The Press. — London, England, 1854-02-11 00:00:00

134 Lord JoaN RUSSELL replied that he should move for leave to bring in the bill on Monday, but not move the second reading until the 13th of March. Mr. HUME having recommended immediate legis- lation on the subject, Mr. DISRAELI observed, on the part of the Opposi tion, that if the proposed measure should have a tendency further to diminish the influence of the landlord interest, already too much diminished by recent legislation—(Hear, hear) —they would meet it with the most determined opposition. (Hear, hear.) They would not oppose the introduction of the bill, because they were not desirous by protracted de bates to impede the consideration of measures neces sary to enable the country to carry on an impending war; but, if on the 13th of March the measure should be found to be of the character he had suggested, they would oppose it—(Hear, hear)—and upon the noble lord the leader of the house would rest the responsibility of such opposition. , Mr. Bniour was quite ready to receive a measure whi3li went even in the direction of improvement. Lord JOHN MANNERS urged the propriety of defer ring legislation on parliamentary reform, as the con. troversy could only impede our preparations for carry ing on the war again 4 Russia. The motion for adjournment was then agreed to. BRIBERY, &C., AT ELECTIONS, AND THE TRIAL OF CONTROVERTED ELECTIONS. Lord J. *RUSSELL then moved. for leave to bring in bills for the better prevention of bribery, treating, and undue influence at elections for members of Parliament, and for the trial of iontroverted elec tions, explaining that the earlier clauses of the first bill would define the offences it was intended to pre vent, and provide that any person threatening vio lence or restraint, or in any way practising intimi dation, in order to ino uce persons to vote, or to abstain from voting, should be deemed to have committed the offence of intimidation, and be liable to a penalty of 501. It was proposed also that persons found guilty of bribery should be for ever disqualified from sitting in Parliament. Another provision was, that copies of all convictions for bribery and treating should be entered in a book of parliamentary disqua . lification. Voters found guilty of bribery were to have their names struck out of the register and to be published in a yearly list as disqualified. The second bill provided that, when a petition complain ing of bribery, treating, or intimidation at an elec tion was presented, there should be a preliminary committee in the nature of a grand jury, consisting of fifteen members, who should take evidence on the part of the petitioners ; and if, in their opinion, there Was a prima facie case made out, then there should be a select committee appointed to try the petition. In the event of the sitting member being unseated, and it appearinr , that the unsuccessful candidate had obtained two-thirds of the votes at the election, he proposed that the committee should have the power of declaring him duly elected. Should the commit tee report that bribery bad extensively prevailed, then the Speaker was to report the fact to the Home Secretary, and the Crown should be empowered to issue a commission, and to name the commissioners, who, he suggested, should be chosen from the re vising barristers. To obtain uniformity of decision he proposed that assessors should be appointed, who should be barristers of ten years' standing, one of whom should act in each committee. The chairman's panel he proposed to abolish, leaving the general committee to choose the whole of the members cf the committee to try the petition. Mr. M. Onsois criticised the propositions of the noble lord, expressing his doubts whether a constitu. tionul principle VMS not infringed by the proposal that the unsuccessful candidate at an election, if obtaining two• thirds of the numbers polled by the successful candidate, and the latter were unseated, on petition, should, at the discretion of the com mittee, be declared elected. Sir F. KELLY also doubted whether it would be constitutional to empower an election committee to return and declare as duly elected any one who, under any circumstances, should be found to have only a minority of the votes polled. Such a power he thou3ht, would be dangerous in any tribunal. To the measure, as a whole, however, he called upon the house to give a calm and deliberate consideration. The bills then underwent a scrutiny from Colonel Sibthorp, Mr. Hume, Mr. Packe, Mr. H. Berke ley, Mr. Phinn, Mr. Phillimore, Mr. Ball, and other hon. members. After which leave was given to bring in the bills. POOR LAWS. Mr. BkINES then rose to move for leave to bring in a bill to amend the laws relating to the settlement, removal, and chargeability of the poor in England and Wales, observing that the abuses and evils under the present system had become so great that the Government felt it incumbent