The Sun. — London, England, 1837-03-24 00:00:00

been extended beyond that , period. This experience, then, shows us, beyond dispute, that imprisonment is not a punish ment the duration of which should be increased in this country. But, Sir, I cannot help thinking that there is great room for improvement in our system of por' ; .:l.iinent by imprisonment. I observe, on looking to the last rat-, in order to make a comparison es 'oetween this and foreign countries in respect to the duration of imprisonments, that the instances are very rare indeed in other countries where imprisonment has exceeded two years. Now, it will be curious to contrast the number of punishments for larceny in this country and France. The following is the state of committals and convictions in France and England, for a period of two years, for simple larcenies, viz. : IN FRANCE. IN ENGLAND. Committals. Convictions.. 11 Imprison men t f or 1 year and upwards 8,646, Transported for life. 64 Under I year 6,861 Ditto, 14 years. 223 Fined years 1,451 of Correcti on 29o‘ and above 1 year........ 83 ;Imprisoned f or 1 year and above 6 months... • 698 Imprisoned for 6 months and under 6,023 'Whipped, fined, Pic....... 47 Now I should say it is most desirable (and I am happy to say that steps are now taken by the Magistrates of counties and the Magistrates in the different cities and boroughs in the kingdom) to make su c h regu l at i ons and arrangements in thos e priso.ns, in which the punishment of imprisonment is inflicted, ',not there m a y not b e the same risk of conta mination amongst the various class of prisoners. Nothing car: he worse, or militate more against the diminution of Crime, than the sending such persons as may have com mitted small offences into a prison to associate with more hardened offenders, and where, perhaps, they have to wait a long time before they are tried ; or even if they are in an ill-regulated prison for a short time only the result is equally bad, because, if you take the better sort of indi viduals, say young persons or others who are committed to prison for the first time, and who are ashamed at the first moment of the crime which they may have com mitted, we send them to overhear and to mix in conversa tion with prisoners of the most abandoned characters. This is exactly the way to confirm these persons in bad ha bits ; you take them from the society in which they were, in which honesty is held up and crime condemned, and you send them to a prison, where every person with whom they are compelled to associate, from the want of classification, holds up crime for imitation. Now the first thing you must .- do will be to adopt a better mode with respect to this class of persons, and to give them encouragement to pursue that honest course which they had formerly followed. Sir, there has been a great difference of opinion amongst many gentlemen, as opposed to the recommendations of the in spectors of prisons, with respect to the two modes of pu nishment, the one being the silent system, and the other the separate system. I own that I consider both these sys tems to be great improvements on the former more of pri son discipline. But one great fault in the silent system is, that it requires a great deal of punishment to enforce its observance, and therefore it has the effect of irritating and provoking the prisoners. I have heard of a case in one large gaol where the silent system is kept up where the the number of punishments was upwards of a thousand in one month. lam convinced, however, that by adopting • one or other of the fixed terms of imprisonment, as the punishment for those offences which are not characterised by atrocity, those offences will be more properly punished by imprisonment than by transportation. Ido not intend at present to bring in any measure either with respect to transportation or to imprisonment ; but as I wished to state my views with reference to capital punishments, I thought it would be only proper to bring under the at tention of the House, for further consideration, the sub ject of the punishments which are now adopted. I propose to bring in several Bills e because it is the opinion of some that whilst some of these questions require consideration, such as that of piracy, still they may be postponed for the pre sent. For this purpose I have divided the Bill into seve ral parts, in order to take the course which has been sug gested to me. One Bill will be to abolish the punishment of death in all cases of forgery ; another for the same pur pose in the case of offences against the person under cer tain circumstances ; another to abolish the punishment of death in cases where it now exists ; another is to abolish the punishment of death for robbery committed on the per son ; another for the same purpose in the case of burglary ; and one relates to piracy and the destroying buildings or ships. I should say likewise that it is my intention to pro pose to bring in a Bill with respect to more than one law passed of late years. When the capital punishment was abolished, transportation for life was substituted for it in certain cases, but that is found to be a most impo litic and a most inconvenient practice. There are offences, as has been once mentioned by Lord Lyndhurst, which tame under this head ; such as sheep-stealing (which was formerly a capital offence), and others slight in themselves, but where the judge is obliged to pass the sentence of transportation for life. Now, the consequence of this has been of late years, since I became the Home Secretary, that the sentence of the Court is the sentence according to the law, namely, transportation for life ; but the Judge Communicates with the Secretary of State as to whether -a discretion shall be exercised and the prisoner shall be really sentenced to be transported for fourteen years, or seven Years, or to two years' imprisonment, as the case may be ; and I have always advised the Crown to comply with the wishes of the Judge. Therefore the effort of the Judge is not to carry into effect an unjust sentence, but the object seems to be to keep from the knowledge of the public the nature of the sentence which is really inflicted. Thus we have one sentence in Court given according to law, and another is, in fact, practically put in force. But sometimes there is the Chairman of a Quarter Sessions who pronounces the sentence, and these gentlemen have informed me that they have not themselves been allowed to make an applica tion to the Home Secretary. , I have appealed to some Chairmen, and 1 have then found that they had not applied to the Secretary of State ; but they have assured me that if they had known there was a discretionary power, they would not have passed such and such a sentence. That, Sir, is an injustice and an inconvenience, and therefore I seek to repeal that ' Part of the law, and to give a discretionary power in other eases. I shall likewise propose to bring in a Bill to abo lish the punishment of the pillory—a punishment which is never inflicted. These are the measures which I now pro- Pose to introduce. lam aware that I have detained the House for a long time—( Hear, hear)—in making this statement ; but I did think it my duty, in proposing such i mPortant alterations in the law, to give this mere outline of the changes which I propose to introduce, in order that they may be maturely considered. We have seen of late Years very considerable alterations made with respect to our c riminal law. Sir Samuel Romilly and Sir James Mackin tosh led the way to mitigate its severity, and put into the