The Express. — London, England, 1853-04-22 00:00:00

faceity should be estended v, ith the rime view. The nest ei ej-ct to which the committee adverted was sh e hours of attendance; and their recommendation was that tne hours should be in the summer from seven in the morning till live in the afternoon, and ie the winter from b to 4. Teo year+ ago, Wale Sr- Dowments were made with regard to the hours of attend ance in an pelts of the kingiloin. It was then found that „ e p e e was the variety of eircusieteneee, thot no one rule sale be applied to all nem. In Hull for example, the sme meekest tram is in the morning all in the evening ; te e thooeh then was, of course, au hour's intend fur din e e, a. the men heed near at Lend the inconveniene was T ony ending. In Lin rpooe on the other hand, as the olli- me , lived at agent distance from their work, there ar a I di:recut arrangement with re h eard to hours. w In Loudon the case woe similar ; but specie' ar m/meats were mad* from time to time, to end the coavenience of particular trades. Now, on this sides:* the Commissinese of Customs had thought it desirable ti consult the deck auttioritiee. Te el w e re • to hive the opint.n of these authorities as to ob.- thee any improvement amid he made; fur it was obsious th a t the circumstances attending the businese of the docks see the moms were very sired it with regard to e 'to y am.: then wee amended within the docks. (Hest, hear.) ' :cler we. received, stated. & pt. 2, in reply to one the Conlialfsi.no rs to the of the Lonsfou pee leimesny. he bon. member th in reed the letter— to the sties.: that, in the upie lona of the demean of the Lee eje to in Company, the pr+ emit number of hours Wes line cue., rutpt in teem of em. reenty ; and that en extension • t „ e wou ld juvelve the neemeity of an increase iu the at ' T oe C u mtnieeiesers of el:lateens were entirely of the mese "pinion; far it was qu o te obvious Viet in Lind in and Lie re under any utuer arrangement, men who lir, l at a great distaste from their dwellings awe seher resort t 3 taverns in the intervals, wit appesred to him very undesirable, or must g o borne, end thereby cense a great iuterruption to At the ante time, ho begged to setter thet direc t-T.. hid been given that every tameable facility should be atfedid wniforet it was applies! for, cud that in all costs in sc.ich merchants were diep teed to pay for estn attend ance, eves to late hours at ni.lit, their wishes should be complied with. (Beer, hear.) Already he believed arrange ments had bees unto whereby vessels might be cleared out a mach later hoar of the evening than had ever „ et t h e ease boore, aM io a matinee which would meet the wishes of the tonseattlse. Ile thought it very undesirable to extend Cur hours in the way tee , mee ..ded without oiling considerably to the salines of the officers. When it was considered that the r o e...house still—army he might almost call it—mn sisted of 10,000 ne re that it was a tendency of the present age rather to reduce the number of hours than to Diemen S, and, further, that much twee business was done in the day than et night, 1w thought the house would agree with him that the nio.litieetioue which lie had mentioned were far preferable to the laying down of a general and rigid „l e I , e th e whole cenntry. hear.) Ile now came to a subject which was, he conceived, I.y far the most ins portent of the whole ranee of topics which he had under taken to istrolueo ; and that was, the simplification of the WWI of free goods. (Bear, bear.) Now undoubtedly they did flitter themselves, alma repealing customs for many year past, thet they were thereby Sleeting a great raving, both of time and labour. They eitiAbt sever to lose sight, however, of this wide distinction between ezeise duties and customs duties. If his right hon. friend's propos il of .he repeal of the soap duty were car ried, it was Oriente that there would afterwards be no more memos for the officers cosinects it with that department then if no soap duty bad ever existed ; whereas the repeal of a customs duty might be mode a Most convenient m edium of smuegling, especially if the system of ex amining free goods were in any degree relaxed. (Hear, bear.) What the committee recommended was that the ship mintiest and the report of her consignee should be the sole entry required in the case of free goods, and that copies of these should De sent to the lauding waiter en his warrant, and his only moms of knowledge. Now, let the house consider what a manifest was. It was a list of the cargo; but it told nothing nee-wearily as to what the cargo cousisti d of. In the cone Of a mixed cargo of goods, there were:petksges tram one to leo marked " contents un known. What information could the custom-house *dicers derive from a document of that kind ? Let the house consider what facilities that afferdel for smuggling. Suppose a tweed cirri of peels arrived, and, aa was fre quently the case,e numh , ?r ei packages were consigned in tie bill of lading to order. ouppuise, nether, that these packages were made the medium of couveying smuggled geode. If the goods were de-covered, no person came forward to own them ; no one who made the individual entry; and there Wu no claimant. The wherfineer cleared them because he wished to get rid of them, and if they passed the Custom house with, et discovery, there was the claimant with the bill of lading; but, en the other hand, if a quantity of to Immo were found in a cask of potatoes, there was an end of the matter. The governmeir, however, were quite dis posed to extend facilities es far as it could be done safely ; and with this view they proposed that goods which were imported tree should lee taken into a room distinct from the long room ter the purpose of being entered. By this means be thought they would secure to the merchant every facility that was possible without any risk to the revenue ; and, what eas mire important, without injury to the fair trader ; one of the greatest sconces of difficulty to the honest trader being that be had to compete with those who did not hesitate to defraud the revenue. (Hear, hear.) The next point to which the committee Averted was the entry of free goods outwards. The committee thought that, as there was no duty now upon manufactured goods the produce of this country entered outwards, it would be sufficient for every shipper to send to the agtut a bill of lading. Now, scarcely a single vessel, he supposed, left this country that did not contain one or both of two descriptions of goods, namely,. goods which were removed out of a bonded warehouse and shipped in hoed, and goods which were subject to draw- Decks ; and this stood in the way of the adoption of the re commendation of the committee. It was quite clear that under such circumstances the Custom-house officers must have cognisance of all that took place. 