The Sun. — London, England, 1846-02-18 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, Feb. 17. (Before Mr. Justice WIGHT MAN and a Special Jury.) BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE. SMITH V. LORD FERRER& (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then proceeded to address the jury for the defendant. He commenced by calling upon the jury to give their calmest consideration to this most important case, for it was one which, In his professional experience, he had never seen equalled. At present all appeared to be unintelligible and mysterious, and he con*ssed that he had never heard of a case that appeared so inextricaS!le. But he would pledge himself that, before he sat dovrr., he would have satisfied the jury, beyond the possibility of all doubt, that this was a most false and flagitious pro ceeding from beginning to end ; and though the result of the verdict of the jury —if in favour of the defendant, as he had no doubt it would be—would brand the plaintiff with disgrace and ignominy, yet his duty would compel him to adopt a course which would have such a re sult, in order that his noble client might net appear to be what he had been attempted to be represented. The Learned Gentle man then cited two instances of cases of a description some what similar to the one he should make out. One was the case of a young woman who had left her employment, and In order to account for her absence told a falsehood, which led on to others, and at last got herself so involved that she swore she had been taken away by two gipsies, whose lives had well nigh been forfeited, had not her perjury been detected, and she was trans ported. The other case was somewhat similar. He would show distinctly and clearly that this was a like case, and that it was from beginning to end a base and infamous conspiracy, get up by the plaintiff herself by a series of letters, for the purpose of involving his client in this action. The Learned Gentleman then went over the evidence with great care, and pointed out the absurdity of the notion that Lord Ferrers ever could have written the letters attributed to him. He called the particular attention of the jury to the evidence of the plaintiff's mother, to wh•m he had shown several letters folded up, which the witness said were in the handwriting of her daughter. These letters he would now produce. Whon he had explained their nature to the jury, and read their contents, he believed he need go no further with the case. The jury had heard a great deal about letters that the plaintiff had written to the defendant, and they had been posted by different parties, who had been innocently involved in this scheme; amongst others, a letter with a pocket-handkerchief , and the jury would very naturally ask, could it be possible that those letters had not reached their destination. Had not Lord Ferrsrs received them ? He now came to the great and important feature of this case, and the most dis tressing one. But before he did so, he would just call attention to ontfor two passages contained in the letters alleged to have been written by him to the plaintiff. Th e jury had heard the plaintiff 's sister swear that Lord Ferrers was in her father's house on the 9th of December, 1843 ; but he would prove beyond all doubt that it was utterly impossible that could be true, for he left Chartley that morn ing after breakfast, and therefore, in order to have been at Austrey and back to Chartley, he should have ridden 60 miles before he started for Welch - pool. lie would prove beyond all doubt that the whole of this transaction was a tissue of falsehood and forgery from beginning to end. He then read extracts from the letters alleged to have been addressed to the plaintiff' by the defendant, in which the writer was represented as being at 31Ivart's and various ether places, and of writing of persons whom the Attorney-General would prove the defendant had never known or never met. Ha then commented in strong and severe language on the conduct of the witness Holland, and having referred to the alleged presents of silks, books, &c., he said he would produce witnesses to falsify all that. He then con cluded by reading the following letters, all of which bore anonymous signatures, and which he said he could Identify as the letters which the plaintiff had caused to he posted and directed to the defendant. When the Learned Counsel concluded his address, after having been speaking nearly three hours, there were symptoms of applause, which were suppressed. No. 1 " Wednesday, May I, 1644. " My dearest Washington,—Days, even weeks pass on, yet hear I not from or of you. Are 3-9 u still away from your home, or have you even yet returned to Chartley? I ate fearful that these ro mantic notes of mine should reach you not. How I long to see your face; shall I ever again do so? to hear your voice and see you smile; butiperhaps, I may never behold you more. There is a secret plea sure in writing to you, knowing you know net me, nor can even dream of the lady's name or place of abode that thus addresses you ; therefore, lam safe. Ah ! could you hut know how much I think of you, how every feature of your face is written on my heart, me thinks sometimes .t ou would even love me for my deep fond love ; it is as my being, and will abide with me till death; you are In thought all to me. Would you too could love the one who thus thinks of you ; night my whole life be spent in watching over you, and in pre venting every evil from approaching him so loved ; it would, indeed, be untold happiness to be ever near and with you In each danger, difficulty, joy, or sorrow ; once I dreamed the angel of death hovered near you, and that I stayed the hand that would have destroyed, and saved you from .death. Heaven and the God I revere and worship keep you sate from all harm, most beloved of all on earth to me. Now the beautiful spring is here, and with It flowers ; indeed everything bright and beautiful in nature teaches us to thank the Creator for his wonderful mercies. You have very much to be thankful for. May y ou be happy and blessed in your home, and when you wed, may the one you may choose be as a creature of life and light to you, brightening each darker moment of your life, enlightening each sorrow, enhaneing, each joy, administering comfort. Such thus much may every woman do, if she truly love the one given to her as her partner for life.. if he in return show due consideration and affection for her. !etch would I be to thee leaving all for thy sake,. enduring all that thou mightest be blessed. But perhaps this may never, never be. YerhaPs'you may even now love another. God is above all, with all ; he will judge rightfully for all. And thus each mo rtal treads upon his fate, looks back, sighs, hesitates, when It's 500 late' Something whispers me we shall once more meet, be It in lighted hall or church, or under the shade of the hawthorn tree ; we shall meet, though you may not dream you are there, hold ing converse with your anonymous correspondent ; but time hastens, and as our carriage passed through the borough from which your second title and prettiest name is derived (Viscount Tamworth), while our horses are baited' at the Castle Inn, so shall I post this to you,—that Tamworth that ought to be your own, your, Lord, in stead of Sir Robert Peel's. Dearest Washington, with best wishes for your happiness and future welfare, allow the lady who thus writes to subscribe herself most devotedly, " MARIE;." The foregoing letter is inclosed in an envelope, bearing the Tam worth post mark of May 1, 1844, and addressed as follows: " The Right. lion the Earl Ferrers, Chartley Castle, Staffordshire." No. 2. - - " Jane 5. "Washington, beloved one—When shall I see you, when behold the orm of one dearer to me—how dear I may not say. How often I wish for you. Hope lingers on, days pass away, and alas ! I only hear of you you whom some whisper strange things of. I believe them not —it cannot be; you must be high-minded, noble, generous, good —so have I fancied you. Oh, that it may not be fancy only. Yon are young, and have nor father nor mother to guide your steps. The world, I am toll, is deceitful and wicked—you have nu one to advise you, to whisper words of affec tion and love, to watch over and be with yon. You have some wealth and rank. If these could constitute happiness, then you m!ght be happy, but your household hearth is not warmed liv affec tion. Do you never feel lonely? — never wish for others but the gay and wild young men with whom you associate? Is there never a blank found in your heart? Do you never sigh for one to love you—one whom you could put faith and trust in ? Guardians y.ar have had—they may still advise you, but they have their own to think of, their children ; you, my frequent thought, the only one whom I cannot help but love ; though apparently that one a stranger. Surely, it seems fate—l cannot tear you from my heart—your image is ever present there, y o ur welfare first thought of. Report says that you are going to wed with a lady of Wales, if so, may you be blessed and happy. I am aware we may never meet never join hands together ; and yet, I cannot forget you. My heart of hearts is yours, and with you will rest. I can never love another; never give my hand without my heart. lam no IV( lsh lady, but an English woman in thought and action, word and deed ; and as an English woman do I love you, think of you. They say the blood of a Ferrets is not good, and that the generations of the MMus have mostly been men of ignoble minds, with one or two exceptions. Washington, add to time honour of your family; disgrace not further your name. What n ouid I give to see you now, to be with and near you always. Alas! in secret I write to you, in secret love you— would we could meet. Do you never visit Staunton ? Will you not he there, after. the approaching Lichfield review, alone ? Beloved one, adieu, adieu—ever, ever your friend, " MARIE. " To ether eye let this not he seen." Q. 3, " Dec. 19, 1842. " My Lord,--Strange it may seem to yon, no doubt, to receive a note from a stranger, and a lady tee, but it signifies little to me, as I know well you never knew the writer of this, never see her. Now fur what I have to tell you ; it is this :—There is a public ball at Tamworth every Christmas, generally about the 6th or Bth of January. Go, I advise you go; there will, to my knowledge, be a young lady at the ball whom I wish you to see and dance with. She is very beautiful, has dark hair and eyes ; in short, she la haughty and graceful as a Spa niard. tall and majestic as a Circassian, beautiful as an Italian. lean say no snore. You have only to see ier to love her—that you must do. She is fit for the bride of a Prince. Clo, look well round the room. You will find her by this description. 6he may wear one white rose in her dark hair: Go early ; if you see her not there you will never see her, as she is like a violet, hid amidst many leaves, only to be found when sought for. I know eke N young, and it is my wish she should have some oon to protect her. From what I have heard, you must be that one ; you, and you alone— it is yoar destiny—therefore go at afi risks ; you will then be of age, with nothing to prevent you. I some time knew your father. By the time you receive this I shall be on my way to —, far away. I have put this in the Derby post-office. Burn it wisest read—show it to no one. Keep your own counsel, my Lout, and deem yourself happy in the idea of knowing one so talented, beautiful, and young ; ask her to dance with you—fear not. And now I have fulfilled my mission, and shall rest in peace, mere peaceful though did I know that you would meet this bright young girl. If you, like other men, love beauty, you will love her. • Adieu—burn this, and remember she is my legacy to yon. You have hurt your hand, I hear ; lam sorry. Farewell for ever. " The Right lion. Earl Ferrers." " ISABEL. No. 4. " Wednesday,March. " Dearest Washington,—Titus again and again I li ill write to you, and thus call you, for in truth you are dearer t.) me than aught else, and ever will remain so. The question may arise, why does she so write thus often—of what use is it where she puts not her name to theae effusions ? This is the why and the wherefore—that you may know there is at least one being on earth who thinks and caress olely fur you. Why I should thus feel and care I know not. I have but ken you, but the feeling is implanted and will remain with me. I cannot shake off the memory of yourself—fu each scene your image presents Itself; and the girl of nineteen vexes her parents and says no to her wooers, and the cause is yourself. It is, lam aware, unnutidenly thus to write ; but yell know not the writer, and it is to that one a solace and comfort to tell you how much she loves you—how de votedly shgls yours. Would that I could shake off the dream, for where ' will it end ?