The Express. — London, England, 1853-07-28 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. ROUSE OF COMMONS.—WEDNESDAY, JULY 27. The home met at noon. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The Lnrda Amendment. to the East L.Aseashire Railway (No. 1!) (Southport. Ike.) Bid, and the London and South- Western Railway (Basingstoke and Saliabury Branch) were considered and speed to. PUBLIC BUSINESS. PETITIONS PRESENTED. Nate ZCAL NI, CouraNY.—BT Mr. GLADSTONE, from the province of Auckland, New Zealand. praying to be relieved from the payment of any of the monies charge,. upon it on account of the New Zealand Company. PILOTAOi BILL.—By Mr. JAMES MACGREGOR, from Robert Hammond, for provision in the bill t.,r a ouperannuation fund for members of the Fellowship of Cinque Ports Pilots. To lie on the Wile. FaCrOalf 801..—8 y Mr. it. W. WICKHAM, from the Chamber of Commerce, Bradford, Yorkshire, aft OLEAN PENNY PWITAGE —By Mr. 1' CULL tram Nast wieh, Montgomeryshire, in (Mohr of J ',eaman Orrarducia, 11173..—by Mr. ADDERLEY, from Justices, Aldermen, and Town Council of Nee/rebut-- on-Tyne. Justices of Warwickshire, Managers of Agricul tural Reformatory School, Bristol; Vaiting Justices, Pres ton, Lancashire ; Committee of Ladles of htretton-on-Dun- More IL •forrustory &brill; in favour of. I. ‘"vibrio. AcT.—By Mr. G. DUNCAN, from the Champ rof Commerce of E linburah, fie an amendment in the Poaseogers Act, as far as reLitee to cabin and steerage psisemitters. Soar 01 Tlr4 (No. 2) Bti.t..—By Mr. MULLING.% from Managing Committee of Metropolitan Provincial Law AoKkelttall, for amendment in the Stamp Duties ‘No. 2) NEW MEMBER. Mr. TIInkNIIILL took the oaths and his seat on his Ceetios f.,r the county of Derby. THE STRIKE OF TUE CAD PROPRIETORS. Sir R. INULlS—Seeing my hon. friend the Under Se evetary of the Home Department in his place, and my hon. friend being aware that following the passing of his bill for the regulation of the hackney carriages there is not to-day • single cab on any of the cab stands in the metropolis, and Geeing also that my hon. friend's bill is the only one within sty recollection in which arbitrarily, and wittmnt investiga tion, a give. scale of prices has been given by the legisla- ture to any class of goods, and believing that to tiz a scale of prices far any description of goods is contrary to all principles of political economy ; and believing that if under any circumstances it were right for the legislature to to interfere there should first be a committee of the bone appointed to consider the circums.ances under which it was proposed to fix • given scale of prices to • particular class of goods, I wish to ask my hon. friend whether he is now prepared to adopt the suggestion which was made to him when his bill was before the house, to ap point • committee to consider the state of the hackney car riage trade ? Mr. WALPOLE—I understand that the great ground of complaint on the pert of the proprietors of the hackney carriages is that they are exposed to great hardship in not being allowed to charge back fares. (Hear, hear.) I re collect that my hon. friend, when the bill was before the house, making the suggestion which he has referred to; but I apprehend the question he wishes to ask now is, whether my hon. friend the Under Secretary for the Home Depart ment is prepared to introduce any measure for amending his bill ? (Hear, hear.) Mr. FITZROY—As tar as I understand, the arbitrary by parliament of a sum per mile for the hire of • hackney carriage (which is what my hon. friend complains of) is not new, and, on venoms considerations, in the shape of compensations made to the proprietors of such carriages in a reduced charge for licenses and the town cost of ma terials of late years, it did appear to me, on the calculation I made, and also upon the representations made to me by members of the trade themselves, that 6d. a mile would be amply remunerative within the limits of the me tropolis—(bear, hear),—nor do I see now any occasion to change that opinion. I have taken every opportunity of obtaining information from the drivers and proprietors of hackney carriages as to the probability of the change work ing well, and almost without exception they tell me that. In the crowded parts of London, 641. a mile would be amply remunerative. (Hear, hear.) The only cemplaiat—the only tangible complaint that I have heard from the trade is that which has been pointed out by my right hon. friend opposite (Mr. Walpole)—and with regard to that part of the bill 1 will state what has taken place. On Monday last two persons waited upon me as a deputation commis/domed by the committee of the cab proprietors —one of them being the secretary to the committee and the other a cab proprietor himself. They desired to wait upon me to lay before me their grievances, and I stated I should be very happy to receive them, and to attend to any repre sentation they might has. to make. They waited upon me accordingly, and after asking what their grievances were, the only grievance they were able to point out was that which has been now referred to by my right hon. friend I stated to the deputation then, that I was aware that the license given by the bill for per sons so to use hackney carriages ►ad been abused— that it lied been worked to its greatest extent, and that cabs had frequently been taken beyond a distance of six miles from the metropolis, and then discharged without any payment for the return fare, and I said I would do what I could to indues the house to give them a remedy. But at the same time I told them that it would be impos sible again to revert to the principle of bask fares, inss much as the payment of back faros was a hardship upon them persons who lived just without this limits of the metropolis—that it, outside the rtn dius beloved which the back farm would be charged. I told them it would be impossible that I meld propose to parliament to go back to the termer system is this respect, and they admitted themselves that it had always been • fruitful swore. of annoyance to themselves and the public, and had given rise to endless disputes, and that therefore they would prefer that a remedy should be found in some other shape. I told them that I would enthavoar lathe course of this session to introduce a clause in some other bill—a bill now on the table—to give them an increased rate of fate on being hired after a certain time, and beyond a certain