The Sun. — London, England, 1860-01-27 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS—(YESTERDAY.) The LORD CliA-NCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at five o'clock. CAPTURED TREASURE IN INDIA. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH gave notice that he would, to-morrow, ask a question whether any arrange ments had been made for distributing the property cap tured daring thTHE e war in india. ARMY IN INDIA. The LORD CHANCELLOR informed the house that he had received letters from the Governor-General of India, and the whole of the officers expressed their thanks for the distinguished honour that had been conferred upon them by their lordships. GLEBE HOUSES. The Earl of DUNGANNON gave notice that he would, on Monday, ask whether any measure was in preparation with respect to glebe houses. SLAVERY. Lord BROUGHAM moved for certain returns connected with slavery, and also for returns relative to the importa tion of cotton. RUMOURED ANNEXATION OF SAVOY. Lord NORMANBY gave notice that he would, on an early day, ask of her Majesty's Government whet her the y ha d a ny knowledge of papers, said to exist at Paris, relative to the rumoured negotiations between Sardinia and France, for the annexation of Savoy to the latter kingdom. He did not intend to raise any discussion on the subject, but simply to put the question for the purpose of receiving information. The noble lord then made some explanation relative to what he said during the debate on Tuesday night. Lord BROUGHAM said the best thing that could hap pen to Italy was that all the minor states should unite themselves under Sardinia, and form a compact kingdom. NEW PEER. Lord HASTINGS took the oaths and his seat as a peer o the United Kingdom. THE ADDRESS. The LORD STEWARD brought up her Majesty's answer to the Address of their lordships on the occasion of the opening of Parliament. THE COURT OF CHANCERY. The Lord CHANCELLOR introduced a bill for the better definition of the duties of Masters in Chancery. After a few words from Lord BROUGHAM, The bill was read a first time. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS—(YESTERDAY.) The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. I , f EW MEMBER.' Mr. B. OSBORNE took the oaths and his seat for Liskeard. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The standing orders were announced to have been com plied with in the case of the Metropolitan Railway Bill and several other private bills, several of which were also read a first time. PETITIONS. Mr. BUTLER presented a petition from the inhabi tants of St. George's.-in-the-East complaining of the Popish practices introduced in that locality by the Rev. Bryan King, the rector, and praying the house to devise some means to redress the grievance in question, and also to give the laity a control in such matters. Petitions were also presented in favour of legalising mar riage with a deceased wife's sister, in favour of tenant right in Ireland, in favour of the ballot and triennial parlia ments, &a. &c. NEW WRIT. On the motion of Mr. BRAND, a writ was ordered for the borough of Scarborough, vacant by the elevation of the lion. W. Denison to the peerage, under the title of Lord Londesborough. BEVERLEY. Mr. INGHAM moved that in compliance with the re port of the committee on the Beverley election, the Attorney- General be instructed to prosecute Daniel Boys and Robert Taylor, proved to have been guilty of corrupt practices at the election in question. ROMISH PRACTICES IN THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. Mr. D. SEYMOUR asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government intended to bring forward any measure for the relief of parishioners in cases where the incumbent of a living held doc trines and adopted a ceremonial so closely ap proaching' that of the Church of Rome, that they do not oblige him to leave the Church of England, yet have the effect of preventing the great m.ijority of his pa rishioners, on conscientious motives, from attending his ministration of the services and sacrament. He considered that the occurrences taking place every Sunday justified his bringing forward the subject on the present occasion. Sir G. C. LEWIS said he supposed the hon. member referred to the disturbances in St. George's-in-the-East. Mr. D. SEYMOUR.—Not only there but elsewhere. Sir G. C. LEWIS—At all events no other instance had been brought under his notice. He believed the objections that had been made in regard to the practices in the chnrch referred to the manner in which the ceremony was performed, and not to the doctrines preached from the pulpit. The Government• had no intention of introducing any bill on the subject. THE VOLUNTEER FORCE. - - --- Lord ELCHO asked the Secretary of War a question in reference to a speech reported in the Scotsman as having been delivered! by the commander of her Majesty's forces in Scotland, in which he said that the volunteer forca was utterly useless. Mr. S. HERBERT said that Lord Melville, the officer alluded to, was a practical soldier, and had certainly made use of the expression alluded to. The Commander-in-Chief had written to the noble lord on the subject, and had re ceived a reply from him expressing his regret for having made use of the expression in question. THE NAVY. Sir C. NAPIER meved for returns of men who entered under the Bounty Proclamation, and of the number who have since deserted ; distinguishing those who entered un der the bounty, and those who did not so enter ; of the total number of men who deserted during the year immediately preceding the time of the proclamation ; of the number of men now serving- who have completed 10 and 15 years ; and of the number of men not serving who have received the short service pension ; and the number of men serving • ceived it . Lord C. PAGET'said that supplying the information relative to those who had deserted the service would be at tended with considerable expense, and would not be pro ductive of the object which the gallant member had in view. Any other information in his power he would be happy to supply. Sir C. NAPIER said he wouid abandon the last para graph in his motion, but he certainly must press for the in formation relating to deserters. His object was to ascertain if the Government had exercised due vigilance in regard to detecting and punishing these deserters. The motion was negatived without a division. PETITIONS OF RIGHT. Mr. BOVILL obtained leave to bring in a bill to amend the laws relating to petitions of right, to simplify the pro ceedings, and to make provisions for the cost thereof. MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN. Lord PHORYN, the Controller of the Royal Household, brought up the Royal Message of her most gracious Majesty, in reply to the address, to the effect that with respect to the public affairs of the country, the house might rely on her Majesty's efforts to improve the laws, to extend the commerce, and to amend the condition of the country. ENDOWED SCHOOLS. Mr. DILLWYN obtained leave to bring in a bill to amend the law respecting endowed schools. FRIDAY ADJOURNMENTS OF THE HOUSE. Mr. E. P. BOUVERIE moved, pursuant to notice, that whenever the house meets on Friday for business it shall, at its rising, adjourn to the following Monday, unless the house shall otherwise order. He explained that under the pre sent practice motions were brought forward =Friday . nights on the formal question ot adjournment, which might be most properly postponed. By the present practice Minis ters were sometimes precluded from making explanations, and the result was, that Friday night was devoted to a va riety of matters to the postponement of public measures. He read, amid much laughter, a list of the motions for to morrow evening on miscellaneous subjects to support his position, and with respect to the practice being a safety valve for private members, as it was contended ; but the effect was to render the valve as large as the boiler. He concluded by strongly urging on the house the propriety of adopting his motion. Mr. M. MILNES opposed the motion, and accused the hon. mover of indulging in official pedantry. He defended the present practice, and complained of the length to which Ministers extended their speeches, which prevented private members having an opportunity of bringing forward im portant questions. There were a great many questions on which it was net desired to raise a debate, but merely to make an explanation, and it would be hard to deprive members of the constitutional privilege they at present enjoyed. Mr. E. JAMES said the hon. mover had alluded to a motion of his with reference to Dr. Smethurst, which stood on the paper for to-morrow evening. It was a matter on which the public mind was interested, and it would be de sirable that there should be supplied the information which it was his object to elicit. He thought the motion was an interference with the just privileges of hon. members, and he trusted it would be rejected by the house. (Hear, hear.): Mr. DEEDES made a few observations in support of the motion. Lord C. HAMILTON opposed the motion, and consi dered that the suppression of the present practice would lead to evils more serious than that which it was intended to remedy. Mr. WALTERS followed on the same side. Mr. DISRAELI said that his experience of the house assured him that in the conduct of business they might trust more to the good sense of the house than to any rules or regulations ; though no one could deny that the effect of these rules had been in some instances to interfere with the maintenance of uniformity and order. On more than one occasion he had opposed motions of this nature, although much had occurred, he confessed, of which he could not en tirely approve, and sometimes which he had very much de plored. He remembered an occasion when the clock had reached the hour of ten before the public business of the evening commenced. But although he thought there had_ been abuses of the privilege he was disposed still to trust to good sense and good temper, and particularly that form of tom sense which was called tact, rather than have re wourse to the rii ,d e Still he proposed to be adopted by the right hon. general t. " Ran ought (Mr. Disraeli) thought there to were not to honourable understanding that questions of a premin, , , an tuneed on this motion, unless they were certainly think that that interest. (Hear.) He did not either side of the house during understanding was observed on derstanding were t- prevail, last session ; but if that un ser ve the very great ad v anta!,,,they would be enabled to pre the. presentsystem which would not then be exposed review tho way it had been that night. He thou Itieof should underbtanding on both sides orthe lbe an honourable Lion upon the adjournment is the house, that if any mo. of the house on Fridays, the questionY* hl to dividnal members (hate and general interest. (hear, hear.) be one of hnme rrive at that understanding he did not: think the house could Mike what Fad been called " abuse" could prevail. that "'hing 'hesitate ionic' before lie deprived independentv''.!, He should fopportanity, of ..:4dressing the house, but if he found of an -tho house could net come to the understanding thatl that indicated, he should'hpld himself free from being compelled ti.ne adhere to the coume which his present vote might seem log,,ivocate. Siz G. C. LEWIS sidd he quite concurred that this was a questf m to be regulateti by experience ot the way in whi c h it w or k, Id from Bowdon., to session, and to be decidedaccord • ing to thy' genera . 