—with my life. And when I am folded in the calm, still sleep of death, with my being will it end. And you, may you be happy and blessed. Oh, that we might meet—that you could love me even as I you; but we dwell far apart. And thus music, and flowers, and birds must be still tended and loved by me, for I see you not : the charm would then be twofold. When I watch the opening of the flower I think of you, and sigh that you are not with me, that the maiden's hand might pluck the rose for you and bid you wear it for her sake ; but this is not to be ; you cannot remember Ine, so you cannot love me. Perhaps these:notes may never even reach you— that I should like to know: stay, I will tell you. On Monday, 25th of March, if you arc at home, write and say if you have received a packet of ananymous letters, directed to you at Chartley. An en velope with yes or no written in it will be sufficient. Direct the 8. envelope to Miss A. 11., Post-office, Leicester. If you.write and direct I shall surely have it, but perhaps you will take no notice of this If no, well, it will still be the same, and I shall .think as - 1 now in do. Washington, you are mine thought , and yeti are very dear to . tale. Let the still tlilnk of you, and if you write, .1 shall then have m soething to look at "Now, as ever, 'our firm friend and warmest Well-wisher, under her assumed nanse, The first witness for the o " A. B." defence was Evelln Phillip Shirley, Esq., cousin and guardlan;ot L sci errers—l have known the defendant nine or ten years; he went to to Mr. Itepton for about four years, and then he went to Eton R V Mr. Echalty, and then he wentratwo years ; after that he went to ; his letters to me were al way signed " Tainworth" untllBol b i t r e: ad became Earl Ferrers , and then he signed " Ferrers ;" he wed , ?tiiLries to sign .` Wishing," as a nick name, but he never signed Washington Ferrers." I have about sixty of his letters in my pockel., person named Wal serape of paper. I have no sister married of them are written on ker.—(Laughter.) Lord Ferrer, Isiaght thte a onservatory In ques tion for 400/. ; this was shertly alter the late Lord's death ; this was January, 1843, when he an anony in Octobes, 1842 ; he was at my house in Vohsy_meag came of age, and he then mentioned that he receivedhia:dlothi Y.—(Laughter.) thous letter, o f tt I did not see it. I know a person named Sir Terence of Italian I never heard No person of the name of M`Pherson ever attended m y The letters now shown ine are not in Lord Ferrers ' handefril a in in g ll ; Y i have not the slightest doubt that they are all forgeries. Cross-examined --Mr. Hammel, the attorney, called on roe b pur . utz d ec lined to see hint• lie had called on my father, for the see .in some of Lord Ferrers ' writing. The word " Ferr ers " to the letter No. 1 is cert ainl y not in his handwriting. There might be Nene resemblanc e, but it would not str ike me. I never saw those letters b e f o re to -day, nor eve r a pp lied to see them. The paper now shown me is more like his style. I have my doubts about it. 1 should say that the nest paper has not the writing of Lard Ferrer, on When Lord FerrerS was a boy at school he used not to spell very correctly. Ile was not a wild youth. I never saw him go out In disguise, and never heard it from Lord Ferrero. I don't know that lie used to go cut with his servants and stay all night. About two 'months before he was married I was aware alt. The acquaintance was not older than two months belbre lie was married. It was in London. lie met the lady. The letter new shown me is not in Lord Ferrers' handwriting. I spoke to LOl%l Ferrel" one day about this matter. The reason I refused to give any inforination was, because i I did not think Mr. Hammel! behaved well. It was last summer I ' first spoke to Lord Ferrell about the affitir. lie said he had eetti Miss Smith, but he had never spoken to her in his life. I did net know the Smith faintly, but I was told Mr. Smith was a farmer living at Anstrey. Re-examined—When I spoke to Lord Ferrers about the matter, he Said there was not a word of truth init. Mrs. Millbury Tracy sworn—l sin the only sister of Lord Ferrers, We Ow upon very affectionate terms. I have frequently written to him, and he to me. Ile always signs his name Ferrers. I have never reoeived a letter from him signed "Washi ngto n " I have been with him at Chartieand y, he with me In Wales. I never was at Brighton until August 1845. There is another Mr. Traey, and he slid Imanta. I have very his wife live at Brighton. She is in bad !dimes M'Trevor. ' The.t>.d health. I don't know any ladies named written by Lord Ferrer% i T t c l lrerent letters alleged to have been hands, and she said that plaintiff were then put into the wit nest's - were In his handwriting. She m s e li n e did not think that any of them nwver had a horse named Mints), t ze i t i lt on to say that her brother =ember going with 1s Td Ferrer, and e m hed one named ZOO. I re meceixiber, 1843, to Wales. It was soon after breakfast. lit the month of fasted with us. It was quite impossible iroil.weakrast. Hu break s Ase to, and come tcol,ll AuStrey that flay, before Ferrero to have kii Ow 14 it. we.stare, to Cross-examined—lt was while I was sitting in Court yesterday that my attention was caned to this journey. I cannot say on what day of December it was. I might have been a fortnight or three weeks with my brother at this time. My brother very seldom rode out. Ile generally spent his evenings at home. I don't remem ber that he had any friends on a visit then. lie was fond of fun.—(Laughter.) I do not remember anything of a mock trial at the Castle. There was a MISS Davy there, and a Mr. and Mrs. Eld, and I saw them acting, but I can't tell what it was. My brother was dressed up with my grandfather's robes on, and sat in the arm-chair. I don't remember that any other persons were dressed up. I recollect the servants were called in there, and stocd with muskets. I might have been an bony there. I can't say when this took place, but it was after my grandfather's death. I have often heard of a charge brought against per sons for stealing cran berries at Chartley, but I did not see a mock trial of any one there at that time for that offence. This took place at nine o'clock at night. This was not the only performance at Chartley, but I can't tell of any others. They used to perform plays. I took no part. I have heard that he used to go out dressed very oddly, but I used to go to bed early, and was never disturbed by the noise. I have met Mr. Harding at Chartley some times. I saw Mr. Gilpin also dressed up. Mr. Hanbury Tracy sworn—l used to visit at Chartley. I never re ceived letters from Lord Ferrero, but I have seen a good many that he wrote to my wife. I have seen him write. The letters, numbered from Ito 12, were then handed to the witness. I recollect :eaving Chartley en the 9th of December, 1843, shortly after breakfast, for Wales. I can't say that the Earl breakfasted with us, but he started with us. The distance of Welchpool from Chartley is about flfty eight miles. Cross-examined by Mr. CHAMBERS—I have recently looked at some of his letters to prepare myself. I was looking at some last night. The paper handed me now appears to be better written than any of the others, and a great deal more like his writing. The letters I looked at were written within the last year and a half; his style was ;e:Abort and very plain. I recollect the mock trial ; it was I who mended it, in order to frighten a man charged with reallug cranberries. Ido not think he was sworn on the Bible ; Ido not re collect that there was any counsel ; I do not think there was counsel for the defence ; but we did sufficient to humbug the man —(Laugh ter.) I believe his sentence was to bring him down and give hini some beer.— (Laughter.) I knew that some of the parties went out at night disguised. I think I have seen Lord Ferrers going out disguised with jack-boots and half military costume : this was about the time of the toll-breakers. I have seen him put ou a Scotch dress, Wal t but er t3 n hi o r, t i,9ogt g h o ho o i ef u n t r: i re n eler i rm t k . b tro l r t .l rlas. alsom w i r i a l er t e Courtp,emmeats. r that s 33. r I o re collectedok re , lr r h lv o da t s e t i o - in k d re street—l keep a register :of all visitors at the hotel. Lord Ferrers was never at the hotel to my knowledge. Cross-examined—lf visitors stayed any time I should know them. We could accommodate two or three hundred. I don't believe I have ever seen Lord Ferrero. Persons of the highest rank go there and are not known. At the conclusion of this witness's evidence, the Court adjourned THE MURDER IN DRURY-LANE- BOW-STREET. EXAMINATION OF THE SUPPOSED MURDERER, Thomas Wicks, a young man of about 20 years of age, who stands charged with the murder of his master, James Bostock, having been arrested on that charge late on Monday night, was placed at the bar, before Mr. Twyford, as soon as the night charges were disposed of. From the time of the opening of the Court, and indeed for some time previous, the street was crowded with peqple anxiously waiting to " catch a sight" of the accused, bat as hi usual in such cases the prisoner was led across the street from the station house to the Court, at the same time with the other prisoners, so that he could not be distinguished from them by the mob. The Court itself was net so crowded as might have been expected from the in terest usually displayed by the inhabitants of the vicinity of the police-court, in eases of this description. It is probable that but for the " counter-attraction" of the Westminster nomination, there would have been a much "larger attendance" at Bow-street. A beadle was in attendance to take notes of the examination, and to furnish a report to the coroner, by whom he had been sent. A few minutes before the prisoner was brought in the court, a gen tleman applied to the magistrate to have the case put off till to morrow, saying that he was a relation of the prisoner, and that he was in possession of facts which, he thought, would materially alter the aspect of the ease. Mr. TWYFORD said that he could not postpone the hearing of the case. If the applicant had any facts to adduce, an opportunity would be given him in the course of the examination. At ten minutes to two o'clock, the prisoner was placed in the dock. On being led into the room by the gaoler, he made a spring, and entered the box- in a wonderfully non-chalent manner. On being asked whether his name was Thomas Wicks, he replied, " yes," in a " big manly voice." He is a very boyish-looking per son, not appearing to be more than 17 years of age. He was dressed in a velveteen jacket. During the examination he showed great levity, and evidently tlicught very little of the charge against him. Samuel Parsons, an old man who lives in the same house as the deceased, No. 4, Pitt-place, Drury-lane, said—l am a coach-maker by trade. At seven o'clock on the morning of Monday, being then in bed. I heard a cry of " Master." I immediately got up, and partly dressed myself. Before I was quite dressed I heard the report of a pistol. I live in the attic, which is the third floor. When I was dressed I went down stairs and found a candle alight in the passage. I put it out. Afterwards I found a body in the passage, and I went to the street door, and saw Mr. Goodman, who lives in the house opposite, at his door. I asked him to bring a light, which he did, and we went together to the place where I had seen the light. Mrs. Bostock was then coming down stairs. We found tt-e body of Mr. Bostock lying in the passage, and covered with blood. The wound was on the left side of the head, but I cannot say whereabouts, as the whole of that side of his head was covered with blood. We then called in the police, and the body was taken away on a stretcher, George Goodman, of No. 5, Pitt-place, a file-cutter, corroborated the above statement. He knew the prisoner as an apprentice to the deceased. He was not quite dead when they found him, but he could not speak. Frederick Walker, of No. 20, Princes-street, Drury-lane, said that yesterday morning, at about five minutes past six o'clock, he was In a public-house In Princes-street, when tha prisoner came in and asked for a pennyworth of rum, with which he was served. Wit nciss asked him whether "Jem," meaning the deceased, was up yet. He said he was not, and would not be until half•past six or seven o'clock. He then went away. Martha Hazlett, a young woman, 18 or 19 years of age, was then called. On being asked whether she knew the prisoner, she began to cry very bitterly, and it was some time before she was sufficiently recovered to give her evidence. iihe stated that she met the prisoner at about nine o'clock on the morning of the murder, In Chiswell street, Finsbury-square. Ile said that he was not going to work that day. They went to a public-house and had some spirits, for which he paid. They then parted, and he appeared to be in a great hurry. A shopman in the employ of Messrs. Harding, gunsmiths, of t 9, OreatQueen-street,Lincoln's Inn-fields, said that onMonday orTuesday of last week the prisoner came to hint with a pistol, which was out of order. It was a flint and steel pistol. Witness only oiled the spring, which was stiff, and the barrel, which was rusty. Witness charged hire sixpence. He said he wanted to shoot a dog that had bit him, and showed a scar upon his jaw. Ile asked witness to give him a bullet. Ile had not a bullet, hut he gave him two slugs. On Wednesday he came again, and said that the pistol had missed fire, but witness showed him that it was in good order. Ho said he had shot the dug. On Thursday he went to the shop again, and showed wit ness a percussion-cap pistol, which he said he had got in exchange for the other, and had given half-a- crown into the bargain. Witness put the pistol in order, and gave the prisoner a few caps. Ile said ho wanted to go-shooting on Primrose-hill on Sunday. He then went away. Edward Mailers, a dealer In pawnbroker's unredeemed pledges, of 129, Drury-lane, said that in the course of last week the prisoner came several tines to his shop to bargain for a pistol which he wished to buy. Finally witness gave Him a percussion -cap pistol in exchange for a flint pistol, . receiving half-a-crown in a idition, from the prisoner. The prisoner said that he wanted it to shoot birds with. (The witness produced the pistol, which he had received from the prisoner.) James Stowe, an 011 and colourman, of 19, Great Wild-street, proved that the prisoner had bought gunpowder of hint on several occasions during the last wt ek. He always said he wanted it to shoot birds with, and on one occasion he showed him a pistol. A policeman, who was on duty In Great Wild-street, on Saturday night, said, he was called into the house, No. 4, Pitt-place, by the deceased, who was about to give the prisoner into custody for obtaining money, and converting it to his own use. The prisoner said he had lost it, and offered to pay half a-crown a week till the whole sum (11s.) should be paid. lie also said, You can stop it out of my wages, which come to 145., but how am Ito live? The deceased did not give him in charge, but said he would stop out of his week's wages the lls., and 23. 