The Sun. — London, England, 1846-06-05 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, June 4. Their Lordships met at Five o' c l oc k. GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY: The Duke of RICHMOND presented several peti tions from the county of Aberdeen in favour of this undertaking. FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. Lord COTTENHAM presented a petition from some Free Church inhabitants of Paisley, praying their Lord ships to pass a measure to enable them to purchase sites for the erection of churches. Lord CAMPBELL presented eight petitions to the same effect from different parts of Scotland. Earl STANHOPE presented a petition, praying their Lordships not to pass the Corn Bill until a full inquiry was made into the present monetary system of the country. Lord CAMPBELL presented petitions from Greenock and other towns in Scotland in favour of the Ministerial measures. CORN-LAWS. Lord STANLEY presented petitions from different places in the counties of Wilts and Cornwall against the repeal of the corn-laws. He would now beg to give notice that he would, to-morrow, ask to have placed on the table of the House copies of any addresses which may have been received from the Legislative Assemblies of Canaria upon the subject of the corn-laws. The Earl of DALHOUSIE said, that iu gumeeting g th t e h i e r `arc that had been used on the last night Lordships had sat, against the present Government g mea sure affecting the corn-laws, he e ndeavoured to contro vert them to the best of his ability, and in doing so, quoted an address which, had been re ceived from the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, and he founded the arguments he had used upon the statements contained in those addresses ; for the Government bad no reason to believe, from the na ture of the contents of these addresses, that the Canadian Government were adverse to this measure. In what he was now about to state, he would make no allusion to any thing that had been said out of this House, by which he would be infringing any order of their Lordships' House. But he would endeavour so to allude to a state ment which had been made elsewhere, as that their Lordships would understand by the implication what he meant, without committing any breach of any order of their Lordships' House. What he meant was this, that upon the day after the debate in this House a question was put to the first Minister of the Crown in reference to that debate, which would have the effect of casting an imputation upon the truth-telling and fairness of a Noble Lord, a Member of their Lordships' House, and that that Noble Lord was the Earl of Dalhousie. And the effect of that imputation was that at the time that t he had mentioned the ad dress he had now alluded to he was aware of another address having arrived from Canada of a nature contrary to that of the one he had been speakine of. Now he should confess, and he was not ashamed to confess it, that he did feel pained at any question having been put respecting him in such language, for he was able to say that he had never - done anything in his life, either public or private, which could merit such an imputation.—(Hear, hear.) But he could not but feel annoyed that such a statement should have gone forth to the country unexplained by him, for it must have had the effect of making an un favourable impression against him. Now, he would ask their Lordships, would it be worth his while to suppress such a fact when he knew that it would be perfectly well known to the public the very next morning? But he begged to assure their Lordships that it was physically impossible that he could have been aware of the dispatch in question at the time he made this state ment to the House. He had applied to a private quarter —he felt humbled in having been compelled to do so— (Cheers)—and he had ascertained from that source the steamer which brought the dispatch arrived at Liverpool after their Lordships had met on Thursday evening; the dispatch was forwarded to the Post-office, where it ar rived at 6 o'clock on Friday morning, shortly after their Lordships had concluded their sittings, and at 10 o'clock that morning it reached the Colonial-office by the ordinary delivery of the Post-office; and he himself was not aware of its arrival until infurmed of the fact by his Honourable Friend the Secretary of the Colonies. Igo one, he was sure, could possibly be aware that the address was in existence in the course of the debate of Thursday. Therefore, in that place, as a Peer, and on his honour, he assured their Lordships that he was not aware of the arrival of the mail at the time in question, or of any intention of the Legislative Assembly of Canada to form any opinion on the policy of her Majesty's Ministers contrary to that which was upon record, and which he believed. contained the sentiments of that assembly on the question. He should not, however, further comment upon that. If it had been necessary to put this ques tion, he wished it had been put by some Noble Lord in that House to his (Lord Dalhousie's) face. He re gretted, also, that it was put at a time when a week must elapse before it was possible for him to reply to it. and when he might have had an opportunity of vindicat ing himself from the charge. He felt it due to himself and to their Lordships to offer this explanation, which he trusted was satisfactory.—(Cheers.) Lord STANLEY said he was sure every one who knew his Noble Friend considered that any statements made in another place, or elsewhere, which threw any aspersions upon his character were without foundation— (Cheers)—he was quite sure, that it was out of the power of any human being to cast any aspersion on the personal honour of his Noble Friend. He (Lord Stanley) was not aware there was any intention to put the question to which the Noble Lord referred. He received a copy of the dispatch the fol lowing morning, and it was not until in the course of the next afternoon that he learned that the question had been put. He was sure the character of the Noble Lord, both in that and the other House of Parliament, rendered it unnecessary for him to occupy a single moment in exculpating him from such a charge, which, if it had been true, would have involved a charge of neglect of public honour and of public duty. However, it was not until that moment that a reply could be given by the Noble Lord that it was the intention of the Under Secretary of the Colonial Department to the dispatch on the table of the House, and he trusted that their Lordships would bear with him for a few moments whilst he made some observations upon it. He would take that opportunity of saying a few words on the serious objections which had been entertained against the policy of her Majesty's Government on this point in Canada. He had availed himself of that oppor tunity to assert that serious objections were entertained there, not only as that policy was likely to affect the particular interests of the Canadians themselves but also on account of the commercial and political ef fects that were likely to arise from the measure then under the consideration of their Lordships. They not only complained that it would, if adopted, prevent their taking British manufactures in return for their colonial produce, but it would have the result of throwing away the whole of the capital expended in improving the course of the St. Lawrence, which is the natural outlet for the produce of the provinces. He bad warned the House that this policy would be likely to have the injurious effect of dissevering the tie which held the Canadas to this country, and induce them to seek an association with the United States. He would not say that his remarks had beeu treated with inattention, but he could not help recollecting that an assertion had that night been made that the Canadas were altogether in favour of free trade. He felt that it would not be right to treat this merely as a free trade question, but that its commercial and political bearings ought also to be taken into account. And whatever might have been thought of his anticipations, their Lordships would recollect that within twelve hours after they had been uttered, and before the recorded opinions of their Lordships could be made known to the country, an unanimous ad dress from the House of Assembly in Canada had been brought to this country, containing precisely the same views and apprehensions which he had nimself entertained—echoing precisely the same objections in almost the very words which he had used. Their Lordships should know that the House of Assembly was one of the most divided commu nities in the world—divided in interest, divided in AAracter, divided i n country—consisting of Canadians, neo-Canadians, Gallic-Canadians , and men from the United States ; and yet this divided assembly had come to an unanimous couee ag a ai d ns o t n t l h y e policy of the Government. Ho wou ld i a very few words from that address. His Lordship' th - rea d a paragraph from the address, complaining of the ui* ference of the Ministerial pol i c y with their interests; and injuring the trade in thetrtoprtasdayuatilaotf zsin and timber. The address then went_ en progress proposed mea sureof agricultural was calculated to retard.he improvement and cheek the rising prosperity och e „ lolly , and would seriously im p air the abilit y of the inh abitant; of Canada to purchase the manufactured goods of Great Britain. They further went on to thank the Parlia ment of the mother country for the loan of 1,500,0001. for the purpose of promoting the public works in that colony, but they considered that the proposed alterations in the law of protection would so reduce the prosperity of the canals and other public wo rks, as to render them comparatively profitless. The address wen t on to state that a check would be placed on the encou ragement of agricultural production, and also that it would prevent the influx of emigrants from the mother country. and consequently that the inhabitants would lose the benefit of their capital and skill. And, lastly, it stated that it was next to be feared that should the inhabi tants of Canada find, in consequence of the withdrawal of all protection, that they could not compete with the United States in the only market open for them, they would materially begin to doubt if their remaining a portion of the British empire will be of that permanent ad vantage which they have hitherto found it to be. The Noble Lord went on to say that these were considerations of