1 sense and views of membersof the house. tato to suppose that there was any thol If.:ht it a "8 e wish on the part of the members onflict cf interest , or any . r the time being to interfere with the of the G toVernment fo house. Judging from his members of the right* of !pr ivate awn f ee l ingh ppposi and ihe e wher3 ~ l appeal 0 to the tbelings of hon. entloli lel t, iniNce g nothin could be less -- THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 27, 1860. agreeable to members of the Government than to increase the number of nights devoted to Government business. On those nights the principal labour of official members was discharged ; and those hon. members were quite in error who supposed that there could be any wish on the part of 1 Government to increase the time necessarily devoted to the Government business. If even they wished that increase, it could only belrom a sense of public duty, and not for their own personal gratification. He would call attention to the way in which their present riles with regard to Go vernment business operated in tfie interval between the commencement of the session and Easter. Two nights were devoted to • Government business—Mondays and Fridays. The other three nights were entirely devoted to questions brought forward by independent members—Tuesdays and Thursdays to notices, and Wednesdays to orders of the day. On those days no Government notice or order was allowed to have precedence ; they must be put at the bottom of the paper, if they were brought forward. On every night of the week questions were put by independent members •, and every one who had been long in the house knew that the number and importance of the questions put at half past four had very much increased ; and the time devoted to those subjects had increased accordingly. Every inde pendent member had that power, and they had the whole of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. On Mondays and Fridays it generally happened that there were committees of supply. On the motion for going into those committees, independent members had the liberty of making two three, or four motions, if no division was taken ; so that members who came down to take part in the discussions on supply, found that the house did not go into committee until seven, eight, or nine o'clock. (Hear, hear, from Mr. W. Williams.) In addition to that diminution of the time occupied by Govern. ment business, there were the discussions raised on Friday night on the question of adjournment. Taking away Tues days and Thursdays, the portion of each night occupied by questions, that occupied by motions on going into committee of supply, and the portion of Friday devoted to discussions on the motion for adjournment, there was a considerable subtraction from the number of hours allotted to the public business in the beginning of the session. It was customary for the Government to bring in bills for the consideration of the house at the beginning of the session; they might lie on the table ; but it was almost impossible for any Go vernment bill, if opposed,, to receive any consideration be fore Easter. The only nights devoted to the Government business were occupied by committees of supply; and on the other three nights they had no opportunity of being heard: The consequence was that a large number of Government bills were postponed to a late period of the session. Every body knew, when the morning sittings commenced in June, how great was the pressure on the time and exertions of members, as a great portion of the latter part of the session was occupied with pressing business ; and, after all, many bills had to be postponed, and much altercation arose as to their postponement, and the order in which they should be brought on ; and, altogether, considerable confusion arose ' in the latter part of the session. That was very much owing to the regulations for the conduct of their business in the part of the session before Easter. He was far from de siring to curtail the time that might be fairly allotted to discussions raised by independent members. That time was most valuable. It was necessary to the proper working of the House of Commons that there should be a free expres sion of the voice of the people on subjects on which per haps no direct motion could be made. The subjects brought forward on the motion for adjournment were chiefly ques tions addressed to Government by members who wished to accompany those questions with some remarks. (Hear, hear.) They were not generally in the nature of mo tions or proposals ; and when the noble lord (C. Hamilton) said that thosediscussions facilitated the measures proposed by independent members, he misrepresented the nature of those discussions. No measure proposed by an independent member could ever then be brought forward ; therefore it was impossible that those motions could facilitate such bills. (Hear, hear.) If he were to make a suggestion, he would rather ask the house to consider whether it might not be possible that on a portion at least of the Thursdays before Easter, precedence might be given to orders over notices; or at any rate to allow some portion of those days to be oc casionally devoted to the discussion of bills. It was-also worth consideration whether some limit might net be fixed with regard to the hour of the night at which motions might be made on going into committee of supply ; for it was an admitted inconvenience for members to come down, seeing " supply" in the paper, and expecting discussions on the estimates, and to find the house occupied in discussing co lonial or Indian questions, or some other matters wholly foreign to the question of supply. He did not think that any good would result from pressing this motion; but some im provenownt might be made in the distribution of their time before Easter, so as to give more time to the consideration of Government measures. He would also suggest that when a motion had been brought forward by a member ofthe Go vernment the house had as much possession of this motion, as full power of discussing it, as any motion made by an in dividual member. The Government had no control over the subject of discussion when once it was submitted to the con sideration of the house. The only question was whether it was desirable that a greater portion of time should be al loted to the subjects proposed by independent members or to those proposed by Government. Viscount PALMERSTON wished to add his voice to those who recommended the withdrawal of the motion. It was impossible for him to support the motion, or the argu ments adduced by the right hon. gentleman in its favour. The right hon. gentleman had cited him (Lord Palmerston) as an instance of those who had taken advantage of this prac tice of the house for the purpose of introducinga rather exten sive subject. (A laugh.) He therefore could not, sitting on that side of the house, endeavour to curtail the liberty which he had taken on the other side. (Hear, hear.) There were occasions on which it might be a great public advantage for members to have the opportunity, on the adjournment of the house on Friday, to ask a question accompanied by a detailed statement, which the regulations of the house for bade on another day, and also for the members of the Go ment who were interrogated to have the opportunity of stating at greater length the circumstances of the cases re ferred to. He therefore hoped that what had been stated in the course of the debate would induce hon. members to use their discretion in introducing subjects on a Friday, if the practice were to continue, and that some good would re sult from this discussion. (Hear, hear.) Mr. BOUVERIE said he was not of so hopeful a tem perament as the noble lord. If he thought that the result of this discussion would be to deter members from abusing this privilege, he should be content. But the truth was it was but a very small portion of the members—if they were to be counted, a very small fraction, who resorted to this practice, for the majority condemned it. (N., c y f. . - • .4. 4.