6d., which he had borrowed from him, making 13s. 6d. lie then gave the prisoner 6d., which made up the suns of 145., the prisoner's wages. Policeman Pocock, F 14, and Thompson, A 62, took the prisoner In charge, at a coffee-house in Great Queen-street, Drury-lane, at about twelve en Monday night. Ile asked on the road to the sta tion-house, whethsr " the governor was dead ?" They told him he was • and he said " he was a - rogue t o me ; thi s was b rew i ng for him for twelve months, and I have revenged myself for his cruel treatment to me." He was cautioned that anything he said would be used against him, and he said tio snore. Afterwards, at the station-house he said several times that the de ceased was a very bad master to him, and that he had been re venged. Once he said, " I was sorry for him when I had done it ; but he behaved very badly to me." He afterwards said, "Oh, Po cock, what is worse than a guilty conscience ?" The prisoner, who, during the evidence of the policemen, had ap peared more serious than before, on being asked if he had any ques tion to put to the witness Pocock, said "No ' • he gives•his evidence s° sincerely that I can say nothing to him ; and the evidence is so clear against me that I must confess that I am guilty of it. I did do it; and I only wonder I did not de it twelva months ago, his conduct to me was so cruel," Mr. James Duncan, the house-surgeon of King's College Hospital, said that at half-past six on Monday morning the body of the deceased was brought to him on a stretcher. He was quite insensible. He had a wound behind the left ear, which_ witness had ascertained, on past mortena examination, passed through the skull. The bullet had lodged in the right side of the brain. He died at about three o'clock in the afternoon, and the own+ l was the immediate cause of death. The depositions were then read over to the prisoner. The prisoner made a statement of the conversation between him self, the deceased, and the policeman, which differed but slightly from that of the policeman himself. Ile then signed the statement he had made after the evidence of the witnesses Pocock and Thomp son, which had been taken down by the clerk at the time. The witnesses were then bowed over to prosecute, and the prisoner was fully committed. TIVs extraordinary case occupied the attention of the Court up to a quarter to six o'clock in the evening. MARKET INTELLIGENCE. (From the London New Price Current of Feb. 17.) SUGAR.—To-day there was a better desire manifested to purchase West India Sugar, especially the bright yellow and strong refitting descriptions, and the rates paid were equal to those of Friday, but not above. Mararrius.—This afternoon Mauritius was less In request, and 5,221 bags at public sale were only in part sold, but merchants were not inclined to press sales, and the rates obtained were neatly equal to those previously quoted. Eawr E.:DlA.—This afternoon 1,577 bags of Bengal Sugar were offered at public sale, and sold at prices that averaged those of the last auction. _ _ _ . FOBEIGN.—To-day there was no public tale of Foreign Sugar, but privately 1,000 casks of fine Porto Rico were sold at 2fis 6cl per cwt. I:EimEn.-1 o.day there was only a limited demand for refined goods from the.home trade, although 63s was accepted for standard, and 62s for broWn grocery lamps. Bonded Crushed Sugar met with in creasedutttention, and firstquality brought 34s 6d to 355. For Dutch the demand was active at 31s to 33s per cwt. COCHINEAL—This afternoon the market was better supplied, but the trade were not much inclined to operate; at public; sale 104 bags of Honduras were offered, aid a part only sold at former rates. COFFEE.—This atterpoon the market was more freely supplied with Ceylon Coffee, and the quantity offered at public sale amounted to 3,287 bags; the Native was all sold in consequence of holders sub mitting to a reduction on former rates of Is to 2s per cwt., but the plantation being held for fully previous prices, a small part only rotted buyers. TEA.—Any Improvement in prices has been prevented from taking place in consequence of the large stock, but the trade have operated with more freedom since the public sales. SPICES. —This afternoon Nutmegs met with attention, and 54 casks at public sale were sold at firm rates. Of Mace 24 -Casks were offered, and sold at low rates. Twelve bags of Cloves sold at lld to 11;id for dull Amboyna, one lot Is 034 d. 100 casks of Bengal Ginger were only in part sold. SPIAITS.—To-day, although Rum was to be obtained upon rather lower terms, still there was not much business transacted ; Madras proof was sold at Is Eid, with certificate ; Calcutta Is 8d to is 9d ; low not clean Is 7d; and Leeward Island at Is I Id, for proof o clean quality. The Governor of the Bank of England had an interview with the Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday, at his offi cialresidence in Downing-street. WAT FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE SOUTH-WESTERN RAIL TERMINt ' St. G O e rl or S g a e tli ,s Saturday an inquest a' 1 B. c J e o a s s e e p d h , C sa o i l d, i a t il t H ° 7 de M r ,. Bedford heldo on the bony of William Cone, aged 55, a porter in the locomo ttli%department of the South-Western Railway Company. three other poriae':rspo W r e t r e e r in in t t h h e esame department with de on the 26th of January, the deceased and just out, and one end rested engine out of a waggon. It was i ing the driving wheel of an . locomotive department, lift ; the on the tail-board whilst they (ie .( scendal to the ground I,ewiharich weighed caused the wheel to 12 cwt , waggon, and in juinpinit. down was the last man in the fall upon his left foot. ' as h possible,e‘s'h e t e I I was removel as quickly foot was greatly injured, was placed r a nd the deceased, whose that hospital. Mr. Hyde, the house surgeoncab, and brought to said the deceased was admitted with a citoif,llie hospital, the toes of the left foot, with severe contusions frfacture of rounding parts. Gangrene afterwards set in, wlci,ieillie sur his death on the 11th inst. Verdict, "Accidental deatercd [ADVERTISEMENT.] —CURE FOR DROPSY BY Hoy. LOWAY'S PILLS AND OINTMENT.—Captain James Eyre, o f the Company's service, residing at Boulogne, had been tapped thrice within seven months, twelve quarts of water were taken from him each time; notwithstanding which operations be was about falling a victim to this terrible complaint, when he com menced the rubbing in of Holloway's invaluable Ointment, and as effectually as salt is forced into meat—besides this, he took large doses of his wonderful Pills, which in nine weeks effected so extraordinary a cure, as to enable him since to walk twenty-five miles in one day. Any unnatural swellings of the body are effectually cored by these celebrated medicines. Sold by all Medicine-venders; likewise at Professor Holloway's Es. tablishment, 244, Strand, London. et itte lattion THE WHITEHAVEN and FURNESS RAILWAY.—(THIS DAY.) The first half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of this Company was held at one o'clock to-day, at the offices of the Company, No. I, Guildhall Chambers ; Lord Lousdale in the chair. The seal of the Company having been affixed to the register of proprietors, - The SEcarnatt read the report, which stated that the directors had applied to Parliament for power to extend their line through Farness to Ulverstone and Lancaster, which bad been surveyed by Mr. George Stephenson, and was in their opinion superior to an opposition project, entitled the " Ulverstone, Furness, Lancaster, and Carlisle Railway," which was laid before Parliament, and had been projected under the auspices of parties deeply interested in the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, but the di rectors had the utmost confidence that Parliament would give a preference to their line, inasmuch as they could prove that it was the best adapted to the wants of the district through which it was designed to pass; that it would facilitate a large local traffic, and form the connecting link of a great coast line, economical in construction and working expense, and practicable at all seasons of the year. They had abandoned the intention of carrying the line direct across Morecombe Bay, and had adopted a slightly cir cuitous route along the head of: the Bay, in order to obviate the ob jections which might have been raised by the Admiralty against a direct line. Notwithstanding this, it would be more than eight miles shorter than .the opposition line between Ulverstone and Lancaster, would have better curves and gradients, slid would be constructed at mach less expense. 450,0001., the amount of the ca• pital, would be amply sufficient for the construction of the extension line. An arrangement has been made with the Furness Railway Com pany respecting that portion of the line between Dalton and liver stone, which will be mutually beneficial to both Companies. The directors had also applied for an Act to enable them to extend their original line from the terminus at Whitehaven to a junction with the Whitehaven and Maryport line. That Bill also con tained powers for a short deviation from the main line near Kirksanton. All the Parliamentary requisites with regard to the extension, had been complied with. Nearly the whole line was staked out, and a contract had been entered into for the construction of the line, some part of the line had .been purchased, and they had reason to believe that in a very short time the cor tractor would be put into possession of sufficient length of land to enable him to commence actual operations. The accounts showed a balance of 41,951. Bs. sd. In favour of the Company on the 31st of De cember, after paying engineering, surveying, and legal expenses, &c. The Cfmamast said, as the report embraced every point of in terest, it would be unnecessary for him to address them at any length. Ile was aware that there might be some disappointment felt at the slow progress of the works, but this was owing to peculiar circumstances, over which he had no con trol. They all knew that during the last autumn there was a great scarcity of engineers and surveyors. It was true that they had appointed two gentlemen in whom they could place the utmost confidence, but they had been so much occupied in the extension line, as not to have been able to give all the attention to the original line which it required. All the plans and sections of the extension line had been prepared. lie believed they were perfect, and that the Bill would pass through the Standing Orders' Committee ; and as it offered more advantages to the locality they had every hope that it would meet with the sanction of Parliament. It would facilitate communication with the west of Yorkshire, the north of England and Scotland, and reduce the distance betwecn the metro polis and Belfast. After a short discussion the report was adopted, and ordered to he circulated amongst the shareholder s. A vote of thanks to the Chairman and directors was passed, and Lord Lonsdale having retumel thanks, the meeting separated. WESTMINSTER ELECTION. (THIS DAY.) (Continued from our Afternoon Edition.) THREE O'CLOCK. EVANS 3,355 RODS CLOSE OF THE POLL. -FOUR O'CLOCK. EVANS 3,703 RUTS MAJORITY FOR EVANS ..... 765 THE FUNDS.-(CLOSING PRICES.) _ ONE CLOSING BRITISH FUNDS. O'CLOCK. PRICES, Bank Stock .. .. . .. .. ~ .. 208% 207 34 207!,i Three per Cent. Annuities .. .. .. 96M Sli _ 96 1 4 _ _ Three per Cent. Consols Annuities .. .. 