The Sun. — London, England, 1846-03-10 00:00:00

.‘ RAI LWAY COMMITTEES. I (YESTERDAY.) Sub-Committee No. 1. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.). TliZ EAST AND WEST-INDIA DOCKS, AND BIRMINGHAM 3UNCTION. This adjourned case was the next called on. The CHAIRMAN said that with regard to the allegations which had been submitted to the Committee on a former day, as to the powers proposed to be taken by the Birmingham Company to borrow 300,0001. for carrying out the works, the standing orders bad not been complied with, inasmuch as the promoters had not given rroper notice of applying fo7 such intended power. In another instance, also, where the sum of 5a,0001. was proposed to be raised, the standing orders had not been complied with on the same grounds. Several allegations of an unimportant nature were then sub mitted, but many of them were overruled and a few sus tained. Another allegation was sustained inasmuch as the section did not show the lines of rails in junctimi with the Birming ham line at Camden-town, where it stopped short, not show ing the building of the existing line at that point. - Several allegations were abandoned. The Committee decided that the standing orders had not been complied with in the instances sustained. The Committee then adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow. Sub •Committee No. 2. This Committee met to-day at the usual hour. Present, Sir J. Y. Buller; Messrs. Kemble, Bcll, and Bramstone. MriTERPOOL AND LEEDS DIRECT. - There were several petitions against this Bill, namely from Messrs. Armitage, York, Budd, I. B. Hollins, three from certain owners and occupiers of 14nd along the line, and one from the trustees of the Whitehall turnpike road. Mr. Parkes appeared in support of the petitions, and Mr. Pritt on behalf of the promoters of the Bill. It being half-past three o'clock when the Committee en tered upon the consideration of this Bill, there was only time to enumerate the several petitions, and to proceed with a portion of the formal evidence. The object of the Bill was to form a communication from Liverpool to Leeds; the length of the line was 33 miles, and the cost of the undertaking 300,0001. The Committee adjourned at four o'clock till twelve o'clock to-morrew. Sub-Committee No. 6. LONDON AND BUL7.Y/INGHAM (EIRMING HA2YI EXTENSION). (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) All the evidence, with the exception of that of Mr. Earle, having been heard, the case was postponed until that gentle man was forthcoming. LEICZSTEIZ 4-IND IMERIVIINGHABT. This was a postponed case from last Thursday. The object of the Bill is the construction of a line of rail way from Leicester to Birmingham. The length of the line is thirty miles, and the cost 570,0001. Engineer, C. Vignolles, Esq.; agents, Messrs. Burke and Co.; solicitor, L. S. Baxter, Esq., Atherstone. Standing orders complied with. SHEFFIELD AND xarrcomNsimm EX- TENSION. The agent to this Bill applied to the Committee for leave to tender the evidence of a witness who was obliged to leave town immediately on important business. The Committee complied with the request, but the cae was not further pro ceeded with, inasmuch as it stood lower down on the list. EAST COAST (No. XX, It is intended by the promoters Of this Bill to construct a railway communication between Lynn and Boston, with branches from Holbeach to Spalding, and from Long Sutton to Wisbeach. _ _ The length, including the branches, is 45-1 miles, the esti. mated cost 500,0001., and the amount subscribed 399,000/. Parliamentary agent, Mr. Webster; engineer, H. H. Tul. ton, Esq. Standing orders complied with. The Committee then adjourned until twelve o'clock to , morrow. STANDING ORDERS' COMMITTEE. HOUSE OF LORDS. :(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) r; GREAT LEINSTER AND MUNSTER RAILWAY. After hearing the usual evidence, The Committee reported that in this case the standing orders had been complied with. THE CARLOW TO KILKENNY AND KILKENNY TO CLONMEL RAILWAYS Were also reported to have fulfilled the standing orders. WATERFORD AND TRAMORE The Committee, after a lengthened examination of wit nesses, decided that in this case the standing orders had also been complied with. The Committee adjourned at half-past four o'clock. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—Durham, March 7. ... . . This being the commission-day at York, Mr. Justice Cole ridge left Durham at two o'clock, and proceeded to York for the purpose of opening the commission. Mr. Justice Patte son remained for the purpose of disposing of the few cases remaining in the calendar. Anthony Headlam was indicted for wilfully setting fire to a certain dwelling-house at Gateshead, certain persons being therein. In another count he was charged with setting fire to a house with intent to defraud and injure William Harri son. In a third, the intent was laid to defraud and injure John Lister, his landlord. _ _ _ _ Mr. Matthews and Mr. Pashley conducted the prosecu tion ; the prisoner was defended by Mr. Segeant Wilkins. The prisoner, it appeared, is a bricklayer, and also at the time of this occurrence kept a public-house adjoining the High-street of Gateshead. His house formed part of a larger tenement, and consisted of three rooms on the ground floor. Adjoining was a shop occupied by William Harrison, a butcher, who also had in his possession the rooms above, which were occupied as a dwelling-house. The access to these rooms was by a staircase which projected into that part occupied by the prisoner. Under the first flight was a coal cellar used by the prisoner, and under the return flight was another cellar forming part of Mr. Harri son's holding, the two being divided by a thin brick parti tion, which, at the time of this occurrence, was in a rather dilapidated state. To the side of this partition which ad joined the prisoner's cellar was attached a wooden screen or brattice, the cellar having at one time been apparently used for a pantry. On the night of the Ist of August last, about 11 o'clock, the prisoner was seen to open the door of the house with a key, and go in. There were at that time no other persons in the house, his wife being in custody for nonpay ment of a fine which had been imposed upon her for an as sault, on which occasion Mrs. Harrison had been one of the witnesses. He came out in five or six minutes and spoke to some persons whom he met in the street, asking them if they had seen his dog. He then went down the High. street. Mr. Harrison it appeared had retired to rest about 11 o'clock. There had been a fire in Newcastle on the opposite side of the Tyne, and he had been engaged looking at it, so as to be up rather beyond his usual hour. He had been in bed about 20 minutes, when he was