- —• city he referred to. He wished TO reinrilielre temptation afforded to those members. When the noble lord the leader of the house could not resist the temptation, when offered, of making a long speech, no wonder that others fell into the same course. (Cries of " Divide," and " Withdraw.") Mr. T. DUNCOMBE was sorry to hear that the motion was to be pressed to a division. Ile should prefer leaving the:question on the footing on which Mr. Disraeli had placed it. The motion might have been introduced in a more cau tious manner. The right hon. gentleman had referred to the notices on the paper for to-morrow night, and had resorted to the unusual course of singling out gentlemen by name. The evil complained of might be remedied in twe ways— either the discussions should be confined to business ac tually before the house, or the motions and discussions might take place after the orders of the day had been dis posed of. He decidedly objected to the suggestion of the Home Secretary, that members should give up their privi lege of bringing forward motions on going into committee of supply. That was an ancient constitutional practice ; it was the right of the people to have their grievances brought under the notice of the house before their money was voted away. (Hear, hear.) If a division were pressed he should vote against the motion. He was quite satisfied that they might trust to the good sense of the house to correct the evils complained of. The house then divided— For the motion Against ' Majority —llB NEW WRITS. On the motion of Mr. Commis it was agreed that in all cases where the seat of any member has been declared void by an election committee on the ground of bribery, no motion for the issuing of a new writ shall be made without two days' previous notice being given in the votes. ABOLITION OF QUALFICATION FOR OFFICES. The house having gone into committee, leave was given, on the motion of Mr. HADFIELD, to bring in a bill to render it unnecessary to make and subscribe certain declarations as a qualification for offices and employments. THE GLOUCESTER AND WAKEFIELD WRITS. Sir G. LEWIS, in moving that no motion for the issuing of any new writ for the city of Gloucester, or the borough of Wakefield, be made without seven days' previous notice thereof being given in the votes, said the house would re collect that the committee appointed to' inquire into the election returns of Gloucester and Wakefield had reported that extensive bribery and corruption had taken place in both those boroughs, and that commissions had been ap pointed to inquire into the subject. The Gloucester com missioners had made their report, which was on the table, and would be in the hands of members in a few days. The result of that report was that extensive corruption pre vailed at the last two elections for the city of Glou cester. The report of the Wakefield commissioners had s s i e C on r e e r t as thereforei r r t ki h vn a eo t dw i atwouldbe uresult e the hi b let ready wh ic not yet been p resen t e d, b u t h e un d ers t oo d f rom t h e i r a k y e h fi s e u l d s He creoedmpi reported not tiesd_ committee n t a e h few f W the da that corrupt practices existed there. Under these circum stances it was no unusual or objectionable course to request the house to agr ee t o a reso l u ti on t h at no writ shoull ' issue for the election of a new member for either of those places without a previous notice of seven days. Mr. HADFIELD wished to ask the right hon. gentle man what principle was to be adopted with regard to the delinquents m these cases ; whether the bribers and the bribed—(laughter)—were amenable to the law; or whether they were indemnified against all consequences by the cer tificate of the commissioners ? If s o , the -of i ssu i ng a com mission was worse than useless. Sir G. LEWIS said that the report of the Wakefield commission was not yet made ; but with regard to Glouces ter, the Government had entered into no promise whatever with respect to the witnesses who had given ev id ence. Without referring to the report he should be unwilling to give an answer to the question of his hon. friend. The qu estion was, what might have been done by the commis sioners themselves under the powers of the Act of Parlia ment. If his hon. friend repeated his question to morrow, he would be able to give a more precise answer as to the steps which would be taken. Mr. E. JAMES said that though no pledge had been given, it was understood by members that some steps should be taken by the Government when the Commissioners made their report. There we re numerous commissions appointed with regard to Galway, Hllu , and Cambridge, and the reports of those commissions wer e slumbering on the shelves of the house—a record of the impotence of Parliament to deal with the evil. It was due to the house and the country that the Government should adopt some course of action with respect to these cases. He believed that every bribed voter received a certificate from the Commissioners protecting him from disfranchisement on giving his evidence. Sir F. KELLY sold he feared, notwithstanding the dis position of the law officers of the Crown to prosecute and to brine." about the punishment of those wh o acted a g ainst the law, that in consequence of the immunity offered and pro. mired by the Commissioners it would be found extremely difficult to adopt any further proceedings against them. He trusted, however, when the subject cam. before the house, that some means would be found ofprosecutingand bringing to punishment those who had been guilty of bribery, with out violating the pledge of the Commissioners. • Mr. BRIGHT did not think this was a case for the law officers of the Crown, or ono in which Parliament could punish those who had been bribed as individuals. That wee settled some disfranchise the ago, when a measure was brought in to se the elect ors o f H u ll, or some other borough. He was of opinion that it would not be strictly just to inflict the punishment of dis e f certificate h a d be ranehiserneut on those parties to whom a ensue on th e i r givingn given thatnopanal consequences would and th e housetheir evidence. The r efore the Govern mentcommitted in wouldWakeftell be un a bl e t o d ea l w ith th e o ff enc es on. the voters • still i nd l Gloucester by inflicting punish mentfranchise permanently two es s Would they be able to dis pulations ina tleiwe boroughs hawing such large asQloieeetor apcj Walceacid the Government might adopt another coarse which would be consistent both with justice to individuals and the repre sentative rights, of two such large towns, and that was, to suspend those rights for a limited time, so as to mark them by the condemnation of the house and of the country. (Hear, hear.) From his connexion with one of the candidates for Wakefield, and also from residing not far from it, he was more intimately acquainted with the results of the bribery which had taken place in Wakefield. The result was that out of 800 voters 100 had been corrupted and accepted bribes. It was to him astonishing that only 100 had accepted bribes, seeing that no man could walk any street in Wakefield by day or by night without having a bribe offered to him. It was, therefore, rather surprising than otherwise that only 100 accepted bribes, and thatthe other 700 rejected the money which lay in their path. He might then be asked, why pro pose a suspension of their constitutional rights if 704 had been innocent and only 100 guilty ? His answer was that the 700 were not innocent. (Hear, hear.) No such corrup tion could have taken place if the leading men on both sides had not been cognisant of and connected with that bribery. (Hear, hear.) They were, though perhaps not directly guilty, at least morally inculpated in these transactions. (Hear, hear.) In 1835 or 1837 they had an election in the borough in which he resided, and he was sorry to say that that election had been conducted with a great profusion and expense, especially on the side of hon. gentlemen opposite. After the election was over a meeting of the Liberal party took place, and a resolution was comet° thatunder no circum stances would they have any connexion with any person who came into that town for the purpose of carrying an election by any other than legal and moral means. The result was to put an end to bribery in the town, and he believed that if a dozen or half a dozen of the leading men in Gloucester or Wakefield came to a similar resolution these corrupt prac tices might be done away with. He did not say that the number of black men of Wakefield and Gloucester was greater than that of other boroughs, but they were found out, and he should be glad if they were made to feel that the house and the country regarded their conduct with horror, for nothing was more disgraceful to them as a nation than conduct like this. He believed that the only effectual remedy against bribery was the ballot—(cheers) —but till that measure was adopted, he thought Parliament would do wisely to suspend the constitutional rights for such a period—not to exceed 10 years—as would mark their condemnation of the practices that prevailed. Mr. CLAY said no bill had been brought in to disfran chise any of the electors of Hull. A bill of that kind had been introduced with regard to Galway. He would give no opinion as to the legal effect of the certificate of commis sioners, but the object of the indemnity was to protect those who gave evidence from personal consequences. It was never intended to interfere with the right of Parliament to disfranchise the borough, or any part of it. He agreed with the hon. gentleman that suspension was a proper mode of dealing with these corrupt boroughs. Mr. MELLOR protested against its being supposed that the commissioners had any authority beyond that of pro tecting those who gave evidence from the pains and penal ties of their corrupt conduct. It was a mistake to suppose that it interfered with the right and power of Parliament to deal with the electors as a whole, or in clasooa. The object of a commission would be a farce if it was issued for this purpose. Mr. MALINS observed that they had blue-books in great numbers put upon the table, which very few people would read, and after all that expense they could have no practical result unless they took some measure to put down bribery. He looked upon it as a ridiculous thing to send three commissioners to Gloucester and three to 'Wakefield. If the right hon. gentleman had proposed to suspend the writs for those boroughs that would be something intelli gible, but this resolution that the writs should not issue without seven days' notice he did not understand. The hon. member for Birmingham said that at Wakefield a man could not pass through the streets night or day without being tempted by bribery ; and yet where was the justice of punishing 700 men when there were only 100 voters who took bribes in that constituency, and who may hove been induced to do so through poverty or necessity. He repeated, it was a most ridiculous proceeding to issue these cemnaissions un less the house took some measures to ascertain who were the bribers, and then some good might be done. The hon. mem ber RI. Birmingham told them the candidates for Hull did not now bribe so directly as they used to do, but did not tell them how much they bribed indirectly. He (Mr. Malins) hoped that this abominable