95 ' 54 - 9514 96 New Three-and-a-Quarter per Cent. Anna. 98 1 ,6 97 Fi 98% 98 % Long Annuities, Expire Jan. 5, 1860 .. 10% % 10% India Stock .. .. . .. .. ~. .. 260 260 Consols for Account . .. .. .. .. .. 96 95 3 4 96 96% Exchequer Bills: 1% d. I%d. 1,0001... .. .... 37 39 36 39 pm. 39 500(... .. .... 37 39 36 39 pm. 39 Ditto. Small .... 37 39 36 39 pm. 39 ONE CLOSING FOREIGN FUNDS. O'CLOCK. PRICES. Brazilian Bonds, 5 per Cent .. .. 83% 8234 82 1 ,4 Danish, 3 per Cent -. .. .. .. 89 89 Equador Bonds .. .. .. .. .. 338 Mexican Bonds, 1837, 5 per Cent .. 30% 31 301; 31N 31 Ditto, for the Account .. .. 31 1 ,1 Ditto, Deferred .. . .. .. 16 % 16% Peruvian Bonds, 6 per Cent . . .. .. 39% 39% Portuguese Four per Cents .. .. 59 Russian Bonds .. .. .. .. .. 113 I 1 I Dividends on the above payable in Landon. • Dutch Two-and-a-Half per Cent .. 59%%% 5934 PRICES OF BUSINESSCLOSING RAILWAY PAID. DONE AT SIIARES. ONE O'CLOCK. PRIC ES. Amber., Notting., Boston and Eastern Junction 2%.... Birmingham and Gloucester .. lOU .. 127 34 ex div 127% 'Oil Bristol and Exeter 70 - . 8113 i Ditto New .. 5 .... 12 .......... 12 Buckinghamshire .. 425. % p par.... par Caledonian .. .. 10 .... 13% 14 ...... 14 Ditto Half Shares .. . • 3 %%.. • • 3% Cambridge and Oxford - .......... Chester and Holyhead .. 20 .... 213 .......... 213,E Churnet and Blythe .. 2 .. .. 2 2 Cheltenham and Oxford .. .. 2 .... .......... 238 Cork and Waterford .. 1 36 .... 1% .......... t3e Direct Manchester (Remington's), 1 2% - .......... 1% Direct Manchester (Rastrick's) .. Direct Northern .. • • • • 21 • • 21 .4 %%•• • • • • 2 % Dublin and Galway .. 4 .... 41% .......... 4 % Eastern Counties .. .. 141. las. .... 21% 21•% Ditto New .. 8/. 16s. .... 7% 7p • • .... 75a i Do. Perpet., 5 per Cent. No. 1.61 13s. 44. - .......... - Ditto, ditto, .. .. No. 2. 6/. 13s. 4d. 34% p...... %1 , Ditto, York Extension 10s. 1% ........ Eastern Union .. .. 25 .... ........ ~ -- Do. Extension to Norwich .. 2%.... 3% .......... 3% East Lincolnshire - .. • • 2% Edinburgh and Glasgow .. .. - Ditto New % Shares.. .. .. 10 .... 16 Goole, Doneast., and tilieftield, &c. 42a.....134 1 p. 1 p Gt. Grimsby, Louth, Horn., &c... 425. - .......... 1 dls. Great North of England . 100 - ...• .. Great Western .. 85 ....150 ex div.. 145 x d Ditto, Half Shares .. .. 50 .... 85 82 ex div B2 x d Ditto, Quarter Shares .. .. 5 .... IS 173 .. l7 x d Ditto, Fifths .. .. 20 .... 3334 cx div. -3314 x d Guildford, Farehatn, & Portsmoth 5 .... 54% Hull and Selby .. .. 50 106 34 107.. 107 Ipswich, Norwich, and Yarmouth 2 .... 1 %%c • • Lancaster and Carlisle .. 35 .... - • • - Ditto, New .. 5 .... 10% . Leeds and Carlisle .. 2% - • • ..... •• • Leicester and Bedford . Leicester, Tamworth, &c. ...... 428. •• .. - ..........34 di , London an I Birmingham , Ditto Thirds .. .. 16 .... 50 ex div 5O x d Ditto Fifths .. .. 2 .... 23 .. • • ... 23 x d London and Birmingham Extens. - ••• • .. London sad Brighton .. .. 50 .... 65%% ex div 6536 xt' Ditto. Consol. Eighths: • • .. •• - ••••• • • • • 53 London and Croydon .. .. 13/. 159. 9d. 22% •••••••• • • 22 1 i Lond., Chelt., Oxf., Glouc., &c... .... • London and South-Western.. 41/. 6s. 10d. 78 79 . • Dttto, Consolidated Eighths .. 28 .... 4334 4339 London and York .. 2% .... 4 4 London, Salisbury, and Yeovil .. 234 - Londonderry and Enniskillen .. 5 .... Lynn and Dereham 5 - .. 434 Manchester and Leeds .. .. 82 .... ..... . - Ditto Extension 425. % p.. • 3% I Manchester and Birmingham .. 40 . Ditto, New Quarter Shares . • 2 .... 10 ..... Manchester, Buxton, & Matlock 425. p 134 i Manchester and Southampton .. 2 .... Midland .. ..100 - .... 150 Ditto, New .. .. 12 .... 28 ........ 28 Newcastle and Darlington Junct. 25 - • . Ditto, New .. 1 .... 1034 .. • . Ditto, New, Brandling .. 20 38 Newcastle and Berwick .. .. 10 .. 21% ••.. • • 21 Newark, Sheffield, and Boston .. 2%•.... 239. •• • North British .. 1736 .... 25 Ditto, Dalkeith 25 - - Ditto, ditto .. 5 .... G% .. 6% North Kent and Direct Dover • . .... 278 North Staffordshire 425. .... % 4 p• • 4 1 Norwich and Brandon .. 18 25% x d 25% xe Nortiimpton,Banbury,&Cholthin. 2 ...... 1% Datil., Worcester, & Wolverlimptn. 12% .... 15 ...... 15 Perth and Inverness 2%.... 2 134 Scottish Central .. 7 34 16 15% Shrewsbury and Birmingham .. 2%.... . South Midland - 425. p.. • South Eastern and Dover 3318 .... 38% 38 Ditto, New (iss. at 3214 No. 1. 1G .... 19 Do., New (do. 301.) .. No. 3. 10 ~.. 1038 11% Do., New (do. 151.) .. No. 4. 234.... 334% 3% South Wales .. 5 .. 53, % 5 Trent Valley 5 .. • . 25% 25% Trent Valley and Holyhead June. 2% - . 1% Vale of Neath 2 - .......... 3 Welsh Midland 2% .... 1% 1% York and North Midland 0 - .......... - Ditto, Extension .. 15 .... 3234 33 ...... 33 Do. E. and W. Riding Exten... 1 .... 10 .......... 10 FOREIGN RAILWAYS. Boulogne and Amiens .. .. 10 .... 11 1134 Bord., 'foul., &Cel te (Mackenzie) 2 .... 254 .......... 2 1 ,{ Ditto, ditto (Espelete) .. 2 .... 234 i 9 Dutch Rhenish .. 5 „... 7 East Indian . 55. - •• .. • • 1 Grt. North. of France Constituted 5 .... 15%.......... 15i ' • • Louvain and Jemeppe .. 4 .. . - .. Luxembourg 4 .... 2% , Orleans anti Bordeaux .. 6 .... 11% .......... 113 Paris and Orleans .. .. 20 .... 50 1 .......... 503, Paris and Rouen .. 20 .... 40 1 34 .......... 4.0 Sambre and Meuse .. .... 5% 14 . , 534 West Flanders .. 4 .... 5 .. JOINT-STOCK BANKS. National of Ireland 2214 - ..... 18 MINES. Real del Monte, Unregistered - .... 4 Brit isleron .. • • • . .. 10 .... 22:0 22 ad , United Mexican .. 28/. 2s. 8% d.. 434x.1 4% xd RAI LW AY COMMITTEES. (THIS DAY) Sub-Committee, No. 2. This Committee met to-day shortly after twelve o'clock. There were present—Sir J. Y. Buller (Chairman), Mr. Bramsim, Mr. Walker, Mr. Elliot Yorke, Mr. Gibson Craig, and Mr. Keinb'e. COVENTRY, NUNEATON, BIRMINGHAM, AND J.ZICESTEB• The healing of the petitions against this Bill was resumed. Mr. Coates represented the promoters, and Mr. Thomas appeared on behalf of the petitioner, Mr. Charles Banbury. The first allegation was, that there was an inaccuracy in the datum line in the second furlong of the first mile. Ranford examined—The length of the datum line was eighty eight chains, and the inclination was one in 299. The Committee considered that in this case the standing orders were complied with. There was another allegation to the same effes!t, avhich was ad mitted by the agent for the promoters. The next allegation was, that the plan deposited in the Plivate Bill-office was not the same as that deposited in the office of the clerk of the peace in Warwick. This allegation was admitted likewise. tpaek.3trettri::e. petitioning n g The next allegation was, that the book of reference deposited in the Private Bill-office did not contain the names of the owners in sections 41, 45, and 46 A, in the parish of 1 , 0181)111. The Committee considered the allegation sustained. It was also alleged that notice had not been served on the owners of the property in the sections serval. Other evidence to the same effect was given. Thomas Harris was examined, and proved that he had not been The Committee were of opinion that the standing orders had not been complied with in some of the cases adduced. One of the petitioners had revoked his consent to the petition, and a document was read by Mr. Coates which was dated the frith inst. Mr. CO/£8 contended that the case in question was analogous to that decided in NI r. , Strutt's Committee. sHoO:Afiniertol:::::::::::tehreecvoco:itntee d pro duceddecided d coul dthat anpoatr party Was entitled to revoke his consent. e t r h e ir a d ha fu nd i ze g ct. S u ev w er a a a l a o l t l h o t g , r e d e 1 that hga t o l I n I g the w of the seventeenth mile the embankment was not marked. The Committee found that the standing orders had net b een plied with In this case. corn- There were similar allegations with respect to the sixth furlong of the nineteenth mile, and the second furlong of the twelty-secotd tittle, which were net sustained. It was also alleged that the extreme depth of eult*.nts, In dif ferent points was not marked, which wet abandoneii, a; well c a several (Aber similar allegatious. There was another petition from George Wheeler, alleging that so much of the plans and book of reference, as related to the parish of Aston-Plaubil, had not been deposited with the parish clerk. 31r. J. PARKES supported the petition. The parish clerk was called, and proved that the plans, &e., were deposited, but not till January last. The allegation was not sustained, as well as several others of the same nature. _ _ _ . _ The Committee found that the standing orders had not been com plied with by the Company. Engineer, Mr. Addison ; Parliamentary agents, Messrs. Dyson and Co. ; solicitors, Messrs. Bridges and Mason. LEEDS AND YORK. There were three petitions against this 11111, in support of which no one appeared. The formal evidence was then gone through, from which it ap peared that the estimate was 585,000/. The Committee found that the standing orders had been complied with the exception of the certificate of registration. The Committee adjourned shortly after four o'clock till twelve o'clock on Friday. Sub-Committee, No. 3. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition.) LIVERPOOL AND PRESTON, AND WEAN CHMSTER AND SOUTHPORT. The petitioners in this case sought for power to make a railway commencing at a point on the Liverpool and Bury Railway, near Liverpool, to the North Union Railway, near Preston, also another railway from Southport to Manchester, with various branches. The total estimated cost was 1,600,0001, The CHAIRMAN stated that iu this, as in the case of another rail way (the Waveney Valley and Great Yarmouth), alternate sections had been deposited, which caused great uncertainty and confusion to the persons who would be affected by the mil. In the present Case the irregularity complainoi of sous to the plans and sections of one of the proposed branches. The Committee also Wok an objection to the non-service Of a notice within the proper time. The omission had been caused in consequence of the notice being sent to Newcastle-on -Tyne, wheras the party, for whym it was intended, was residing at New , - castla- under-Lyrae. . _ - In both these cases the Chairman dezidcd that the standing or&rs had not been comgded with. SHREWSBURY, OSWESTRy, AND elms TER JUNCTION. The object sought by the promoter: of this Bill was the power to construct a railway from Wemm to Crick-heath. The estimated cost was 208,0001. Standing orders complied with. sH . RE T, Jrsigt rivir, osvrEsTity, AND CHESTER XUNCTION EXTENSIONS AND DEWS.- This case was precisely the Caine as the former one, with the ex ceptien of the extension and devi,,tion. , Standing orders complied with. EAST LOTHIAN CENTRAL AND TYNE VALLEY. In consequence of an 01111Ficn in the number of ihrlongs In one of the plans, The Committee decided that the standing orders were not com plied with. The Committee then adjourned, at five o'clock, till Friday next at the usual hour. Sub-Committee No. 6 This Committee re-assemblekl at twelve o'clock. Present, Captain Jones (in the chair), Mr. Forbes, Mr. Hope Johnstone, and Mr. Acland. GLASGOW, PAISLEY, A? 33 GEMENOCIC, (POLLOC AND GOVAN niutionnas). The object of this line is to construct a railway, forming a junction between the Paisley Railway and the Polloc and Govan branches, its length is very short, being no more than three furlongs. The estimate cost is 15,000/., and the amount subscribed 11,250/. The engineers are Messrs. Locke and Errington ; the Parliamentary agent, G. If. Lang, Esq. ; and the solicitor, John Turner, Esq. The standing orders were declared to have been complied with. SCOTTISH RIIDL.S.ND 3v CTION RAIL- WAY (RANCHES. The object of this Bill is the construction of various branch rail ways from the above -named line, near Kerrimuir, to Dunkeld ; length about ten miles. From the main line near Co par Angus to Blairgowrie—length five miles; and from the main line near Forfar to Kerrimuir—length three miles. Total length,jlB miles. Estimated cost, 2_0,00Q1. Amount sut scribed, 210,0001. Engineers, Joseph Locke and .1. E. Errington, Esqs. ; parliamentary agent,' Mr. G. H. Lang; solicitors, Messrs. C. and J. Kerr, Dundee. Standing orders complied with. GLASGOW, ILILMARNOCIC., AND AR DROSSAN. ----- The route of this railway is from the Glasgow and Barrhead Rail way, near Nellston, to the Kilmarnock, Ardrossan, and Irvine Rail way. The length of the main line and its branches is thirty-one miles, the estimated cost 540,0001., and the amount subscribed 700,000/. Engineer, Neil Robson, Esq. ; Parliamentary agent, J. 11. Laug, Esq.; and the solicitors, Messrs. Campbell and Tennents, (llnsgow. Standing orders were declared to be complied with. SCO f TISTI TVIIDMAND 3-UNCTION (SOUT XNCII op pniera gRANCH). The route of this line is from the Scottish Midland Junction Rail way to the general torminus on the south side of Perth. The length is about half a mile. The cost was included in the estimated cost of the old line. Parliamentary agent, J. H. Lang, Esq. ; engineers, Messrs. Locke and Errington ; solicitors, Messrs. C. and J. Kerr. The standing orders were declared to he complied with. LYNN AND ELY, AND ELY AND MIN TZ s 'r Gil ON, AND LYNN AND DEREN aid AT. AI GAP/lA=O