very grave importance as well to her Majesty as to the people of the province. The dutiful inhabitants of the province stated in their address that they should be sorry if any measure was passed calculated to weaken the ties which had for so many years bound them to the parent state. They considered it the greatest evil that could possibly befal them. Their Lordships would remember the time when this address was sent, to whom it was addressed, and th e strong, yet loyal and affectiona te terms in whi c h i t was couchd. It would, h e thought, iveentasaitisfactory vindication of the appreh ensions he ertad deeply regretted that it did not arrive before ne their Lordships decided upon the second readin g of the Bill.Bill.He trusted, however, t h at it was not yet too late to remove these apprehensions. Their Lordships would bear in mind the loyal and dutifnl dress unanimously agreed to by the people of Canada Lord LYTTELTON laid on the table several paper s from the colonies, and among others the add ress from Canada, which the Noble Lord who had just sat down alluded to. The papers included several addresses on the subject of the Ministerial measure, viz., the corn-laws, Which had already been laid on the table of the House of mug. la regard to the moral observation of the THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 5, 1846. been 19,600,000/. In the year 1843 there was a redac tion of 17,0001. in the export duties, but the revenue was 20,200,0001. In the year 1844 there was a reduc tion of 286,0001., and in the year 1845 the customs were reduced 2,418,0001., making a total in these two years of upwards of 2,700,0001.; yet the customs' duties in the year 1844 were 2 1,000,000/., and in the year 1845 the revenue had fallen, not to the amount of 2,700,0001., but only 600,000/., the revenue of that year being 19,800,0001. , From the year 1843 to the year 1845 there had been a reduction in the customs' duties of 2,214,0001., and not withstanding this, the customs' revenue in the year 1845 was 1 9,800,0001., while in the year 1842, it was only 1 9,600,000/. ; thus showing, that while you have reduced upwards of 2,000,0001. of duties during the last four years, the revenue from the customs for the last year was 200,000/. larger than the year in which you commenced these reductions. Now, he was not at all inclined to lead their Lordships to suppose that he was inclined to trace the increase to the reduc tion of the customs. But that which he bad a right to contend for was, that it had not been injurious to the revenue, which had increased 400,0001. in two years; and if it ware not traced entirely to the former cause, it should certainly be admitted that it might be traced to the improved condition of the people. And then,how was the assertion answered, that these reductions of the customs would have an injurious effect upon the population? He was quite aware that some of their prosperity was to be traced to bountiful harvests, but that prosperity was also to be traced when they were not blessed with bountiful harvests ; and while he was quite ready to admit it at the proper time, he was also ready to deny it was to be wholly attributable to it. It was a review of the effects of the reduction of the customs which led her Majesty's advisers to propose that she should suggest from the throne a further reduction, in order to produce similar beneficial effects. The Government now proposed that the duties should be removed from all the articles of food of first necessity—and they felt at the same time, that when they did so that it would not be fair not to reduce them on others. The duties are to be removed from all articles of cotton and woollen manufac ture. He would state the amount of the duty which was proposed to be repealed on the several articles of cotten, woollen, and linen. The quantity of these articles imported lust year, with the amount of duty on them, was as follows :—Of cotton, th e amountim ported was in value 39,0e0/.; of this quantity the duty would be removed on 35,301:1.—retaining the duty on the value of 3,600/. Of woollen goods the total quantity imported was in value 162,000/. The duty proposed to be repealed on 158,000/., leaving the duty to be retained on 4,0001. Respecting linen, he could not give the ac count of the quantity imported very accurately, but he believed the amount entered was about 12,453/., of which the duty was to be retained on 9,900/. He might here observe that the articles on which the duty was to be retained were articles of luxury, such as cambrics, French lawns, and bordered handkerchiefs. This would be an answer to the statement made respecting the prin ciple of the Bill, that while it was proposed to remove agricultural protection, it professed to do the same with regard to manufactures, but failed to do so. This would show that such was not the fact. The duty was retained on linen goods, because the articles named were articles of luxury ; whereas the duties on cotton and woollen goods were proposed to be removed because it would benefit the poorest classes. He next came to the duty on silk. That would come before the House in a sepa rate form, and he would not enter into the subject then ; but he would state briefly the proposed alteration. While the duty now professed to be 30 per cent. ; in consequence of the alteration made in the tariff of 1826, it had been found that the silk duty, instead of being 30 per cent., had often ranged from 100 to 300 per cent. Is the Bill he now submitted to their Lordship', the tariff, with respect to silk was altered, and the duty was now calculated at 15 per cent. or half the orignal duty. In like manner the Bill dealt with articles of manufacture in metal, such as iron, lead, and tin. In 1842 the duty was 20 per cent., it was now reduced to 10 per cent. Indeed he might state that the ruling figure in this tariff was 10 per cent., in the same manner that the ruling figure of the tariff of 1842 was 20 per cent. The Bill also 'proposed to reduce the duty upon two articles which entered largely into the consumption of the poor, namely, butter and cheese. They proposed to reduce the duty upon articles of food, consumption, and clothing, and it would be unjust indeed if the tariff did not include the two articles he bad just named. The Bill would reduce the duty on brandy and foreign spirits. At present the duty was 225. per gallon, and the consequence was a large quantity of brandy and foreign spirits found its way into this country through other channels than the custom-house. They proposed therefore to reduce the duty, not with the view of in creasing the consumption of these articles, nor did they think it would have that effect, but to de feat the operations of the smuggler. The 'first article to which he would direct their Lordships' at tention was one, the reduction of the duty upon which would be felt as a great benefit—be meant the article of timber. It would be in their Lordships recol lection that, in the year 1842, a reduction was made in the duties both of foreign and colonial timber ; the duty on colonial timber was, in fact, reduced to a nominal duty of Is., and the duty on foreign timber was reduced from 555. to 355. The returns which had been laid be fore their Lordships would show what the effect of that reduction had been. The quantity imported had in creased from 342,000 in the year previous to the reduc tion to 757,000 in the year 1845. There had also been a great difference in the price of timber since the reduc tion. In 1842 the price of Canadian yellow timber was from 31 ss. to 31.155. ; in 1843 it was from 2/. 15s. to 31. 15s. ; in 1843 it was from 2/. 15s. to 31. ss. ; in 1844 it was from 21. 15s. to 31. 55.. but on the 6th of January, 1846, the price was ranged between 4/. 7s. 6d. and 4/. 12s. 6d. Since the reduction of duty on timber there had been a vast demand for that article, both co lonial and foreign, and her Majesty now proposed to make a further reduction, so that the duty, upon the sth of April, in 1847, upon foreign timber, should be froth 255. to 20s. ; on the sth of April, 1848, from 20s. to 155.; the colonial timber to be liable to the usual nominal duty of Is. He now wished to say a few words as to the principle on which the measure was founded. Upon the first reading of the Bill it was stated by Noble Lords, as an objection to the measure, that it left undone many things that it ought to have done—that as it was a free-trade measure, it should be carried out on pure free-trade principles. Now he disclaimed any such cha racter for this Bill. The principle of the measure was that which was recommended to their Lordships from the throne, namely, the removal of prohibitory, and the reduction of protective duties. He did not profess, in submitting this measure to their Lordships, that there were not many inconsistencies and anomalies in the tariff, as it at present stood. There were many considerations which made it necessary that it should be so. He sub ' mitted this measure to their Lordships, simply as a measure for the removal of protective duties ; and he would now state to their Lordships that which he had said on a former evening, namely, that her Majesty's Government believed the principle of protection to be unsound of itself—(Cheers)—but that, at the same time, they reserved to themselves the right of carrying out the remission of those duties gradually, cautiously, and slowly, as the exigencies of the times would permit ; and that while they were desirous of reducing those protec tive duties upon various articles, they would do so, not without reference to the effects it would produce upon any particular system ; and, above all, not without re ference to the effects it would produce upon the revenue itself. On these grounds, therefore, he commended this measure to their Lordships, not under the nick-name, if he might be permitted to use the expression, which had been given to it, but as a measure, the principle of which was the removal of the prohibitory duties, and the gradual removal of protective duties, for the benefit of the consumers, without, as her Majesty's Government believed, injuring the produce ; and he trusted that their Lordships would see no reason for withholding their assent to it.—(Hear, hear.) The LORD CHANCELLOR having put the question, The Duke of RICHMOND said he should move that the Bill be read a second time that day six months, on the very grounds that had been urged by his Noble Friend, namely, because its object was the removal of protective duties.