system of bribery would be put down, and with that view he hoped the house would make up their minds to adopt some measure which would have a practical result. Mr. BRIGHT, adverting to the statement of the hon. member for Hull, referred to the pages of " Hansard" for the purpose of showing that, in 1854, the Attorney-General of that day proposed to introduce a bill intended to dis franchise the boroughs of Hull, Canterbury, Cambridge, and other places, but the house did not feel disposed to adopt that measure. Lord R. CECIL considered that if the house were to proceed to inflict punishment upon persons taking bribes they would have to proceed in the ordinary courts of law, and he believed it would be impossible to get any jury to convict upon such evidence as would be produced. His hon. and learned friend (Mr. Malins) talked about getting to the root of the matter—but it appeared to him that the root of the inaftr was the fact that they confided the franchise to persons so poor that they could not withstand temptation, and had no sense of the value of the franchise, but made it a saleable article, and got the best price for it which they could. People seemed to imagine that if you once prevented a bribe passing from a briber to a bribee, you did every thing to secure an honest election. But did they, in that case, suppose that a £lO householder would become more patriotic or intelligent ? He happened to have been one of the members of the committee which sat on bribery at Gloucester, and it was there proved that in every case the bribe was put down before the man voted, and in two or three cases it happened that the men voted against the party who bribed them ; and so he believed would go on, nor did he believe the ballot would be efficacious to prevent bribery. Mr. W. WILLIAMS trusted that the sentiments just ex pressed by the noble lord would not have any weight in that house when a reform bill might be introduced. Mr. COLLINS observed that he knew Wakefield very well, and he had no doubt the electors—especially the poorer classes of them—were longing for a new election—ca laugh) —but he felt perfectly certain if there was an election there to -morrow ' the longest purse would carry the day. With reference to the suppression of bribery, it struck him that the cost ot a corrupt election ought to fall on the particular borough, as he considered it a public offence, and for that ilt"V7Pea mingham would be adopted, and that the writs for Glou cester and Wakefield would be suspended for the rest of the session. Sir G. C. LEWIS said be held in his hand the printed report of the Gloucester commissioners, and that of the Wakefield commissioners would be ret dy *.n a few days. He intentionally abstained from making uny allusion to the contents of the former report and confined himself within the limits of the motion he had made. As to the general ques tion of the suppression of bribery, he should say that the re port of the Gloucester commissioners condemned in the very strongest terms the provisions of the Corrupt Practices Pre vention Act, many of which they found to be perfectly nu gatory. (Hear, hear.) He did not wish to provoke any discussion upon that question now, but he would state that the Government had under consideration a measure upon the subject. (Hear, hear.) They were preparing a bill which he hoped would amend the provisions of that act, and, if possible, the procedure respecting election petitions. The motion was then agreed to. THE CONSOLIDATED FUND. On the moticT.ithatheliouse;ll;:icig; into committee to consider the proposition of the Chancellor of the Exchequer respecting the Consolidation Fund, Mr. HANKEY expressed a hope that the right hon. gentleman would not discuss his resolution, which affected very important interests, that evening, inasmuch as hon. members had only that morning an opportunity of seeing the resolution. (Hear.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER hoped the house would in this instance follow the universal practice in such cases by allowing the Speaker to leave the chair, and then the measure could be much more conveniently dis cussed in committee. Sir H. WILLOUGHBY said it appeared to him that the house was always in a difficult position in matters of finance being contained in resolutions. No member had had an opportunity of seeing the resolution until that day, and of asking a question as to its bearine-s on most important inte rests. It was perfectly true that if the right hon. gentleman passed this resolution he must bring in a bill on the subject; but what was the meaning of the resolution at all ? It was that they should have some security in making great financial changes, in which they would have to deal with 36 millions of money, and give power to create stock and to cancel stock as the Commissioners of the Treasury might think proper. Four hundred and fifty petitions had been presented, in cluding among the petitioners every bank of importance in the United Kingdom, praying for an inquiry preliminary to legislation. Well, they bad had inquiry, and committees had come to resolutions nothing like that of the hon. gentle man. There ought to be at least a week's notice of such a re solution as the present, dealing, as it proposed to do, with £28,000,000 of stock and £8,000,000 of Exchequer-bills. The house was now called upon to enter into the very nature and character of savings banks, and he ventured to say that the house was not in a condition safely to affirm such a resolution as that submitted to them to-night. There ought to be at least a week's delay, and he might add that members were to a certain extent taken by surprise in bringing forward this subject on a Thursday evening. (Hear, bear.) Mr. RICARDO declared he did not understand the reso lution as it stood on the paper, although he had given much attention to the subject with which it proposed to deal. He thought the right hon. gentleman the Chancellor of the Ex- • chequer ought to be allowed to make his statement in com mittee; but that the matter ought then to stand over for some time, in order to give members an opportunity of un derstanding and considering the statement and resolution os the right hon. gentlemen. Mr. WILLIAM'S wished the Chancellor of the Exchequer would add to this resolution—That it would be expedient to repeal the act of Parliament which gave the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt the power of chop ping and changing this vast amount of money into Exche quer Bills or Consols as they thought fit, with a view of sustaining the money market. Mr. SPOONER was of opinion that it would be desirable to permit the Chancellor of the Exchequer to make his state • mont, and then that there should be an adjournment of the matter, with the view of allowing the house to consider well the resolution and the statement of the right hon. gentleman before it came to any vote. Colonel SYKES expressed himself of a somewhat similar opinion, and did not think that where £36,000,000 of money was at stake, the house ought to be called upon off-hand to lend itself to a resolution like the present. The house went into committee. dots ooc T imhn he aoorvfge C etG H hu rep A eofa N notu C tßoh E wrei iLtncaLgionnOr Consolidated and Ir e land itt resolution, tFEhu Fund n C dt i t H ori sfe E setp Q xhepe t JeetudEoi United int tte d t h h t eoeKnesruiernaongsti sums due to savings banks and friendly societies, and to provide for' the payment of th e i nterest thereon to the Commis sioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, and also to make provision out of the Consolidated Fund, or by Exche quer Bills, or by Excheauerßonds, for any difference which may now or hereafter exist between the assets in the hands of the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt in respect of savings banks and friendly societies, and the liability thereon, and for the interest on such Exche quer Bills or Exchequer Bonds ; and also to authorise the cancelling of such amounts of the several capital stocks of annuities held by the said comniiisioners for savings banks and friendly societies respectively, as may appear to the Commiatouers of her Majesty's Treasury to be expedient, e th re a a t te h d e . h a ,andl lower for w er rthootecorfea in ti t o e n ro o st fl t i l k i e an aT h o o un oa ts pi o ta f l c s a t p o i o ta k l s stock bearing be ar cancelled,ing hoped right hon. gentleman proceed ed d d • • until Would not come to any eci c opinion hon, gentlemen wo on th t e o s ors observe v soe and for paying the interest house. The resolution he submitted was st r ictl ywitiad confor mity with precedent, with convenience, I,n he had laid the statement be was about to m ake before . the would be adopted on had been said, he hoped the resolutio n tb that night. It had been trnlynbserYo ti•Ar 1 would PvPrY ad vance of public business ; so that, notwithstanding what difficult to gather the effect of a measure from a resolutio n. could not however comprehend the objection of the hon. gentleman the member for Evesham, who said he could not understand the resolution, and in a moment after said itwas the same resolution which he had brought forward five years Sir H. WILLOUGHBY—No, no. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—Thehon. baronet certainly said the resolution was to the same effect. It must be obvious to anyone who took the most cursory view of the matter, that there was the greatest difficulty in framing such a resolution as the present, which proposed to alter the state of the law as regarded the dealing with a par ticular fund, so that it should be neither so full as to anticipate the bill which was to be founded upon it, nor so meagre as not to give the committee an idea of its scope. He admitted that the law gave a title to the finance minister of the Government over the principal and interest of those funds, and that of principal and interest there was a clear claim to restitution. He further admitted that this was a state of things which called for a remedy. That remedy he proposed to effect by the bill he would submit, and to give a full title to every savings bank and friendly society over the whole sums placed in the hands of the Government, principal and interest, according to the stipulated terms. (Hear, hear.) He had not the slightest doubt that every hon. member would agree with him that this fund should he held secure and harmless. (Hear.) If that were so, the real debt of the state to savings banks and friendly societies was not to be measured by the amount of stock which the commis sioners held, but by the amount which had actually been paid over. (Hear, hear.) In the official statements under the present law of the national obligation's and the amount ef public liability, the consideration just adverted to was omitted, and consequently these statements wsre untrue, for we owed to friendly societies and to savings banks a very considerable sum, which, he repeated, was nowhere men tioned in those official statements. That sum was said to be about £2,000,000. That was one object of the bill. A second object of the bill was to have a correct statement of the public Idebt'made from year to year —a statement d u ly verified, and which would represent the exact amount we owed. A third object of the bill was to economise the Management of those monies,but the nature of the resolution did not admit of his going into such particulars as would define how he meant to carry this out. A fourth object of the bill was to limit the power at present possessed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer over those funds, consisting of about L 49,000,000. Some one had spoken of it as if the Chancellor of the Exchequer wished to obtain greater power over these funds. Why that was quite needless, for the finance minister al ready possessed the most complete control over those funds —more, in his opinion, thanthe public interest required. The remarks of the hon. gentleman the member for Lambeth (Mr. W. Williams) as to the present conversion of those funds into foreign bills, &c , were 'pit() true, and also that in fact a new permanent national debt was created without 1 the consent of Parliament. He alluded t o w h a t were t erme d deficiency bills and consolidated fund bills ; from and by such means deficiencies were, under the present law, sup plied by the balances in the Exchequer. It was well known that by the conversion of such bills into stock, it was in the power of the finance minister, when there were deficiencies in the public revenue, to use those funds, making a perma nent debt without the constant of Parliament. That power he, by the proposed bill, intended to abolish. (Hear, hear.) Lastly, he proposed to bring the whole of the transactions of the Chancellor of the Exchequer through the medium of the National Debt Commissioners periodically under the revision of Parliament. He must say he was very sceptical as to what had been said about the general ill-use of those funds, though he admitted there might have been instances, but still he must again own that there was vested in' the finance minister a very considerable discretion, and he was of opinion that the public interests would b e b e tt er serve d by these matters being annually brought under parliamen • tary review. He proposed in the bill to enact for the first time that all such transactions should, at the commencement of every session, be submitted to Parliament, nor would he be content with the mere presentation ofreturns. The committee of that house which sat some three years ago on public monies among other recommendations made one very valuable and judicious, to the effect that the public accounts m the various departments should regularly, at the commencement of every year, be submitted to a committee of the house, whose members should be chosen by the Speaker. This seemed to him (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) a most valuable suggestion, and he did not consider that the house, as the guardian of the public money, would discharge its duty without seeing from time to time how those monies were appropriated. He had now stated the general provisions of the bill which he had asked leave to introduce —reminding the committee of what had hap pened on a former occasion. In 1854, parliament was summoned together to consider matters connected with the Crimean war, and he upon that occasion asked the house to sanction the introduction of a resolution similar to the present, upon which to found a hill. This was ob jected to by some, but the right hon. gentleman the member for Buckinghamshire supported him (the Chan cellor of the Exchequer), and was of opinion that the preliminary resolution ought to be first disposed of, in order that a plan should be submitted, and this was done with the unanimous consent of the house. (Hear, hear.) However, if after what he stated hon. members still de sired a postponement, he would not further resist it. His wish was that they should affirm the resolution whereupon to found a bill, which he would have printed in the course of three or four days, and then there could be an adjoUrnment of days, or even weeks, to consider its provisions —(hear, hear) and before he asked them to assent to the second reading. Tne resolution having been read from the chair, Mr. H. HERBERT expressed his regret at omissions in the statement of the right hon. gentleman. The mode of management of the money lodged in the banks previous to the period to which he had alluded, viz., before it reached the hands of the Commissioners for the Reduction ef the National Debt, was in a most unsatisfactory state, and it ahould be in such a satisfactory state as that the depositors should have back the amount lodged in the hands of the state. The Chancellor of the Exchequer; came forward, and told the house and the country that he wished to bring in a measure for dealing with this matter. If it were be yond his power or ability to produce a good measure, he should put the savings banks in a position free from the control of Government, for failures had taken place, and the depositors, who were generally of the lower orders, were told that the Government was not responsible, and the ma chinery for the purpose was not sufficient. Now if it were beyond the power of the right hon. gentleman to remedy that state of things, the Government should get rid of all communication with those banks. Some time ago Parlia ment quite relieved trustees and managers of all regional bil wr c was cost was too large to make them responsible for. He could not let the opportunity pass without expressing a hope that the right hon. gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer would deal with both the questions to which he had referred, and that it would prevent losses arising in future to depositors in savings banks, (Hear, hear.) Mr. AYRTON thought the resolution proposed by the right hon. gentleman was rather ambiguous in its language, and did not inform them what he intended, as Chancellor RTHCOTE agreed that the ob jects f Sirthe s Ex rA e. h F e l lti o e ß r , D t o N d o. o Of the Chancellor of the Exchequer were good. The object which he had in rising was to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he understood him to say that, in dealing with the public money, he proposed that a com mittee should be appointed which would have power, not only to exercise its functions in relation to the interest on money in savings banks, but other branches of the public expenditure. He should be glad to know from the right hon. gentleman whether any measure of the kind was contemplated, and whether he proposed to deal with the recommendation of the committee on public monies in their report, which was, that in proportion to the expendi ture of the different public offices there should be some kind of check on the part of the house over such expenditure ; and he wished to ask him whether there was any measure of the kind contemplated by the Government. Sir H. WILLOUGHBY said it was true that the Chan cellor of the Exchequer had power to lay hold of the monies in savings banks ; but he believed the right hon. gentlemen would find that that which occurred in 1854 would occur again. The great majority of the house ob jected to the measure then proposed. Did the committee think it right that those monies should be placed in the hands of trustees and managers, to convert as might be thought proper ? He trusted that the trustees and mana gers throughout the United Kingdom would call on the hour eto resist any such change. That was the recommer. dation of the committee to which he had alluded, and it was because he thought the resolution proposed by the right hon. gentleman would strike at that portion of the question, that he should object to the passing of it. If, however, it was the opinion of the committee that it was desirable to see the bill, he should not divide them upon the question of passing the resolution. Sir F. BARING was very glad to hear that his hon. friend opposite did not intend to persevere in his opposition to the adoption of the resolution. As he (Sir F. Baring) understood the question, the Chancellor of the E xc h equer was compelled by the:riilesof the house to press the reso lution. It was suite clear that the resolution was not as intelligible as desirable ; but the committee were not com mitted by the resolution to adopt the proposed bill. The object of the resolution was to give power to deal with the savings banks' funds in relation to the Consolidated Fund. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had stated the objects which he had in view, and he (Sir. F. Bar ing) was bound to add that those views appeared to him to be most desirable. (Hear.) He did not suppose that there was any one in the house who would say that the de positors in savings banks had not the right to resist a very small amount of interest for the money which they had placed in savings banks, and the sooner that was settled the better. There was also another point upon which he was desirous to speak, because he was one of those who had "sinned" like othei Chancellors of the Exchequer. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had at present power over the money in savings banks, whothez safely or not. It was his (Sir F. Baring's) fate to employ that money as a financial minister. He would not now fight over 1841, but he would say it appeared to him to be a power which he thought the Chancellor of the Exchequer ought to be deprived of. (Hear, hear.) Mr. BARROW said he wished not to be understood as approving of all the details of the measure simply because he did not move an amendment and divide upon it. As a trustee of savings banks, he must say that, if the bill con tained a power such as the right hon. gentleman described, he should strongly desire to see it removed. Mr. J. L. RICARDO thought it impossible to object to the intention which the r i g ht hon. ge n tl eman had professed, but he thought a committee should be appointed to consi der some of the details. If the Chancellor of the Exchequer had the control he desired, the same course would be fol lowed as before. The right hon. gentleman would avail himself of it to meet his financial requirements. Having heard the explanation of the right hon. gentleman, he found it necessary to await the bill itself. Col. SYKES having expressed his qualified approval of the xleasure, subject to an unobjectionable control on the part of the Government, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, in reply, that ho hoped to be able to pass a good bill on the subject in the present session. They were now dealing with the question of the custody of public monies, and he conceived that his proposition was strictly confined within the proper limits. He could relieve the mind of the honourable member for Nottinghamshire, by stating that the Government would take .ao power of ordering a lower rate of interest to be paid to the contributors. With regard to-the functions of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in reference to the tneasu-e, he could only say that the Government must retain some amount of discretion in the investments. The resolution was then agreed to, and the house having resumed, it was reported by the chairman. SitPLY. Tho SPEAKER read the P paragraph from the Queen's Speech, and the usual resolutiDn was passed that supply be granted to her Majesty. It was also resolved that the Speech should be taken into consideration to-morrow. The house then adjourned shortly before nine o'clock. [ADVERTISIMENT.I—EPPB's (Homoeopathic Chemist) COCOA.—This esteemed preparation is sold by the prin cipal grocua at is. ad. per lb., in 11b., Vb., and 41 1 1 packets. Each _packet is labelled " James Epps, Honice" fathic chemist; Londo4," PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS. PRIVATE BILLS. In the House of Commons yesterday Mr. Massey reported, that, in accordance with Standing Order 67, he haa conferred with the Chairman of Committees of the House of Lords, for the purpose of determining in which House of Parlia ment the respective Private Bills should be first considered ; and that they had determined that the bills contained in the 'ollowing list should originate in the House of Lords, viz. : Athenry and Ennis Junction Railway. Athenry and Tuarn Railway. Auchterarder Common Muir. Banbridge Junction Railway. Belfast and Ballymena Railway. Belfast and County Down Railway. Belfast, Holywood, and Bangor Railway. Brandon's Estate. Brompton, Chatham, Gillingham, &c., Water. Caledonian Rail way (Branches to Lanark, &c.) Caledonian Railway (Lesmahage Branches, &c.) Carrickfergus and Larne Railway. Commercial Docks Acts Amendment. Cork and Limerick Direct Railway. Cowes and Newport Railway Extensions. Croydon Gas. Dover Gas. Dublin (City) Steam Packet Company. Dublin and Drogheda Railway. Dublin and Kingstown and Dublin and Wicklow Rail. vay Companies. Dublin and Meath Railway. Dublin and Wicklow Railway. Dumfries, Lochmaben, and Lockerby Junction Railway East India Coal Company. East India Fibre Company. Eau Brink Drainage. Edinburgh Railway Station Access. Edinburgh Royal College of Surgeons. Ennis and Galway Junction Railway. Everton, &c , Drainage. Fergus River Navigation Improvement, &c. Finn Valley Railway. Forest of Dean Central Railway. Galashiels, Innerleithen, and Peebles Railway. Galway Pier Junction Railway. Glasgow Town Clerks. Governesses' Benevolent Institution. Grand Canal, Midland Great "Western of Ireland and Great Southern and Western Railway Companies. Grand Surrey Docks and. Canal. Great Northern and Western (of Ireland) Railway. Great Ship Company. Grunty Fen Drainage and Improvement. Hamilton and Strathaven Railway. Holyhead Water. Inverness and Aberdeen Junction Railway. Inverness and Ross-shire Railway. Isle of Wight (Eastern Secti o n) Railway. Keith and Dufftown Railway. Kells and Baillieborough Railway. Kilkenny Junction Railway. Kilrush and Kilkee Railway and Poulnasherry Embank. ment. Letterkenny Railway. Limerick and Ennis Railway. London Bridge Railways Terminus Hotel Company. London Hydraulic Power Company. London Sheriffs Court. Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway. Maidstone, Rochester, Chatham, &c., Water. Maidstone Water. Matlock Water. Medway Valley Water. Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland. Monkland Railways. Montrose and Bervie Railway. Morayshire Railway. Newry, Warrenpoint, and Rostrevor Railway. North British Insurance Company. North Kent Water. Portadown, Dungannon, and Omagh Junction Railway Railway Clearing House (Ireland). Royal Naval School. Sheffield Cutlers' Company. South Devon Railway. Southall New Cattle Market. Spalding Water. Symington, Biggar, and Broughton Railway. Torquay Gas. Waterford and Kilkenny Railway. aterford and Limerick Railway. Waterford and Limerick and Great Southern and Western Railways. Wellington Suspension Bridge. West of Fife Mineral Railway. PARLIAMENTARY DIVISION. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—JAN. 26. FRIDAY ADJOURNMENTS. Motion made, and Question put, " That, whenever this house meets for business upon Friday, it shall at its rising adjourn to the following Monday, unless the House shall otherwise order." The House divided—Ayes, 48 ; Noes, 166. AYES-48. Antrobus, E. Ellice, Rt. Hon. E. Massey, W. N. Baring, H. B. Etnlyn, ViScount Matheson, A. Baring, Sir F. Fortescue, Hon. D. Mildmay, H. Baring, Thomas Gordon, Capt. Mills, A. Bentiuck, G. W. P. Gregson, S. Montagu, Lord It. Blackburn, P. Grenfell, C. P. Mowbray, Rt. Hn. J. Bonham-Carter, J. Hankey, Thomson Mundy, William Bouverie, I'. P. Herbert, H. A. Northcote, Sir S. H. Bridges, Sir 8., Bt. Howard, Hon. C. I'acke, C. W. Buckley, Maj.-Gen. Hubbard, J. G. Portman W. H. B. Cecil, Lord R. Ingram, 11. Russell, Hastings Clifford, C. C. Kingscote, Lt.-Col. Thynne, Lord H. Clive, George Langton, H. G. Tollemache, Hon.F. Close, 31. C. Lennox, Lord H. G. Williams, W. Collins, T., jun. Lyt,ron, Hon. F. TELLERS. Crawford, It. W. 31'Cann, J. Bouverie, E. P. Divett, Edward Martin, J. Deedes, Wm. NOES-166. Agnew, Sir A. Glyn, G. G. Peacock, G. M. Alcock, T. Goldsmid, Sir F. Peel, Gen. Astell, J. IT. Graham, Lord Wm. Pigott, Francis Atherton, W. Greene, Capt. J. Pilkington, James Ayrton, A. S. Greville, Col. I'. Pollard UrquhartW Bagwell, J. Griffith, C. D. Powys, L. I'. Millie, H. J. Hadfield, Geo. Pugh, D. (Carman.) Baring, Thos. Geo. Hamilton, Lord C. Puller C. W. ... Barrow W. 11. Ilgrdv f ` -;-, - ....auleu, o n- J. W, - .....,,, , ...,,m,v, lieadiam, Thos. E. Ricardo, J. L. Beaumont, W. B. Henley, Lord Rich, H. Beecroft, G. S. Hennessy, J. P. Ridley, G. Bellew, It. M. Hope, G. W. Rogers, John J. Bentinck, G.C. Hopwood, J. T. Roupell, W. Bethell, Sir H. Horsman, E. Salomons,Alderman Bovill, Wm., Howes, Edward Scholefield, W. Brand, H. B. Ingham, R. Sclater-Booth, G. Bright, J. Jackson, W. Scott, Sir W. Briscoe, J. I. Jermyn, Earl Seymour, Sir M. Brocklehurst, John Jervis, Captain Seymour, H. D. Bruce, H. A. Johnstone, lion. H. Smith, J. B. Buchanan, W. Jones, D. Smith, A. Caird, James Kekewich, S. Smith, Sir F. Cairns, Sir H., Kelly, Sir F. Smith, M. Campbell, W. F. Kershaw, J. Smyth, John G. Cartwright, Col. H. King, Hon. L. Smollett, A. Castlerosse, Vist. Kinglake, A. W. Spooner, R. Cave S. Kinglake, Serj. J. Stafford, Marquis a Clay, James Kinnaird, Hon. A. Stanhope, J. B. Cobbett, J. M. K na t c hb u ll , W . Stansfeld. J. Craufurd, E. H. J Lawson, W. Sullivan, M. Crook, Joseph Leeke, Sir H. Sykes, Col. W. H. Dalglish, Robert Lefroy, A. Taylor, Colonel Dawson, R. I'. Lee, W. Thompson, H. S. Denman, G. Legh, W. Thynne, Lord E. Dillwyn, Lewis L. Leighton, Sir B. Tite, Wm. Disraeli. Benjamin Locke, Jos. Torrens, H. Douglas, Sir C. Locke, J. Turner, J. A. Duke ' Sir James Lysley, W. Upto n , G eneral Dunbar. Sir Wm. Maguire, J. F. Verney, Sir Harry Duncombe, T. S. Matins, It., Villiers, Rt, Hon. C, Egerton, A. F. Mellor, John Walcott, Adm. J. K Elcho Lord Miller, T. Walter, John Elphinstone, Sir J. Miller, William Watkins, J. L. V. Ewart, William Moncreiff, J. Watlington, J. W. Ewart, J. C. Monson, W. J. Whalley, G. IL Ewing, 11. E. C. Montgomery, Sir G. Whitbread, S. Fernioy, Lord Napier, Sir C. Whitmore, H. Filmer, Sir K Newdegate, C. N. Willoughby, Sir 11, Fitzgerald, .J. D. Newport, Visct. Wood, Rt lin. Sire, Forester, Col. G. C. Noble, J. Woodd, B. T. Freeland, IL W. Osborne, Bernal Wynne, C. G. French, Fitzstephen Paget, C. Gard, It. S. Palmerston, Vint. George, John Parker, Major W. Gibson, T. M. Paull, H. Gladstone, W. E. Paxton, Sir J. TELLERS. Milnes, R. M. James, Edwin LAW INTELLIGENCE. —.Tan. 26. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. (Sittings in Banco, before Lord Chief Justice Erle, and Justices Williams and Willes.) APPLICATION FOR AN INJUNCTION AGAINST THE EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY COUPANY This matter came before the Court under the Railway and Canal Traffic Act. Mr. Macaulay moved, on the part of the Colne Valley Railway Company, for a rule calling on the Eastern Counties Railway Company to show cause why an injunction should not issue, enjoining them to desist from obstructing the passage of the Colne Valley trains on to and along the Stour Valley line which was held on lease by the Eastern Counties Company. The circumstances were—the Eastern Counties line extended from London to Colchester, the Stour Valley line from Colchester to Sudbury, and the Colne Valley line from the Chappel station of the Stour Valley line to Halstead; and the application was substantially that the complainants might be allowed to work their line. The 21st section of the Colne Valley Company's Act said that the railway should " join and communicate" with the Stour Valley line at the point of junction shown in the plan, and that the junction works should be executed to the satis faction of the engineer of the Eastern Counties Com pany. Mr. Justice Williams—What has the Eastern Counties Company done in the way of obstruction ? Mr. Macaulay—They have pinned down the points. I believe that the Eastern Counties Com pany are afraid that this line, if used, will be found so conveni en t th a t peop l e will wish to extend it in the direction of the Great Northern, and thus tap some of the Eastern Counties traffic. Mr. Justice 'Williams—Do they keep the points constantly closed ? Mr. Macaulay—Constantly. The Lord Chief Justice—The enactment is that the Colne Valley line should have a doorway into the Eastern Counties line, but I do not see any enactment that there should be a right of way through the doorway. The Eastern Counties Com pany claim the right to shut the door. Mr. Macaulay—The general act would give the right of going through, and in addition the Colne Valley Act said that the line should "join and com municate" with the other. The junction has been made to the satisfaction of the Eastern Counties Company, though they did at ono time send down 500 navvies to stop the works. Afterwards Colonel Tolland, from the Board of Trade, went down to inspect, but the Eastern Counties fastened the points and would not let the engine pass. Mr. Justice Williams —What portion of Mr. Cardwell's Act do you intend to found your motion on ? Mr. Macaulay—No doubt Mr. Cardwell antici pated only obstructions during the working, but I apprehend that the words of the statute will include this case, Mr. Justice Willes—As an "undue preference," or an " undue advantage." The lor d ci a i e f justice—lf you choose you may take your rule at your peril as to whether you are ' - within this act or not. This seems to be entirely different from the ordinary case of undue preference or undue advantage. Mr. Macaulay —That point has been considered. Mr. Cardwell, no doubt, only considered obstruc tions in the working, but it would be hard to say that because the obstruction was from the very be ginning there was no remedy. Mr. Justice Willes—You had better take your rule on both branches, as to undue preference, and as to the right of working along continuous lines. Rule granted. COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH. :Sittings in Banco, before Lord Chief Justice Cock burn, Mr. Justice Wightman, Mr. Justice Cromp ton, and Mr. Justice Blackburn.) IN RE WILLIAM COBBETT.--WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS. Mrs. Cobbett, who is ever indefatigable in her legal efforts to obtain the release of her husband, Mr. Wm. Cobbett, from the Queen's Prison, wherein he is confined for a debt the genuineness of which he denies, renewed her application to-day for a writ of habeas corpus, to be directed to Captain Hudson, marshal of the Queen's Prison, and calling upon him to show cause why he should not bring up the body of her husband, that he might be discharged from custody and restored to liberty. She moved on affi davit, which was read by Master Turner, and which set out the facts, often hitherto reported, under which Mr. Cobbett was cast into prison, and where he has since 1856 been detained. Mrs. Cobbett then addressed the Court, and expressed a hope that their lordships would grant the habeas corpus, in order that Mr. Cobbett might be brought before the Court. The parties detaining :her husband in custody had an act of Parliament to go by, and should proceed by it, yet they did not. The Chief Justice—This matter, Mrs. Cobbett, has been before all the judges, who have already de cided on it, and that being so, we see no alternative but to be governed by the law as it stands. Mrs. Cobbett—But, my lords, Mr. Cobbett is illegally detained in prison; The Chief Justice—lf Mr. Cobbett is to be released from prison there must be an act of Parliament. Mrs. Cobbett—Will your lordships look into the ease The Chief Justice—Very well, Mrs. Cobbett, we will. Mrs. Cobbett—l have also an application to make to your lordships for another writ of habeas corpus, calling upon Capt. Hudson, keeper of the Queen's Prison, to bring up the body of my . husband, and show cause why he has confined him in that part of the prison in which convicted felons are incarce rated, and why he should not remove him there from to the part of the prison appropriated for the confinement of debtors. Mrs. Cobbett then put in an affidavit made by her husband, stating that he was wrongly east among felons, and quoting acts of Parliament providing for the custody of debtors, and directing that they should be separated from criminals, and not exposed to associate with them. The Chief Justice—We will look into the case ; Mrs. Cobbett, and inform you of our decision on Monday. Mrs. Cobbett thanked their lordships, and with drew from the court. SHERIFFS' COURT. (Before Mr. Kerr.) MACHINE PRINTERS-IMPORTANT DECISION-BAR. BATT V. DANKS. Plaintiff is a machine printer and defendant is a master printer, carrying on an extensive business in Crane-court. Mr. Buchanan, for the plaintiff, said the present action was brought to recover £5, being £1 wages actually earned, and £4 for two weeks' notice. On the 24th of December last plaintiff had earned tor the week £2 18s. 6d., being 18s. 6d, over the " stab" wages for overtime. Some paper had been, accord ing to defendant, spoilt, and ho (defendant) de ducted £1 from the wages earned. He then wished to reduce plaintiff's wages to 365. per week, but plaintiff refused to submit, and hence the present action. Plaintiff was called, and said he was a machine printer. On Monday, the 19th December, he worked all day and all night, and on Tuesday he w erked all day and all night, up to four o'clock on Wednesday morning, then he left and went home. When he went to work defendant sent for him, and said, " You have done me £7 worth of damage." Defen dant then produced a quantity of paper, which in plaintiff's opinion was not spoilt. He said he should expect plaintiff to pay for th!s paper. On Satur day, the 24th December, plaintiff had to take £2 18s. 6d., and defendant paid him £1 short. He wished plaintiff to pay for the spoilt paper, and he said he could not give more than 365. per week for the future. Plaintiff did not agree to any such arrangement. On Monday, the 26th December, there was a holiday at the defendant's office, and on Tuesday plaintiff went in and a s ked f or hi s £l. lielenciant alluded to the conversation on Saturday, and plaintiff refused to agree, and left, after de manding money for his notice. In cross-examination plaintiff said he left work on the Wednesday, because ho was physically in capable of continuing. It was another man who had charge of the machine in which the damage was alleged to have occurred. Defendant said that he never dismissed plaintiff, nor did he wish him to leave. Plaintiff was a fore man and had the charge of the machine. Through his neglect in leaving on Wednesday morning the boys in charge of the machine spoilt four reams of paper. As to the 365. per week, defendant dis tinctly told plaintiff that he would pay him 40s. for two week, and then he would be reduced from a foreman to a journeyman. Hie Honour said that defendant could not set eff damages against wages, and he must pay the £l. Plaintiff, however; could not recover for the wages in lieu of notice. He had not been dismissed, and therefore he would not be entitled. Verdict for £l, and costs. POLICE INTELLIGE'NC'E'—Ian. 26. THAMIS.—ROBBERY BY A DISCHARGED SOL DIER FROM INDlA.—William Reid, aged 21, was brought before Mr. Yardley, charged with stealing 13 sovereigns, a half-sovereign, ss. in silver, a rupee and a quarter rupee, from the person of William Beattie. The parties are both discharged soldiers from India, and natives of Scotland. They both served in the same regiment, the European Light Cavalry, and arrived in London on Tuesday morning last. They agreed to lodge in the same house, and to leave London for Scotland in one of the General Steam Navigation Company's ships on Wednesday. Beattie deposited his gold with an officer who came from Calcutta to England in the same ship, and when it was returned to him he noticed there was a George the Fourth sovereign amongst it, and one only. Before leaving the ship which brought him to this country he put his gold 13 sovereigns and a half, in a bag, and fastened it to his waist under his clothes with a piece of string. The two comrades drank pretty freely in the course of Tuesday, the pro secutor more so than the prisoner. They hired lodg ings, at a coffee-house in King-street, Tower-hill. Soon after their arrival there on Tuesday afternoon the prosecutor became very ill and almost help less. Reid pulled off his comrade's clothes, and put him to bed. His money was then safe in the bag. Beattie was falling asleep when he felt Reid pulling at the string to which the bag con taining the money was attached, and asked his comrade what he was doing, to which Reid re plied, " Nothing, go to sleep." The prosecutor soon fell asleep, and did not wake again until seven or eight hours afterwards, when he missed his comrade and found his bag and money gone. He made known his loss to a boy in the service of the coffee-house keeper, and the police were soon acquainted with the robbery. On Wednesday afternoon the prose cutor and a police constable, named George Read, 199 H, went on board a steamship bound to Leith, and found the prisoner on board. He had provided for his passage to Scotland. The prosecutor asked the prisoner for his money, on which he assumed a bold air, and said, " I have got no money, I have , b , e c en ome, robbedmyself."nononsense; y oTuhheavpoolgicoet year c constable orad sai e d s , money." The prisoner insisted he had not got a farthing. The constable immediately searched him and found upon himl s sovereigns, and among them one of the reign of George the Fourth, which Beattie had previ ous l y d escribed to the policeman, a rupee, a quarter rupee, and some English silver coin. The prosecutor, in answer to questions by the ma gistrate, said--All the money the prisoner had when he came on shore was two sovereigns, a half sovereign, and two rupees, which were exchanged for English money. The prisoner went out with a woman on Tuesday afternoon, and before he left the coffee-house counted out his money, and left it with him . Re He was s turned it to the prisoner the scums evening, going to Glasgow. The prisoner belonged to Edinburgh. The prisoner had very bad eyes, and said he was like an infant. Thcmas Crafford, a coffee-house-keeper, of No. 20, King-street, Tower-hill, said the two disc& rged soldiers came to his house on Tuesday last, and hired a bed. Between eight and nine o'clock the same evening the prisoner left the house, and said he should not stop any longer. The prisoner, in defence, said the money found upon him was his own, and that he carried it in a bag tied round his neck. Mr. Yardley committed the prisoner for trial and directed OA% one sovereign should be given to Beattie to enable him to maintain himself until the sessions commenced. GREENWICH.