The Sun. — London, England, 1829-12-16 00:00:00

MALT AND BEER DUTIES. (Concluded from our Paper of yesterday.) The CHAIRMAN would now inform the meeting of what had taken place by the instrumentality of the Committee acting in their individual capacities in their respective districts. In Lincolnshire an en deavour had been made to have a county meeting, and he was surprised that the Sheriff had refused to call one. He was at all times willing to give others credit for that which he claimed himself, namely, purity of intention, and therefore he believed that the Sheriff, in refusing to call the meeting, did what he conceived to be right. However, had the humble individual who now addressed them been the Sheriff, he would not only have called a county meeting, but, if necessary, have presided at it. It was satis factory to know, that the conduct of the Sheriff of Lincolnshire would not prevent a meeting from being held in that county. Already the requisite number of county Magistrates had determined to call a meeting, which he had no doubt would be better attended than if it had been convened in the usual way. Some meetings had already taken place on the subject. One was at Reading, another at Maidstone, and another at Bury St. Edmund's, and others in the county to which he belonged. Various other meetings were in preparation. He now came to the third head, namely, what the Com mittee recommended the public to (10. The Com mittee advised the public to get up county meet ings, and parish meetings, regularly convened in vestry. The Committee, however, (lid nut intend to force the measures which they recommended upon the country. If the public did not take up a matter so deeply interesting to it, the Com mittee did not intend to stand forth and be con tinually agitating the question. The Committee would most cheerfully give their services to the cause, but to be effectual, their efforts must be se conded by the public. They were extremely de sirous of receiving from the meeting, or from any individual forming part of it, hints or suggestions. The Committee would, however, exercise their dis cretion as to whether they would adopt them. It must be quite obvious that an undertaking, of this kind could not be carried on without finances. No thing would be expended in the attainment of the object which the Committee had in view except what was absolutely necessary. The chief expense was the insertion of advertisements in the public Journals. The Hon. Gentleman then complimented the Journals generally, and the Farmer's Journal in particular, for the aid which they had lent to the endeavour to procure the repeal of the malt and beer duties. The disbursements of the Committee had been 27/., and their receipts 32/. Amongst the greatest subscribers were the Duke of Bedford and Mr. Curteis, who had given 10/. each.—(Hear.) — The subscriptions of these individuals were va luable,not so much for their amount as because they indicated that the opinion of the donors was in unison with that of the Committee, and that their support might be relied on in Parliament in favour of a proposition for the repeal of the malt and beer duties.—(llear, hear.)—The Hon. Gentleman con cluded by observing, that if he had omitted any thing in his address which ought to have been stated, some of his brother Committee-men would supply it._(Applause.) Lord TEYSIIAM, as a Peer of Parliament, had always advocated the cause of the agricultural classes, and especially of the labouring poor. lie had made himself personally master of the sub ject. He had traversed whole parishes arid districts, and entered the cottages of the labourer arid artisan in every direction. The present condition of the labouring classes, and particularly of the agricultural labourers, was such as loudly called for interference. Every person was bound to come forward who was capable of lending a helping hand, or giving the smallest aid towards restoring those unfortunate per sons to the station which they enjoyed in tire time of their ancestors, when the peasantry were the pride and glory of the country. (Applause.) Their spirit was now humbled to the dust, by measures which gave them cause to hate their landlords and all above them in rank. (Hear.) The labouring classes in this country were now reduced to so dreadful a state of misery, that he was convinced it was only owing to the want of means of combina nation, that we were spared the horrors of a servile war, He felt gratitude to the chairman for coming forward on the present occasion. He was conscious that nothing but the sincere feelings of his heart, and the noble motives which actuated him, had induced him to stand forth inn a cause which, as he stated, he found to be an up-hill one as regarded the higher ranks. He was sorry to find many persons were ab sent who should have made their appearance on this occasion. There should have been at least five Peers of the realm present. The Duke of Bedford, how ever, had promised his support, and no doubt there were marry Members of the House of Lords who would give the subject all the consideration which its importance merited. The question was, what, in the present circumstances of the country, was tire best mode of affording relief to the labouring classes, and bringing back those happy times when the labourer, after the toils of the day, sat at home with his wife, and drank his glass of home-brewed beer. Contract that state of things with the pre sent. Let those tvho heard him visit the gin-shop, and they would turn from the picture, as he haal done, with horror and disgust. The labourer must have something to refresh him after the toils of the day, and if he found that at home, his honest heart would lead him there in preference to the public house,—(Applatrse.)