N. • Mr. ELLICOMBE, the Parliamentary Agent, stated these Compa nies nad not agreed to amalgamate by the time that notice should have been given of the Bill. _ . The standing orders were, therefore, declared net to be co►n plied with. MAN CHESTER AND LEEDS EXTENSION. The object of this Bill is the extension of stations and branches to Middleton and Bacup ; and also the formation of two coal lines. otal length, seventeen miles, estimated cost 400,0001. Amount subscribed, 300,0001. Engineer, John Ilawkshaw, Esq. ; Parlia mextary agents, Messrs. Ellicumbe and Co. ; solicitors, Messrs. Dar bishire anti Lewis, Manchester. An objection was raised that the datum line on one of the coal lines was not written, but drawn, and referred to a fixed poinf by figures. _ . The Committee decided that they would report that the standing orders had been complied with, except as regarded the above objection. GLASGOW, PAISLEY, AND GREENOCK (HAVLSOUIL I3IZANCII). The route of this line is from Greenock to the river Clyde, east parish of Greenock. Its length is one furlong, and the estimated cost 15,0000/., which includes the construction of a pier. Amount sub , scribed, 18,0751. Engineers, Messrs. Locke and Erringtoit, Paisley agent, J. H. Lang, Esq. ; solicitor, James Turner, Esq. Standing orders 'complied with. The Committee then adjourned until to-morrow (Thursday) at twelve o'clock. Committee-Room No. 12. EILLAUNEIr JUNCTION. The Committee on this line assembled at twelve o'clock. The Members present were Mr. Home Drummond (Chairman), Mr. Compton, and Mr. d. O'Connell. Messrs. Burke and Kemp, Parliamentary agents, appeared on be nalj of this line, and Mr. Murrell, engineer, opposed it. Before the petition was read, the agents for the line contended that, in compliance with the standing order, the petition could not be eceived, inasmuch as that order made it necessary that the party pe- Itionin; should be a party interested In the line, and that Mr. Murtell was not interested, he being merely the engineer to a competing line, Mr. Murrell's agent contended he had a right to be heard on the ~rounds that the public ought to know the bona fides of the line. The Committee, after a short consultation, postponed their decision nail twelve o'clock to-morrow. We ascertained that the chief objection set forth in the petition is, :hat in proving the service of notices, widows were not so de s i gna t e d. L engineer iittZß iC ENNIS, AND IZILL ALOM. The to line proved that there was no tunnelling or viaducts necessary; and Messrs. Murphy and Gaffers, solicitors, droved compliance with the necessary regulations. A petition against the line was withdrawn, and The Committee declared that the standing orders were complied with. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Tuesday, Feb. 17. The SPEAKER took the Chair at a few minutes before Four. RAILWAY BUSINESS, The York and Carlisle Railway and the Syston and Peter borough Junction Railway Bills were read a first time. Mr. MUNTZ presented two petitions to withdraw a petition against the Macelesfield and Lichfield Railway on th e stan di ng orders. B; Grand Leeds, Grand Ju nc ti on the following Railway. Bills were r ea d a second time, and ordered to be committed, viz. : —New castle a n d D ar li ngton June tßi oayntdooMatilotdonAßsriaonnc,heaso)d R o a t i h l w er a Dewsbury, and Manchester Railway Deviations and Branches; North Union Railway; Newcastle and Berwick Railway; Lancaster and Carlisle Railway (Extension to Caledonian Rail way); and Lancaster and Preston Junction Railways Amalga mation, THE MILITIA. Mt o ofr T r petition aga i nst the calling e th s eß p( ll : - 7.tt iL i li i A o tiW an.sNagY presented a against this measure W ere a l so presented. CORN-LAWS. Lord 110T1 - 1.4 NI presented three petitions from places in the West Riding of Yorkshire, praying that the protection extended .0 agriculture should not be withdrawn. the Ministry inimediate with respect to repeal of the Mr. THORNE LY presented a petition, si gne d b y 3,745 of he inhabitants of Cheshire, expressing their appro b at i on of the foreignoeasu byprerpordoupcoes,edand i ajfeOrtY' her praying A corn-laws. PEACE BETWEEN NATIONS. Sir JOHN EASTHOPE presented a petition from the members Of a Peace Society at Leicester, praying that all dis otes with foreign nations should (instead of appealing to arms) ae referred to arbitration. CORN-LAWS. Mr. PHILPOTTS presented a petition from Gloucester , n favour of the Ministerial measure, but expressing their regret that the abolition of protection should not be immediate. CALLING OUT THE MILITIA. An HON. MEst sea presented a petition praying the House not to sanction the calling out of the militia. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented petitions against the en• -xl.ing of the militia—one from Norwich signed by 1,600 persons ; one from a place in Yorkshire sinned by 2,000; and niters from Hamilton, Berwick, and other places. THE TEN HOURS' BILL. The Hex. MEMBER presented a petition in favour of the Ten Hours' Bill. METROPOLITAN DISTRICT ASYLUMS. The HON. MIC-1111Eft also presented a petition from the guar- Mans of St. Luke's, Chelsea, against the Metropolitan District Asylums Bill. They clmplained that by a late order of the Poor-law Commissioners they were dependent on seven other arge parishes. The petition stated that there was already in he parish sufficient accommodation for the casual poor. They tad made a representation to the Poor-law Commissioners, and they had also memorialised the Home-office, but they had had to satisfaction. He moved that the petition be referred to the Committee on Metropolitan District Asylums.—Agreed to. Mr. HUME presented a petition from the shipowners of Wells, in Norfolk, praying that the Government would make some provision for the improvement of the harbour. The pe ition was most numerously and respectably signed. THE MILITIA. Mr. HUME presented a petition from the women of Northamptonshire, praying that the militia should not be called out. CORN-LAWS. The HON. MEMBER also presented six petitions from different parishes in Fortarshire praying for the immediate repeal of the present corn-laws. Mr. PL VMPTRE presented a petition from a parish in Kent, in favour of protection to agriculture. Lard MORPETH presented petitions from the West Riding Yorkshire, in favour of a total repeal of the corn-laws ; ,lso petitions against the re• organization of the militia; aid also in_favour of the Ten Hours' Factory Bill. SOAP. Mr. H UTT postponed his motion with respect to the opera tion of the Excise Laws on the manufacture of soap in this country for a fortnight. POOR-LAWS. Mr. WODEHOUSE gave n otice that, on Thursday next, he should put a question to the First Lord of the Treasury with respect to the intentions of the Government as to the poor.law. VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. Mr. EWART postponed, for a fortnight, his motion with re respect to a mlishing the banishment of convicts to Van Die men's Land, and the abrogation of transportation as a punish ment, except only as a supplement to the previous punishment of imprisonment. CASTLEREAGH WORKHOUSE. The O'CONOR DON wished to ask the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with respect to the refusal of the guardians to open this work house for the relief of the poor, whether he was aware that they had come to a resolution, which was carried by a majority of ten to e i ght, to open the workhouse. ten to-eight to open the workhouse. Sir JAMES GRAHAM said he underitood that the guar. dians had refused to open the workhouse, but he was not aware that they had come to a resolution to alter their determina tion. He should have no objection to lay on the table the papers with re pest to the subject. FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. Mr. T. S. DUNCOMBE, in rising to bring in a Bill to amend the laws relating to friendly societies, said that differences of opinion had arisen with respect .to the provisions of the Act now in operation. The Act to which he referred was the 10th of Geo. IV., c. 55, which consolidated certain Acts relating to various societies which had been established for benevolent purposes. '1 his law was amended by the /Vet of William IV., c. 40, which extended the objects of friendly societies. Very recently a case had arisen with respect to the South Shields Investment Friendly Society, whose rules were certified by Mr. Tidd Pratt. A dis pute ensued between the parties, and an action was brought. The case was referred to the Court of Queen's Bench, and Mr. Justice Wightman decided that the society in question did not come under the provisions of the Benefit Societies' Act. If this opinion was held to be correct, he believed that two thirds of the friendly societies 'in the kingdom would be illegal. He felt satisfied of this, and it was for the purpose of settling the doubtful point that he wished to introduce the present Bill. The amendments he in tended had received the sanction of all parties in the country interested in friendly societies, and had been submitted to Mr. Tidd Pratt, by whom they had been approved. With these observations he begged leave to bring in a Bill for the amendment of the law relating to friendly societies. Leave was then given to bring in the Bill, which was read a first time, and the second reading was fixed for Wednesday week. NAVIGABLE RIVERS AND CANALS. Mr. HUME rose to propose that all Bills for the improve ment or formation of canals and works of every kind should be referred to the Board of Admiralty, and also for copies of all reports and correspondence respecting the loss of the emigrant ship Catarique, in Bass's Straits, in August last, having 423 emigrants on board ; also for a copy of the report of the officer at Liverpool on the state of that vessel previous to her sailing. It was not his wish to attach blame to any persons, but it was to be recollected that out of the whole 423 persons on board, nine only were saved. He was anxious to know with whom the blame rested, whether the ship was regularly built, and whether she had proper charts on board. The copies were ordered to be laid on the table. Mr. HUME moved for a copy or extract of any instructions from the Foreign-office, for the guidance of any agents de puted to inquire into the state of commercial negotiations with the Zollverein at Munich, in 1836; also copies or extracts of any letters or reports from them to the Board of Trade, or any department of this Government, respecting the conferences of any such agents or other public functionaries with the Com missioners of the Zullyerein for the facilitation of commerce between Great Britain and Germany : -4greed to. STATE OF IRELAND. Mr. O'CONNELL, in pursuance of notice, rose to briug under the attention of the House the state of famine and disease in Ireland, but. his opening observations were delivered in such a low tone of voice that they were totally inaudible in the gallery. He was understood, however, to say, that on the 3d of February he gave notice of his intention to move for a Committee of the whole House to take into consideration the state of famine and disease in Ireland, wish a view to some means being devised for tl e relief of the suffering people of that country. That was the motion which he intended now to move. The importance of the subject he was sure was fully admitted by all whom he was then address ing, and in making such a motion he disclaimed being actuated by any party motive, anti in return he fully expected that he would be met by no party opposition.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) He trusted that the House would enter fairly into the consideration of this question. he House would have heard already that there was a most calamitous prospect for the people of Ireland. The extent of the calamity was not accu rately known in this country. He did not entertain any hope that the bringing of his motion before the House would have the effect of avoiding the present famine in Ireland, but before he sat down he hoped to be able at least to show that the ca lamity was far more awful ansi extensive than the House was aware. In order, however, to explain the frightful extent of this calamity, it would be necessary to explsin the previous state of Ireland. The calamity, it would be seen by the docu ments which he intended bringing before the House, would show that that calamity was not the result of the negligence of the Irish people, or the sterility of their soil. It was not even occasioned by a deficient harvest; it was the dispensation of Providence, which no man could control, and the charitable and the humane were, there fore, called upon to relieve a people placed in such an unfor tunate position ; they were certainly bound to mitigate the calamity as much as possible. The tural population of Ireland, instead of increasing, as in all other countries, were fast fading and wasting away. It had been reported in this country that the people of Ireland were on the verge of famine. That report was riot precisely true, because it did not go far enough. The agricultural population of Ireland were at the present moment in an actual state of starvation. He proposed to prove the truth of hi , assertions by quoting from indisputable documents. He (Mr. O'Connell) asserted, and he could bear out his asser tion by referring to authorities of the most unquestionable character, that the misery of the people of Ireland was in creasing. He held in his hand a return of the amount of population in Ireland in the years 1821, 1831, and 1841 ; 'and he found the matter placed beyond a doubt. The population between the years 1821 and 1831 increased by near a million, but between the years 1831 and 1841 it increased by only 437,950 individuals, or less by half than in the previous ten years. That could not be accounted for by the emigration reports; but the House had the fact staring them in the face, that in the course of ten years the population of the country went back by nearly half a million ; fur in 1841 there was half a million less of human beings in Ireland than there should be, and nothing but the distress of the country could account for it.