The Sun. — London, England, 1852-06-26 00:00:00

mlar paper,' and for a trifling expense it might be fur nished wish what it required without being encumbered with more than was necessary.—(rear, hear.) He trusted that the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who was a friend to education, would take the matter under his consideration, and next ses sion consent to the appointment of a Committee. The CIIANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he thought the suggestion of the Master of the Rolls was one deserving the attention of the House, but before it could be carried into effect it would require much more consideration than could now be given to it. He appre hended, however, that the Printing Committee would take cognizance of the distribution of these papers. At the same time the suggestion of the Hon. Member for Montrose with respect to distribution was well worthy of consideration. He believed it was little known with what facility, and at what cheap rates, the publications of the House of Commons might be obtained; and he thought it would be well it the public could be thus made acquainted with the nature of these Parliamentary publications, which ho confessed he regarded as an im portant branch of the national literature. The more such publications could be disseminated the more would they redound to the honour of the House of Commons and the advantage of the people. The motion of the Master of the Rolls was then with drawn. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER then rose to move the adjournment of the house till Tuesday, but was interrupted by Mr. HUME, who said before that motion was put he had a petition to present, founded upon certain resolu tions recently agreed to in the Legislative Assembly of Van Diemen's Land. The petitioners complained that from 1844 to 1851 they had constantly petitioned the Government of this country against the existing system of transportation to the colony, but without effect; they complained that 20,000 out of the 70,000 persons form ing the population were convicts, and that the money which ought to be expended for the benefit of the colony was devoted to gaol accommodation for those convicts. The petitioners stated their determination to vote no further sums which should be so misappropriated, and they concluded by asking to have the management of their own affairs, and for a different adjustment of the convict system. The Hon. Member asked the Right Hon. Gentleman whether the Government were in re ceipt of any information with respect to the resolutions upon which this petition had been founded? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER be lieved that such resolutions had been received at the Colonial-office. OCEAN PENNY POSTAGE. Mr. BRIGHT, on behalf of his Right Hon. Colleague (Mr. M. Gibson), said the House was aware that many petitions had been presented to Parliament in favour of a reduction of what was known as the ocean postage between this and other countries. The project recom mended was that the ocean postage should be at one uniform rate of one penny, the scale of internal postage being left to be settled by the Governments of the re spective countries. The emigration now going on made this question more important than at an earlier period; and, with regard to Ireland, he understood that more than one-third of all the letters crossing the Atlantic were either from persona in America to friends in Ire land, or vice versa. That ho thought a startling fact, and when it was considered how large a portion of our population were settling in other countries, it was of the greatest importance to• individuals, and not less to the country at large, that the greatest facilities with re spect to the transmission of letters should be afforded. By affording such facilities the foun dation of future harmony between those who emigrated and those left behind would be laid. He now gave notice, on behalf of his Right Hon. Friend, that in the next session of Parliament he would make a direct motion on the subject, or move for a Committee of inquiry; and he also begged to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether during the recess he thought he could turn his attention to this question, which, as it concerned the comforts and affected the social inter course of many of our fellow-countrymen, was undoubt edly of importance? He did not think the loss to the revenue would be considerable, but that the increased number of letters would balance the deficiency, even snore speedily than when the change was effected in the inland postage system. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER feared that his time would be much occupied during the re cess, but be would endeavour to consider the question of ocean penny postage, and likewise the petition just presented by the Hun. Member for Montrose.—(Hear, hear.) The Right Hon. Gentleman then moved the adjournment of the House till Tuesday, and the motion was agreed to. SUITORS IN CHANCERY RELIEF BILL.— EXPLANATION. The MASTER of the ROLLS then rose to complain of what ho contended were inaccuracies into which a Noble and Learned Lord (Lord Lyndhurst) had fallen on the previous evening, when alluding, in the House of Lords, to the share which he (the Master of the Rolls) had bad in the present Bill. Possibly the observations of the Noble and Learned Lord had been misreport e d, but if not they contained inaccuracies to which it was necessary that he (the Master of the Rolls) should call attention, as they involved a personal imputation. The Right Hon. and Learned Gentleman then proceeded to quote passages from the reported speech of Lord Lynd hurst, and, in refutation of them, proceeded to say that he (the Master of the Rolls) had been no party to the Introduction of the Bill, which was passed through the House by the Secretary of State for the Home Department. The fees to which the Noble and Learned Lord alluded had been settled by the previous Lord Chancellor and Master of the Rolls, and therefore he (the Master of the ells) had made no alteration in them. The present Bill took away those fees, but a subsequent Bill gave a power of appeal to the Treasury for compensation, and left with the Treasury the settlement of future salaries of the clerks. He regretted that the Noble and Learned Lord had not taken sufficient pains to make himself ac quainted with the true nature of the Bill. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER under stood the Master of the Rolls to complain of statements alleged to be contained in a speech delivered by a Noble and Learned Friend of his (the Chancellor of the Ex chequer's) in another place. The MASTER of the ROLLS--I merely wish to set the matter right. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER re gretted that as there was no lawyer at present on the Treasury bench he could not enter into details. He be lieved the Right Hon. and Learned Gentleman had given notice to his Right Hon. Friend the Home Secre tary that he would call attention to the subject, but his Right Honourable and Learned Friend had been obliged to leave the House on urgent business. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) could not, however, allow the observations of the Master of the Rolls to pass without remark. Ho was not prepared to go into de tails, but of the Noble and Learned Lord to whom re ference had been made he would say, that he was not more distinguished for his accuracy than for his sagacity and learning—(Hear, hear)—and the most charitable 'new to take of the question was that his observations had not been diffused with the accuracy with which they were delivered. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) could not allow remarks to be made, and in a tone of reproof, on one who had been a distinguished ornament of that House.—(Hear, hear.) Nor could he forget that this year that Noble and Learned Lord, although op pressed with physical infirmity, had shown that the brightness and energy of his mind remained, and that his valuable services had been devoted to the interests of the public, and to the carrying through of those measures of which everyone admitted Ahe importance.—(Hear.) At a later period of the evening, Sir J. GRAHAM, in referring to the same subject, said he thought it very inexpedient to refer to any discussion that had taken place in the other House of Parliament. It was, indeed, contrary to the stTiot rules of the House to do so. This case, however, was somewhat peculiar. He was not surprised, considering the high judicial station occupied by the Master of the Rolls, that he should seem hurt by any such imputations as had been referred to, especially when it was supposed that they had fallen from so high an authority as the Noble and Learned Lord in another place. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had spoken in terms not at all exaggerated of the merits and character of that distinguished person. The Right Hon. Gentle nun claimed him as his friend. Be (Sir J. Graham) also claimed him as a friend and colleague. He admitted all the distinguished qualities of that Noble and Learned Personage to which the Right Hon. Gentleman had called their attention. But there was one quality wh ich Particularly distinguished his No ble and Learned F riend —that was his love of justice. An d he was quite sa tisfied, after the explanation which had been given by the Right Hon. Gentleman the Master of the Rolls of his conduct in respect to the Bill referred to—many particulars of which he (Sir J. Graham) . could, as an eye-witness, aver —he was satisfied th at h i s Right Hon. and Learned Frien d would be of opinion that the allega tions which were brought forward arose from a misap prehension of the facts. He was also persuaded that the Noble and Learned Lord would b . o the first to retract any imputations which wer in j ur ious to the high repu tation of his Right lion e . and Learned Friend the Master of the Rolls. He saw o pp osite to him the Right Hon. Gentleman, the President of the Board of Trade, Who served not only on the Commiss ion over which the Right Hon. and Learned Gentleman the Master of the Rolls presided, but who, also, was a member of the Committee in which this ques tion of compensation for the fees given up was d e t e rmined. He was satisfied that the Right . Hoe. Gentleman would state that i n the course of the inquiry or in the progress of the Bill nothing had occurred which in the slightest degree could support the accusations that were made against the Right lion. and Learned Gentleman, as to any dis position evinced by him to bear hard upon the clerks connected with the Court of Chancery, or any indica tions shown that he wished to uphold the salaries and emoluments of the officers in his department . A ny suc h allegationcwould be most injurious to the Right Hon. and Learned Gentleman's character, and he could well Understand his anxiety to be relieved from th e of them. He was certain that the Right Hon. a n d Learned Gentleman's explanation would be considered Most satisfactory to the public, and would remove the erroneous impressions that might be abroad in respect to the high patronage which he exercised. Mr. HENLEY said he did not think he could do Otherwise than say a few words on this subject. It was his privilege and honour to serve on the Committee to Which the Right Hon. Baronet alluded with the Master of the Rolls, and he was bound to say be did not recol lect any question ever arising or suggested by any of the Members _ , and least of all by his Right Hon . and Learned taiend, in respect to an alteration in the salaries of these officers.