—The object of the committee tea* the repeal of the malt and beer duties. The duty on these necessaries of life was originally pro yosed as a security for the sum which was the be ginning of our national debt. These duties had now been carried to an extent unparalleled in at. country. He might here be allowed to quote the woids of 311 illustrious historian), Gibbon, who said, that " tire taxation of England was more cruel and oppressive on mart than all the crimes of all the Ceo4ars." It was the duty of every honest man to endeavour to lighten the load of taxation which pressed upon the poorer classes. He had been in frequent communication with the Noble Duke now at the head of the Government, and always found in him a most anxious desire to mend the condi tion of the people. The Noble Duke con stantly said," Show me how I can afford relief to the country, without injury to public credit, and to those establishments which I rim bound to maintain, and I will do it directly."—(Hear.) He believed that that noble individual's great mind would deve lop some plan for the relief of the country. Ile looked for something at the opening of Parliament. But it was necessary that the subject should be pressed on the attention of the Legislature from out of doors. Every person acquainted with the country was aware that at the present moment there was a less consumption of malt by probably two thirds, than there was in 1773. This was a striking proof of the distress of the labouring classes. It vas truly shocking to reflect upon the small amount of wages now generally paid to the industrious classes. Weaving, the average wages of which used to be its. or lie. per week, now obtained only 2s. or Is. Gd. This unfortunate state of things was ag gravated by the general adoption of the worst species of relief, —namely, the application of the poor-rates in aid of wages.—(Hear, hear.) 'rile whole operation of the poor-laws was an encourage, ment to vice, particularly as regarded the fair sex. He had made inquiries in twenty-aix parishes in Kent, and found that not one marriage in fifteen took place among the labouring classes where the woman was not ready to drop to pieces before the eaeer . nony was performed. Unless t he labourer were put In the way of maintaining himself without parish relief, it war impos-ible that he could be provident. He looked upon the poors' rate as his property, and his only object was to get as large a slice as possible. The proceedings of the parish officers with respect to the management of paupers were perfectly disgrace ful. In one parish he knew the paupers were all huddled together into a pound, and kept there all d ay In another parish they were placed in a pound and people set round to prevent them from gettinz out. On the coast, smugglers found no great diffi culty in hiring 500 men at threepence per day than in purchasing a leg of mutton. It was apparent, that unless this state of things were mended, a convulsion must soon take place. He was pleased to see so many respectable persons assembled at the present meeting. Nothing but the expression of the public voice would compel the Government to look the evil boldly in the face, and apply a remedy. The Noble Lord concluded, amidst much applause, with moving that the Report of the Committee .be adopted by the meeting. Mr. MARTIN CRIPPS deplored the increased con sumption of ardent spirits amongst the people. lin fortuustely, he said, the Minister's of the country had always been anxious to encourage the drinking of ardent spirits rather than malt liquor. When the visiting Magistrates of Surrey went round to visit the gin-shops in the Borough, Mr. Vansittart, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, said, " Take care how you decrease the drinking of spirits, which brings such a revenue to the country."—(A cry of " Shame !") The drinking of beer strengthened the labourer ; the use of ardent spirits rendered him weak and emaciated. The crimes committed by dram-drinkers were always of a blacker die than those perpetrated by other individuals not addicted to the use of spirits. On visiting lunatic asylum s for the poor, in the execution of his duty, he found that a large portion of the inmates had been driven to madness by die excessive drinking of spirits. — The Hon. Gentleman concluded his observations by an attack on the free-trade system, and tire return to cash payments. . A gentleman in the centre of the room, whose name we could not learn, contended that the licens ing system was the evil of which the poor had the greatest cause to complain. If the malt and beer duty were repealed, porter could not be sold retail for less than 3d. per pot—a price beyond the reach of the poor man; but if the licensing system were abolished, and competition allowed, the price would be reduced to 2d. per pot. Mr. CULLEN condemned the absence of the repre sentatives of the people on an occasion so interesting to the public— " Silence in this case the name of weakness hears, " And is partaker of the crimes it spares." Alluding to the conduct of the Sheriff of Lincoln shire, he described it as childish.—(Hear.) —People might scold him in Lincolnshire, but in London he was only laughed at. Many gentlemen had declared their confidence in the Duke of Wellington, and he also had confidence in him. The Duke, when he was out of power, perhaps from factious motives, or probably from imperfect views, expressed sonic opi nions which he (Mr. Cullen) thought neither liberal nor wise. Since he had been in power, however, he had, as far as opinions could be judged of by taking acts as their index, grown wiser and more liberal. — All Ministers in this country during his (Mr. Cul len's) lifetime, had professed better principles out of power than in power; but the Duke of Wellington had done better in power than out of it.