---(Hear, hear.) And in doing so, he contended that it was unconstitutional to make use of her Majesty's name in the manner in which his Noble Friend had used it.—(Hear, hear.) It was in direct vio lation of the principle of that House to say, in support of that measure, that it bad been recommended in the Queen's speech ; for what was the Queen's speech but the speech of her Ministers ? Lord DALHOUSIE explained that he did not make use of her Majesty's name iu the manner imputed to him. The Duke of RICHMOND then went on to say that he was glad to find his Noble Friend admitting that it was unconstitutional to make use of her Majesty's name in support of any measure laid before their Lordships. His Noble Friend had not told the House the value, at the present moment, of the articles which he meant to abolish. Nov he said that he was about to recommend the reduction of the duty on butter and cheese. He be lieved they would find these duties were increasing duties, and any reduction on them was contrary to the policy of the constitution ; and the reduction was no reason for the removal of the duties on matters connected with the agricultural interests. The Government had also removed many of the duties on manufactured cotton. His Noble Friend sitting behind him, had said that the cotton manufacturers had declared that they wanted no protection, and that by their skill and in dustry, and heavens knows what, they were rendiendriiesddtenro,stetauhaeaeervr present7ein dependent eho eu o at f praw a ae n i nta y hds protectionuafr fairness girowerel,l3edsta to dress,dhb a e at liberalityye wk e rne. well I w a f l the se dg acknowledged, principlewhy notof why the labourer's and farmer ' s s wiletheanhMeeuld not was, that yit objection to the taking away of protec labour of this employedcountr paper might come in F foreign labour instead of the ; bullet ito Foreign lady. Hi s mit at a cheap price tion supersede English labour. n r is e t be at too low a price, to paper-staining at present were earningbelieved the artisans in 21. 10s. a-week, and that was nottoo inu e e n h tp o e average ope rative to earn. Then as to the reduction on rs an dspirituous liquors ; he thought his Nobic Vriend would find that the Custom-house possespa sufficient means of preventing smuggling to any isisarious extent. It would be found, that at the preseps mom ent t h ere did not exist of th e snapling that was • one quarter carried on some After the division twenty years ago- night, he did nottsnklethe other bill on a prev , retaining the attention of their Lordshipsshoibe justified 411 in to enter his most distinct protest against the longer ll' st the principles of theßill. Redid move that Bill. again second time that day six months, ti.o, Bill be read a c ould not help expressing hisfirm at the same time he f • firm labourers should that the employment of foreign should not be preferred to their own. to great objection The Earl of WICKLOW said the there existed an anomaly i n not the measure was, that carrying out the principles to all. The Bill as it stood showed a system of injustice, inasmuch as all cla sses would not be benefited by the contemplated reduction of duties. He found that there were 48 items included in tho 644 QM of that numbeß 22 me imuncSed agriculture. This was an unfair distribution of the con templated reduction of duties, and he should certainly oppose it. Earl GREY could not, in the Bill before the House, see any distinct principle laid down. If protective duties were unsound in principle, the best way for the Govern ment and Parliameut to pursue would be to abandon those duties altogether. He entirely agreed that protec tive duties were entirely wrong. He was, however, at a loss to comprehend what those half measures, consisting of half protection and half free trade, meant. The duties on sugar, and on some other articles, produced large revenues to the Treasury. He believed that no • thing would tend more to injure these interests than the perpetually meddling with the protective duties. A sys tem of alteration was of all things the most injurious to commerce and trade. He would, however, accept the present Bill as an instalment for the future, and would willingly give his support to the second reading. Lord ASHBURTON objected to the Bill, because the wages of labour would be diminished, and the commerce of the country paralysed, if the measure were carried into effect. If these alterations were allowed to be pro ceeded with, no man could tell what crotchets her Ma jesty's Chief Minister might next propose. Any person who has observed the progress of things in this country would be made aware that all the changes were traceable to obvious causes, from 1825 down to 1837, and 1839, and 1842, when the administration was changed, which were ail periods of great distress. The prosperity of the country had been great in former years, as well as in the present. The prosperity then was not owing to the free trade measures of a Govern ment, and in like manner he contended that the present prosperity of the country was not owing to the late alte rations in the commercial policy of the country. Disap proving of this measure, in consequence of the effect it would have upon the condition of the labourer of this country, he could not consider it consistent with the dis charge of his public duty if he did not oppose the further progress of the measure. Lord MONTEAGLE considered it the duty of the Government to endeavour to reconcile as much as pos sible, by means of a judicious system of taxation, the two conflicting points with regard to custom duties, namely, duties levied for the sake of revenue, and those which were levied for the sake of protection. He thought the measure before their Lordships a step in the right direction, and he would not, therefore, stop to find small faults with it ; here, there, and everywhere, he knew the difficulty of dealing with such an immense in terest as that of the customs' duties of the country, and considered that, although the present prosperity was not entirely owing to the removal of restrictive duties, he still thought, as regarded the reduction of the duties on raw material, an immense benefit had been bestowed both on the trade and commerce of the country. The Noble Lord then proceeded to pass some strictures om the late measures of the Government, with reference to the timber and sugar duties, and contended that in both instances their measures had signally failed of being pro ductive of benefit either to the revenue or to the publie. He was prepared to prove that England was one of the highest taxed countries in the world, and that labour was cheaper also in it than in any other country in the world ; and, therefore, there was no necessity for the fears of the Noble Lord with respect to what might be effected by cheap labour on the Continent. In 1820 the merchants of London petitioned in favour of free trade, and that petition was presented by his Noble Friend op posite (Lord Ashburton), and a more complete state ment of the principles on which free trade were founded was never yet made to the House; and with respect to the fear expressed with regard to Irish linen, he would say there was no ground for the existence of any apprehension; that trade bad flourished in proportion as they withdrew restriction, and had withered when pro tected ; and he was able to state that the great linen producers felt no apprehension on the subject themselves. A property-tax, therefore, for a short period, subject to renewal, had a tendency to create a system of direct in stead of indirect taxation—(Hear, hear)—and he took the liberty of saying that a more dangerous course could not be entered on by any country, particularly one bur dened as this was with debt. It went upon a false prin ciple; it led the people to suppose that those who were considered persons of property had the capacity to pay the whole expenses of the State; that was not only dan gerous but false—(Hear, hear)—and it also led to this false notion, that they might augment the taxation of the capitalist without indirectly affecting the interests of the poor man. The amendment was then withdrawn, and the Bill was read a second time. On the motion of Lord DALHOUSIE, the Bill was ordered to be committed on Monday week. EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCES. The Explosive Substances Bill went through Com mittee. The House then went' into Committee on the Bill re lating to Friendly Societies, and having gone through Committee, the report was ordered to be brought up tomorrow.—The House then adjourned. RAILWAY COMMITTEES (YESTERDAY.) HOUSE OF LORDS. GROUP I. LONDON AND YORK (THE EASTERN COUNTIES). (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. AUSTIN was all day engaged in addressing their Lord ships. The Learned Gentleman went into the traffic on both lines of railway, and contended that the coal traffic of the London and York was made out on a false estimate, inas much as coal was to be had cheaper in London than that which would be brought by the London and York Railway. This he sought to prove by comparing the returns of coal brought by the Eastern Counties line with the assumed returns of the proposed London and York line. The Learned Counsel con cluded by calling upoii the Committ ee t o d ec l are t h e pream b le of the Eastern Counties' Bill proved. The Committee wished to learn whether the parties on both sides were ready to make any arrangement with the landowners. _ _ Mr. AUSTIN said that there had been no proposition made to his clients by the landowners. Mr. Sergeant WEANGIIA3I said that his clients were wil ling to do everything towards an agreement with the landed proprietors. They . would be willing to place the case in the hands of Mr. Edwin Lascelles, who would settle the amount of compensation without going to a jury. It was then announced that Mr. Sergeant Wrangham would address the Committee, in reply to the whole case, at eleven o'clock to-morrow. The Committee then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. GROUP xviL MANCHESTER AND SOUTHAMPTON. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. Samuel Price Edwards, collector of the port of South ampton for the last three or four years, and connected with other ports in a similar capacity for the last 22 years, was then called and examined. He was acquainted with the route of the proposed line, which ran from Southampton Il ion with the , Cirencester, to Chelten- Birmingham h b a n y a dmR, Gloucesterowm h s e e r y e -, i A t n w d e o ßu v la e di rl Railway. my a . r lab Such runoncuhegt a line would be of great advantage to Southampton, as it would afford direct commu nication from north to south, and thus connect the important manufacturing districts with a commodious exporting port in the south of England. The trade of the port of Southampton had been trebled within the last five years, and was increasing. During the year ending the sth of January last, 150,956 tons were entered inwards, and 91,133 outwards. The imports consisted of foreign silks, Mohair, worsted yarn, wool, gums, saffron, goats' hair, &c. The value of raw silk imported was 700,000/. Out of 313 tons 300 would go to Manchester, which was the great depot of raw silks, as also was Macclesfield. Wool went to York shire, and the other commodities principally to the north of England. If the line was made the whole of these articles would go by it as being the cheapest and quickest mode of communication. Large quantities of coffee were also imported, and 16 tons of cigars were imported per month. Southampton was the principal packet station of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Packet Company, and for vessels to all parts of the world. The importation of coffee was limited, owing to the want of efficient and cheap communication with the north, where the consumption was greater than in the south. The present expense of transit was greater than the article could bear.; it was consequently sent to the dearest market, London. The Peninsular and Orien tal Packet Company intended slortly opening up communi cation with several ports of the Mediterranean. Southamp ton was the fittest port in the country, and possessed great pecuniary advantages over other towns in respect to dues and other charges incidental to the navigation. The circuitous route to the north was a great drawback to the prosperity of Southampton. At present a ton of goods to Manchester cost Si. ls. ; by the proposed line the same quantity would not cost more than U. He anticipated that large quantities of corn would be landed at Southampton for consumption as far north as Birmingham. The value of ex ports last year, ending, the sth day of April, 1846, was 2,192,055/. The opening of the Rouen and Havre Railway would increase the general traffic. 60,000 persons, including those who attended them, em barked annually. The witness then went into detail with respect to other towns, and observed the advantages which the proposed line would confer upon the town. With this railway to the north the trade of Southampton would be greatly increased. In 1844, the goods conveyed by railway amounted to 4,225 tons ; in 1845, the quantity had increased to 12,668. The witness was subjected to a lengthy cross , examination by Mr. HILL, but his testimony was not shaken. He considered that a railway, running along the pier, and com municating with the docks, would possess a double advan tage, as it would embrace them both. To get to the docks at present persons had to cross the South-Western Railway. They would also have to cross the proposed line. This witness was also cross-examined by Sir T. PutuiPs on behalf of the Great Western Company. He said he was a shareholder in the Manchester and Southampton line, and that the prospectus issued by the promoters correctly set forth the advantages which it would confer on the districts it was proposed to traverse. Mr. ALEXAWDER interrupted the Learned Counsel by ob jecting only r fewT affected iioym aArs f d o ps r l a ainL f a rv i p sy quoteda ns contended de Swindon. edcast ielaot f thet h jecting to his examining the witness with respect to the whole line, when the land belonging to that company was WCohmiephanwyashapdroaporisgedht t 0 00 a c p ro p s e s ar th a e nd s e ev x e a ro min b e ta r hn e e s o p te e ho c eu t rr t sa o en t od h f de examinationwhole ist an distant pparro part e o c fs t , hi although rl h do o u u bt g ee h . they tt were eee wG as i drtooeennaoceltityBdhsWene affected fora wh Af ic t h er w oo as ns t i h d r o o r w ab n le ou so b osecasi interfered y with property in tunnel, d but us on e t i h t ecommi The witness was further cross-exa p n u l r i s n u e e d d ;after which the Committee adjourned until 12 o'clock to-morrow. TAW VALE RAILWAY EXTEN SION.—SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting of the scripholders, proprietors, and shareholders of this rail L ondon Taver n way took place yesterday, at the orders of , at one o'clock, in pursuance of the Sessional in the chair. both Houses of Parliament, Emanuel Cooper, Esq., The SECRETARY havinr , read the advertisement convening the meeting, The CRAIR3IAN announced that as soon as the intention of Government was announced as requiring a meeting of the scripholders to take place a meeting was convened in Exeter, 44 which 10 ,370diare4 nre iu fAym 91 primediz3B, dud 1100 against such a course, leaving an assenting majority of 8,710. But as an irregularity had taken place in the insertion of the advertisements they were obliged to convene the present meeting. The Bristol and Exeter Company had agreed, as soon as they obtained their Bill, to take the line, and pay them 4 per cent. upon their paid-up capital and calls, and to be subject to an increase at the following rates per cent. when the Bristol and Exeter received 9 per cent., 5 when they receive 10, 6 when they receive 11, &c. The money already paid for expenses amounted to 6,949/. 12s. 11d., and he believed that the total amount of expenditure, in cluding the present liabilities, would not exceed 10,0001., or about 10s. per share. Their money in hand was about 49,8601. The Bideford branch had been lost in the House of Lords, and they therefore considered that they would not require as large an amount paid up as the estimated capital, w hich was 533,000/. The whole number of shares were 26,630, and those allotted amounted to 23,000 ; and out of these 23,000 shares, 20,725 had been paid up upon. The CHAIRMAN then put a resolution, to the effect that it was the opinion of the meeting that the Bill should be pro- ceeded with. Mr. FITZPATRICK seconded the resolution. The votes were then taken, when there appeared— For going on Against Majority The meeting then separated. 10,715 MEETING OF MEXICAN BOND HOLDERS. A meeting of Mexican bondholders was held yester day at the London Tavern, at one o'clock, G. C. Robin son, Esq., in the chair, when there was a large assem blage of the proprietors of this stock. The CHAIRMAN opened the proceedings by alluding to the last meeting, which he stated had been so interrupted that he did not conceive that a right conclusion, and he trusted, therefore, that no such interruption would now take place. Mr. Robinson then read the corre?- pondence with Mr. Slider and with the other agents of the Mexican Government, the substance of which was that the Mexican Government, feeling itself unable to meet its engagements ; had determined to propose a consolida tion of the debt into one general stock, after the follow ing portions:—the whole debt, amounting to 10,241,6501. to the purposes of the active debt ; 5,961,6511. to the debentures on debt created sth March last, 4,650,0001. The means to be provided would then be applied to the active stock, 5,032,4851., and 3,074,4001., to the deferred bonds. The amount of the redemption fund, for the purpose of satisfying the hypothecations on the tobacco revenue, would be 2,134,7651., but on this latter revenue there would also be the charge of the political expenses of the State. The report then went on to state that, considering the present position of Mexico, the Committee did not hesi tate to recommend that this proposition for the Mexican Government should be accepted. but with the under standieg that this was to be a final arrangement, and that no circumstances whatever should hereafter inter fere with the application of the state revenues to the satisfaction of this debt ; with respect to the application of the several portions of the revenue to the active and deferred bonds ; considering that an equitable sacrifice was to be made, the appro priation was as fair as possible. With these observa tions, the Chairman would conclude with stating that he was quite ready to answer any questions that might be put to him.—(Cheers.) Mr. CARD then addressed the chair, contending that it was unfair that the claims of the active bondholders should come on the 20 per cent. revenue. The speaker continued amid much interruption, till at length the Chairman obtained a h e arin g , an d he concluded by moving that the proposition be accepted. The motion having been put, A SHAREHOLDER stated that he would have no objec tion whatever to accede to the proposition, provided Baron Rothschild, Mr. Baring, Mr. Thornton, or any other parties, would become security for the half yearly dividends.—(Laughter.) But when he recollected that precisely the same premises had been made twelve or thirteen years ago, then he saw that one-fifth of the revenues of Vera Cruz and Tampico were to be applied for the payment of the interest, and this he be lieved a very insufficient proportion of the whole reve nues of the country. When he recollected espe cially that the population of the country was eight millions, and the revenues upwards of 5,000,000/., he thought that it was no reply that there had been a war between Mexico and Texas, for that was a bloodless and inexpensive war. It was a paltry sum to apply only 460,0001 a year out of the tobacco revenues for such a country as this ; and he thought that some better agreement than this ought to be made. He should, therefore, oppose any such settle ment as that which had been moved. An amendment was then moved that the recommenda tion of the committee should be agreed to, provided a full payment of the three last dividends could be made in stock, which would have the effect of substituting for every 1001. 3 per Cent. coupon an amount of 97/. 