The Sun. — London, England, 1862-02-21 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TATTERSALL' S—TllCusaaY. For an off day the room this afternoon was numerously :attended. Among those present were many influential - members who evidently had some other object in view than killing time, which, as the day drew on, became manifest, the transactions upon the principal spring events and the Derby being speculated upon with great spirit. The de monstration appeared to infuse some heart into the backers, who hitherto have been in reserve, and we trust that from this point we may date the commencement of the active business of the turf for the season 1862. The LINCOLNSHIRE HANDICAP claims priority. Subur ban, who appears to have recovered his buoyancy, was stip -ported with much spirit, both in the city in the morning and here. Bto 1 was accepted about Shropsh!re, and simi lar odds were taken by the supporters of Ducat. Ariadne, " the deserted," occaaionally was asked after, but 100 to 8, we imagine, was her highest price. The LIVERPOOL STEEPLECHASE presented no new feature beyond the extreme confidence reposed in the Dane, who appears from recent advices in much greater respect, not withstanding the unwavering support given by the French division to their representatives. Thomastown, the " Irish ]ion," retained his position, and was repeatedly backed at 15 to 1 to money. The NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STA.X.ES.—This important race has but just made its appearance in the market, and but little or nothing has been transacted likely to throw any light on the result. Panique, about whom 20 to 1 was taken in well-informed quarters to upwards of 100, was made a prominent favourite ; and, at the same odds, Schism found support, Wildman, Gouvieux, and West End were the only others we heard mentioned, and were backed at 25 to 1 each. The Two THOUSA.ND GUINEAS-3 to 1 was offered freely about Old Calabar, but did not meet with a reply; but we imagine half a point more would have met with ready acceptors. The Marquis appears to retain his equivocal reputation, as well as situation-8 to 1 being offered, and, subsequently, rather than lose a customer, 100 to 12 was betted; 100 tq 8 each was betted several times about Wingrave and Alvediston; and 50 even that Old Calabar is not one of the first three. The DERBY.—OId Calabar was backed at 8 to 1 to 100, and Lord Stamford's slashing son of Orlando and Vivan diere was also in great demand, 20 to 1 being repeatedly noted down to win some thousands. Wingravo received the support of an old friend, who readily accommodated all comers at 25 to 1. The Typee colt did not to us appear to look quite so blooming, 1,000 to 30 being repeatedly offered, but not as readily taken; but at last, we believe, 28 to 1 was the best price that could be procured about him. Caterer, about whom so many reports have gone forth, met with a friend bold enough to do battle on his behalf and accept 30 to 1 about him, with an offer to go on. Melek came again, and was introduced by a friend of the owner accepting 5,000 to 150 about him, which price we doubt could be obtainable at the close of the room. Hubert advanced some points upon his last quotation,:and bids fair to see a much shorter price. Master Fenton was the only other animal mentioned, and a few ponies were invested at 40 to 1. LINCOLN HANDICAP. 6 to 1 agat Suburban (taken) Bto I agst Shropshire (taken and offered) Bto 1 agat Ducat (taken and offered) 100 to 8 agst Ariadne (taken) LIVERPOOL STEEPLECHASE. 7 to 1 agat The Dane (taken) Bto 1 agst Huntsman (taken freely) 15,t0 1 agst Thoinastown. (taken) NORTHAMPTON STARES* 20 to 1 agst Panique (taken) 20 to 1 agst Schism (taken) 26 to 1 agst West End (taken) 25 to 1 agst Gouvieux (taken) 25 to 1 agst Wildman (taken) TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS. 3to 1 agst Old Calabar (offered) 9to 1 agst The Marquis (offered) 100 to 8 agst Wingrave (taken and offered) 100 to 8 agst Alvediston (taken and offered) THE DERBY. Bto 1 agst Old Calabar (taken and offered) 20 to 1 agst Ensign (taken) 25 to 1 agst Wingrave (taken) 28 to 1 agst Typee colt (taken) 30 to 1 agst Caterer (taken and offered) 33 to 1 agst Hubert (taken) 33 to 1 agst Malek (taken) 40 to 1 agst Master Fenton (taken) DONCASTER SPRING MEETING. THIIRSDAY, MARCH 13. Acceptances for the Doncaster Spring Handicap. St. Leger Course. Age at lb Petra .. 6 8 12 The Monk.. .. 5 8 9 Bevis 6 8 4 Zodiac .. .. 4 8 3 Up F erhand .. 5 8 2 Little Dick .. 5 7 8 Jacob (late Boni face) .. 5 7 8 Br h by Voltigeur, out of Rosebud.. 5 7 8 Conundrum .. 4 7 6 Dorking .. .. 4 7 3 Acceptances for the Great N( Ago st lb Huntsman .. ) a 11 5 IVee Nell .. a 11 2 Jealousy .. .. a 11 0 The Dane .. .. 6 10 9 Johnny .. alO 4 Tumbler .. .. a 10 0 Comet .. a 9 13 Duhallow a 9 13 Red Robin.. .. a 9 13 Northern. Light .. 5 9 12 Tippler a 9 11 Glautias .. a 9 11 Sutherland .. 5 9 11 A et Tolurno ge lb .. 3 7 2 Ducat .. .. 4 7 0 Benjamin .. 3 6 10 Dusk .. .. 3 6 10 Huby .. 3 6 10 Mayflower .. 3 6 9 Arcadia .. 3 6 8 Wild Duck (late Satemella) .. 3 6 6 Bannerdale .. 3 6 3 Watchfire .. 3 6 3 nth of England Steeplechase. Age st lb Nosegay 6 9 7 Black Rose (h.b)., a 9 6 Romeo .. .. a 9 6 Corona .. 5 9 5 Canteen .. .. 6 9 4 Harry .. .. 6 9 4 Birdbolt 6 9 4 Mutineer .. 6 9 3 Chester .. .. a 9 0 Sunflower .. 9 0 Fanny .. a 9 0 Joey Grimaldi .. a 9 0 Nelly .. 6 9 0 IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF COM TIONS-YESTERDAY. GLOUCESTER CITY 'WRIT. Mr. H. BERKELEY moved that a writ issue for the city of Gloucester. Sir G. GREY said it was not the inten i' h of Govern ment to oppose the issue of a writ for Gloucester, nor that which was to be moped that evening for the borough of Wakefield. But he must express his dissent from the opi nions of his hon. friend who had advocated so strenuously the claims of Gloucester ; he must express his dissent from the opinion that that constituency had been unjustly treated by this house, and he thought the house would hardly feel that that was the case, having heard the terms, which he should be sorry to repeat, in which his hon. friend had cha racterised the conduct of at least a third of the constituency. He must say also that he could not agreed with him in that sharp lino of demarcation which his hon. friend drew be tween the 400 corrupt electors, a 3 he termed them, and hose who he asserted were perfectly pure. He believed ;hat where extensive corruption was found to prevail in any borough—and no one could deny it was extensive where it was admitted by the advocate himself that at least a third was so corrupt as represented by his hon. friend—it was not found that what were termed the respectable pi-Hon of the constituency were really determined to use their utmost effort to repress it. They might abstain from offering or receiving bribes, but he believed that where corruption existed to so great an extent it would be f wad not to have been greatly discountenanced by those who had not them selves been directly corrupted. (Hear.) He was anxious also to state that the course the Government took on this oc3asion was not dictated byan opinion that these boroughs had been adequately punished for the gross corruption proved to have prevailed in them at the general election in 859. He must repeat what he had said before on several occasions, that if they were determined to place an effec tive check on bribery, the strict rule which had hitherto prevailed with regard to disfranchisement ought to be relaxed, and that where extensive corruption was round to exist disfranchisement ought to be resorted :o more frequently—(hear, hear) —accompanied by the transfer of the franchise to some place more fitted to eaer• cise it. He agreed with his hon. friend that the elective franchise was highly to be valued, and that it was much to the interest of a thriving city like Gloucester to be represented in Parliament, but he must again assert that whatever might be the rights of a constituency to return members to Parliament, those rights might be forfeited by an abuse of them, (Hear, hear.) There might be cases in which the house would not go entirely to disfranchisement, owing to the number of electors who had not participation in the corruptirn that had prevailed among the other por tions of the constituency. That case was considered by the committee on the Corrupt Practices Amendment Act, who reported to the house as one of their resolutions the follow ing :—" That if after the presentation of a report to Par- liament by a committee of inquiry into corrupt practices at an election for