radius, and to give them as speedy relief as possible; I have been in communication with my right honourable. friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as to the possibility of intro ducing such a clause as I allude to, and failing that I shall be prepared (as I told the deputation) to introduce a special bill for the purpose. Bu• it must be obvious that I am placed in • worse position in my efforts to effect this arrange. mot, by the foolish step which has been taken this morn. lag by the cab proprietors. (Hear, hear.) I told the deputation that waited epos me on Monday, that I was prepared to introdoce such • clause as I have alluded to, and they said they were going to attend a meeting of the trade that teeming, when they would communicate that halation to tha body t►ey represented. I shall be prepared to introduce that remedy, and propose a clause providing for increased remuneration beyoad a certain dis taste, sad after • eertai• hour ; for instance, if you hire • gob, mid discharge it at • distance beyond four miles from the pines where it was hired, and without that radius, you shall pay than •a extra sum fer the entire And I Wok, besides, it might be desirable to make • ehaap as to the distance the drivers may be impelled to go, sail that they shall aot be empellable to go beys•d Ave miles from the (Metal Poet-office, instead of Az miles, as is provided tinder the limiest act. Them two perishes. I shall be pre pared to submit to the house, •d wit► them arrangements I understand the trade will be satielled. All I ma my is, that before the strike was eontemplated I pl•ord these pre miters' before the deputation ; sad therefor* I am worry and annoyed at the position which has been taken by the trade to-day, bemuse it Warmer my difficulty in asking the hem to provide • remedy. (Hear, hear.) I stated to than that I would endeavour—•ad I shall do io in • bill which my right hon. friend the Chancellor of the Ex chequer has upon the table—to introduce such clauses as I have now described, or, failing that, to bring in • short bill for the purpose ; and I believe that will be sufficient to re move every real grimace of which the hackney carriage proprietors have to somplaia. (Hear, bear.) M . r. D. DENISON wished to know if the hon. gentle man would put himself in communication with the cowmen of the labs, as the public were really placed in a position of considerable inoosvesience by the strike; and what had now taken plat* is the doses would not be nod out of doors until to•ntorrow. Mr. FITZROY—I should be glad to do eo, if possible ; but I could say ae more than what I haul now stated to the house, that I will submit a proposition upon the sub ject with which the house will, of course, deal as it pleases. I do not know where I can communicate with the trade generally, but I am perfectly ready to communicate what has taken place to the persons who waited upon me, though I stated to them before what I have now stated to the house, and they are perfectly aware of my intentions oa the subject. (Hear, hear.) COPYHOLD ENFRANCHISEMENT BILL. The Lords' ameadmente to this bill were considered and agreed to. LONACY REGULATION BILL. Oa the order of the da for the commi t t ee on this bill, Mr. A: PELLATT ca lled for some explanation as to the objects of this bill. Ile found that it was proposed to mete under it two new (Aces, with salami of 2,0001. a year each, and 1,2001. • par retiring allowance, and there was to ! be a surgeon, with 500/. a year, in addition. Ile thought they ought to have some information as to the reams for this increase of patronage. Mr. WALPOLE said this bill was merely introduced fur the purpose of consolidating the existing acts on the ' subject. It left the various officers in lunacy precisely where they were, and with the same salaries. The only change was, that provision was to he made for paying a clerk, who was now paid by fees, a fixed salary of 1501. a I year. The bill would be of immense importance in diminish ing the expense, and facilitating proceedings in lunacy ; lead he might add, that the increased facilities would be ' given witb_perret safety to all parties conce rned. Mr. A. PELLATT was quite satisfied with the ex planation. The house then went into committee on the bill, and I affirmed the clauses. THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, JULY 28, 1853 colonel was probably aware that it was merely a bill for re ducing the duties on hackney carriages. The remaining orders of the day were postponed; and the house adjouincil at 10 minutes to six tVelock. Mr. FeLLna was in the House of Commons on Tuesday night when a was counted out. ti l he era3rtliS. LUNATIC ASYLUMS BILL. On the motion for going into committee on this bill, Lord D. STUAUT said he wished to take this oppor tunity of drawing attention to a lamentable occurrence which had taken place in Colney Hatch Asylum, and to put a question to the Secretary fur the Home Department. The circumstances were that a patient in humble life, whom he (Lord D. Stuart) had known for many years, was placed in the asylum, and being one of the class of dan gerous lunatic,, was placed in a padded room ; the practice of the asylum being that no personal restraint should be placed on the patients. In May last, on one oc casion, this person was taken into the yard, where other dangerous patients were walking, when a quarrel and tight took place, which ended in the death of the person of whom he had spoken. The keepers separated the two patients, and this person was taken heck to the padded room, where he was left fur twenty minutes, at the end of which time he was found dead. Ile did not say that any blame attached to the authorities; but ha thought the ease required investigation, considering that a fight between two patients ended in lou of life. An inquest was held, and it was found that the deceased's ribs were broken, aed Lad punctured the lungs, thus causing death. The noble lord then complained of the short notice which was given to the wile of the (le otard, who, being at Hertford, only received notice at eight a'ele;ek on the very morning of the inquest, that it would be held at half•put nine. The verdict was " acci dental death," without as y blame being attached to the keepers or any one else. Ile understood that a discussion bad taken plate on the ease among the visiting magistrates, sad that it was under the consideration of the Home Seen ;try. He