10s. stock. It was then stated by a bondholder that he appeared for a very large proprietor, and he wished to know whether the recommendation of the committee was unanimous ? Mr. CABEL stated, before the news of the war between Mexico and the United States arrived the committee had been unanimous. A BONDHOLDER wished to kuow whether there was any guarantee for the safety of this proposition ; whe ther, in fact, there was any surety that the amount of tobacco hypothecated would be paid. For his part he would rather that there should be a reduction of interest rather than of capital. To the question proposed the CHAIRMAN replied that whatever might have been the violations of their engage ments by individuals, those of :the Government had always boen respected. By the Bth article it was stipu lated that 96,875 dollars should be applied to the de fraying the 1,162,500 dollars annual interest, and 20,833 dollars to the 200,000. As regarded the probability of their being any power of a British Minister to interfere in the event of the Americans seizing upon the revenues of the country, he could not say, but he might remind the meeting that according to the agreement these sums would be paid monthly into the hands of Manning and Marshall, who are British subjects resident in the coun try, and who are agents of the country, so that inter national law would appear to be in favour of such a right. To this remark of the Chairman Mr. CABEL replied by stating his belief that the security was not sufficient; and as circumstances might arise which would alter the state of the case materially, he should, therefore, suggest that the meeting should adjourn till after the arrival of the next American packet. It was decided that this suggestion could not at pre sent be entertained, and a conversation ensued as to the value of the stock; but nothing ensued that the effect of the change would be on the value of the bonds. Mr. WARING protested against any supposition that they were come there to fight a battle, but to entertain the recommendation of the Committe, and to do justice to all parties, whether they be Active or Deferred Bond holders. Had not the news of the war arrived, he should have voted for the resolution, but as no evil could arise from delaying the advises to Mexico until after the 19th, when they would obtain direct informa tion from Mexico, and be in possession also from the United States, he thought it would be better to wait until then. A BONDHOLDER stated that, calculating the over due coupons of the active debt, he found the value of the stock to be at the rate of 1151., and on the deferred debt 92/. 10s.; the proportionale value then would be for the former 901,, and for the latter 72/. If the meeting as sented to this proposition, they would be making a sa crifice of the large sum of 2,139,765/., as the Mexican Government would immediately sell again that sum in the market, and thus the bondholders would be shorn of this portion of their capital without obtaining any additional security for the remainder. He would, therefore, sug gest that the amendment should be withdrawn, and that for adjournment come substantively before the meeting. The amendment was then put, but it was opposed by Mr. T. D. Poles, who expressed his opinion that the de lay would be of no service. In the event of the Ameri can war being continued, and the dif f iculties of the Mexi can Government being increased, and their applying the duties hypothecated to their own exigencies, and this was the worst view of the c ase ; th ey would have the British Ministry to insist upon the performance of their agreement. On the other hand, by assenting to this agreement the meeting would immediately bind the Ministry in Mexico, so that the delay would be injurious rather than beneficial, and for that reason it should have his opposition, The CHAIRMAN said, that the conclusion to which the committee had come had only been arrived at after the most sedulous consideration. The values of the several stocks had been separately calculated by eight different gentlemen, who had all agreed within a fraction. The most contradictory opinions had been expressed on this occasion; but it was his impression, that if they waited until both kinds of bondholders agreed as to what would be severally just to them, ho thought Mr. Cabel might amend his terms, and move an adjournment sine die. He really thought that the allowance of 290/. for the Active Stock, and 60/. for the Deferred Stock, was perfectly fair. And then with respect to the supposition that there was no additional security, he must °attend that by the positive hypo thecation of the tobacco duties and of the silver duties, there was a clearer claim established, and one which would justify the right of the British Minister to require the fair and full satisfaction of the debt, either in principal or interest. Considering the unsettled state of Mexico, the constant change of its Government, and the great uncertainty of the future, he did believe that by the arrangement now proposed there would be a great increase of the probability of the payment being made safer. He agreed with Mr. Bowles in the belief that the waiting for the American packet would be totally useless, and on the same grounds as those which that gentleman had laid before the meeting. He firmly believed that the meeting would give him credit for ho nesty. He firmly believed that no good whatever could arise from an adjo urnme nt, and for ad disagreeing which with the proposition of Mr. Murphy, that gentleman might not hereafter. have it in his power to repeat. It mattered not to him whether he ever received one shilling either of principal or interest, but it did matter greatly to others for whom he acted, and he acted on public principle alone.—(Loud cheers.) Taking credit, then, for honest intentions, he would assert his deliberate belief that, short of absolute cer tainty, the arrangement now proposed was the safest that could possibly be made. To the question of whether the debentures given for the over-due coupons were to be considered as of the value specified upon them, or only worth the amount for which they were actually given, The CHAIRMAN replied, that three of the dividends had been paid i n cas h , so that the debentures were only worth the difference of the sum remainin g unpaid. The amendment f or an adjournment for app fourteen* ndays was then put an d l ost, and the motionet forroving the reco mmendation of th e comm i ttee, and aci ng the pro position of the Mexican: government, was carried by an CleriYl39l4l 4 aaajOrity• ' • Noble Lord, he would not then enter upon a discussion As, however, he had not had an opportunity of ex pressing his sentiments in the previous debate which had taken place, he would defer what he had to say until the motion for going into Committee, when he would refer to what had fallen from the Noble Lord—(Hear.) Earl GREY, like the Noble Lord who had just sat down, did not wish to raise a debate that night, but, after the speech of the Noble Lord ( Stanley), lie could not allow the subject to pass by without one re mark. That was, that though he had seen the address to which the Noble Lord alluded, and he believed t he spirit of it was fairly represented, still the fact collld not be doubted, that, on the original debate on the policy ofher Majesty's Government on the opening of the Assem bly of Upper Canada, there was no tone of despondency or occasion ncoura g i also, n carriedthe by alarm respecting the measure , but , on the contrar y , ther e oc casion.was a lively and On that a considerable majority , agre ein g to co-o perate with her eg t a n e motion man if ested w as on Majesty's Government in carrying the measure into effect. Having had no opportunity of entertaining the character of the subsequent discussion on the circum stances that may have led to a change of opinions— perhaps it was an echo of the alarm exhibited here—he would not venture to pronounce an opinion. Still the f A ac s t se r m em hl ai y, ned, that, it approved rove o t h e first debate gemaj f o o rity th o e f Canadian thereso. l t u h t e i o m n e a t s o h r c e o in e r r e a l a t e t i o w n i t t h o her the Majestyrepeal o s f G t o h v e e c r n o r m n e - n l a t w o s n . k W h h ow et , he h r ut th o i f s t a h pr is p h e e hen x sion still assatisfied rem e a m in t e w d it h h e in d a id ve n r o y t short time all such apprehension would be proved to be unfounded, and he was convinced this measure would be productive of the best effects both as regarded the colonial and the commercial interest of the country. The sabject then dropped. The Duke of RICHMOND presented several peti tions against the proposed Bill for the abolition of the corn-laws. RAILWAY LEGISLATION. - - - Earl FITZ WILLIAM gave notice that to .morrow he should move a resolution to the effect that the third reading of railway Bills should be postponed till all the railway Bills before this and the other House of Parlia ment came before their Lordships in that stage. The Noble Lord had (as we understood) said it was also his intention to move, that when the Bills reached this stage they should be referred to a Committee, to deter mine which Bills should pass and which should not. SALE OF INTOXICATING LIQUORS ON SUNDAY. The Bishop of NORWICH presented sixty petitions, signed by 50,000 persons, earnestly praying her Ma jesty's Government to take into consideration the pro priety of diminishing as far as possible the sale of in toxicating liquors on the Lord's day. He believed their Lordships would recollect that in the year 1834 there was a Committee of the House of Commons, and from the evidence laid before them on the subject it appeared that the greater part of crime in England was owing to intoxication. In the year 1839 he believed the Noble Lord who sat near him (Earl Stanhope) brought in a Bill to limit the sale of intoxicating liquors from Saturday evening till one o'clock on Sunday afternoon. By that Act much good had been produced in the metropolis, Manchester, and Liverpool, but the opera tions of that Act were limited to certain great towns, and the object of the present petitions was that the operations of that Act might be extended to the other great towns of England. He might observe that these petitions were of a very singular character. He bad looked over all of them, and it was an ex traordinary fact that there were no marks instead of names subscribed to them. This showed that all the petitioners were persons of education. They were not connected with any particular party whatever, for Churchmen, Dissenters, magistrates, clergymen, corpo rations of cities, all came forward to join in the prayer of the petitioners ; and he need not say how desirable it would be that their prayers should be granted, when it was known that in London alone upwards of 50 per cent. of the crimes were owing .to drunkenness, and that there had been 50 per cent. diminution in the crimes was in consequence of the operations of the Bill of his Noble Friend. Lord DENMAN presented several petitions to the same effect. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a petition from almost all the inhabitants of a town in the north of England (the name of which did not reach us), in favour of the Ministerial measures. Etrl GREY presented a petition to the same effect. Lord DENMAN presented a petition from a lady', praying for relief from their Lordships under the fol lowing circumstances:—She had been confined in prison for contempt of Court, inasmuch as she refused to give evidence in a certain case, upon the ground that she hal a religious scruple against taking an oath, and the consequence of her contempt was that it had cost her one year's income. While upon the subject he begged to say that a short Bill was about to be introduced affording a remedy in such cases. Lord REDESDALE presented several petitions against a breach of the gauge in the formation of rail ways. CUSTOMS' DUTIES (TARIFF) BILL. The Earl of DALHOUSIE, on rising to move the second reading of the Customs' Duties Bill, presented several petitions praying that this Bill, now before their Lordships, be passed. In doing so, he begged to say that, as this was a Bill composed almost en tirely of matters of detail, he would not enter at any length upon the reasons which had in duced the Government to introduce this measure. In 1842 the Government proposed to your Lordships that there should be an entire revision of the tariff, with a view, principally, to the removal of prohibitory duties, and the removal of those which were simply protective. The proposition then adopted was not for the first time, as it was merely fol lowing the example of the commercial policy of this country for twenty years before, and it was but an advance in the same direction to which that legisla tion tended. He would not call their attention further back than 1819, when many of their Lordships would recollect that reductions were made in the custom duties. Between 1819 and 1826 still more numerous and larger changes were made. It must be in the recollection of all their Lordships, that very great changes were made even in the navigation laws; in our colonial commercial policy; that large reductions were made upon nearly all the principal articles imported into this country, and with respect to some of them the duties were repealed altogether. But when her Majesty's Ministers approached the consideration of the tariff in 1842, a mass of duties was imposed upon different articles regu lated apparently by no principle whatever—no one principle pervaded the whole. Under the superinten dence of the then President of the Board of Trade and the Secretary for the Colonies, an entire revision of the tariff took place—the articles were classified and the charges regulated upon a fixed scale. The principles which were applied to that tariff were these:—That as far as possible there should be a duty on raw materials of 20 per cent., and on manufactured materials 10 per cent. That principle was applied to the la w , a nd u p on that principle it was adopted. There had been laid upon the table of the House a list of the principal articles on which changes had been made—they amount to nearly 600 on which reductions were made amounting to nearly 1,300,0001. In the fol lowing year still further reductions were made in the customs' duties. In 1843 reductions were made in seven different articles. In 1844 reductions were made in four articles producing a great amount of revenue; and in 1845, alterations were made in 112 articles, 54 of which were totally repealed ; and in that year a very large number of articles producing a large amount of revenue were expunged from the tariff, as far as the duties were concerned, although their names were retained for the purposes of registration and statistics. Now these reductions were effected in the firm belief that the removal of the duties upon various arti cles, and especially those protected, were beneficial to the consumer and to the manufacturer also. The object was to effect a reduction on the raw material, and those articles of consumption which contributed largely to the revenue, in the expectation that the in crease of the consumption would so operate as to prevent the revenue from suffering at all from the change. He would take a few articles by way of showing what had been the effects of this measure. In 1842 and 1844 there had been large reductions in the duty on cotton ; in the first instance from Is. 3d. to Bd., and then to 4d. In 1843, the amount imported was upwards of 30,000,0001b5. ; in 1844, it was 31,300,0001 N. ; in 1845, it was 33,200,0001b5.; and since the returns there had also been a large increase. The next article he would take be duty vt uid eo be sugar. There had b een a l arge re d uct i on o f on sugar in 1844; Lion was 4,000,000 ewte; ; In that year the importa subsequently and before the end of the year, it h a d Increased to 4 , 1 00,000 ' 3e cwtlsl recollected cwts. In 1845 it was 4,800,000 cwt s . It should that sugar was an article which induced rectie gumption of other articles, an d, accordingly the:e we& a great increase in the importation of tea between 1841 and 1844, and again between 1844 and sjgnificant it mig h t 1845. of currants , In the article which, however in the revenue sal t t o appea; yet contributed largely to there had also bee 1844 and 1846 the it tulle comforts of the people, eat reduction of duty. Between to 2,845,000 and to 3,209,0r0e04" Pounds. There had was from 2,300,000 also been a large reduction on the raw particular aerticcle It was not merely in the imports of one reduction in 'se effect o f the ter i a l for linen, with a correspondent ffnlea hheer br anches of were becausetoao r o bi k yo ua f s o r er other ar tiele, a stimulu Lordships would fi d a , upo n look manufacture. Their r t e h d a u t c t t h i o e r in Lordships washdjuPtsi givenes, w last four imports of theyears, there had ing to the been a large increase in the amount of imports. F rom a document which he held in his hand , it appeared that the imports, in round numbers, were in 59,000,000 1841 ......................... • ... • 1842 59000,000 • 68,000,000 1843 ..... • ............... 1844 1845 having risen from th e y ea r 1841 to 1845 from the sum of 59,000,000/. to 82,000,0001. The same effect sh ow s itself as regards the exports. The real and declared value of the English and Irish exports was in -1840 £51,000,000 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 having risen since the year 1840 from 51,000,000/. to 60,000,0001., showing an increase of 9,000,000/. within this period. He would now direct their Lordship? atten tion to the effects which these reductions had had on tl , a revenue. He would not trouble their Lordshi arith a detached e s ti ma t e o f the wh o l e revenue, b ut JPIy with that part of it including the customs. In the year 1842 a reduction was made in the cuskans' duties of 1,338,000/. The net produce of the customs, ex clusive of corn, for the year 1643, was 19,600,000/. Notwithstanding this reduction of 1,338,0001. in the year 184, the reyetitie tom the cuetcse hit 4 Thanks were then voted to the chairman and corn mittee for their services, and the meeting separated. LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, June 4. (Sittings in Banco. ) THE QUEEN V. THE HULL DOCK COMPANY. This was a question which came before the Court, upon a certiorari, to determine whether the finding of a jury, in a case of compensation between the Hull Dock Company, on the one part, and Mr. Jubb, proprietor ot the Cannon Brewery, on the other, could be maintained. It appeared that the Hull bock Company having obtained an Act for the formation of their docks, required the land on which Mr. Jubb's brewery was situated, and the jury as empanelled to assess its value. The jury awarded a sum of 4001. compensation for the value of the laud premises; and a further sum of 3001. for Mr. Jubb's loss of interest in the premises, supposed to be occa sioned by loss of connexion, removal, and finding other premises. To the finding of 4001. for the land the dock company took no objection ; but to the finding of 3001. for loss of interest in business they objected, and the case came uow before the Court on appeal for its opinion. For the finding of the jury and judgment of the Sheriff, Mr. WATSON, Q.C., and Mr. HENDERSON were heard; the Hull Dock Company was supported by the Solicitor- General (who was heard) and by Mr. Martin, QC., whose arguments the Court postponed the hearing of to a future day. 'The SOLICITOR-GENERAL contended that the finding of the 3001. was excessive, and that the jury was not warranted by the Act to make such an award. THE QUEEN V. RUSSELL. This was a case in which the defendant was charged with having kept a gaming house, and it was ordered to be tried at the sessions ; but a rule had been obtained to enable the defendant to show cau , e why the case should be moved, by certiorari, to the Queen's Bench, and cause baying been shown why the rule should be made absolute, Counsel for the prosecution contended at great length that the rule should be discharged. The Court decided that the case should be sent back to the session. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HO USE. Alderman Gibbs was occupied during the greater part of yesterday in an investigation which had been com menced on the preceding day, and which, from the na• ture of the charge and the respectability of the party ac cut-ed, excited considerable interest. Mr. Clarkson attended for the prosecution, and Mr. Ballantine appeared for the defence. Mr. Henry Sharpe, of the firm of Sharpe and Co., of Paternoster-row, warehouseman, appeared voluntarily before the Lord Mayor, under the circumstances de tailed in the following evidence:— Mr. Benjamin Lewis, of the firm of Lewis and James, Gutter-lane, Cheapside, linen and Manchester ware houseman, said—The defendant was in our service as a traveller, and left us about the 18th of February last. He was subject to a three months' notice, which was given to him in December; but I paid him on the 18th of February to the Ist of March, and discharged him. A few days before the 28th of February we missed some French cambric handkerchiefs and some P rench cambric. We keep a book called the " Selling-book," in which entries are made of the stock; and when goods are sold they are entered in the waste-book, and from the waste book the selling-book is marked off, and, on missing one of the articles—a piece of cambric—we took all our stock over again, and then'wo found a deficiency, allow ing for that sold, of 16 dozen of 7s. French cambric hankerchiefs, and four pieces of cambric, the amount of which, together, would be 471. 