any county, city, or borough, that extensive bribery has prevailed in such place, the House of Com mons should resolve that no writ ought to issue for the election of a member for such place for a period of five years, and in that case no writ should issue for the election of a member for such place for the expiration of five years, provided that such regulation shall not in any way affect the right of Parliament either to disfranchise such place, or to suspend or take awry the right of voting of all or any of the voters thereof." That resolution was intended to apply to those cases in which, though corruption had prevailed, still it was not so extensive as to justify disfranchisement.and in which it was thought desirable, not by the authority of this house merely, but by the united authority of the legislature, that the writ should be suspended for a sufficient time to allow considerable changes to take place in the constituency. A provision founded on that resolution would be inserted in a bill which he hoped shortly to introduce to amend the Cor rupt Practices Prevention Act. He shared in the opinion that had been expressed, that there was a serious objection to the suspension of writs for a protracted period by the mere authority of that house, without reference to any pending or proposed legislative measure. For a time it was right that the writ should be suspended when corrupt practices had existed, in order to afford ample opportu nity for any member of that house to take the sense of Par liament on a measure in reference t 3 the constituency where such practices had prevailed. After the time thai had elapsed since the report in 1859 with regard to these two boroughs, he thought there would be great difficulty either in disfranchising them, or in including them in the provisto • ns of the bill which he hoped would shortly be in troduced. Under these circumstances, the Government -- did not feel it their duty any further to oppose the issue of these writs, but they trusted that, if the house should agree to the motion of his hon. friend, and to the motion of the hon. gentleman opposite, it would be with a desire, in all future cases, not to allow constituencies where such prac- flees had been allowed to escape without severe measures being taken, but that if unhappily any such cases should again come before the house, Parliament would be pre pared to proceed against those constituencies either by an absolute disfranchisement, or by the suspension of the writ to return members to Parliament for a time sufficiently long not only to mark the disapproval of Parliament, but also to allow a considerable change to take pls.o is tho nonatituanoy. Mr. DISK ELI said he did not think Government could consistently take any other course than that which they had taken on this subject, but he thought they must agree that the suspension of a writ by one branch of the legislature was a very arbitrary and unconstitutional pro ceeding which ought not to be had recourse to, except under peculiar circumstances, and with a more precise conception of what the policy of the house was ultimately to lead to than had been the case in these instances. Let him inform the members of the house what had taken place with re gard to the boroughs, and also with regard to Wakefield. He thought it was in 1859 that parliamentary committees of inquiry reported against both these boroughs, and a motion was made for the suspension of the writs. As that motion was made contemplating the issue of a royal com mission to inquire into the circumstances of each case, the object of suspension was obvious. The year 1860 arrived, and the then Secretary of State laid on the table of the house the report of these two royal commissions, and said that it was the intention of Government that no motion should be made for a new writ for either of these boroughs unless a week's notice should be given. Shortly after that another member of the Government gave the house some clearer conception of what was the policy which the Govern ment intended to recommend, and it was that this notice of one week should be given, in order that Government might have an opportunity of recommending that the writ should really be suspended for a period of not less than five nor more than ton years, and the house, with that policy before them, consented to the suspension of the writ. But the whole of the session of 1860, which was of unusual length, \passed, and no steps w, re taken to legislate on the subject of the suspension of these writs. In 1861 a hon. gentleman brcught this question before the house, and a motion was made for the issue of the writ, certainly in one, if not in b)th cases. What was then done ? Why, the Government opposed the issue of the writs, and said the Corrupt Prac t ce3 Bill, which was th en a b out to be introduced would contain a provision by which the evil might be met. But in 1861 the Government decl,ned to introduce a measure for the amendment of the Corru,,t Practices Prevention Act. They said it was open to any member to make any proposi tion which would involve the suspension of the two writs for five or ten years, but nobody did it. The consequence was that this arbitrary and unconstitutional suspension of the writ continued for another year. He did not under stand that the right hon. gentleman had given any intima tion of his intention to introduce a measure to deal with these questions; but he (Mr. Disraeli) did think it was time the house arrived at some distinct rule to guide them in future. There were, he considered, two cases which they might legitimately and constitationally suspend a writ. The one was where a committee of the house had reported ad versely to the borough. They might properly then suspend the writ, in order to enable a Royal Commission to be issued. The other case was where a commission had in its turn reported against the constituency ; and then the writ might also be constitutionally suspended, provided that they were prepared to legislate. If, however, Parliament was not prepared to legislate the suspension of the writ was clearly arbitrary and unconstitutional. N•r were the evils of adopting such a step under such circumstances inconsi derable. He assumed that the suspension of a writ was a remedial measurerather than a retributive one ; and they all knew that a period of great excitement was more likely to foster corrupt practices than a time of greater tranquillity. But what had been the effect of suspending these writs ? The boroughs of Gloucester and Wakefield had ever since been kept in a state of chronic electioneering. The result of the course the house had adopted had thus been to stimu late and encourage that mood of the public mind which was most favourable to the corruption they wished to put down. (Hear.) He really thought, therefore, that the house should come to some clear understanding for the future ; and al though he could not conceive that there would be any op position to the motion for issuing these writs, which.per haps ought to have been issued before—he hoped that if un happily similar instances were ever brought before Parlia ment those who led the house would not advise it as they had done with regard to these particular cases, but would either consent to the issuing of the writs, or be prepared to propose some remedy. (Hear.) Mr. Sergeant PIGOTT observed that when a similar mo tion was proposed last year he had moved to negative it, and he had done so because he thought that if ever there quite agreed Was a case ripe for Parliamentary interference, and when a gentletia constituency ought to be deprived of the precious privilege thean'members, it was that of these boroughs. He with what had just fallen from the right hon. house to deal that it would not be constitutional to nega tive.motion, unless it was the intention of the the Government e fancied the question finally and specifically. i t e il d that a promise had been held out by Last year h which they were abaotutthey would so deal with it in a bill been brought in. ne was introduce, but which h • d not yet would be in the natureaosrt one of those who thought it with these boroughs. It was facto legislation to deal bu, as li true that the offence had quite a teisetatuicrniwngasmacelfmeeav already been committed; rl could iam ednnotuuttbtootx,.pftrheayteni supposett was perfectly within the province 0 7: p those from' again exercising the privilege of r bars who had abused it. It was that by doing so they would be visiting the persons upon the entire community, because it THE GREAT WATERLO'..) COURSING MEETING. THURSDAY. The