strongest light the faults, the absurdities, and the imperfec tions of our firmer code. The Right Hon. Gentleman °Pposite (Sir It. Peel) has consolidated the various enact ments on this subject, and by bringing them from the various statutes through which they were dispersed, he has brought rthem together so as to make them more consistent and uni rrm, in ord er t o ena bl e t h e country an d t h e wor ld at i a rge to know what is the law ; and he has made a great im provement in that l aw . M y N o bl e an d L earne d Friend Lord -u emnan, the Hem. Member for Maldon (Mr. Lennard), and mY Hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool (Mr. • Ewart) have likewise introduced Bills to mitigate the se . ver , i tY of th e cr i m i na l co d e. I t h as a l ways seeme d t o me only proper that when a Commission had been appointed by the Cr own to revise and consider the criminal law, they should take into their view, in as comprehensive a manner as tthey could, the bearing of these different laws ; and I all be guided by those whose opinions have been con rifled by former reports on this subject, and by those who administer the laws, in respect to any further alterations which may remain to be made. Ido not anticipate that, bur glary, som e few exceptions, such as in the cases of arson and the practical mitigation of the law will be carried , , - c irFolurther th an i t i s at present. There have b een pro gieus changes made i n our cr i m i na l l aw as a d m i n istered all criminal cases ; in proof of which I will read a state ment. of the average number of executions from the year • ti ° • Sir, t h e following is an account of the average " , o umb er of ' th e Persons executed at different periods from 1605 present ye ar : F rom 1805 to 1811... average of seven years 57 1812 to 1818 ditto 9O • 1819 to 1825 ditto B2 1826 to 1832 ditto 59 1831 to 1833 three years 46 1834 to 1836 ditto 2B have not, Sir, I ask, m os t sat i s f actory to fi n d t h a t we s h ou ld .thus reduced the average number of deaths, more eially in re f erence to the last seventeen or eighteen YePears? bßut I do think it a disgrace to us to have statutes y e a r w hich fi ve h undred persons' may be condemned in one the merciful ; and I t hi nk that the feelings of the Learned Judge, 11_,vemerciful consideration of the Crown, which was so t : t , ergo:lly exercised in all cases where it could be, ought b e t, •Ilmrtetioned by Parliament, and that we ought not to er i ro u l n t t a ir other nations in mitigating the severity of our by eve Code •, but that we ought, moreover, to endeavour every means to prevent crime in future periods.—(Hear.) 1041er., H UME felt- hi g hly g ra tifi e d a t t i me statement just c o by w ould the Nobl e Lord, and was satisfied th at t h e w h o l e u o uld participate' in that feeling. ~ka the t ;WART cordially approved of the measures as far • Wk s d' t W ent, but regretted that the principle of mitigation be___.o carried much further, as he thought it might have •en The • !law -Pon the Member was proceeding to detail his bt c o - r o n the su,bject, when it was moved that the House Abe t eed but, at the solicitation of the Chancellor of led and Lord John Russell, the motion was withdrawn, and the Hon. Gentlethan Was allowed to 'con clude his observatiens. br,ave was then given in all the Bills named by the Noble Lora in the Course of his speech. nORCHESTER LABOURERS. Mr. HUNIE, in the absence of Mr. D. w. Harvey, moved an addres for copies of the correspondence between the Home-office and the Governor of Australia, touching the free pardon and the order for the, return of the Dor chester labourers. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS (IRELAND) BILL. Lord MORPETH brought up the report of the Com mittee, which was laid on the table. Mr. MART then rose to bring forward his nntion for a reduction of the tobacco duties ; but it was immediatc'y moved that the House be counted. The gallery was accordingly cleared, and as it appeared that forty members were not present, the House adjourned, at half-past seven o'clock, till Monday, the 3d of April. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TATTER SAIL' S—YESTRRIIdr. The circulation of some very absurd reports about Jereed has not affected the confidence of his - backers, as his position in the odds will show : 1,300 to 200 and 1,250 were taken about him besides other bets, and at the finish 6 to 1 was the outside price against him. Brother to Bay Middleton does not maintain the improve ment reported en Monday ; 10 to 1 was betted once or twice in the course of the afternoon, but the takers were as shy as they were scarce, insomuch that Benedict, although nominally a point behind, is in fact quite as good a favourite. The Benedict party, indeed, every day becomes stronger. Mango and Alahometan have im proved a point each, and Hybiscus, without being backed, cannot be quoted higher than 16 to 1. Troilus, Dardanelles, and Winto nian vary little from Monday's quotations ; not so Caravan, who is two points worse in the odds, and much more so in reality. We did not hear a single offer made to back him. Some outriders were backed, but the betting on the whole, although carried on till an unusually late hour, was not so brisk as we had expected from the crowded state of the room. THE RIDDLESWORTII, P.P. 65 to 40 agst Lord Jersey's Brother to Bay Middleton TriE PORTLAND HANDICAr. 6 to 1 agst Lord Egremont's Hock—offered 7 to 1 agst Lord Lichfield's Elis—offered 7 to 1 agst Mr. Dawson's Locomotive—offered 11 to 1 agst Colonel Peel's Jacob Faithful—taken 11 to 1 agst Lord Suffield's Airy—taken TIIE DERBY. 6 to 1 agst Colonel Anson's Jereed—take 13 to 2 10 te 1 agst Lord Jersey's Bro. to Bay Middleton—offered 11 to 1 agst Captain Gardner's Benedict—taken lb to l agst Mr. Greville's Mango—take 16 to 1 16 to 1 agst Mr. Osbaldeston's Mahometan—taken 16 to 1 agst Lord Exeter's Hybiscus--offered 20 to 1 agst Lord Suffield's Caravan--offered 24 to 1 agst Lord Exeter's Troilus—taken 23 to 1 apt Lord Exeter's Dardanelles--offered 25 to 1 apt Mr. Wreford's \Vintonian—taken 30 to 1 agst Lord Jersey's Flare-up—offered 40 to 1 agst Mr. Bowes's Mickle Fell—taken 50 to 1 agst Sir 31. Wood's Rococo ( Cetus colt)—taken 50 to 1 agst Mr. Wilson's Quicksilver—taken 50 to 1 apt Mr. J. Day's Mustee—taken EPSO3I RACES.—Venison it handicapped at 94. for the Surrey Stakes, not Bst. Mb. BETTING AT MANCHESTER, TUESDAY. THE PORTLAND HANDICAP. 6 to 1 agst Lord Lichfield's Elis—taken freely 7 to 1 agst Mr. Mostyn's Birdlime—taken 7 to 1 agst Mr. Davison's Locomotive— taken 9 to 1 agst Lord Egremont's Hock 10 to 1 agst Mr. J. Day's Venison—taken 12 to 1 agst Mr. Houldsworth's Felix CHESTER TRADE cur, P.?. 20 to 6 agst Sir J. Boswell's General Chasse 7 to 1 agst General Yates's Sylvan 8i to 1 agst Mr. Peel's Tamworth 100 to 8 agst Mr. J. Day's Bubastes—taken 15 to 1 agst Mr. Giffard's Traveller 15 to 1 agst Lord Eglinton's Black Diamond—offered 16 to 1 agst Sir T. Stanley's Philip—taken 23 to 1 agst Mr. R. Price's Master of the Rolls—taken 27 to 1 agst Mr. Nanney's Friar Tuck—taken 30 to I agst Mr. Peirse's Elizabeth—taken No others mentioned. THE DERBY. 