awakened by a noise as of the crackling of sticks, and getting up went down stairs. He was then able to see through the cracks in the stairs that there was a blaze in the pri soner's coal-cellar, and he immediately gave the alarm. He enlarged a hole in the brick partition. and then saw flames rising from some stick?, which had been piled on the top of a gridiron, and which adjoined the wooden brattice at the lower part of the wall. This was on fire. He got some water in a quart pit, and succeeded in putting it out. In the meantime the prisoner, it appeared, had been in Swan street, and an alarm of fire being given, he went in the direc tion indicated in company with a policeman, with whom he was in conversation at the time, and found it was his own house in which the fire was. He opened the door, and he, the policeman, and several others, went in just at the time that Mr. Harrison had nearly succeeded in extinguishing the flames. According to the statement of the policeman, there was hardly anything in the house, and Mr. Harrison having charged the prisoner with setting fire to his house, he was taken into custody. The prisoner alleged that he had that evening had a red herring for his supper, and, after broiling it, put the gridiron in the coal• cellar. He then went out, and came back shortly after and went in as the witnesses h>id deßribed. He called the dog. but could not find him. He then went down the street, to inquire for him at a friend', , , whose house, however, he found shut up; and on his return to his house stopped to speak to a policeman, when he heard the alarm of tire. Mr. Justice PATTs , ox was of opinion that the prisoner could not be found guilty on the counts alleging a setting fire to a dwelling-house, .persons being therein ; inasmuch as Harrison's house, which was a separate one. had not been on fire. On the other counts the prisoner was acquitted on the merits. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HOUSE. A young man named John O'Flaherty was brought before the Lord M.,yar upon the charge of having forged a letter, purporting to be an application to the Comntroller-General of the Coast Guard for an appointment for him by Sir Valen tine Blake, Bart., M.P. Mr. Phipps Hornby, Comptroller-General of the Coast Guard, and Captain in the Royal Navy, stated that a letter, purporting to he written by Sir Valentine Blake, was brought to him on Monday last while be was in his office at the Custom-house, and he was informed that a person was wilting. The person, who proved to be the prisoner, entered being called, and in answer to questions put by witness, sa V . a i. i l t,. lievr as the man w h o b roug h t t h e l etter, and whom Sir ne Blake recommended to a situation in the Coast wellGuard,_tnetriat he WBB a nat i ve of the town of Galway, and I oto Sir Valentine Blake, and that he had been oc • caaionally employed both in the Customs' duty and in the coast guard of that tlowornciin off and on, for the period of five years. The v cir cumstance of his th at h e the lett er , an d th e stating that he had been employed by the coast guard of Galway, c onvinced witness that he was an impostor. Witnes3. therefore wrote to Sir Valenti ne Blake npon the subject, and received aznowledge whateveryersation which answer from that gentleman denying th a t h e had any of Mr. O'Flaherty. In th e course of the took pine on Monday w ee k, t h e prisonere that he lived that inquiry at No. 30, in the Strand, atiildimw,i andtnetitloalilBh7.elltrliv if v as to ttohcall on the 11 should be made respecting the following Monday at the Custom-house, time he should hear nothing from witness. The prisoner called accordingly on the appointed day, and was taken into custody. The letter alleged to be a forgery was here read. It had all the evidences of being the production of a person who had not received a charity school education, although it desig nated the individual whom it recommended as a good scholar and an excellent young man. The following was the note which Mr. Hornby received from Sir Valentine Blake, in reply to his inquiry about the prisoner : " 154, Oxford-street, March 3, 1846. " Sir Valentine Blake presents his compliments to Captain Hornby, and begs leave to inform him that the letter which he inclosed to Sir Valentine is a forgery, and that Sir Valen tine never heard of the individual who wrote in his name to himself as a fit and pr o per person to serve in f a T; g fr. - • uard. Sir Valentine thi n k s it r i g ht f urt h er t o I.:trhat is at present unable, from indisposition, to use his right , and is therefore obliged to employ an amanuensis.' The l i ctx-D iYou—Prisoner, do you wish to ask Mr. Hornbr any. stions? The prisoner —I can produce wit , nesses from, ay, where my family resides, that lam a respeetablit pa n, and•that I never committed myself before. The Lortp IiASOR—Sir Valentine Blake, you see, denies that-, he rite the letter you presented to Mr. Hornby, and !Ns says that he knows nothing at all about you. The prisoner .—I knew he did not write the letter. The Lout) 31.1.vort—you don't pretend that he authorised you to write the letter ? The prisoner—No, he did not au thorise me, but he knows well my family, and that I am re spectable. He signed a memorial to the Lords of the Trea sury for a place for me, and I have the answer from the Treasury, saying they regretted that there was no vacancy. The LORD MAYOR -But that did not justify your conduct ~~ in writing the recommendation. The prisoner—Sir Valen tine Blake knows me well, and he knows that he ought to do what he could to procure me a situation. I never com mitted an offence before in my life, and I intend never to commit another. The LORD MAYOR—My colleague, Alderman Musgrove, and I are of opinion that you have committed a very grave offence, and that we are bound (in order to warn others who may be disposed to try similar experiments to inflict the penalty of 201. upon you, and if you do not pay that fine, to imprison you for one month, where you will undergo hard labour. The prisoner said he had no doubt that his friends would pay the penalty when they should hear of the circumstances. The LORD MAYOR—You can apply to them as soon as you please. Captain Hornby is by no means ii. i uencel by any vindictive feelings tow ards you.