second day's coursing for this meeting opened with the Waterloo Purse, of which event the first and second ties are completed. The Waterloo Cup is now considerably reduced in the number of its competitors, the fifth ties and deciding course only remaining to finish it. It may be in teresting to state that the fifth ties will be a struggle for Victory between the English and Scotch breeds, both being evenly represented, the former by Belligerent and Bowfell, while Roaring Meg and Kingwater belong to over the border. A p:.culiarity attached to the Waterloo Plate is, that it is cotnpvired of the 16 dogs who were beaten in the second ties for the Cup, amongst the victors in which £lOO is to be divided. The sport was good, the judging satis factory, and the attendance large. The following are the particulars : WATERLOO PURSE. Mr. Hamby nd Jingall beat Major Boothby nd Stan more Mr. Long nd Romping Girl beat Mr. Cunningham's 31 , qt:tower Mr. Peacock nd Bluecap beat Mr. Spaight nd Master Richard Mr. Croft's Whita Lion beat Mr. Harley, jun.'s Hap hazard Mr. Lister's Windermere beat Lord Grey de "Wilton's Blanchette Mr. Barden nd Dervock beat Mr, Blackstock's Buller Mr. Gregsou's Whipcord beat Mr. Haywood nd Wine Biscuit Mr, Lindsay nd Bell beat Mr. Hyslop's Forty-six Mr. Spink nd Sea Pink beat Major Beresford's Rienzi Mr. Dunlop's Picton beat Mr. Davy's Dinah Mr. Knowles nd Corooran beat Mr. Cnrror nd Cazzarina Mr. Jardine's Crerer beat Mr. Graham's Earl Russell Mr, Daintree nd Baron Law beat Mr. Williams nd Look-out Lieutenant-Colonel Bathurst nd Bird of Prey beat Mr Blanshard's Bar row Mr. Callan nd Confederate boat Captain Molyneux nd Bold Effort Lord Uffington's Picton beat Mr. Stocker's Sir George William _ _ Sc ° lsl : l TlES.—Romping Girl beat Jingall, Blnocap beat Whi te Lion, Dervock beat Windermere, Whipcord beat Bell, Sea Pink beat Mr. Dunlop's Piston, Corooran beat Crerer, Bird of Prey beat Baron Law, and Confede rate beat Lord Uffington's Picton. THE WATERLOO CUP. Sir St. G. Gore's R THIRD TIES. eferee beat Mr. Thompson's Trafalgar Mr. Brundrit's Belligerent beat Captain Molyneux nd Skyscraper Mr. Callander nd Roaring Meg boat Mr. Goedon nd Baffler Mr. Cloudesdale nd Ingmar beat Mr. Holmes nd Kil donna Mr. Gibson nd Kingwater; beat Mr. Campbell's Canaradzo. Mr. Le Brewer nd Golden Hue beat Mr. Steele's Sixty one Lord Lurgan's Master Leotard beat Mr. ritzea aux i ce nd Reliance Mr. Brocklebank's Bowfell beat Mr. Batemart's Silkworm Foult.TH TlEL—Belligerent beat Referee, Roaring Meg beat Ingomar, Kingwater beat Golden Hue, and Bowfell beat Master Leotard. WATERLOO PLATE. Mr. Morral l nd Ada beat Lord Binning's Bribery Mr. Randell nd Blue Hat beat Mr. Johnstone nd Bal. moral Mr. Irving nd Faldonside beat Mr. Dixon nd Sir Harry Mr. Catterall nd Slip ran a bye ,r. Blundell's Bude Light being drawn Mr. Bake nd Jetsam beat Mr. Finch nd Klaphonia Lori Sefton's Sap hire beat Mr. Hammond Act Wild Ruck Mr. Tyrer nd Wild ea beat Mr. Brown's Birthright Mr. Russell nd 0 the lo beat Mr. Borron's Bold Enterprise PHARMACEUTICAL SOblti r r OF GREAT MIPTAIN. —Nath " of candidates who passed the ntijor examination as phanhaceutical chemists cal the 19th rristant 7—,Edwin APPlegite; Bradtor&on-Avon ; Geo: r . 'ecTet:iek StrawsOn, Crewkerne ; John Tuck, Trowbridge ; Edwaid NV. ) Walks, AO/. irnt StTN , LONDON, FRIDAY?' !EVE RING, Pt 134,11ARt t 21; 1862. possessions had not power to interfere to intvent it. It wait pez fectly true that in the Queen's proclamation there was contained a general warning at the end addressed to all the Queen's subjects, that they do not either in violation of their duty to the Queen as subjects of a neutral sovereign, or in violation and contravention of the law of nations in that behalf, do various things, one of which was to carry articles contraband of war ;:and the proclamation stated that if they did they would incur the penalties provided by the law of nations, which were the seizure and total confiscation of the vessels and of the cargoes, They were also by the law of nations deprived of the right of looking to the Government of their own country for protection. The hon. and learned gentleman then quoted the opinions of eminent American jurists for the purpose of proving that their view of the power of Government to interfere, and of the law of nations being the only law operative in such cases as those referred to, was identical with that which he had stated. He thought the house would see that the Government at home and in the colonies had taken the only course possible to take consistently with the law of the land or the recognised custom of nations, and more especially the law of nations as recognised in the United States. The O'DONOGH UE withdrew the motion. Mr. LINDSAY asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any British ships had been seized and destroyed in attempting to run the blockade, and if so under what circumstances ? Mr. L NYARD said that if any such had been seized and destroyed it would appear by the papers which he would lay upon. the table of the house. MAYNOOTH COLLEGE. that if all parties had not concurred in the Piabticea com plained of, they could not have been indulged in ; and it was a principle known to the law to make a hundred re sponsible for the damage done in any riot that might take place within its boundaries. He had been in hopes that the Government would at the earliest period this session place a bill upon the table anticipating this motion, and rescuing the house from any difficulty on the subject. It would certainly not be constitutional to go on postponing the writ from time to time in the mere hope that something might hereafter by some possibility be done to afford a remedy; and he should not therefore oppose the present motion. The delay would not, however, be barren, if Parliament should be led by it to determine that in future such cases should be expeditiously and vigorously dealt with ; that not only should the constituency be dealt with, but that per sons reported against for offering as well as for taking bribes should be punished. (Hear.) He was thoroughly convinced, from the experience ha had had at the bar before committees of the house, and also upon the royal commis sion at Wakefield, that if the law were put in force against persons offering bribes, the number of such offences would be greatly diminished, and the thing would be done much more carefully than it was at present. (Loud laughter and cheers.) He should recommend that the list of persons reported against in any case for offering bribes should be at once handed to the Attorney-General, in order that he might see whether there was any chance of sustaining a prosecution against them. With regard to the boroughs, there were of course different degrees of criminality. In some cases they should be visited with disfranchisement, and in others with a suspension of the writ; but, in one way or the other, they ought all to be dealt with when a royal commission had reported against them. (Hear.) Mr. BENTINCK agreed with his right hon. friend and with the hon. and learned gentleman, that it was not expe dient to leave questions of this kind to be dealt with ac cording to the mere caprice of the House of Commons. It appeared to him that the right hon. gentleman (Sir G. Grey) had very nearly approached the true remedy of the evil, when he hinted that the seats should in every case be taken from corrupt constituencies and transferred to others ; but he did not agree with him that the number of electors in any particular case was any reason whya different course should be resorted to. Sir G. GREY said he had referred to cases where there were a large number of electors who were not compromised by the corrupt practices complained of. Mr. BENTINCK reminded the right hon. gentleman that he had himself said there could not be extensive corrup tion without the entire community being implicated in it; and therefore the distinction he had drawn between a large number of voters and a large number of innocent voters was perfectly immaterial. Bat he (Mr. Bentinck) could not help pointing out that Parliament had dealt with small boroughs in a way that it would not venture to adopt towards large ones. (Hear, hear.) The hon. gentleman (Mr. Berkeley) said the conduct of the house towards Gloucester bad been both unjust and unconstitutional. He (Mr. Ben tinck) entirely agreed with that, for ho believed that if the house had acted towards Gloucester in a just and constitu tional manner it would have disfranchised it long ago. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) The house ought to be ex tremely obliged to the hon. gentleman for his extreme can dour ; for he had told them that a large liberal constituency in which he was interested had resorted to every possible illegal act. He stated, it was true, that there were 1,200 electors who were perfectly honest, nay, he said they were perfectly " enamelled." Now, they all knew that enamel was often used to conceal imperfections, and he was afraid that that was the case at Gloucester. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) He stated, also, that forty borough constituencies were quite as bad ; but be (Mr. Ben tinck) believed that if they searched the archives of the house they would find a much larger number than 40 had been convicted of bribery within the last few years. He only hoped the hon. gentleman would hear in mind the facts he had stated the next time he was disposed to advocate amea sure for lowering the suffrage. (Cheers.) Mr. NORRIS hoped that some member of the Govern ment would explain to the house how it was more unconsti tutional this year than it was last year to suspend these writs? If there was no limit to the power of the house in that re spect, he hoped they would exercise it to the utmost in the case of guilty Gloucester. (Hear.) If the corruption com plained of had been confined either to the householders or to the freemen, there might have been some pretext for the present motion; but it had been reported by the commis sioners that bribery had become so settled a practice in Gloucester that in 1852, when the three candidates agreed to try the experiment of an election without it, the voters stigmatised that resolution as a conspiracy to rob them of their rights. The number of persons reported against by name was 28 per cent. of the gross constituency; but if they included all that were guilty he had no doubt they would amount to 36 or 37 per cent., and they comprised persons of every class, from an alderman of the borough down to the lowest class of freemen, He considered that it was quite un worthy of the government to allow the writ to issue. (Cheers.) The motion was then put. Thero were a few cries of "No," but the writ was ordered without a division. WAKEFIELD WRIT. Major EDWARDS, amidst some marks of impatience, moved that the writ also issue for the borough of Wakefield. Afton a. few words from Mr. LIAJorm.r.D. which were reri... dered inaudible by cries of " Agreed, agreed," The motion was agreed to. REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS (IRELAND). Sir R. PEEL moved leave to bring in a bill for the re gistration of births and deaths in Ireland. THE AMERICAN BLOCKADE. The O'DONOGHUE moved an address for return of the number of British vessels, with the names, as far as can be ascertained, of their captains and owners respectively, that have succeeded, within the past six months, in running the blockade of the Southern ports of America. Similar return as to the British vessels that have been captured or de stroyed in the attempt to break the blockade. And return of the number and description of British vessels, if any, that have put into the port of Nassau, New Providence, and other colonial ports, laden with articles contraband of war, and with supplies for the Confederate States, and that have been permitted to refit and supply themselves with stores by the authorities in those places, in contravention of the Queen's proclamation, and of the neutrality which it is the expressed desire of her Majesty's Government to up hold. He hoped her Majesty's Government would not re fuse the returns for which he asked. Unless these returns were produced, it would be impossible to discuss the ques tions which were likely to arise on the unfortunate condi tion of affairs in America, whereas their production would go a long way to enable them to form an equitable opinion on many important points, such as the efficiency or non efficiency of the blockade, the nationality of the different vessels that ran the blockade, and as to whether her Ma jesty's Government had faithfully endeavoured to carry out that policy of neutrality to which they were pledged by the terms of the Queen's proclamation, and by their own declarations on many occasions. An hen. member had given notice of his intention to move a resolution to the effect that the blockade was a mere paper blockade. If that resolution passed, it would be tantamount to a war with America ; but in the consideration of that motion it was indispensable that the fullest information, and from the most reliable sources, should be in possession of the house. No doubt vessels had run the blockade, but the distress existing in Lancashire and Lyons showed that it was not a paper blockade, and that vessels had left the Southern ports arose from the fact that the Federal Govern ment were not able to effect a physical impossibility, namely, the hermetical sealing of the ports along 3,000 miles of coast. The returns he asked for referred to British vessels, and for this reason, that from general rumour and state ments in the newspapers it would appear that British ves sels only had attempted to run the blockade. It was noto rious that many persons in this country were anxious that the South should be recognised, and that Br;tish vessels had left this country and the port of Nassau with munitions of war for the Confederates in defiance of law and of her Majesty's proclamation. Tho attention of her Majesty's Government had been called to these facts, and they had not interfered to prevent their recurrence. Ho trusted that no objection would be made to laying on the table of the house the return for which he moved. Mr. LAYARD said he regretted being unable to give the returns required by the hon. member. He did not think it would be convenient to the h- use that he should then enter into a discussion of the question as to the blockade. Notice had already been given that the subject would be brought before the house in a few days, and probably to-morrow, but certainly on Monday or Tuesday, papers relating to the blockade would be laid on the table. He declined to give the returns moved for for two reasons—first, because the Government had not got the information ; and next, they would not feel justified in giving it if they had, He (Mr. Layard) was quite certain that the hon. member was one of the last persons who would wish that the Government should furnish a list of wrong-doers and violators of the law of nations. The papers that would be laid on the table of the house would no doubt be deemed sufficient by the hon. gentleman. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said that the hon mem ber had totally misconceived the matter of law to which he had referred. His motion implied, and he had stated in his speech, that owners of British merchant vessels which had run the blockade with articles contraband of war had been guilty of illegal acts, and had acted in violation of her Ma jesty's proclamation, yet that the Government had not in terfered. He had also suggested that the authorities at the port of Nassau were seriously to blame for having permitted ships to take on board articles contraband of war, which,he seemed to think, her Majesty's proclamation had made illegal, and which, therefore, they could not be permitted to carry without a violation of neutrality. In all these re spects the hon. gentleman had totally misconceived the power of the Government and of the law. Except so far as her Majesty's Government had power by law to control the acts of British subjects they could not interfere. The only law which would warrant an interference in any such case was the Foreign Enlistment Act, the whole scope of which was shortly expressed in its title : An Act to prevent the enlistment and engagement of her Majesty's subjects to serve in any foreign sera ice, and the fitting out in her Maje s ty' s d om inions vessels f or war and equipping like purposes without permission of the Government." That act did not apply to vessels carrying articles contraband of war from this country balmy port, 'whether under blockade or not, and the Government of this country or of the colonial Mr. WHALLEY moved for a return of the number of persons who had completed their education at the Royal College of Maynooth (Ireland), from the year 1845 to the year 1861 inclusive ; specifying their names, and, so far as was known to the authorities of the college, their desti nation on leaving the college, the position now occupied by them in the Roman catholic church, and the place of their ministry; also stating whether any, and, if