11 to 2 agst agst Colonel Anson's Jereed 10 to 1 agst Lord Jersey's Brother to Bay Middleton 12 to 1 agst Captain Gardnor's Benedict 16 to I agst Mr. Greville's Mango 200 to 12 agst Mr. Osbaldeston's Mahometan—taken 200 to 8 agst Lord Stradbroke's Caravan—taken 20 to 1 agst Lord Exeter's Dardanelles 25 to 1 agst Lord Exeter's Troilus 25 to 1 agst Lord Exeter's Hybiscus 200 to 5 agst Lord Chesterfield's Capulet—taken 100 to l was taken on Monday that Brother to Ba Middleton carries of the Derby, Vacuna the Oaks, and Cardinal Puff the St. Leger. Mr. Mostyn's Birdlime left Flintshire last llunday for New market, and Mr. Dawson's Locomotive is now on his way to the same place. PING INTELLIGENCE. ENTERED INWARDS AT THE CUSTOM-HOUSE, MARCH 23. The Earl of Liverpool, Loma;, from Ostend; Annegina, Pattie, Groningen ; Hoop, Dc Vries, Groningen ; William Jolliffe, Middleton, Calais ; Ocean, Morfee, Antwerp. ENTERED OUTWARDS. The Senator, Grindley, for the Cape of Good Hope; Science, Baker, Constantinople ; Earl of Liverpool, Lomax, Ostend ; Batavier, Dunlop, Rotterdam. _ . _ •• CLEARED OUTWARDS WITH CARGO. The John Bull, Corbin, for Hamburgh ; Columbine, Nor wood, Rotterdam ; Earl of Liverpool, Lomax, Ostend ; Mary Hutchinson, Lewis, Halifax. CLEARED OUTWARDS IN BALLAST. The William Broderick, Smith, for Elsineur ; La Feliz, Martin, Gravelines ; Elizabeth, Bulkwoldt, Rotterdam; Mexi can, Goldsworth, Copenhagen ; Hope, Cousins, Harlingen ; Fame, Barfield, Harlingen ; Symmetry, Harvey, Miramichi; Whim, Deume, Elsineur ; Eugene Desire, Leyer, Dunkirk. ARRIVALS AT LIVERPOOL, MARCH 22. The Bucher, Heron, from Berbice. ENTERED FOR LOADING. The Vrow Anna, Langheite, for Antwerp; Eliza Bruce, Rogers, Boston ; Catherine, Hayman, Buenos Ayres ; Martha, Viner, Canton ; Sceptre, Doughty, Hamburgh ; Dronning Marie, Egholn, ditto; Sir Francis Bond Head, Revolly, Mi ratuichi ; Dale, Burton, Maranham ; Lowall, Wilson, New Orleans ; John L. Gossler, Davis, Philadelphia ; Valiant, Bragg, Trinidad. CLEARED OUTWARDS. The Eliza, Nowlan, for Naples, &c. ; Tremont, Cooper, Natchez ; Dampier, Newlands, Antigua ; Water Lily, Cuth. bertson, Lisbon; Burlington, Bruce, New York ; Nailer, Dawson, Africa ; Trevor, Lina, Trieste ; Westmoreland, M‘Kenzie, New York ; William Brown, Ashton, ditto. EAST INDIA SHIPPING. Arrivals at Bombay. -The Golconda, Dec. 4, from China and Singapore ; the Harmoody, Dec. 5, from Ceylon ; the Herefordshire, Dec. 4, from London ; the Eleanor; Dec. 5, from Calcutta ; the Russarell, Dec. 7, from Calcutta and Tenisperry; the Portland, Dec. 8, fro:n Liverpool ; the Ne. reu3, Dec. 8, from America and the Mauritius; the Vestal, 8, from Greenock ; the Caledonia, Dec. 9, from Calcutta ; the Ruby, Dec. 9, from Penang ; the Carnatic, Dec. 29, from Portsmouth and the Cape ; the Triumph, Jan. 5, frum Ports, mouth and the Cape ; the Scaltsby:Castle, Jan.lo, from Lon don and the Cape; the Moffat, Jan. 11, from New South Wales ; the Aliquis, Jan. 13, from Liverpool ; the Brooke, Jan. 13, front Liverpool. Departures from Bombay..-The East India Company's schooner Shannon, Dec. 2, for Mandan is ; the Skimmer, Dec. 4, for Suez ; the Sir H. Co.npton, Dec. 4, for China ; the Colonel Newoll, Dec. 4, for Bushire and Bussorah; the Psyche, Dec. 6, for the Red Sea ; the Princess, Dec. 7, for Cochin and Calcutta; the Fortficld, Dec. 8, for Columbo ; the Niagara, for London ; the Bombay Packet, Dec. 11, for Liverpool; the William Nicol, Dec. 15, for the Clyde; the Columbia, Dec. 25, for Liverpool ; the Herefordshire, Dec. 25, for Calcutta; the Lady Fevcrsham, and the Boyne, Dec. 28, for London ; the John Fleming, Dcc. 27, for China ; the Vestal, Dec. 29, for the Clyde; the Orient, Dec. 31, and the Hector, Jan. 1, for Liverpool; the Royal Admiral, Jan. 1, the Gilmore, Jan. 3, and the Malabar, Jan. 5, all for London ; the Albion, Jan. 5, and the Urania, Jan. 12, for Liverpool ; the Marquis Hastings, and the Britannia, .11n. 15, for London. Ships Loading at Bombay, .Jan. 18. -The Carnatic, Bro die, for London, to sail Feb. 1 ; the Triumph, Green, Feb. 5, for London ; the Moffat, Nelson, Feb. 20, for the Coast and London ; the Brooke, Brece, Feb. 15, for Liverpool • the John Knox and th e P ort l an d , Feb. 22, and the Aliquis, Feb. 25, all for Liverpool. Arrival in the Straits of Sunda—The Clifto 1, Worsell, Oct. 25, from London for China. Arrivals at Rio.—The Dryade, Dec. 28, from St. Helena ; the William Harris, Dec. 30, from Sydney, and sailed Jan. 6, for London. Arrival at Batavia.—The Renown, , GIrCo 1 from New South Wales. Arrivals at Madras.—The Eliza Jane, Nov. 27, from Singe pore (with Sir Edward Gambier), and sailed Dec. 1, fcr Colombo. We are authorised to state that Lord William Bin tinck has resolved, in the event of a dissolution of Parliament, not to offer himself as a candidate for the representation of Glasgow.— Glasgow Chronicle. HUMAN LIFE, BY THE AUTHOR OF " TRE MAINE."—" We are already indebted to Mr. Ward," observes the Athenmum, " for so many beautiful and unexaggerated pictures of nature and humanity—for so many touches of quiet humour and gentle pathos—that the pleasure with which we anticipated meeting him again in print will be readily compre hended and sympathised with. His " Illustrations of Human Life" contain much that is sound and excellent in the way of thought and admonition, and they deserve a wide circulation and a respectful perusal. CAB-DRIVERS XlL LED.—Paragraphs which have appeared in the newspapers render it necessary to apprize the public, that no such accident has ever occurred to any driver or passenger in any of the Safety Cabs known by the name of Hansom, and by their large wheels, and that these cabs are so constructed as to leave the passenger in perfect safety, notwith standing the falling of the horse, the fracture of the shafts or wheels, or any misadventure whatsoever. Mr. Hansom's cabs may be had at York-mews, Upper Baker-street, on special order, from eight to nine, and from - half-past - two to foal , daily. • : 372 10/. Liverpool Ilootle 2201. sh. 1,500 2110 s New River London Bridge Water Annuities 6,486 1/ 15s Mr.nehestet . and Salford lOO/. sh. 300 4 per cent. South London 1001. sh. 3,204 • 34 West Middlesex ....Average 63/. 12s. 9d. sh. 1,360 1114 s York Building Co. Lessee I'rop 1001. sh. IRON RAILWAYS. 6,000 Birmingham and Derby le/. pd 9,500 Birmingham and Gloucester 11l pd 7,500 Birmingham, Bristol, and Th Imes Junction 15, 0 00 Bristol and Exeter l O ll. sh. 5 pd 660 Calcutta and Saugur 5Ol. sli. 21. pd 7,500 Cheltenham and G. Western... !Nil. sh. 711 3,000 Clarence lOOl. 41. 100/. pit 12,000 8,001 ..- .... Dublin and Kilkenny 100/. eh. 24 pd 60,000 Eastern Counties 251 eh. 21 pd Grand Junction 100/. sh. 501. pi Great North of England 7/. pd 9.5,C40 Great Western lOO/ sh. 40/, pd 2,000 Hartlepool 100/. sh. lOW pd 8,000 Hull and 'elby 5O/. sh. 51. pd 10,000 Leeds and Manchester 1001. sh. 5/. pd 7,100 Leeds and Selby 1,500 Leicester and Swannington -.501. sh. all pd 5,100 10 per cent. Liverpool and Manchester-10(1. sh. 100/. pd Ditto Otiarter Shares 251. Pd 10,000 ... ...... London and Bright°, loil. gh. 51 pd 45,e00 Ditto ditto (Giht.n ....201 sh. 1/ pd 16,000 Ditto ditto (Rennie)...so/. sh. St. pd B,o'l Ditto ditto (Cutuly)... I 00/. sh. 3/. pd 12,000 London and lllackwall • 50/ sh 31 pd 20,000 3 per cent. London and Greenwich 2O/. s!.l. ;NW . pd 25,000 London and Birmingham -100/. sh. 751. pd 20, , 00 London and S, -uthampton 'Ol. sh. 331. pa 7,000 London and Croydon. , fl. sh. 13/. pd 12,000 London Grand Juncti0n.........5 1 sh. SI. pd 10,0)0 M nchester South Union 1001. sh 31. Pd North Midland 1001. sh. 1 F. pd Northern and Eastern lOO/. sh. :v. pd 2,600 Preston and Wyre 501. sh. 8/. pd 28,000 1,100 61. per cent. Stockton and Darlington IOW. sh. 9,000 .... ..... Tha', es Haven 5Ol. sh. 21. 10s. pd 1,400 'Westminster and Greenwich 501. sh. 2'. pet 6,000 .... ..... York and North Midland 5O . sh. 31. pd MINES. 