'With regard to the codification of the existing acts of parliamest, the house generally might not be aware that prime to 1525 the customs acts were reduced from 1,500 to & is that year they were reduced to the number of six, and codifies!, and called severa;ly Regulations, Smuggling,. Navigation, Warehousing, British Possessions, and Lela )Lan Acts. The task was performed by Mr. Deacon Hum% and was designated by Mr. Iluskisson as one of the greatest mental efforts ever achieved by an individual, (Hoer. Item.) Fifteen hundred acts of parliament condensed fate that small volume. (Ins hon. member held up a this eetavo.) Such a result was in itself a proof that in the public service no channel of promotion should bo, shut against meritorious individuals, however humble. Mr. Ileum entered the public service as a clerk in this Customs, and rose, solely by his merits, through tie various grades, unti l at last he was selected by Mr. iluskisson to be Secretary to the Board if Trade, and when in that situation he effected this wonder ful specimen of digest and codeieatioo. That being does, the retort arrangement of the customs laws became= and accordingly they were again arranged in '36, and in '4i, bet still retaining the amber of six acts. The pre et r.t intention was to nesse them ale sets into one in I'M& everything relating se the eaMems shah he ladaded. (Hear, hear.) The pineal elident 0 Ole Stallant had undertaken the task; Week if was Ms essa seirelles and proposed, discardi?aal embakal imps. In pet tla law into plain and aim Isagwer , 'wheat eshipme mold uadentarid, to pet all e law re ting to port into one set (Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Impel shortly to lay the draft ea the table, and whom am doas,l all sakentesst regidellume Of ill 011111111111, 0•0111111. shams weak% he published ems a math, sad misled has ime at al the sad of every test. He new one m Mr eau of the outposts, sad in apron& he HMI safest, il be g, L=le main* the home the whim the poems* sowsow meset. the [sofas es etas mimeses of diem* snipes le OM et lsmdessleed ea a footing very dillhaimil be their . la 1817 the twee Image Lieer =tit ton s ;in 1850, 4t arnamitad to 11.788,889. the hales, Wing a little more than the eat three million. (Hem hew sad a laugh.) la 1817 the Waage of Leedom mos Mee; in 1850 it nee 3,2f6,000, being 500,000 sees Ism than that of Liverpool. (Hear, hoar.) In 1817 Helmand. of Hall was 288,0801 is MO It was 828.000; led Is the same period the Waage if 110 Clyde had is meemil hem 1011,000 to 433, lleweenlis had advanced from NUN toms to LUSA*, and /solhemsees, from 43,00 M 111" Bristol led seam Wit emsll advasor, from 100,000 tow to z 17,080; mud same at parts had ad- Tamed in a greater or fe n dew estimate of the growing impostame et might he ob tained by • pow el ear enasal eigeele. The total value of those wee imam ded at 71 Wilms sterling ; sod of that 71 111.111168 London exported 14,127,000 i., while Liverpool remelted 31,891,000 L, Wag more than double the imports of London. (Hear, bear.) Hull had 10 mililions, within four of London. Olugow four mil lions. So that four ports disposed of 63 millions out of 71, lost/ only a balance of seven millions remaining, which was divided amongst 79 ports. For these reasons, whatever else n.ight be determined on with regard to the re•construc tion of our customs system, he thought be said enough to show that Liverpool must have en independent customs' tr.hunal of its own, and be placed in sub' a position as to have questions decided, without constant appeals to Lan don. (Hear, hear.) Whatever might be done with respect to the Board of Custom., it was quite clear that Liverpool must from henceforth be treated as a separate jurisdiction. IS the Case must be considered not merely with re g aril to the present position of Liverpool, as that port was increasing so rapidly as to ensure that every successive year must add to the difficulty. For the present, government had authorised the customs' commissioners to extend the local authority of decision to all cases where the duty did dot exceed lieg e subject to such modification or instruction as might be neemary from time to time in particular eases. This would provide for a large proportion of the whole tranyttiona Tail local authorities were empowered to examine parties ea oath, and were at intervals to report to the commo.ioners, in order, as far as possible, to establish lisifonsity throughout the kingdom. 'the county courts were also open in these cases, and the high character of the judge gave every tenon to hope that the merchants would be satisfied with his decisions. (Hear, near.) They had beta induced to propose these advantages for Liverpool, because nobody could be blind to the fact that Liverpool had become the great commercial emporium of the coun try. (Hear, bear.) An enthusiastic friend of his, lately mussed from India, had prophesied that ultimately the arm of the British empire would be on the banks of the Mersey. He did sot go quite so fu ; but, looking at the vast seat of manutucture—textile, ceramic and metallic — stretching for a hundred miles behind Liverpool, and to the runt that the whole trade of the west lay before it, its positim as the chief emporium must be admitted, end the necessity of a distinCtin cußtclas tribunal. isdirmdiset of, but co-operative with, Loudon, at 011110 'titillated. (sleer.) lie had now gone through the fitness heads of recommesiatios of the committee end one small subject only remained. It was proposed to make an entire change in the system of the Isle of Man. The house was aware that when the sovereignty of the island wmpurchased from the Duke of Athot, the Customs' duties were much lower than thus* charged in other parts of the kingdom. To prevent smuggling it was arranged that fur the import of snits,• bearing • high duty—such as brandy, rum, sad tobaceo—licenses should t'e issued to cer tain parties, to import such guieties as the consumption of the island might require. Now, when he (Mr. Wilson) came to the Treasury, he found constantly applications to be made for the insertion of iucreased guanu.ies iu these 'menus, and the effixt of this was to give • monopoly to the holders of these licenses, which went far to coutiter balance the advantage which low duties gave to the consumer. having consulted with the lieutenant governor and tha Commissioners of Customs, the Treasury had come to the conclusion that the proper course would be to abolish the licensing system altogether, with is small rise in the duty, but giving to auy one the right of importation. 01 course the revenue authority would its whether any quantity beyond the probable consumption of the island was imported, and act accordingly. With reference to the vast amount of blame which had bees east ou the Board 01 Customs, he begged to remind the house of the vast Increase of pressure to which that body bad brew subjected in consequence of the rapidly increasing trade of the country. In 1631, the whole of tour impute! and imports amounted to 82 millions, while in 1832 they • had increased to 187 millions. (Hear, hear.) Our sup sly, which in 1832 was 5,61)0,000 tons, was now 16,000,1100 tuna, or nearly three times more than in the former year. The staff of the customs to manage all this vast traffic was, in 1832, 10,770 men, and in 1832 it was only 10,868. (Hear, hear.) Was it nut fair then to make some illil).3llCe for this additional pressure ? (Hear, hear.) The expense of management was, in 1832, 1,376,00 W.; and in 1832, when the labour bad cnormomly increased, it was only 1;268,0001.. being actually something kW than in the former year. (Hear, hear) s'a that with three times the automat of duty they had the same number of men, anti a less 11011U41 cost in the working. These facts ought to be borne in mind when honourable members were forming an opinion of the conduct ut the Beard of Customs. He would now lay the papers ua the table, the bjeet being to give them the greatest possible publicity. They would be sent to every uutpurt, and every suggestion or modification that might come back would be carefully attenued to, the sole object of the governmeut being to give every facility to c immune, consistent wits protection to the revenue, and justice to the interests of the fair trailer. Having thanked the house for its attention the hon. mem ber conclud.il by moving the resolutions. Mr. MITCHELL said that with ono or two exceptions the statement of the hon. member wail generally satisfac tory. (Hear, hear.) Ile wished, however, to ho satisfied on one or two points. Were the facilities