wished to inquire what had been the result of that investigation, and it the noble lord would object to lay on the table the correspondence on the subject ? Lord PALMERSTON said his attention had been called to the case by his noble friend and the parties concerned. Inquiries had been made, but unfortunately inquiries into such matters seldom led to satisfactory re sults. In his own opinion the keepers had not been as alert as they ought to have been, and especially the keeper who removed the man, Who ought to have called immediately for medical assistance. The examina tion of the body, however, showed that no medical skill could have prevented the result. With regard to the pro ceedings at the inquest, he was sure no one could be more 1111110111 than Mr. Wakley to act in the same manner to wards the humblest as towards the highest person ; ar.d if the relatives in this case had not had sufficient notice of the time at which the inquest was to be held, it must have been accidental. There was no objection to the production of the papers. Mr. W. WILLIAMS thought no blame could attach to Mr. Wakley. He also bore testimony to the good manage ment at Colney-hatch. There were some accidents which no care coulu greeen•. Mr. FITZROY said that there was no want of care in this cue ; the keepers were actually in the yard ; there was no preparatory quarrel or scuffle, but in one moment a blow was inflicted of so severe a nature that it was stated at the iaquest that it could only bare been inflicted by a lu natic. If there was any blame it was attributable to the system pursued at the asylum, which, it was uni Ily admitted, was most proper—namely, the absence of all per sonal restraint on the patients. It was impossible to pro- vide attendants for all the patients ; but whenever repre sentations were made of the insufficiency of attendants they were instantly supplied. At the same time it was very dif fi cult to obtain competent persons al moderate tabula to undertake this painful and odious duty. Still wheneser it was represented to the magistrates that these dangerous patients required attendants, orders were given for increasing the number ; but they objected to any personal restraint on the patients. In consequence of the Commissioners of Lunacy requiring such a large area for asylums, it was impossible tl have the keepers and medical attendants always in every part of them. There was, however, one patient in this asylum who was under the exclusive can of a keeper. It must be re membered that expenditure in these asylums bore heavily on the ratepayers, but everything was done by the visiting magistrates to improve the condition of the patients. Capt. SCOBELL said that if proper keepers could not be got on account of low salaries, it would be only a wise economy to raise them. Mr. FILES/MELD said that it often did great benefit to • patient who had been confined in a private room, to have a change into the yard. There was no asylum in the king dom where greater care was taken of patients that Colacy Hatch. Mr. SPOONER thought that what had been stated by Mr. Fitzroy showed that the expense of ...plums ought to be national, and not local, as he had showed that difficulties were thrown in the way of improvements in consequence of the pressure of rates. He hoped the noble ►ord, the Home Secretary, would take the subject into his consideratien. The house then went into committee on the bill. On clause 33, Mr. KENDALL moved to add a proviso giving power to the committee of ♦isitors, with the sanction of the Secre tary of State, to purchase any land or buildings upon such terms as the Secretary. of State shall approve. After some dilemma, the amendment was withdrawn, Mr. WALPOLE saying he would take it under consider ation whether he could introduce a clause on bringing up the report which would answer the object. The clans* was then agreed to, as was also clause 34. On clause 44, Sir J. DUCKWORTH suggested that words be inserted giving power to the committee of visiton to chirp an ex tra sum in respect of the use of the building for paupers loom neighbouring counties, or for persons who were not fouPers. Mr. WALPOLE said ha would consider the subject, and had no objection to insert a clause on bringing up the report. On clause 56 a discussion arose as to whether the superin tendent of the asylum should be a medical man. Many hon. members expressed an opinion against this; but ulti mately the clause as it stood was agreed to. On clause 62, Mr. KENDALL moved to substitute " two" for " three" in the number of visiting mavistrates. After a conversation the amendment was agreed to. Mr. FLOYER moved the omission of elms' 94, and some subsequent clauses, and the substitution of the following It shall be lawful for the board of guardians of the union from some place or parish in which any psuper lunatic bas been seat to an ssylum, registered hospital, or licensed hones, or in which any pauper lunatic has been so adjudged to be settled, to charge the expenses of the examination of such pauper lunatic and of his conveyance to the asylum, hospital, or house, and the amount of such monies as may at any time be paid in pursuance of such before-mentioned order, to such parish or place in such union, or upon the common funds of the union, in such manner as the ex penses of the relief of such pauper would have been charge able if relieved on account of common sickness and not as a lunatic, by any law or laws now or hereafter to be in force in respect of the relief of the poor." _ _ Sir J. GRAHAM suggested that as this would open a very wide question, that of the law of settlement generally, the committee should not now enter on it, as it was impos sible it could be dealt with in the present session. After a conversation the original clause was agreed to. The remaining clauses were agreed to, and the house re sumed. Idr.WALPOLE proposed to fig the farther consideration of the bill for Monday nest. FACTORIES BILL. Mr. COBBETT proposed to fix the second reading of this bill for Wednesday next. Mi. T. BUNCOMBE recommended that the bill should be withdrawn, as there was no chance of its passing this session. Mr. SPOONER mite the same suggestion. Mr. COBBETT said he had oonsulted the order-book, sad found there was no day open. He would, therefore, consent to the postponement of the bill, with the distinct understanding that he only did so until neat session. The order was then discharged. GOVERNMENT OF INDIA BILL. The horse then went into committee on this bill. Mr. BLACKETT, at the request of Sit C. Wood, post poned a new clause, of which he had given notice, until the Winging up of the report. Si, C. WOOD said as it was desirable to gat this bill up Assam as possible to the Lords, he would:take the report the Stat thing at the evening sitting to-morrow, and the third reeding the first thing on Friday. The house then resumed. DUTIES ON HORSES BILL. This bill was mad a secoad time. HACKNEY CARRIAGE DUTIES BILL.