19s. In consequence of this deficiency I consulted Mr. Depree, my solicitor, and John Forrester, the officer, and hearing that some cam brics answering the description of those we had lost were in the possession of Mr. Sharpe, and I having sus pected him all along, I caused some steps to be taken; and eventually some goods wore sent to our warehouse by a Mr. George Hayter, which goods are now pro duced. We had on the Ist of January two pieces of "demi" French cambric in stock, No. 28,286, marked 46 in our selling character. They are made originally in fifteen yard lengths, and these are cut in two and called " denies." We missed out of our stock one of these "denies," the other remaining in stock ; and one of the pieces produced by Mr. Hayter corresponds in every particular with the piece I have in stock, and I'll swear it once formed part of the same piece. On comparing the two edges together, where it has been originally torn in two, I found they corresponded precisely. My reason for forming this opinion is, that when there is a thick thread in one piece there is a corresponding one in the other piece, and on joinining the two edg. s together, they so exactly cor responded, that I will swear they once formed the same piece of goods. The number has been evidently broken out of the selvage of the cambric. It is not customary to sell cambrics without a ticket ; and I believe the tear on the selvage is where the ticket has been. The dozen of cambric handkerchiefs produced is also part of what Mr. Hayter sent to us. It has been orignally made a double piece, and I produce from our own stock the corresponding dozen, which has once formed part o f th e same pi ece o f cambric; and, on com paring it with a magnifying-glass, I find that all the threads agree, and I have, therefore, no douht that it once formed part of our stock. The number of this article is 1,660, and we lost two dozen of that number ; we had five in stock on the l st of January ; and I believe the other piece produced is the fellow of No. 1,660, but I cannot swear to it. Last Thursday I saw Mr. Snarpe at my counting-house (in consequence of Forrester having been to him.) I first said lam ready to hear anything you have to say. He began by saying it was a very unpleasant thing_ about these rambrics, or some thing to that effect. He then proceeded to state that he purchased them of a Mr. St. Croix, a friend of Mr. Besson, of Jersey, and introduced by Mr. Besson when that gentleman was last in town, and that he bought them at Kinner's Hotel, in Crown -court, Cheapside—(Mr. Bisson wasa customer of our's, and therefore I knew when he was in town), that St. Croix was a little French snan with a tuft under his chin. I think he further said that it was a regular transaction. He said he had an invoice of them made out in pencil, and he invited me to come over to his counting-house and he would show me the invoice in his bc,oks; and I did go over, and saw his books, in which I saw what he said was a copy of the invoice in his book; and I think he added that it was in the handwriting of Mr. Murray; and he looked in his desk for the invoice, but he said he could not find it. I then came away, and went back with Mr. Leary, and asked him if he could show me a receipt for the money, but he could not; but he showed me two entries. which he represented as payment to Mr. St. Croix, but I did not understand them. He showed me a margin number in the invoice-book, beginning at 251 to 357. He said he paid St. Croix 361. 175., less 10 per cent.; but I can't swear whether that entry related to the 361. 175., but I saw 725. put down. The num bers the handkerchiefs bore were 349 to 353. Cross-examined by Mr. Lloyd, the solicitor to the de fendant.—On the paper-wrapper of the cambrics, I find numbers corresponding with the numbers in the invoice book. The prisoner did not deny that he had sold them to Mr. Hayter. The other goods produced bore a simi lar character, but I cannot identify any except those two pieces. He bought the cambric of Bertrand, of Cam bray, in France ; the handkerchiefs of Holland and Du bois, of Valenciennes. I cannot say when he bought hem without referring to our books. I believe I saw them 'ast in stock on the 31st of December. We had ihen about 97 pieces of demi cambrics, and of full length cambrics about 200. I believe we have bought more since of the same sort. I sent Mr. Snockhill to purchase the goods of Mr. George Hayter. I don't know a person named St. Croix. Mr. George Hayter said he was a warehouseman, in Bow-lane. In consequence of a request made to him, he went to Mr. Sharpe's warehouse on Friday, the 22d of May, and saw the goods now produced, and also Mr. Sharpe, and asked him what the goods were. He replied that they were some samples left for sale by a Mr. St. Croix, and that they were 25 or 30 per cent. under the regular price. Witness said that if they were so cheap he could sell them, if he were allowed to take samples, which was agreed to. He looked at a few, and they appeared to be cheap ; and next day he called again, and told Mr. Sharpe that he had a customer coming to his warehouse to look at them, who would, if they were as cheap as had been represented, buy them. Mr. Sharpe then said they should be cheap, that they were goods not in his firm's line, and that his partner had made ar rangements with St. Croix, from whom they expected to get consignments of French waistcoatings. Mr. Sharpe then tied them up. There were fourteen pieces of cam bric and cambric handkerchiefs, and Mr. Sharpe gave witness a card of the quantities and prices. Mr. Sharpe asked him to whom he should sell them, and he replied to the retail trade. After a little more conversation witness took the goods to his warehouse, and then went to the house of the prosecutor, and while he was there Mr. Sharpe came and call e d him out. They then went to witness's warehouse, where witness having stated that he did not consider some of the goods so cheap as had been represented, Mr. Sharpe altered the price of them to a lower figure. Subsequently Mr. Brockhill called at the warehouse, purchased the goods, and ob served that they should be sent to the premises of Messrs. Lewis and James. Again, on the 29th of May, he saw Mr. Sharpe, who called upon him, and said it o unpleasant piece of business they had got i n t s _ w . o a w Vit v ness said it was all right with him, as he coull.,h wherey he got the goods from ; and Mr. Sharpe d h sa ere I got the I can clear you, and I can also show what witness told him goods." Mr. Sharpe then gave, he had given before ; went to was a different account from The witness, on cross and he said that the account objectexa was merely to buy goods. was different, e n r , e s n a t id u t n h f a o t r unfortunately. a g t o e i ng to see defendant, with Messrs. Lewis and James's, g w et a g re o h o o d u s s t e o . comparene no surprise at seeing him The goods were ompyeneisn,s,thtoe Lewin and James's, and made no observation at Messrs. them. on the fact. Mr. Sharpe expressed Mr. E. Hayter, warehouseman to Messrs. Lewis and J ames , gave evidence to the effect, that he believed that the goods produced were part of the missing stock. f r J m o a h t n i onl Forrester, received, the officer, wentto I s i d r. consequencensharpe, s warehouse,of in formation said I have co me to as k you a question or two about some cambrics which Mr. Lewis lost out of his time back, where and which you sold t o M r . H a y ter . I s t want oek soma you totell me you got them from. He said he bought them of a Mr. St. Croix, introduced by a gentleman of th e name of Bisson, of Jersey, and that Mr. Bisson was present at the time he bought them ; that he received an invoice or bill of parcels written in pencil, but it was in French. He said he did not know who Mr. St. Croix was, and where he lived, but he be lieved him to be an agent to some French house. He said he could not find the bill of parcels then, but he thought he should be able to find it at another time, and he asked me if he had not better see Mr. Lewis, and I said he might do as he pleased. He did not aay when the transaction took plaeo, bur he said that and St. Croix were stopping at Kennon's hotel together. This morning I went to Mr. Sharpy, and asked him to come down here and have this matter investigated, and he readily came down. I did not consider him in cus tody, but Ido uow go milder him. I °guilder litro willing custody. He understood who I was, and, 41 feat addressed me by name. Mr. Philip Bisson, of' Jersey, draper, said—l know the accused, and dined with him this day. At the latte r end of April I was here, on my usual journey, at K ell° non's hotel,- and there was a lot of pretended cambric* but I did not see them opened, but Mr. Sharpe said tl ll4 they were French cambrics, and he asked me to propose to sell them to Mr. Nash, at Cowper's. I believe they were taken by the boots to Nash, to whom I afterward s went awl offered them for sa'e. They were afterwards sent to Kennon's with my address, and they were left in the bar for Mr. Sharpe ; and I told Mr. Sharpe that lifr. Nash would not give the price asked as they were rather out of condition. I know half a dozen persons of the name of St. Croix, of Jersey. I never introduced a person of that name to Mr. Sharpe , nor was I present wh en an y cam brics we re nought by Mr. Sharpe of a person named St. Croix, 11 °,, r did I see anything o f an y i nvo i ce . I was no t with any person of that name in April last. Wiwi , u' Sharpe told me to a pply t o M r . N as h , h e did /3°f tell me any particular place in that house to go to. Cross-examined by M r . B a ll ant i ne —l di ne d w ith bit' Lewis yesterday. I was nearly all day with him. n e offered me a bed. Th e d e f en d ant h as some goo ds °f, mine. Mr. Lewis saw me on Tuesday, and told m e " would b 9 right to come to to wn t o see about the goods- I have never recommended Mr. St. Croix to the de fendant, but I have recommended foreigners to hia3, rso 51 % I 114ve recommended him t o many per whose na me* I do not know, but who are coming to London. has near COW. or 7001. of mine in his hands. I" ld saw the paper, not the cambri cs . N o d ou bt it w° ll , injure the prosecutor's trade M r . Sh ar p e ' s set ting 111 ) the place where he carried on business against that firm- I have an excellent opinion of the defendant, as well as of the prosecutor, and neither of them attempted in the slightest degree to influence my testimony. Mr. Ballantine said it was abs u rd t o s uppose th at $ gentleman who maintained so hi g h a c h a racter, and 0 whom property to an enormous extent was constantly intrusted, would be involved in the transaction dam" honourably. Alderman Gibbs appointed Saturday for signing tbE! deposition, previously to sending the case to the Cent ral Criminal Court, and took bail for the appearanc of IYIr. Sharpe at the Session-house, himself in 2004 and two sureties in 100/. eaeh. THE SCRIP FORGERIES.