fur promotion to be extended to all officers in the service of thl customs? Mr. WILSON—There would be no czelu.ioa whatever. Ilear, hear.) . . . lb. MITCHELL said he wished also to remark on the amount made by the officers on seizures. Last year it was 10,9771.; too much, in his opinion, especially as Sir Thomas Fremantle bad admitted that the amount of these galas nail a tendency to make the officers too strict. He wished to know witether, in coo of articles said under confiscation, the profit was to go to the officer ? Mr. WILSON—Yes. Mr. MITCHELL disapproved of that arrangement. lie objected also to sours of the proposed duties, especially those on clocks and watches. Having made some sugges tions rests, eting the system of ' , utiles and transit, the honourable member complained of the conduct duct that hail been pursued towards the dock companies. Having detailed the usual proceedings with which the public are familiar the bun. member expressed his belief that all the mischief had been caused by the Customs FOli• eller, who in 1816 was an obscure attorney in the town of Teanworth, and who having been forced into his office by the enenpulseiry retirement of his predecessor, had prevailed en the board to commence these proceedings. He (Mr. Kitchell) had no doubt that this person was an Ipsorant and vain man who hoped for distinction by these ftiWged measures. With respect to the general question It remained to be seen what change government would make. They could not make • change for the worse. He trusted that in any reconstitution tit the board they would have a man who had been in mercantile life on the board. Mr. TURNER did not wish to enter into the details of the measure, which he thought ought to be laid before the merchants of the different ports, it. order that they might have their opinions. lie rose to thank the hon. gentleman for the great benefit he had conferred on the people of Liverpool in giving th e m that for which they had petitioned many yearn, a local jsoard to decide en the numerous cases which had hitherto been sent to London. He also thought that giving the county courts jurisdiction up to 1001. would be a great boon. Mr. W. WILLIAMS said—Having taken a deep interest in this subject he had heard the statement of the hon. gen. demon (Mr. Wilson) with a great deal of satisfaction. lie did not express his approbarion.of the whole of his rffieme, but there was so much good in it that he was convinced such arrangements might be made as would be completely satisfactory to the mercantile body. He quite agreed with the observations that had been made by the boa. member for Bridport as to the composition of the Board of Customs, that unless the board was thoroughly changed satisfaction could not be given. He recommended that government should insist that one member of the board should be a member of that house. Mr. G. A. HAMILTON said the subject was under the consideration of his right hon. friend behind him (Mr. Disraeli) previous to their leaving office. He believed that many of the suggestions proposed by the hon. member were calculated to effect the object in view. He would not go into the details, hut he warned the house to be extremely cautious with regard to the admission of free goods. There could be no doubt of the extreme importance of facilitating the operations of trade, but when they considered that they Isla large system of free admissions, great cue WWI to be tans lest they gave opportunities to defraud the revenue. Kr. WHA.LLEY suggested that the owners of yachts should be enabled to take out articles free from duty, which would prevent them buying them in foreign countriss as they did at present. Mr. JOHN /MACGREGOR said that hie view with re gard to customs and customs regulations was that the ma nagement should be as simple as possible. His own view was, that instead of • Board of Customs they should have one man at the head, and a deputy under him, and that the department should be divided into sections, so as to have one for the foreign navigation, another for colo nial, and another for keeping the customs accounts . The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was in no respect seaway for him to enter into a discussion of the details which had bees given in the clear and able statement of his hon. friend. There were some of them with respect to which he felt it would be much better that hon. members should have the opportunity of reading them before they were considered. But he wished to speak of one topic which had been raised in the discussion, much to his regret. He did not think that any advantage was to be gained, but consideration and caution for the future, by re riving the recollection of the minding' between the Customs and the docks, end he yerr much regretted that the boa. member for Bridport should have dilated so freely and with mason on those who were engaged in those proceedings. He had the oppeetuaity of bringing them all before the committee. The matter was considered by the committee, and the committee declined t . take the view which the hon. gentleman entertained. He thought that what fell from him (Mr. Gladstone) on • former occasion was ealonlated to support that censure. Now, in the first gam be sever mentioned the Board of Customs ; in the sewed place, though he did refer in tense of commends ties, as be always should, to his friend Bir Thomas Fre mantle, yet he said nothing to increase the power of Sir Thomas Fremantle. What he said was that the beads of the Boards of Customs and Island Revenue were poesessed with • spirit of economy, and that he thought bringing the accounts wader the control of the beam would strengthen their heads, but he never said marking that could be con strued into an approval of the proceedings of the Board of Customs and the Docks, which was • subject he did not think it expedient to revive. The hon. gentleman complained of *e omission of his hon. friend in what related to the egmetitution of the Board of Customs. The constitution of I ilis board was • matter of vital importance, but it was • oat mistake to &appose that it had been overlooked. The AO %Mather* had been two vacancies which they had not . Mid hp was a clear proof that they had been considering . the stfteet. But it was not a subject to be decided in 1 a day. The question whether they were to have mer i candle man in ,the board, whether a member of . the board was to sit in parliament, and if he was, how the relation of due subordination to the chairman of the board was to be maintained when the chairmen of the board was not in parliament; the further question propounded by the member for Glasgow, whether there should be a board at all, or they should have a chief and secretaries—thrse were questions which, in his opinion, de manded the most mature consideration of the entire go vernment, and he thought it would be much better thee they should postpone it till after the pressure of the go vernment business of the session was over, when they would be able to give it their careful and deliberate consideration, with a view of adopting the best system, both for the ee corny of the revenue and the facility of trade. He matured i the hon. gentleman that the subject was not neglected, and that if it was postponed it was only because its importance was duly appreciated and they were desirous of doing it all the justice in their power. Mr.W. BROWN csnreased his gratification with the mea sure, and said he hoped the details would work out well. Mr. J. A. SMITH expressed his thaoks for the boon con ferred on them. Mr. HENLEY said the inherent principle of the system was to prevent smuggling. The intention of the government to transfer a portion of the cases to the county court, was very