—(Hear, hear.) He did not think, as far as be Well could recollect, that any such question bad ever been broached. He felt bound to say that he did not see any difference between them in that Committee or the Com mission. Indeed, it was somewhat extraordinary to see such great unanimity prevailing as had existed amongst the Meisn2:s of that Coran;ittee.—Gear, holt) THE TL WITH MINUTE ITH RESPECT TO CEIICOItY. Lnril D. STUART said, the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chanc , llor of the Exehequcr, in reply to a question, had stated that the Tte4sury minute of 1810 had not been rescinded, and that if it were it would be so re scinded as not to interfere with the fair treer3 of the country. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—The fair trade of the country. Lord D. STUART—The words of the Right Hon. Gentleman, however plausible, and smooth, and soothing they might appear, would strike dismay into the hearts of hundreds, he might say thousands, of honest traders in this country.—(A laugh,) Now, considering thatan assurance had gone forth that the next Parliament would meet early, he suggested tho postponement of any pro ceedings with respect to this artiole of chicory until that Parliament had mat. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied that if Treasury minutes could not be made without a particular vote of the House of Commons, it would:be as well at once to stop the whole administration of affairs.— (Hear, hear.) The Treasury minutes were, in fact, made under particular Acts of Parliament. The minute to which:allusion had been made had not been rescinded, and if it were rescinded the law would not remain in tha same state as when that minute was made. If it were rescinded instructions would be given to the Board of Inland Revenue to leave the traders in a far different positioa to that which they occupied before the minute was framed. For instance, before th© minute was issued, traders could not have chicory on their premises without making an acknowledgment. In case the alterations in the existing minute were resolved on persons would have power to have any amount of chicory on their premises. The change, however, would not be made until oppor • tuuity was afforded for disposing of the adulterated stock. _ _ _ _ _ _ Mr. HUME said it was alleged that chicory had been sold instead of coffee, and in that way much fraud was committed. He believed that that was not the case—he believed that a great portion of the public preferred the mixture of coffee and chicory. The Treasury order existed for 11 years. It was founded upon this princi ple, that whereas in the previous years it was impossible for honest dealers to carry on their trade when the law prohibited the mixture of chicory with coffee, because they could not compete with those who sold the mixture as the genuine article, at, of couree, greatly reduced prices, the Treasury was overwhelmed with applications from the most respectable grocers in the country for protection. The Treasury minute of 1840 was conse quently agreed to. He was sure that the alteration of such an order now, after its existence for 11 years, would entail much injustice on many parties. He would, therefore, only ask the Government to postpone the question until the next Parliament, when they would have an ample opportunity for discussing it. He thought it would be almost an act of spoliation to alter such an order without giving due notice to all parties concerned. t ;ii ici THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY THE BOARD OF CUSTOMS, The Select Committee of till House of Commons have presented their report on the Board of Customs. The Committee submit the following heads of re form, which they consider it advisable to adopt gt,n -rally, leaving some of the outports to be dealt with C3pecially " 1.7-CONSTITUTION OF THE BOARD OF CUSTOMS. " The Board consists of a Chairman, Vice-chairman, and six ordinary Commissioners, one of whom is by Treasury minute to be reduced to the next vacancy. The &aeries are respectively 2,0001., 1,700/, and 1,200/. per annum, subject, undi.r the Superannuation Act, to a deduction of five per cent., and they do not appear to be more than a sufficient remuneration for the due dis charge of the duties of the respective offices. Some of the Commissioners have been, prior to their appoint ment, in the service of the Crown. Without wishing to limit the discretion of the Government in appointing, on their responsibility, to offices of such importance, your Committee would merely urge that such appoint ments ought to be made with a scrupulous regard to the possession of the requisite qualifications of abaity and experience, and not so much from political or personal considerations as has hitherto been too often the case. " Many of the witnesses have strongly urged the ad vantage which would result from sel73 . eting some members of the Board of Customs from the mercantile body, and you Conimitteo are of opinion that the appointment of at least one such Commissioner, provided he be otherwise fully qualified, would tend to inspire confidence among the mercantile community in the administration of the department of Customs. " It has been further suggested that the constitution of the board would be improved by the introduction of a superior practical officer. Tour Committee do not question that among the superior officers of the Customs some may be, as some have been, found qualified for the higher dudes of Commissioner, and that to such men the promotion might, from time to time, be benefi cially extended. " Some witnesses have suggested that the Board of Customs should have a more independent action than it at present possesses, and that the law under which the Commissioners are disqualified from sitting in the House of Commons should be repealed, so that one Commis sioner should have a seat in Parliament. "It is not for your Committee to express an opinion as to this proposed alteration of the law; it involves po litical considerations of no small importance, not apply ing exclusively to the Board of Customs, and must there fore, in the judgment of your Committee, be left to the decision of Parliament. " The present Commissioners have ten to fifteen weeks' holidays annually, which appear excessive. Your Committee advise that a minute of the Treasury, dated the 2d of March, 1849, - based on the recommendation of the Commissioners of Inquiry in that year and in 1841, enjoining them to visit the different docks and wharfs in London where business was transacted, with a view of judging foi themselves of the character of their officers, and what rules and regulations should be issued, ought to be carried out, although temporarily suspended during the recent controversy with the docks. Complaints have been made to your Committee of the inaccessibility of the Commissioners. This is denied by them, and it ap pears desirable that the denial should become generally known, so as to enable the public in future to profit by the facility of seeing the board. " 2.-APPOINTMENT AND PROMOTION OF OFFICERS. " The original appointments in the Customs depart ment embrace six classes. There doea not appear to be much difference in the original examination and proba tion for them all, but the last five classes can never rise to the first; and lockers, in particular, hold situations of very great responsibility, and are frequently employed as landing waiters. Your Committee see no reason why in the case of meritorious officers the exclusion should be continued, but every transfer from one class, or even grade, to another should be accompanied by a strict examination. The general pay of the officers does not appear to be too large, but this brings your Committee to the consideration of "3.—FINES AND SATISFACTIONS. "Up to 1847 the Board of Inland Revenue divided the half of all penalties with the informer, its own officer. This being found to act against the credit of the wit ness, an Act was passed in that year appropriating the whole to the Crown, but the Treasury still allows part of the fund thus created to be distributed among deserving officers, without reference to the seizures they may have made. The practice at the Customs is diff erent . Th e officers detaining goods for wrong entry get the whole fines imposed, which amount in London to an average of 5001. per annum, divided among them, and a large pro portion of all seizures and satisfactions. In 1850, 24,2521. Bs. 9d. were received by the . Customs for all seizures, fines, penalti es , or satisfactions, and 10, 8901. 7s. 7d. were divided amon g 1 ,948 officers. It is admittedthat this has a tendency t o make them too strict in the execution of their duty, and occasionally ca uses vexa tious delay to the merch ant . Your C om mittee recom mend, therefore, that the practices of the Board of In land Revenue be adopted, and that the meritorious offioer should look chiefly to promotion as his reward. " 4.