—(Hear.) —Though he gave the Duke no credit for a passionate love of liberty, he did give him cre dit for exemption from prejudice, sound judgmen t, and sagacity which enabled him to read the signs of the times, and the real courage of yielding wisely to the wishes of the people—unlike his petty predecessors, who always opposed the will( f the people, and had not the wisdom to know when it was greater wis dom to yield than to resist.—(Hear.) —The Hon. Gentleman then made some strictures upon the vexatious nature of the proceedings in Exchequer against maltsters, and said, that the laws were so framed as to render it almost impossible for the most honest man to avoid infringing them. He con demned the licensing system, and considered the House of Commons highly culpable in not having abolished it in conformity with the tenour of their report in ISIS, and concluding with moving the following resolution :—" That in the opinion of this meeting the relief offered to the people by taking off the duties on malt and beer will be very trifling, unless the present system of arbitrary licensing be put an ad to." 111 r. FIFE, a Member of the Committee, objected to the mixing up the question of the licensing sys tem with the repeal of the duties. He was con vinced that if the meeting entertained the Hon. Gentleman's proposition, it would raise up a host of enemies.—(Hear, hear.) The CUAIRMAN wished the resolution to be with drawn, but Mr. CULLEN would not consent to it. After a long wrangle, The CHAIRMAN put it to the meeting whether the question of the licensing system formed a legiti mate part of the day's discussion. For the affirma tive of this proposition only five hands were held up, and a host against it. Mr. CULLEN then withdrew his resolution. Colonel SurrllonPE next addressed the meeting. He declared his expectation of being soon present at a meeting in Lincolnshire, called to petition Par liament for the repeal of the duty on malt and beer. He would apply no harsh epithet to the Sheriff for having refused to call a meeting of that county. It was a gocd maxim de absentibus (as well as ?nor tui.s)nil nisi bonnet. He would express his opinions at the approaching meeting freely and impartially, and, as far as his humble abilities permitted, he would perform his duty to his fellow creatures. — (Hear.) The report was unanimously approved of. On the motion of Mr. QUILTER, it was resolved that the Committee should in future use all their exertions to procure the total repeal of the malt and beer duties, and not as was originally proposed, their " material reduction. Thanks were voted to Lord Teynham and the Chairman, after which the meeting separated. «'e•ohseive by the Monthly List of Insoa vents published by " The Metropolitan Society for the Opposition and Prosecution of Fraudulent Insolvent Deb tors," that no less than 488 persons have petitioned the Court for relief under the Insolvent Act between the 4th day of November and the sth day of December, both in clusive. As ISAAC GLENNY, Esq. of Glenvale, was lately exploring an ancient Irish cairn, in the neighbour hood of Newry, he made a fortunate discovery of twenty pieces of silver coin, in an excellent state of preservation. Among them were one of the reign of an ALEXANDER, of Scotland ; and others of HEszitY 11., and one o the I.:ow:inns of England, coined in Waterford. LILLE, DEC.9.—A scandalous affair, highly interesting as regards public Morals, was yesterday brought La, re the Correctional Tribunal. A woman, who had been authorised by the Police to keep a house of de bauchery, was charged with an outrage against public mo rals, in having favoured and facilitated the corruption of a number of young girls under the age of 21, and much astonishment and disgust were excited at seeing several of the victims brought forward of the age of from 15 to 17. 'lice defendant attempted to exculpate herself by asserting it the police had granted licenses to these young girls to devote themselves to prostitution ; and the Court, not cre diting this statement, sent for the Chief Officer of Police. On his arrival he stoutly denied having granted such infa mous licenses ; but the documents were instantly put into Court, in the presence of the Commissary, who endea voured to excuse himself by saying that there bad been some mistake as to the ages of the girls. The President, however, ordered them to approach, and after remarking upon their small stature and juvenile appearance, he ob served to the Commissary that it would have been impos sible to fall into the error which was alleged as an excuse. The Chief Police Officer retired in much confusion, and the def . endant was condemned to be imprisoned for a year and a day, and to pay a fine of 200 f. It is said that a great many strange and most scandalous abuses exist with respect to the police regulations upon women of the town and improper hou•es ; and it is said that in some instances the police have forced young girls to inscribe their names in the book kept for the purpose, merely for the sake of obtaining the fee paid on such occasions. It is known that iu the provinces prostitutes are not allowed even to pursue their infamous vocation without this formality, and without submitting to a visit from a surgeon twice a month, though in Paris the Prefect of Police lately abo lished the regulation. A great revenue is derived from impure source.---French Paper. PRICES OF STOCKS TITIS DAT AT ONE O'CLOCK. Oink stock 3 per Cent. Red. 9314 101 d Annuities shut --- 3 per Cent. Cons 3si per Cent MU, %red. 99% 4 4 Ni Ditto lid. '73 74 pm. 4 per Cent. Ann 74 pm. 7.