judicious t but he thought it unfair to throw any of this duty upon the ma gistrates, because their tribunals not beiag courts of record, they were liable to actions for false imprisonment if there should be any error in their proceedit.gs. It might le stid I that the crown would protect there, ; but that would place them in • very disadvantageous light. Magistrates in fact ought not to have jurisdiction except in deer oases of smug : gling. lie trusted that the government would endeavour , to afford every facility to the em.ni u g vessels, which hail profited less than those enfr-ss e d i n the foreign trade by the increa etiinulut sehith - to ;ad lately been given the ship. sed ping interests. Mr. D. SENV - ,jl: li warmly defended the conduct of Mr. Hamel, , tlt. ', e .. .owner of the customs. id•". "'; " . ..iceman I'SIOMPSON having:sit on the commit tee of customs fur two years, felt bound to express a gene • Ital approbation of the measure, and to congratulate the Mug ezd the country upon the changes which were *bon: , to take place, for he had looked with the greatest dissatis tunas fur the last 30 years upon the way in which the ems i toms bad been adminiatered. (Hear, hear.) With respect to the Board of Customs, ha did not believe that proper men had been selected for the office ; and he was glad to hear that the system was to be corrected. Nor did he agree with the itilogiums passed upon Mr. Hamel by the hon. gentleman opposite. Be knew nothing of Mr. Hamel except what he had heard and seta of him before the com mittee ; and he must say that while fully sensible of his great talent, he did not think that he had discharged his I functions in a way that was advantageous to the public in terests. (Hear, hear.) He begged to refer the hon. gen tleman (Mr. Seymour) to the evidence, and he would find that the committee expressed their opinions of Mr. Hamel in no qualified terms. Indeed, he was only saved from the severest censure by the vote of a single individual. (Hear.) Mr. GOULBURN reminded the hon. gentleman that while he had sat in the house two bills had been passed for the reform of the customs, and yet he (Mr. Alderman Thomp son) had not afforded the government of the day the least assistance in procuring their enactment. Mr. M. FORSTER, as a member of the committee, was inclined to lay the trams entirely on the committee and Mr. Hansel. Ile thought the statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer as to the proposed reform in the con stitution of the board would complete the satisfaction of the public with the measure. Mr. D. SEYMOUR observed that he had no acquaint ance with Mr. flamel as a private solicitor, and reminded the house that that gentleman was paid by salary, and not by fees. After a few words in explanation from Mr. WILSON, the papers were then ordered to be printed. THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 22, 1853 CLERICAL, MEDICAL, and GENERAL LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY. NYE BONUSES hare been declared; at the last In 'sugary, 1883, then. of .C 131,123 was added to the Policies, yrodunina • Eono a vitn the &Ramat gas from 24 to 33 per cent. on the pre won,. pay: durum the Ave years, or Irons £3 to £l2 hi. per cent. on the sant am:ed. — Wm small store of prat illetaihle In figure more the shareholders beton now Trinidad for, the ASSURED will hereafter &rive all the benefit" obtainable from a mutual race, WI fIIOUT ANY LIABI• LI nt OR RISK Of PARTNEKrBRIP. One half the tile Triimittin to the Int fife years May remits on ere4P-t INVALID LIVES msy be assured at rates proportioned to the Curios pain thirty days after livid of death, and all Policies are laAbpateWc liana in asses of fraud. The lost yeses Report (just printed) sae be ob•ained fre • of OEUMGV. U. PlNClialtD, Readmit Oecietid7. 99, Greet Russet-street, Bloomsbury, London. ghe erantols. TO CORRESPONDENTS. ♦ doenol Edition of " The Et press," containing *he same inendres Ossette," 4 published eery Tuesday ant Friday sight, in thin Oar post. k reinstates:. Intended for " Tha Exprosa," Landon livening paper, mow he at the °Woe, 10, Bounce...strait, by Two o'foolas es the by of publication. lIIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Tim DAT—SI ornime, O. .......Afternnon. Ib. 17m. To-roasew—Mormsg, la. Ik. 57m. PILOTAGE BILL. On the motion that the house should go into committee on this bill, Mr. TURNER said the subject was one requiring • more strict investigation than could be given it by a com mittee of the whole house. He would therefore move as an amendment, that the bill should bo referred to a select committee. Tho 10th clause of the bill removed the power of liceiising pilots from the ancient boards of pilots to the Board ef 1 rade, which he thought very objectionable. A petition had been just presented from the me•chants and others of Liverpool in favour of this bill ; but he had pre sented several petitions from Liverpool against it, and he was confident that the great majority of the shipoweers, merchant', and underwriters were opposed to it, and in favour of the powers being exercised by • local board. Sir E. DERING seconded the amendment, Upon which a discussion mimed, in which Colonel Har court, Lord A. Paget, Mr. George, Mr. Hildyard, Mr. La bouchere, and Lord Chelsea, took part. Mr. CAUDWELL defended the hill, upon the ground that it allowed mo bodies of men to inflict compulsory taxa tion upon the people without being responsible to parlia ment ; and that it would in reality benefit the eery interests which it was aecused of injuring. Upon a division tho amendment was negatived by 83 to 219. The house went into committee pro forma, and resumed. The Sheriffs Court (Scotland) Bill was also committed pro fonts. Ibe committee on the Courts of Common Law (Irelana) Bill was postponed. HACKNEY CARRIAGES BILL. Mr. FITZROY, in rising to introduce a bill for the bet ter regulation of hackney carriage. in the metropolis, said that notwithstanding the vest increase in size of the metro polis, and the omiseqeset increase of intramural travelling, the immense number et hackney carriages by which that travelling :was accommodated was almost entirely beyond legal control. This arose All a great measure from the mode in which these vehicles were licensed. There was no re striction on the number of licenses, nor any investigation as to the fitness of the carriage. Some disqualifications ex isted as in the case of thieves or minors, but these restric tions were merely nominal, and the consequence was that the stands were crowded by wretched vehicles drawn by horses which were merely kept ;standing by the shafts. To remedy this state of things, he proposed to introduce provisions to the following effect. In the first place, he proposed that everyone desirous of obtaining a license for a metropolitan hackney carriage should apply to the Commis sioners of Police, who, on such application, would order an inspection of the carriage sought to be licensed, and on a certificate of its fitness the party applying would obtain a license from the Board of Inland Revenue. lle proposed to give power from time to time for fresh inspection, and of suspeneon or infliction of penalty in case of infraction of regulations. The fares were confessed!y exorbitant, and had not been arranged since 1831. He thought the time had come for a reduction of 25 per cent., and therefore proposed that the fares for the future should be 6d. a mile. One justification for this was the altered price of forage. In 1831 oats were 234. 