—AD VALOREM DITTIES. " Conclusive evidence has been furnished, both by merchants and officers of C ustoms, to your Committee, that these duties, however good i n theory, operate badly in practice. The gross amount of them in 1850 was only 188,8334, while during the same period the number of seizures was 421, keepi ng up a greater s taff of officers than would be otherwise n ecessary, an d giving great trouble to the board, which h as to d ec id e on the market value of so many different articles. By law, if the Crown stop goods for under-valuation, it has to pay the importer 10 per cent. over the value he puts on them. It then puts them up to public sale, frequently divided into such small lots as must aff e ct most injuriously the retail trader ; and, notwithstanding this pre caution, the loss to the Crown for the port of London alone thereon was, in 1850, 8161. 10e. 5d., while the detaining officers, who get half of any profit, but are subjected to no share of loss, received 5571. 6s. 3d. Your Committee are of opinion that the number of articles subject to ad valorem duties may be largely reduced with advantage to trade, and without material loss to the revenue; and with respect to any which must necessarily be retained, it appears advisable to adhere to the orders some time since issued by the Board of Customs, which direct that, previous to the absolute seizure of articles for undervalue, the importers should be apprised of the value put upon the goods by the officers, and should be at liberty to decide whether they will amend their entry or abandon the goods. Your Committee, also, had strong evidence in the case Of tea (b e f ore the last change), sugar, and nutmegs, showing how difficult it is to assess duties varying on different classes of the same article, because the natural desire of the importer is to introduce articles of the very hi ghest qua lity admissible under the lowest rate of duty. 5--SEIZURE AND STOPPAGES, AND ADJUDICATIONS OF VIM, " When an officer stops goods or ships ho is ordered to commu n i cate ver b a lly to the owner or his agent as much information for the grounds of stoppage as he con aiders proper. The owner then petitions the board in writing, while the detaining officer also makes his writ ten report to the board, which is not shown to the mer chant, and the latter, after the lapse of a period varying, in most cases, f rom one to nine days, receives a verbal intimation of the decision in his case, unaccompanied by any reasons for it. If parties subsequently apply for a written answ er , i t is not re f use d th em . In lieu of this practice, which was condemned in the case of the Excise by a former Prime Minister, the following plan has been strongly recommended by the evidence, and your Com mittee think th at a fair trial s h ou ld be given to it—that an officer, wh enever he seizes or s t o ps property, shall state in writi ng the ground for that p roceedin g , so that the m erc h ant or h i s agen t may know with what he is charged, an d th a t he shall then have the option either of petitioning as at present, or of demand ing to have his c ase heard in public; that for the latter purpose a Commi ss i oner s h al l s it daily to hear the evidence both of t h e merc h ant an d the detaining officer, and of their witnesses, and to adjudicate thereon. Independent of the manifest justice of this plan the committee believe that after it has been worked a short while it will save time to all parties, because nei ther the over-reaching merchant nor the litigious officer will like to be exposed to a public trial; and the Commis sioners will soon acquire a greater knowledge of their staff, and a greater uniformity of decision. The chair man of the Board of Excise stated to your Committee that he found hearing visa voce evidence most advan tageous, and that the result has been within the last twenty years a diminution of three-fourths in the num ber of cases tried. It appears in evidence that the num ber of mercantile applications to the board in London alone has been at the rate of 10,000 per annum, taking on an average two days to decide them; and as this loss of time must, in the present days of competition, press most severely on traders, your Committee suggest that, so far as it can be done without danger to the revenue, greater power in the amendment of entries, &c., might be given to the landing-waiter on the spot, or at any rate to the landing surveyor, who is never far distant—the latter, of course, making subsequently his report there on to the board—and that, to use the language of a Treasury minute of the year 1814, ' the penalties in tended for the punishment of fraud should not be applied to accident or trivial omissions.' •."6.—LAWS OF COSTS AND PENALTIES. "The present state of the law of costs is this:—ln the case of information for arrears of duty, the Crown neither pays nor receives costs. In that of a seizure or return of goods for forfeiture into the Court of Exche quer, and subsequent claim made by the owner thereof on affidavit, tae Crown has a right to demand 1001. se curity for costs on each indenture, the number of in dentures being theoretically unlimited, but each practi cally representing all goods seized at the same time and place. If the Crown succeeds, it is legally entitled to its costs, although in practice the amount of the bond alone is generally exacted. If it fails it pays none, and the party whose goods were seized may, unless the judge who tried the case certifies that there was pro bable cause for the seizure, bring an action against the seizing officer, who is alone responsible, and who may not be worth proceeding aga i ns t. Your Committee sug gest that the subject has a right to be put on as good a footing in regard to costs as the Crown; that the time allowed the subject for bringing an action is too short; and that some prescription should bind the Crown. It appears also to your Committee that in the case of goods not liable to more than 100/, duty a cheaper tribunal might with propriety be substituted for the Court of Exchequer. " 7.—TIIE TRANSIT SYSTEM. " Your Committee are of opinion that British shipping being now subjected to full competition with foreign, every facility should be given to the passage of goods and persons through this country; that, therefore, the prac tice be universally adopted of examining no goods in trarsif, unless the officer has reason to suspect an in tention to commit fraud; that it is not necessary to en force the regulations of the Sib and 9th of Victoria, c. 63, as to the transit of foreign manufactures with , tation of British marks, or o f books possessiM a British ; _copyright, and that the system now introdncEd, of al lewing goods (including passengers' luggage) to be sent without inepeetion from Hull to Liverpool in railway vans, under the charge of an o ffi cer o f Customs, might be extended to ell parts of th e cou ntli where the same means of communication ex i s t , I t h as been alleged that the transit from one railway station to another in London might ',led to fraud, but, with such respect able railway companies, thi s m i g ht b e easily guarded against, and the removal of.d u ti a bl a goods in common carts, guarded by a locker, from the wharfs to the up town warehouses at Liverpool, has not been found to have that Effect. Your Committee also suggest that where bonded goods aro sent by coasting conveyances from one English port to another hr exportation only, such a partial examination may b. made as shall be deemed requisite to test the integrity of the transaction. The traiistv,,Of packages of good s o f all sizes, where no suspicion exists of fraud e s h ould alto b e a llowed, ex cepting in the case of toba cco, and even t h en , where the packages are evidently m eant as samp l e ". Th e re is evidence of trade having been obstructed by the regula tions in the case of spirits. Your Committee also see no fiscal reason why the importation of arms of all kinds, whether in transit or for home consumption, should be prolibited. B.—FINES ON stupplNG. " Your Committee are of opinion that the criminal re sponsibility of the crews of vessels for an act of smug gling on their part ought in most cases to be a sufficient security to the revenue, a n d that it is therefore not ex pedient to detain the ship or to fino its owner, excepting when the fraud has be en committed by the captain or t h e chief mate, or when s uc h extensive preparations for great fraud have been detect e d as to arguet negligence e n their parts. " 9.—BONDING SYSTEM. " The original importer of goods is liable by law for all duties thereon, ho wever lon g th e y re main in bond, and although he may ha ve Parted with his interest i n them years before, and the p roperty been trans f erre d from one to another of v ar i ous parties. Many cases o f conseqhent hardship ha ve b een brought before your committee, and they suggest that the warehouse -keeper , not 'the importer, should be held respons ibl e for the du ties, with the following sec ur i t i es to himself:— " That the Customs lock er b e bound to band to the warehouseman in the care o f bonded goods a duplicate warrant for their delivery, suc h warrant to protect h i m against any action on the part o f the Crown. " That, in the case of an e xamining -floor, where the goods may be said to pass in tran s i t, e ith e r such war rant must be given, or the signature by the Customs officers of the warehouse-keeper' s books will b e h e ld equally valid. " That at The expiration of fear Years from the land ing of the goods, stock thereof `m ay _ be taken by the Crown, so as to /limit the r esponsibility of the ware houseman, and the Customs sh ou l d then call on the then proprietor to re-enter the good s , and in cases where the duty is assessed on the landing we; - --ghts or quantities, to pay up the duty on such deficiency as may be ascertained to exist at =the time, and cannot be traced to natural causes. " A question has been raised by the gentlemen con nected with Liverpool, as to the necessity of keeping up the distinction which prevails in favou r of warehousesof special security. "It is asserted, that from the Privilege enjoyed by _ those warehouses of an unlimited a l lowance for waste, they have established a partial monopoly, Y and have dis proportionately raised their charges. It m a y be further urged, that the mere circumstance of their being enclosed with walls, however eff Privilege was ctive when th e first g conferred, gives no sufficient additional security, now that the police and Customs regulations have undergone such great improvements. "The Board of Customs have gradu a ll- Y and very con siderably of late years extended within the port of Lon don the privileges of the ordinary warehouses, an d your Committee, although fully aware how much caution is necessary in dealing with articles s ubject to high duties, yet think it advisable that the measur e of more eqnaliz ing the privilege of the several classe s of warehouses should undergo the serious consideration of the corn patent authorities.