The Sun. — London, England, 1846-04-30 00:00:00

RAILWAY COMMITTEES. (YESTERDAY.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. GROUP IV. The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of the Bills included in the group reassembled at the usaal hour this morning, 31r. B. Hope in the chair. THE GREAT NORTH Or SCOTLAND. Mr. Arc:mews opened the case for the promoters of this scheme. The line was to run from Aberdeen to the south of Inverness, and was the last link of the chain of railway communication between Landon and Inverness. The effect cf the formation of the line, therefore, would be to give a communication between the whole of the south of England and north of Scotland. It would pass through five counties, namely, Aberdeen, Banff, Moray, Inverness, and Nairn, which included 1,734 square yards of arable land, and a population of 318,000. The Southern terminus commenced at the Aberdeen ter minus of the Aberdeen Railway, and was connected with the docks of Aberdeen, the population of which town alone was 70,000, and ran on to Inverness, a distance of about 107 miles. Independently of this main line, there were four branches--one to Banff, another to Portsoy, another to Garmonth, and another to Burghead ; and the length of the main line and branches together was 137 miles. There were two other lines connected with this scheme—namely, the Eastern Extension of the Great North of Scotland and the Alford Valley Rail way, but these would come before the Committee at a subsequent stage of their proceedings. Out of the 137 miles they had 109 miles of assenting owners, and this fact alone was suffielent to convince the Committee of the high estimation in which this scheme was held by the inhabitants of the different counties through which the line passed. Now, with regard to the merits of the line, there was no doubt the promoters were in the field first, and their engineer h d ample opportunities for selecting the best line. The engineer of r e p or te d , four after a very careful survey, that the districts ad mitted practical lines, but that upon the whole he recomnrendgecolotuheemlianne nwoovell before the Committee. That engineer was Mr. ilibb' a acquainted with Scotland, and particularly ht the di s t r i c ts through which this line passed, but the promoters thong it advisable to have the four lines looked over by a gentleman i m mediately connected after care connected with or acquainted with the district , wasa n d they , no im secured the services of Mr. Ctubtihtte. four r a un t gentleman, t c le am ma e n io the same fully examining Mr. Gibb. The estimated cost he recommended to the promoters conclusion as alrT e Gi w bb h , o a le nd ° the adoption of the line recommended hileitai e b al y cul r ated the working expenses Of thelinewasl, soo,oool. . would be riotpe cer._onwthat amount, leaving an ample balance to dividend Now this line was opposed by the I;: ont ap o p te ro t p softh d r t oo o schemes. The first of them was the Aberdeen, pursuing the Banff, and Elgin Railway, which competed with the fi rst section of the Great North of Scotland from Aberdeen to Elgin, routes of Tarriff to B anff, and thence following the line of coast by p o mmy a nd Cullen to Elgin. The second was the Inverness and in Junction Railway, or a line from Elgin to Nairn, which ran parallel to the corresponding portion of the Great North of Scotland. The third was the Perth and Inverness , c a line which commenced near to Perth, and passing the line of the Highland road across the ;mountains, proposed to strike the coast at Nairn, from which point to Inverness it ran parallel to, and com peted with, the Inverness end of the Great North of Scotland Rail way. Now all these railways would be under separate manage ments, and would involve breakages of line and stoppages between the extreme terminus and the metropolis, while the Great North of Scotland Railway wonid b e under one management, and w ould - in volve no breakage or change of carriage between London and In verness. The ruling gradient on the Great North of Scotlaud W 43 1 in 242, but on the competing line some of the gradients were of so objectionable a character that the line at MIMI parts could not be worked with the locomotive, while at some points there was only a single line of way. It avoided, moreover, the population of the district, and he might say it would only accommodate the grouse, while in the winter it would be liable to interruptions from snow drifts, none of which objections could be urged against the Great North of Scotland. On the whole, then, he considered that the Great North of Scotland would give better local accensmodation, better stations, better termini, and better gradients, and in the end he confidently anticipated its competitor would be condemned to the tomb of all the Capulets. Sir Andrew Leith Hay, 11. P., was the first witness called. lie said he was decidedly of opinion that the Great North of Scotland Railway was the best that could be devised for accommodating the trade and traffic of the districts through which it passed. It was the shortest and most direct line between Aberdeea and Inverness. On cross-examination, the lion. Baronet said he thought the rival line was more liable to be interrupted In the winter season by snow drifts than the Great North of Scotland line. The CLIAIIMAN said it appeared to the Committee that there were two lines before them for connecting Aberdeen and Inver ness which ran along the coast, namely, the Great North of Scotland and Aberdeen, Banff and Elgin, and Elgin and Inverness, and a direct through line known as the Perth and Inverness, joining the second coast line at Nairn. Now, the Committee thought the best course to be adopted was for the Great North of Seethed to endeavour to show that the treat of the districts would not justify the construction of two lines—namely, a through and a coast line, and that in tnis state of things their line was the best ; while, on the other hand, it was far the Perth and Inverness, and the Aberdeen, Banff, and e !gin. and Elgin and Inver ness Companies, to produce evidence tending to show that the trallic was quite sufficient to justify all these lines. alr. Sergeant BELLASIS said he should be prepared to show that there was sufficient traffic between Elgin and Aberdeen to justify the construction of a railway without having reference to a line running from Elgin to Aberdeen, and of course it would be open to him to prove that the Great North of Scotland did not give so matc h accommodation to those places as th e Ab er d een, Banff, and Elgin. Mr. Sergeant Weatienear said he appeared for the through I:ne from Nairn to Perth, which, as te.tween Inverness and Perth, wa, 66 nflei shorter than the Great North of Scotland ; but the nrorno't centended that the through line would n t remunerate then with ' en rs t they had the traffic between Inverness and Elgin in their own heeds. Mr. ANDREWS said he had intended to follow out cai 11114 =3:f:i,tittoe Committee, as intimated by the Chairman, by prove that the traffic of the district would only admit of one Lute, anal that under these circumstances the Gre a t N orth of Scodand wns ' the most favourable scheme. Lord Lovell gave evidence in favour of the Great North of Scotland • line. His Lordship, however, admitted that the Perth and Inver ness was the best for the through traffic. The Committee adjeurned shortly atter four o'clock. GIZOLTY VII. This Committee met at twelve in room No. 24. Present, Mr. PA'. mer (in the chair), Lord J. Chichester, Colonel Powell, Mr. H St4l.llitON, and Mr. Seymour. They proceeded with the ease of the EDINBURGH AND NOLTIIMUN (sTarATzz. mllE:an ZEITZJITION) LIWE. The preamble of which was declared proved. A Is:4 discussion on the subject of the clans ,- s, in which Mr. Lang, on the part of the promoters of the Bill, and Mr. Austin for the pro moters of the Scottish Central line, took a part, ensued, and occu pied the Committee for a considerable time. A clause, to ba Lumbered as clause 7, was proposed by the Cludr num, the object of which was to provide, that compensation should be given to Captain Ilay, for any injury that he might sustain from the passing of the line through his property. It was proposed, by Mr. AUSTIN, that this clause should stand over till Fri:ay, in order that the Committee might hear the de'iston of the Commii tee on Group No. 6, as to the Dundee and Perth line, in which a point had been raised which resembled this. This proposal was assented to; but, after some further discussion, it was agreed that the Corn raittee should adjourn until Friday, and they accordingly rose at about half-past one o'cleck, and adjourned till that day. GROUP XIV. SOUTII-EAS TEEN AND D .R.AN ES. The Committee to which this group of railways is referred niel to day, at half past twelve o'clock, in Room No 30 ; present—Mr. Prstheroe (chairman), Lord Emlyn, Mr. J. O'Conuell, and Mr. Grogan General Lygon was absent, in consequence of the death of Lady lieauchanip. Mr. Norton, of the firm of lioggart and Norton, a valuer, was called on the part of the South-Eastern Company, by Mr. IlEunz- WETHZII. Mr. TALBOT (for the North Kent Company) said that Lis Learned Friend had two or three surveyors present. It would be easy for the Nora, Kent Company to call counter-evidence, a course which the Committee would regret. The Committee decided on hearing one witness on either side. Mr.:STOUTON stated that the property proposed to be taken by the North Keut, between Chatham and London, would cost 486,816/. The number of elaimantswould be 1,200 or 1,300. The sum mentioned included nothing but the value of the property to be destroyed, the rent of which is 17,4001. per annum. By Mr. TALBOT—Never valued any town property for a railway company. Cannot say how many houses to be taken down were oc cupied ay weekly tenants. Has taken that into consideration in his valuation. Houses let to weekly tenants are not worth 28 years' purchase. There are not 400 houses let to weekly tenants on the proposed route. - lie-examined—Though the amount stated is 28 years' purchase, it was not 28 years' rental, but on qu+te another princip!e. Mr. G. Smith, a surveyor of Mercer's Hall, valued the whole of the metropolitan property of the Greenwich Railway. The value of the property to be taken by the North Kent was 491,7971. By Mr. TALBOT—Valued the property last year for the London and York. Valued the property to be taken at a distance of two and an eighth miles, from Battle-bridge, including a clearance for the station, and the removal of the Small-Pox Hospital, at 300,000/. By Mr. MEABEWETIIER —The land to be taken by :the London and York is clear in comparison with that of the North Kent. Ur. Wakley produced the table of the tolls required on the South- Eastern Railway. Mr. MEREWETBER put in a letter from the Board of Ordnance, stating that In consequence of the introduction of a certain clau.vc in the Act of the South-Eastern Company all objection on the part of the Board was removed, and also some correspondence with the Lords of the Admiralty, in which they agreed to the formation of the iron bridge over the Medway. Mr. MASSY DAwsoN, who appeared oil the part of Mr. Evelyn, a landowner on the proposed line, then called evidence to prove the damage that his client's property would sustain from the proposed railway. At the conclusion of the evidence, The Learned COUNSEL addressed the Committee ai some length. Mr. CALVEET then called evidence on the part of Mr. Angerstein, a landowner on the line, and proved the very serious dAna.Zge that the line would cause to Mr. Angerstein's property. At the mci:lsion of the evidence the Committee adjourned until twelve o'clock .to morrow. iiritOUP XVI. SOUTH-WESTERN (ALTON AND ranzv HAW/ SRANCH). The Committee on this group (Sir Charles Douglas in the chair, and all the other members present) , took the clauses of this Bill to day; and after a few amendments, which referred to private pro perty, the clauses were passed, and the report was ordered to be presented. It Pa/LUIZ/Me cumßranD, 11. ND nEIG.S.TZL It having been ascertained that counsel were present on behalf of the several petitioners, the Chairman wished to know which line it W line as desirable to take, wh eu Mr. Cockburn suggested that the longest t aken, and that was the Reading, Guildford, and Bei- Kate line. M r. i t°E-, w •. ). .... appeared for Dr. Pellowes, said, that he was Inter ested in neither of the e course, when he was interruptedm b ut bywas about to suggest a particular Mr. Coenzyme, who hi* Learned Friend w" that and rtheigeeartebeycibTaenrcshatisTouitldwt d t e a c k i e d V " e the Reading, Guildford, in the formal taken Rod Mr. Como:wax opened the one ofto soliCit:fttcin:drii. ors of the line, who sal, through Mr. Noyes, ns last session, in the returns required by the H ouse wer stated. which the names of the several officials of the C The capital was 800,0001., the number of shareosn4EanYe" of g e l. each, the whole of which were allotted. The deposit being 92,8421. lee.; no shares being reserved for provisional committee. To the CHAIRMAN the witness replied. that about 6,000 shares had been allotted to the provisional committe e , upon all of which they had paid. The original subscribers' agreement was then put in and proved. The money in hand was 11,1971. 