any, which of the three Roman Catholic archbishops and the twenty-four bishops were educated at Maynooth College, or are now officially connected therewith as visitors, trustees, or otherwise. The return was ordered. PROCEDURE IN COUNTY COURTS AMEND MENT ACT. Mr. BI'M AMON obtained leave to bring in a bill to amend the procedure in the county courts. me bill was brought In ana read a first time. The house adjourned at half-past 8 o'clock. PAIRS ON THE MARRIAGE AFFINITY BILL Ayes. Noes. Mr. T. Mills Mr. Nicol Mr. Hussey Vivian Mr. It. Ormsby Gore Mr. W. Lee Mr. Bernard Mr. St. Aubyn Sir Charles Mordaunt Hon. C. Fitzwilliam Sir A. Hood Mr. Hodgkinson Mr. Muro Sir J. Johnstone Sir James Fergusson Mr. Lsatham Mr. Greenwood Mr. Glyn, jun. Colonel Bathurst Mr. Beale Colonel Pack° Lord Enfield Mr. Ducane Hon. W. Monson Mr. Dawson Mr, Bristow Mr. Torrens Mr. Dillwyn Sir E. Kerrison Colonel Smyth Mr. Dawson Darner Mr. Roupell Mr. A. Baring Mr. R. W. Crawford Mr. Richardson Baron L. de Rothschild Hon. J. Cole Captain Jervis Mr. Cobbold Mr. R. Davey Mr. Kekewich Baron M. de Rothschild Hon. It. C. Hill Mr. Tite Lord H. Thynne Mr. Coningham Lord Stanhope Sir J. Ramsden Colonel Bernard Mr. Horsman Lord Ingestre COM Y OF MIDDLESEX. The ordinary meeting of the magistrates of Mid dlesex for the transaction of the business of the county was held yesterday at Clerkenwell. Mr. Pownall presided, and there 'ins a very full attend ance of justices, there being over 50 present. The reports of the visiting justices of the prisons were presented, and considered. In Coldbath-fields House of Correction there were 1,655 prisoners:— Felons, 918 ; misdemeanants, 543 ; vagrants, 185; military offenders, 9; there were 120 boys under 17 years of age. There were 9 prisoners in the infir mary, and 101 under medical treatment. One death had occurred from typhoid fever. Although the conduct of the prisoners generally had been good, the committee reported that since the last court day they had been under the necessity of ordering corporal punishment on three prisoners for distinct cases of violent assault, viz., on two of the warders and on the instructor in the mat room, and they sentenced them to receive respectively one dozen, two dozen, and four dozen lashes with the cat-o'- nine-tails. In the HouEe of Correction at Westmin ster there were 533 prisoners, all females. The committee reported that they had found it necessary to suspend from further duty the chief wardress, Frances Pigram, who had been 17 years in the ser vice of the county. For some time past the justices had suspected her of intercourse with prisoners and their friends out of the prison, and finding that ar ticles were privately introduced into the prison, but by whom the keeper could not detect, they directed that vigilant attention should be paid to the conduct of the officers when off duty. They soon had reason to believe that the chief wardress Pigram, was in the habit of frequenting a most notorious house, well known to the police as being frequented by thieves and other bad characters, which, after much equi vccation, the officer reluctantly admitted. The jus• tices therefore recommend that she be dismissed. Agreed to. The salary of the keeper was recom nieuded to be increased .C 250 to £3OO a year. COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL• Yesterday, at 12 o'clock, a ( Court of Common Council was held at Guildhall for the desploil of business, the Lord Mayor in the chair. Mr. Wel lington Vallence, chairman of the Bridge-house Estates Committee, presented a report from that body, to whom it had been referred to watch the progress in Parliament of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway till and the Thames Embank ment Bills. They stated that it did not appear that the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company proposed to take any property forming part of the Bridge-house Estates, but they contem plated an interference with the stairs on the SGUth - east side of Blackfriars-bridge and the road and footways in front of Albion-place, which the com mittee were of opinion should be opposed. It was also proposed to repeal a section of the company's existing Act, which fixes the headway under the soffits of the railway bridge at 37 feet, and pro vides that the headway shall be of such height as may be prescribed by the Thames Conservators not being more than 27 feet, nor less than 20 feet. The company likewise sought powers to lay down four sets of rails on the level of Holland-street, Blackfriars, which appeared to the committee highly objectionable. Turning to the Thames Em bankment Bill (north side), the committee find that its main line will project into the river 130 feet from the north-west pier of Blackfriars-bridge, and if carried into effect will interfere with the erection of stairs on both sides of a new bridge at Black friars, and that no provision was made for extend ing the embankment eastward of Blackfriars-bridge. The line also of the proposed new street from the Mansion-house differs materially from the plan recommended by the Thames Embankment Com missioners. Again, it was proposed by the Bill to appoint a commission to carry out the works autho rised by it, to be called the Thames Embankment Board, to be composed of the chairman and four other members of the Metropolitan Board of Works, and two members of the corporation of London—a constitution to which the committee strongly ob ject. With respect to the Thames Embankment (South Side) Bill, it is intended to embank the Surrey side of the river between Southwark bridge and Lambeth steamboat pier, the embankment pro jecting 180 feet into the river from the abutment of Blackfriars-bridge, and stopping up two of the present arches. The committee also state that the embankment at that spot will be six feet above Trinity high-water mark, and that unless some satisfactory arrangement can be made with regard to the Southern side of Blackfriars bridge they consider the Bill should be opposed. On the recommendation of the committee the Court adopted certain petitions to Parliament against the objec ionable portions of the Bills in question. In the House of Detention there were 248 pri soners. The resignations of three officers were ac cepted, two females and one male. The two former were recommended for superannuation allowances on the usual scale, according to their length of ser vice. The committee had directed the governor not to allow for the future solicitors or their clerks to visit prisoners on Sundays, as they had found that such a practice, which had been allowed at this pri son, was not allowed at Newgate, or the county gaols of Surrey, Kent, and Essex. The report stated —" A complaint having been made at the sessions before the Assistant-Judge thaCa clerk to one of the judges had been refused admission to this pri son, the visiting justices deem it right to lay before the Court the circumstances which gave rise to the statement referred to. On Saturday, the Ist inst., a solicitor's clerk, accompanied by a gentleman, ap plied to see two prisoners. They were passed into the prison by the gate-warder, and upon being asked by the warder inside, whose duty it was to receive them, for their authority, the gentleman declared he had no authority, but the solicitor's clerk pro duced his, and said the gentleman had come with him. The warder then said that before he could admit the latter without an authority he must ask the instructions of the governor, who was at that time in the male prison. On the warder's return to the waiting-room to say that the governor was coming thither, the gentleman informed him that he was a judge's clerk, whose authority he had re ceived to administer an oath to the prisoner. Be fore the warder could again return from communi cating this information to the governor, the gentle man had left the prison. The warder assured the visiting justices that the period occupied for this inquiry was considerably under five minutes. The visiting j astices are quite satisfied with the conduct of the warder on this occasion, who did his duty by referring to the governor for instructions, when a circumstance hitherto novel, such as the official visit of a judge's clerk to the prison, came before him. The governor having requested instructions for his future guidance, the justices have directed him to admit persons authorised to administer oaths to, or receive declarations from prisoners, who shall satisfy him of their authority to do so." The report of the Committee for Accounts and General Purposes recommended the payment to Wakley, the