10d. • quarter, is the present year 19s. 84., being a difference of 25 per cent., or exactly the diminution which be was about to preppie. A great objection to the present fare was the broken money, in consequence of which an eightpennyjare invariably became the payment of • shilling. (lieu, hear.) Very few had courage to face a cabman with the exact fare, and even if they had, it was almost impossible to ascer tain the distance. To meet this ease, he proposed that the commissioners should place at every stand boards specifying the fares to the different probable points of depar ture, and also that a man should be placed at each stand furnished with an authenticated list, and able to inform the hirer of the true amount of fare. This would be a great accommodation to ladies or timid travellers, and could not be looked on as an extraordinary hardship on the cab proprietor, seeing that the Chancellor of the Exche quer proposed to reduce the license from 10s. a-week to 75., being &saving of 7!. 16s. per annum. They would also save 15,0001. a year which they now paid to watermen, which, as there were three thousand cabs, would be an additional saving to each of 5!. a year. Perhaps the house would Iseareely believe that the citizens of London paid in cab hire SIS,OOOI. a year, and that consequently the reduction from id. IDOL a mile would be • saving of no less than 720,0001. In addition he propesed to make it compulsory on cabmen le engage by the hoar, at a fair of 2s. The present fare was Is. 6d., but as he made the charge compulsory he bad thought it only fair to raise the fare to 2s. The other provisions of the bill related to matters of minor importance. He proposed that there should be an altera tion made with regard to the property that was left in cabs. Permission was now given to the cab driver to retain in his possession for four days, any property found is his cab ; taking it at the end of that time to the stamp-oaes whine it remained for a year, and if it was not then claimed it was sold for the benefit of the cab driver. The latter proposition was untenable. He proposed that the tab-driver should be required to take the property the nearest police station, that it should there remain a year, and that it should then be sold to defray the duties iManeeted with the provisions of this act. He also proposed that in the event of a dispute between the hirer and the driver, the hirer should have the option of being driven to the nearest police court, and of having his complaint investigated forthwith by the magistrate; and if there were no magistrate sitting to the next pollee station, where be could have the complaint entered in order that it might be heard the next morn ing. These were the principal provisions of tho bill, which he believed would produce some salutary effects, and would bring London, as far as its public vehicles were concerned, on a level with other capitals. The hors. gentleman concluded by asking for leave to bring in the bill. Leave was given accordingly, and the bill war brought in. COMMITTEES. On the tit otion of Kr. Munn, Sir G. Grey and Mr. La headsets were discharged from further attendees, es the strangers and divisions comminse; and Lord D. liteartial Lord G Paget added to the committee. INCUMBERED ESTATES (IRELAND). Mr. WHITESIDE moved for a retort of the names sal dates of the petitions lodged in. the Court foe Sale of Incomes bered Estates in Ireland, and the respective dates of the allowance of the posting for sale in each of said petitions. The hon. and learned gentleman took the opportunity et asking what were the inteatiens of the government with regard to the Inematssred Estates Court, which was over loaded with business. Sir J. YOUNG said there could be no question that the Innambered Estate. Court was overloaded with business. It was quite true that about seven millions worth of pro perty had bees sold in the court, of which four millions only had been distributed. There remained very nearly twice as much to be sold as had been sold, and the time of the commissioners bad been taken up with the adjust meet of claims. The bill had only been postponed till he could get some information from Ireland. He believed the Lord Chancellor had some plan by which he would relieve the commissioners from the onerous duty of adjusting the claims, and 'nailing the commissioners to proceed with the sales. He believed that while this court was over loaded, the Court of Chancery was almost void of bailees', and there was a question whether the Court of Chancery was in a state to undertake the busies entirely, but it was desirable to maintain the principles of the Encumbered Es tates Court—an easy sale and a valid title. Mr. WHITESIDE said the question was under the con sideration of the late government, and a bill was prepared which he gave notice he would move to introduce to morrow. The house then adjourned at 10 minutes to 1 o'clock. PAIRZO FOR TIIR NIGHT.—Sit E. B. Lytton with Mr. Granville Vernon; Mr. Whitmore with Colonel Ferguson. A MYSTERIOUS FOUNDLING. —A female child, wrapped up in the finest linen, and covered with a hand some velvet cloak, was found a few days ago in a passage leading to a vestry in the church of St. Roch, Paris. On unfolding the clothea the following letter was found " Imperious reasons compel me momentarily to desert my child. I shall not cease to watch over her. I entreat the person who shall take charge of her to pay hti the greatest I attention. Some day, and that, perhaps, not very diet ant, she will be generously rewarded for her trouble ar,d her maternal care. I wish the child to be called Marie, ond that the necklace which she has on may be carefully preserved." The wife of the beadle took charge of the child, sood, accord ing to the wish of the mother, it was christer.ed Marie.— Goltgnattes Messenger. Wed at the last Liverpool assisP o. • 1 Liverpool. As the ciltr , e and sentenced to death, -- .e for which the unhappy man has bees re spited offers many extenuating circumstances, there in Dawson-street, is eve ry C th H a a t a t iE e S ca l% i 'lL se ll te l. c — e i ii :ce no the w announcement of the reprieve of Willis'', Tyrrell, Mr. Oibb, the governor of Kirkdale Gaol, Home Secretary a communication, io, which the clemency ha'. received from the of the royal prerogative is furtb.er ext ee d e d to t h e un h a ppy man Charles Williams, who, it wiP b e reme mbered, 51111 for the wilful murder of Joa“. pda ,, ken. , be carried into effect, LONDOIr, FRIDAY, APRIL 22. THERE is- not a person in the realm who is not directly interested in the Customs Duties. There are immense numters of persons whose peace of mind is sorely troubled every year—as they return to their native land after a voluntary expatriation of a couple of months—by tho Custom-house re gulations, and the manner in which they are put into practice by Custom-house officers. From the QUEEN, who does not know at any particular moment, when on board her yacht, whether she is not bringing home a cargo of smug gled tobacco for the benefit of various portions of her crew, to the honest tradesnuin whose wife insists upon secreting about her person a few pairs of gloves for which she has paid double their real value, trust ing in the chance of cheating the Customs of some halfpence ; and throughout all the intermediate grades of society the Custom-house is an object of anxiety to all. The honourable merchant sighs over the Customs as an obstacle to trade ; the dishonourable merchant _ chuckles over them ...., ------ as a temptation to profitable evasion ; the traveller chafes over them as a hindrance; the statesman quotes them as the acme of bad manage ment. Everybody, in fact, knows something about the Customs, and everybody is therefore interested in them. We all feel a personal sympathy, more or leas, in the collisions of the Customs with those with whom they come in contact; we all recognise that the constitution of the Customs