16s. 4d., deposited with the Ac countant-General 57,8601.; deposits en allotments 92,7381. 103. ; interest 3571. 13s. sd. ; expenditure 12,9881. 12s. ; engineering and traffic 7,635/. 13s. 4d. ; printing and stationery 2,3191. 18s. 6d.; sala ries, commission, &c., 1,0931. 16s. 3d. To Mr. BezwiTT, the witness explained that the broker's corn- Mission was Is. 3d. a share, but nothing had been paid for buying and selling shares on behalf of the directors; the broker's commis sion amounted to about 1.501. Mr. COCREURN then proceeded to open the case, when he was in terrupted by Mr. Mellor stating that he should have to ask sonic questions respecting the returns et the last witness ; but Mr. Cock burn objected to that proceeding, and stated, that although the Com mittee were perfectly competent to question the validity of the re turns, after, however, the returns had been received, although the Committee would have the right to question the witnesses, they would only have the power to report to Parliament upon the returns, and that was the way prescribed by the resolution. To this Mr. Mireeon. objected, and after reading part of the rem lotion which expressed the rule, that in the event of counseLdiner ing among themselves the Committee were entitled to decide the question whether counsel should be heard or not, Mr. COCKISCRN repled by citing the resolution, acid stated that the Committee ought to require the returns to be pro duced and to be verified. This had been done by the witness; and if the Com mittee entertained any doubt about it, lie was quite ;prepared to go into the whole case. If the Committee had any doubt whatever about the matter, they might exercise their power of cross-examia- Mg the witnesses with the utmost strietnesee. At this point the room wac cleared, and when parties were re admitted, omtitfied, the Ch a i rman declared that the Committee were of op i n i on T t th e as e7Ainsd opposing' the Bill have a right to cross-examine. Mr. Cocicurav objected, and said that he conceived if tile power of cross -exam* i.' us ... - el now, or not at all.lma was to be exercised at all, it Should be eur. was to TAT ourn A L B state that there was another alternative, and that adj the c d ase inspection. andhaua over th e papers to the opponents for It was at last agreed that the opponents should have the right of going to the Committee me t r e I n,. or to that of the solicitor; to s'illey pleased from the retitle's. the company, and mate what extrae• The Committee then adjourned till 1 . > 3 - O'Claeli ---_____ to-n2o:llinv GROUP Xix. The Select Committee appointed to consider the merit s or schemes comprised in this group re-assembleu at th e usua - l morning in the Committee-room; Lord Harry Ir a " an the ela n i r r t.,,, T111:11 CHARD caztal". AND 2.Artiura/r. The CHAIRMAN intimated that the Committee were now desirous of taking this CA.ie. Mr. Sergeant WRANGIIA3f said the object of the promoters in this case was to convert the Chard canal into a railw ay. The canal connected the town of Ihninster with the town of Chard, and the proposed railway would give to those places a communication with the metropolis by means of the Bristol and Exeter Railway and the towns of Frldgewater and Taunton and Lie proposed Stelford. The line ran in the route by which the tratilc hat uniformly passed • while, as It was only required to 1111 up the canal and lay gown the rails, it would not in any way interfere Wt th any private right or private property. It was opposed by the Creoker branch of the Bristol and Exeterßailway, which was pro posed to be a branch of the Yeovil branch, sanctioned by the Legis lature last session. It was sufficient for him, however, to say that not a spade had yet been put into the ground for the Yeovil branch, while the proposed new branch ran in a circuitous direction, and diverted the traffic of the district from its natural channels. The esti mated cost of the proposed line, for which he appeared, was 130,0001 * , and it was proposed to raise that sum by the sale of shares at P' sent in the possession of the Chard Canal Company, and it was calculated the traffic would yield a return of 81. Fer cent. on the outlay. Mr. Giles Laing, a merchant, residing at Ilminster, proved that there were three coaches passing daily between Ilminster and Chard, and .4.xminster and Taunton, and in his opinion the proposed con version of the canal would be of great public utility. On Cress-examination the witness admitted that w th o es uid e ran from different places to Croker, and, perhaPs, it convenient for some of the passengers toPave a lin e o extending Croker. testimony. t, of nminster, gave Mr. John Thome, a merchant, be teaches g similar ding Ou _to ved that the traffi c tables of the proposed line, pro Mr. Humphrey Brown, the gentleman whoma w d o e til o d ut yi th eld e a tr v afn ery c ample per tentage on the outlay. an e f y or h th ad e raise more money than wo the Th po e we can r al to A r ens were then put in to p ul ro d ve co t v h e a r t th th e e es C am om a p t proposed railway. Some ethe r adjourned the evidence shceoofruy a ge af ne te ra r l fo t r ar o a ,ci ct o e c r k w . as adduced, and the CommitteeSo GROUP X.Y. The Committee met at twelve o'clock. Present, Mr. Sotheron (chairman), Sir R. Pi g ot, Lord W. Beaatinck, Mr. Boss, and Mr. Tancred. STAXNZS AND RICHMOND. The returt i, necessary, according to the recent resolutions of the House mimes, Q.C. (with whom was Mr. Calvert and Mr. Cowan) opened very briefly the merits of the line. I n consequence of ir. of M. C c o u mmons, were handed in. A the line which was being constructed between Richmond and London, the present project was, in fact, a metropolitan line. It was ten miles in length, and would be executed at less than 1 50,0001., although the proposed capital was 200,0001. The people of Stained were almost unanimous in favour of the proposed sine, and were earnest to have it passed by the House ; for since the construction of the South- Western and the Great Western Railways in the neighbourhood, that town, through which sixty or seventy coaches used to pass daily, had suffered exceedingly; and, moreover, the fact of the importance of a railway from Staines was witnessed by there being two other Bills before the House for the same purpose. The proposed line passed the Thames near Rich mond, and from that place proceeded on to klungerford-bridge, by the Richmond and London Railway, through several important towns. The competing lines were the London and Hounslow, the London and Windsor, and the Henley and Staines ; but these were encum bered with great expense and engineering difficulties; besides that, the London and Windsor proposed terminating at Knightsbridge, which would be a most inconvenient district for a station as respected coals and an - y of those commodities necessary for a community. Mr. Chambers said there were other opponents, private proprietors and ethers, and alluded generally to the character of their opposition, which would resolve itself into a question of compensation. Mr. T. R. Ward, a magistrate of Belem, and other gentlemen, were then examined before the Committee as to traffic on the eourse of the proposed line_ The examination of witnesses had not finished whea the Committee adjourned. GROUP XXVII. This Committee re-assembled this morning at the usual hour; Sir Charles Lemon in the chair. MOUTH smarronnsEntz (THEME LINES). The engineering evidence on this scheme was resumed this morn ing by the examination of Mr. John Hawkshaw, the engineer of the Leeds and Manchester Railway, who deposed at great length to the practicability of continuing the line, and to the great accommodation they would afford to the traffic of the district. It was merely a cor roboration of the evidence given by Mr. Bidder, which we have already given. This dosed the case for the promoters. Mr. TOWNSEND, counsel on behalf of Mr. Wood and Mr. Warren, two opposing petitioners, then addressed the Committee, and was proceeding to enter into the general question of railway communica tion for the district, and to urge considerations which affected the preamble of the Bill, when he was interrupted by Sergeant WBANGIIAM, on behalf of promoters, who contended that the opposing petitioner (Mr. Wood) had no right to enter into the general question at all, that his objection to the lino, as far at it affected his own property, was all that could be gone into ; and this, he again asserted, was merely a question for compensation. The room was cleared on the point, and on eta re-admiision, The COMMITTEE decided against the course proposed to be pursued by counsel tor the opposition. Mr. SHIM then addressed the Committee, on behalf of Lord Begot and the Inhabitants of Leek, against the Churnet Valley line, and coutended that it would not afford the accommodation which the district required ; that it was not a bona file undertaking, for the directors last year would give no guarantee (when called upon to do• so) that it would be then carried out, and that the promoters were merely desirous to pre-occupy the district, so as to prevent' otaer companies from laying down lines which would afford better accom modation. Mr. Challoner, solicitor to the Macclesfield and Lichfield Railway (a projected line lost this session on the standine* orders), was then examined by Mr. Austin, for the purpose of showing that the pre sent - opposition, though ostensibly from Lord Begot and the inha bitants of Leek, was in reality from that Company, whose project was at pre•ent in abeyance. Mr. AUSTIN then submitted that the petitioners had no right to be heard, inastnech as the petition was " got ur by the Macclesfield and Lichfield Company, and did not emanate from the inhabitants of Lee'c as a bona fide opposition to the bee. Mr. M. SMITH objected to such surmises, and said that the om:osi. :ion of Leek was not prompted by the Macclesfield Company, bui hat their opposition existed before that company was incorporated. The Committee decided that evidence in favour of a compeihn ine could not bc admitted. The Committee then adjourned. GROUP XXIX. This Committee assembled to-day at eleven o'clock—present, Mr. Laboacitere, Sir W. 3lolesv.orth, Sir J. Duckworth, Colonel Itawdon; and Sir J. Smyth. BOSTON. STIA.M.7OORD, AIZD parturntralutaw, (sTsk2IPORD TO WIE.. , =ECET.) znrz. The Committee went through the clauses agreed to by the corpo ration of the Bedford Levels, and the promoters, for the purpcse of securing the drainage of the land, and the reversion of the property through which the line was to pass to the original pro prietors at the price for which it was sold, should they be desirous to re-purchase, in ease of the railway being abandoned. The amended clauses were then read seriatim, and received the signature of the Chairman. The report was also read, and signed by the Chairman. The Committee then separated, this bang the last Bill referred to GROUP XXXVII. SHEri I IEX.I3, 274.0"ANFIEMLI:AlYr, NATA7I.I7II"XELD, ISUMMERS:OIELD, °la& (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. G. Chambers, a coalowner and member of a local geological society, gave evidence very strongly in favour of the measure, on account of the facility it would afford to, perhaps, the largest coal field in England, the coal being of the nest quality. There was also a great deal of iron ore of good quality, and the several ironworks at present established would be greatly benefited by the line. The town of Sheffield alone would save 83,0004 per annum in the cost of its coal for manufacturing and other purposes, by obtaining their coal by railway from this district. The railroads as yet formed in the neighbourhood having driven off the stage-coaches, without supply ing other means of traffic