‘ pm Ditto, 1 , 26 Ditto Scrip - I Ditt.s 6mall 13 ink 1.. Ann.. 101‘ 9-16 Ditto lid. 1'73 '74 prn. Ditto 30 years ' India Stock shut India for Account ......... 91 -- Ditto Bonds ' 0 p m . t Cons. for January ......... 1% ---_ PRICES OF FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAT AT ONE O'CLOCK. Austrian Bonds — Neapolitan ........................ Brazilian Bonds 674 Peruvian Bonds ............... Buenos Ayres Bonds Portuvese Bonds ......... ... Chilian Bonds — Prussian, Old .................. Colombian Bonds ....... — Di. .o New ...................... Ditto, 1824 Danish Greek Bonds — --- 1823 ..................... Ditto, 1825 Gu a tem a la — --- Exchange ...... —f. . Mexican Bonds - 3 per cent....... —t. —r. Ditto, 18'25 - Exchange ...... —f. • ______.------ PRICES OF IRISH STOCKS, DUBLIN, DEC. 12. Rank Stock Consols, 3 per cent. Gov. Stock, 3).', per cent 99%1i i National Ditto ................. 25.!4 Ditto, New 4 per Cent lO l l4 IA ' Hibernian Bank ............... Gov. Deb. *,; percent.... 9514, Provincial Ditto .... ........... Royal Canal StocK Grand Canal Stock 2l i 5 , imperial Mine ................. . City Deb. 4 per cent Ballast Office Deb. 4p. c --C0 r g "..... PRICES OF SHARES THIS DAY AY ONE O'CLOCK. Paid. Per Share. 4SO Bolanos Mining Co. .£'oo Brazilian Imp. Alm. Co. (i,s. r;", a'. pm ) £2O Ditto National lO 1571 17 MAILS. Arri ve d . Due. Arrived. Due. O America 0 0 Hamburg ............. 2 O Brazil O Buenos Ayre. 0 I: Jamaica ................ 0 O Carthagena 0 0 Leeward Islands ... 0 I Dublin 0 0 Lisbon 0 O Flanders 0 0 Mexico O France 0 0 Sweden O Guernsey &Jersey.. 0 1 Waterford HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW. Morning... `..;8 minutes after fi I Evening ... 51 minutes after CIO - * -.1 : --, j.„_21.- ?' - '-t ~,.. : 2't--1.. ~....-4- "••• "" LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 16, 1829. EXPRESS FROM PARIS. 'From the Quotidienne of Monday, Dec. 14.) BUCHAREST, NOV. 16. The fortress of Ghiurgevo has at length been given over to the Russians, who entered in the greatest order, with drums beating, on the 27th. The Turkish garrison are to pass the Danube • for Rudschuk. The plague does not cause any more alarm. The army before Shumla, as well as the second corps commanded by General PAHL EN, have received orders to march for Russia. In the afternoon Prince POLIGNAC had an audience of the KING. FRENCH FuNns.—Five per Cents, 10Sf. SOc. 10Sf, 60c. 109 f. 40c. 10Sf. 85c. ; Three per Cents, 84 f. 40c, Mr. MARcuEsA, an Italian Messenger, ar rived at the Colonial Office this morning with despatches from Sir FREDERICK ADAM, Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Isles. Mr. M A RCIIESA was also the bearer of des patches from Mr. DAWKINS, the British Mini ster at Greece. The Nureniburg Correspondent of the Bth December contains the following account of the illness of the Emperor of Russ' A, which it appears was occasioned by accident : BERLIN, DEC. 2. The intelligence of the illness of his Majesty the Emperor of Russia caused great alarm here at first, but according to the later accounts we may now make ourselves easy. At the first moment nume rous reports, founded on suspicious conjectures, were in circulation, all of which have now disap peared. We hear that his Majesty's illness was caused by the following accident : Pie Emperor and his august consort sleep in the same wing of the palace. Between the bed-rooms on each side, in which the Princes and Princesses also sleep next to their Majesties, •is a large apartment or gallery, the floor of which is highly polished. Dur ing the night one of their Majesties' children, rising up in bed, threw down a vase which stood on a bracket. The great noise caused by the fall roused his Majesty from his sleep; he leaped out of bed in much alarm and hastened to the room from which the noise proceeded, but slipped in the gallery and fell. The fright, the fall on his forehead, and the cold which he caught, pro duced his Majesty's indisposition. He derived great benefit from being bled immediately, and the fears of an inflammation of the brain, which might have been the consequence of the fall, are said to be now dispelled. Only a few hours the august patient was delirious, and showed some symptoms of alarm of mind. It need not be stated that this unpleasant event excites general sorrow here : we however con sole ourselves with the hope that his Majesty's vigorous constitution will overcome the effects of the accident, and we trust in the ability of his physicians. The life of the Emperor is of the highest importance to all Europe, and it cannot be denied that an event, which we trust is very distant, would lead to fresh embarrassments in the policy of Europe; and there is therefore but one unanimous wish for the speedy recovery of the universally revered Monarch. The extraordinary interest that is felt for him here, more than any other place, is partly founded on the love and respect of the Prussians for the daughter of their King, the E m press of Russia.