-John B. Falkner, an.d R°li tham Fabian, accused of having forged the Buckingkiste shire railway scrip, were again brought up. Mr. Ballantine requested to be furnished as speedily' as possible, with copies of the minutes and deposition% in the case, as it was his intention to apply forthwith to the Court of Queen's Bench on behalf of his clients, for their liberation on bail ; inasmuch as the stronget t doubts were entertained whether the statute of the 11t° Geo. IV. and Ist William IV., cap. 66, sec. 10, was aP: plicable, under any view of the case, to the offene ° with which the prisoners were charged, since as &W u : 4 ments such as they were charged witti having forge; w,re not in existence when that st a t u t e wa s passed, alleged forgeries would not come under any of the se" nominations specified in it. Alderman GIBBS, with the advice of Mr. Goodo3oll (the chief clerk), however, considered that the forged documents would come under the terms used in the se:: tion of the Act above quo t e d, o f " any acqu i ttanc e or r, ceipt for money," or " an y warrant, & c., for t h e delice'" of, &c., any security for payment of money." DI P t / .,.0 1'. suance of that view o f th e Alderman, the prisoners " rl ^ s . therefore committed " f or feloniously, &e., and sgt",P,,; the peace, &c." in w hi c h i t w ill b e perceived by protest sioiial readers, th a t the offence charged is broug within the terms of the Act, with great legal setter and ingenuity. The commitment is as follows :—" For felonica tel t forging, an d f or f e l on i ous l y utter i ng an d di spos ieg , o " knowing the same t o b e f orge d , i n t hi s c i ty , e leven o f quittances and receipts for money, to wit, for the 0 01 .1 0 105/. each, and five warran t s f or t h e d e li very o f eertT o . securities for the parm nt of money, to wit, for the r , livery of fifty sha res o f th e va l ue o f 20/. eac h, on s c t e he tain provisionally re g i s t ere d ra il wa y compan y, called to Southamptonshir e R a il wa y, an d O x f or d an d Ve te " 0 Junction, with latent to defraud the said Levy 5010 133° j against the form of the statute in such case made - 1/31 provided and against the peace, &c. MEXICAN CRUISERS. It will be recollected that before Almonte brak e !! his mission in this co un t r y, h e state d pos i t i ve ly, tbs the event of a war between the United State; eta a nd Mexico, the latter would c o ver th e sea w ith privat . ev under the Mexican flag. There is a great deal of an beginning beginning to be manifested for the result of this t hral ls Almonte, at the last accounts, was at Havanaat" e seems that he was sent there unde r the pretext of b eing accredited as a Minister t o F rance; but instead of P: ceeding to Europe, he remained at Havannah, and e° his secretary back to Mexico. Who knows that Val!: was not a mere feint, and that Almonte knew what 'R' to take place on the Rio Gr a nd e , an d wen t to Haranes,!: for the purpose of issuing lett ers o f marque , as he threet ened when at Washington? This is certainly a menacing and important view o f the case ; and what makes it more disastrous is the probability that it is true. The amount of America' property in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and in th e , South Seas, is worth probably one hundred millions or dollars, belonging to all the sea-ports in the United State.. The tonnage enrolled, and belonging to the United States, approaches 3,000,000, about one-half of which is actively engaged in the foreign trade. Tbilt tonnage, estimated at the moderate sum of 60 dale. P er ton, for vessel and cargo, would ma k e t h e amoun t °i property now at sea 90,000,000 d o l s . B ut t hi s i s a 1 0 A ' estimate, both as to the vessels at sea , and 81 estimated value. To the shipring interest of the count; y generally, the past season has been, perhaps, the most active and prosperous experienced for many years; The c,mparatively destitute and meagre show of el c i ping which the various ports throughout the - " I l i., States now present, is sufficient evidence that this e! i. mate of property at present afloat is not exaggerate There are 657 whatemen at sea, which may be twenty millions of dollars. This immense amount of property is at the risk of being taken by these cruise rs ' and the first information we may get, may be disastr to the shipping interest to an extent beyond any anticsse, pation of the public. The effect of such designs as tha 4 attributed to Almonte and the Mexican Governra ni e ri be will be felt in all the principal seaports. first result will be the complete explosion of the ir surance companies, and the effect of these esl 33° : sions will materially injure the banks in all the larg e cities. The aggregate result will be the bringing abe lj n i a revulsion more disastrous in its effects than that 1 the• s miAr year pniinrie gr cbl commercial aBun3si7pn. property ps There eir ty at that interests, ai tll t l the em p probably oyr andbeaabt be c y toi b se tes particularly il, another th hvsat,: tba of sh incalculable. This is the view of the disasters that may be On; duced by the pre sent war. A nother is, the effect wh i ".. the distribution of th e f un d s o f t h e Governme nt 13315 0 1 ( cause in the rise of breadstuffs and the munitions war in the Western States and in the Gulf of Mexico, to supply the army on the Rio Grande. Thus it will be seen, that while the Atlantic cities wad coast will suffer terriely, the west and south-wes t be benefited by the vast expendit ures that will be ~0 quired to bring the war t o a suc:ess f u l an d honours : 0 1 0 termination. These ex p ectat i ons are gloomy °ll as side and glorious on the other. We must take thera, they come, and do th e b est we can. An i m b ec il e Gev ero i n g anent has brought us i n t o thi s con di t i on ; and ba„l.,' elected them, we must ma k e t h e b est we can o f bargain, and fight it out with the best energy courage we have.—New York Paper. FLANDERS AND DUTCH Ms" AIL. A the MIDDLEBURG, MAY 22.—What we learn from this a n d . .,a „ other provinces, as well as from Belgi um , respec ting the of the standing crops, is in gen era l very satisfactory) gives every reason to expect a very abundant harvest. __ Ei t A portion of the herring fleet of Vlaardingen is to li? ea se nr. from that place on Tuesday next (June 2), and the st ., the boat Cerberus is to join it about the 10th, to bring aW B J the herrings, so that it may be here by the 18th, whereas busses themselves cannot be there before the 20th. „,.„. BRUSSELS, JUNE 1.--The departure of the Kingofthev' ° o lands from the Hague, has been considered by some P rang e. as a journey putting off indefinitely the commercial Netherlands' ments to be concluded between Belgium and the Neth_2't d o m by June 15th, ite. the Netherlands will return to his king pted by his departure/ These persons are mistaken, for in the first Pleee the -Ki n g v i besides the negotiations are not t nothing therefore hinders the plenipotentiaries nug i an arrangement whiff e s l e ii et n io g n of a ti p i p e o : t e a th i ei t : seigine from agreeigg wouldon all onlyth ep h o a i points , an d then to be carried into effect. lands for his ratification , that the We are informed t of law on education has et been y In teriorexamine the project t C a en to tra th l which The amendmentsthe Ministerof the . 5 convoked.are ready, and propose is to p , to ev b e e n s u f b ro na n it . nothing to prevent them being c ommunicated to the cen tre section. ise Our Government has appointed a commission to orgto, the fetes on opening the railway from Paris. The 00 1113 , 1 : . 8 ;1 9 - n b w la a r s se in a st is al g ic o d ne on to Tu a e r sd ra a n y g , obstacles should arise, the train the last measures to be etanisakedwexahipt.ahesetseiutudhenetoelemslcseeaotvinueernvorerYissantio;)l: foreseen Sunday, the 14th of June. After being present at the "" rive at Brussels on Monday about ' liant fetes given by the Tour Lille the authorities be offered to the distinguished the evening there willbanjeitllwariii be pe persons o o n ' c a l o o c f k a e . r A in a n y, 1 a 1 .000 0 1 voted the sum of 10,000 fra a nc 'll ' wi be issued. Several popular fetes will be given ~.11 hag ball, s. to which 8,000 inv la t i the expense of the city, for which the Municipal Conll— ton o , n of th a e d 2 a d ug in h s t t e . r ,. Mrs. Charles ßill M r e H ye fi r, Newington•Plece' galling- On the 2d inst., at Hendon, Middl esex , M rs . George Tau'lu eralt °I a daughter. .treild, On the 3d inst., in Chester-square, the wife of John Stre- Esq., of a son. Jitille ° On the 3d inst., at King's Arms-yard, Coleman-street, ,----' R. Lloyd, of a daughter. --.----------.. MARRIED. Ann of A On the 2d inst., at Trinity 10 Church, Bristol, Josh ua of London, to Sarah, youngest daughter of Augustine ''"--r Bristol. to On the 2d inst. at Alvoston, Captain George Ho' , Ellen Catherine, inst., Wil daughter of Charles M. Ricketts, Er' ni p tor. On the 2d inst., at the Church of the Holy Trinity, "7. a nces, Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Darby, late Royal Artillery' to widow of the late S. Page, Esq., of Hadley (louse, DIED. On the Ist of March, at Barnes, Surrey, Rich ard Hall, Esq' On the 21st ult., at Geneva, Major Dowell, aged 44. ILBq. On the 27th ult., at Poinlngs, Brighton , Thomas Isaa t"_' cace , „ire of On the 30th ult., at Great Glenn, Leicestershire, Helen, the Rev. John Haymes. On the 2d of April, at sea, James Stephe n Wilberforce it l6l6°ll Lieutenant, R.A. wifo of f • W' On the 18th of April, at Calcutta , Caroline, the Simms, Esq., civil engineer. render' On the 31st of May, in Stephen's-green, Dublin, Francis Bast, sq. o f the lAt e On the 3d inst., at Norwood, Charlotte , third daughter Thomas Hockley, Esq 112, London: Printed and Published by MUILDO YOUNG', ofeliT4?,;ano, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, N 0.112, Sau d * i t.. t11 ,1 Ace , Ale of t !' pg 97. Sn the *apt" Of