—THE CAB STRIKE. On the motion for the second reading of this bill, Colonel SIBTIIORP said he was not down in time to put a question at the sitting of the house, owing to his not being able to get a cab. (Laughter.) lie had since heard com plaints of inconvenience to a most alarming extent which had been suffered by individuals coming up to town from the country. The Under-Secretary of State had taken • deep interest in the management of thew vehicles ; he be lieved the bill which he had carried through the house had been solely for the public good and convenience; and he trusted that the hon. gentleman's attention would be di rected to the drivers of those vehicles, for he never saw such a set of ruffians in his life ; they were all alike from Temple-bar to Regent-street. They kept the middle of the streets ; three or four of them drove abreast ; and they used language of the most disgusting nature to unprotected females. He called on the government by no means to give way to them. (Hew.) Ile considered that the greatest blame attached to the proprietors; they ought to be found out. The proprietors ground the drivers down to the ut termost farthing, so that they could hardly earn • liveli hood at all. lle wished to know when the bill would be proceeded with. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the bill would be proceeded with tomorrow ; but the gallant TO coratEsroNDENTEI. .ecrod Edition . 7 f" Mite ilitairei aret pubLched erer; Tondo; and friday olkbf. tw e for pout. il,CttlYerrtlitAir traded for " The Expreea," London Earning paper, rac.t be at th. oitca, le, Bouterbc.strest, by Two &cloth on the L 7 of pub.:cation. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. TAU DAT —Mornicr. 76. 2tki...........Afterafts. 7k. 45a. To-roakow—Moans,,. et,. tom. ditterpool. U. LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 28. LONDON is suffering from a coup (Mat. The cabs have struck. Legs little used to walking have been called into requisition. Behind-hand gentlemen ac customed to keep appointments simply by dint of horse flesh at sixpence a mile, have broken down. London enjoys unwonted stillness, and cab horses are astonished by an unaccustomed rest. Omnibuses fill with marvellous rapidity, and their threepenny fares are suddenly raised. The ill wind that sends Cabby into idleness wafts a double profit into the pockets of owners of omnibuses. For them another Great Exhibition has come to pass, and they may cheerfully agree to subscribe handsomely to the fund for keeping up this Cab Strike. A good thousand pone& a Iv is now being spent in feeding and stabling idle steeds, and the labour market is supplied with thousands of idle cabmen, who sud denly find themselves " gentlemen at large." For bidden to charge what he pleases, the cabman flings down his whip and refuses to drive at all. No argu ment ; no suggestion ; no petition ; no explanation. Nothing of the kind will satisfy his froward humour —nothing will do but a Strike. But can this strike succeed? Strikes seldom do. As a rule they are productive of unmixed evil. They waste the substance of most of those involved in them, and upset the temper of all. They have con stantly been productive of crimes of the deepest dye, and have seldom resulted in anything but disappoint ment. The Cab Strike, it must be remembered, how ever, has features not common to all such move ments. Tho theory of Free Trade says that a man should be permitted to get for the hire of his horse and vehicle and of his own labour as much as he can, but practically it has always been found that the policeman of great cities can alone prevent the drivers of hackney carriages from plundering the passengers who wish to ride. We may, and do, hope for better and freer times : but so at present the fact stands. The cabmen of all modern cities have been found unfit to be trusted with the complete freedom of operation permitted to other trades. The peculiar character of the commodity they deal in partly accounts for this. Their vehicles are generally taken to save time. To preface every hiring with a " haggle" about fares would interfere with this. Hackney carriages, therefore, are put under the police regulations of all large cities; over them a sumptuary law is allowed to operate. In return, the licensed cabby gets a monopoly in his avour. By virtue of his license he is legalised, and protected from the inroads of free traders in cabs and horseflesh. And herein resides a very essential element of the dispute now on hand. The licensed cab-masters will not obey the law. They will not permit their vehicles to be used by the public at the price fixed by statute. Accustomed to a shilling a mile they refuse to take sixpence. But surely if this refusal is to be followed by cab-less streets, the authorities would be quite justified in throwing the trade open—if they chose so to do. If the cabmasters turn our former cab-abundance into a sudden and uncomfortable dearth,• the tired passenger may fairly cry out for such an opening of the ports as shall admit—if only temporarily—a full supply of Free-Trade horseflesh and non-strike hackney carriages. As to the main cause of quarrel—the rate of fares —it must be remembered that at least one cab master has long offered to work at sixpence a mile —showing his belief, at least, in the sufficiency of that sum. But the rest of the vehicular public have tried to howl him down, and yesterday, it is said, assaulted his drivers, and prevented them from serv ing the public, and earning their own bread. Like all men on strike, these repudiating cabbies are very tyrannical. They will not allow those who dissent from their movement to exercise free will. They determine upon idleness, and there fore will have every one of their craft idle too, Practically doubting the wisdom and justice of their cause, they bring tyranny to bear upon all dissen tients. A man may feel himself quite justified