8,000 Albion Copper 5/. sh. 5 1 1. pd 4,000 A Iten l5/. sh. 12/. 10s pd 10,000 ... ..... Anglo Mexican, iss. 5/. pm.... 1001. sb. all pd Ditto Subscription ' ''sl. pd 2,000 ... ...... BoL nos ..-......: '....,' 15W. i'.4 all pd 10,000 11. 108 Brazilian Imp. iss. 5/. pm 351. sh. 001 pd 6,0 0 Macitibes & Cocaes //idled... 2 3/. eh ZW. pd , 11,000 Di t to,Sf., John. Del Roy .201. sh.. Pp: lid 10,000 10,000 ••••••••• Ditto Scrip.... IP/. sh. Ri. pd 20,004 British Iron 5Ol. sh. 501 pd 6,000 British Copper Cato Branca elii• I'd Candonga 7;.i. IA 10,000 1/. Copiapo r, . . 201. sh 12i/ pd 8,500 Columbian, iss. 5/. pm. 2,830 31. - English l2l ' , Cs. pd 20,000 General Mining Association...2o/. sh. 15/. NI 6,155 Mexican Coniony 104. sh 514/. ptl 0,000 ... ...... Pollinott Consols 101 sh St pd 11,500 Real del Monte, Unregistered Ditto Loan Notes l3O/ pd 20,000 United Mexican, iss. 2 pm ....401. ah. all pd Dit'L Scrip Ditto New Scrip 5/ pd West Cork ' 501. sh. 501. pd LITERARY INSTITUTIONS. 1,000 .... ..... London, with Bronze Ticket 75gs. sh. 1,500 ... ...... Lond, n University 100/. sh. all pd 700 King' College 1001. pd MISCELLANEOUS. 10,0011 15s. . Australian Agricultural....lool. sh. 2111 Pd, 6,000 61. per cent. British Ameri can L an d C ompany 2 31. Po 10,000 61 per cent. Canada Company 1001. sh. 241. pd 200,000 5/. per cent. Upper Canada Loan... .................. ........ City Bonds, 4 per cent..... ......... ...... .... n' 15,000 u 66. General Ste a m Navigation ...151. rh. 134 ... 101. per cent. Hudson's Bay Stock 2,000 11. London Corn. Salo Rooms A:. 751. sh. 8,000 Caoutchouc Company 25/. sh. 241. pi New Brunswick Land Company WI Pd 2,754 51. per cent. Reversionary InterestSoc...lool. sh. 100/. pd 2,033 51. per cent. Ditto New 1001. sh. 45!. pd 4,000 10,000 MARCH 9, 183-7: PRICES OF CANALS, DOCK STOCKS, ASURANCE COMPANIES, &c.&c. &c. LONDON, FRIDAY, MARCH 23. Number Dividend Price of per CANALS. per Shams. Annum. Paid. Shire, 1, 7 110 7 pot cent. Ashton arid Oldhrten....Atetage 971. Iss, s h. 135 1082 41. Ashby-de-le.Zouch Average 113/. sh. 63 1,230 Basingstoke lOO/, sh. 4 1,005 51. Bret:knock and Abergavenny 150'. sh. 10 C # 8,000 1..165h. 91. Cs. Birmingham, 1-16th share ni & 711. 218 4,1)0) .. “ . ~.. Ditto and Liverpool Junct...l9s/ sh. 100 pd 31 600 . BridgeWater and Taunton ....100/ sh. all pd 64 400 . 4/. Chelmor and Blackwater lON eh 102 500 484 Coventry 100/. sh. 700 4,515 Croydon Average 311.28. 10d. sh. 3 2,0601 41. Os, Dudley lOOl, sh. 7S 1,03 71. Derby 100/, sh. 122 20,001 Danube and Mayne 4l/. 13s. Id. 291!. pd 9.2 i 3,5751 :v. Ellesmere and Chester Average 133/. sh. 80 2.31 401. Ercwash 'OOl. sh. 6i 0 1,297 281. Forth and Clyde Average 400/.165. sh. 60 . 1 11,500 12!. Grand Junction l O O/. eh. 204 2,849/ 11. Grand Union 1001. eh. 2 1.510 Grand Surrey 120,000/. 4!. per cent. Ditto (optional) Loan . ' 100/. '7O 3,896 Grand Western 600 13/. 12s. Bd. Glamorganshire, Average cost 1721. 13s. 4d, 230 749 10s. Grantham 150/. eh. 202 6,238 11. 15s. Huddersfield Average 57/. 645. (id. sh. :35 100 Kensingt In lOO sh all ixl. 10 25,328 I/. 2s. Kennet z,3d Avon, Average 39/. 18s. 10d. sh. 22 2,5971 20/. Leeds and Liverpool 100!. sh, 540 545} 12/. Leicester l4Ol. sh. 195 1,897 4/. 10s. Leicester and Northampton... Aver 53/. Ins. 77 2,400 101, Monmouthshire 100/.sh. 200 50 161. Molten Mowbray 1001. sh. too 500 2 5/. Mersey and Irwell lOO/. sh, 560 3,000 11. 10s. Macclesfield 1004 sh all pd. 54 247 174 Neath 1004 sb. 325 1,786 301. Oxford 100/. sh, 580 2,400 5/, Peak Forest Average about 73!. sh. 104 21,418 121. Regent's (or London) Aver. 33/. 16s. ed. sh. :8 5,669 6/. per cent. Rochdale Average 85/. sh. 119 500 84 Shropshire V 25/. sh. 138 800 54 10s. Somerset Coal 150/. eh. 145 3,6001. 4j percent. Ditto Lock Fond Stock 121. 10s. sh. 11} 700 401. Stafford and Worcester 140/. sh. 730 500 9/, Shrewsbury 125/. sh. 243 300 81. Stourbridge 3,647 2/. 6s. Stratford-on-Avon ...Average 791. 95. f4d. sh. 50 533 121. Swansea 1001. sh. t'.%20 3,762 1/. 4s. Severn and Wye and Railway...AT 351. sh. 19) ,6001sn. 321. 10s. Trent and Mersey, I share 100/. sh. 555 8,149 Thames z..n.1 Medway...Aver. 19/. ss. 3d. sh. 2 1,0005h.1 151. Warwick and Birmingham 100/. sh. ,0001 sh. 950 I% Warwick and Napton lOO/. eh. 6,000 41.0 e. Worcest-'r and Birmingham... Av. 78/.Bs, sh. 5,000 225. Wilts an., Berks .. Average 671. 10s. Bd. sh. 800 31. Wyrley and Essington 125/. sh 126 Wisbeach 905 1/. West awl Arun llOl. sh. DOCKS. 2,6 " s Commercial p. c.OOO/. sh. I,(Xi.slsh 405.66711. 6 per ct. East India Stock 3,332,31011. 50s. p.ct. London Stock Ditto Bonds 1,390,0001. W. per ct. West India 2,209 2/. 19s. Bristol * ......... ........... Average 1471. 9s. sh. 68,324/. 5!. per cent. Ditto Not es, various amounts " 1,352,752 4 per cent. St. Katharine Stock 500,000 41 per cent. Ditto Bonds 200,000 4 per cent. Ditto Bonds to 10 years Shoreham Ha tbour 2.500 ........ Deptford Pier .01. sh. 3!. BRIDGES. 1,600 Ifs. Hammersmitl• 5Ol. sh. 7,231 Southwark, Old - Av. 631. 2s. Sd. sh. 1,700 IL ISs. Ditto, New,. of 71 per cent. 5O/. sh. 5,000 5,000 18s. Bd. Ditto, Old Annuities of 8/. 6O/. pd 5,000 16s. 4d. Ditto, New Ditto of 71 40/. pd 60,000/. 51. per cent. Ditto Bonds 6,000 17s Vauxha11........ ....... Av?rage 701. 10s. 3d. sh ASSURANCE COMPANIES. 2 ,000 3/105 Albion 5001. sh. 501. pd 50,000 5 per cent.] Alliance, British & Foreign 100/. sh. 1011. pd I,and 15s. 50,000 6 per cent. Ditto, Marine 100/. sh. 5/. lid 24,000 }1 perch. Atlas 501. eh. 5/. pd 1,200 ph. 5/. Birmingham f ire 20,000 4/ percent. British Fire ' 250/.5h.50/. pd 12,000 61. per cent. British Commercial 501. sh. - 5/. pd 5,000 5!. percent. Clerical, Medi-10,8x. Life, 100/.sh. 12/10s pd 4,000 2/ 10s County 100/. sh. 10/. pd 20,000 and 2 30 .. 1 b5 .. .1 ss. Eagle 5Ol. sh. 5/. pd ,o, { 5 per cent. Indemnity Guardianii dto Imperial n om o , m nNi i t c ey: l i N . , i i : , e ,, i ~ e lOOO/. sh. 2501. pd 2,271 2'28. per cent. European 1,1 , •• °Ol, sh. all pd 22 50,000 .0/. sh. El. pd 11 1,000,000/. 71. per ct. Globe Stock 150 i 20,000 51. 100/. sh. 27 1 / pd 331 40,000 6s. 6(3. . Hope 50/. sh. 51. pd 6 13,458 27: 1 51 25 . .p 70 s e ' . r . 6 d s h 5OO/. sh. 501. pd 121 Imperial Lite 100/. sh. 10/. pd 10 leo/. sh. 8/. pd 16 2,020 31 10s Kent Fire 50/. sh, all pd 82 31. Ditto Life. 79 10, 1 00 16s. Law Life 10(//. sh. 10/. pd 28 5,000 10s. London, Fir. 9 51 :h. 12/. 10. r. pd 151 3,900 10s. London, Ship .51 sh. Ls/. 10s, pd 151 30,0 0 4 51. per cent. Pall a di um I 11... 5Ol. sh. 2/. pa 218 s Od Protestor 50,000Fite 2Ol. sh. 2!. pd 18, eid 2,500 1/. Provident I.ne .... 100,000 5/. percent. Rock Life 489,220/ 51. per cent. Royal Exch.nige. 2O/. sh. 21. pd 6) Lifeo flrel a n d 25/. 5h.51t0°22;..k:r.(1.4. 220 6,000 5 per cent. University I.ite .. ... . .......... lOU sh. 5/. pd 51 50,000 4 per cent. A Un gr it ic ed . an K d iz i l n oi m n . JOINT S COCK BANKS • P 25,000 5,000 Australa'ia 4O/. sh. 40!. pd 10,001 10 percent. Bank of Birmingham 5l/. sh. 104 pd 10,000 lOper cent. Birmingham Bank . 5Ol. sh. 51. pd 30,000 4 per cent. I,onJon and Westminster-1001 sh. 9 0/. pd 3,000 4 per cent. Lancaster 25,000 Liverpool... 1001 sh. 10/. pd 50,000 6 per cent. Manchester and Liverpool] 1001. sh. 151 pd Discount 20,000 7) percent. Manchester. 100/. eh. 25/ pd 20,000 Provincial flank of 1 reland...loo/. sh. 25/. pd 20,' CO National Bank of Ireland ...5 'l. sh 171/. pd 10,000 5 per cent. National Provincial Eng. -1004 sh. 25/. pit 19,000 Gloucestershire 5Ol. sh. IV/ pd 6,000 10 per cent. Hampshire 50/. sh 51. pd GAS LIGHT 2:‘,N D COKE COMPANIES. 