Board is a matter that may affect our interests very deeply. It is scarcely possible, therefore, not to experience some disappoint. ment when Mr. WILSON refuses to go into any details with respect to what he is pleased to style the • unhappy controversy ' that arose some time back between the Customs and the Docks. " The Committee," said Mr. WILSON, 1 1 thought it their duty not to express an opinion thereon. In doing so, they had followed a very wise course." Very possibly, but the public would have been glad to know in what the wisdom consisted. A very general opinion existed, at the time, that the Customs had dealt very shamefully, if not very illegally, with the Docks. Has the " wisdom" of the Committee been shown in suppressing a condemna tory, opinion on conduct which has already been condemned by the public. If so, it is a wisdom which partakes rather more of cunning than statesmanship. The same remark applies to the con stitution of the Board. Tho Government (the speaker tells us) does not intend to deal with this constitution on the present occasion. All the world will be sorry to hear this—and disappointed into the bargain. Nothing is more certain than that to the faulty constitution of the Board a great portion of the bad working of the system is owing. No satis factory improvement can be introduced into the ad ministration of the Customs until the constitution of the Board is fundamentally altered. There is no department of the State which is more under the blight of what the historian of the Peninsular war calls " the cold shade of aristocracy" than the Customs. The distinctions in that service are as strongly marked as in the Army. We are wrong ; they are even more strongly marked. Small as the chance may be of a man from the ranks ever obtaining a command in the line, it is still greater than that afforded to an officer in the laborious grades in the Customs ever reaching one of the poets filled up by those who have the good luck to be allied with the dis pensers of patronage. To this peculiar fea ture of the evil Mr. WILSON, however, tells us that the Committee have directed their at tention. There are 10,800 persons employed in the Customs, of whom 1,000 are weighers and lockers, and 1,720 tidewsiters, making 2,720 in these two capacities only. Mr. WILSON allows that, under no circumstances are these persons, whatever their merit, permitted to pass a certain line of promotion. The Committee propose that whenever a person has been three years a superintending locker, he shall have the liberty of demanding an examination by his superior officer, upon undergoing which he shall have a certificate forwarded to theTreasury,and have his name enrolled as being eligible for promotion to the higher ranks. This, it must be admitted, is a step in the right direction. The upper ranks of the ser vice will be by this means constantly refreshed by the infusion of new blood, while the lower ranks will have their energies. increased by the stimulus administered under the shape of a hope of promotion. The reform in the mode of distributing rewards appears, on the whole, to be also judicious. The principle adopted is, that the officers concerned in seizures shall have no immediate share in the profits derived therefrom. All the fines and satisfaction which have hitherto been paid direct to the officer, and have thus opened a way for peculation, are now to be converted into one fund, which will be distributed once a year, either by division among the officers generally, or to those of particular merit. An ex ception is made with respect to the officers of the coast-guard, who, on account of the nature of the service, are still allowed to retain a personal interest in seizures made by them. The Committee next suggest two changes: first, the abolition of the ex clusive privileges formerly claimed by Government on the subject of costs; secondly, the reference of all cases in which the amount involved does not exceed, 1001., and occasionally of others, to the County Courts. With respect to the transit of goods from one port to another in their way between foreign countries modifications are proposed. It appears that goods to the amount of 400,0001. passed in transit through the country in the month of March last, being at the rate of nearly 5,000,0001. a year. By the present law each person is bound to give a bond for the amount of duty for which he is liable. It is recom mended that the railway companies shall give one single bond for the whole amount, the railway being responsible for the delivery of the goods in bond, port, or dock, on the other side of the island. This will he important. The other points of the subject—wide as it is—all need special comment iu relation to the intentions of the Government. Each will require to be carefully sifted. The present stage of the business is merely preliminary and formal. When it comes before the House as a matter of formal legislation it will have to be discussed with all the care and attention due to the immense interests which it involves. THE NEW CATTLE MARKET.— Yesterday, the ' Markets Improvement Committee of the City corporation exhibited at Guildhall the plans and models of the proposed market in Copenhagen fields. Mr. Bunning exr,:lained the planer the market to a considerable number of iicitoes con nected with the cattle trade. Of the le'ed purchased at Copenhagen fields it is intended to ar ropriste 15 acres to the purposes of the market, 30 sores MT lairs for the cattle, 9 acres for Slaughter-houses, and the same number for roadways. It Is calculated that the market will be able to ' receive as many as 42,000 sheep, 6,700 bullocks, with calves and pigs in proportion. CRIME IN ENGLAND AND IRELAND. —Yesterday s i I return to the House of Commons was printed of crimes committed in England and Ireland. In 182 the titur:,„, of committals for crime in England was 27,510, ay.:: in Ire land in Ibsl, 21,681, of which 12,018 were u''..tble to read or write. The same information is not •P'ccled as to Eng land, but in 1818, out of 30,319 cgrertlll , : g ie, 9,691 were un able to roil or write, FRANCE. PA RIB,.THURSDAY_EVENING, Today the Emperor mule the tour of the works in progress at the Louvre. The Moniteur contains an article sympathising with the working climes, who are inconvenienced by the rise in the price of lodgings- The Moniteur contains the following official news: Yesterday, April 20, was the Erin, eroes birthday. His Majesty's desire was that no festivities should take place on this occasion. His fete will be eelcbra ted on the 15th of August, St. Napoleon's day. The police of llagnres de Luchon Visited several stationers' shops last week, and seized a numt•cr of portfolios ornamented with portraits of the Count de Chambord, the Duchess of Orleans, and other mem bers of the Bourbon family. The Princess Charlotte Bonaparte, Countess Fri moli, daughter of Prince Charles Bonaparte do Canino, hus arrived in l'aris with her husband, to pass some months with her father. The committee of the Legislative Body on the bud get of 18.5-1 has named M. Schneider its reporter. It is supposed that the report will be presented about the commencement of May. The members of the departmental commission went yesterday morning to the Prefecture of the Seine to take part in the extraordinary session for which they had been convoked by a decree of the Moniteur, when they were informed that the official journal had com mitted an error in its announcement, putting the 20th inst. instead of the 281 b. A letter from Compiegne to the Journal de l.liote states that it is expected the Emperor and Empress will take up their residence at the l'aloce of Com piegne in the course of the next month. A number of workmen arc employed in different works for in creasing the accommodation required for the nume rous persons who will be invited to the palace. Twelve stags brought from Marty have just been turned our in the forest, and the hounds which bad been ordered to Fontainebleau, aro to remain at Compiegne. To-day, at the Bourse, the Three per Cents. for money declined 40c., and for the end of the month 30c.; and the Four-and-a-Half per Cents., both for the account and for cash, 20c. A fall of 3f. occurred in Bank Shares. Closing prices : For cash, Three per Cents., 80f. 10e. ; Four-and-a-Half per Cents., 103 f. 30c. For the Account: Three per Cents., 80f. 03c. ; Four-and-a-Half per Cents., 103 f. 30c.; Bank Stock, 2,730 f. • .4 In the railway market no improvement can be reported. The concluding prices were : Northerns, 9131. ; Orleans, 1,042 f. 50c. ; Paris and Stras bourg, 845 f. 30e ; Paris and Lyons, 9441. 