he did not think that he could get rid of the question by simpobjecting to the terms of the hon. member's motion. The fact placed before the house was, that a great destruction of human life had taken place ; and they were challenged to decide whether clot destruction was justifiable. Ho would bring no chargrof cruelty against any one. He did not believe that any motive of cruelty had • place in Sir James's breast, for he no doubt th oug ht that the sacrifice would advance the ultimate interests of humanity. Now when they heard the name of pirate they were too apt to leap to the conclusion that the whole question was at an end. He submitted, however, that that was an error. Their relations even with pirates were regulated by law and he submitted that they were bound, even when they were dealing with criminals of that description, that the should do so according to law. (Cheer..) Now there wor only two acts which bore upon piracy. Thu first was an act fur the distribution of head money, and that was, per haps, the best known. By that act for any pirate taken alive or dead, in or immediately after an action, the sum of 201. was paid, and 51. for the capture of a pirate under other circumstances. Ito (lid not think that that act would raise the question of legality at all; but in 1837 thi s house thought fit to pees an act in which the crime of piracy WY no longer left simply capital; and he regretted that none of the hon. gentlemen that had followed the hon. member for Montrose hail adverted to this subject, for it was one of great importance. In the act of 1837 there were only two clauses to which it was necessary to refer. In the lad section any person guilty , to state it in general terms, of being actively engaged in piracy, or who should attempt to flee, so that death might ensue in the pursuit, should be put to death. By the 3rd section persons not taken iu the act of piracy, or in Right, were no longer to be put to death. but were made liable to be transported for the term of their natural lives. (Hear, hear.) But in this case they had inflicted the punishment of death upon 500 persons, and he put the question to the house, to her Majesty's government, and particularly to the law officers of the crown, whether all these 500 persons fell into ons of the classes he had named as guilty of a capital offence? (Cheers.) This quetion had risen very fairly, and he did not quote the evidence of hostile witnesses, but of the parties themselves who were engaged in the transaction, and who looked upon it as one that would do them great honour. Tried by that just cri terion, it appeared that a large number of these five hundred persons were put to death without there being for it any legal warrant, as there certainly would have been had their eases been what he had sup. posed. According to the evidence, a great number of these lives were sacrificed, not in the act of re sistance, or under the necessities and exigencies of pursuit, but they were sacrificed whether with humane motives or not was quite another ma to., without that legal sanction which was as necessary in the slaughter of pirates, as in dealing with any other class of persons whatever. This would make it his duty to vote, not for a motion proposing a hostile inquiry into the whole conduct of Sir James Brooke, and thereby marking him as the main author and the party principally respon- • Bible, but, in the absence of any defence or explanation,. for an address, praying for inquiry, without distinction of parties, into the proceeding. connected with that attack. and the loss of life which had ensued. (Hear, hear.) He hoped that what he had stated might be erroneous ; but he looked to the government, who had doubtless considered the matter more minutely, for proceeding. vindication of the Viscount PALMEItS'rON confessed he had never heard a debate in which the argument and the proof seemed mom completely on one side than that to which they were now listening. (Cheers.) Though the hon. member for Mont rose hail often strong opinions on the question, he brought forward, the natural candour of his mind had shown itself in the manner in which he hail brought on this subject; for it was evident throughout the whole of his argument that his convictions, strong last year, were now somewhat shaken. (Hear, hear.) And, though be did not altogether depart from the conclusion so deeply impressed upon his mind, those who heard him (and there were not many pro. sent now who did) must have felt that ho did not altogether show that confidence in the soundness of his conclusions which he had exhibited on former occasions. (Hear, hear.) The question lay almost in a nutshell. It was simply this: Were the persons who were attacked by the noubined forces of her Majesty and the dyaks of Sir James Brooke i rates, or were they not ? The right hon. gentleman Mr. Gladstone) had remarked un no member of t e government rising till that late period. The Under Secretary for the Colonies (Mr. Hawes) had risen when the hon. member for Montrose eat down, but had