in refusing to drive at sixpence a mile, but he is clearly guilty—legally, morally, and econo mically—when he seeks to prevent another from working at that price. One cab may be thought worth two shillings a mile, if the vehicle be handsome, the horse swift, and the coachman in a brilliant livery, whilst another machine on four wheels belonging to the real rani- shackle race may be dear at a fourth of the money. The clean and swift may prefer the stable to the streets with Mr. Fitatov's law in force. But on what plea can they justify their interference with their more humble brethren who think the leg►l fare quite enough ? If the strike is to go on let it at any rate go on fairly. We must have no intimidation— no assaults—no combination of the strong to oppress the week ; and to this point the attention of the police will naturally be directed. Should the strike remain unadjusted, we may expect to see spectral post-chaises emerge from the cobwebbed recesses of ancient inn yards. Chariots may once more see the light. Hounslow may waken from its railway-begotten lethargy, and ancient post boys once more find their way up to town. The cab horses will never be allowed to" cat their heads off" in a too long idleness, and will assuredly find their way from the shafts of the Hansom to the pole of the 'Bus. New lines of Waterloos and Atlases and Favourites; new regiments of white Bromptons and Putney', and blue Islington', Stratfonls, and Bows may be looked for. The trim 'bus will flourish on the ruin of the ramshackle cab, and the strike of one set of horse-workers make the fortune of another. Whilst the never-failing laws which regulate demand and supply are thus adjusting in their own way the rela tions of this great vehicular exasperation, the public may be temporarily inconvenienced. But though the discomfort be short-lived, let us be wise and make the best of it. Magistrates must be just and temperate; and decisions like that of Mr. HENRY in the PHILLIPS case, become as rare as they are cruel and discreditable. Drivers summoned to police courts when found to be in the right must be treated like honest and ill-used men and be recompensed for their loss of time and for the delsayrjmento of being " pulled" into the dock before his worship. Secretaries of State, when asked about charges of injustice made against police court, magistrates and county judges, must treat such matters in another spirit than that of flippant jocularity. Wo must have full justice for ill-need drivers u well as for abused and overcharged " fares." A little con sideration must also be given to the moral and social condition of the cabdrivers—their day and night and Sunday labours—their exposure to all weathers, and to the mischiefs of irregular earnings., DIVES who calla a cab to take him on a wet even ing to a turtle dinner, too often forgets his fellow mortal, LAZARUS, in the tattered box-coat,who drives him to the feast. It is not well always to be a screw and pin down a drenched Jehu to the literal sixpence of the law. But whilst all such con , siderations will be present to the minds of thousands who looked yesterday on the cabless streets, they may not forget that it is the Cab Master rather than the Cab Driver who has locked up the vehicles and fulminated the decree—that every man shall walk. Mr. FITZ- Ror—as our Parliamentary report shows—is anxious to reform the manifest injustice of the present " back fare" clause. But whilst ready to do this and to meet all just demands arising out of the present aspect of the difficulty, it is very unlikely that Par liament and Mr. Commissioner M SYNE are, at the fag-end of the session, to be frightened out of their senses and their new law, by this coup d'elat of the cab-stands. "Yor have learned," said Lord ASHBURTON to the Agriculturists at Gloucester, "almost to defy the elements. It is true, you cannot stop the deluge of rain; but you drain off superfluous moisture." The speaker was loudly cheered as he referred to this and other triumphs of skill over hostile forces of nature. Yet, that same night, the "deluge of rain" had its triumph—its cruel triumph. Not only was the entire hay crop carried off or ruined throughout wide dis tricts of our island, and thousands of acres of grow ing grain laid low, and flocks of sheep drifted down unaccountable torrents, and landslips caused in hill sides, knockingdown or burying whole rows of houses ; but one entire family, at least—Mrs. LAWRENCE and her household,—was swept away in the night by the overflow of the Wye, and, of course, drowned. We have something to do yet in our conflict with the elements, it is clear. And that something is so urgent, so evident, and so practicable, that we ought to give our attention to it at once—let the political elements roar as they may. There is nothing in the Russo-Turkish question that can excuse us from at tending to affairs at home that are more disastrous at this hour than anything that has happened to us lyet from the East. We have been watching those 500 core-laden vessels cooped up in the Danube with abundant interest and anxiety, and the more because of the badness of our last autumn and spring sowing seasons; and now, this last week, while we have been on tiptoe, straining our eyes after those vessels in the Danube, and talking about Odessa, we have lost by our own remissness more agricultural pro duce than those boats would hold. It is true, as Lord ASHBURTON says, that we can drain off super fluous moisture ; and we do it when the moisture occurs in moderation ; but we take no measures against a deluge. More than that, we tempt and aggravate the mischief by the devices of our civilisa tion. Our floods are unquestionably worse, from the same amount of rain, than they used to be ; and they are growing progressively more mischievous and fatal, while we are praising ourselves for our improved skill and command of the elements. It need not be so. Prevention and cure are in our own hands. And if the experience of this year is not warning enough for us, one wonders what further punishment would do us any good. When September comes, it will be a year since the down-pour began ; and we shall then know the result of the harvest. The prospects of the harvest, never very good, are much impaired by the tempests and floods of last week; and the practical encouragement we would offer to everybody interested in the weather is, that we must surely be sensible enough of