* BELGRADE, NOV. 27, Accounts from Constantinople of the 10th say that the greatest tranquillity prevails there, and that commerce daily becomes more and more active; many ships of all nations are contineally arriving. It is said that some Greek merchantmen, which had hoisted their colours, were at first refused admission to the Dardanelles, and that this led to same dis putes, which were arranged by the intervention of the English Consul, and it was agreed that the Greek J►ips should be allowed to enter the Darda nelles on condition of their not hoisting the Greek flag. We understand that the complete evacuation of Adrianople by the Russians was to take place on the 23d instant. Mustapha Pacha, of Scutari, is still with the main body of his army at Philipp°. polis, where he has bespoken quarters for 17,000 men. " This article being dated the 2(1, the convalescence of his Majesty was not yet known at Berlin. The construction of a regular code of English law is a subject on which much difference of opinion exists, in respect both of its expediency and its practicability. Some tl4ok that the highly c omplicated system, now in effect, is well suited to settling the disputes to which a civi lized and wealthy state of society gives rise— that simplicity of law would in such circum stances be an absolute evil—and that more litiga tion would oc,:ur under a code, like the Code Napoleon, than under a mass of statutes and adjudged cases in which our jurisprudence at u4,1,,1 ie.1111,1 41.) present lies. It is moreover urged, that there would be the greatest difficulties in the formation of such a code--that, to consolidate so bulky and unwieldy a mass, would be a more than Her culean labour—and that men could hardly be found, possessing at the same time the philoso phical minds, and the profound legal knowledge, adequate to the fulfilment of so arduous a task. In « Sir Walter Scott's Life of Napoleon," where we should scarcely have expected to find such a discussion, a very ingenious argument is raised for the superiority of a collection of cases or precedents over a code ; the former being compared to a breakwater, by which the common law is maintained in its place and protected against encroachments. This common law was originally nothing bu the expression of the vague feelings of the corn munity, concerning what was just in each matter of dispute that arose; and the Judges, as the representatives of the KING, were the organs of that expression. They were the interpreters of the customs of the realm, and the records of their decisions were the best guides to the know ledge of those customs; just as the Court of Rolls of a manor is the evidence of the former proceedings of the Lord and the Leet. Hence the law has been gradually formed by the accu mulated decisions of the Judges upon particular cases, the principles of which decisions remain to be inferred from the reasons assigned in deli vering the respective judgments, and to be ap plied to the instances that arise in the best manner that the skill of the lawyers can suggest. The question is, then, whether it is better that the principles of the law should be laid down by the Legislature in plain terms, under the name of a code, or that they should be left to be ascertained by the experimental observa tion of each successive generation of lawyers ? In the former case the method would be to de scend from principles to particular circumstances ; in the latter it is necessary first to hunt out the principle, and then to endeavour to apply it. The rights of persons to liberty and property are at present badly defined ; the necessary con sequence of which is the difficulty of knowing when they are violated, and when not. Some offences are not defined at all, such as Libel, which can be explained no otherwise than by saying it is " that which a Jury shall find to be so." Other branches, such as the Law of Car riers, are so uncertain that it is extremely diffi cult to know what are the duties of those per sons to their employers—when they do right— and when wrong. Not long ago the Court of King's Bench was equally divided upon the question, whether a person hiring a glass-coach was liable for the mischief done by the driver whilst the hirer was in the coach ; and the law on the point is at this day unknown, and would de pend on the Judge before whom it might be raised. Instances without number might be cited in proof of what is in every one's mouth— " the glorious uncertainty of the law"—a phrase which implies a general ignorance among the people of what is a man's own property, and what is his neighbour's—a confusion between meum and tuum—between what lawfully may, and what may not, be done. That the law should have become a standing topic of conversation—that great public attention should be drawn to the decisions from time to time pronounced in our Courts, on account of their important effects upon the interests of us all,—are facts which prove the process of law making, or rather law-changing, to be constantly going on. Befo're November last, commer cial men believed the correct course to be to protest in London bills refused under the circumstances of that which was lately recovered against the house of BARING ; to their surprise the Judges held (we do not say well or ill) that such a bill ought to be protested at Liverpool. Is it not then ob vious that a code relating to bills of exchange, in which such a case was provided for, would have prevented the cause of MITCHELL v. BARING from having ever been heard of, and would have been a great public benefit ? A comprehensive and well digested code would, so far as we can see, be a prodigious improvement upon our present Judge-made law. Mr. HUM PHREYS has already given an outline of one re specting real property ; is there not ability enough in England to take the other branches by Committees as,..it were ? and by a division of labour, to reduce into form and symmetry the mass of rugged materials, among which we are now stumbling and falling, whilst we seek pro tection for our rights? If the Code Napoleon be not worthy of imitation, there is at all events the Roman Code for our model,—a code raised with materials even more scattered and multi- furious than we possess, yet forming a monu ment of human wisdom, whose grandeur will, to all ages, command the veneration of mankind. D es patches were sent off yesterday evening from the Foreign Office for L.