- " A great part of the complaints which have been brought under the notice of youeCommittee have arisen f rom questions connected with the Provisions of the Warehousing Acts, and your Commi tte e e would there fore recommend to the serious consideration of her Ma jesty's Government the necessity o f modifying these Acts, so as to meet the exigencies of th e incre a sed trade of the country. " 10.--PASSENGERS' LUGGAGE. " Your Committee examined on this p o i nt one o f the most experienced landing surveyors, and s ee no re ason why the luggage should not be examined on board steamers, particularly large ones, wherever there is sufficient space on deck and below. The objections to this practice hitherto appear to have arise n chiefly from the captains of the steamers. The savin g of time to passengers would be very great, particularly, in the Thames, where it is admitted that not on e seizure a month takes place. This plan ,has bee n a d o pted in Liverpool, in the ca s e o f Canards steamers. " 11.—HOURS OF ATTENDAN CE. "Your Committee are of opinion that the hours of attendance might be from 7 A.M. to 5 lex. during the six summer months, in the out-door depa rtment , s ubject to a break -in the middle of the day; and for in-doors from Bto 4. A clerk, with proper relief, should remain till 8 P.M. to clear out ships. " 12 . — SIMPLIFICATIONS OF ENTRIES OF FREE GOODS. " The number of entries for free goods inwards in the port of London alone, for the year 1851, was 76,095, and each of them passed theough the hands of 19;officters of the Customs, creating much unnecessary labour to the officers, besides compelline the merchant's clerks to draw out two copies of each entry, and take them to the Custom-house. For this the following plan has been submitted to your committee as a substitute:—That the ship's manifest, and the report of her consignee, be the sole entry required in the ease of free goods; that a copy of them be sent to the landing-waiter as his warrant, and that the information for statistical purposes now obtained from the merchants entering goods should be given by the ship's consignee from the freight account. In order to dispense with the entry for goods (all now free) out wards, it has been suggested to your Committee that every shipper should send to the agent for the ship a bill of lading, containing on the back the information required for statistical Purposes, which is the sole point that concerns the Customs; and that, from the number of those documents, comp os ing a cargo, the ship's agent should mak e out, one c ontent for the Cus tom-house. " It has been stated to your Committee that the statis tical information will be thus far more accurate than if furnished before the goods can be put on board, and, consequently, very often before th e m erchant is in pos session of the real contents of his shipment. Several other amendments of p r actice —where dispatch in the execution of orders is requi te, the merc hant might be allowed a running account--have been brought under our notice, but your Committee think it best simply to refer them to the serious c onsideration of the Commis sioners of Customs. " 13.—coDeeic is " The Customs revenue 5 now collected under 23 different Acts of Parliament, and an annua l issue by the Commissioners of about 120 new rules and regulations. It is admitted by the. Board that these ought to be con solidated. Some of the i mprovements now suggested can be at once carried, oat h -- -3' the Treasury orders, while others will undoubtedly require fresh Acts of Parlia ment. Your Committee therefore strongly recommend that one or more consolidated Bills be brought in early next session, and that the rules and regulations be an nually published. A coroplete code could thus be ob tained, accompanied perhap s h "Y a further revision of the tariff; and your Committee al so hops that no Customs Bill, embodying any materiel Change, will in future be introduced at a late P e riod of the se-ssion " 14.--"Tt'oetTs•. "Your Committee have heard witnesses from Liver pool, Hull, and Belfast; many o f their recommendations are already embodied in this report. A desire is strongly expressed by the witnesses from Liverpool that the local board, consisting of the collector ) controller, and inspec tor-general, should have power to decide On the spot all cases not involving more than 10 of revenue—all such cases to be, of course, reported to t e eiondon subsequently, and your Committee see no reason why this privilege should not be extended to all first.ciass ports, where the officers must be -of high standing, because the central board would always have the Powe r of checking any greater deviation from the .uniformite y of system than is rendered necessary by the peculiar local circumstances. It is suggested that for the convenience of trade, the landing officers might also have ; a — seretionary power to extend the credit on peat' entries to 1001. Your Com mittee recommend these iiuggestions to the serious con sideration of the Treasury. o The classificatiop of the different outports does not appear to rest' on any fixed rul e; and a complaint has been made of it in the case' of Belfast.,, I ROUSE OF CiLin z ,, The annual meeting of friends and ' 2. • . associates of the House of Charity, Rose street. Soho- so „ • The averag© on Thursday at the institution; the Rs,llvreo. was • Tupper, the warden, in the chair. The rep ort ' stated that during the year 56 men, 123 women, and 49 children had been hold admitted—in all 238. duration of their stay, while in search of employment, attendin hospitals as out-patients, or preparing for emigration has b ee n a month or five weeks. It is thought that more might be done to enable the inmates to obtain coaployment—the warden and council therefore would revive the practice of assigning the cases where special help is required to ono or more associates. Aer acltnowledging the donations and legacies, the countil direct attention to the expediency of obtaining a permanent home' An institution of this kind, and in these days, a i m i ng a t a high religious standard, and Possessing than more t ' the ordinary capabilities of expansion b o t h i n , its religious and its ben evole nt aspects, should no t be suffered to remain in a confine d acd experimental posi tion longer than is necessary for testi ng i ts ies pri; nci p. and the measures by which they are to be worked out. For the last two years a wish had been expressed that the benefits of the house should be extended to certain classes not originally contemplated, namely, th e in curably sick; respectable aged or infirm persons, able to contribute such small sums; and penitent women. The warden and council have given much consideration to this question, and recommended that the plan of exten sion tor the present include only the second class of per' manent inmates. In conclusion, the report urges theas sociates and friends of the charity to assist in the re moval of the charity to other and permanent premises, as well as for the general objects of the institution. The report was unanimously agreed to; and several other resolutions, in accordance with the suggestions thrown out in it, were also carried. The balance -sheet showed that the receipts for the year had been 1,5154 i nc l u ding the sale of 317 1 . stock; the ex p e nditure was 1,25514 1 leavie a balance in band of 2604 MESSAGE FROM TAE LORDS. A messenger from the Lords brought up the follow ing Bills, to which their Lordships have agreed:— Navy Pay. Sun& 'Blind Roads. Appointment of Overseers. Asihall and Buckland Road. Shrewsbury and Chester Railway. Cambridge to Ely and other Roads. York and North Midland Railway, without amendment. Hereditary Casual Revenues in the Colonies, with an amendment. Exeter Roads. South Yorkshire Railway and River Dan Company Sale of Lease &c.) _ Commercial Gas Company and British G a s Company, with amendments. Light The House adjourned at Senn o'clock until Tuesday. PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS. HOUSE OF LORDS, JUNE 25. Minority of 41 who voted for Resolution s moved by Lord Granville in accordance with the Rep ort o f t h e S e lect Committee on the Mode of Printing th e P rocee di ngs an d Reports of the Select Committees of the House • DUKE. EARLS. Ashburton Newcastle Harrowby Beaumont MARQUISES. Morley Brougham Clanricarde nosebery Campbell Normanby Strafford Cranworth Ormonde Shaftesbury Crewe A EARLS. ' St. Germans Colborne Aberdeen Waldegrave De Manley Bruce Zetland . LlPhinstone Chichester VISCOUNTS. Foley Effingham Canning 1 IL D 111 Leigh g 1 e Fortescue Sydney Fitzwilliam BISHOP. Granville Worcester Stanley of Alderley Grey BARONS. Wodehouse llarrington Alvanley Wrottesley (From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons.) rRIDAY. JUNE 25. _ _ METROPOLITAN BURIALS BILL. (IN THE COMMITTEE.) Clause 2 (On representation of Secretary of State, her Majesty in Council may order discontinuance of Burials in any part of the Metropolis):—Amendme n t proposed, at the end of the Clause, to add the words " Provided that no Burial Ground in the Metropolis where Burials shall have been discontinued by such Order as aforesaid shall be allowed to have any dwelling-house, shop, or warehouse erected thereon :" —Question put, " That those words be there added." The Committee