to the district, had done it considerable in jury. The proposed line was greatly wanted, and would be highly beneficial to all the towns in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The witness was shown a petition in favour of the Bill, signed by 2,500 porsons, who were, he said, the most respectable inhabitants of Sheffield. Cross-examined by Mr. PERKINS, on the part of certain petitioners against tha Bill —Thu Silkatone bed extended to Sheffield, but in a convulsed or disrupted manner. There is a coal-pit at Sheffield, from which the coal was sold for gas at 6s. 10d. per ton. There was a great demand for nine 'for manufacturing as well as agricultural purposes throughout the district. But the cost of carriage was so great, that " they did not know which way to turn themselves for it Projected branches of the Sheffield and Manchester line would give some accommodation to this coal district, but• not sufficient. He was not altogether aware of the details of that branch. lie was not here to oppose the Barnsley branch of the Sheffield and Manchester. As a director of the Company now before the Committee, he had moved a resolution that the Barnsley branch should not be opposed by them. This Company took neutral ground in respect to that branch. There was an agree ment with the South Yorkshire Company that the latter was to make the line south of Barnsley. Cross-examined by Mr. LEE, for the Midland, Barnsley, Sheffield, Dewsbury, and Bradford line, which is the competing line with this, running parallel to it for a considerable distance. The witness stated although there was a circuitous water communication between Shef field and Barnsley, yet this did not touch the coal pits, which, in fact, had no canal accommodation. Sheffield received the largest part of its supply of coal from the estates of the Duke of Norfolk in the town itself or Immediate neighbourhood. The Manchester and Leeds Company were to supply one-half of the capital. That was the ar rangement from the beginning. The Committee then adjourned at a quarter-past four, and will meet to-morrow in room No. 21. GROUP XL, The Committee met at one o'clock, Mr. Stafford O'Brien, chairman NORTH WESTERN. Mr. Barrems shortly laid the merits of the project before the Committee. • It is proposed that the line should start from Skipton, where it joins the York and Lancaster and other lines, and passes by Kirby Lansdale, through the north-west of Lancashire into Westmoreland, effecting a junction with the rail which lies between Kendal and Penrith. A branch leaves the main trunk at Clapham for the town of Lancaster, and another branch proceeds from Kirby Lansdale to Milnthorpe, at the head of Morecombe Bay. The length of the main trunk is 36 miles, the branch to Lancaster 18 miles, and that to 3lilnthorpe 13 miles. Witnesses were examined to show the amount of traffic in coals 21.42 d Furness ore and manures for the land. WISATELET opposed the Mllnthorpe branch on behalf of the pro'orietors oil that part of the line, and shortly addressed the Corn mittee. The room was afterwards cleared. On being admitted parties were told that the Committee were of opinion that the preamble of the Bill was Proved, except so far as it referred to the branch from Kirby LonsdaLe to litillithorpe. the Committee then adjourned till to-morrow. thing if what had fallen from him, but he knew his opinions, having seen reports of his speeches deli. vered in other places on',•this subject. He was therefore compelled to confine himself to the opinions expressed by the Honourable Gentleman that had seconded the motion of the Honourable Member for Oldham.—(Hear.) But he hoped that they had arrived at that time when the principles of commercial restrictions would be clearly understood.—(Hear, hear.) It did not appear to him, however, if they put shackles on the manufactures, they would be able to meet the demand in the markets which has given employment to so many millions of their fellow-countrymen. The result would be, that they will be thrown out of employment and the manufacturers will remain idle. You will then have not complaints that they are over-worked, but that they cannot get work. Again, if the manufacturer is limited, what would be the result ? The millions must stand still, and they would re gret the day when they besought you to impose these restrictions. He was against this Bill. No trammel should be imposed on the manufacturer save in the case of children of tender age; and when a Bill was brought in for their protection, he well rememb ere d t e lli ng th e Right Honourable Gentleman that it would be used as a precedent, and the principle would not be limited, but would go on from stage to stage. If they agreed to a Ten Hours' Bill, they would have one for eight hours pro posed before long. It was true it was a hard thing that men should be compelled to labour for twelve hours, and that no limitation should be enforced to alleviate their hardships; if he considered that it was possible to enforce any limitation, he would be the very first to afford it—he meant any alleviation which could be afforded with out destroying the principle on which their livelihood de pends. And it was because he could judge of results, and because he felt that if they carried out their request, that they would be laying the foundation of future distress, that he opposed the present measure. He would like to know on what principle they claimed a right of interference in private rights. He would suppose a case. He had three hundred people on his estate ; he had no means of employing more than one hundred at agricultural labour; how would he employ the other two hundred? why,by manufactures alone. There was no mode by which he could employ them unless he was placed in a position, in regard to the produce of fo reign countries, that he could give them employment in ma nufactures. Unless he was able to supply his produce at a rate by which he could compete with foreign manufacturers, the effect would be that he could not employ them in manu factures, and they would be driven back on agricul ture for support. With regard to a glut in the market, there would not be any, but the want of the means of purchasing. The cheaper the article the larger would it be purchased, and the greater the demand. It was net fair to the manufacturers of this country to be stopped in working their machinery two hours a day, when it was necessary they should do so in order to compete with foreign producers. It was the right of a manufacturer, in the first place, to attend to his own interest as a capitalist, and in the second place to regulate his affairs as to the parties whom he employed. In such circumstances it was not fair to step in and say that they must not employ their machinery for twelve hours a day. The present Bill confines a manufac turer only to work his machinery ten hours a day, or else not to employ parties, in which case the latter would be driven to the union. The principle which was inapplicable to one case was inapplicable to the country generally; and in his *pinion they could not take a worse step than to interfere with the industry of the country. Hence it was that, in a measure of such national importance, he suggested that it should not be discussed in a thin House and while so many Committees were sitting. He appealed to the House if such a principle of interference as he had cited was admissible, and if not, why seek to extend it:to the whole country?—(Hear, hear.) No one deplored more than he did the long hours and hard labour of the English operatives, and none could be more anxious to support any measure to expand their minds and elevate them in the scale of being, but he opposed the present Bill because he believed it would be highly injurious. Master and labourer should be left at per fect liberty to make the best bargain they could without any interference. If such a measure was carried, it would be impossible to continue the same rate of wages. Mr. Senior, and three other gentlemen, had been sent down into the manufacturing districts, to inquire into the effect which the reduction of one hour per day would have on the capital and the rate of wages. They had inquired into the respec - tire influence of 12 hours, 11 hours, and : 1 0 hours daily; and Mr. Senior had repeated that a large proportion of the profits of machinery arose from the 1 lth and 12th hour's work. If that was the case the House would see how vain it was to limit the hours of labour in factories. If Hon. Members on the other side would provide a fund to supply the wages of those who would be turned out of employment in consequence of such bad legislation, he would then be prepared to sup port the measure. He protested against any doctrine that interfered with the capital of labour. The Hon. Member concluded by moving, " That the Bill be read a second thee this day six months." Mr. WARD seconded the amendment. Sir G. STRICKLAND was of opinion that many who had opposed legislation on this subject were rather shaken in their convictions. Even the Hon. Member who had last addressed the House (Mr. Hume) stcod upon no very high ground in his opp os i t i on . If the law were to be left in its present state it would have the effect of requiring a labour of fourteen hours, instead of twelve. He thought the Hon. Member had done well in putting this as a case of humanity. Sir J. GRAHAM said that although upon personal grounds he was unwilling this morning to interpose himself in the course of this debate, yet, as the question now stood, it was expedient that some member of the Government should state the course that Government intended to adopt. The Honourable Member who had just sat down had truly remarked that this subject had undergone much consideration in the course of the present Par liament. On former occasions, when it had been fully dis cussed, it was his duty to state to the House the principles which guided him in coming to a discussion on the question which they were then debating. That question was of paramount importance, and most decidedly of great interest. It had been his duty carefully to re consider all these opinions upon the subject, and he was bound to state to the house that his opinions had undergone ito change, after the most careful consideration he could bestow on the subject, and therefore it was his duty to concur with the Hon. Member for Mon trose in resisting the further progress of the Bill.—(Hear.) Now, he would shortly refer to some of the topics broached in the course of the debate. It was urged by some Hon. Members, and particularly by the Honourable Member for Preston, that they ought to make some compromise on this question, but he thought th a t t h e t i me h a d gone b y when it was prudent to adopt any such course. Already the Legislature had restricted the hours of labour for children.. to twelve hours, while children under the age of eight years were restricted altogether from working in factories con nected with four branches of the manufacture of the country—cotton, woollen, silk, and flax. The hours of labour for persons between the ages of twelve and sixteen were limited to twelve, and in some factories the hours of labour for children between the ages of six and thirteen were restricted to six hours and a half per day, while the Acts of Parliament, which made these restrictions, provided most amply for the education of the children during the leisure hours. Having said thus much, he would entreat the House to consider the immense magnitude of the subject they were discussing. First, with reference to our trade. he had Wh mentioned epnrotipoonretdiobneadridto the t b efao branches er u dx r :horetoe or theof manufac turecountry? He said fearlessly that three-quarters of the value of tale whole exports, amounting to between thirty and forty mil lions, were connected with these four branch - es of manufacture. Now, wages. How did these four with reg a rd 225,000/. a week, while at least a millin of the po pula paid in wages tion of the country were dependent for their on living these four branches of manufacture. He said, therefore, if they committed an error in their legislation upon this subject it was no trifling error, as it touched the staple manu factures of the country, a great portion of the foreign trade of the country, affected the industry of half a million of the most industrious .of their population, and touched also the circulation to the amount of nearly a quarter of a million per week.