( rd STUART DE RoTnsay, our Ambassador at Paris. Mr. Secretary PEEL, accompanied by his brother, Mr. WILLIAM PEEL, arrived in town yesterday evening, from the residence of the Right lion. Secretary at Stowe, in Norfolk. It is confidently stated that Sir GEORGE MURRAY will be removed to the Horse Guards, and that Mr. IlusmsoN will resume his station in the Colonial (Am We have also heard, and that in a high quarter, that onv of the first measures of the next Session of Par liament will be the abolition of the tithes in Ireland, and a counnutation, in the nature of a stipend, will he paid to the Clergy of the Irish Church and the lay impropnators out of the Revenues of both countries, and the new taxes imposed upon the former for that purpose. --Morning Paper. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.--(THIS DAY.) FROM LLOYD'S. PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 15.—Wind N.N.E.—Off the Wight, the Blossom, Norry, from Rio Janeiro. FALMOUTH, DEC. 3.—Wind S.E.—Sailed the Sandwich packet, for Lisbon. LIVERPOOL, DEC. 13.—Arrived the Montezuma, West, from Philadelphia; and Andromeda, Wilkie, from Quebec. HULL, DEC. 14.—Arrived the Campton, Cham bers".; Suffolk, Jackson ; and Iphigenia, Bird, from Quebec ; Mauchester,Willer, from Richebucto. STOCKTON, DEC. 14.--Arrived the Crown, James, from St. John's, N. B.; and Maria, Wil kinson, from Riga. HOLYHEAD, DEC. 14.—Off Port, the Sandbach, ---, from Demerara. The Amelia packet, from Liverpool to Bueno s Ayres, is lost off Monte Video. The Brothers, Brathwaite, from Dublin, was driven on shore at the entrance of Ravinglass ; crew saved. THE FUNDS.-(THIS DAY.) CITY, TWELVE O'CL OCK Accounts from Liverpool to the 14th December, state that the sales of Cotton on the above day amounted to 2,000 bales, with a more firm market than last week. There was a very large arrival dur ing the week of ships, with timber from Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. This circum stance had, however no tendency to depress the price, but on the contrary. " PANIPATAN IN COLOMBIA A FREE PORT. ' 4 SIMON BOLIVAR, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA. " Whereas the Island of Margarita, because of the sterility of the soil, the ravages of war, and the considerable diminution of its population, is re duced to such a miserable state as to be rendered almost useless to itself and to the Republic; and whereas the Government, to extricate it from the degradation into which it has fallen, decrees, that all goods, wares, and merchandize which are not prohibited by the law, or which are not contraband in Colombia, shall have free ingress into the port of Pampatan except from the duties prescribed for the other ports ; the Island of Margarita will remain wholly closed for all foreign and domestic commerce." Advices from Tampico, of the 11th of October, state that the fever and dysentery were making great ravages amongst the Spanish troops. Accounts from Curacoa, received at New York in 16 days, state that between the 23d and 28th Oct., the weather in that island had been ♦ery bad. One man-of-war broke adrift, and some considerable in jury was anticipated in the country. TILE FUNDS. Our arrivals to-day are very few, and not worth observation; but it is stated that an express has ar rived from Paris, no doubt bringing the prices of the French Rrntes, which have not yet transpired, and Consols opened at the same price they left off yes terday, 941- for the Account, with scarce a bar gain doing. The Foreign Market is void of interest as yet. — Prices nominal. ENGLISH FUNDS. Bank Stock, 216 17 31 per Cent. 994 India Stock, New 4 per Cent., shut 3 per Cent. Cons. shut 4 per Cent. 1826 104 4 Do., for Account, 944 4 India Bonds. 68 70 Ditto Reduced, 934 Exchequer Bills, 73 74 FOREIGN FUNDS. Greek, 26i 274 Mexican, 25-1 Peruvian, 161 17 Portuguese, 53 54 Prussian, Russian, 1084 94 Spanish, 101 TWO O'CLOCK. The Consol Market remained during the whole ~. the morning without a feature worth observation at 944 a for the Account; but within the last quar ter of an hour the Market took a turn, and Consols receded to 944 This change is attributed to the French Funds coming lower. The information by the Express from Paris has not as yet transpired, con• sequently we cannot state as positive the above re port. The Commissioners purchased this morning in the 34 per Cents. and Reduced, but not to a great amount, of which there was about 600 Bonds for the Life Annuities. The Foreign Market continues dull, and without nterest. Brazil and Mexican stock have rather mproved. Brazilian, 67- 4 1 - Buenos Ayres, 26 23 Chilian, 26 28 Colombian, 23 Danish, 741 French, 5 per Cent. 109 10 Ditto, 3 per Cent. 841; THREE O'CLOCK. Consols for Account, 944 I. LAW INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY, COURT OF CHANCERY. lIODGES V. HORSFALI. The Loan CHANCELLOR gave judgment in this appeal from an order of the Vice-Chancellor, the present Master of the Rolls. Mr. Horsfall was the owner of certain premises at Battle-bridge, for the sale of the lease of which he entered into a treaty with Mr. Hodges. Fifteen hun dred pounds was to be given for the lease, which was to be for 31:yeats from Midsummer, 1824 ; the rent was to be 801. a year. Mr. Hodges was to make certain repairs and additions, and a plan of such repairs, &c. was said to have been agreed upon. A demur took place, and Mr. Horsfall filed a bill against Mr. Hodges for a specific performance, according to a given plan. This bill was dismissed. Mr. Hodges next filed a bill against Mr. Horsfall for a spe cific performance according to another plan. It did not appear that any definite plan had been distinctly agreed upon, although two or three plans had been at different times the subject of conversation between the parties, therefore the Vice-Chancellor thought this bill ought to follow the fate of the others ; in which the Court upon this appeal concurred in the propriety of.