divided:— MINORITY—AYES, 21. Acland, Sir T. D. Gladstone, W. E. Ponsonby, C. F. Brotherton, J. Glyn, George Carr Seymour, H. D. Carter, Samuel Hatchell, John Thompson, Colonel Clay, Sir W. Headlam, Thomas Willoughby, Sir H. Dawson, T. V. Hindley Charles Wrightson, W.B. Elliot, John E. Mackinnon, W. A. TELLERS. Estcourt, J. B. B. Melgund, Viscount Ebrington, Viscount Evans, William Milligan, Robert Cochrane, A. D. MAJORITY—NOES, 80. Aglionby, 11. A. Freestun, Colonel Naas, Lord' Barrington, Vis. Fuller, A. E. Napier, Joseph Bell, Jacob Galway, Viscount • Neald, Joseph Beresford, William Gordon, Admiral ' Pakington, sir J. Berkeley, H. F. Grogan, Edward Patten, J. W. Berkeley, C. L. G. Grosvenor, Lord R. Philips, Sir G. R. Boldero, George 11. Gwyn, Howel Prime, Richard Boyle, Colonel Hall, Sir B. Pugh, David Brisco, M. Hamilton, Lord C. Repton, G. W. J. Buck, L. W. Harris, Captain Scott, F. Buller, Sii J. Y. Harris, Richard Butt, Isaac ‘.74, V Henley, J. w. Chandos, Marquis of Heywood, Jam es Christopher, R. Hope, Sir J. Davies, D. A. Hotham, Lo r d ss tm Sidney, affi Seymour, t oh,d J. , Augustusu Lord Butt, B. Alderman Stuart, Lord D. Disraeli, B. Hudson, Geor ge Sullivan, Michael Dodd, George Jolliffe, Sir W. G. Tollemache, John Duckworth, Sir J. Knox, Colonel Trollope, Sir 3. Duncan, George Langston, J. H. Tyler, Sir G. Duncombe, T. Legh, G. C. Walpole, Spencer Duncombe, A. Lockhart, A. E. Walter, John Dunne, Colonel Lygon, General Williams, W. East, Sir J. B. Mandeville, Vis. Wynn, H. W. Egerton, Sir P. Manners, Lord J. Yorke, E. T. Emlyn, Viscount Masterman, John Evans, Sir De Lacy Molesworth, Sir W TELLERS. Purer, James Morgan, 0. Lennox Lord H. G. Fox, W. J. Mundy, William Knox, W. S. COURT CIRCULAR. The Earl of Derby had an audience of the Queen yesterday, at Buckingham Palace. His Royal Highness Prince Albert attended a brigade field day, at half-past eight o'clock yesterday morning, in Hyde-park. The brigade was composed of three battalions, viz., the Ist battalion of Grenadier Guards, the 2d battalion of the Scots Fusilier Guards, and de tachments of the third battalion Grenadiers and the first battalion Coldstream Guards were formed into one batta lion. His Royal Highness commanded the brigade, attended by Colonel Bouverie. His Royal Highness Prince Albert presided yesterday afternoon, at a meeting of the Commission for promot ing and encouraging the Fine Arts in the rebuilding the Palace of Westminster. His Royal Highness, attended by Colonel Bouverie, arrived at the Palace of Westmin ster at three o'clock. The Commissieners present were the Duke of Newcastle, the Earl of Aberdeen, Viscount Canning, Lord Mahon, Lord Colborne, the Right Hon. Sir James Graham, Sir Robert Et Inglis, and Mr. Hallam. Sir Charles L. Eastlake, the secretary, attended. The meeting broke up at half-past four o'clock. Their Royal Highnesses Prince Arthur and the Prin cesses Helena and Louisa took a drive yesterday morning in an open carriage and four. The Queen had a dinner party yesterday at Bucking ham Palace. Tho company included her Royal High ness the Duchess of Kent, their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess de Montpensier, his Highness Said Pasha, the Duchess of Athol', the Prussian Minister and Madame Bunsen, the Spanish Minister, the Turkish Minister, the Marquis of Abercorn, the Marquis and Marchioness of Westminster, Lady Fanny Howard, the Lady in Waiting to the Duchess de Montpensier, the Baroness de Speth, the Earl of Mansfield, the Earl of Malmesbury, and the Earl and Countess of Listowel. Mr. Oswald, M.P., had an interview with the Earl of Malmcsbury yesterday, at the Foreign-office, to present a copy of resolutions, agreed to at a meeting of the county of Ayr, and a memorial from the proprietors and farmers of the same county, on the present state of the guano•trade. Sir John Cathcart and Sir William Colebrooke had interviews yesterday with Sir John Pakington, at the Colonial-office. Tho Rev. Dr. Symons and Count Metaxa had also interviews with the Right Honourable Baronet. A deputation of the Birkenhead Dock Trustees, con sisting of Mr. Joseph Bailey, M.P. (chairman); Mr. Penny (deputy chairman); Mr. Laird, and Mr. " Hull (solicitor), had an interview with the Hon. O. Gore yes terday, at the Office of Woods and Forests. Mr. Wilson Patten, M.P., had an interview with the Right Hon. J. W. Henley yesterday, at the Board of Trade. Mr. Robert Milligan, M.P., had also an inter view with the Right Hon. Gentleman. Dispatches were sent from the Colonial-office yester day to the Governors of the North American Provinces. P E AR-ADMIRAL AUSTEN AND HIS FLAG-SHIP.- A letter from Rear-Admiral Austen on this subject appeared in the Times of Thursday. With the Editor's remark we fully concur, especially as we are in possess on of the fact— which he is not—that the Hastings might have anchored off Rangoon if she had been taken there, the t is if the profes sional opinion of the navigating officer of her, Mr. Brehaut, her master, is worth anything.—Portsmouth Times and Naval Gazette. [ADVERTISEMENT.] H o lloway's Ointment and Pills have e ff ected a wonder f u l Cure of Donald McKellar, of Alurrumbidge, New South Wales, writes Rheumatism.—Mr. , to Profes sor Holloway as f o ll o ws : years of a ge , employed by John Peter,‘A man of about fifty Es(i, Peace in this co l ony, suffered for twelve Justice of the from an months at tack of rheumatism, brought on by an exposure to w et and cold. He was so painfully afflicted that his body was bent nearly double : in thi s d ep l orable condition he comm enced using Holloway's Ointment and Pills, and so speedy was toe , cure effected by them that it seemed to those who had w i tnessed hie sufferings little less than a miracle. --bold by all Drug gists and at Professor Holloway's Establishritc Loadon• sit, 244, Strand, JUNE 26, 1852. NAVAL IN TELLIGENCE. Captain F. T. Michell (1830) has been appointed Captain of the Queen, 116, on ee .,,,,i s ,i oning, vice Wise. In all probability csre.,i, Miciioll gill select the present efficient comman•ler, Commander Burnett, for his second. Lieutenant B. Wrey, Into additional of the Queen, has been appointed to the Spartan, 26, at Dev Lieutenant W. A. Sullivan (1851) h as been :plo°inted from the Excellent, as gunnery liewenant of the Mean der, 44, at Chatham. Clerk—W. A. G. Young (1845) has been nominated by Commodore Talbot, as his secretary. Assistant Surgeon—William T. Carr, acting, t o the Impregnable flag-ship, Devonport. Masters' Assistants—John R. Richards, to the Ajax, screw-ship, Queenstown; W. E. M'Grath, to the Vul- , can, screw troop ship. PORTSMOUTH, WEDNESDAY.—The Vulcan, iron troop steamer, Commander Von Donop, went out of Ports mouth harbour yesterday, to try her speed along the measured mile in Stokes Bay. The following is the result of eight runs:— Min. Sec. Min. Sec. First run in 658 8.612 Fifth run in 628 9.278 Second „ 619 9.490 Sixth „ 722 8.144 Third „ 711 9.333 Seventh „ 839 6.950 I Fourth „ 632 9.183 Eighth „ 917 6.440 Mean speed, 8.84 knots. The Simoom, iron troop steam-ship, Captain John Kingcome, came through the Needles under sail, and anchored at Spithead at two o'clock this morning. She has brought the Rifle Brigade, about 1,000 strong, under Lieut.-Colonel Norcott, with the women and children appertaining thereto, with some invalided sol diers, home from Quebec. She embarked the troops on the 2d instant, and sailed the 3d; consequently has made the run home in 22 days, nearly all the distance under canvas, having only used steam a few hours coming down the river St. Lawrence. Including her own crew she has crossed the Atlantic with no less than 1,476 souls on board. Two children have died on the passage. The Simoom has proved to he a very wholesome ship, and the soldiers have been very comfortable on board her. She sails well, steers and stays well; her only defect is in wearing, when she takes a long time paying off from the wind. She is a very good sea-boat. She expe rienced a terrific gale when on her outward passage, on the banks of Newfoundland, in which she lost a quarter boat, and carried away her mainyard (which, however, was a defective spar), hut she was very dry and buoyant, and did not ship any water. She made her outward passage in 29 days, which is considered a good passage at the season of the year she went out. The troops are all in good health, and the Simoom will come into har bour to-night, and alongside the yard, and to-morrow morning the troops will land and proceed to Winchester by rail. The following is an aceount of the Simoom's run out: QUEBEC, MAY 23. As her Majesty's iron troop-ships have lately attracted a great deal of the attention of the public, particularly of naval men, I am desirous of giving you a few details re lative to the first passage of her Majesty's ship Simoom, Captain Kingcome: this ship is of about 2,000 tons, with an auxiliary engine of 350-horse power. At daylight, on the 24th of April, we steamed oat of Cork Harbour with detachments of troops for Quebec, in number about 400. At ten A.M., the wind being fair, up screw and made sail; the wind continued favourable for some days and the passage so far would have been very agreeable, had it not been that the main deck upon which the troops were berthed was wet fore and aft all day and every day in consquence (principally) of all the ports being very leaky, streams of water pouring into nearly all the cabins of the military officers, including their mess-room; se veral of them had their kits very much spoiled, their bedding wet through, and not a dry shirt left; these gentlemen. subsequently emigrated to the midship troop-deck on the orlops, where they slung in hammocks for the rest of the voyage. One inge nious method of getting the water from their cabins was by turning the doors into escape valves, opening and shutting them as the roll was favour able or otherwise; during one whole night a corporal and 12 men were told off in regular relief to bale the water from the mess-room. The officers, one and all, bore their discomfort and loss with great philosophy and good temper, knowing that all that could be done for them by the captain and officers of the ship was done, and that great pains had been taken by the authorities in England to make them comfortable, particularly in their mess arrangements, which were very complete. The damper which I have mentioned (the only one) to the comfort of those taking a passage in the Simoom being remedied, which can be effected without any great ex pense, she will, I consider, be a capital troop-ship; she sails very well, and taking into consideration the amount of horse-power, steams well; has accommodation for an entire regiment, carri es twen ty-five days' coal, an d b y means of Grant's stove condenses as much steam as is required to form 400 gallons of good fresh water daily, consuming no more fuel than is necessary for the or dinary purposes of cooking. May 4th. lat. 51 deg. N., long. 40 deg. W., a strong westerly gale, at 10 A.N. bar. 29.10, gale increasing; force of wind 10, with a very high sea, ship lurohing heavily, quarter-boats threatening to part company; endeavoured to furl courses, unable to do so (Simoom has the masts and yards of a 1,200 ton frigate). Noon.