—Commi , Sir P. Laurie handed a letter to the Lo ' • or, which he had received from Ireland, and from whit., i e said, it ap peared that Joseph Ady had struck out a new plan of 4recom mending applications to himself for news about pecuniary claims which he alone was cognizant of. be letter which inclosed one of Ady's circulars, ins-Wag son addressed to accept aco Isulerable sum f money u e payment of a single pound, was as follows : " No. 2, Sussex-place, Kingstown, and 150, Capel-street, Dublin. "To the Right Hon. Sir Peter Laurie, Lord Mayor of London. "My Lord,—l have just received the inclosed letter. The writer is unknown to me. Mar I beg your Lordship's reply if you know anything of it, as I would go to London in that case, if necessary. I can only say, about six months since a person called on me in Capel-street, at my office, and said a property was left me by a person in Germany, but I have not since had any communication on the matter. I have lived is Capel-street for the last thirty-three years, in the spirit trade. I now live in Kingstown, but have the Capel-street trade yet. I hope this trouble will be excused by your Lord ship, having so many things to mind. " I remain, my Lord, your obedient servant, " CHARLES KENNEDY," The LORD MAYOR said, that if it could be ptoved that the person who called upon Sir Peter's correspondent was an ac cessory of Mr. Ady's, the ease would be a clear case of con spiracy. His Lordship stated, that the extensive exposure of Ady did not seem to operate as successfully as was ex pected amongst the public, for letters poured in daily from various parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland, soliciting information about him from the chief magistrate. It is believed that a prosecution will in a short time be in stituted against Ady in a quarter from which he apprehended but little danger, and that the circumstance to which it refers took place some months ago. WORSHIP-STREET. Mr. John Rofe, a middle-aged man, of respectable appear ance, described as a commercial clerk, and residing at No. 41, Roxton-square, was placed at the bar before Mr. Brough ton, charged with cutting and wounding his son, a youth 15 years of age, with intent to murder him. Edwin Rofe, a very intelligent lad, whose hand and throat were bound up with adhesive plaster, stated, that his mother had been dead about four years, and that he and his brother and sister, who are both younger than himself, re sided with their father at the above address. On Friday night he and his brother retired to rest at 11 o'clock, in a back room on the second floor, and between 5 and 6 on the following morning he was awoke by some person's arm round the back of his neck, and felt the edge of a sharp in strument being drawn across his throat. He instantly started up, and observing the prisoner bending over him with a razor in his hand, called out " Oh, father, what are you doing? Do you intend to kill me?" and at the same time seized the blade of the weapon, and bent it downwards, in doing which he received a severe cut in the hand. The pri soner on this dropped the razor upon the bed, and exclaim ing, "Oh, God, what have I been doing!" asked to examine his throat, and on seeing that it was bleeding, burst into tears, and kissing him and his brother very affectionately hurried into his own room. On the family coming down to breakfast, the prisoner expressed the greatest horror at the act he had attempted to commit, and having procured some strapping, dressed the wounds he had inflicted in the wit ness s throat and hand, .and both of which were fortunately not of a dangerous description. In answer to the magis trates questions, the youth further stated, that his father had for a considerable time past been labouring under ex treme despondency in consequence of pecuniary difficulties and inability to procure employment. He had at length succeeded in obtaining a situation about four days pre viously, but had up to then been obliged to turn his acquired talents to account, by giving instruction in music and draw ing, in both of which he was a proficient, to the members of several respectable families, among which was that of Dr. Alexander, the late Bishop of Jerusalem. Mr. BROUGHTON having asked him if he wished to put any questions to his son, the prisoner, in a tone of deep melancholy, replied, "Ne ; all he has stated is perfectly correct." Urban John Rofe, the prisoner's younger son, was then examined, and stated, that he was awoke by his brother's screams for assistance, and, seeing a man in the twilight stooping over him with a razor in his hand, the witness in stantly leaped out of bed and ran down stairs to seek his father; but finding his apartment empty was returning to his own room, when he heard his father's voice inside, and immediately awoke his sister, desiring her to get up, as his father was murdering them. On again entering the room he found the prisoner, who had flung himself upon the bed, expressing the greatest penitence for the attempt he had made upon his brother's life, and his sister having bound up the wound in the boy's throat, which was bleeding, with a handkerchief, his father embraced all the children and left them, but was wandering about the house all the next evening in a state of distraction. Sergeant Dubois said, that shortly before two o'clock the preceding morning one of the prisoner's neighbours came to the Robert-street station, and having apprised him of the occur rence, he repaired to the house of the prisoner, the don of which was partly open, but secured by a chain. Hearing the sound of footsteps pacing hurriedly about up-stairs, he called several times for admittance, without receiving an answer ; but the prisoner having at length presented himself at the door, undressed and with his stockings in his hand, he told him he was apprehensive that thieves were in the house and insisted upon searching the place. The pri soner on this readily admitted him, and having dressed himself accompanied him to the police-station, on the road to which he acquainted him with the nature of the charge against him, and the prisoner made no reply. Witness after.. wards returned to the prisoner's house, and asked the eldest of the boys for the razor his father had u.ed, but it appeared that the prisoner had replaced it in a box with seven or eight others, and the youth could not select it. The prisoner's daughter, he ascertained, had been removed that night to the house of one of the neighbours, who was apprehensive that something fatal would ensue from the prisoner's violence, and both of the sons had been fastened in the bed-room by their sister, before she left, to insure their safety. The prisoner, who had remained with his facebnried in his hands, and seemed in a state of stupefaction, was then asked by the magistrate if he wished to make any observation, and in a voice which was scarcely audible, and delivered with r spasmodic effort, he replied that his mind had been long filled with such horrible images that he was not aware of what he did. Mr. W. Gill, a relative of the prisoner, said that the ac cused was a person of most exemplary character and habits, but he was satisfied that his intellect had latterly