—( Hear, hear.) The next document to which he begged to refer was a report of the Irish Poor-law Com missioners, ordered by the House, and published in 1835, in which they declared that 1,300,000 of the people of Ireland were in a constant state of destitution, and that for several weeks in the year they were compelled to subsist on the charity of their neighbours.—( Hear, hear. ) The next fact given by the same return is, that the civil population are to the amount of 36 per cent. living in single rooms, and in some instances, two or more families live in the same room. The most important of all reports that have been furnished is the one furnished by Lord Doven's Commission. That Commission was formed of 400 gentlemen of rank and experience, and, perhaps, a better corps never issued from the hands of Government. He would wish to implore the atten tion of the House to the facts which they related. They re ported from evidence given to them, and from their own obser vations, and they were better able to make those observations, as they were all landed proprietors. They state that the agri cultural population of Ireland suffered great privatious and hardships. They were badly fed, badly clothed, badly housed, and badly paid for their labour. It was impossible to describe their suffering's—their only food was the potato, their only drink was water, and they had hardly a protection against the weather. The .larger portion of the people came under the denomination of a griculturists, and they had to endure more privation than the labourers in any ether country its Europe. Let the House remembt r that the men who made that report were not demagogues. They were men distinctly and emphatically be yond the possibility of deceit or of being deceived as to the condition of the agricultural labourer. By the last census the population was returned as 7,000,000, and 5,000,000 of them were described as labourers. He was glad to be able to ac quaint the House with the details of this report, made forty-five years after the union of Ireland with England—the richest and the most industrious country on the face of the earth—and this report was made by persons most competent to the task. They proved that the labourers of Ireland were badly clothed, housed, and fed. Their houses were pervious to the rain, their only food was the potato, and their only drink was water. They suffered more than any nation on the face of Europe, and he would appeal to every gentleman whether that report did not show a great amount of suffering ? Let them remember that they did not at that time govern themselves—they had no Irish Parliament. They had been forty-five years in their hands, and they were responsible for the state of Ireland. Let it be remembered that this was not the year 1844 or 1845, when the harvest was abundant. The statement made by the Commis sion was at a period of distress. He would refer to one of the re • ports of the Commission under Lord Devon. The report stated that through the disease of the potato the people had been brought to a state of great suffering, and that they .had exhibited the greatest patience. The re port said that the state of the people was not brought on by themselves. Ile trusted, then, that this statement would be attended to. The report further said, that any improvement which had taken place in the condition of the people was not to be attributed to any ad ditional demand for labour, but to the blessings of the tem• perance movement in that cuuntry. The people then in that country were suffering greatly, and something should be done to alleviate that distress. The labourers were only able to have po tatoes—petatoes was their only food, and water their only drink. All this ha.s, however, failed them— the potato, at least, their most important —ind, ed, their only means of subsistence—had failed them. A winter was now set in ; many of the people had not firing, nor even a blanket to cover them. He had other documents, which were Parliamentary docu ments; and lie would quote them to prove, that the wretched condition of the people had not been over-rated. The sum of the statistical details of the report, which he held in his hand, then was, that there had been imported from Ireland in the year 1845 as much as 2,145,703 quarters of wheat, barley, and oats, and as much as 2,184,064 cwts. of oatmeal and flour; showing that the crops in Ireland during the previous year had been both abundant and valuable. It was evident, therefore, 1 that the inhabitants of Ireland, if they could have retained the I provisions which they themselves had produced, would have had sufficient supply for all their wants. But in addition to this, there had been an importation of cattle in the same year to the number of 2,853, if sheep 2,776, and of swine 104,141. These numbers showed a singular anomaly between the state of Ireland and the produce which it bore for the sus tenance of its inhabitants; when a country so blessed by Pro vidence, and so cursed by man, presented such a contradiction, he really; thought it presented a paradox which loudly called for inquiry. Others might account for it if they could; but he thought it was requisite that some measure should be immediately taken to ascertain the cause. He would only observe that the mildest features of want in Ireland were equal to the worst famine of other countries. It vas necessary to state these facts with regard to Ireland in order to chew the formidable nature of the evil with which the country was threatened, and he thought it was unnecessary to make any further comments to bring it under the notice of Government. Some of the Ministry were acquainted with the facts which he had detailed, but he had felt it his duty to bring the case of Ireland as near as possible before the House, and he hoped, therefore, he should be excused for any prolixity which he might have evinced in making these statements respecting Ireland. All these docu ments showed that one-half of the potato crop was re - ported to have , been destroyed so long ago as November last—( Hear, hear)— and it was not to be denied that more authentic documents could be laid upon the table These documents showed that the disease had deprived fami lies of their food. They presented additional evidence to that furnished by the Right Hon. Baronet (Sir Robert Peel) last night, and showed the unmitigating misery and poverty which existed in Ireland at the precept moment. A Committee was appointed last year to inquire into the state of the disease in the potato crop. They sat at the Mansion House, Dublin, and issued 983 letters to various parties throughout Ireland, requesting information as to the failure of the potato crop, and the consequent condition of the people. The replies which they received from clergymen of the Established Church, from Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, and poor-law guardians, showed that the potato disease was almost universal throughout Ireland, and that the people were undergoing the most unmi tigated sufferings. The Hon. Gentleman then referred to other documents, but owing to the low tone in which he spoke, their purport could not be heard in the gallery. The Hon. Gentleman next referred to a document which he held in his hand, from a county in the south of Ireland, the name of which we did not learn,from the low tone in which he spoke. It con tained the attestations of clergymen belonging to the Established Church, and the mi n i s t ers o f t h e various Roman Catholic and Dissenting congregations, showing the great prevalence of the . potato disease. He had in his possession the Government returns obtained from every part of Ireland, detailing the state of the disease. He would have felt hardly justified in bringing I them before the House, had it not been that some of the leading journals here had during the last ten days denied that the evil in the north of Ireland was so great as represented, or that there was any danger of an insufficiency of food. He did not accuse them of acting from party motives, but he i believed they were acting under a delusion, and were deluding others.— (Hear.) The evil was not confined to one locality or 1 part of the country, but was spread throughout the land. Everywhere the cry was of the coming famine. A letter in his hand showed that in Tralee the labourers were only receiving 2.1 d. per day, and the tradesmen, were paid even less; and here the potato disease prevailed to a great extent. The llon. Gentleman here read an extract from the letter in support of this statement, and to the effect that as a result fever prevailed, and was geatly on the increase both there and at Killarney. Leaving these, he would go to Londonderry, in the north of Ireland. Ile had before him a report of the Derry Agricul tural Society, from which he would read an extract. The Honourable Gentleman here quoted a passage, showing that the evil of the potato disease existed in a very aggravated form throughout the north of Ireland. He would next produce a return from Castletownroach, in the county of Cork. The respected clergyman of that parish states that the disease is progressing. The next returns he would produce were from Down, Armagh, Antrim, and Monaghan, where the disease was unchecked, although every method was adopted that was suggested for their preservation. In Donouglinnire the poverty was increasing with the disease, and want, of emplotment would add more to the impending ruin. From the documents he had received from the county of Clare and Galway, he found that famine and dis ease were no less prevalent in those places than in the other parts of Leland he had already mentioned. He wished to he understood that whenever there was a scarcity of provisions in Ireland, it was accompanied by disease, princi pally typhus fever ; and that disease continued, no matter what might he the season or the temperature of the air—it was not affected by tee atmosphere. It always ceased when provisions became abundant. The House was now aware cf the cause, and it had in its bands the cure of the evil—via., the Froduc tien of a suflleiency of food to the people of Ireland. The dis ease always ceased the moment an abundant harvest arrived. In the year 1734, the summer was cold and wet accompanied by a scarcity of provisions. The summer of the next year,3s, was also cold and wet, and provisions were not more plentiful than they had been in thelsreeeeding year. 1736 wag an extremely hot summer. In 34 the disease was prevalent, it continued through 35. In 36. when provisions began to be more plentiful, it be gan to abate ; and in 1737, when Providence blessed the country with a most abundant harvest, the disease disappeared alto gether. During the years of scarcity the disease was always most prevalent, and in times of plenty it disappeared totally. In the year 1740 the spring was dry and cold—the autumn and winter were frosty—a great dearth of provision occurred which towards the latter end of the year increased almost to a famine. In that year 80,000 persons perished from this disease. The Honourable and Learned Member then went on to compare from the report the state of society with the state of the tillage and consequent want in the years 1798, 1800, 1801, 1817, 1841, 1811, and 1843 with the experience of 1793. This, he said, sufficiently showed the con nexion between want and misery, starvation and disease ; and these facts showed that the connexion was the same in 1843 and 1845 as it was in 1793. the year of national excite— ment, and in 1798, the year of the great rebellion. 'This was the cause of the deaths of the 80,060 individual., of whom he had previously spoken. He had shown the House that there was no peasantry so badly off as the peasantry of Ireland. He had shown them that there were nearly five millions of the peasantry of that country me the point of starvation. lie had shown the House all this from the report of Lord Devon's Commission, and it was the duty of the House to propose some thing to alleviate the distress. Let him tell them what he pro posed. He proposed that the House should join him in the most strenuous application of some remedy for those evils. He was there to show that Ireland had all the resources in their own power. He proposed that House should take from the landlords of that country means of remedying the evils. That they should tax the absentee landlords of that country 30 or 40 per cent., and the resident landlords who did their duty to their country, a comparatively smaller one of 10 per cent. 