our losses and afflictions to take care that they shall never recur, through any ignorance, apathy, or wilfulness of, ours. We speak of afflictions of a graver kind than losses of property, because there are other evils attendant upon floods worse than the sweeping away of crops, and stock, and houses, and even than the drowning of an aged lady and her household. The fever comes after the Hood; and then, instead of the funeral of a single family, we see a crowding of the churchyards wherever the miasma is borne by the winds, or is tempted by the warmth of human dwellings to exhale its poison there. The causes of the mischief are within our control; and the cure is, as we said just now, in our own hands. A committee of the House of Lords is at this time considering the provisions of a Bill for incor porating the Lands Improvement Company, the object of which is to improve, convert, and reclaim lands by all the processes appropriate to the purpose, " for the general benefit of agriculture, and the public advantage." The capital to be provided, and the powers given, are to be large. Drainage is, of course, one of the main objects; and we are confident that if it was properly understood what our arterial drainage is, and what it ought to be, we should all agree that the proposed measure may be made the very means wo want of correcting the evils brought upon us by certain circumstances of our advancing civilisation. Of the few who really understand the case, most cry out that individuals can do nothing in so vast a business as instituting such arterial drainage. Without admitting that individuals can do nothing, we grant that they cannot do everything, and that our best chance of a proper beginning is through some such instrumentality as the Lords Committee will probably soon lay before Parliament. The best arterial drainage in England is to be found, generally speaking, in fenny districts ; and the lands that suffer most from floods are usually those in which natural channels abound. In the valleys, where rivers and their tributary brooks flow briskly, Nature seems to have made such wise and pleasant arrangements that we are put off our guard, and lay aside, not only art, but care and vigilance ; whereas, in the fens and levels of our eastern counties, where the streams are sluggish or stagnant, and constantly liable to be lifted over their banks, the landed pro- prietors are as careful of their out falls as the Dutch are of their dykes. They take care that Nature is not interfered with, but rather assisted ; and the daily care thus taken tells upon the issue of any extraor dinary visitation. Last winter the Bedford Levels were safe and solid when whole counties of higher ground were under water. For, on those higher lands, whether valleys or plains, where the rivers run, men aro tempted to set up mills ; and the most tempting spots are precisely those natural outfulls where the streams would sweep their own way clear if they were let alone. The miller backs up tho water, little dreaming of the mischief he is doing. And then the brooks which are gushing down to the main stream have some parte shallower than others— shoals which should be rather cleared away than aggravated; and just there, men choose to make a ford, and aro the better pleased the shallower it becomes. At the same time, the improving farmer above is, with the best intentions, deep draining, or surface draining his land; and he prides himself, and justly, on the feat of dismissing all surplus rain in a trice, instead of letting it sink and stand till time or the sun rids him of it. The gush from the drains swells the rivers from each side, before the clouds have done swelling them from above ; and then comes the conflict of opposing waters, when the weaker are driven back, and the drains themselves become causes of inundation. While we have intro duced mills, locks, and other artificial obstructions, we have not removed the natural ones, as a little ob servation of what is done in the fens might teach us. We do not grub up obstructive trees, nor cut off corners, nor deepen shallows, nor clean out periodically such channels as may require it. We can tell the surface measure ' meat of our land well enough ; but how many of us can tell the depth of the local ontfalls, and the actual slope of the arterial channel ? There is not a man, woman, or intelligent child in the Valais who can not tell to an inch the state of the bed of the torrent beside which their village stands. Their lives depend on the torrent not overflowing,aad therefore have they this knowledge, and the skill to use it, in a much more difficult case than can ever be presented in England. It may be, however, that in our own England more lives depend on such knowledge and skill than we arc apt to suppose. We may stand aghast, on account of the rarity of such a catastrophe, when roaring waters bring death at midnight, as at Holmfirth last year, and now, when an aged lady was drifted dead upon the bank, and her whole family whirled away to the depths ; but after every such inundation hundreds die of the flood, not the less because they die in their beds and of a lingering death instead of a sudden one. All this must be cured—all over the country where Nature has pro vided channels, or given us broad hints where and how to make them. It has to be done, and it will be done. If any one doubts of this, let him look at the account of the Rye and Derwent Drainage, in the last number of the Royal Agricultural Society's Journal. He will see there what may be done by zeal guided by knowledge—how much health and prosperity arise from a wise co-operation with Nature, under the form of control of her forces. What individuals have done there individuals may do else where. But it is to be hoped that, while individuals are confided in to do what their personal care can bee effect, a fitting organisation will be provided for achieving, in the completest way, the most important order of public works that our national welfare re quires at this day. LATEST FROM THE CONTINENT. IMPORTANT FROM TURKEY. A despatch, by submarine and electric telegraph, puts us in possession of important news from Con stantinople. The steamer Caradoc, which left Con stantinople on the 18th, and Besika Bay on the 21st inst., brings the intelligence that Russia has b 0 modified her demands and propositions, that they hare been accepted by the Sultan and the allies. AUSTRIA. VIENNA, JOLT 