2,500 1/ Ls exl Bath 2O/. sh. Pl. pd 5,000 British 4O/. sh. 16/. pd 5,000 t5/'percent.] Ditto Provincial 20/. sh. 19 pd and Bs. ss, 928 5/ lOs Birmingham 5Ol. sh. 4,250 2/ Os Bristol 2o'. sh. 1,500 31 lOs Brighton 2O!. sh. 750 31 10s Ditto, New 2O/. sh. 181. pd 2,471 5 per cent. Brighton (leiieral 20/ sh. all pa 4,000 4/. Continental l'ansolidated lOOl. 621/. pd 1,000 10/. City of London lOO/. sh. all pd 1,000 6/. Ditto, New 4,000 4/. 108: . Equitable /0;00 21 per cent. Imperial 5O/. sh. 800 54 per cent. Isle of Thaliet 251. sh. 20/. pd 2,350 6/: me cont. independent V/. sh. al pd 9,009 3/. per cent. Ph nen i x 5O/. sh. :M. pd 1,000 4!. per cent. Ratcliff . lOW. sh. 80/. pd 4,000 South Metropolitan 5O/. sh. 111. pd 8,200 5/. per cent. United General 5O/. sh. 461. pd 240 5/. per cant. Warwick 501. sh. 400 51. per cent Wakefield 25/. sh. 18,000 3/. Westminster Chartered 6,003 125. Ditto New .541. sh. 10/. pd BGO Yarmouth 20/. sh. 181. pd WATER WORKS. " 4,800 Ds. Birmingham 25!. sh. 25/ pd 4,443 6/. East London lOO/. sh. 5,500 21 10s Grand Junction ....Average 411 13s. 4(i. sh. 2,000 2/. Kent lOO/ sh _ _ . 121 13i4 In 16'0 112 414 41 -1)i 0; t 7 LIST OF SCOTTISH COMPANIES' PRICES, - BANKS. - /,500,001/. 81. p. ct. an of Fcotland 83/. 6s. Rd. sh. all p 1 Sol3'. 2,000,0)(1, 51 p. ct. Royal of Scotland 100/. sh. all pi 1641. 500.09(1. op. ct. British Linen Company 100/. sh. ,11 p i 1, , 3(3 /' 3,000,04X1. 6/. p. ct. Commercial 5OO l. s h . 1001. p d 1741. 5,000,000 1 . sp. ct. National lOO/. sh. 10/. pd 1 5 1 4 2,000,0001. 51. p. et. Glasgow Union 250/. sh. my, pd mil. 4,000,0f0 1 . 4p. ck Western of Scotland 2001. sh 301. pd Nil. INSURANCE COMPANIES. 250,0005 h. 6} p. ct. Scottish Union 20/. sh. 1/. pd r'g - ,500 sp. ct. Hercules lOOl. sh. 10/. pd )3155. 100,000 sp. ct. Insurance Co. of Scotland...lol. sh. all pd . 91 . 50,000 .6 p. ct. North British 2001 . s h . 101 . pd 151., 1,000 sp. ct. Caledonian Fire 100/. sh. 10/. pd ltilu , 5,000 6p. ct. Edinburgh Life 1001. sh. 101. pd 1415 . 00,000 . West of Scotland . „. .. ,„„,... loi, pd WLs MISCELLANEOUS. 4,910 ..4 Edin. and G!as. Un. Cana1...501. sh. all pd 22/. Ditto Allocated 981. sh. all pd 651. 5,400 5 per cent. Edinb.:Joint Stock Water :25/. sh. all pd 004 Carron Iron Company 230/. sh. all pd 461. 2,00080 15 per cent. Shotts Iron Foundery... 5Ol. sh 3,41.13 d 461' 10,000 3 per cent. Edinburgh & Leith Glass 2O/. sh. 161. pd 73/. 4,500 10 per cent. Edinburgh Coal Gas ` , 5/. sh. all pd col. 4,450 10 per cent. Glasgow Gas '251 sh, all pd fil l. '750 7i per cent. Leith Coal Gas 201. sh. all Rd 454 1,209 5.000 - 5 per cent Equitable Loan Company,,,2sl. sh. 0/ pd 104 Tilt istiN i... .t.;oNi)oV: ; PittliJkiit . ; mA.ken 24 5 1.37 SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS We have observed at vat ions times paragraphs in the Tyne Mercuu, respecting the return of Lord Durham to this copntry, and !he object of it, which had all the appearance of having emanated from the Tories, and of having been written with a view to create jealousy and bad feeling between the King and the establishment at Kensington. To all who arc ac quainted with the mysteries of journalism it is unne cessary to observe, that it is by no means unusual to insert a certain description of paragraphs in some newspaper, published at a distance from the spot, for the meridian of which they are calculated. In the case of the paragraph to which we are about to allude, it was, no doubt, conceived by the contrivers that sus picion would be more easily disarmed by its appear ance in a newspaper published in the neighbourhood of Lambton Hall, as it would thence be naturally enough attributed to some person belonging to Lord Durham's family, or in communication with Iris Lord ship. The following is the paragraph, inserted in the Globe of Wednesday night : " LORD DURHAM.—It is rumoured that Lord Durham's re turn from St. Petersburg is not influenced by the effect of the climate on his health, but is in compliance with the wish of the Duchess of Kent, who intends his Lordship to be placed at the head of the distinct household of the Heiress Presumptive, who comes of age in May.— Tyne Mercury." We knew that this move would soon be followed by another, and that the contrivers would not fail to reap all the advantage which they could derive from seeing the paragraph copied into a Ministerial Evening Paper. The Times, which,. if it had no hand in the concoction of the paragraph, could very probably tell its paren tage, pounced on it the very instant of its appearance in the Globe. We can easily conceive the joy in Print inghouse-square on discovering that the train had taken effect. But parental affection often betrayS itself - somewhat inopportunely. The unfortunate mother who exposes her child is discovered by the anxiety with which she watches to see whether her child is in safety. The glee of the Times was so unbounded at the success of the contrivance, that it required -no great penetration to discover the existence of some motive more than usually powerful for the pains taken yesterday with the para graph. " A paragraph (says our honest Morning Contemporary) appeared in a Ministerial paper of last night, which, though but of small size, was meant to be a pregnant one. It is to this effect, viz., that Lord Durham is coming home from St. Peters burg, and that the cause of his return is the intention of the Duchess of Kent to place the Noble Lord at the head of the Princess Victoria's establishment on the occasion of her Royal Highness attaining her majority, which will occur, please God, on the 24th of May ensuing." We will not contest with the Times what the paragraph was meant to be, aware of the peculiar qualification which our Contem porary possesses to supply a commentary to the text. It was not convenient, in noticing that the para graph had appeared in a Ministerial evening paper, to state the further circumstance that it had been copied from a Newcastle paper, by that Ministerial paper and by other papers, loth Ministerial and anti-Ministerial. 0 no, for then the design to fasten disrespectful conduct, towards his Majesty on the Duchess of Kent, and the establishment at Kensing ton and Lord Durham, would have been frustrated. We have reason to know that the whole story is founded on falsehood and malice. We are sorry to say the cause of Lord Durham's return is the state of his health. The malicious tendency of the para graph is obvious, and whatever intrigue may have been set on foot to impose on the editor of the Trine Mer cury, it is unquestionably of Tory manufacture, or at least of Tory origin. The Times may not be impli cated with the concocter of the paragraph ; but our Contemporary, when it composed its tirade respecting it, must have been as well aware, from its obvious tendency, as if it had been the author, that it neither emanated from the Ministry, nor from Kensington, nor, from the Earl of Durham or any of his friends. If any friend of the Earl of Durham could have com mitted the folly of writing so mischievous a paragraph, his Lordship has particularly good reason to exclaim in the language of the adage, " Preserve me from my friends !" The Times has the baseness to ask " if it was put forth as a feeler or a claw ?"and to add the ex clamation, " The Duchess of Kent intends' for sooth 1" Whit is there in the prudent conduct of the Duchess of Kent, from the first day she landed on our shores till the present moment, to justify the supposi tion that she ever, even in imagination, contemplated such a departure from propriety as to show the Tightest disrespect towards the King? The Duchess of Kent could