given way to others who had been more fortunate In attracting the Speaker's eye. (Hear.) lie would first address himself to the argument that these parties, admit. ting them to be pirates, had not been legally dealt with ea pirates. It was said that the change in the law iu 1837, by which capital punishment for persons convicted by law of piracy in this country was abolished, and transportation sub , stituted, ought to have prevented the elestruetion of pirates in that engagement. That argument did not apply. If these persona had been taken prisoners, and either without trial or by sentence upon trial, had been executed, he should have admitted the argument of the right hon. gentle. man. With the law as altered a court of justice could no longer apply the penalty of death to a person convicted of piracy ; and if a court should apply that penalty, or if with out the sentence of a court persons having got possession of pirates, should execute them, the observations of the right hon. gentleman would apply. But to try and deal with these person, under the law, they must have been taken—(hear, hear) ; and it was the peculiar character of these Malays that they did not surrender in action, they could not be taken, they preferred being killed to being captured; and it was in the pursuit of un enemy that this destruction of lift took place. Take the analogous ease of an ordinary enemy in common war : it would not be lawful either to transport a prisoner of war or to put hint to death • but until an enemy surrendered 'and asked for quarter, hostilities were continued, and if they came up with him, they tired their broadside, whether round shot or grape, until, by an art of his owe, he indicated that he surrendered, placed himself in their power, and claimed that forbearance to which the laws of war, as well as the laws of the land, entitled him. (Hear, hear.) Conse quently he could not perceive that the argument, founded. upon the change of the law in 1837, haul any relation to the matter they were considering. (Hear.) The broader question was—where these parties pirates, or were they not? In the debates on this question in former years, there had been much broader assertion than now. It was said that there might indeed be, in these eastern scat, tribes engaged in that operation which was almost represented as an amiable proceeding—intertribal war; i but that as to piracy, in any sense in which that expression could denote attacks on merchantmen, rind especially on i square-rigged vessels, no such thing could be said properly to exist among them. Ile had laid on the table of the house proof upon proof that piracy, in the sense of attack ing square-rigged European vessels, in the sense of mur dering their crews. and eluralering eventhine found in them, prevailed, ;tad for years had prevailed, over the I whole extent of those seas. (Hear, hear.) The very extra ordinary document laid on the table that morning was an, uninterrupted history of the operations of the Netherlands government against the most extensive system of piracy in. the whole range of those seas. A despatch from our consul in Manilla gave an account of the operations conducted the ' other day by the Spanish governor against the pirates of Soolu ; and the consul drew a contrast between the se countsit was his duty to send in former years and the state of things at present. lie said that it had been his duty, in the five years he had been there, to record instances of mer chantmen attacked, of shipwrecked crews being carried off into slavery, of American, British, and other square rigged vessels having disappea red and never been heard of, presumed to have been carried off by pirates ; but in conse- I quence of the recent operations of the British ships of war on the northern coast of Bornmandof the Dutch and Spaniards, trade was becoming secure, and the operations of the , pirates, at all events for the moment, had been considerably checked. No one who bad read the papers on the Wale would deny that piracy to an enormous extent had pre vailed all through the seas round Borneo. The other question, and a principal one, was, were these Dyaks of Sarebas exempt from the guilt attaching to other tribes and nations in that quarter? They had two proofs of their guilt. First, the depositions of these masters of native vessels who were examined by Col. Butterworth, and who both declared that the Dyaks of Sarebas were known to be habitual pirates, and that they themselves, though not actually attacked, knew these Dyaks to be habitual pirates. Then, the person who made the report to the Dutch go vernment years ago stated distinctly the fact that these Dyaks of Sarebas were notorious pirates, that they carried on their piratical operations in the very same kind of little boat or vessel which the hon. member for Montrose con tended was a proof that they could not commit piracy, and further stated that the weapons of that particular tribe were swords, javelins, and spears ; in short, he described precisely the very kind of expedition which