coroner, of £450 65., for disburse ments on 190 inquests, held from the Ist of January to the 13th instant; to Mr. Humphreys, £361 125., for 195 inquests, held in the same period; and to Mr. Bedford, £6B 18s. 6d., for 33 inquests, the like. On the consideration of the report of a committee laid before the Court on the last county day, as to the propriety of petitioning her Majesty in Council, under the statute '7th and Bth Vic., c. 92, relating to coroners, to divide the Western division of this county into two districts, whenever a vacancy shall occur, it was resolved, on the motion of Mr. KEM MEAD, that such petition be presented. Letters from clerks of the peace of Birmingham and other places, respecting the inadequacy of the scale of allowances to prosecutors and witnesses, were laid before the Court, and replies ordered, Mr. P. NORTHALL LAURIE moved that it be re ferred to the Committee of Justices of the House of Correction to consider and report upon the expe diency of obtaining a Bible woman for that prison. It was agreed to after a short discussion. The Court granted the sum of £3O a year for the use of the vestry-hall at Kensington, for the holding of the petty sessions of that division. It was com plained by several magistrates that the county ought not to have to pay for the use of local vestry halls, where they had to attend to parish, and not to county business, and that applications for the hire of such places out of the county purse were shabby, coming from large, populous, and rich divi sions which had the gratuitous services of the jus-' flees. It was urged, on the other hand, that a suitable place for divisional business should be pro vided for the justices, instead of their being com pelled to hold their meetings at public-houses. Agreed to. The report from the asylums at Hanwell and Colney Hatch, presented to the Court on the last I county day, were brought up for consideration. Some discussion took place upon them, in which Major Lyon made some very strong remarks upon some entries made by the Commissioners in Lunacy in the visiting book of the asylum. Having gone into the details of a very voluminous report, which showed that the establishment contained 514 men and 886 women, the gallant major said the magi strates themselves were by law alone responsible for the condition, management of the asylum, and the care of the patients, and the commissioners had acted in a domineering manner in a matter is which they were as but schoolboys. He protested against the interference with the proper functions of the Com mittee of Visitors of the Asylum upon matters they did not understand, as was exemplified in the case of the county of Kent, in the matter of ventilation to begin with, and he trusted the Court would pass a resolution approving the course the committee had pursued, and expressing confidence in their management of one of the most important of the county establishments, which - by law was en trusted to their sole care. The case of the patient Geoghan, who was assaulted and subsequently died, was referred to. Sir A. Y. SPEARMAN, chairman of the committee, made a few remarks, in which he said there was nothing to justify any charge of laxity against the medical staff, although the appointment of an addi tional medical officer war recommended to be made. In one case, however, he admitted that there had not been a sufficiently careful examination of the patient on his admission, or it would have been found that his ribs were then fractured ; but the re marks in the report were not intended as a condem nation of the medical officers. The resolution was adopted. The report from Colney Hatch was then proceeded with, and a long discussion ensued upon incurable patients being sent to the asylum instead of recent cases. It was strongly urged that it should be im pressed upon parochial authorities that the asylums were erected for the care and cure of the pauper lunatics, and not receive patients to die and be buried at the asylum. The report was adopted. Mr. ANTROBUS moved for a grant of £350 for the purpose of increasing the domestic accommodation of the chaplain of the industrial school at Feltham, s ! and. including minor alterations in the kitchen arrange- He also received bakes'ar cheque_ meats. orders, which he o have entered and ac counted for. The motion was ultimately adjourned until the • Mr. Vincent Robert Burgess, socretary to the nest report of the committee was presented. South London District of the Manchester Unity of The routine lousiness having been disposed of, the oe, a che Odd Fellows, said that on the d th of October, ue for 1860, Court adjourned. he forwarded to prisoner, at the q. l g £7, payable to him as the funeral money of a mem ber's wife, and, on the 23d, witness received an acknowledgment from him. On the ISt h June he for warded another cheque for £lO for asimi.lar thing, and he received the acknowledgment on the 24th of the same month. Thomas Henry Barnes said he was a member of the Bud of lope Lodge, any in March, 1861, he was at the financial meeti,ig the the South London district when £lO was granted ter the funeral of a member, and the sum of £2 13s. id., the balance, was handed to him. Witness paid it te• the prisoner the same evening, and•he gave the r;ceilot produced. Ichs James Pellatt, the pipprietor of the Dlack Bull public-house, 9 8 , Thames - str eet, said he a7as ttreea - surer to the South London District of the Inv' ter Unity of Odd Fellows. He issued the' two cheques produced for Ile and £7, and they la ere returned cancelled by the Bank of England. Thomas Villiers, secretary of the Providential aM Humane Lodge, Portsea, said that on the 19th off June last he sent to the prisoner two post-office orders for £1 13s. 11d. and £4 10s. as contributions of a member of the Bud of Hope Lodge named Thomas Willard. William Dubbens, secretary to the Brunswick Lodge at Brighton, said that on the 23d of Septem ber last he forwarded to the prisoner a post-office order for 14 Bs. 10d., the contribution of Mr. Wigmore. Mr. Samuel Lovell, secretary to the Social Design Lodge, Woolwich, said that on the 19th of November he sent two Post-office orders to the pri soner for £5 and £2 4s. Bd. John Brown, a clerk in the General Post-Office, produced the Post-office orders spoken of, with the prisoner's signature to them. The present secretary to the Bud of Hope Lodge produced the books kept by the prisoner, and ti:ere was no entry of either of the sums mentioned, neither had the prisoner accounted for the money. In January last the prisoner resigned, and after that a committee was held, at which the prisoner was present, and he was told then that his defalcations were upwards of £250. A list was made out, and he said he supposed it was right. Witness knew that the prisoner had received £3 14s. 3d, and £3los. 6d. to pay the surgeon, which he hail not done. Mr. Francis Smith, physician and surgeon, 184, Blaekfriars-road, said that the lodge was indebted to him in the sums mentioned by last witness. The prisoner had not paid him. Police-constable, 92 L, said he took the prisoner into custody, when he said it was a bad job. Mr. Burcham fully committed him for trial, when Mr. Edwin asked his worship to accept bail. Mr. Burcham declined to do so, and the prisoner was committed to Newgate. lost-office HAMMERSMITH.—ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY A FRENCH WomAN.