not require to be told by the Times that " the most intimate political relation of the Princess Victoria is with the King ; and it is in the discretion of his Majesty, and of him alone, to arrange the form and extent of her future establishment, to di rect the amount of income for the maintenance of her rank which shall be proposed by his Ministers to Parliament." Her Royal Highness had too deep an interest in understanding correctly the nature of the relation in which her illustrious daughter stands to his Majesty not to have long since informed her mind on this subject. The whole of the article in the Times is a tissue of malicious insinuations and calumny. How dare the Tories, and the Times, their organ; insinuate " that her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent is so little cognizant of her own station in. this country, and its incidents, as that she could entertain the prepos terous ambition to play a great part in politics, and become a species of i mag i nary Q ueen M o th e r or Regent, after her daughter's maturity, and before his present Majesty's demise ?" Fortunately the mali cious intention is in this case counteracted by the stu pidity. His Majesty must resent the insult to his un derstanding by those who supposed he would be unable to perceive their drift. For the sake of the illustrious daughter in whose welfare she is so deeply interested, the Duchess of Kent has the strongest of all motives for steering clear of all disrespect to the King. We cannot reprobate in too strong terms the mean attempt of the Tories, at a moment when they have lost all hopes of succeeding with the Court to turn out the present Govern ment on public grounds, to endeavour to effect their object by turning their hands to private and malignant falsehood, regardless of the peace of the Royal Family, • -and -of - the mischievous consequences to the. country which -'mi g ht result from the success of their machinations. • The indignation of the King should fall, and we trust it will fall, on the authors of the calumny. With respect to the various other insi nuations in the article in the Times, .connected with the supposed attempt to impose a consort on the Prin cess, without her own free consent, or that of the Mo narch of these realms, we will not condescend to notice them. We could not, however, allow a single day to pass without holding up for merited reprobation the vile attempt to incense the King against the Duchess of Kent, and to fill his mind with suspicions that the establishment at Kensington entertain designs irrecon cilable with their duty to the King and the country. On the foundation of a mischievous paragraph fabri cated by the Tories they have raised a goodly struc ture of calumny; but we place -too much reliance on his Majesty's good sense to allow us to suppose for one moment that he will be influenced by the fraud. In the meantime the exposure and the indignation with which the country must view-the attempt will, we trust, have at least the effect of rendering the parties some what more cautious for some time. They may rest assured 'that their conduct shall be closely watched— Morning Chronicle. The tactics of the Rump Cabinet for the remainder of the Segsion arc now made sufficiently clear. Th e y }lush forward their Irish Municipal Bill for the 7th of April, but keep back the anti-Church-rate measure until the 21st of the month, and postpone the Irish Tithe Bill, with the " appropriation clause," sine die. Why is all this ? The reason is plain, as it is dis graceful. They can make nothing of the Irish appro priation clause, the original rallying post of the Mel bourne Ministry, because the people of England, in a very few months, saw through the degrading humbug, reprobated the proposition as an iniquitous attack upon the first principle of every Church Establishment, and have fairly flun g . the appropriation clau se ou t o f the w i n d ow. Th e Ministers, therefore, must find something else to stand upon. They can do as littl e with the Bill for the abolition of English Church rates, because their majority upon that measure wa even more paltry than on the _appropriation clause, being 29 upon the latter scheme, and 23 upon the other. They have therefore put off the consideration of the anti-Church-rate Bill until the 21st of April—that is to say, until 11 days after the time fixed for bringing out the Irish Corporation Bill. The obvious mtnning of the whole manoeuvre is this,—they have had a majority, disgraceful to the House of Coihmons, of 80 votes, on the Bill for establishing Popish Corporations in Ireland, and creating under a false pretence a power subversive of the Established Church. They reckon on carrying their Bill through the House of Commons by a majority of perhaps within 10 or 12 .of that which opposed the motion of Lord Francis Egerton. They send it to the House of Lords, where its nature and character are well understood, and where, being recognized for a measure more unprincipled, because more insidious and more framed for the ultimate de struction of the Church, than either of those which carry their hostility to the Establishment on the face of them, it will assuredly be rejected. Upon this they hope to raise an outry against the Peers. They are bound by solemn engagements to the country to resign at once upon the failure o f thi s I r i s h f rau d ; an d so they fancy they will make a case for themselves by representing that a measure which had a majority of perhaps 70 on its third reading in the House of Commons was thrown out.by the other House of Parliament. Let them do it— the nation is prepared for them, and so, if we don't mistake, is the King. We have already described this majority to be the result of a complete delusion in the House of Commons—a rank hallucination, produced by a jingle of names upon the ear, which have no sort of reference to realities. The Municipal Bill for Ireland is not a Municipal Bill, nor anything like it— an Anti-Protestant Church Bill is the proper title of it. There never was a grosser trick—there never was a majority so bamboozled—there never was a richer clann upon the derision of an intelligent' people than . the Irish Corporation vote ; and most fitting it is, that with such a vote should be connected the fate of such a Ministry. In the mean time, they escape, by a timely reference to the " vitality" of their Irish Muni cipal Bill, that series of disgraces which would await their perseverance in the two.measures of more direct warfare upon the Church Establishment, which they leave, therefore, to be disposed of by their successors. Such is the dignity, honour, and manhood of the Mel bourne Whigs.