become impaired from the pressure of pecuniary difficulties and in ability to obtain a respectable situation. Mr. J. Pearson,. an upholsterer, deposed to having several times rendered the prisoner temporary assistance, and, after speaking in the highest terms of him, also expressed his conviction that the prisoner's mind had been shaken lsy his misfortunes. Mr. BROUGHTON said it was certainly a most melanchol7 case. It was manifest, from the description given by his children, that the prisoner, so far from entertaining ally malice, had the warmest affection for them, and though he entertained no doubt the accused was labouring under a species of monomania, amounting to partial insanity, that was a subject wholly for the consideration of a jury, and it was, therefore, his painful duty to commit him for trial for the attempted murder of his son, when, should insanity be satisfactorily established, it would remain for the Crown to adopt such a course as would insure his own safety, together with that of his unfortunate family. The Magistrate then ordered the depositions to be taken on Wednesday next, and the unhappy man was led out of the duck in a state of utter bewilderment, and apparently almost unconscious of all that was passing around him. SOUTH WA George Robert Sizmur, a well-dressed man with a large quantity of dark curly hair hanging down on his shoulders, was charged with committing an indecent assault on Enoch Hine, a shoemaker's apprentice. The complainant, a youth of fifteen years of age, was sent with a message to the prisoner's house, 75, Freesehool-street, Horsydowa, on Saturday last. The prisoner invited the lad into his parlour, and while there exhibited to him some pictures of a most disgusting nature. The boy, ashamed of what had been shown to him, was about to leave the apart ment, when he was detained by the prisoner, who subse quently behaved towards him in a manner totally unfit to mention, and which had the effect of frightening him to that degree that he ran out of the house. When the lad got home, his master could perceive by his appearence that something had happened to him; and when he was ques tioned, although he was at first ashamed to tell, he after wards described the particulars of the gross and immoral behaviour of the prisoner. The boy's master, on being made acquainted with the circumstance, gave information to the police, and the prisoner was subsequently taken into custody. The prisoner denied the boy's statement, and declared it was a tissue of falsehoods from beginning to end ; that he was willing to have his home searched to see if there were any such pictures as those described by the lad; amd that he (prisoner) was satisfied to bear the stigma if any such were found ; that he had always supported a good character, and that when he was informed of the nature of the charge the boy brought against him, he was conli6ent that had he been within his reach at the time he would have murdered him. However, as it was, be was now glad that the com• plainant had escaped his vengeance, and he again repeated the utter groundlessness of the accusation. The boy's master was called, and he gave him a most ex cellent character —that his behaviour was always most proper, and that while his apprentice he never knew him to utter a falsehood. The prisoner said that a married woman lodged in his house, who was present at the time of the alleged assault, and she would prove his innocence. The woman alluded to was called, but she failed in bear ing out the truth of the prisoner's assertion. Mr. CoTTLIGHAM said, that from the demeanour of the boy, and the manner in which he gate his evidence before him, he was convinced he had spoken the truth. Th at the pris oner ' s conduct was of that disgusting character, that he should have committed him for trial had he not been im pressed with the opinion that it was better to deal summarily do such offenders, than t o h ave th e ear s o f th e pu bli c pol teed by . the repetition of the evidence in another Court. b T e h s d rn es a a g c t i lt u r , a i 6 te in g then inflicted tteetri into t fi o n of owns/. on the recognizancepriso fir 50/. and find two sureties of 25/. each to keep the peace, and be of good behaviour. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. fIOUSE OF LORDS, March 9. Their Lordships met to- day at Five o'clock. MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS. A messenger from the House of Commons brought up several Bills. PROTECTION TO AGRICULTURE. The Earl of STRADBROKE presented several peti tions from places in Staffordshire in favour of protection to agriculture, and against the Government measures. They complained that the attempt now made to re peal the corn-laws was a breach of faith with the agricultural interest, as the measure of. 1842 was re 7 presented to be a final settlement of the question. They also complained of the compensation proposed, which they considered altogether inadequate. The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from the hop growers of the county of Sussex against the measures proposed by the Government, which the peti tioners stated would be ruinous to their interests. The Noble Duke likewise presented upwards of thirty peti tions from the county of Derby, praying that protection to native industry might not be withdrawn. He also pre sented petitions to the same effect from different places in Devonshire. ,EDCLIPF CHURCH. —it g' t nt h s aoat of dismissal. are . 3.- esnus ireasure to learn a zicliff has been thrown ________________,.......,...._____ that the noble church of St. At t iv r order of the no't allowed to open for inspection to the public; vicar and churchwardens, the attendpaani receive any fee for admission, upon lovers of " sublime and beautiful" in art, and the connoisseurs The in ecclesiastical architecture, have thus an oppco)rntnoisseurs visiting'an edifice pronounced by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth to to be "one efthe most famous, absolute, fairest, and goodliest parish churches within the realm of England." The room where Chatterton affirmed that he discovered the Rowleian M.S S , and indeed all portions of the edifice, are open to in spection, with the exception of the tower and. spire, which, from their dilapidated state, it is dangerous to ascend. At the same time we may remark that those who visit the church, and who will probably be struck with a feeling of sorrow at witnessing the breaches which time has made in the sacred edifice, will have an opportunity afforded them of voluntarily contributing, according to their means, to its repair. The churchwardens, committee, and all who have taken part in the restoration of itedcliff-Aurcb, deserve great credit for the zealous and indefatigable manner in which they have laboured , to effect that object ; and the throwing open the church to the public is in harmony with the spirit which has throughout 1 animated their proceedings.