—The order of the Master confirmed with costs. DUNSTON V. APPOLD. The Court directed au issue to be tried in the Court of Common Pleas, to ascertain whether Mr. Giles had acted as the agent of Mr. Dunston, or on his own account, respecting the houses Nos. 40 and 41, at Chelsea. IN RE WHITE AND METCALF, BANKRUPTS. The Court proceeded to hear the arguments in this matter in support of the act of bankruptcy. VICE-CHANCELLOR'S COURT. FRY V. LORD SIIERBORNE. This case stood in the paper to he spoke to ; the ques tion in which arose upon the construction of a marriage settlement. The Court on a previous day had delivered its judgment, but the Solicitor-General having stated, that at the time that judgment was pronounced by the Court various facts connected with the settlement were not brought to the Court's attention, the case was ordered to be spoke to on that point. After a long discussion, the Court confirmed the order it bad previously made, ordering the Solicitor-General's clients, at whose request the present application was made, to pay the costs. The Court then proceeded upon exceptions and further directions. ROLLS COURT. Nothing of any public itni ortance took place in this )urt to-day. COURT OF KING'S BENCH. BRETT V. R EALES AND ANOTHER. Mr. TAUNTON stated that this was an action to try the right of the Corporation of Cambridge to certain tolls on every sort of merchandise brought for sale into the town. The case had been tried three times before.— The Learned Counsel said he could trace back the right on the part of the Corp( ration to the reign of Edward 1., from which tuna the Corporation had invariably either col lected or let the tolls in question. The case is likely to last two days. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. MORRISON V. MITCIIELL. Mr. Serjeant Witnit stated that this was an action brought by the p'aintiff%, the extensive haberdashers in Fore-street, to recover of the defendant, a wholesale draper at Norwich, the sum of 1001., which they had lost by a person named Shaw, to whom they gave credit, in conse quence of a letter written by the defendant. • The facts are shortly these :—ln March, 18 9 6, Shaw entered into an agreement with the defendant, to conduct a concern'of his at Bunny, for which he was to receive a sal ,ry of 701. per year. The business was to be carried on in the name of Shaw. Some time after this agreement WO concluded, Shaw came to London; to make purchsFegr and to enable him so to do be was furnished w ith the fel" • lowing letter, addressed to the plaintiff by the defendan W t " Gentlemen,—The bearer of this letter , Mr. rie; Shaw, has succeeded me in my business at Bungay/_ his being a stranger in the London market, I beg to in form you that I can recommend him as a person to wtog l you may safely give credit, (Signed) " MITCHELL. The Learned Counsel said, he would prove that the de' fendant was aware that the representation he gave to the plaintiff was false, and should therefore be entitled to a verdict Slater, a clerk in the house of Morrison and Ca. the plaintiffs, stated that Shaw was a complete stranger to that firm, and that they were in duced to g ive hial ere dit on the representation of the defendant's letter. William Shaw examined—l entend the defendant's service in 1826, for which I was to receive a salary of 70 1 . per annum. I was in no ways interested in the business on my own account, at the time I produced the letter and applied to the plaintiffs for credit. The goods I received were all sold for the benefit of the defendant. Did not tell the plaintiffs anything about the agreement existing b e tween me and Mr. Mitchell. There had been no con versation between me and the defendant previous to the l letter being written respecti n g the London markets. continued in the defendant's service up to 1828, when f left him, and commenced business on my own se count. I was a short time afterwards made a bankrupt. the plaintiffs had no notice that I had left the defendant, and continued to supply me with goods as before, and at the time of my bankruptcy they were creditors for nearly 1001. I commenced business in a shop immediately op posite to the one I conducted for Mr. Mitchell. Cross-examined—The plaintiffs had no knowledge of my agreement with the defendant until after my bank ruptcy. When the letter in questio n was written, I hid told Mr. Mitchell that I expected I s hould receive 5001. had Mr. failed Se which my wife considered she was entitled to. This was the plaintiff" case. rijneallt provingS r A y l E fr s a u u b d m ul i e t n te t d m , otthivaet, there was no case to go the Jury. not be The CHIEF JUSTICE said, he thought he s hould justified in stopping the case, it was for the defendant to show be did not write the letter wilfully to misrepresent. Mr. Serjeant SeANKIE then addressed the Jury at great length. He certainly thought this a case for his Lord ship to decide, turning as it did upon a point of law which was now a well established principle, viz., that before a party giving a representation by which credit was ole" tained, could he made responsible, it must be dela, shown, not only that such misrepresentation was false O u deceitful, but that the party was actuated by fraudul ent motives at the time. It was not enough that the representation was untrue, and the defendant could n" be made responsible unless at the time be the thereforeplaintiffs the letter the Jury could think it was his intention to ea'' . trap and take advantage of the plaintiffs, and such a Oa"- elusion he felt confident they never could come to. T he defendant had sufficient cause to suppose that Shaw ""I: trustworthy, and for two years the accounts were regula r ,' e paid, therefore the plaint'ff bad not acted under influence of a letter written two years before, they gave credit for the goods for which the action 0,1 1 brought, and they must put up with the loss by their o no negligence; but (said the Learned Counsel) it will be loss to them, for what with actions of libel and other ac, tions, in all of which they are represented as the lar,cerib haberdashers in the kingdom, there will be no loss. ..th thousand posting bills would be nothing compared 0') the publicity these actions obtain for thern.