--Ship under treble-reefed fore and maintopsails and trysails. 1 P.M., bar. 29.10; force of wind 11.— Carried away mainyard, about two-thirds from the slings; lost starboard cutter; split fore and main-topsails, clued them up, blowing too hard to attempt to furl them; ship under bare boles. At six, P.m., barometer gradually rising, a heavy sea struck the ship on the port quarter. The helmsman, thrown over the wheel, had his leg broken. Jolly-boat washed away from the stern. Eight, P.M., bar 29.30, Captain Kingcome came to his cabin to change his dress; whilst doing so a heavy sea sent in the whole of the stern port, deadlight, &e., knocking him down, and deluging the cabin. It was not until several great seas had followed the first that the port could be temporarily blocked up. During the first watch barometer steadily rising, gale abating, still blowing very hard during the squalls. Daylight on the sth, wind moderate, with a high coa -1 used sea, unbent topsails and courses. On the 6th.— Down mainyard, commenced building a new one—apiece of seamanship that no one is better up to than the inde fatigable captain; crossed ditto at noon on the 9th. Capt. Kingcome remarked that during upwards of forty years that he had been at sea be had never seen such terrific weather. The ship lurched deeply and rolled quickly; but considering how deep she was abaft (hav ing consumed only ten tons of coal since leaving Cork), proved herself a capital sea-boat. She is not likely to have a more severe trial. May 11.—Steamed over the bank of Newfoundland at noon, one of the engines work ing badly, jumping at every stroke, stopped them, plumer-block upon which the crank shaft works very hot (it had always been necessary to keep a stream of water on this bearing). Engineer reported that it was absolutely necessary to raise the shaft. At eight P.M. on the 17th, the engines were completed, the main shaft having been raised 6-16th of an inch, by inserting a sheet of iron on the lower brass of the plumer-block ; after which it worked very much better. On the east coast Newfoundland we fell in with several large ice bergs and numerous small ones. The largest we esti mated to be 200 feet high, and at least two miles in circumference. After having steamed twelve miles from it, it was still plainly visible to the naked eye from the deck. We anchored here this evening; weather very warm. Four or five days ago our rigging, from the truck to the chains was covered with ice. The Sprightly port-steamer, Master Commander Allen, arrived from Plymouth with a few supernumera• ries this morning. The Committee of Inquiry instituted by the Lords of the Admiralty, into the cause of the late explosion of a shell at the Firebarn on Southsea Common, by whieh three persons were severely mutilated and others dan gerously imperilled, have eomo to the conclusion that gas was the cause of the explosion, but how they ar rived at that conclusion we of course are not imformed. The officers of the Court of Inquiry were Lieutenant- Colonel Yea, of the 7th Fusiliers, President ; Captain Cockburn, R.A. ; Captain Gordon, R.E.; Captain We therell, Ist Royals; and Captain Halliday, R.M.A. The American line of packet ship, Cornelius Grinnell, passed by this port yesterday, and landed several passen gers, among whom were several English who had been trying their luck at the Californian gold diggings, and who may be numbered among the successful gold seekers who left England for that purpose. They all appear to have been well repaid for their labour, having brought home many hundreds of pounds' worth of gold, some in lumps, varying in value from 151. to 251., the result of their own researches. They state this gold is found 15 feet from the surface, and they feel satisfied that men who are inclined to be steady and work, can, without much difficulty, realise 1,0001. a-year. Among the pas sengers landed here from the Cornelius Grinnell is a shipwright of New York, of the name of Webb, who has come over for tho purpose of introducing a new model of a clipper yacht, to beat (ho says) tho celebrated America of last year. Ile went to Cowes this morning. Her Majesty's screw yacht Fairy was taken on to the graving slip alongside the dockyard to-day to ship a new screw, which she went out to Spithead to try in the evening. The Gloriana, Captain Bell, from the East Indies and the Cape, passed the Wight this afternoon, and landed t h e following passengers :—Major M'Leod, Mr. Haworth, Rev. Mr. Ragland, Mrs. Apthorpe and fa mily, Mrs. W. H. Hope and family, &c. Dr. Ingram, surgeon of the Gloriana, died on the passage to the Cape of a disease of the heart. Invalids from the 25th, 74th, and other regiments, to the number of 150 men, came home in the Gloriana, wader charge of Major Pat terson, of the 74th, and Lieutenant Jones, of the 25th Regiment. Her Majesty's paddle-wheel steam-vessel Adder, Ur. James Watt in charge, arrived here on Wednesday after noon from Chatham, with a dockyard lighter, and is lying at anchor near the Nora Middle-ground, for the purpose of removing the cargo of a barge sunk some time since, but recently raised. llcr Majesty's paddle-wheel steam-frigate Cyclops, 6, Lieutenant Secombe, of the Horatio, commanding pro tern. arrived here from Devonport and Portsmouth on Wednesday, at three P.M. DEVONPORT, JUNE 24.—Buzzard steamer, Captain Dobbie, sailed last evening for the West India and North American station. Black Eagle Admiralty steam-yacht sailed this morn ing, at 10.30 A.M., having Mr. Stafford, Secretary to the Admiralty, on board. Captain Sir Baldwin Walker, Surveyor of the Navy, arrived at Moorshead's Hotel last evening. This morning ho went out into the dockyard, and, with Commodore Seymour, minutely inspected the Sans Pareil screw steam-ship, just commissioned by Captain Dacres. They left no part of the splendid ship without being thoroughly overhauled, as also the machinery. In the afternoon they proceeded to Keyham, where they were met by Colonel Williams, the director of I works. After a minute inspection, they returned to the dockyard. Sprightly sailed this r-fi - e.rnoon for Portsmouth. In the Sound—Qaem. In Harbour—lmpregnable, St. George, Sans Parch), Magicinnne, Spartan, Trincomalee, Ferret, Sylph, Con fiance, Diligence, and Camel lighter. The pay-books of the Queen were sent on shore this day, for transmission to the Admiralty, so that the ship may be ready for paying off in about eight or ten days. SHEERNESS, JUNE 25.--Her Majesty's paddle-wheel steam sloop Barracouta, 6, having on board Captain the Hon. S. T. Carnegie, and a portion of the officers and crew of the screw-steam guard-ship Horatio, returned from her trial cruise in the Channel on th e forenoon of Tuesday, the 22d inst. The Barracouta left this port on the 11th inst., with a strong tide and a fair wind, reached the Downs in four hours, without the aid of canvas, and proceeded down Channel, arriving at Dart mouth on Sunday, the 13th. The circumstance of a man-of-war putting into that small port is not of fre quent occurrence,. hence the Barracouta's appearance was hailed with delight by the inhabitants, large num bers of whom visited her during her stay, which ex tended until the morning of the Saturday following, when she ' Wei ghed anchor and proceeded out of harbour at full sp ee d , and • h under plain sail, with a moderate breeze on the quarter , making nearly eleven knots per hour. In a f ew hour's after her d e parture from Dart mouth the p e ddle-wheels were disconnected, the ship topgallantsails set. Her hauled close to the wind , h courses , topsails, and speed 'wi ; under sail only _ with the wind aft was 6 knots; when close hauled, O. several hours' trial under canvas, the paddle-wheels voyage to Spithead, with a tolerablY were connected, and the Barracout After proceeded on her the square sails being set, her speeds these circumstances to 1l knots, increased under trong b . retze aft; throughout the entire distance, the The w e e n re gine s are of e of the ma chinery working extremely the nominal power of 300 horses, and wel , l. Whic w h h w o r maintained tured by Miller and Ravenhill. They are on Xle an T u r fa e c c i acting principle, with oscillating cylinders with tubular boilers, but without a steam chestedWittitled pressure of 141bs . to the square inch, their power is in creased to 450. The Barracouta stows 280 tons of coal, a sufficient quantity for twelve days' consumption at full speed, and of working expansively for nearly double that period. Her maximum speed per hour, under steam and canvas combined, i s rat h er more than 11 knots; minimum ditto, when working on the lowest grade of expansion, 81 knots. From having no steam chest (which is the case with many of the modern built steam vessels) she does not keep steam well, hence her fires re quire to be forced. Her armament consists of one 10- inch pivot gun, weighing 85 cwt.; one 8-inch ditto, of 95 cwt. (the former throwing 841 b. hollow shot, the latter 681 b. solid shot); four 32-pounders, eight feet long, each 42 cwt.; two 24-pounders brass howitzers, for paddle box boats; one 12-pounder ditto for the pi n nace, and 6- pounder itto for the cutter. She is of 1,048 tons bur den, and was built by the School of Reference. From all accounts it would appear, that when under steam she is one of the most efficient vessels of her class. WooLwies, JUNE 25.