—(Cries of" Hear, hear.") It was impossible, therefore, that they could consider a question of more frightful importance as bearing upon the interests of either the whole country or particular classes, but lie objected to the time at which they were called to discuss this matter, or in its being discussed at all now, because it had already, in the course of the present Parlia ment, undergone the most full and ample consideration.— (Hear, hear.) It had been stated by one Hon. Member that the working classes were disappointed in the conduct of that House, but he for one absolutely denied that the House had ever pronounced an opinion in favour of a Ten Hours' Bill. It was true, Lord Ashley, on former occasion moved an amendment to a facto ' s? Bill th at the hours should be limited to ,ten instead of tw elve, r but that amendment was negatived by a majority 158. (Cheers.) And this Bill, in fact,was to of 395 to amendment of Lord Ashley. But, as he had beforec, that observed, there were circumstances which rendered the discussion this matter at the pre sen t ti me most inopportune. heofre were in the first pl ace , th e G overnment measures of the present session, some of which had already come into • operation while others had not. Th e reso l ut i on authorising removal of the restrictions on the importation of corn, and articles used in the making of bread, had not yet come into force, while our home manufacturers had at once been placed in free competition with their foreign rivals. Ten per cent. of the duties enforced on the cotton, and 15 per cent. on the woollen trade, had already been removed.—(Hear). What were capital and labour ? Somebody bad said, " Don't treat this question as one of pounds, shillings, and pence."—(Hear, Lear.) What were wages, and what was capital? Was there any difference between them? They could not consider the questions of capital and la bour separately. And now, with respect to the effect of this measure, if they attempted to abridge the hours during w hi c h mac hi ner y was in action from 12 to 10 hours, they would diminish the time of labour one fifth ; and the effect of the measure, if they adopted it, would be a reduction either in the profits or the prices.—(Hear, hear.) lie believed the intensity of foreign competition actually prohibited a r i se in the price of all our great branches of inanufacture — (Hear, hear)—and he, thereore, held that a rise in price was a part of this question. There must be a reduction in the profits or in the wages ; and what would be the effect of a reduction of the profits? The capita list's only resource if his pro f its we re diminished would be to reduce the wages of his work-people. That was the only justifiable and necessary course for him to take.—(Hear.) Now he h ad heard something said about the possibility that the same amount of work would be produced even if the hours of l a b our were reduced from twelve to eleven hours per day.—(gear.) Ile had heard an Hon. Gentleman cheer, and seeing a the quarter whence that cheer came, he must say that he had every possible respect for the statement of the lion. Memb er . But he held i n hi s h an d a respecting the results of the experiments of Messrs. Horrocke, the extensive manufacturers, who had recently reduced the hours of labour in their mills from twelve to _ a eleven_rc hours p er day. That statement appeared in the ichester Guardian of the 4th of April, and it appeared from that statement that the effect of the reduction of the hours of labour was a reduction of 6i per cent. in the amount of goods manufactured—(bear, hear)—and he thought that he Was quite correct in his calculations that the effect of the reduction of the hours of labour would, to the extent sought by the Bill, have the effect of reducing the profits of the manufacturer 16 per cent. But, as he had already said, he believed that in a series of years the employers of the labourer in the manufac turing districts would, in self-defence, 'propose a reduction of wages to the extent that this Bill was calculated to effect. Let them als) take into their consideration the other view of the case: What would be the effect of that reduction of the wages of the labouring poor? The capital of the working his hour —Meat', man was a . hear. It -h. was the hard lot of man " that by the sweat of brow he must his brad,"and it also the curse earn of mankind that and hard labour was it that sorrow :a , bread must general' Dien let them take care that whilst acting,Y e earned. most phi no doubt with the purest elnd lan‘h • room motives, they did not increase that sorrow and toil.—(Rear, hear.) He knew of nothing more ho nourable, more laudable or more worthy of the en couragement and admiration of the higher classes than to endeavour to shorten the long hours of the patient and industrious of the labouring classes.—(Hear, hear.) But let them take care that they Aid not throw any TIIE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, APR'I'L 30, 1846. STATE OF TRADE. MANCH:ESTER, APRIL 28.—Although the accounts from London and other carts of the kingdom speak of an ameliora tion in the state Of business generally within the last few days, the improvemee-- market. The detn ano ‘ fo r yarn to-day has been very limited, does not seem to have reached this and, on some descriptio. VP Prices are a little in favour of the buyers. In th e goods' m a 'cket, however, there is a little more activity, especially in the b, 'rtter qualities, but without change in prices, whilst the iaferica ' qualities remain in very limited demand. ItocunALE, Avail., 27.—Th ere has been a steady demand for flannels, but prices have berm low and unremunerating to the manufacturer. The wool rm:r2rnt has been in much the same state as last Monday. L EEDS, Aram 28.—We are happy to say our markets keep improving, an d a very fair quantity of bu s i ness has been done to-day. Wool is much firmer in price, and some low descriptions very much sought after, and decidedly higher. II CDDERWILD, APRIL 9 8.—We have hall a good attendance of buyers to-day in the market, an o pies to some extent have been effected, but at such prices as to leave little or no profit to the manufacturers. Several orci'srB have been re ceived that will give employment for sonil weeks. The weather is such we have but few buyers for the' ,home trade. FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE BLAcx.nuax Ain) PES TON RAILWAY. —On Monday evening, about six Cclock an appalling accident occurred o n th e Blackburn and Preston ' Railway. An engine, drawing a loa dad truck, was proceeding along the line, in the imm e di a t e . ne i g hb ourhood of th e Blackburn Station when a drunken, fellow approached it, at the imminent risk of his life, as wax imagined by those who saw him. A labourer, named John. M'Nelly, belonging to Blackburn, ran forward to snatch h Sior from the fate which appeared to impend over hini. Poor DPNelly fell a victim to his own good intention. Losing I i f s footing, his legs were thrown across the rails, and both of 'cit em torn off below the knee, by the wheels of the locom , )tiv e passing over them. He was immediately conveyed to hi j house, in Penny-street, Blackburn. The unfortunate sufferer is married, and hag six children alive; but slight hol )ei are entertained of his recovery.—The line will .be opened in: flay next.—Manchester Guardian. 1 FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE RAIZ:WAY NEAR WITHAM, ON' TUESDAY.—We regret to say that an accident Of a fatal nature occurred on Tuesday, on the Ea stern Counties' line of railway, at about 200 yards on the Lc .radon side of Witham. The circumstances are as follows :—.A .n elderly woman was crossing the line, when the engine-driver of the day mail train, then coming up, immediately lab zwvhis whistle to allrin lief; of this,she seemed to take no mode*, and was shot': ly afte,-mads struck by the buffer of the engine, and thrown off the lice, out of the course of the engit te , so tat none of the wheels passed over her. The engin 3 was stopped imme diately, and the engine- driver, guan Is, and assistants ran back to her aid, but life was quite ex: tinct, the sudden blow from the br , der having killed her. Fri )in the testimony of a gentleman present, Ws; are led to uni lerstand that not the sli ghtest blame i s a tt r ib u table to any o f the railway authori leaalol of wh om were d eep l y concerne d at the occurrence. s e ; N CoLLEGE.—George Torialkle„ Esq., M.P. for ewsbury, and th e Looter the sum. of i 0 educated at is to be a e Lou of the late Bishop of Winchester, who was anne a l Eton, mathernai :Z Bl Just announced his intention of founding an Prize at Eton College.. Air. Towline has pre which, ea to the Provost and Fellows, the interest of liberal douor , poropriated to the - po' ,03e contemplated by the IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. ROUSE OF COMMOZ I S, April 29. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) FACTORIES BILL. Mr. HINDLEY presented 58 petitions from various places in the neighbourhood of Manchester in favour of the Ten Hours' Bill. THE RIVER CLYDE. Mr. HUME moved far certain returns respecting the amount of debt, and the progress of the debt, of the River Clyde Trust, with the revenue and expenditure of the navi gation.—Agreed to. THE FACTORIES REGULATION BILL --- ,On the order of the day for the second reading of this Bill, Mr. HUME said he wished to ask the Hon. Member for Oldham a question, in regard to his motion on this Bill. It was important that the fullest freedom should be given to capital, and it was also an essential of commercial prosperity that there should be the same freedom given to labour. On that ground he was sorry to see the system of attempting to interfere with the free application of capital which prevailed in certain quarters in the country. To that he was directly op posed, and seeing that it was going forward to such an extent he could not let the matter pass over without calling atten tion to it. In a question of such importance he begged leave to suggest that it ought not to be discussed in such a thin House, and at the time when there were twenty Committees sitting. Members could not in consequence attend, and in order that there should be the fullest and fairest discussion he thought the Government might be prevailed on to allow a Monday or Friday evening for the discus- sion of the question.—(lronical cries of " Hear, hear.") Well, if that could not be arranged, then some other day might be fixed on. What he meant was, that the question should not be dealt with in such a thin House. On that ground it was that he had made a suggestion.—(Hear, hear.) Sir R. PEEL concurred with the Hon. Member as to the importance of the question, and would be willing that some other Government days should be set apart for the discus sion of it ; but, in the present state of the business, he could not make a promise of any day. It was out of his power to give any pledge in the matter. Mr. HUME thought the Bill might be postponed till such time as the Corn Bill was disposed of. The factory question was next in importance to that question, and it could come on in due course then. Mr. BANKES asked the Hon. Member if, in the event of the Corn Bill being carried, he would vote for the pre sent measure ? Mr. HUME intimated that he would oppose the Bill in every stage. Mr. BANKES hoped the Hon. Member for Oldham would persevere in his motion. Wednesday was, in fact, the only day on which public business was transacted, and he did not see why the Bill might not be taken. Ile had lately been applied to by several delegates of the opera tive classes interested in this Bill, asking his advice re specting the conduct they ought to pursue. He gave them his humble opinion, that the sooner the measure was pro ceeded with the better, as, on a former occasion the delay which had taken place was fatal to the measure. The Bill, after being carried by a vote of Hon. Members, was in consequence of the delay lost, and the House thereby brought into great discredit.