— Times. It has often afforded us a subject of congratulation, that however violent and acrimonious the contests of party on subjects of home policy, whenever questions seriously affecting our relations with foreign Powers come under discussion, domestic dissensions have given way to the desire of protecting the interests of the Commonwealth, and faction itself has stood forward to defend the national honour and welfare. At present, however, the Tories, in their ravening after office, seem utterly reckless how far the good of the State may be compromised at home or abroad, provided an opportu nity be afforded to calumniate the Ministry. In an ar ticle which appeared a few days ago in their leading journal, on the capture of the Vixen, written expressly for the purpose of vilifying Lord Palmeraton, the most shameless abandonment of British interests, and the grossest disregard of facts and consistency, are at the same time manifested. The whole blame of the seizure of the Vixen is first thrown upon Lord Pal merston—next it is asserted that by the Treaty of Adrianople—ratified in defiance of the protest of Lord Aberdeen, then Secretary of Foreign Affairs Russia has an indisputable right to that part of the coast where she has asserted her sove reignty ;" then it is alleged that the present Govern ment has been guilty of " a departure from recognized principles," and not only is it re-asserted that " Rus sia has a right under solemn treaty to the line of coast claimed by her," and the Circassians denounced as re bels, but the seizure of the Vixen, the odium of which ' it at the outset flung upon Lord Palmerston, is de fended, and attempted to be justified on the plea that " Russia had - formally intimated. to Lord Ponsonby, our Ambassador at Constantinople, that she . intended to adopt fiscal and sanatory (?) regulations along the coast where the Vixen was seized." That the present Government should be calumniated, and Toryism eulo gized by the journal in question, is no more than we expect, such being its contract ; but that the outrage committed upon the British flag should be defended, that Russia should be cheered on in her aggressions, and Bri tish interests and British honour should be basely sold to the stranger by a London journal, is a climax of turpi tude and depravity to which we had not supposed that even our apostatizing contemporary had reached. Butfa die descensus—aftcr selling itself to the domestic enemy, and incurring universal execration, it had no additional penalty to dread. from accepting the largess of the foreign foe. Great criminals,, knowing their doom to be the worst that can be inflicted, frequently commit the most wanton and extravagant crimes, from the con sciousness that the severity of their punislunent admits of no augmentation. The article is altogether one of Russian-Tory concoction. If Lord Aberdeen saw it necessary to .protest against the Treaty of Adrianople, why did he not take measures to make that protest respected ? Russia treated his protest with scorn, and now the advocates of his Government infamously arro gate for Russia rights conceded by a treaty executed in defiance and derision of the protest for which he:is eulogised. Turkey ceded a portion of Circassia to Russia, ergo Russia has a right to such territory ! It must first be proved that Turkey had either the right or the power to make the cession—at least, if die British Government protested against the Act, there cannot be any " departure from recognised principles " in re fusing to acknowledge the claims founded upon it. At one time the seizure of the Vixen is defended on the plea of municipal regulations, at another of blockade— two pleas manifestly inconsistent with each other. But. the diplomatist who states that Russia had an indisputable right to make the seizure, certainly should not in the same article denounce Lord Palmerston far not enforcing redress. By his own. showing, the first aggression was perpetrated under Tory auspices, and if the wrongs be redressed under the present Adminis tration. which it must bc, we do not suppose that Eng land shall have any reason to regret " the departure of the Government from the recognised principles," of which the great apostate appears at present so ena moured.—Morning Advertiser. Lord John Russell appeared I,tst night, for the first time since lie became Secretary of State for the Home Departrnent, in the character of a philosophical and systematic reformer of the Criminal Law. His speech upon the occasion (or should we not•tather say his string of quotationS ?) is before our readers ; and we think they will collect from it that the Noble - Lord would have taken a more accurate measure of his own capa city - had he contented himself with an attempt to re move, one by one, such anomalies or imperfections as he can show to exist. That it is desirable to assi milate as far as possili!e the letter of the law to the mitigated practice which the opinions and feelings of society have gradually introduced. in •its execu tion, is a truism which scarcely needed all the parade of argument, authority, and illustration, with which the Noble Lord thought fit -last night to amuse and enlighten the very few Members of the House of Commons who could be brought to listen to the volu minous extracts which his Lordship read from his common-place book. The propositions which his Lordship took so much pains to establish, when simply and clearly stated, are, that it is not wise or beneficial to allow a wider range to the discretionary power of a Secretary of State for the Home Department,. in the administration of criminal justice, than experience shows.to be necessaly ; and that when this discretion ary power is too extensive, criminals are apt to regard the administration of justice as a kind of lottery, doper.- dent less !limn principle and precedent than upon indi vidual capacity or caprice, and to flatter themselves by a miscalculation of the chances of this legal lottery in their own favour. These are propositions which do not challenge opposition, and there never perhaps was a Secretary of State for the Home Department who might more safely have excused himself from the task of proving them by elaborate argument than Lord J. Russell. Some experiments have been made, and much speculation has been hazarded in different coun tries, with a view to ascertain the practicability, and determine the efficacy, of various modes and degrees of secondary punishment. This is the qucstio vexata which obstructs in every nation all considerable pro gress in the improvement of criminal legislation.. Upon this Most important branch of his subject the reasoning of the Noble Secretary.is, hOwever, as loose, uneonsequential, and obscure as, can be ima gined. It casts a- deeper shade upon pre-exi:fm; darkness; and renders " confusion worse confounded:* It would appear, from the chaotic mass of facts and authorities.= the rudis indigesiaque •moles— which the Noble Lord presented last night to the House of Commons, instead of a clear and statesman like exposition of the state of the Criminal Law, and of the improvements of which he deems it susceptible, that he has been led by sonic circumstance or other to the opinion that, in his position, time is very precious; that what he meant to do it would not have been quite safe to postpone—and that if he waited until after the Easter recess to complete the materials and mature the structure of his intended lucubration, there would be Considerable danger of its ►ever being delivered, from the right side of the Speaker's chair, or with the weight and dignity of official authority.—Morning Post. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. NORFOLK CIRCUIT.