=—The Isabel, fitted by Captain Beatson, and supplied with a large quantity of provi sions by order of the Admiralty, for a searching expe dition to the Arctic regions, was brought down the river yesterday evening, and taken into basin to-day to be examined previous to her departure, under the charge of Commanderlnglefield. Mr. Abernethy, formerly ice master to Sir John Ross and Sir James Ross's expedi tions, intends serving again in the Isabel, and expects to leave Woolwich immediately for Peterhead to en gage a hardy crew to navigate her. The Triton mail steam-packet, Lieutenant-Com mander Lloyd, having had her compasses adjusted by Captain Johnson, at Greenhithe, came up the river at five A.M. to-day, and embarked Lieutenant Jackson, 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, and 50 privates of the Woolwich division of Royal Marines, and left at 7 A.M. for Devon port, where they are to join the Queen, 116, at that port, on her being recommissioned. Captain W. H. March, of the Woolwich division of Royal Marines, will continue to serve in the Queen on her being re commissioned. The Emperor of Russia's Imperial steam yacht Alex andria arrived at St. Petersburgh on the 12th instant, after a rapid voyage of five days and four hours. She left Copenhagen on the 9th instant, and reached Cron stadt on the I 1 th, although she encountered a heavy gale in the Gulf of Finland, and was under the necessity of taking shelter for several hours under the Island of Hoghland. Since her arrival at St. Petersburgh she nas been visited by all the naval authorities the re , w h o have expressed their admirat io n of h er i n every respect. Taking into consideration that the distance from Blackwall to Sr. Petersburgh is upwards of 1,700 miles, her average performance has been upwards of 14 miles per hoar. LAW INTELLIGENCE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, June 25. (Nisi Prius Sittings for London, before Lord Chief Jus tice JERvIS.) STRIDE V. BRIDGMAN. This was an action by the endorsee against the ac ceptor of a bill of exchange, drawn 18th Dec., 1851, at four months, for 2001. The defendant pleaded the ge neral issue; also that the bill was endorsed in blank for the accommodation of one Charles Henry Forbes, without consideration, and that Forbes deposited the bill with the plaintiff as security for repayment of 200/, advanced to him by the plaintiff, and upon the terms that the bill should be returned upon repayment of that sum, and that Forbes did repay that sum before the bill became due, yet the plaintiff, in violation of the agreement between him and Forbes, retained the bill without authority. Oa these pleas issue was joined. Mr. Honeyman was Counsel for the plaintiff; and Mr. Creasy for the defendant. The bill having been put in and formally proved, Mr. Stride deposed that he had been honorary secre tary of the Mining Exchange. He knew Mr. Forbes. He was a gentleman engaged in mining transactions. Forbes brought him a bill on the sth March last, and asked him to lend him 2001. on it, which he did on re ceiving by way of collateral security 100 North Devon scrip and another bill. The money was lent for a week, and he was to receive 10/. for lending it. The agreement was made at Forbes's request. Witness did not wish it, having never before been engaged in such transactions. It had been worth witness's while to give more than that as accommodation—as much as 51. for the use of 500/. for a day. Forbes owed him altogether about 425/. He had offered to take 3501. in full dis charge of it. Cross-examined—He had resigned his position as ho norary secretary of the Mining Exchange. His profes sion was that of a Parliamentary agent, but of late his chief occupation had been speculating in mining trans actions. He ceased to practise as a Parliamentary agent about three years ago. He then had offices in Spring-gardens. He never signed the Parliamentary book, but he had previously been in partnership with an agent who had. Mr. CREASY—Have you promoted any Bills? The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE—Of course he has. He has promoted this one for 2001, Mr. CREASY.—Yes; and I hope, like the others, ii will be thrown out. Examination continued—l cannot remember the names of any of the Bills. One of them was a Bill connected with Carshalton. Before I was a Parlia mentary agent I was an attorney's clerk. My late part ner, as a Parliamentary egent, sought me out in con sequence of my notoriety as a good man of business. The 2001. lent on the bill was repaid in about ten days. I keep no books. I should not think it satisfactory that such transactions should appear in my books. When the bill was paid the scrip was returned to Forbes, but not the bills. On tho 9th of March I lent him 1501. and he deposited with me a cheque of Pike's. That money was repaid about the 20th. He gave me 51. for the loan, and 21. a day so long as I held the cheque. I cannot tell how many actions have been brought on these bills. My attorney can tell you that. I have been too busy to attend to the matter personally; besides, it was out of my line of business. I have got judgments in two actions, and the costs have been paid. I have not offered to let the judgments stand over for a bonus of 501. I consented to settle the whole affair for 3501. By the LORD CHIEF JUSTICE—The first money I lent Forbes was in February; that was 1501. I next lent him 200/. That was paid in about ten days. I did not return the bill on account of the cheque transaction on the 9th. Stop, I am wrong. The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE—WeII, begin again. " As you were," as they say in the army. Witness—ln February I lent him 1501., one Satur day, on a cheque of Mr. Pike's, and he returned it on the following Monday. On the 24th of February I lent him 2001. on the North Devon scrip. He gave me 10/. for the loan, and repaid it in a few days after the time appointed. Oa the 4th of March I lent him 1501. again on a cheque of Pike's. I think he gave me a sovereign for that loan, and paid it back the next day. On the sth of March he borrowed 2001, on a hundred North Devon scrip and these bills. He gave me 10/. for that, and repaid it in a few days. I returned the scrip, but not the bills. On the 9th he had another 150/. o n another cheque of Pike's, which he repaid on the 20tli On the 11th I lent him 300/. on so me m i n i ng shares i n es i Wales and a bill for 298/. 10 3 . Thi s i s still oveill d id renewed that transaction on th e 25th f or 20/. . at his request. I did not want t o d o i t. derstand. I it The LoRDCHIEF JUSTI CHCE—Oh, no. We cl early un- All this was done by you uncle lawyers call duress. You have told us so r wh ''.'t we and we understand it. se veral times, Witness—On the 23d March he had le s have 10/, for that for a week. lie not did n - 4 I was to forgot to mention tha t on the 20th Marc h r epa that. I small transaction of 25/.there wits a Re-examined—When I returned the North Derr scrip the 150/. was owing me o n t h e Messrs. Forbes never asked me ' eueque of the ne ments are still unsatisfied. for the bill s . The judg - The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE W bocomes a question of credit e ll, Mr. Creasy it now Stride' and Mr. Forbes. Mr. Stride says thebetween Mr. not only on account of a particular but also in respect of subsequent pees cular tra nsaction, s ttled. If Mr. Forbes swears to the after that wo bill was left fora jury to C ontrary, it will be judge between them. Mr. CREASY—Mv T aith him, Mr. Forbes is not here. I have got hi s J . " () I'd, I a m sorry evidence i t I l e say m y pears to be under some delusion I have sent to him to say 1 come; hut he ap brief, and b being arrested, that he is perfectly a The LORD CHIEF 1 13 . 8T 1 and refuses to some, thou elusionh s been explained to him that he must fe gh it 5 nate delusion, and "unfounded. It ought to be be under an dispelled. Neither perfectly Forbes nor Mr. Bridgman need —That is a most nnfortu- Mr. f arrest whilst attfinding here as witnesses. Y apprehension o Mr. CREASY __l am sorry to say, my Lord, that Mr. Bridgman nt e.o LORD CHIEF men, howev er much J UST ICE (to the jury)—Gentle we may condemn the conduct of the witness, it would n ot be safe for us to act on s p ecue lation and di s believe his e vi d ence. He has no dou bt taken most exorbitant interest; but if he ha s n o told, _____-________......." the truth, Mr. Forbes might have bn called to con tradict him. As Ur. Forbes has bensent for and will not come, you must return a verdic; lor az laiata Verdict for the plaintiff. A CUSTOM OF LONDON. .. ° P In the course of a subsequem, case, White and others v. Binstead and others, it b:Ang necessary to give evi dence that a person named Prebble was in partnership with Binstead, a man who had been in their employ was called for that purpose; and he stated, amongst other reazons, that he knew they were partners, because when Prebble came into the firm he had "had his shoes chalked." Baing asked for an explanation, he said it was a custom in London, when a new member came into a firm, for the men to draw a chalk marktn his shoes, and then some beer was necessarily given to wash the mark out. COURT OF .fi,',WHEQUER, June 25. (Sittings at Nisi Prius before Sir F. POLLOCK, Chief Baron, and Special Juries.) LINES V. LORD CHARLES RUSSELL. Mr. E. JszneA and Mr. G. Allan were counsel for the plaintiff ; the Attorney-General and Mr. Welsby ap peared for the defendant. This was au action of trespass and false imprisonment. The defendant pleaded not guilty and a justification. Plaintiff is a servant of the Earl of Verularn, and was summoned to give evidence before the Select Committee of the House of Commons to inquire into the last St. Albans election. His evidence was of sncb a character that the chairman of the committee, Mr. Ellice, issued a warrant for his commitment under the 11 and 12 Vict., c. 98, s. 83, which givesthe chairman of a Com mittee of the House of Commons authority to commit any witness for "prevaricating or misbehaving in the giving or withholding of evidence." Under this warrant the defendant, who is the Sergeant -at-Arms of the House of Commons, arrested the defendant on Saturday the sth of April, and he was detained in custody till the fol following Monday. when he was discharged by order of the House of Commons. It was contended by the plain tiff that the warrant was insufficient, because it merely stated that the plaintiff had been committed for prevari cation and misbehaviour, without adding that it was in the giving of evidence before the Committee. Ilia LORDSHIP said that he had the opportunity of consulting the other judges on the subject, and retired to take their opinion. On his return, he stated that they concurred with him in thinking that the warrant was sufficient. Com mons must be proceedings of the House of Com trTeahteedwi accorded to the other high courts of the country; and it must be presumed ththe same respect that was done, and that the plaintiff on until the contrary was for the defendant on plaintiff might tender a bill' should, therefore, its jurisdiction everything had nohtadbeheneenexcreigedhetldy, direct a verdict for second. The. the shown. He Mr. jAMES said that wasthe first issue, and counsel for the to that ruling. ingly tendered a bill of exc - Ens of, exceptions eptions. POLL intention, and accord- CE M ELECTION SQUABBLLAES.