--(l'aughtietr. to The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE summed up, 0d left thought, at the Jury on the question whether or not they m ade the time the letter was written, the defendant wilfully a misrepresentation. Verdict for the plaintiff—Damages, 88/. 10s. wrote y.yyl9E COMMISSION OF LUNACY. (THIRD DAY.) At eleven es this day, day,assemble d, Jury having the Co 111" m ission Mr. Styan, a tea-broker, called—Rnew Mr. Davitirs tia , recollected, at a late sale of tea of the East India COl play's, he made a very singula r observation. He caliel out to the auctioneer—" Mr. Auctioneer, every lot e „ Padrae tea you have in the catalogue I shall bid 5.. for% y W o i un t . n ,u e , g s Witness Froms i‘ a d ‘c thiso what woaff was offer le w s oaosab observed ib g r u o l tk a h r ee , :: and as t a bh s o the be ,'as I ceeded, Mr. Dav'e: ap[roached in a menacing mda n tr sti so witness observed, " Mr. Davies, I have nothing t°,-',.as insane. kad nOvo singu l a r CO'' Davies four or five years, and had remarked a ti ast in his manner within this last vear. house,JolnthKouegnhdtr fromick , hisproprietor of whileF u r l n i e i v ,v a l as ' - in sCiftel that he was not perfectly sound in his mind. Mrs. Brookbank, examined by Sir C. WE:111E00'1i Mr. Davies was her nephew, and ba d manifested a strilr: change in his natural disposition , latel y having got l j ec , boisterous. His mother was very indulgent and tionate, but be entertained strang e delusions respectq her, and said he was afraid she would murder hint' J/1,, also said that he intended to get into Parliament, 3 9 0 , had such a share of oratory that ever y Member would,o afraid to speak after him. A lso that he ho p ed he 0° not die yet, as he was destined to save his King and cu t try. He constantly repeated that his mother tvoolui;a her own throat ; knew that he cart ied fire-arms aboutio'i'l• At one time, when a shopman, named Arthur, from ea pot-lane, came to her house to see her nephew, he ao " That man is nothing but a spy." On one oecasielio/ calling on Mr. Davies, at Dr. Burrows's, and finding be t apparently quiet; she asked him to take a ride wi th f al , in her carriage. This caused him ;insta ntl y to seltiat out, and call for the ass:stance of the keep ers, 53)44 -0 she had come for the purpose of taking him aw a y „de another occasion, his sister accompanied the witness ;: i ve Mr. Davies, and on their approachi n g him he eb an ne r much irritated, and abused his sister in the g rosaestin s i s ter ol Cross-examined by Mr. Baouottaat —Was Mrs. Bywater, the mother of Mr. Davies. Wil.ol4:si former husband's name was Ross, to who m Mr. Dar' was first bound apprentice. Witness had a husband vious to Mr. Ross, whose name was Cranhrook, a surgeon. Mrs. Bywater, the mother of Mr. "-eer was at one time a cook in the family of Mr. Jones, 3 ,11 4 tleman in Wales. After Mrs. Bywater cam e to to 0,4 married Mr. Davies, but she could not say that be Wfio porter in a warehouse. He was something in the (1, way. She had never empower.d Mi. Davies t e , c )/ money on her account, or any man living — ( Latigbt` except my husband. If° t The examination was proceeding when our PaP er to press. THE MARKETS.-(THIS DA CORN EXCHANGE. air ' The arrivals of all sorts of Grain thia week Ilre!cfP, except of Oats from Ireland , of which the quantity '' rP" siderable. There is not much Flour this Tvee ic ; e o , l Wheat trade continues dull at Monday's P r ' d - itb Barley, Beans, and Pease remain a s last reported, "„fer''A slack demand to-day for each. Oats find itIV good parcels obtain Monday's term s, other crol.i,rlol` rather cheaper. In the Flour trade t here is 9t"' heaviness experienced. ARRIVALS. Wheat. Barley. English Irish 1,20 140 24,600 Foreign I 600 HAY HA RKETS.—( At perMITHFIELD. Load of 36 D*o° ' S p I o Coarse heavy Lowland Meadow Hay 12 A " t iiil 9 i New Meadow Hay ll3 11l 0 Useful Old Ditto 3 i Fine Upland Meadow and Rye-grass Hay 3 l° 1 1 Clover Hay (extra fine)....£s o...Generallv Oat Straw .f 18 to .£1 12 1 Wheat Straw 1 ,514' Supply but moderate; trade very dull, at yeT.erclaY The following is posted at Lloyd's A c " The Committee of Lloyd's have been (3.--feo~pi formed, that two Englishmen and an AMeriCarl ;,cf sentence of death at Curacoa for piracy an d murder' 0,,,,,r1 of the English acted as Captain , and the other assl;4o of a brig named the Providentia , after wards the orsfor which carried into St. Eustatia a Portuguese or 0 1) 0 0 ship, with a Bishop on board , who is suppese" 306,10 been murdered with most of the crew. S on th e having arisen as to the legality of the sentenceuo e ,4 11 14 are to be kept in custody until the decision of t ", i - itr4 rities in Holland shall have been received ; 0 " 3 0 11 0 , desirable, in the event of the present sentence B _,g pirates being reversed, to obtain evidence of otbe' of, o r acts which may have been committed by the g ol er, t , question- The Committee request that the ° masters of any vessels, plundered by the Providg.tittir Bolivar, v% ill transmit them the particulars witb ° 4o Yesterday a Court of Directors was ryld the East India House, when Captain Jong 1 " i was sworn into the command Of the ship 410 11 P to China direct,