50e.; Paris and Rouen, 1,130 f. 50c. ; Lyons to the Mediter ranean, 8151. 50c. ; Western of France, 7851.; Rouen and Havre, 5301. ; Bordeaux and Cctte, 650f.' LATEST FOREIGN BOULISES.-Amsterdam, Thurs day-Integrals Two-and-a-Half per Cents., 61 3-16. Spanish One per Cent.. '23: • Interior Three per Cents., 421. Vienna, Thursday-New Loan, 94; Loan Letter B. Five per Cents., 107 L Bank shares, 1,395. Exchange on London, 10.50. Paris, 1.30. Frankfort, Tuesday-Austrian Five per Cents., 981 ; 1851, 98: ; 1852, 98; ; Two-and-a-Half per Cents., 44,1. Russian Four-and-a-Half per Cents., (Baring), 1031 • Four per Cents. (H0pe),961 ; (Stleg litz), 921. Polish 500 fl. Bonds, 931. Spanish One per Cent., 24 7-16; Three per Cents., 43,1. Sar dinian Five per Cents. (Rothschild), 991. Ham burg, 95:. Tuscany Five per Cents. (Golsmith), 1031; Bastogi 101. United States Six per Cents., 1071. Exchange on Loudon, short, 1191. DENMARK. REJECTION OF THE ROYAL MESSAGE. COPENHAGEN, TUESDAY, APRIL 19. The Chambers are dissol;cd. New elections are appointed—those for the Volksthing (Lower House) on the 27th of May, and those for the Landsthing (Upper House) on the 3rd of June neat. It is stated that the ministers Bang and Simon have resigned. It is not difficult to supply the link between this despatch and our latest advicee by the ordinary channel. Letters from Copenhagen of the 15th in form us that on that day the United Chamber entered upon the third discussion of the royal message respecting the succession to the throne. The Diet unanimously adopted an amendment signi fying, contrary to the principle of the government, that it assumed to legislate for Denmark Proper and not for the entire monarchy. A second amendment for limiting the approval of the Diet to the treaty of London, instead of extending it to the royal message, was rejected by 91 against 34 votes. The modified proposition of Oersted was to be discussed on the following day, but the government journals confessed that there was little prospect that the cabinet would obtain the suffrages of three-fourths of the members, the proportion required by the constitution. This presentiment has been justified. The Danish Diet, following the example of irs predecessor, has refused to acquiesce in the royal message, to acknowledge Lord Malmesbury's treaty, to set aside the legal succession of the realm, and to constitute Russia heir general of the monarchy. ITALY. PIEDMONT. The Parlament° of Turin states that the memo randum of the government is applauded on all hands. The Cattolko, a Genoa journal, was confiscated on the 14th for an article entitled "The Victories of Novara," and aiming at the subversion of constitu tional government. On the same day another Genoa journal, the Italia Libera was seized. The Atediter rand° has suspended its publication. MODENA. On the 4th the Countess of 61iimbord and the Duke of Modena proceeded to Reggio to meet the Duchess of Parma, of whom they took leave the same evening. On the 11th the Countess of Chambord left Modena for Venice. AUSTRIAN ITALY. The Parlament° of Turin, of the 18th, states, from Milan, that the extraordinary contribution paid weekly by that ci y since the events of February 6 is to cease in a few days. The University of Padua was re-opened on the 10th. GERMANY. The telegraphic despatch lately , reported that the First Prussian Chamber, acting in direct oppoeition to its conservative maxims and character, had rejected the bill for making the Second Chamber renewable by election every sixth instead of every third year, uat present. The report of the sitting shows that the Assembly rejected the bill in a fit of disgust with the Second Chamber, which had struck out some of its illiberal clauses. The contemplated issue of more paper money by the Elector of Hesse has compelled the Berlin cabinet to take into consideration the means of protecting its currency from an inundation of depreciated notes. SPAIN. A general correspondence from Madrid of the lf; t h I ' speaks of the liberal views of the new minister but incidentally mentions that they were to 0 2 - t i. .,at even. ing to Aranjues to pay their homage to t„, a ,ueen Chris tina. The Ileraldo of that date eirtisr 5 the adteteie. tration in the name of the modes ate constitutional party. 'previous day to Aranjaez The Madrid journals, of t ) ae IGth, have arrived The ministers went on the to kiss the hands of Qw-.en Christina on th e i r ap pointment, and on their return they held a council under the presidency of Queen Isabella. It was said that the council MA occupied with financial matters, and did not touch on those of a political nature. It was rumoured., , authority, that the and was said not without ministers hr.vo resolved not Ito assemble tt e C or t es b e f ore September next, in ord e r to c4ord time for the preparation of bills, and tor calming the irritation, and, if possible , healing I the divisions of the moderate party. It was expected ' ' that the Gazette would on the next day, or the day after, publish the programme of the new ministers, From a return given by the Gazette, it apPe?..B tint the floating debt of the Treasury apaccalted on the 31st March last to 283,291,119 reals, SWITZERLAND. A letter from Ticino, of the 14th, in the Task Gazette says :— " Person s are st ill arriving from Lombard Lombardy. They arc in general Lombard women, who bad married citizens of Ticino. They had re mained with their families in the hope that tho Austrian police would not disquiet them, but the police insisted on their taking their departure with their children. The Austrian ambassador has com plained to the Federal Council of a poem published at Geneva with the title of ' Le Cri du Sang,' the subject of which is the difference existing between Switzerland and Austria. The ambassador, in sup port of his complaint, refers to the law which regu lates the Federal press." HOLL IND, The Stoats Courant of the 20th announces that it has pleased the king to grant, by royal decree, per mission to MM. J. K. Thorbecke, Minister of the In terior; P. P. Van Reese, Minister of Finance; F. P. It. &rens, Minister ot Justice; and J. P. P. Baron cart Zuylen Van Nyeveldt, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to withdraw honourably from their posts with the thanks of their sovereign. Ills Majesty has not been pleased to accept the resignations ten dered by MM. Pahud, Enshe, and Forstner, Minis ters of the Colonies, Marine, and War. By another decree of the same date his Majesty appoints the Minister of State, M. F. A. van Hall, his Minister of Foreign Affairs; M. Donker Curtius, Minister of Justice ; M. G. C. J. van Reenen, Burgo master of Amsterdam, Minister of the Interior; and M. E. C.U.van I)oorn, Minister of Finance. The same decree also appoints M. Lightenvelt to be Minister of Worship for the affairs of the catholic community, in