—BIeaIid. ay the Pt Cr C . Norton was occupied for upward s of two hours in inves tigating a charge of assault preferred b Ayerst, a blacking-manufacturer, carryin g y at No. 7, Herbert-place, St. George's William New on business an elector for the borough of Lambeth, against and Thomas Lee, a constable belonging to the L divisi on police. Mr. Barton, a solicitor, and Mr. Parry, the barrister, attended on behalf of the defendant; Mr. E vans, the defendant's superintendent, was also present to w a t c h the case, and daring the proceedings the court w as much crowded by the electors of Lambeth, all of whom ap peared to take a deep interest in the result. The proceedings, if given in detail, would occupy a whole page; but the facts, as well as they could be collected from the contending parties, were these: —On Monday evening last a meeting of the pro fessed friends and supporters of Mr. Harvey, the new candidate for the representation of the borough of Lambeth in Parliament, was appointed to take place at the Horns Tavern, Kennington-common, at which the honourable candidate was to make a de claration of his political principles, and the electors were invited to hear him, and put such questions to Mr. Harvey as they might consider necessary. On this invitation several cf the electors, who have been and are the strenuous supporters of Messrs. D'Eyncourt and Williams, made their appearance at the meeting, and the complainant amongst the number. Mr. Taylor, one of the churchwardens of the parish. of Lambeth, took the chair, and commenced addressing the meeting; but in a few minutes after Mr. Harvey made his appearance in the room, and three cheers for him were then called for. This call was responded to, and before the applause had subsided, the complainant, Mr. Ayerst, in a stentorian voice, called out for three cheers for Messrs. D'Eyn court and Williams. This call was also responded to with more fervour, as the partisans of the latter gentle man assert, than that the former, while the friends of Mr. Harvey declare the direct contrary; but, at all events, the circumstances gave rise to so muoh disturbance that the chairman, supported, it was said, by a majority of the meeting, called on the defendant Lee to remove Mr. Ayerst, and he was by foroe expelled from the meeting. The complainant, who appeared in the dress of a eel lerman or bottle-washer, with a leather apron up to hie chin, said that he had been seized by the collar, and un mercefully lugged out of the meeting, by a person whom he believed to bo the defendant. It was Lot his wish, however, to punish him cr do him any harm. All be wished to establish was that he had no right to interfere in the manner he had done, or treat a gentleman with insult and violence, though that gentleman might by chance have a leather apron on. Mr. Parry—l feel assured that had you acted as a gentleman, that you would have been treated in a gen tlemanly manner. Now, Mr. Ayerst, I wish to ask you, as you appear very much excited, whether you have been drinking anything to-day? Mr. Ayerst, in a loud tone of voice—Yes, I have just had a glass of brandy and soda.—(Laughter.) Mr. Parry—l thought you must have had something, you seem so " spirited" and excited. Prey did you go to the meeting in your present dress, with your leather apron on? Mr. Ayerst—Yes, with my leather apron on. Mr. Parry—Had you the apron placed over your head to give you a more conspicuous appearance? Mr. Ayerst—No, I did not. Mr. Parry—Did you use any offensive language to the chairman, Mr. Taylor? Mr. Ayerst—No, I did not use offensive language to any one. Mr. Parry—Did you not call him a snob? Mr. Ayerst—Certainly not, for I felt that I was a such my. self.---(Loud laughter.) _ . Mr. Parry—Did you see Mr. Harvey at the meeting? Witness-1 did. Mr. Parry—And heard him make a speech? Wit ness—No; not make a speech, but road it.—(Laughter.) In conclusion, the witness denied having used any abusive or improper language towards Mr. Harvey. Several witnesses were called by the complainant, all of whom said the complainant had been treated with un necessary harshness in being expelled from the meeting, but admitted that the constable had acted under the di rections of the chairman. All the witnesses so suali e ,d were admitted to be in the interest of Messrs. William® and D'Eyncourt. For the defence an equal number of w it nesses called, all of whom deposed that it was their op wore that the complainant had attend e d t h e inion 'meeting for the sole purpose of disturbing it ; th a t hi s conduct noisy, so much so that his expulsion wn s Was most the meeting. absolutely necessary; and that his removal was at th e desire and earnest request of a large majority of Some of the witnesses also spoke of th a very excitable person, and even 0 e complainant as nesses acknowledged that he had (Mr. Ayerst) attending the ne of his own wit question on account of his state lug e t n the night ja of exe.tement. Another witness described enthusiastic partisan of Mr. i rnaplainant as such an meet S . o rne objections to his he ever went to •--- he should g h oe t s o ai L d, am " b T e h th at if the 07 cent meeting he told that h Eyncourt, that at a "- 'date that" If f an hour in pulling him out." Mr. Parry ad —n dr ip e a s s s e e ; ruble clinch ' presence all the eireul hile lose a quarter.so in Mr. Lfarveff they must on behalf of the defendant, after whi ch a the magistrate cetors wanted a mug; Mr. NORTON observed pre sent case was Pla ce d very difficult position; and feeling, from i n a i ce s, and the evidence pro and Cole., th at exceeded his duty, he defendant in the that the h e had po should dismiss At the same time the he hoped the comPlau lt " that of the different candidate the forthcoming elec tionB Would act d u ring . .- . tor the boron h with that spirit of fairness and good or which-roug,.. the characteristic of Englishmen. Tll O • WS3 ks of his Worship were received decision and remarks withloud cheers. partisans Til •caDMIRA LIT.— AR S CDJECT —____-,--- ---- FOR AN INQUIRY BY THE ' , ORES OF We are informed that one day last week A a first class boy on board one of her Majesty's steamers at was placed on a man's back, and forcibly held there at this first_ ' flogged which he effected, on which the first o f the first lieutenant whilst another man violently the ordersP bi n , with a cane ; the pain made the sufferer struggle e n ;e s ci elf wo men to replace him in his former po sitionothers back, which was done • '' , the " horse, on the being unable to hold the boy in that position, the however , lieutenant caused the quartermasters to seize him up to said tho Jacob's ladder; boy was accordingly so seized, and hard ijute t n o sn fr t ee or b d i the by his wrists and ancles, his feet not touching the tic k ed , " The said lieutenant then directed the caning to pro d deck • pro ceed. After a time the caning was suspended by the order of the lieutenant for a few minutes, and then re-commenced ; the castigation was after a time stopped a second time, and ulti mately re-commenced ; after this, the boy was cut down, and confined under the after part of the main deck ! This con duct, if substantiated, is a violation of the Admiralty instruc tions. It is said the captain of the ship was not acquainted with the proceedings, which, we believe, took place in the presence of another lieutenant, the surgeon, and the engineer of thel vessel alluded to.—Portsmouth Times and Nasal Gazette. THE IRON ORE Or NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.—Mr. S. H. Blackwell, F.G.S., of Dudley, recently delivered a lecture " On the Iron-making Resources of the Kingdom," before the Mechanics' Institute at Northampton, in which he introduced a referenco to the ore recently brought into notice. Mr. Blackwell said that iron had been largely smelted in Northampton at the time of its occupation by the Romans, as well as in many other parts of the country, where it had been discontinued since the substitution of coal for wood as fuel. His attention had been called to the ore some eight or ten years ago in the grounds of the lunatic asylum, but it did not strike him as warranting public no tice ; and it is probable it would still have remained unob served but for the Exhibition of 1851, he having obtained some specimens from General Arbuthnot and forwarded them. It was, however, in the churchyard of Iligham Fer rers he was led to examine the question more closely, by ob serving that the Bede House was built with alternate layers of iron -stone, of very marked character. Hitherto the stone 20 had been found to yi e ld from to 50 per cent. of iron. It may be found largely developed all along the lin e of railwa y from Peterborough to Gayton an d Towcester, but Mr. Black well does not think it will be found to any extent further south. In admixt ure with other ores it makes i iron of good quality, may be c h eaply raised, an d i s practically nexhausti . Worcestcrahi rc Cytronicle-