the ho nourable member for Montrose contended was a proof that they could not he guilty of piracy. (hear, hear.) Here then they had first of all proof that piracy prevailed amongst these people; and in order that it might be Im possible for any man to say that this tribe of Dyaks was alone and singly exempt from the charge of piracy, they had the proof of masters who had been examined at Singa pore, and also of the reporters of the Dutch government, all proving that they were guilty. (Hear.) Really then the whole question fell to the ground. (tt Hear, hear," and cheers.) There was really nothing to inquire into, un less it were an inquiry which he did not wish to pursue namely, as to what could have been the source whence all these various and persevering and malignant pereceutions-- (loud cheers.)—those malignant and persevering persecu tions of an honoured man. (Cheers.) lie was convinced there would bo an overwhelming majority found to nega tive the motion of his hon. friend the member for Montrose. (Cheers.) By an doing they would proclaim to the world that Sir James Brooke retired from this investigation with untarnished character and with unblemished honour—(loud cheers)—and he was persuaded that he would continue to enjoy the estimation of his countrymen—(hear, hear)—as a man who haul, by braving difficulties and facing dangers in a distant climate, and in previously unknown lands, done much to promote the commercial interests of this country, and to infuse the light of civilization into regions which had been before in the darkness of barbarism. (Loud and continued cheering.) Mr. COBDEN explained that the responsibility for the Dyak massacre was only fixed upon Sir J. Brooke, because that officer had himself always assumed it. The hon. mem ber briefly recapitulated some of the negative evidence adduced by Mr. Hume, including the letters of five naval officers, who concurred in ;ignoring the charge of Dyak piracy. Commenting upon the anomalous position of Sir .T Brooke as governor, consul, and trader, he claimed a right to suspect the motives that induced him (Sir James) to em ploy British and East India ships in a war against his own next neighbours. They had asked for proofs of the alleged piracy of the Dyaks, and had obtained abundance of recla mation, but not a tittle of proof. The Dyaks were not Malays, and the asserted piracies were little more than inter-tribal disputes, yet the governor of Sarawak had pur sued them for years, and slaughtered them by thousands. Sir F. THESIGER declared that the proofs demanded by Mr. Cobden existed abundantly. Besides a mass of in dividual testimony, the question was subjected to judicial investigation in actions for "head money," when it had been decided that the Dyaks were pirates, beyond the pos sibility of doubt or dental. Metering to the arguments of Mr. Gladstone, he contended that by the law of England and all other civilised countries, pirates were always con sidered as the enemies of the human race. Col. THOMPSON, after closely scrutinising the evidence, believed no more in the existence of Dyak pirates than in that of Cappadocian dragons. Mr. FORSTER. bad found a different belief current at THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENTSck JULY 11, 1851. 14 :' rt:s. — _, ll • N„ - .: •••••• =••=-•-•-•-••-, ) . tto , .....Z...... . . .: . . .* ~ A a t t ti r E ir en tibu e kr & of the house who took en inter'," Disk bone, to'thd N OF ROnE BY 1 4 10.11RENc "" be Mr' ILL, in answer to Mr. I. COIII4IIII, i k : . ; • i ~,. " . • .. o , • at* er the interest and Welfare of the stall that di ions which had .1, 1 . = the V 1 A - ;MN ' klisess sant country aisd.tha ehariiiter of its public . servants. He E e . t pirates put a A /land and Freers .to . .' a • I ' eel air* WA" timed to tbeilebate With a view of forming en opinion as 10 84ngspor4 to the us intention on the of • , 4 •li: .1 to ' with' masa ninsiess, the "Bargee made aginat Sir J. Brooke, from the manner seise, so tar as,inju union of Rome. Aph Mt kit .... 6 In illeggeoloo blegs. Ent and Main winch tleei . eharges were pat forwmd and re- wee concerned; as 1 at to put their • . .. au eliaremomois kola' plied tn, sad the gesehision to which he came was that these attacked. But, in ..- , ; IMO Me NAMIIIi• whale Mae "huge" entirely Ailed—that the imputations" were not one attacked, though WESTMINSTER SEWERS. 80 mpg of tio mai to Draw (How. ) The dm glued; and be felt satisfied he sympathised with the great. (Hear,bear. KM, in reply to Viscount DUNCAN of - Mtge wits won pipit= toki.o_ mad W wan pat rest of the house in fee li ng that the character of Sir J. which had been sod Won the tower was es** t ent * Pei* Ilto DION lii Illoiebw Re Brooke emu out from tlte fto - emidou eleanr tf possible than bon. member quoti ... —....5..1 s., st. c osan deelems", Of IDs;[ valsouu mak so . just as tit louti Do to Ott tra/o. width was deafly indicated from the fact that the der Parker, to the . -..— i—i 1.- ......i...;... ne 169 I.la h.. gce_ t H ear. on board one of he d J: ti i