on them to endeavour. to grapple with them. Nothing could be worse than the law as it at present stood, and the Government felt that there was no alternative but to take away Altogether the power of compulsory removal on the THE PRESS. ground of settlement. With regard to the area of chargeability, the committee of 1847 thought it would be right to extend it from parishes to unions, and in that opinion the Government concurred. To a national rate, which some persons suggested, or to making a charge on tho Consolidated Fund, the Government entertained grave objections, because such a change would lead to additionel extravagance, by withdrawing the expenditure from the supervision of the ratepayers. It was therefore proposed that the area of chargeability should be extended to unions instead of parishes ; but that the uniformity of rating the parishes within each union should be gradually accomplished—if possible, within the period of ten years. Sir GEORGE GREY supported the bill. Mr. W. MILES objected to anything like piecemeal legislation on such a great question as that of the poor laws, and suggested the propriety of the Govern ment taking a comprehensive view of the whole question. After a discussion of some length, leave was given to bring in the bill, and the house adjourned. THE INDIA MAIL. The Calcutta steamer arrived at Trieste on Thurs day afternoon, in 120 hours from Alexandria. She brings the India mail, with advices from Calcutta to Jan. 4 ; Madras, Jan. 11; Shanghai, Dec. 17 ; Amoy, Dec. 24 ; Hong-kong, Dec. 27; Singapore and Bom bay, Jan. 14 ; Burma'', Dec. 26 ; Sydney, Nov. 20 ; Adele de, Dec. 3. The steamer sent up the Persian Gulf for intelli. gence had not returned to Bombay. Captain Latter, the Deputy Commissioner at Prom, had been assassinated. The Indian steamer Medusa had been lost between Promo and Meaday. A dacoit chief had 5,000 men near Tonghoo, and the garrisons at Moulmein and Manahan were ap prehensive of attack. The Governor-General ar• rived at Rangoon on the 14th of December, but left for Prome. Madras is threatened with famine, the rains and c rops having failed, and there will bei a great loss of revenue in Nellore. The Nizam's dominions are in a bad state, and the country overrun by predatory Rohilla hordes. The north-west frontier is tranquil. Trade in India has improved. Canton and Ningpo remained quiet. Matters had resumed their usual course at Amoy. A large portion of Shanghai had been destroyed by fire by the Im perialists. A portion of the rebel forces had pro ceeded northward of Nankin, and had taken Tien- Sing, about eighty miles from Pekin. The Emperor of Japan wss dead, and the Cuurt would go into mourning for two years, during which no embassies could be received. Despatches of the 30th ult. from Constantinople state that one English and one French steamer has started on a cruise iu the Black Sea. The Turkish admiral was preparing an expedition of troops and ammunition for the army in Asia. The Ilttnshee had arrived with despatches for the English Ambassador. The French steam corvette Prometheus had re turned from Varna, upon which Admiral Hamelin immediately called together a council of his cap tarns, a step which was also taken by Admiral Dundas. The result of this council was, that all the large steamers of both fleets were ordered to convoy the Turkish transports, which were first to carry reinforcements to Varna, and thence to proceed to Batoum. Her Majesty's steam-sloop Fury returned to Constantinople on the 25th with her despatches, having been unable to enter Odessa on account of the ice. On the sth inst. a smart affair took place near Giurgevo between the Turks and Russians. The loss on either side was considerable. It appears that 3,000 Turks crossed the Danube, routed the Russian outposts, and attacked the town, after which they retired. The Turkish corps d'armee on the line of the Danube, from I'regona to Nicopolis, in Lesser Wal lachia, ever au extent of four English miles, amounts to 80,000 men, without reckoning 36,000 men of the reserve, who are at Sophia. The Russian corps reckon 41,000 infantry, 12,000 cavalry, 120 pieces of cannon, 3,000 sappers and miners, and 13,000 men of the reserve. Letters received in Paris from the Danubian prin cipalities give a deplorable picture of the misery which exists among the agricultural population, who are torn by the invaders from their homes in order to transport troops, build barracks, and to perform other forced duties. The distress of this portion of the Wallachian population is so great that they emi grate in masses into the Austrian and Turkish pro vinces, or take up arms to resist the outrages of which they are made the victims. SATURDAY, A corps of 500 Dorobanzes (Waflachians) h as passed nearly entire over to the Turks. All that remain are thirteen privates and two sergeants. On hearing this fact General Fischbach had Major Calinesco arrested, and has decided