20. The American Charge d'Affaires at Constantinople has written to this government, that "Martin Costa owes no allegiance to the Emperor of Austria," and that the imprisonment of that person after he had rendered a civil oath to the American government " is not only a very regretable violation of interna tional law, but an act of disrespect, which will not soon be forgotten." DANUBIAN PIILNCIPALITIES. TRIESTE, JULY J. . . . . The Lloyd's Association has used its influence to induce the Austrian government to take measures for freeing the Sulina mouth of the Danube from the obstacles which now impede navigation. RUSSIA AND TURKEY. CONiTANTINOPLE, JULY 14. If after the occupation of the Moldo-Wallachian provinces by an imposing force any one could have still been deceived respecting the intentions of Rue the manifest. of the Czar must have dispelled his I last delusion. That document, which has arrived this morning from Odessa, accompanied by another destined to paraphrase it, has produced a profound sensation in the diplomatic world. Doubt is hence- I forth impossible. The Autocrat demands either war or the full and entire surrender of what he is pleased to call a simple guarantee in favour of the Orthodox worship. But as neither Turkey nor Europe can grant that which is so peremptorily de manded, war seems inevitable. Now then that all hope of arrangement vanishes, there remains no more for the Sultan to do than appeal to his allies, and order the advance of his troops. This is what the public expect, and I telieve that the first demand of the Sultan will be that the combined fleets may pass the Dardanelles. For the last three days the protest of the Porte against the Russian occupation has been announced. It has been modified several times upon the advice of the council or the ambassadors, but at length it is finished, and only wants the signature of the Salton. It is said to be drawn up in very moderate, but at the same time very dignified and energetic terms. It is, however, quite possible that it may be again modified, now that the Emperor's manifesto has be come known to the Turkish government. The Porte continues to send reinforcements to Shinto, where the army must by this time number 100,000 men. An addition of about 40,000 is ex pected from the redife of distant provinces. Yesterday four Turkish vessels, anchored at the embouchure of the Bosphorus, entered the Black Sea to watch the coast, and, if needed, to repel the Russian cruisers. Letters from Odessa, received this morning, an• nounce that new regiments continue to arrive in Bes.sarabia and the Crimea, where by the same channel we learn that a diplomatic chancery is at tached-to the Russian expeditionary army. FRANCE. PARIS, WEDNESDAY EVENING. I am informed that at nine o'clock this morning important and urgent despatches from London were received at the British embassy. They were instantly forwarded to Lord Cowley, who happened to be at his country hoase at Chantilly. His excellency imme diately came to Paris, and at two o'clock met M. I)rouyn do Lhuys in a conference which lasted a long time. I have strong reasons for believing that the result of this conference was important and decisive. It is understood that within the last three or four days the French government sent to London the draft of a note proposed to be addressed to Russia by the two powers. This note will infofm the Emperor Nicholas, in answer to his last communication, that France and England do not object to his continuing the negotia tions directly with Turkey, upon condition sine qua non that the Danubian provinces shall be immedi ately evacuated as a preliminary step. The despatches received to-day doubtless contain the answer of the English cabinet to this proposal on the part of France. This answer, according to my in formation, is in the affirmative, and I believe you may shortly expect to hear that orders have been sent to the fleets to enter the Dardanelles either immediately or within a very short aqd de finite delay. It will be represented to Russia, with incontestable justice, that this step in no respect pre vents the continuance of the negotiations. Both France and England have declared already, that the instant the Russian army crossed the Truth, the allied powers had the right to enter the Dardanelles. !hey have hitherto refrained from exercising this right from a scrupulous desire to maintain peace, but the course of events has rendered it necessary for them to prove that their forbearance must not be taken for weakness. The C'enstitutionnet says to-day, in allusion to the pretensions of Russia to repudiate the right of the allied powers to interfere in the affairs of Turkey, that the Emperor Nicholas will not be permitted to lay down the law in this matter, and that, in a qucs tion concerning the fate of Europe, France and E ng . land will take the part which belon;s to, and not that which is assigned to, them. The distribution of the medals awarded to the ar.. tists whose works were considered most 'sorthy of recompence ut the exhibition which has just closed, took place yesterday in the grand salon of the Louvre. The Dli nif ,er now registers every day the election of government candidates fur the Councils-General. The elections nowhere excite any interest. Cniver. sal suffrage is so completely disciplined that it might be made to vote its own extinction without the least difficulty. In the Loire, out of 3,796, only 348 took the trouble of coming to the poll, of whom ,i3i voted for the government candidate. The market for IZentcs has been buoyant to-day, and they have continued to increase in value, with an upward tendency at the close of business. Tho Three per Cents., fur cash, have advanced .lo c ., an d for the account, 30c. The Four-and-a-Half per Cents. for cash, and for the account, 35e. Bank Stock has been actively dealt in, and a rise of 40f. esta blished on :last quotations. The following are the closing prices of the above securities : —For cash: Three per Cents., :Sf. 50e. ; Four-and-a-Half per Cents., 103 f. 40e. For the account : Three per Cents., 78f. 70:.; Four-and-a-Hull per C en t s ., IPA 40e._ Bank Stock, 2,schlf. Northern, SSOI: ; Paris and Orleans, 1.144 f. 50p.; Paris and Strasbourg. ; Paris and Lyons, 935 f. 25e. ; Paris and Rouen, 1,1121. ; Lyons to the Medit., 760 f. ; 'Western of France, 732 f. ; Rouen and Havre, 3031. ; Bordeaux and Cette, 0:13L1 Caen and Cherbourg, 6201. SPAIN. Our