the room of NI. van Sousbeck. The character of the new ministry is sufficiently indicated by the nomination of M. can Doorn, who led the ultra protestant party in the debate of the 18th, which immediately caused the fall of the late cabinet. TURKEY. A correspondent, writing from Constantinople on the 7th inst., says:—" To•day Lord Stratford do Radcliffe had an audience of the Sultan, who wel comed him with great pleasure. Yesterday Lord Stratford visited the Grand Vizier and Prince Menchikoff. Deviating from the ordinary practice, be also went on board the Caton, and had an inter view with the French ambassador, M. Lacoar. The latter landed this morning, and, according to custom, briefly addressed his countrymen, who came out in crowds to meet him. Ills language was, however, general in character, and no more than that of Lord Stratford, revealed the part which be was about to play. Colonel Rose leaves to-day for Malta, and thence to England. There is a great movement here in the arsenal, and the Turks eifuip their fleet, but this is what they do every spring. Yesterday the founders of the new bank received the tirman autho rising that establishment from the hands of tho Grand Vizier." The Frontier Messenger announces that Prince Alexander of Servia has refused to comply with a demand of the cabinet of St. Petersburg requiring him to dismiss 111Df. Marinories and Dacha. The Prince appeals to treaties which guarantee the right of Servia to self-government. A telegraphic despatch, dated Vienna, April 20, says :—" There has been a slight riot at Constanti nople, got up by some fanatical Turks. Thanks to the prompt measures adopted, it was soon put down.'t Another despatch of the same date states that another and more serious disturbance had taken place against the Christians at Broussa, and that twelve of them had been wounded. CONSTANTINOPLE, APRIL 12. Prince Menschikoff was pressing for a solution and threatening to depart. The Turkish government hid concentrated its troops at Constantinople. War steamers, fully armed, had taken up positions on the principal points. Russian steamers. on their part, had left for Yemleks, to protect their countrymen and the Chris- tians. The French fleet was still at Salamis. Vbe Court. It is understood that the Levee to be held on Wednesday, the 27th inst., will be the last this season. Her Majesty will hold several Drawing-rooms during the month of June. The Duchess of Kent visited her Majesty yesterday after noon at Buckingham Palace. Prince Albert, attended by Lieutenant-Colonel F. H. Seymour, ♦isited the National Gallery yesterday morning. In the afternoon his royal highness, attended by Lieutenant. Colonel F. IL. Seymour, went to the Zoological Society in Hanover-square. Sir Henry Holland was presented at the Levee on Wed nesday, by the Earl of Aberdeen, upon being created • baronet. . _ . . The Duchess of Kent, accompanied by the Princess Ade laide of Hohenlohe, and attended by Lady Anna Maria Dawson and Sir George Caliper, dined with the Duke and Duchess D'Aumsle at Orleans House, Twickenham, on Wednesday seeming. The Duchess of Kent, accompanied by the Princess Ade laide of Hohenlohe, honoured the Royal Italian Opera with her presence last evening. Her royal highness was attended by Lady Anna Maria Dawson and Sir George Couper. A deputation front Salisbury and Warminster, on the subject of the completion of the Wilts and Somerset Rail way, as regards the line between Salisbury and Warminster. had an interview with the Right Hon. E. Cardwell, on Wednesday, at the Board of Trade. The deputation con sisted of the Right Hon. S. Herbert, Mr. Sotberon, M.P.. Mr. Wyndham, M.P., Mr. C. B. Wall, M.P., Mr. C. IL B. A'Ceurt, M.P., Mr. D. Seymour, M.P., the Mayor of Salts bury, the Rev. A. Fans (vicar of Warminster), the Rev. Bladney, Major-General Buckley, Mr. J. Ravenhill (Warminster), Mr. R. Hetley (Salisbury), Mr. .1. H. Jacob, Mr. U. V. Squares, Mr. J. Pothecary, and Mr. G. Smith. A deputation from the Rotherhithe Commissioners of Pavement, consisting of the Rev. Edward Blick, Mr. Hack wood, Mr. Ravenhill, and Mr. IL S. Hawks (clerk), had sax interview with Sir Wm. Molesworth yesterday at the Office of Works and Public Buildings, in Whitehall-place. The Residents of Belfast and Galway Queen's Collages had an interview yesterday with the Earl of Aberdeen, at his official residence, in Downing-street. A deputation of the Wateriness acting as Pilots en the Thames had an interview with the Right Hon. R. Card well on Wednesday, at the Board of Trade. The deplete tion was introduced by Mr. Rolt and Mr. Chambers, and L consisted of Mr. Shoebralge (chairman), Mr. Ilusoa,Mesars. Watkins, Todhunter, Hone, Blain, Langman, Parkinson. L Wood, Randall, Forest, Hinton, Carter, Andrews, and Rodway. 1 Despatches were received at the Colonial•office yesterday from the Governor of Ceylon, the Governor of Hong Kong, the Lord ;High Commistioner of the lonian Islands, sad the Governor of Malta. HIS ROYAL HIGIIVEB9 PRINCE ALBERT (says the Journal des Ditscds) will shortly visit his xattive lowa of Gotha, to take a personal part in the deliberat.;.ons concern ing the domains of the state. In 1848 all the domainisl estates of Thuringen and Gotha Were incorporated with the state property. Prince Albert - protested against this mea sure. as did several other eiplutes. As the reigatng Duke of Coburg has no children, r.nd his eventgal successor is the second son of Princ a Albert eninthe queen of togland, His Royal 11 41.1111CU1 Prince Albert is directly interested in this quntio• 4. BANQUET TO . I tI AN. ETOWI TR F;ANEUROIL—on Wednesday event° A a grand entertainment wos held in . honour of . the r,itted authoress of .1 Uncle Tom's Cabin' in th e Moele-h" j , Edinburgh, it t presence of a crowded ma brilliant tv,e' Ablage, presided over by the Lord Provost of the eit i '• 'Ars Stowe, on %eking her seat at the right band of 'die t"ordship, was enthusi•astieally sheered, and every T'..entio4 el her name and work throughout the evening was tetswied with great applause. In the course of the evettir.; \ t i tele ,._ we ,!" " iusted to the care of Mrs. St owe, to use for the .estr:it of the slave and the promotion of the abolition alum', the sum of 1,000 sovereigns, being the result of the 11•Aonal ".Uncle Tom Penny Offering," originated several months age in Edinburgh, and being made up of pence and small contributions. The gold coin was . presented on a silver salver, the f(ift of a few ladies of Edinburgh to hlte. Stowe. Professor Stowe replied briefly on behalf of his wife, and, in the course of the evening, the Rev. C. Beecher addressed the meeting. Mrs. Stowe is to attend meetings in Edinburgh on Saturday and Tuesday nest, visiting Dun dee in the iutersal. FATAL ACCIDILNIT NEAR LIVERPOOL.—An accident which terminated in the death of Mr. Phelan, landlord of the Grapes Hotel, Liverpool, occurred on Wednesday even ing, et the village of West Derby, where the deceased hail been spending the a ft ernoon with some friends. On return ing to Liverpool, early is the evci - aug, on horseback, the animal, before ho had gone lar, turned round and ap proached the West Derby Arms at a rapid pace. Out of the men in the hotel y-„ t a , thinking the horse had.run aw ° .T, rushed nut and. endeavoured to seize the bridle . This caused the horse, which was a spirited Anima; ' and Mr. L'helae „„ n• . ~ who had not placed ti*' • Waire, the stirrups L e n •..n g , was l'lltowu f- "a'al the middle wits} great ?to e, his head came in contact with the-kerb stones on the opposite side of the road, and was smapted to pieces. I.le dical aid was ihstantly procured, but it wen of no avail ; the lunfortunate gentleman never rallied, On did - early yester day morning.