on sending him to Siberia. Prince Stourza has gone to Constantinople. He has offered 200,000 ducats, and has been made a Paella by the Porte. A journal has been established iu the princi palities fur publishing the official orders of the Russians : its title is the Wallachian Moniteur. Adviees from Odessa, of the 23rd ult., state that the engineers conveyed to Sinope by the combined fleets are drawing up plans for the fortification of that port. A democratic conspiracy has been discovered in Madrid, and fourteen persons have been arrested, jiagrante dciicto, being portion of a revolutionary club. General Joseph Concha has been proclaimed a rebel. lie bus escaped from Barcelona, and is said to have embarked from France. The Lusitania reached Liverpool yesterday with the l3razil and Portugal mails. She left itio Janeiro on the 10th ult., and Lisbon on the 4th inst. There is no political news. A NEW TAANSATLANTIC SHIP COMPANY has been set on foot in Quebec, under the title of "The Canada Ocean Stetuu.ship Company," and the stock has been readily subscribed by the Canadian merchants. his proposed to run two ships between the ports of the St. Lawrence and Liverpool, and one between the same ports and Cilasgow, the ships being of 1,600 to 2,000 tons each. MISS CANTWFILL, whose protracted trial on a charge of stealing a bit of ribbon from a shop lately caused so much excitement in Dublin, has brought an action for false imprisonment against the prosecutors in that action. Damages are laid at 5,0001. The case came on in the Dublin Queen's Bench on Wednes day, and stood adjourned when the court rose. WElearu upon good authority that three battalions of the Guards have been ordered to hold themselves in readiness to leave Southampton for Malta on the 19th instant. It is stated that the military force under orders for the East consists of 15,000 infantry and artillery. For the present no cavalry is to ha despatched to the scene of action. According to the Globe the first detachmentswill comprise (in addition to the Guards) six regiments of infantry from Ire land. FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE. Tuesday, Feb 7. BANKRUPTS.—Tuos.J oNF.6I3unToN,BAKEtt Joint Gm's, and FRED.RosENTHALCauctuLaY,Wiginore-street,Caveuttiali - aquare , church furuishera:—JAKEs CROFTS, Threadneedle-street, City, mine sliarebroker—WlLLlAm GRAND, Lower Tottenham, builder Enwsun Bxmotko, Speenhaulland, Betkahlre, buiLer itimiNurok 'ficickm., Mark-lane, City, and Itoydon, Essex, brewer—JuHN ANous Hoicks, High-street, Southwark, woollen draper—GEOßGE STEWART AMSINCE, Frederick-street, I lampstead road, common brewer—Tttokaa TURNER, Mos- Lyman, Derbyshire, grocer. SCOTCH sEquESTHATIONS.--CHIBLEB CAMPBELL, Camp beincyn, near Fort George, draper—CHARLES HUME EAwckrr, Diniwull, merchant. Friday, Feb. 10. BANKRUPTCY ANNULLED.—JAmEs SPENCER GORELY, Btlealalld, Kent, brickmaker. DANK RUPTS.—Okonoe COODE, Westminster, boarding house keeper.—JOSEPH CARTER, Gloucester, serivener.-111- CtlittD GEORGE Drimoso, Newton Abbot, Devon, stationer. — JOHN Cox, Rotherhithe, builder.—Witalam TOOVEY Asitrikuo, I.embeth, lithographic and copper-plate printer.—ROßEßT Iia)IOND, Ripon, builder.—JOHN ROBERT (1111 SON, Waterloo, Lancashire, innkeeper.—JOSEPlt EmAs, Ardwiek, I.aticashire, joiner and builder.—Taoicts Wonsm.:l7, Macclestield, clog and patters maker. THE TOTAL Loss OF THE SHIP America on the Seven Stones, off Scilly, has been reported at Lloyd'e. She was on her homeward voyage from Callao, fur London, with a cargo of guano. The crew were picked up by a pilot-cutter, and landed at St. Mary's, Scilly. The America was nearly a new ship, and was, with her cargo, fully insured. DIMINO THE SITTING OF THE GOVERNMENT COMMISSION, held at Newcastle•ou-Tyne, to inquire into the causes of cholera in that town, /Or. J. B. Hume, the chief commis- Shiner, made a vacillation that the epidemic has cost the town 3,8001. for medicine and burials alone, and would cast it CM. a week fur eight years to support the widows and destitute—nearly 30,0001. In addition to this sum, he said, some thousands of pounds had been collected and distributed by the vicar. There are also '2OO benefit societies in the town, and, taking the average loss at 5001. each, this made 10,0001. more. THE JANUARY SETTLEMENT AT THE PARIS BOURSE was marked by several cases of speculators not being able to pay all their differences. In some instances part was paid at once, and time given fur the rest ; but in other cases some of the persons who are unable to pay have disappeared altogether. Amongst the persons in thislatter category is N. Victor Lange, a con/is/eq., as the term is. Another person belonging to the couiisae has blown out his brains at Versailles. THE GREAT OXFORD AND CAMBRIDOE EIGHT-OAS BOAT RACE will take place in the Easter vacation at Putney. The Oxford crew is partly selected, and some of them have already commenced active training. I \