—(Hear, hear.) Instead of meeting any suggestion ferdelay, he trusted the Hon. Member for Oldham would bring forward the measure at once ; and if they could not finish the discussion that day, it could be pro tracted till to-morrow night. If it was adjourned till to-morrow evening, he had no doubt the Hon. and Learned Member for Cork, and other Hon. Mem bers, who had motions on the paper, would give way, so as to bring the discussion to a conclusion. If the Hon. and Learned Member and the other Hon. Gentlemen who had motions did not interfere, he (Mr. Bankes) had no doubt the debate would be concluded by that time. He hoped that his Hon. Friend would persist in his motion. What he had principally risen for was to express a hope that the Right Hon. Gentleman would take the Thursdays to himself at once. Mr. FORSTER said this was a most important question ; but• before it was decided he certainly thought that they should adopt measures for giving the people food. His Hon. Friend the Member for Durham had, at the commence mencement of the session , prosented a petition, signed by 7,000 of the inhabitants oeShetland. He was not surprised that those people should have petitioned that House. He had, on Monday last, received a paper which detailed the state of distress which was existing in the Shetland Islands. The inhabitants of those islands were 32,000 in number, depending chiefly upon fish. Their agricultural produce was very scanty, and during the last season was more scanty than ever. The Hon. Gentleman here read a document which stated that great distress existed in the Shetland Islands. The inhabitants only traded in fish, and their chief customers were the Spaniards. The Spanish mer chants would be glad to send corn in exchange, but the corn law prevented it. A Spanish vessel was actually now on her way to Shetland in ballast, and she would have taken corn if the repeal of the corn• laws could be depended upon. Mr. COWPER rose to order. He thought this was an unfair mode of getting rid of the discussion on the Factory Bill. The SPEAKER was understood to say that the Hon. Gentleman was in order, as the question was whether the order of the day should be proceeded with. The Hon. Gentle man was at liberty to show that in his opinion another order of the day ought to be taken. Mr. FORSTER was again proceeding, when Mr. T. DUNCOMBE lose to order. He must say that the Hon. Gentleman's reading the document from the Shetland Islands, looked very like an indirect mode of defeating the discussion on the Factory Bill. Mr. FORSTER repudiated this charge, and said he had no such intention. The SPEAKER decided that the Hon. Gentleman was in order. Mr. FORSTER proceeded. He had already said ,hat he did not deny the importance of the Factory Bill, but he thought their first duty was to legislate to give the people an increased supply of food. He could assure the House that the utmost stagnation existed in commercial circles, in consequence of the delay which had taken place in the progress of the Government measures. He understood that a Noble Lord in another place, not very successful in his legislative measures, intended to h o i s t th e standard against th Government measure? What would be the effect of any mutilation of that measure. It was a gene ral opinion among the great body of the merchants that something of that sort would take place. Commerce was a timid bird, and would not take its flight in a storm. Mr. GIBSON—The question brought before the House was a pressing emergency—a question of present starvation—a question of people not having a sufficiency of food for their subsistence. The Factory Bill was not of such a pressing na tare as that of the Hon. Member's with reference to the Shetland Isles. Irish distress had been brought before the House, why should not the case of the people of the Shetland Isles be considered? He thought that Hon. Gen tlemen on the opposite side came down to the House for the purpose of putting the Government in a minority rather than to support the Factory Bill.—(No, no, and hear, hear.) The House should bear in mind that the people of the Shetland Isles did not come to Parliament intimating in their peti tion that they wanted a grant of money for the promotion of public works, or for giving the means of employment to the people of the Shetland Isles. All they ask is that the House would remove those prohibitions which prevented them from exchanging the fish which they catch for the corn and meal of other countries. It is their opinion that much of their distress would be alleviated if those prohibi tions were removed. Could the Right Hon. Baronet explain to the House the grounds of his refusing to allow these poor and starving inhabitants of Shetland, the power of ex changing their fish for the corn and meal of other countries? Had he provided them with ships or with fishing tackle, or in any way facilitated the progress of their industry ? Why did the Right Hon. Baronet insist upon their paying tolls on their fish for the benefit of himself and other landed proprietors of this country? It would be of great benefit to the people if they were allowed to exchange their fish for corn and meal. Many families were on the very brink of starvation. The potato crop had failed. There were Spanish ships which could deliver them a supply of corn if they were allowed I to do so. Hon. Members opposite were delaying public busi ness night after night i n th a t H ouse. —("N o, no, 'from the Op position.) The House was entitled to call upon them to relieve the starvation of the people. While they were persevering in their opposition to the Corn Bill they were contributing to the starvation of those people.—(" No, no," and cheers.) He was discharging a public duty in thus pressing on the attention of the House the condition of the inhabitants of the Shetland Isles, and he considered it was as sacred a duty as could be performed by any Member of that House. He thought that the House should first settle the great questions which were then before them (the Corn and Customs Importation Act) before they proceeded with the consideration of other business. He hoped that the Factory Bill would not then be interposed between the Corn and Customs Bill. The public mind could not entertain so many measures at one and the same time, neither could that House legislate upon several questions at the same time in a proper manner. No delay should be allowed to intervene in the carrying out of the measures brought forward by her Ma jesty's Government. Sir R. H. INGLIS said that motives had been imputed to Hon. Members on his side of the House that it was their in•• tention to place the Government in a minority rather than to support the Factory. Bill. He begged to state that they would not yield to any person on the other side in attachment to the sacred cause which had brought them down to that House to-day, and which had brought them together upon other occasions when they were more happily united, and when it was still more painful for them to differ from the Government. Mr. FIELDEN, after presenting two hundred and thirty petitions in favour of the Factories Ten Hours' Bill, proceeded to draw the attention of the House to the deplorable condi tion of the factory children. The Honourable Gentle man—as he always is—was perfectly inaudible in the gallery, and in consequence of his not having favoured us in a similar manner as he did the other morning papers with a copy of his speech, we are wholly unable to give anything like a report. air. AINS WORTH seconded the motion of the Hon. peoanrts Member jeen3t. e afosrotnnOiletdiciliaiparnizeinliwgeasn believed evidentlye thisi e v e ß d i l that hat they necessaryei y f twhneuffor drGovernmentthepeoplesatisfy all employed in factories, scarcely any time being allowed for their instruction. Mr. lIUME said that this measure would no doubt be satisfactory to the greater part of those employed in the cotton manufactories. From the number of petitions that had been presented to the House, he was bound to believe that this Bill would be desirable to the working classes. But it was because he thought that a more dangerous proceeding to the interests of the country could not possibly be enter tained, that he thought it was the duty of those who be lieved that such a proceeding should be opposed, that he came forward to oppose this measure, which, in t h w e a s lnab ses c sis a eito l s c l u n l (auht interestsei em d a sr e hfultimately the to country brin g ; 0. indifferentn theto the contrary.int er- l e i sts e h o ad f t o h n e n w o orkin a :c ° he prided Himself on having, on various occas i ons, en deavoured, as f ar as he was able,to free the labouring artizan from all the trammels of monopoly under which he existed. Wear, hear.) A n d h e did wish to submit to the Ho - use N existed.— h a d (,oen the consequenc e since that great and important cha v nge a which he had been inst rumental in effecting. H e submitted, too, that if the House assented t o t hi s Bill, they would be acting in direct contradi c ti on t o the great principle of free - trade, which they had lately adopted.—(llear, bean) of the House, to remove all trammels on the ca g * l Th i :s Bill was contrary to the common sense and thegood 'try' g as n n ia o n t , onlybut alsoan ii n t n l p ot,hie pita whilst they proposed at the same time to impose _ o s f en i i s i e d tu on ;vhat was equally important—the capi.al of the trammel:: . - 0213;1;1;74 ( a ? e u a f r, th h e ear la .) bou l r t i : labouring L. • ton on . . 9 manufacturer, who employed him capital of ft. to say that if this principle ~.. would end in the destruc• were carried out it, of both employer and employed. Von of the interest; and he ventured vr e P u o u n . this ground that he opposed i He objected to anything ncipie that the House had that would admit the prl entertain the consider ationh tever to airy compromise r h o e m ar i . se ) 0 nt And ili s it qu 4 any right whatever • us measure.—(Hear, hear.) attention whilst the paid the greatest Although he had the second reading of the Bill was of this most Hon. Member who moved rtl of what he hear one single wo speaking, he could not ") He, therefore, knew no- said.—(Cries of "Hear, bear. injurious impediment in the way of the poor, patient, and hard working man, who strived to obtain a living for himself f i and his family.—(Hear, hear.) If they increased thei r poverty (as he contended would be the effect of this Bill), they would run the risk of corrupting their morals.—(Hear, hear.) If they degraded their station he was satisfied they would corrupt their morality.—(Hear, hear.) Any measure of this kind was fatal to the independence of the Working classes and the destruction of that independence would be surely fatal to their morals.—(Hear, hear.) Nothing could be mere fatal to that independence than the alteration of the present system of labour. He had received several petitions from all parts of the country, stating that the effect of such a measure would be to reduce the amount of the profits of the manufacturer 16 per cent. Whatever the mea sures of the Legislature might be, the effect of that measure would be, not to mitigate this evil in any way. All he asked was, that they would proce e d w ith cau ti on , an d no t depart, from any decision of their own laid down, so as to cause a violation of a principle. to which the House of Commons had, in its legislative capacity, already acceded. He, as a member of the Govern ment, acting in conformity with the other Members, felt it bis duty to oppose this Bill. Mr. COWPER moved that the debate be adjourned. Mr. COLQUHOUN thought that it would be better if the debate were continued till six o'clock. Dr. BOWRING said there were a number of other orders of the day to be disposed of, and he really considered that it would be hard if the debate should be continued so as to make them dropped orders. Sir ROBERT PEEL did not see why they should adjourn the debata at so early a period, therby losing half an hour. Mr. COWPER said if the sense of the House was against his motion he would not persevere with it, it was to prevent the other orders of the day from becoming dropped. The motion was then withdrawn. Mr. M. PHILLIPS said, that frequently as the present subject had been introduced there had been no attempt made by its advocates to disprove a fact which he considered of the utmost importance. In former times they were frequently attempted to be seduced into a support of the Ten Hours' Bill by the allegation that there would be an equal quantity of work done in ten as there was in twelve hours. But now the fallacy of that statement had been entirely exposed. Experiments had been made by ma nufacturers, and he was then able to stand up in his place, and say that it was utterly impossible with ten hours' work to perform the same amount of business as was done in twelve. Well, then, it comes to this plain question, can the persons employed in the different branches of trade live on ten hours' pay?