accounts from Madrid are of the •'lst instant. Rumours of ministerial modification were again is circulation. It was said that the Minister of Justice intended to retire, and that he was to be F ucceedcd by M. Nloyano. The department of Public Works would in that case be confided to M. Esteban Collan tes, Director-General of the Post-office. Those, how• ever. were mere reports, and considered to require confirmation. The Minister of Finance was believed to have experiene d some difficulties in realising two great measures he lately adopted; the one relative to the issue of Treasury bonds for a sum of 300,000,00 rents, at an interest of ti per cent., and the other for the investment into the Treasury of the sums depo sited in the savings banks. It appears that the Treasury bonds could not be negotiated under S per cent., and that the persons who had lodged their money in the savings banks withdrew it the mo ment they heard that it. was to be removed to the Treasury. The Minister of Finance had left the night before for La Granja. The Gazette publishes the following royal decree : Wishing to give a solemn testimony of the profound re spect I entertain for the memory of the celebrated dramatic author and regenerator of the modern Spanish stage, Dan Leandro Fernandez de Moratin, I have decreed the follow. jog :—Art. 1. The mortal remains of Dan Leandro Fernan dez de Moratin, now deposited in the cemetsry of rare la Chaise, at Pans, shall be removed to Madrid, together with I I those of Don Juan Dontiao Corte., Marquis de Valcleearnas. Art. 2. The necessary orders for the • aceution of this de cree shall be forwarded to l'aris by the Minister of the Inte -1 rior. Art. 3. The expenses incurred on the occasion shall be paid by the state. The 'three per Cents. were done tt 434 ; the New Three per Cents., at 234 ; the Debt of the First Class, at 103 ; and that of the Second, at &L. GERMANY. A Berlin letter, in a Frankfort journal, states that three proprietors of journals at Berlin have been called before the director of police of that city, and told to be less severe in their remarks upon Russia, as the government hoped for a pacific solution of the Eastern question, and wished to prevent the publica tion of irritating articles OR the subject. BELGIUM. BRUSSELS, JULY 26. The marriage of the Duke of Brabant, eldest son of King Leopold, with the Austrian Archduchess Marie Ilenriefte, is now appointed to take place on Sunday, the 21st of August next. The civil marriage is to be celebrated on that day at the palace, at Brussels, and the religious ceremony to be performed at the old church of St. Michel and Gudulo on the morrow. The municipal authorities have already issued a programme of the fkes to be held on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the marriage week. On Mon day evening there is to be a grand general illu mination, and it is understood that the municipality will attempt something splendid at the Hotel de Ville and other public buildings. The next day, in the afternoon, a grand cavalcade is to move through the principal streets of the city. This cavalcade will be divided into two parts: the first composed of guilds, representing (says the programme) the com merce of Brussels in the 16th century; while the second is to be consecrated to modern industry and institutions. On Wednesday, a grand open air con cert is to be given in the square of the Hotel de Ville, and in the evening some splendid fireworks will be exhibited. During the fkes, the police regulations are to be proportionately relaxed. The colonel and surgeon of the 3rd Chasseurs, ono of the regiments that lost so many men during a march on an extraordinarily hot day, have been dis missed the regiment. The report of the Minister of War to the King says that the frightful disaster was attributable, not only to the heat, but the unex ampled cerelessness of the colonel, and the want of prompt attention on the part of the surgeon. HOLLAND. ROTTERDAM, MONDAY. I informed you a shore time ago, that the Dutch government had laid before the Second Chamber of the States General a bill declaring five ports of the Moluccas free ports. That bill was referred to a special committee, and it has now transpired that no formal objection has been raised in it to the opening of those ports; but some members appear to think that the income which the government expect to derive through that measure will fall short of the sum calculated on. Other members declared that, as the government reserve stil I to themselves the exclusive right of selling spices, the throwing open of the ports of Amboyne and Banda to foreign vessels will not bring much advantage to those two islands, as spices are almost the only productions they can offer to traders. The synod of the evangelical Lutheran church of Holland has approved on the whole of the bill, granting the government a surveillance over the respective religious communities. On the other hand, the Second Chamber has received 168 addresses from Roman catholics in various provinces of Hol land against the bill, which they denounce as a violation of the constitution. TIIE INDIA MAIL. (SY StBIIAILINE TELZGRAPII.) MARSEILLES, WEDNE . .,D The Valetta arrived here at 4 o'clock, p.m., in forty-seven hours. WE regret to hear that all throughout the recent important negotiations M. Drouin de Lhuyv has been labouring under a very painful affection of the eyes. A MAN , LAU(iIITER AT LEEDS. —painful occur ream has just taeen place on the premises of Mr. Barker, the plumber and glazier, Kirkgate, Leeds, the result of which is the death of a young man, a journeyman plumber, named Wallace Waddington, aped 21. Oa Saturday morn ing the deceased made use of some annoying and irritating expressions towards an apprentice named Peter Dawson; a war of words ensued between them, and in a moment of passion,l)twson seized a long brush, and struck Wadding ton over the head with it, thereby fracturing and indenting his skull. The injured man was at once removed, and me• dical aid procured, but he only lingered until the following day, when death put a period to his sufferings, Sicce then a coroner's inquest has been held cn view of the body, and, after hearing the evidence, which showed that the de ceased was the aggressor in the first instance, they returned a verdict of manslaughter against Dawson, who was forth with committed to York Castle to await his trial at the zest assizes fur the county. 71