—Madelene Mohise, aged V, who was described as a native of Paris, with no fixed. residence and in no occupation, was brought before Mr. Dayman on remand, charged with at tempting to drown herself in the Grand Junction Canal. It appeared that on the evening of Friday, the 7th inst, the prisoner threw herself into the water from the towing path at Kensal-green, but ,qie was foitunately rescued in time and taken to Paddington workhouse, in the Harrow-road. She was unable to speak a word in English, and after she had been remanded it transpired that she came from France with the intention of obtaining a situation, but los ing her passport and certificate of character, she was unable to succeed, and she was reducedto starvation, and she thought to end her misery by drowning. The chaplain of the House of Detention kindly interested himself in her behalf, and communicated with M.. Fleury, the Consul-General for France, and he wrote to Paris for a confirmation of the prisoner's state ment. She was remanded a second time for an a nswer from Paris, and yesterday Mr. Dayman re ceived another letter from the chaplain, enclosing" one from M. Fleury, and also a certificate of charac ter for the prisoner. M. Fleury's letter was to the effect that the answer he had received from the gen tleman at whose house she was living on the 26th of January, was, that he had nothing to say against her, and that he hoped it would be a lesson to her. He enclosed a certificate of character, in case she was willing to look for a situation in London, M. Fleury, in his letter, solicited the chaplain to speak in her behalf, and, in the event of her being dis charged, h€r travelling expenses to Paris were to be paid, if she wished to return ; or, if she wished to , obtain employment in London, she would receive pecuniary assistance. Mr. Dayman waited until four o'clock, before be dealt with the prisoner, in expectation that some person from the Consulate Office would attend to. take charge of her. However, no person came ; and, as it appeared that the offices of the Consulate closed at four o'clock, Sergeant Warren, of the D Division, was directed to take her to the Paddington Workhouse for the night, and to take her to the Consul's office in the morning. The prisoner, who appeared very poorly attired, then left the court in the company of the officer. COUNTRY MARK L 2 S. - P- MANCHESTER—FEB. 20. Dry samples of English wheat held for late rates, but few sales occurred, and damp sorts were quite neglected. American wheat was taken slowly at ld to 2d per 100 lb less money. Flour in buyers' favour. Oats and oatmeal were difficult to quit. Beans and Indian showed little change. THE CHI 'ESE REBEL. The following is an extract from a private letter, dated Tang-chow, November 8, 1861 : " You may, perhaps, have seen by the papers that a large body of rebels, which has long been ravaging the Shantung province, lately made a descent upon this district. For about a week before they showed themselves at Yentai we could plainly see the flames and smoke from the burning villages, which always mark the tract of these wretches but almost .up to the moment of their arrival in our immediate neighbourhood foreigners have enter tained little apprehension of their attempting to attack or plunder this town. One evening, how ever, just as I was finishing dinner, an old Chinese came running in to tell me that the rebels were rapidly approaching, and were already within five or six miles of our settlement. lat once hurried off to the Consulate, where I found Mr. Morrison just preparing to set out for the purpose of bring ing in a missionary and two ladies, who were liv ing in a village which lies between us and the place where the rebels then were, at a distance of about three miles from Yentai. Before starting Mr. Mor rison requested me to take a boat and go as quickly as I could to her Majesty's gunboat Insolent, which was then anchored near an island about five miles out at sea, in order that I might induce the com mander to bring her over as soon as possible, and render what assistance he could to the town. After a long pull in the dark I at length reached the gunboat, at about 12 p.m., roused up the lieutenant in command, told him what I had to say, took a glass of whisky and water, and turned in. Next morning, at an early hour, we steamed over to the mainland and took up our position so as to command the road by which the rebels must pass before they could enter the town. Soon after we dropped anchor the Consul came off and told us he bad reached the village where the missionary and ladies were some time before the arrival of the rebels, but that it had taken him so long to convince them that they were in any danger that he had only just got them off in time to save their lives. So near a thing was it that the mis sionary, who remained behind a short time after the others had left, in order to bring off some of his goods, was attacked by two of the ruffians, and did not get away until he had shot the mule on which one of them rode and wounded the other. As it appeared probable that Chinamen might come off to communicate with our vessel it was determined that I should remain on board as interpreter until the next diy, On the following morning, before I had finished dressing, I heard some one cry out that the rebels were in sight, and on going on deck I discovered a great number of foot and horse men, bearing flogs and banners, ranged along the hills which overlook the town to the west. In a short .time about 50 horsemen, gaily dressed in red and yellow, came galloping down into the villages which lie between Yentai and the high ground. When ever we could catch sight of these gentlemenwe fired shot or shell at them, but as they moved about quickly, and in small parties, we did little or no execution. At length, however, we succeeded in send ing them all scampering off to their companions, and soon afterwards the whole body marched away to the south and disappeared. Unfortunately, the Insolent being out of repair, had none but very small guns on board, otherwise we should have been able to give a good account of some hundreds of the enemy. On my return to my house, after leaving the gunboat, I found that my boy had endeavoured to strike terror into the hearts of the invaders by hoisting cn the top of a tall bamboo in the middle of my yard a large piece of calico, on which he had copied the direction off one of my trunks. He was, of course, quite ignorant of the meaning of what he had written, but he seemed to think that the flag woull be very efficacious in preserving my house in case of an attack. During the panic I had at ono time as many as 40 refugees in my house, and as the rebels approached thousands of men, women, and children from the surrounding country came pouring into Yentai for protection, and not without cause, for these Northern rebels are perfect fiends, who make a hell upon earth wherever they go. When they come to a place which offers no resis tance they kill all the old people, ugly young women, and little children, and, after collecting their plun der, carry away all the others ; but when they come to a place which does not readily submit they put every living creature to death. They tie ropes round the necks of some of their victims and drag them about till they are dead, and suspend others by their thumbs and roast them alive, or hack them to pieces. Sights horrible beyond description might be seen a short time ago by any one who would take the trouble to go a mile or two from this place. It i s asserted th a t t h e re b e l s d ec l are it i s th e i r h o ld people, for it w ou ld b e nee dl ess cruelty, they a rgue, etofeaelllionwgs which induce them to kill the them to live and grieve over the lost property which it has been their painful duty to destroy or carry off. They are now a good way off, and I do not think it likely we shall see any more of them until next spring, when it is not im probableplunder. wo American missionaries who were in fatuate d enough t eym ay again sweep the country for to go out from Yentai to meet them and argue with them on the wickedness of their conduct, were caught by them and murdered at a pl ac e about 30 miles-from this. Both these gentle men leave widows behinds them. Their were recovered and br oug ht h ome . bodies POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—Feb. 20. CLERKENWELL.—IMPORTANT JUDGMENT.- THE METROPOLITAN BUILDING ACT.-REWARD TO KEEPER OF FIRE-ENGINE.-Mr. Alexander Wright, churchwarden of the parish of Clerken well, was summoned by Charles Bolton, the keeper of the Islington fire-engine, and formerly of the fire brigade, and George Cole, of the Farringdon-street fire-station, for not giving them good and sufficient rewards for bringing two large engines in proper working order to help to extinguish a fire which happened in the dwelling-house of Thomas Ditch field, at 62, White Lion-street, Clerkenwell. Mr. John Wakeling, solicitor, appeared for the complainants ; and Mr. Belton, the vestry clerk, attended for the defendant. The facts of the ease are simply these :—lt ap pears that on the 20th of December last a fire hap pened at Mr. Ditchfield's, watch , and clock-maker, of 62, White Lion-street, Pentonville. The com plainant Bolton was the first there with his engine, and at work ten minutes or a quarter of an hour before any other engine arrived. When Cole arrived with the Farringdon-street engine, that also played on the fire. The complainant Bolton played on the fire for about two hours, and had to pay the men who worked his engine, with other expenses, and when he went before the board the defendant only allowed him 20s. instead of the full reward allowed by the Act of Parliament, viz,, 30s. Mr. Belton cited the case of " ex-parte Loader," reported in the Justice of the Peace, vol. 13, page 88, and contended that the judgment of Mr. Justice Coleridge settled the case, for the churchwarden had awarded a sum, which was all that was in tended by the act of Parliament. Mr. Wakeling said he was pleased that the case of Loader had been cited, for there Mr. Justice Wightman held that " how much shall be paid, the magistrate must in either case fix." Mr. D'Eyncourt having taken time to consider the case, delivered his judgment as follows : — The case of thel " Queen v. Combe," 13th Queen's Bench, p. 179, appears to me to decide this case. The de cision in that case was, that the magistrate could fix the amound of reward to be paid to the firemen under the provisions of the act (14th Geo. 111., c. 78), although the churchwardens had refused to originate the proceeding, by proposing, as usual, a certain amount. In the present case they have suggested a certain amount, and a question is raised, whether having done so the magistrate can increase that amount P It has never been disputed that he can lessen the amount awarded by the churchwar dens, nor, after the decision in the " Queen v. Combe," can I see any objection to his increasing it. His discretion seems to me to be absolute to award any sum as a reward, not exceeding the amount prescribed by the act. In the present in stance, therefore, I shall increase the amount and award to the complainant to 30s. Mr. Wakeling applied for the costs. Mr. D'Eyncourt allowed 255. for costs. LAMBETH.—ILLICIT D I STILLATION.—Francis Kelly, alias M'Kenzie, was brought up from Wandsworth House of Correction on a habeas, and placed at the bar before the Hon. G. C. Norton, on an information by the Commissioners of the Inland Revenue, charging him with being the occupier of certain premises on which a wholesale manufacture of illicit spirits was carried on. Mr. Marshall, from the office of the solicitors of Inland Revenue, attended to support the informa tion, and from his statement and the testim on y o f the witnesses he called, it appeared that ou the 14 th of December last Mr, John Vanst one , a super visor of excise, and Mr. Leigh, an officer of Inland Revenue, proceeded to Albert Cottage, Charles street, Camberwell, and in an adjoining stable found a 40-gallon still, fully charged with molasses wash, and heated with gas, at full work. They also found 98 gallons of strong spirits, a quantity of molasses wash in a state of fermentation, and all necessary implements for carrying on an extensive distilla tion. The prisoner and a female, whom he repre sented to be his wife, were present; and on seeing the officers the former attempted to make his escaps, but was apprehended. The prisoners at that time were brought before the magistrate at this court, and convicted in a penalty of £3O, or three months each, and the money not being paid, both were committed to Wandsworth gaol for three months. The prisoner was now brought up on the further charge of being the owner and occupier of the pre mises where the distillery was carried on, for a fur ther conviction ; and also for the forfeiture of the still, spirits, wash, and all the utensils found in the distillery. The prisoner offered nothing in defence. Mr. Norton adjudged him to pay a further penalty of £5O, and the forfei ture of the still, spirits, &c. The magistrate remarked that the case seemed a novel one, as it was the first that had been brought before him where gas had been used as the agent to heat the still. The officers replied that it was, and that the gas company had been robbed of all the gas used for the purpose. SOUTHWARK.—EXTENSIVE ROBBERY BY THE SECRETARY TO A FRIENDLY SOCIETY. --fi enr , Robert Howard, a respectable - poking man, w as d brought before Mr. Burcham for final examination, charged with embezzling and stealing various sums of money, amounting to near £3OO, belonging to the Southwark Bud of Hope Lodge of the Manches ter Unity of Odd Fellows, held at the Angel Tavern, Webber-street, Blackfriars road, Mr. Lewis, jun., appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Edwin for the prisoner. l‘ o l d r i io s o o pen r g the case, s a id b e under o ' i s n defalcations were near £4OO or £5OO, but he merely prop ose d t o comp l ete t h ree cas es of embezzlement, a n d t h ree o f l arceny, out o f s t hat Lewis,t e prisoners a vast number of others, and ask his worship to com mit the prisoner for trial. He called— Mr. William Gillard, one of the trustees of the lodge. The prisoner was elected Secretary in 1844, at a quarterly salary. His duty was to receive all moneys of the lodge, enter them in a book kept for that purpose, and pay the same to the treasurer, BIRMINGHAM-FEB. 20. At to-day's market there was a fair supply of wheat, which sold slowly at a decline of 6d to is per qr. Barley, beans, and peas all offering is per qr lower, but oats main taining late prices. SLEAFORD—FEn. 17. We had a fair attendance of merchants and farmers at our exchange to-day; wheat experienced a dull trade, and late quotations were if anything rather lower. Wheat, 58s to 6'3s, barley, 33s to 365; oats, 20s to 255; beans, 40$ to 44s per quarter. LYNN-FEB. IS. 'Wheat of the best descriptions and in fair condition sold at former terms ; Secondary qualities neglected. Malting barley firm ; distilling rather cheaper. Old white 59s to 62s Barley., .... 32s to 38 0 8, - d„ s9s to 6ls I Oats.. .22s to 26s Beans 40s to 44s I Peas 44s to 48s EDINBURGH GRAIN-FEB 12. Wheat on the top Is Od up Barley on the top Cs Gd u p Oats on the top Os 9d upaverage Beans on the top Os Gd down. a a a v v v e e e r r r a a a g g g eee Oa 0 0 0 a s 4 6 78 d ddl u d dd Poo° down. Total Supply and Sales. Wheat —1133 qrs Sold 738 qrs 8ar1ey........1093 qrs Sold 1043 qrs Oats 2580 qrs Sold 1437 qrs Beans 440 qrs Sold 336 qrs Averages per Imperial quarter. Wheat £2 15 0 8-12ths New wheat 0 0 0 0-12ths Barley 1 10 2 5-12ths Oats 1 5 4 0-12ths Beans CORK-FEB. 19. The following were the quotations this morning d wheat, 23s Od to 28s Od ; white, 24s Od to 29s Od; barley 110 3d to 18s Od ; oats, 6s Od to 14s 3d. DERBY SMITHFIELD-FEB. 18. There was a good supply of fat beasts to-day, and the quality was also good. A clearance effected. The supplY of sheep was tolerable, and prices high. Fat calves were scarce, and sold well. The show of fat pigs was not large, but equal to the demand. Beet ............ 6d to 6id Veal lid to 81 Mutton ... 71d to Sid Pork .. Gd to6id Lamb Od to Od Rough fat, 4s 3d per stone. Hides, 3d to 41c1; calf skins, 5d to Gd. BIR,TIIS. HALL.—On the 19th inst., at 12, Oakley Villas, Ad e l a ide- So D u a T v T i E d u s . road, Mrs. H a ll , of a daughter. —ouOttnert,hoef a 19t d h au in g s h t t . e , r. a t 145, Regent-street, Mrs. WESTALL—On the 19th inst., at 3, Great Coram•stre . et Russell-square, the wife of Harry Westall, Esq., of daughter. MARRIAGES. BONE—PaILLirs.—On the 19th inst., at St. Andrew's , Plymouth, Robert Bone, Esq., Paymaster R.N., to Bessie, eldest danghter of Thomas Phillips, Esq., solici tor, Plymouth. KEATS—TnoRoLD.--On the 19th inst., at Hougho l Church, William Rochfort Keats, Esq., only son of Vic e Admiral Keats, of Porthill, Devon, to Lucy Elizabeth , youngest daughter of the Rev. Henry B. Thorold, rector of Hougham-cum-Marston, Lincolnshire. DEATHS. AYLESEURY.—On the 18th inst., at Exmouth, John U . Walker Aylesbury, Esq., aged 64. ANDREWS.—On the 19th inst., at The Close, Salisbury' Wm. Andrews, Esq., F.R.C.S., aged 78. CLARKE.—On the IStb inst., at Epperstone, Notts., WO' Clarke, R.M., aged 78. CoLEs.—On the 19th inst., at Croydon, Elizabeth, wife of the Rev. George Coles, aged 56. DKVIES.—On the 19th inst, Mr. John Davies, of Laur el ' grove, Broughton, Manchester, aged 51. RicHAnDsoN.—On the 19th inst., at 72, Wapping, 411165 Richardson, aged 82. REDWOOD.—On the 18th inst., at 65, Sloane•strect, Mr' H. It. Redwood, aged 48. of LownoN : _Printed and Published by MU RIM YOUNG 11?, Strand, Printer, at THE bUN Ofnee, No. 112.Stran"' in the rr,cinct of the Savoy in the County of Mid dle6ex Friday, February 21, 1862. Liver Wile( ton. Gra 4 10% The and t le arles C arpe] Put t aro Drai n gum Th e Ti le t l) ries t do t , "ek , ( lierti ` e rY of rare "onn. ,IdT c rper . 7 ista nc 111 1), J licr a atce, a ire war G rand d Aarl o C oln P anto', Clow, Grote' I t he th at t tall al thai )ate ;Lrr i tieB ta th at L i Dog Wool o'clo c k had at .....____ A hi E The t atinn• adoPil } 1 b --____ VI O n "Itets Alan lure ( Th e 1, s Vei An] tin e ZIA Pun they /ley be f trar. A -Ves diat A E Vitt Th e TAE a n d MI Loi T.