—(Hear.) He stated in that House formerly, that if they would take the question by ballot, of the working classes whether they would prefer ten hours' pay to twelve hours the question would be at once settled, and they would unanimously prefer the latter. It was very singular, in the number of strikes which had taken place among the working classes, if they were so anxious for the measure. that they had never attempted to obtain it. Taking the question in a political and economical point of view, he con sidered, that in agreeing to it, they could do nothing that would tend so much to inflict evil on the labouring com munity of this country. He cordially concurred in what had fallen from the Right Hon: Gentleman (Sir J. Graham), and he was persuaded the Government, in deciding to oppose the Bill, were doing the best thing, not only to protect the com mercial interests of the country, but also the best interests of those who lived by labour. On these grounds he opposed the second reading of the Bill.—(Hear, hear). Mr. GEORGE BANKES then moved the adjournment of the debate till to-morrow night. The SPEAKER said it was not competent for the lion. Member to move it to:any precise time. Mr. BANKES then simply moved the adjournment. He hoped Hon. Members who had motions would postpone them in order to allow the debate to come off. He hoped also the Government, who had the Coercion Bill adjourned debate for the same night, would give way to this arrange ment. Mr. HAWES said he had a motion, the first on the paper, to-morrow night, and as he had already twice given way be should certainly not do so on the present occasion. Sir R. PEEL would be willing to fall into any arrange ment that might be come to, to allow the present debate to come off to-morrow night; still there was an understanding with the Irish Members, that if there was any time to- morrow night, the debate on the Irish Protection Bill should be resumed He must say, however, to Hon. Members, that when the Corn Bill was under discussion there was no disposition shown to allow the ciscussion on that Bill to proceed day by day. Still he would be willing, with the concurrence of the Irish Members, that the debate on the Irish Bill should be taken on Friday, at five o'clock, so as to liberate to-morrow night. After a few words from Mr. T. Duncombe, Sir R. Peel, and Mr. Fielden, the debate was adjourned. The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the House rose at six o'clock. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HOUSE. Elizabeth Larkin and her daughter, Eliza Larkin, were brought before Sir Peter Laurie yesterday, charged with having robbed their employer, Mr. Tallis, of No. 100, St. John-street, of a great number of prints, and a large quantity ofaper, on which Mr. Henry' s Bibl e was pr i n t e d. City policeman 651 went to purchase some butter at the shop of a cheesemonger, and found that it was wrapped round with a sheet of Henry's Bible, which he at once sus pected to have been stolen. He forthwith went into Pater noster-row, and exhibited the sheet to several of the book sellers and publishers in that place, and at last he was re ferred to the premises of Mr. Tallis, where it was at once identified as part of property which had been stolen from that gentleman. Accompanied by Mr. Tallis, the policeman returned to the shop of the cheesemonger, who without hesi tation stated that he had purchased a quantity of paper of that description from a female who resided in hartholomew close. Upon calling at the house in Bartholomew-close to which the cheesemonger gave the direction, the policeman saw the two prisoners, apprehended them, and told them they were charged with the serious offence abovementioned. They did not deny the truth of the accusation, and sub sequently the eider prisoner ackuowledged that she was guilty, and that she had sent her daughter to dispose of the property which she had taken from her employer's premises. Mr. Tallis stated that he had, about six weeks before, dis charged the elder prisoner, who had been in his service as a stitcher for a considerable time, because he ascertained that she had defrauded some of the other women, who were em ployed in a similar manner, of a large part of their earnings. His suspicions of her integrity on other matters were, of course, excited. The policeman 651 stated that the cheesemonger, im mediately upon seeing the younger prisoner, declared that she was the person who had sDld the paper to him. Witness found, upon searching the room 450 prints, which Mr. Tallis identified as hie property. Upon calling at a house in a court in Goswell street, witness found ten more prints, which had been given by the elder prisoner to the person who re sided there, and which were also identified by the prose cutor as having been stolen from him. Mr. Price, cheesemonger, of Bishopsgate-street, stated that he had given 3d. and 2d. a pound for a quantity of the paper produced, to the younger prisoner. He had purchased altogether, of the Bible sheets, about twenty pounds weight. Sir P. LAUII.IE—Did it not strike you as suspicious to see — suc l h as a k q e u d an t t h it e y m of p s a u rt c i h eu p la a r p l e y r w w i h th ere th t e h se ey wo g m ot en it ? ; allrd theitness answer l a .e n m d a t n h d e e r d e . fore must be sold b y was we that igh it weight. — The e p s ris m o s e P r s r nt e wered EXTRAORDINARY CASE OF MANSLAUGHTER. Ramsgate during the last few days. The facts elicited by D a f m t l hextraordinary s c h a a n r d a c t e e r ? h o a e s r oc o - f cu ep An e dw affray tehnett m of the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages congregated Margate to celebrate a festival of a benevolent s ocie ty, act t ua h l at on Wednesday last a large numbe r attention tf showt e a n t f i in the Tivoli Gardens. Amongst them was a man named James Sutton, reported to be respectably connected, who, to wards night, attracted attention by his boisterous conduct. It appears that after the evening's amusement he left his brother's company, and nothing was heard of him until mid night, when two men, named Kemp and Kitching, on their return home from the gardens while proceeding along a foot path leading to Hartsdown, an adjacent parish, saw a man some distance in advance, calling " Holloa !" On coming up they found it to be John Price, a carrier, living at Runcorn. Price said, in a very excited manner, " Here is a man who has been attempting to rob me, and I will not leave him until I see who he is." A few yards distant they saw a man lying on the ground, who seemed senseless, who was dis covered to be Sutton. Price then charged Sutton with attempt ing to rob him. His statement to the it Spector on duty was as fol lows :—" On Wednesday night, about half-past ten, I was going home from the Tivoli, and when half way between that place and Hartsdown, Sutton jumped out of the hedge by the footpath, and demanded of me, catching me by the collar, if I had a watch. I said I had. He asked if I had any money. I said I had. He then caught hold of me by the neckerchief, and said he must have it or my life. We struggled together, and I slipped up my hand and untied my neckerchief. He then knocked me down twice, and kicked me. I at length got the better of him, and got him down. I struck him several times violently on the head, calling out for assistance, and sitting across him to keep him down. Kemp was the first who came to my assistance ; we were struggling for three-quarters of an hour. I was sober and alone. I did not know the man." The man Sutton being apparently dying, medical aid was promptly called to him, but he never rallied, and expired in the course of a few hours. On the magistrates hearing of the death, they ordered Price to be arrested, but sub sequently liberated him on bail. On the inspector inspect ing the spot where the affray occurred, he noticed a quantity of blood on the ground, and marks of a very violent struggle; and in the ground was a hole, evidently made by a man's head beaten against it, and in the centre were two small stones sticking up about an inch. At the coroner's inquest, Mr. Thornton, a surgeon, who had made a post-mortem examination of the body, deposed that death had been caused by concussion of the brain, and which might have been produced by beating the head upon the ground. The head was dreadfully knocked about the ee blackened and lip cut, and marks on the throat as , if seized by the neckerchief and a man's knuckles forced into the flesh. It was proved that the deceased and Price were per fect strangers. The deceased's relatives spoke to him being a quiet orderly man, and called the police to show that they knew nothing of him, at least in the shape of a highway robber. The coroner's jury, after a lengthened consultation, returned a verdict of " Manslaughter" against Price, con sidering the violence more th an necessary, an d h e was forth with ordered into custody by th e coroner , an d committed to Maidstone gaol to take his trial at the ensuing assizes. SHAKSPERE SOCIETY. The fifth annual meeting was held ou Monday afternoon, in the rooms of the Royal Society of Literature, St. Martin's-place, when, in the absence of the Marquis of Conyngliam, the President, the chair was taken by J. Payne Collier, Esq.,',Director. The report, which was read by Mr. Tomline, the Secretary, represented the affairs of the Society as in a con tinued progressive state, there being a balance in hand of 3551. 16s. 3d which much exceeded the amount of debts, whilst the subscriptions of the year were 8121. 13s. 10., and the arrears due 5101. The ordi nary bus Inesshaving been transacted, the Chairman drew attention to the original mortgage deed of Shakspere's property in Black friars, once in the possession of David Garrick, and now the only autograph of Shakspere in private hands, the last having been sold to the City of London Library, at Guildhall. It had been offered for sale to the British Museum for 200 guineas, but the purchase having been declined, it was suggested that a subscription be entered into, in order to secure a document now invaluable to the lovers of dra: matie art. A CHILD DROWNED IN A BETTER-FIRHIN.—On Saturday, Mr. Mills, Deputy COroner for Middlesex, held an inquest at the Coach and Horses public-house, at Ealing, on the body of William smith, a child sixteen months old, who met his death under the following circumstances :—The deceased was the son of a labour ing man employed in the gravel-pits, and living in the Uxbridge road. On Thursday morning, about ten o'clock, the mother of the deceased left him for a minute or twc crawling on the floor of the room near an almost empty butter-firkin standing there, and when she returned she discovered that the child had, in the interim, crawled to the tub, raised itself by It, and then tumbled head fore most into the tub, face downwards, into about four inches of water. It was immediately got out, and a surgeon sent for, who pronounced life to be quite extinct. Verdict —"Accidental death" GOOD FORTUNE.