'That would snake a fund, which would assist the people of that country in a very material degree, and re move much of the distress which affected her. The poor;laws t of Ireland were not adequate to the present state of the coun try. The poor-law unions would make very good hospitals in cases of sickness, and there was no doubt that there would be many claims upon them rising out of the present distressed state of the people. The lanes in Dublin are full of fever. Fever is abroad over the whole land. It had pleased Provi dence to inflict a great calamity. It was the business of that House to abate it as soon and as well as they could. There were the railroads. Why should they not take some strong measure with respect to railroads ?—( Hear, hear.) He hoped to see the railways placed in the kends of the Govern ment. lie hoped to see a Board au horised by Govsrnment to see what railways were most fitted to give employment in Ireland ; and he trusted that the House would sanction any motion for that purpose. Famine was coming on—fever was corning on—and this House should place in the hands of the Government power to meet the evil. If they had that autho rity they would know svhat railroads were required for Leland, so as to give the most extensive employment to the people. The decisions of such a board he believed would be received with more attention than the decisions of the House itself, for it was a general impression, and he coincided in the opinion, that there was no worse tribunal to decide on the merits of those lines than the Committees originated by the House. He had ate ended one of the Committees himself, and he really slid not know very well how he was voting.— ( Laughter.) He thought that if 100,000/. were subscribed for a railway, the Government ought to advance 100,000/. more ; thus eeabling the capitalist in Ireland to meet his monthly payments. This money might be lent at the rate of perhaps 1 per cent., which might be increased to 4, as in the circum stances they might think fit. This suggestion was merely thrown out for the consideration of the House, for his plan was yet undgested. It might he said that the measures now before the House would be sufficisnt to alleviate the distress in Ire land. Great evils, however, they knew required great reme dies. He now spoke, not from party views, but from the very depth of his conscience. Death had already followed—further death would follow the neglect of the House. The Hon. Member then concluded by moving the motion of which he had given notice. Sir JAMES GRAHAM—I am sure that I express the general sentiments of the House, whets I assure the Hon. and Leareed Gentieman who has brought forward this subject, that he is entitled to the respect and attention of every Member of this House ; for it is not to be dissembled that the state of Ireland, at the present moment, does deserve the serious at tention of Parliament. I agree with the Hon. and Learned Gentleman, that the importance of this subject can hardly be overrated. I also agree with the Hon. and Learned Gentle man in the persuasion, which he expressed at the commence ment of his speech, that whatever diversity of opinion may , exist in various gnarters of this House upon various topics, the subject now under discussion is one which will receive from sI an parties the most patient and anxious consideration. It is my painful duty to state, that having taken the utmost pains to inform myselt sccurately on the facts of this case, I cannot state that in any important particular the Hon. and Learned Gentleman has exaggerated them. What arc the striking facts? He has stated to us that a very large proportion of ' the potato crop of Ireland for the present year has failed. Before we consider the effect of that statement, it is necessary to remember how very large a proportion of the population of ' Ireland is dependent upon the potato, which is almost exclu sively their daily food. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman has estimated that! seven-eighths of the whole population are dependent upon the potato. 1 should perhaps place it at some ; thing lower, but clearly, I believe it is admitted on all hands, that at least one-half are so dependent. Now consider this matter. One-half of the whole population of Ireland are de ' pendent for their daily food upon the potato, which by a visita tion of Providence is this year a signal failure. It is very diffi cult to ascertain by any computation which we can make the exact proportion or extent of that failure. Professor Playfair and Mr. Lindley estimated the boas at an early period of the year at half the entire crop. Admitting, for one moment, that there is some exaggeration in that estimate, I will now state to the House what is the result; of the most accurate inquiries which the Government, with all their appliances, have been enabled to make. They had instituted aCommission, at the head of which they placed Mr. Lucas, Under Secretary of Ireland ; Colonel Jones and Mr. M‘Gregor, who was at the head of the Irish Consta bulary ; the Poor-law Commissioner, Mr. 'Taylor, and Proles ' Kane ; and she result of the inquiry had been stated to the House last night by the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Government, in some of its most striking features. Reports were read from the different electoral districts of Ireland, the larger number of which, so far from proving that the report of Professor Playfair and Mr. Lindley had been exaggerated, showed, on the contrary, that the evil was not sufficiently told. In ordinary years the great majority of the people of Ireland are compelled to subsist for a period of six weeks upon more expensive articles of food than potatoes, in consequence of the crop of the preceding year not keeping until the crop of the ensuing year was ready for food. 'To show the present condi tion and prospects of Ireland, let us suppose that the danger be less than rue-half- I will take one-fourth. Suppose then the failure of the potato crop this year be equal to ene-fourth of an average crop. You have then, in addition to the six weeks' scarcity of other years, to add one-fourth part of lq months, that the population will be without their general sub sistence. By this calculation it appears that for four months the people of Ireland must be fed upon food of a higher and more expensive class. A more difficult and alarming case could hardly be brought under the consideration of Parlia ment. It is not only the imperative duty of the Government, but there is also a natursl impulse in the breasts of Hen. Members of this House, under such circumstances as these, which calls forth their sympathy, and urges upon them the ne cessity of adopting some speedy measures to remedy this evil. The information to which 1 have alluded does not extend to a later period than the Bth of January. Further statements have been made since that date, which prove that the disease, so far from being arrested, is still progressing ; that the pota toes are decaying, and that there is a great and increasing dan ger of want, unless some precaution be used to present this evil These further statements also went to prove that, in consequence of the disease, the seed could not be preserved for the ensuing year. The effect of such a state of things I can not and dare not contemplate without feelings of the greatest distress. He must also state that, from the accounts which had arrived respecting the state of the country, 190 Isbouress had recently come before a board of guardians complaining that they had no employment, that no wages were offered to them, and that they were suffering under extreme destitu; lose He thought that that was a sight which was enough to excite the pity of all who witnessed it. The Hon. and Learned Gentle mats (Mr. O'Connell) had seated the facts to which he had called the attention of the House with considerable accuracy. Ile( Sir James Graham) considered that the redundancy of the population was, to a certain extent, the cause of a great Portion of the evils under which that country laboured. He considered this also the more strange, as the principal towns of England and Scotland took ff a great deal of that redundancy. In Manchester, Glasgow, and Liverpool, immense numbers of the Irish were very laudably exercis ing their industry. The Right Hun. Gentleman proceeded to say, s• The Hon. Gentleman (Mr. O'C onne ll), I thi n k , a l so observed that the imports into England were increasing." I think I have now glanced at the principal points in reference to this subject ; I now, therefore, wish to put the House in possession of the steps which the Government had thought fit to take to meet the present emergency. I think it necessary to state to the House what has already been done, short as the session has been, to meet the emergencies of the present moment. There has already been given for the Public Works' Bill 50.000/., there is a grant of 50,0001. in the Drainage Bill, and it is the intention of her Majesty's Government to insert a clause in that bill for the purpose of improving the inland navigation of Ire land, by joining the northern locks of the Shannon with the southern ; the whole amount of money proposed to be advanced for the carrying out of public works in Ireland, amounted to 46s1,000!. He wished to call to the recollection of the House the fact, that in the last session of Parliament railway bills were passed authorising an outlay of capital of nine millions. In this country it was generally assumed that the whole outlay re quired for the construction of a railway, would extend over a period of three years. The case, however, was different with regard to Ireland, as the railways in that country required a longer time to construct. At any rate, he could not divest himself of the fact, that 2,00 ,0001. of money had already been expended in the construction of railways in that country; and from the reports he had received, it appeared that able-bodied men had gone a considerable distance, leaving their families be hind, in order that they might obtain emplo)ment on these works. It appeared, as the Hon. and Learned Member had stated, by the reports which had been laid on the table of the House, that the potato crop had failed through out a great portion of Ireland. Then with respect to the poor. law. He admitted that that law was insufficient, and lie quite agreed with the Hon. Gentleman that the number of poor-law unions were insufficient to afford relief to the great numbers who required it. He ( Sir James Graham) had stated the n 'ewe of the measures which the Government considered ought to be em i loyed with respect to Ireland, and he was sure the House would give her Majesty's Government credit for not having neglected the adoption of measures which might alleviate the sufferings of the people of Ireland.—( Hear. ) At any -rate, whatever might be the result of the potato crop, the Government -could not be taken by surprise.-oea r • The Hon. Gentleman has observed the prevalence of fever, and the amount of destitution arising from it. I admit settle Hon. Gentleman the fetal consequences that have fea!e ssed from this scourge, but on this point I will call his attnisi-oest; the fact that in this respect the poor-law of Irelans. —At 5 important relief.—( Hear, hear ) In the existing poor-1501 there are four modes in which relief in cases of disease may De given. Patients can be received either into the workhouse, or be removed from the workhouses into hospitals, if there is any objection to their remaining there for fear of infectioon spreading among the rest of the inmates. I do n place much confidence in these two provisions, but there. are two other provisions where importance in cases of th is kind are to be highly estimated. The first of these provision s is the providing of temporary fever hospitals in the vicinity of unto: workhouses. Out of 110 unions in which workhouses bac., been built, 42 have already had temporary hospitals erected' and measures are being taken to provide such accomm ° dation for the remaining workhouses.—(Hear, hear.) r remaining provision is one which empowers the poor-lea guardians, in cases where no hospital is erected, to take 4. empty house and use it ten - mot - By for such a purpose. •In ts , o f way, in 1814, a malignant typhus fever prevailed, and upw ards 1000 persons had been received into a temporary fever tat, and of these from 900 . to 1,000 were in a short time /or, ' charged cured.