--.CAMBRIDGE, MARCH 22. GELDERT V. TABRAIN. Tliis was an action brought by Dr. Geldart, the Regius Professor of Civil Law in this University, against Mr. Tae brain, a solicitor of Cambridge, to recover compensation for several trespasses alleged to have been committed on some property of toe Learned Professor by the defendant, into which it was contended he had illegally intruded himself as tenant, and without any permission from the plaintiff. The Jury found for the plaintiff, with fifty guineas damages. BAILEY V. BURNETT, CLERK. This was an action brought by the plaintiff to recover damages from the defendant, a clergyman, in the commis sion of the peace, for having illegally caused his horse to be taken to the pound, and himself Co he arrested by. the con stable for having resisted the same. While the plaintiff's horse was on the road, peaceably engaged in cropping the grass, he defendant, under an erroneous impression, that, as a magistrate, he could interfere, had ordered it to be taken to the pound. To this the plaintiff offered a stout resistance, and, mounting his nag, endeavoured to ride off, whereupon a constable was sent for, who, by the de fendant's orders, pulled the plaintiff from his seat, and held him in charge for five minutes, at the end of which time he released him on the defendant's command to do so. The horse, however, was taken to the pound, and for his release the sum of sixpence was demanded. The Jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff, with forty shillings damages. In consequence of the pressure of criminal business, Mr. Justice PARK ordered the two remaining cases, both spe cial juries, to stand over, in order that he might assist his Learned Brother in delivering the gaol. His Lordship will therefore try some of the minor cases to-morrow, while the great arson case is taken by Mr. Justice COLTMAN. CROWN SlDE.—William .Mowbray, jun., was indicted for stealing a sheep, and his father was also indicted for re ceiving the same. The Jury found both prisoners Guilty. His Lordship passed the sentence imposed by law on the younger prisoner, and the father to be transported for 14 years, observing, that doubtless be was the more criminal cf the two. Samuel Waters, Samuel Whiting, and Edward Dewley were indicted for having feloniously cut and maimed a va luable horse, the property of Mr. Purver, of Haddenham, near Ely. The prisoners were acquitted. After having dis posed of a few other cases, possessing no public interest, his Lordship rose at. seven o'clock, leaving 17 more to be dis posed of. SURREY SESSIONS.-THURSDAY. Mary Devaney, an old Irishwoman, was indicted for stealing at Richmond a piece of beet; the property of Mr. Ravenshaw, the East India Director. Charlotte Truher was cook in the service of Mr. Raven shaw, at Richmond, and on Saturday, the I Ith instant, she had a piece of ribs of beef roasting at the kitchen'ire. About three o'clock, having occasion to leave the kitchen for a short time, she observed the prisoner hastily passing through the verandah on the ground floor over the lawn. Suspecting that something was wrong below, she (the cook) ran down stairs into her " department," and found that the picce.of beef had been taken off the spit, and that the dripping-pan underneath had been upset into the bargain. She immediately gave the alarm, and some of the other servants came to her assistance. The prisoner Was fol lowed, overtaken on the road to Mortlake, and the piece of roast beef found in her possession. She was then given into custody. The gardener gave similar evidence. Prisoner—Gentlemen, I will tell you the whole truth of the affair. I was walking along soberly and steadily when a dacent-looking man axed me if I'd like to taste a bit of beef. I tould him that it was a scarce thing with me, and that I'd thank him ; and upon that he shoves me over a fine piece of mate, saying " That he took it away from a bull dog, that had not time to devour it, and that I might as well have it as the dog." So I took it, and in a minute after that spalpecn in the box came up, and gave me to an officer for nothing at all at all. If lie had a pair of eyes in his head that was worth a bullrush he would have seen that the piece of beef was mawled about by a dog. The CHAIRMAN asked the witness if the meat appeared as if it had been mangled by a dog, as the prisoner had represented ?—The witness, in reply, said that when ho took the joint from the prisoner it was to all appearance as clean as when taken off the spit. Prisoner—Bad luck to all liars, I say, for the mate was in a terrible pickle with the bull-dog, and I'm sorry now that I tuck it from the gentleman that gave it to me. The CHAIRMAN—H ave you that gentleman in Court now ?—Prisoner (looking around)—No, I can't sec him here ; I wish lie was for my sake. Mr. Ravenshaw's cook, being recalled, stated that she had no doubt as to her having seen the prisoner leave the house in the hurried manlier above described. The jury, without hesitation, convicted the prisoner, and Le was sentenced to four months' imprisonment. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HO USE. An old man, named Johnson, who contracts for the ferry at the Custom-house stairs, was charged by Mr. Minton, of No. 12S, •,Cheapsidc, with baying overcharged two ladies who were going a few mornings ago to the Continent. Johnson made the old excuse of additional luggage to justify the demand, but Mr. Minton•deposed that the ladies Lad with them no more lnA•gage than was allowed to be taken by two passen gers free from charge. " . ..Alderman COPELAND—I fine the defendant forty shil lings and costs. Johnson persevered in saying that he was tight in his charge, and declared that he had never been summoned for forts' years. • Aliierman COPELAND—I dare say the penalty will do much good, and - I am thankful to the gentleman who took the trouble to attend. • Johnson—Won't your Lordship be good enough to remit a part of the penalty ? Alderman COPELAND-Not a farthing. _ _ defendant then most reluctantly:' paid the penalty and costs, but immediately asked whether he could not appeal from the decision ? Alderman COPELAND—NO, you are too late, we arc in possession of the nionmy.—(Lauol►ter.) Mr. Minton requested that the moiety to which he mu; entitled slmuld be given to the poor objects who were brought in such multitudes to the Justice Room. MAI?YLEBONE. Yesterday Juba Kelly, a well-dressed young man, was brought up, handcuffed, by Bradshaw, a constable of the D division, and placed at the bar before Mr. SHUTT, charged with forging a bill of exchange and a check, amounting to gether to 3891. 13's., with intent to defraud Sir Claudo S.:ott and Co., bankers, Cavendish-square. The prisoner declined saying anythirg in his dsfence, and was remanded. THAMES-OFFICE. Yesterday Capt. Tisdell, the master of the Star steam packet, wascharged'before Mr. BRODERIP with wilfully 'da maging the. Diamond i steamer, by running foul of he on Saturday the 11th of March, during the •passage from Gravesend to London. After hearing a mass of evidence, in some reppects con tradictory, Captain Tisdell was ordered to pay 21. 16s. for the damage done to the Diamond, and 295. costs. LAMBETH- STREET. Yesterday John Areederman, who has been in custody since Sunday week, on a charge. of having caused the deal: of a young woman named Elizabeth Mary Oliver, by striking her a violent bloar with his fist on the back of the neck, through jealousy, from her dancing with a German, was brought before Mr. ComaEs for further examination. The prisoner, when asked by Mr. Combos if he had anything to say in reply to the charge, Said he had not. After evidence had been heard, the witnesses were hound over to appear at the Old Bailey to prosecute, but the prisoner will be brought up again next week,:when it is expected he will be committed for the murder. The Duchess of St. Albans still 'continues indis , posed, although somewhat better. Having Ind a severe at. tack of influenza during the winter at Brighton, her. Grace re. moved to London for change of air, where a relapse occurred, the effects of which still remain. This indisposition of her Grace will prevent the Grand Falconer from giving his cus topiary flight of hawks on Easter Monday, which be has ge nerally.done, followed by a drjeuner in he: Grace's ' sumptuous style.