—On Thursday last, intelligence was received in this town by the family of Mr. Hugo, of the demise of a distant relative, in the neighbourhood of Truro. We understand that the deceased maiden lady has left considerable property, the bulk of which, to the tune of s me 10,000/., falls into the hands of a young man of this town called Richard Hugo, a clerk at the office of Mr. J, N. R. Millett, solicitor, Penzance Gazette. DISCOVERY OF SKELETONS IN MANCHESTER. The neighbourhood of the New Cross has been in a state of much excitement, in consequence of some men, employed in excavation, having discovered two human skeletons there. The excavators are employed in digging a branch sewer, near to, and parallel with, the easterly side of Oldham-road, at the New Cross, to con nect the property of Mr. Wolstencroft ,with the main sewer. The men came to the first body yesterday morn ing week, at a depth of about three feet only from the surface. It was in a coffin, the skeleton being entire, and a considerable quantity of dark, pitch-like fluid was at the bottom, which emitted a most horrible stench, probably being a portion of the body in a state of de composition. The workmen disengaged the skull, which being exhibited, and purchased from them by some passer-by, led to the matter being noised abroad, and a great cr )wd of people collected to witness the further operations of the excavators. At length, towards even ing, about seven feet from the first body discovered, and about five feet deeper in the earth, the workmen touched upon the foot of another coffin. The excitement upon this became almost past belief; and though there was no occasion in this case to have disturbed the repose of the dead, the end of the coffin was broken off, and one of the excavators actually crept inside it, almost to the length of his body, that he might reach out the skull. When the much-sought prize was obtained and exhibited, the " fever of speculation" may be said to have attained its height, for the riot and confu sion were so great that the police were obliged to interfere. At the moment of their intervention, this second skull had just been knocked down to a cabman belonging to the adjoining coach stand. We believe, however, it was subsequently taken from him by the police, and by them privately interred again at night. During the remainder of the evening it required the presence of a strong police force on the spot to keep order. These skeletons are supposed to be the remains of suicides interred there under the " old law or usage," by which the bodies of all persons committing suicide, and upon which a coroner's jury had given a verdict of " Felo de se" (being denied a place in" Christian" burial grounds), were interred in the pub lic highway ; and a shoemaker upwards of 70 years old, who has resided for the greater part of his life in the neighbourhood, states that he distinctly recollects two bodies of suicides being interred near the cross, ap proaching to 40 years ago, the one being a male and the other a female. The former was a man named Smith, a boot-closer, who had worked for Mr. Tysick, then a flourishing tradesman in " Market-street-lane." This man was said at the time to have committed suicide in consequence of an " affair of the heart" with a female of some considerable per sonal attractions living in Milk-street, who kept a very disreputable establishment at the time, and which, through the public feeling excited against her by this tragic act, and an indictment at. the subsequent ses sions she was compelled to give up, and she quitted the town. The interment was at near midnight' the " run tiers" of those days officiating to keep order among the spectators attracted to witness the sad scene. Of the female nothing particular is known, beyond the fact that she was a domestic servant, destroyed herself by poison., and was buried here on the 22d of September, 1808. The last interment there is said to have been the body of a soldier, who committed suicide in 1821. We may add that another place of sepulture in such cases was Kersal Moor, where, in 1807, a prisoner in the New Bailey, named James Massey, who hung himself, was buried the same evening near the distance chair; and was a few days afterwards exhumed and " buried in the ditch where old Grindrod was gibbetted," was a second time exhunted, and finally buried near the Salford weigh ing machine.—Mancliester Guardian. -- - CIRCULATION OF NOTES. The Bankers' Magazine, of which some proof sheets are before us, furnishes some interesting particulars relative to the circulation of notes in the United Kingdom, from which we take the following portion, referring to the Irish and Scotch issues, not included, of course, in the weekly returns from the English banks : The returns of circulation of the Irish and Scotch banks, for the four weeks ending the 28th March last, give the fol lowing as the average circulation, viz.:— Average circulation of the Irish banks £7,444,960 Average circulation of the Scotch banks 3,018,681 Average circulation of these banks during the past month On comparing these amounts with the returns for the month ending the 28th of February last, it shows— A decrease in the circulation of the banks in Ireland of X 24,769 A decrease in the circulation of the banks in Scotland of 65,111 Total decrease last month £89,880 And as compared with the month ending the 29th of March, 1845, it shows— An increase la the circulation of the banks in Ire land of £392,783 An increase in the circulation of the banks in Scot land of „.. ..... 67,8 Total increase on the year £460,594 On comparing the present returns with the amounts which the several banks are now authorised to issue, under the New Banking Act, it appears that the following is the state of their circulation The Irish banks are above their fixed issue .. £1,090,466 The Scotch banks are below their fixed issue ... 68,528 Total circulation above the fixed issue This excess of circulation is based on the stocks of gold rind sives' coin held by the several banks:— Gold and silver coin held by the Irish banks £ 0 ,568,i58 Gold and silver coin held by the Scotch banks 1,132,147 Total of gold and silver coin ............. 3,700,305 Being an increase in the amount held by the Irish banks over that of the preceding month of 8581., and a decrease in the amount held by the Scotch banks of 11,330/. ; the total decrease on the month in the amount of gold and silver coin in Ireland and Scotland being, therefore, 10,4721. FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. This Bill is again amended, and of course again reprinted; and it is now to have a new title, the phraseology of which is, on the face of the new Bill, enclosed within mournfully strong black lines. The following is the inscription inserted under the title that is to be defunct on the third reading of the Bill :—" New Title for Third Reading : An Act to amend the Laws relating to Friendly Societies." Then follow the new clauses, of which we give the leading particulars. Clause (A.)—Contributiens to be distinct for each purpose. Clause (o.)—Separate books of account to be kept. Clause (P.)—Returns of sickness and mortality, assets, and liabilities. Clause (B.)—For establishing the legality of certain so cieties, namely—That any friendly society established before the passing of this Act, for any purpose which is herein before specified, or for any legal purpose which shall be cer tified and allowed, as is hereinbefore provided, and shall not have been adjudged not to be within the provisions of the first-recited Act, by any court of competent jurisdiction, shall be deemed to have been within the provisions of the said Act from the time at which the rules thereof shall have been or may be certified or allowed by the Barrister or Advo cate appointed to certify the rules of friendly societies. Clause (C.) repeals part of 10 Geo. IV., cap. 56, and 4 and 5 Will. IV., cap. 40. Clause (Q.)—Provisions of 39 Geo. 111., cap. 79, and 57 Geo. 111., cap. 19, not to extend to friendly societies. Clause (D.)—Registrar of friendly societies in England to be paid by salary. Clause (E.) provides how salaries and expenses of office are to be paid. Clause (F.)—One transcript of certified rules to be kept by the registrar. Clause (G.)—For securing the solvency of friendly societies. [A most valuable clause--it is rightly termed clause " G," for it is good—it is to be hoped that it may at all events pass.] Chien (R)—For appointing new trustees in certain cases. Clause (H)—Settlement of disputes.—That every dispute which shall arise between the trustees or managers of any friendly society, and any member or officer thereof, or any executor, administrator, or next of kin of any such trustees, managers, members or officers or any creditor or assignee of any trustees, managers, members or officers of any such society who may become bankrupt or insolvent, or any person claiming to be such executor, administrator, next of kin, creditor or assignee, or to be entitled to any money paid to such society, or to any benefit arising therefrom, for the settlement of which, according to the laws now in force, recourse must be had in England or Ireland to one of her Majesty's superior Courts of Law or Equity, and in Scotland to the Court of Ses sion or Sheriff Court, may be referred in writing to the Registrar of Friendly Societies in England, Ireland, and Scotland respectively; and where the value of the subject matter in dispute does not exceed twenty pounds, every such dispute shall be so referred, unless in England or Ire land her Majesty's Attorney or Solicitor-General, or in Scotland the Lord Advocate, shall certify, in writing, under his hand, that such dispute ought to be decided by the judgment of a superior court of law or equity, and the said registrar shall have power to proceed ex-parte on notice in writing to the said trustees or managers left or s r e t n o t t b he by the said registrar to the offi ce o f th e sa id i ns tit u ti on , _ gers, members or officers ; and whate a vr order, be registrar shall last-known place of residence of every such a t w riai r s c t i e , es,nmna or appeal; t determination shall be made by t. ep fi a n y a m l t e o n a ts l ! l intents and purposes, without any binding and conclusive on all parties , le in pursuance of an y sales, and transfers mac assignments, a and a shall and all be be subject determination of, the said registrar shall such order, shall be good in law; and no submission to, or or liable to, or charged with any stamp duty whatever. On reference, books may b e i nspecte d , and Clause (I.)— ) Wh Clause (K. en trustees shall be absent, &c., reg i s t rar oaths administered to witnesses. may order stock to be transferred, a n d di v id en d s pa id . Clause (L.)—Fees of awards. Clause (M) for enforcing awards —Be it enacted, that any one Justice of the Peace residing within the county within which such society shall be held, or within which the party resides against whom such award is made, upon com plaint made upon oath by the party desiring to have the benefit of the award ; or, in the case of the managers or trustees of any such society, by an officer of such society, appointed for that purpose, may summon the person against whom such award shall be made, to appearat a time and place to be named in such summons; and upon his or her appear ance, or in default thereof, upon due proof upon oath of the service of such summons, any two justices residing within the county aforesaid, upon due proof of the execution of such award, may order payment of the fees and money thereby awarded to be paid, to the party appearing to be en titled thereunto, with such costs as shall be awarded by the said justices, not exceeding the sum of ten shillings ; and in case the person against whom such order shall be made shall not pay the sum of money so ordered to the person, and at the time, specifi e d i n the said order, such justices hall, by warrant under their hands and seals, cause the same to be levied by distress and sale of the goods of the person on whom such order shall have been made, or by other legal proceeding, together with such costs as shall be awarded by the said justices, not exceeding the sum of ten shillings, and also the costs and charges attending such distress and sale, or other legal proceeding, returning the overplus (if any) to the owner. Provided always that in Scotland it shall be competent to enforce payment of such fees, and of any sum of money so awarded to be paid, by proceeding before the sheriffs in the same manner as is by the law of Scotland com petent for the recovery of any debt of the like amount. Clause (N).—Certificates, awards, &c., to be receivable in evidence. 'S INN, APRIL 2e undoned gen- tlemen AY were this day called 9. to the degree ermenti of barrister-at.law by the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, viz., James John Wilkinson, Esq., and Benjamin Way, Esq., B.A. " DISSENTIENT, "8. Because this unprecedented and mischievous proceed— ing appears to me the more uncalled for, even in the view of its supporters, as there is now before the House a Bill which will enable the persons to whom these resolutions apply to effect the same object directly for themselves, and there is 1 1 ° 1 reason to anticipate that it will not pass into a law." JERSEY. FINAL TRIAL OF MARY LE °ENDRE FOR THE MURDER O _ __ _ MR. GEORGE LE CRONIER. - 'Before Sir John De Veulle, Bailiff, and Judges Eissolil Bertram, Le Couteur, Picot, Pelgue, Le Gallais, and Arthur.) The court was densely crowded. The accused, when placed at the bar, displayed unusual composure. Evidence having been adduced before the petty jury on the day previous, the prisoner was found guilty, and having claimed the benefit of trial by the grand jury, was finally found guilty of " voluntary homicide." The BAILIFF then proceeded, in a tone of much solemnity and deep feeling, to address the wretched woman at the bar. "Mary Le Noble," said the Bailiff, "you have been de clared by the grand jury guilty of voluntary homicide upon the person of the late Mr. George le Cronier, one of the Cell teniers of the parish, of St. Helier, and it is my duty to an nounce to you th a t, conformably to the conclusions' of the public prosecutor, you are condemned to transportation for the term of your natural life, to such place as it may please her Most Excellent Majesty in Council to direct, and that all your worldly goods (if you possess any) are declared confis cated to the Queen, or to the respective lord of the manor.' The prisoner, apparently unmoved, was then conducted to the vehicle which awaited her outside the Court, and thence to the gaol, amid the hootings and execrations of the crowds which everywhere thronged the streets through which she had to pass. . . _ A DESERTED VESSEL PICKED UP AT SEA.