--( Hear, hear.) But with these provisions it; is impossible to meet the case, and therefore, on the part Of the Government, I propose to give notice for the introduction a Bill the object of amending this state of thirmgs• the precedent of 1 t.;32 in relation to hospitals, if nt fever spreads, it will be i m po ss ibl e t o me et it by the Pr e ' e- o means. It is not my intention on the presant occasion to.gi at greater length into the cir c um s tanc e s of Ireland ; atl st i e roust say that 1 am most unwilling that this discussion sht, be 1 roloneed, so as to interfere with the progress of that Tot portant debate going forward on the measures proposed to °bee the present critical state of the country. Ever since Nece w ine last, when the full extent of the potato dis e a s e was deve lo p t ; itself, my opinion has been, that to meet the evil it WI 0 , duty of the House and of the Legislature to remove a ll e o f bargoes or restrictions on the free importation of ar ticles ~0 food. This was and is my candid opinion-- t h a t every o t: 01 ren.edy is secondary and trifling when viewed in corne'i y l 's with this. Notwithstanding the measure of her Ma t. l e " f r e s Government, if famine should proceed (and I very In't c ' h iel• it will) I apprehend that a generous exercise of the ON , 0 0 tion on corn will be necessary, and a relaxation of those ' must take place. Mr. SHAW said he would not say one I vor- t lo b would have a tendency to check a n y measures "' t be would have for their effect the amelioration of b• distressed people of Ireland. At the same 6 ° o ol thought it his duty to state to the House the ge ne ts, state of the destitute in Ireland. The Poor-law Cournii' s %. e se in the year 1835, stated in their report that the': for S 2,300,000 people without the means of providing fOOO „ e a greater part of the year. A n d h e f e lt b oun d t o a dd thatlied would be considerable distress unless provision were s u P o P t e eer However, he thought very great e x aggera ti on h a d takenelives• and that statements had been put form for interested t i ', - ; rut el Ile had every respect for the high c h arac t er o f the r; i o to gentlemen who were directed by Government to examine , the cause and the extent of the potato disease in Irelan d ' p et; • Play fair and Lindley ; but he (Mr. Shaw) considereX no, withstanding, that their report was exaggerated.—("'' fog from time Opposition. ) He admitted that distress W a ds tr y more or less in every part of Ireland, but he h a Tip. yelled very recently through the counties of Cork' perary, Kilkenny, and Carlow, and very many oth e i4, of Ireland, and he found that there was considerable alW r a e to sse sion, but that there was mere than an average crop of P ° ' - fferi• Now, with regard to the let cm which the Righ t l y ress Baronet read last night in reference to this subject. / t he quite aware that great di-tress did exist in those part s ° foe*, couniry where the Government communication cam e t b Generally speaking distress was prevalent in the 0 0 ' Ireland, and such places as Mayo, Clenmel, and Dooeg' s 'isors the south of Ireland, too, the distress was no less to es " test arid in Kerry, Clare, and Waterford, he might stater %At suffering would be found. On the whole, however, he th° o ;l the extent of the deficiency of the potato crop had been g exaggerated, but he did not wish for a moment to he, n oti posed as blaming the Government for what they had discovering the extent of the potato disease, and Wm' lis the best means for devising a remedy for it. For nes. r et ,o4l weeks in every season a deficit ncy of potatoes was expert r tha n brit in the present season the deficiency had been gre ste b eta ever it had been known before. But it must he remel t t hat that ample substitutes for the potato had been found , a n d for latterly there had been a more than ordinary defog?. se• labour. He, could not help thinking, therefore, that Write& tent of the misery in Ireland had been greatly exagg e oti e and he thought further that a very unfair use had bee i t be' of the subject. However, this branch of the argum eD itti e longed to another debate, and what he had to s ay uprs; should reserve until the other debate came on. SirJAM ES GRAHAM suggested to time Hon. and 7:0145- Member far Cork, that as the Government were pr e / a le' do all in their power to mitigate the sufferings of the lie: esr Ireland, occasioned by the failure in the potato crops t he o stOr hardly any necessity for the lion. and Learned Membe r ing his motion. 001 Mr. JO. -IN O'CONNELL said that in offering any eft s ; tions which h e was a b ou t t o ma k e , h e h a d no i n tentim i e peding the r e p ea l o f t h e corn -l aws . H e was pre pared t' iro sP e d his suppprt to that measure, because he believed that. i t ter be beneficial to the people of the United Kingdom• „ i m b u e PiS was no d. uht that time repeal of the corn-laws //°",'"*" beneficial to the people of Er gland than it could bet food' people of Ireland, who were without money an d w ithon e f If any of the evil effects which were depicted as c ant o rif°l upon the repeal of the corn-laws, by Hon. Gentle/ 0 01,p site, would ensue to the agriculturists, there was no d; Ireland, that had hitherto had a monopoly in t hl tf affe r. market for food, would be the country that would nar' s e npal —( Hear.) But he would repeat that he did not all e st• any evil results from the repeai of the cot n-laws. e dest He was determined to cffer a few observations on t f mesas which had been produced on his side t' co atr, House—( Hear, hear) -- even at the risk of being the dered as offering impediments to the discussien ° ti/r' corn-lives. The distress in Ireland at the present.," he would assert, was of the most frightful and fearful clf:110 0 ' —r Hear.) With regard to the argument s o f the 11 1 V o ese, A t ' Gentleman time Secretary of Slate f or th e H om e DeP ar ,eor' without attributing to him any discreditable motives, he te t!: say they were not in cons onance wit h th e f ac t. And ~b ' e s e)te argument of the Right Hen. Gentleman opposite (Mr• de in to the exaggeration of the statements which had been T e e to il i night with respect to the present distress in Ireland , " co to j shortly dispose of it by saying tl.at he left the quo!' re ceive • settled between him and the Government, who had t fstl e from their own Cymmissioners accounts of the prese7 o ll„ precisely similar to those which had been brought f s ) his (Mr. O'Connell's) side of the House. —I i lear e ' Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for t t he r A Department, had received official documents o r „ et tl o ' el sent famine in Ireland, and he had not said t"' 114" statements were exaggerations. —( Hear, bear- ) Th e e fel Hon. Gentleman had, however, said that there ' , ca s t l e a i l dancy of the population in Ireland of 2,000,0 00 t or 'to O'Connell) believed that Ireland could maintain threeot times her present population—( Hear, hear)---an d w ebi t ime country was capable of doing so, he could not see h old, fact of her havi ng at p resen t a numerous p o puletion i s o t J o j considered an evil. The rea s on why I re land co'l lu i be r g port her pr e s en t population was, because almost doh!, was taken from a lt people.--( Hear, hear.) „ s ol e Ireland were i position similar to that of other r II b e pta had she a full command of all her resources—were a re Ole nies spent at home—were she allowed fair play —tbe a i s at be no reason for her people to complain that evel st , quantity of food was sent forth from this country ui lef present exported, if they were also assured that t „,a,v have food for themselves. But the anomaly o f a sta, oar pie sending forth immense quantities of her produce - 104 was one that was most startling and most shocking•-Thetacj He ( Mr. .1. O'Connell) had but risen to attest the st' o e racy of the statements made, and to go further, h a a that, from all the accounts he had heard, an d from t e „ - - he possessed of judging of them, th e s t a t eme nts Inaullitt, of being exaggerated, fell infinitely short of the ' - ion s eie (Hear, hear. ) He willingly bore testimony to the s e b ibt b o fention which the House had evinced that eveningt4 l pot t oe question wa s tinder discussion—( Hear)—and he coultbo r e te adverting to the feeling he had witnessed threugh°" t yeti session exhibited by lion. Gentlemen, and thei!' 'on l a discover some remedy.—(Cries of " Hear, hear, . 4. 1 0 ,01 sides of the House.) It might be said that the fe e ' frej selfish one. And decidedly there could not occur rog o eLity ;0 a calamity as famine in Ireland, with o ut its ' 1 no being felt in England.—( Hear, hear.) Should suc h 70 occur in any other country, the consequences evcalc d e l a nd t yl little short of a dissolution of society. But it , 0 1 ,4 efforts of the people were so broken into by suffering' ,t 9 could almost endure anything ; and, further, if 3° ciP l es . i° not disturbed, it v. ould be owing to the admirable ee,,ell'ino mind and soul which the Irish people had taught thewiolgo• ( Hear, hear.) lie implored of the House not t r ° e th e° o lo 4 that, in what they had done, or in what they !lone"' dined to do, they had met the terrible danger /ch ic Le t ilo over Ireland. He implored of them not to decetebo selves with the idea that the Irish people would it ° th e had been given them as a boon, or regac d „e ° f ire favour. They would acknowledge the kin Jp iS i estrror s intention of her Majesty's Government—(Hear, boon*, they would not acknowledge it in the light of s o y sa'hisli favour, for they looked on such applications cf 111 `li e d; r! rally nothing more than so many restitutions of fueneeld r (epli° they had been most unjustly deprived. They ir f ee ,e; e ete' A the course of their policy t owar d s I re l an d, in or ue "ed° time phenomena of ever recurring famine, pestilenc e a i letio°oo' 'There must be s om e thi ng b a d i n th e s yst e m of leg e t ees' old the administration of a ff a i rs i n th a t coun t r y to cau s :be st s i c e Indies. Their attention had been awakened hY and certain increase of evils in Ireland, and if t , b ,, e e ' e ri i" ba i view their policy they would find that they ha0,",, 0 - iitie .. , e s ' p ie Ile was not goings to touch upon mere matters oir f 07 ) re upon all maters of commerce, and upon all znatterasoooo.oo cal policy that had reference to Ireland. Let them, collect the words of Engli s h writ er s u pon this 't e nth - 40 fifty or sixty years ago England s t o od charge d whet she systematically sacr,ficad the interest of Ireland tt og ed de/ that time considered her own interest. She was e "f 0 0 00 ° _d i 0 having systematically interfered with the gr.:ln - v olt° „err' luring prosperity ; and, by the same authorities, la' cf r, e r 0 110 charged with having denied to Ireland the use is ted, r- oir sources. Let the House look at its policy as it o e e eur e 10 0 1 if something was not remaining calculated tow it. -Ledo rest of Ireland; and if there was, let them resn" c " t b e c°° e t I lay time axe to the root of the evil as they mu st could Goer' that this system would not do any longer. . 1 n e J o dde r '. pri_ A l e on the plan of giving relief to Ireland on s° ' ne it 0 5 jorr, gency and afterwards forg e tting it altogether The y ear s ciple unworthy of such a nation as Englan_ a pittio P io el which he had mentioned had been made by Mc''' eu t en t , 0 0 , 1785 and 1799 and they -were not contradicted,arue, thewotel H e ch . the IV trary, were admitted to be true. having systematically impeded the prosperityin 15 0. country and Mr. Huskisson repeated the ehargelded words that he used were, " You have always 1 1 1 se a rig -- u rsl ,- ,t geecy of the moment that which you deers: had been t r e r iv e (Mr. J. O'Connell) felt sure that that which if o v. f . a t s ra ilth ys i , n i g th m fo o r r e e ig t n ha e n ou l i r i e t :a ie n , d . v; r s om en t t h it a le t 6t p i d o ' ti v iP ee l E t ti :M e se ti :l oo ll3 o . of the union no further concesaioes" rots all u se• He haii felt it necessar to refer to these t he s v po liel ibe • - t w ere 0 0 h o a rd d e s r a t i o d th lmpress atiu quot l h 7 e Bo th lion more d m e o s r ir e ab fu ie l e‘uv eh h _ rrs pry ights t h s a u d f bewehniumhattlheeeyviwdeernet fdreirptrhiveedfir?stge_eabthileitybetsotriectgr,obeeii i t their home trade and the right of sir d a w i l t eeere s rtu end:o I opportunities in the foreign trade. 3 pi r e e s a greater Why, that this country should erki o Y wh h pr necessity t they n and equal d u lo their jm . ownA..itigbhheontsc'efiwtleborehtePvrthisbelcielbtnitilfelt; intercours jos f o g . land is deprived, by the u pon on „ o wls lisb tained; the high duties i m poseo w du ties ani on. . fie f, • were continued, while the and the e f; jes t ' bile * produce remained unaltered, a 16.5 fuiaciand horde which had been expressed in It ete d fronts 00 3 , 0 0 by the fact that everything was . was refu o a t . C 7 l , to nothing was returned. The amid' .n_ ..n i o n, ar for hire A of the " they desired to carry the scheme . was carried, but by what means itwaswg they a etain v psh say. It by that measure of the t 3 manufactures was lose in amounthre c ountrY. 'id for e- eoor t b e e o n t e i ( fit , to i l t r u e t l Ireland, dutiesi it was whichtheirdhuayda n to dee h ni t a i E pos : that the benefits conferred on t ch efg eientl eells s /11. ' h produce %Jr ' 1 e el tae imposed duties on Iris . 1 t parens Yt ervading duties; and whi p an equivalentto the advantages fohrm. erly en.l O Y, ' ai dd as moo sodD t 11 4 en upper st ;o o t y °, 't _ THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESnAv EVENTING, FEBRUARI 18._ 1846. k