--A DRUNKEN CABMAN.—NAR ROW ESCAPE OF A LADY AND GENTLEMAN, AND SON, FROM DROWNING.—John Ford, a cab-driver, of Wilson-street, New-cross, Deptford, badge No. 11,909, appeared to a summons charging him with having been drunk, and driven his horse and cab into a pond od Blackheath, whereby Mr. VP. Pembroke, a gentleman residing at 1, Florsnce place, New-cross, and his wife and son narrowly escaped drowning. It appeared that on the afternoon of Thursday, the 19th instant, the defendant vas engaged to drive complainant and his wife and son to Black heath, and was desired to attend at half-past ten the same evening to convey them back. At the time stated he attended, and the party having en tered the cab, the defendant drove off. Shortly afterwards a severe jolting of the vehicle was felt, and in a few seconds subsequently, on looking out of the cab window, the complainant found that the defendant had driven into a pond, the water enter ing at the door, and reaching up to the ankles of those inside. An alarm was immediately raised, and persons with lanterns came from the Hare and Billet Tavern opposite, and having waded up to their middles, succeeded in carrying the occupants of the cab out, the horse fortunately standing still, the water a few feet farther on being of the depth of 13 feet. The defendant denied being drunk, and said that he had fallen asleep from over-work. He also attempted to show that the vehicle was a private carriage, and therefore not liable to the provisions of the Hackney Carriage Act. Charles James proved that defendant was drunk, and had called witness to accompany him with the cab on the night in question. Witness did so, and wished defendant to let him drive, when he refused. and immediately afterwards drove into the pond. Mr. Seeker said defendant had been guilty of a grave offence, and which wasi likely to have been attended with serious consequences. His miscon duct had been very gross, and it had been a question with him (Mr. Seeker) whether he ought not to pass a sentence of imprisonment, without the option of paying a fine. Although he shouli not take that course, the offence was one which could not be lightly passed over, and, in default of paying fine of £3 and costs, he would be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for two months. The defendant, not having the money, was con veyed from the court in custody. COUNTRY MARKETS. BIRMINGHAM—JAN. 26. At to-day's market there was less wheat offering, yet the trade ruled dull, with the turn in favour of the buyer; but we make no alteration in our quotations. Barley sold slowly for rather more money. Oats, beans, and peas in ♦ery limited demand, at former rates. MANCHESTER—JA L 26. There was a somewhat better attendance at our market this morning than for some weeks past, notwithstanding the business in wheat was very limited, but prices firm• Flour in little demand, and quotations unaltered. E n glish beans were in limited request, at late rates. Oats and oatmeal in moderate request, but prices as before. Indian corn also at former rates. Egyptian beans declined is per quarter. BOSTON—JAN. 25. We had a moderate supply of wheat from the growers to' day, the demand for which was slow, and prices were at 6 4 to is decline on the prices of last week. Spring corn 10 1 easier to purchase Wheat, red .38s to 44s Oats.... l6s to 24# White do .46s to 48s Beans 37s to 44 1 Barley .25s to 37s Peas ....Hs to 311 MARKET HARBOROUGH—JAN. 24. There was a middling supply of wheat, which met!. fair demand, at about former rates. White wheat, 38s 0 44s ; red, 38s to 42s per 38 stone. Barley in limited quill: tities, and a slow sale, on former terms—old, 38s to 405 new, —s to —s. Oats were a steady sale, from 24e to 3 5 ,, g , per 24 stone. Beans (old), at 38s to 48s ; new, 34 5 to 4 0 ' per 38 stone. LOUTH—JAN. N. I There was a dull business done in wheat to-day, an d prices were at barely last week's quotations, Tic, wheat, rr, and mixed, old an d new , 40 s t o 44 s per qr. ; white, 471' Oats, 18s to 228; beans, 39s to 44. ; barley, 29s to 331. EDINBURGH GRAIN—JAN. 26. The supply of wheat, oats, and beans, was large. S-- Zoo for wheat dull. Wheat on the top Is 9d down average Os lid doh' Barley on the top Os 6d up average Os 9d uP. Oats on the top Os 6d up . average Os 4d up. Beans on the top Os 6d up average 2s 3d up. Averages per Imperial quarter. ....... £2 4 1 8-12 the Barley llB 5 9-12ths Oats 1 6 0 1-12 the Beans Total Supply and Sales. Wheat .1354 qrs Sold 964 q' l Barley... 1379 qrs Sold 936 qrl Oats .2860 qrs ~Sold 1611. qrs Beans 267 qrs.. Sold 17 3 91.5 GLASGOW—JAN. 25. in the market to-day a very quiet business was doe. and prices for wheat and flour about late rates, and in 07 0 instances rather lower. Oats and barley were firm ; dull, and lower ; peas nominally unchangel. Imports 144 " week moderate. CORK—JAs. 25. The following were the quotations this morning l eo wheat, 24s 6d to 25s 91; white, 25s Cd to 26. Od; barley 9d to 19. 8d ; oats, 11s Od to 134 Bd. DERBY SMITHFIELD—JAN. 24. W 1 There was an average supply of f a t s t oc k t o -day,„ a fair attendance of b u y ers ; th e p r i ces a ,k e d were as uto and a clearance was nearly eff ec t e d. Sh ee p were in `g o i supply, and well sold. Calves in limited supply. pigs scarce, and ix request. S i to Beef 6ld to 7d Veal end il l Mutton Lamb Od to Od Rough fat, 5s 15d per W ill. Hides, 3td to 5111 ; calf skins, 6d t o 6id. FO.REIGN MAIL PACKET LIST. In the following table E signifies that letters are despatch° by evening mails from London, and IL by morning malls. [ DESTINATIONS. D of e m sp a a i t i c s h . DPesoprtateefh. al Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton Ditto, via Marseilles 11 1 E Southamp. Feb. , eb. 9 3 Bahamas and Havana via New 16 York Feb. 17, E , Liverpool, , Feb. 11 C c a a n p a e d o a f , &c. (b Canada. pckt ) Feb. 1, E l Liverpool, , Feb. Feb. l Ascen sion, and St. Helena China, Penang, and Singa -1 pore, via Southampton Ditto, via Marseilles lJan. 26, E , Jan. - ,•;,4 Gibraltar, via Southampton .. Jan. 27, M Southamp. over 16 Honduras and Blewflelds .... Feb. 17, M Southamp. Feb. ," India (Calcutta) and Ceylon, via Southampton .......... Feb. 4 II Southamp, I Feb.eb. oti Ditto, via Marseilles India (Bombay), via South ampton Jan. 27, '' M Southamp. overd ua . Ditto, via Marseilles Feb. 3 E Feb. Lisbon, Brazils,Buenos Ayres, 5 and F. Islands ............ Feb. 9, M Sontbamp, reb• . Lisbon, Vigo, and 0p0rt0.... Jan. 27, M Southamp. Feb' ' Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via rd 6B Southampton .lan. 27, M Southarap. OV° 20 Ditto, via Marseilles Jan. —, E Jan. Mexico and Havana ........ Jan. —, 11 Southamp. Newfoundland Jan. 23, E Liverpool.. -- United States and British N America (by British packet) Jan. 2S, E Liverpool.. Feb. 2 Ditto (by U. S. packet) Feb. I,E Southamap. -- West Coast of Africa Ma deira, , and Teneriffe West India, Calif orn i a, Vene zuela, Feb. 23 E., Liverpool.. Feb. 10 Chili, Peru, Grey town, New Granada, &o Feb. 2, ILSouthamp. Feb.- [ADVERTISEMENT.I—HoIIoway' s Pill s ___P,.,,.4.,..t;.-41 of LADVERTISEMENT.]—HoIIoway' s Pill s.—Prostrat i o n o f Strength.--The old and delicate always feel the sudc l9 o transitions from cold to heat, and fearfully they t e ll ul) t them unless preventive measures be adopted to counterAf them. Nothin g e ff ec t s thi s o bj ect so certainly and o speedily as Holloway's Pills, which begin by strength e l i. ing the stomach, regu l a ti ng t h o liver, and purifying blood, and end in working a complete, lasting, and rapi d cure. These admirable pills exercise a most salutary 1 fluence over every organ in the human body. Th e y disy nervousness, weariness, a n d enervat i on. In a word noll° way's Pills wonderfully restore every function to its nay tural state of health and vigour. They never fail ; directth or indirectly they a dj us t an d i nv i gorate the whole anf economy. BIRTHS. BURNA.ND.—On the 26th inst., at Upper Clapton, Mrs. Burnand, of a son. --- CARMICHAEL.—On the 24th inst., at Castlecraig, Peebles' shire, Lady Gibson Carmichael, of a son. CLERK.--On the 23d inst., at 32, Melville-street, Edia: burgh, the wife of James Clerk, E sq ., yr., of Penicuie" of a daughter. MORISON.—On the 23d inst, at the R ec t ory, Chi ng fort Essex, the wife of the R ev. J. H. J. M or i son , of daughter. MARRIAGES. BIsHor—PATNE.—On the 26th inst., at Kenningt on to Church, Mr. George Bi s h op , of 1.52, Regent-street, Eliza, only daughter of the late Charles Payne, of 1 311 r. badoes. MiTroun—RIDDELL.—On the 26th inst., at St. Ma./ Church, Carlton-upon-Trent, John Mitford, Esq., : r Kensington, Londo n , t o Ch r i stina Elliot, only &Aught of George H. Riddell, Esq., of Carlton. DEATHS. BAYLEY.—On the 25th inst., at Albert-street, Beel er park, Mr. George Bayley, aged 72. CAMPBELL.—At Pentridge Rectory, Dorset, M a rgaret Campbell, widow of Lieut.-Colonel Adam G. CamPb e formerly commanding 16th Foot. FREIBORN.—On the 17th inst., at Clement's-inn; Louis Freeborn, Esq. IfAzARD.—On the 26th inst., at Islington, Daniel Hezt lll Esq., aged 70. LEE. —On the 24th inst., at Dillington House, Ilmingt 4 l Alice Georgina, d aug h ter of J. L. Lee, Esq., and the IP' Mrs. L. Lee, aged 16. 7 :110BY.—On the 23d inst., Lady Charlotte Proby. WELLS.--On the 19th inst., John Wells, Esq., of Ne" ham-hill, Oxon, aged 62. LONDON: Printed and Published by WURDO YOUN 0I of No. 112, Strand, Printels at Ths Sim Office,Nt2 of Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the maw Middlesex,. Fridah_January 27, 1860. . ed Itrei liOst T' bYD VC c i 4 T] It eTI 46 1 the i healt Illedi 116 1 "Ire. the ll i Plain *Ad 4 atilte CA publi orb or p a 44. R th ee Pub D; theca abov4 Loss of bo boo( :IR Also Lew Th mom the i Th tew Theis to n _ Otrep On 'heti thd i kph, 'h %ireell