—On Monday, two fishermen from Eastbourne, while out in their boat in, the channel, discovered about tw en t y m il es from land a vessel of between 300 and 400 tons burden, and from her drifting about it was evident there was no one on board to manage her. They went on and found her entirely deserted. She was laden and apps' rently homeward-bound. On the return of the fisherman to East bourne, they gave information to Lloyd's agent, who came to Brighton, and with Mr. Black, our indefatigable and intelligent packet agent, proceeded to Shoreham, when the Magnet steam was dispatched at half-pa s t one yesterday morning on a voyage 0 t: discovery. She steered eastward, and in the evening was In the offing visible from our cliffs with a.vessel astern.—Brighton Guardian' SAGACITY OF A SPORTING DOG. During the late shooting season, some gentlemen in the neighbourhood of 4,0001 were returning after a good day's shooting, when, on passing a cover. a woodcock rose, but, not being prepared, or expecting to find game there, they took little notice of the bird. Not so, however, old Ranger, who, on hearing the rise, reared himself on his hind legs and marked him. The party were proceeding on, when, presently. the dog came up to the gentleman who had the gun, and jumping 111 ), tugged at the corner of his jacket. Not knowing the dog's meaning, he appealed to the owner of the dog—who was not carrying a gun-- to have it explained. The master told him to take no Notice, but go repeated the tug at the coat. The gentleman then turned and fol lowed the dog to a spot at soma distance, where he halted. The dog on, but Ranger was not to be diverted acunns i f n ro te m nti h y is , then watched the gentleman's gun and cocked the locks, and when ready he instantly sprang for gentleman of Naples, Prussia, ward to a bush anti rose the woodcock, which immediately fell to tho gentleman's gun.— Western Luminctry. The statue of the Emperor Francis, erected on the Kastell-platz at Vienna , prepared his is to be uncovered on the 16th of Jun* The Birmingham Peace Association have next. The Kin and Bavaria , present are to be at the ceremony. warded an address to the citizens of New York, signed ju b s y t their for chairman, Joseph Sturge, and earnestly remonstrating with them 0 11 the subject of the present dispute about Oregon, and urging th e friends of peace in that city to use all their influence to prevent vvLr• _______,-,----_---A------------ pvvuhripleosbe:and he again - BIRTHS. On the 19th of April, at Knockmullen Gorey, the lady of caPo d4t Richard Owe», R.N., of a son. On the 21st of April, in Osnaburgh-street, Regent's -park, the lady of R. S. Sisson, Eof a daughter. or On the 22d of April, at Gaurock House, Greenock, the lady Duncan Darrosk, Esq., jun., of a son. On the 24th of April the wife of Mr. Mosely, of Howland-street' Fitzroy-square, of a son. On the 26th o f April, at Rushton Rectory, Dorset, the wife of the Rev. Francis Smith, of a son. On the 27th of April, at Oxford-square, Hyde-pa r k, th e wi f e to W. Judd, Esq., of a daughter. ARR. On the 23th o f A pr il , at M St. J ohn' s, Fulham, the Rev. Arthur Mozley, of Eckington, Derbyshire, to Anna Eliza, second daug hter of Alfred John Kempe, Esq., of Fulham. On the 28th of April, Mr. William Fenner, to Isabella, the elder s urviving daughter of the late J ose ph H arr i ss, Esq., of Christ Chun... Surrey. DIE. On the 22d of April,at Norwich, D Lydia, the wife of John Tuiri' aged 55. A , A ne On the 28th of No vem b er l as t , at Sydney, New South Wales, s''.7o Eliza, wife of Adolphus William Young, Esq., High Sheriff of to colony. On the 16th of April, at Hudson, New York, United States, s° rtil America, Anne, widow of George Cadogan Morgan, Esq., aged 8 4 On the 16th of April, at Cheltenham, the Rev. William 3 1 ° r w - Whalley, incumbent of Waltham Abbey, aged 73. On the 2lst of April, at Weston-under-Penyard, Anne, relict of th e late Thomas Baynson, Esq. On the 24th of April, in High-street, Camden. town, Ro b° Pounds, Esq., aged 79. On the 25th of April, Jacob Henry Burnside, Esq., of La--' ""Wne place, aged 23. - - - On the 26th of April, at Tunbridge IPella, Alfred William 313 - Gregor, youngsst son of J. D. Fowles, Esq , of York-place, Portman' square. On the 26th of April, at Brentwood, Essex, T. Wright, Egi• On the 27th of April, Lndee Elizabeth, wife of W. B. Chadwick. On the 27th of April, Mr. Eugene Clifton, of CanonburY - W arr Islington. an On the 27th of April, in R egen t- s t reet, the Rev. Richard Q. Sb - non, Rector of Cloutnethan, Dublin. London: Printed and Publish e d b y br URDO YOUNG, of 112,,0t Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, N 0.112, Strand, the Pre of the Savoy, ia the County of ALtddleaes t Thu ndith 30, 1846. RAILWAYS (METROPOLIS). A " Copy of the Commission, and Instructions to the Com missioners, on Railways having or proposing to make Stations in the Metropolis." COPY OF THE COMMISSION. Victoria, by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, to our right trusty and well-beloved cousin and councillor Charles John Viscount Canning, our right trusty and right well-beloved cousin and councillor James Andrew Earl of Dalhousie, our right trusty and well. beloved John Johnson Lord Mayor of our city of London, our right trusty and well-beloved councillor John Charles Herries, and our trusty and well-beloved Sir John Mark Frederic Smith, Knight, Lieutenant-Colonel in our corps of engineers, greeting: Whereas an humble address has been presented to us by the knights, citizens, and burgesses, and commissioners of shires and burghs in Parliament assembled, humbly praying that we would be pleased to give directions for the appointment of a commission to investigate and report upon the various railway projects of which the termini are proposed to be established within or in the immediate vicinity of the metro polis : Now know ye, that we, reposing great trust and con fidence in your zeal and ability, have authorised and ap pointed, and do by these presents authorise and appoint you the said Charles John Viscount Canning, James Andrew Earl of Dalhousie, John Johnson, John Charles Herries, and Sir John Mark Frederic Smith, or any three or more of you, to be our commissioners for the purpose aforesaid : and for the purpose of enabling you our commissioners to form a sound judgment on the premises, we do hereby authorise and empower you, or any three or more of you, to call before you all such persons as you may judge most competent, by reason of their situation, knowledge, or experience, to affo r d you correct information on the subjects of this inquiry: And also to require the production of all books, documents, papers, and returns which may appear to you, or any three or more of you, admixed to assist your researches in the execution of the trust hereby reposed in you: And we do also give and grant unto you, or any three or more of you, full power and authority, when the same shall appear to be requisite, to administer an oath or oaths to any person or persons what soever, to be examined before you, or any three or more of you, touching or concerning the premises : And we do com mand and require you to report to us, in writing, under your hands and seals as soon as the same can reasona bl y b e, you r several proceedings by virtue of this our commission, toge ther with your opinion on the matter which you are hereby required to take into your consideration : And we will and command that this our commission shall continue in full orce and virtue, and that you our said commissioners, or any three or more of you, may.from time to time proceed in the execution thereof, and of every matter and thing therein contained, although the same be not continued from time to time by adjournment: And we do hereby command all and singular our justices of the peace, sheriffs, mayors, bailiffs, constables, officers, ministers, and all our lo v i ng su bj ec ts whatsoever, as well withi n liberties as without, that they be assistant to 3ou and each of you in execution of these pre sents. In witness whereof we have caused these our letters to be made patent. Witness, ourself at Westminster, the second day of April, in the ninth year of our reign. L. EDMUNDS, Clerk of the Crown. Crown-office, April 18, 1846. COPY OF THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE COMMISSIONERS. To the Commissioners for Inquiring into the various Railway Projects of which the Termini are proposed to be estab lished in or near the Metropolis. Whitehall, April 8, 1846. My Lords and Gentlemen,—Her Majesty having been pleased to appoint you commissioners for the purpose of in vestigating and reporting upon the various railway projects, the proposed termini of which, according to the schemes now before Parliament, would be situate within or in the imme diate vicinity of the metropolis, I am command e d t o s i gn ify to you her Majesty's furth er pleasure, that you direct your attention to such portions of the several projects or Bills novr before Parliament, for railways within the limits hereinafter described. It will be your especial duty to consider whether the ex tension of railways into the centre of the metropolis is cal culated to afford such additional convenience or benefit to the public as will compensate for the sacrifice of property, the/ interruption of important thoroughfares, and the interference with plans of improvement already suggested, which may' probably result from such extension. The limits to which the attention of the commission should be confined may be thus specified, viz. :—The Edgware-road. from Oxford-street to the intersection of the New-road ; the New-road and City-road to Finsbury-square ; Bishopsgate street ; London-bridge; High-street, Borough; Blackman street ; Borough -road ; Lambeth-road ; Vauxhall-road ; Vauxhall-bridge ; Vauxhall-bridge-road, Grosvenor-place, and Park-lane.—I have, &c., (Signed) J. R. G. GRAHAM. RAILWAY LEGISLATION: The following protest against the new sessional orders has been entered by Lord Radnor upon the journals of the House of Lords:— "1. Because I think it is umeemly, impolitic, and of bad example, that the House should, to meet the supposed emer gency of a particular case, alter by ex-post-facto resolutions its own established regulations, and thus enable certain par ties to violate engagements which others had entered into with them on the faith of those regulations. "2. Because such a proceeding impairs (if it does not totally destroy) the confidence winch should be reposed on: the regulations of this House. "3. Because the real purport and ultimate effect of these resolutions are not to bring about any public or national ob' ject, connected with the construction of the proposed rail ways, but gratuitously to relieve parties (whether companies or private individuals) from engagements which they have wantonly and heedlessly contracted. " 4. Because if it were expedient to put an end to these engagements, the responsibility and onus of taking the neces° sary steps for that purpose should be left to the parties them selves, and not be undertaken by the House. " 5. Because the House thus goes out of its way to inter pose in, and intermeddle with, the affairs of private parties. " 6. Because, in truth, the parties intended thus to be re lieved have in many cases incurred their responsibilities without any view to the public good, but merely in the spirit of reckless gambling, for their own private gain, and have, therefore, no claim to so unusual an interposition on their behalf. " 7. Because the House thus holds out an expectation that on future similar occasions it may be induced to afford similar relief; and thus, if it does not directly encourage such a spirit, it does not discourage it, or throw such stigma on it as according to every principle of sound policy' and good morals it is bound to do.