—Bristol Mercury. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVEN NG. MARCH 10, 1848. Ireland as in England. The practice of the Court of Queen's Bench, in his opinion, ought to be made gene ral, and he would, therefore, submit this point to the consideration of her Majesty's Government. With regard to the 20th clause, he had every objection to its becoming a part of the Bill, for it appeared to him that it should not be a local or temporary Act. It was one of the greatest offences which could be committed, and he did not see why they should have the odium of making it a particular instead of a general Act. He had great regret in, finding that partioular circumstances rendered it necessary that it should be applicable to any part of the United Kingdom ; but he submitted that it was an offence which should be made the subject not of a particular but of a general law. He also felt that the punishment of trans portation was one which ought not to be lightly in flicted. Lord BROUGHAM agreed with some of the obser vations made by the Noble Lord who had just sat down, and be especially agreed in every opinion he bad expressed that the law should be general, nut particular. He would not now refer to his own amendments, but would come to the punishment of tran‹portation. Now, he denied that the punishment of transportation was one inflicted for a light offence. In the first place the case was one where a discretionary power was given to the Judge who should try the pri soner, and it could not be inflicted unless the individual apprehended was arrested under suspi cious" circumstances. To be convicted even then, it must be proved to the satisfaction of a jury that . the individual was out not on a lawful occasion. Unless the jury were satisfied that such was the fact they could not act on it. It had been said that there would be no possibility of a party droving the lawfulness of the occasion on which ho was out, but it was not from being out that a man would be taken up because he would not be under any apprehension unless in a dititrict that had been proclaimed, and in such a district nothing could be easier than for a man to provide himself with evidence by which to prove the lawfulness of the occa sion.—(flear, hear.) The fact of a man beine *at merely, would not be sufficient to warrant h's arrest ; but if a man were found with a pistol, or a bludgeon, or a dagger, and with a band of fifty others, then indeed he would be liable to be arrested, and should account for himself. Why, the fact of being out with others under such el:- curnstances, would render any individual liable to the imputation of being out for treasonable purposes. Me did not mean to say that this being out would amount to a treasonable act, but he could not but say that many a lesser act had amounted to rebellion against the Queen's authority. The individual charged was not to be liable to transportation for being out at night, but for being so under suspicious circumstances. He was glad, however, that in consequence of the suggestion of his Noble Friend the duration of the Act was to be confined for three years. He thought there was very good reason assi g ned for such a d ec ision of the Legi s l a t ure , f or if th e Act was sufficient for the purpose, the sooner it was repealed the better, and if it were insufficient for that object they would then have it in their power to provide a more efficient remedy for the subject. Earl GREY could not help believing that the Noble and Learned Lord who had just sat down had entirely misapprehended not only his own motion but the amend ment of the Lord Chief Justice. He thought the Noble and Learned Lord had conceived that the fact of au individual being out at night was a far more serious offence than it was ; and unless there was also the ad dition of very suspicious circumstances, the serious sen tence of transportation was far too grave for the offence. Now it was very easy to create suspicious circumstances where they never existed. A man might go out under the pretence of meeting a friend, whereas, his real ob ject might be to join a party of Whiteboys. Another might go out with th e real intention, it might be, to commit an act of Whiteboyism ; and he thought it was too heavy a punishment to subject a man to trans portation for a mere act of thoughtlessness, aad for leaving after nightfall the miserable cabin to which during twelve or sixteen hours they confined him. The more he considered the subject the more he felt it con trary to justice that so heavy a punishment should be given to so slight an offence. They might say that it would not be a slight offence if a man were found out at night with a pistol and a dagger in his pocket, and evidently going to the commission of some offence. If he was taken up there could be no difficulty in providing that, he should be searched, and if he was found to be armed or disguised, it would be easy to make that a se parate offence by a clause to that effect. It was not just that so severe a punishment should be given equally to men guilty of a serious offence and men only guilty of a breach of police regulation. He had been surprised at the way in which the Noble Lord had bolstered up his view of the case, but while he had had the honour of s seat in that or the other Howe, he had never seen so slight an offence visited with a heavy punishment. Lord BROUGHAM said, that if the Noble Lord lived much longer, he would see much stranger things. He had taken to himself all the credit of the proposi tion of the Lord Chief Justice, but he should remember while he was talking of heavy punishments for slight offences, that for the venial offence of being out after sunset he had proposed that a man should be imprisoned for three years. Earl ST. GERMANS suggested that the discussion of the measure should be postponed until to-morrow, when several amendments would have to be taken into consideration. The Noble Lord, while complaining of the power given to the Lord Lieutenant, had proposed to give him a larger discretionary power than the Bill as it, at present stood allowed him. It seemed to him that the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland might take, upon his own responsibility, the power of proclaiming any par ticular district ; and he thought it was a sufficient limit ation that he could not proclaim any district in which the crime of murder, or a crime approaching to murder, had not been committed. He confessed, then, that he did not see the advantage of adopting the suggestion made by the Noble and Learned Lord ; but he at the same time was free to confess that he would like to see the amendment which the Noble and Learned Lord proposed on the subject. With regard to changing the venue, he had taken the liberty of suggesting to the Noble and Learned Lord on the woolsack to witodraw his amendment, because be considered that the matter called for the general consideration of Parliament, whether they should not make this a general measure, as he was convinced that the amendment did not do justice to this important subject. With regard to the 20th clause, he coincided in the opinion expressed by the Noble Lord, and if the Bill whicla the Noble and Learned Lord had introduced were passed this session, he should altogether agree with him that there was no necessity for this clause. But they all knew that the passing of any measure through both Houses of Par liament in the course of a session was a matter of great uncertainty, and therefore he thought it better that the 20th clause should be allowed to remain in the Bill. With regard to transportation, he also agreed in a con siderable degree with the Noble and Learned Lord. The Noble Earl who sat opposite had drawn a very forcible picture in his speech the other evening, and he lad been so much pleased with his own performance that be had again presented the same picture to them. He had presented a picture of an innocent man, who had been out after sunset for the purpose of seeing a sick friend, and of a guilty man, who had used the same pre text, but had been really out for the purpose of joining a party. The Noble Earl asked if it would not be very hard to transport the innocent man who had been found out under such circumstance., but in his conscience he (Earl St. Germans) believed that the Noble Earl's own amendment of three years with bard labour, was much worse than seven years' transportation. He to a certain extent agreed with what had fallen from the Noble Lord, for he had supported the alteration of the clause to the form in which it now stood. He also concurred in the observations of the Noble and Learned Lord (Denman), in regard to the introduction of his Bill, and would be happy to see what he wanted done in the present session. Lord STRADBROKE made a few observations, which were perfectly inaudible. Lord CAMPBELL would support the Bill of the Noble and Learned Lord (Lord Denman). Its object was to prevent the intimidation of juries and witnesses ; and any person who was guilty of such an offence, in his (Lord Campell's) opinion, deserved transportation. It was a Bill that ought to be made a permanent law, and applied to every part of the United Kingdom. He re- . joiced that he had the concurrence of the high authority of his Lordship in the objections he (Lord Campbell) had made to the Government Bill. He had al--o to com plain that important amendments, which had been agreed to on Friday night last, on two clauses, and that one especially where " suspicious circumstances" had been agreed to be inserted, were not to be found in the Bill as it now appeared. In neither the one clause nor the other did these amendments appear. The 21st clause also had been amended, but the alteration had not been made. Earl ST. GERMANS intimated that it was an omission in one case, and that the other clause bad been postponed. to know that there Lord CAMPBELL was happy wa' a mistake, as he felt much annoyed that the Bill did tnoo; Noble a p H p g e ett a r r ih w we pi who e h od h t h at e dh a sj amendments na w .e io c e h uel ed h a bni d e d e t t e ee n n hd a y g e d r et to. These oe. These suggestions entirely agreed with those which h e e ( e L s o , r i (Lord oa f Campbell) ew d ay days had g e m . a What h w e when e h n e the elo s B t . e l xi wasoo anxiously underw ished for was an amendment in reference to the change of venue. No doubt it would be very desirable that in cer tain cases the venue should be changed, but then would be only fair that the prisoner should have the ad vantage of being able to avail himself of this privilege as well as the prosecutor ; and it would also be very de sirable that the power of changing the venue should be vested in the Court of Queen's Bench, before which good cause should be shown before the change was made. The LORD CHANCELLOR said it was quite apparent that the Noble and Learned Lord who theh had just sat e down, the pwasropnoostalin of the th H e ous a e m u e p e o d n . meat to which he had alluded, or he would not have addressed the observation that had fallen from him to the House. He (the Lord Chancellor) en tirely concurred in the necessity for this Bill, and therefore he would give it his most hearty support. He begged to remind his Noble and Learned Friend that a similar Bill, introduced by him three years ago, had a clause in it condemning a person convicted of being out at night to three years' imprisonment, and he was to be tried, not by the ordinary courts of law, but by a court martial.—(Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord talked of the limits of discretion, and he said that they might impose an imprisonment of three or four years for lighter offences ; that they should limit the punishment in all grave cases to seven years' transportation. Now he con ceiver, that the law in this country was carried out with i leniency an d great di scret i on ; and he thought that t I might be safely left to the ordinary functions of the law to understand with what severity they should visit the offenders w h o m i g h t b e b roug ht befcre them, whether for the simple offence of being out at night, or whether out, not armed, with what are called weapons, but in struments of husbandry, that he thought would meet the objections of the Noble, Duke on the cross benches, whose observations would always be entitled to the utmost consideration and received with the utmost re- spect. But he believed that the remarks had been fully answered ; and he, therefore, proposed to bring up the reports as soon as possible; not to-morrow, but Thurs day, or Friday at the latest. The Duke of RICHMOND said, he gave an unwill ing support to the Bill ; but he did not like to see the postponement of it, for the purpose of making it more palatable to the House, and he hoped the measure would not be made more stringent than was absolutely neces sary to meet the state of Ireland. Earl St. GERMANS quite agreed with the Noble Duke, that the provisions of the Bill should not be more stringent than the state of crime in Ireland de manded ; and he was as anxious as any one to snake it meet the preseot exigencies, without, if possible, in fringing the liberty of the subject. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said that if the Bill was necessary, no time should be lost in carryints, it through the House. and if unnecessary, he thought the Government should not have brought it forward; and it so he would very much regret the vote he gave the other evening, which vote he gave because he felt that the whole of the arguments brought forward were fully sustained on that occasion—otherwise the measure should not have received the sanction of his vote. He gave his vote for the protection of that party who seemed to be left out of consideration altogether -the innocent people who were oppressed, and , hose liberties and whose lives were safe neither night nor day in those disturbed districts of Ireland, where crime was so common and so difficult to put down. He could prove, from evidence he received that day— he di l not like to name names, fur it was very well known it was not safe to do so—and their Lordships he was sure would not require him to do so— that in a considerable town in Ireland there were per sons employed in the bank, who were obliged to take exercise at an early hour, because they were afraid to remain in the town after nightfall. With such a state of things no other measure ought to interfere, and he thought the Government were bound to prosecute the present Bill, and let no measure in the other House interfere with such a Bill as the one before their Lord ships. He regretted it should be found necessary (if it was necessary) to proceed with such a measure, but the Government were responsible for the protection of the property and lives of her Majesty's subjects in Ireland, and were bound to act in the best way to meet that responsibility. If they said the measure was necessary he would support them, but if not, then he would vote with pleasure against the passing of such a law as that which they proposed. He always thought it much more dangerous to see Government straining the ordinary law, than to pass a measure of a stringent na ture for temporary purposes, especially when it was for the purpose of protecting the British subject. With respect to the Bill under consideration, he must say it was a very stringent measure, although recommended by his Noble Friend (Denman). If their Lordships looked at some of the clauses they would see that any person offering a bribe was liable to be transported, but still, as they had the authority of the highest, as well as the lowest, for saying, that life and property was inse cure in Ireland, he could not vote against it, and' he thought there should not have been such a bother made about its passing into a law. They had the authority of the Repeal Association, who were, he believed, more ac tive than her Majesty's Government in putting down crime in Ireland, for they actually sent down a gentle man,who was called,he believed, the " Head Pacificator" (from having been very suecessful on former occasions in tranquillising the people), for the purpose of stopping the outrages so frequently committed, and he returned from - his mission and acknowledged that he had sig nally failed. If such authority was seen to fail in Ireland, he thought their Lordships need not be afraid to grant her Majesty's Government the power which they demanded. for the purpose of suppressing the crimes and outrages which unhappily prevailed at present to a considerable extent in Ireland. The Earl of WICKLOW said he was exceedingly sorry his Noble Friend withdrew for that night the further consideration of the Bill, on the ground that there was business of greater importance before the other House of Parliament, and of so imperative a nature as to supersede all other measures for the present ; and he (the Earl of Wicklow) quite agreed with his Noble Friend (the Marquis of Clanricarde) that if the measure was not of immediate necessity it ought not to pass at all, but should be postponed to some future occasion. His Noble Friend said he should post pone the further consideration of the Bill until Thurs day, and he hoped that in the interim he would turn his mind to the amendment which was proposed respecting persons found out after sunset. The magistrates at petty sessions are to meet only once a-week, and a person might be arrested and kept in prison for six days and seven nights, although perfectly innocent. In every previous Bill persons ware immediately brought before a magistrate, but it was st.:ted that a single ma gistrate would not like to take a responsibility on him self, and that he would not be safe in doing so ; now it was very well known that the people were never disposed to visit magistrates with punishment for simply the per formance of their duty. He believed a case of the kind never occured, and he believed no magistrate would suf fer from such an apprehension. If there was any great ground for entertaining such a belief, he would call the attention of his Noble. Friend to the amendment for the change of venue, as one of great importance, for if magistrates were in danger for doing their duty, how much more dangerous would be the position of jurors and witnesses. He believed that it was imperative that the petty sessions should sit more frequently, in order to meet the objections which he had made, but how were they to make unpaid magistrates attend for the per formance of judicial duty. It may be said that stipen diary magistrates could attend, but there was no pro • visio: in the Bill to that effect, and they had not a power to do it. The people he apprehended might be kept for a week, and during that period there might be no petty sessions, but their Lordships would have an opportunity of discussing the measure when it came before them. Lord MONTEAGLE said it was a just and legiti mate thing for his Noble Friend to throw out the sug gestions which they had heard, but great inconvenience might arise by giving the power to a single magistrate ; and yet if they did not, how could the magistrate decide on the cases brought before him ? By bringing , a man who was innocent immediately before a neighbouring magistrate, and taking bail for him, the party accused might easily perhaps prove his innocence at the petty sessions, and give an explanation which would be quite sufficient without keeping him in prison. The LORD CHANCELLOR wished to know whe ther the Noble Lord would make it imperative on the magistrate to bail the party accused ? Lord MONTEAGLE said that he would not make it incumbent on the magistrate to take bail. Earl ST. GERMANS said that they would have time to examine the amendments, and should, be able to present them for consideration on o-morrow evening. Lord BROUGHAM said that it appeared to him, as the Bill then stood, that a person might be sent to Botany Bay for taking a stone out of a wall or a stake out of a hedge, provided he had been before prosecuted. Lord DENMAN said that in committee the Bill would require a great deal of consideration, and as it would go before a Committee, then they would be at liberty to modify it. The Government were bound to put down intimidation, which was at present practised to prevent jurors and witnesses from doing their duty, and he thought there was not the slightest analogy between the two cases—that of the necessity of changing tho venue awl protecting witnesses from intimidation. He did not wish it to be said, because he had introduced some amendments of the Bill that, he was, therefore, an advo cate for unlimited privileges. Lord BROUGHAM said, he had no doubt but his Noble Friend would alter his Bill, although it was a dangerous thing to prophecy—(A laugh)—at the same time he did not object to the measure. The House then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 9. The SPEAKER took the Chair at a few minutes before FOur o'clock. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were read a second time and ordered to be committed, viz. : Dundee New Gas Dover and Deal Railway well-cum-Welney Rectory Northumberland D , cks Congleton and Crewe Railway Great Grimsby and Sheffield Junction Railway Ex tension (No. 2) Glasgow, Barrhead, and Neilston Direct Railway (Branches to Thornliebank, Househill, and Hurlet) Ely and Bury Railway Southport Improvement Dundee Gas Amendment Colchester Navigation and Improvement Bury Gas Bury Waterworks Monmouthshire Railways Rugby and Huntingdon Railway Derby and Crewe Junction Railway Woodstock Roads Chichester. Portsmouth, and Fareham Railway (by order) London and Birmingham Railway and Birmingham Canal Arrangements (by order) Eastern Union Railway—Ardleigh to_ Colchester (by order) • Gravesend and Rochester Railway Great Western Railway Huddersfield and Sheffield, and Manchester and Leeds Railways Amalgamation Liverpool and Bury, and Manchester and Leeds Rail ways Am algama , ton Mitcham and South-Western Railway (by order) General EVANS presented a petition. signed by 170 shart:heliers, praying . that the Great North and South Wal'.s Railway Bill m ight not pass into a law. NEW WRIT. Mr. YOUNG moved for a new writ for the borough it should be established to their satisfaction that the T of Windsor, in the room of Ralph Neville, Esq., who parties have been guilty of a more heinous crime---for has- accepted the office of o n e 'h e Lords of the instance, individuals that had been brought before them Treasury. might have surrounded the house for the ostensible pur- Mr. ENTWISLE prls a•: I petition, signed by pose of demanding arms, but for the ultimate intention the Mayor, 10 alderman, aii 39 of the principal in of murdering or ill-treating. He would readily admit habitants of Manchester, in favour of the West Riding with the Noble Earl, that the simple offence of being Union Railway Bill, and praying that the standing out at night in a proclaimed district would be sufficiently orders might be dispensed with. punished with two or three years' imprisonment ; but Several other lion. Members also presented petitions as these offences were to be tried by judges of.the ordi to the same effect. nary tribunals of the country, who had always admi- THE GOVERNMENT MEASURES. nistered the law with great lenity and kindness, he Mr. 0. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from the thought that cases subject to the charge of aggravation North Riding of Yorkshire against the measures proposed might be safely left to their own discretion. by the Ministry. Earl St. GERMANS thought that the case was Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL presented a petition from materially affected by the peculiar circumstances of the county of Clare praying for the establishment of a it, as for instance, a number of individuals might be loan office in that county. FREE TRADE. Mr. BRIGIIT presented several petitions in support of free trade. • PUBLIC FUNDS FOR HORSE-RACING. Dr. BOWRING presented a petitiontri , m a place in the north of England, the name of which wee:lid not catch, against the granting of any public funds for the encouragement of horse-racing. Also a petition against the West Riding Union Railway Bid. Sir J. TYRE.ELL presented a petition from Cegshill against calling out the militia. THE POST-OFFICE. Mr. THOMAS DUNCOMBE presented a petition from the proprietor of the Sentinel newsp.per (as we understood) complaining thet when any inquiry was entered into by that House with respect to the Post office, the Post-office authorities withheld information. He also complained of a publication called the Post office Directory, by which he said the public were injured. Mr. Kelly, the proprietor of that publication, had stated that the profits of the work amounted to 1,2561. per annum, whereas the petitioner was prepared to prove that they amounted to 10,000/. per annum. He, therefore. prayed for inquiry. MERCHANT SEAMEN'S FUND. Mr. HUM.E presented a petition from a meeting pre sided over by Sir E. Codrington, praying for an inquiry into the state of the Merchant Seamen's Fund, with a view of founding some substantial and proper establish ment, which would include all merchant seamen, and ap plying the funds, which were now disposed of in five or six different ways, to their proper purposes. THE RAJA OF SATTARA. The HoN. MEMBER also presented a petition from an Association in Dublin, praying for an inquiry into the cir cumstances which had led to the deposition of the Raja, with the view of removing the injustice which seemed to have been exercised in his case. STEAM COMMUNICATION WITH AUSTRALIA. Dr. BOWRING begged to put the question of which he had given notice, namely, whether any measure had been taken in ord r to give to the colony of Australia the advantage of steam navigation ? Mr. CARDWELL said the subject was a most im portant one, and the attention of Government had been directed to it, but he was not tin n in a position to inform the Hon. and Learned Member that Government had determined on any Sxed plan, with regard to the afford ing steam communication to Australia. FAMINE IN IRELAND. Mr. O'CONNELL hoped the House would allow him to correct a mistake into which some of the news papers had fallen respecting the statement which he made on Friday evening concerning the failure of the potato crop in various parts of Ireland. On that even ing he produced a letter from the Rev. Mr. Doggett (as we understood), which set forth that the potato crop had failed in many parts of Ireland. He (Mr. O'Connell) also stated that he had received a communication from Queen's County, with respect to which he was reported to have said " that he regretted the absence of the Hon. Member for that County (Sir Charles Coote), than whom a better landlord did not exist, because he would have been able to corroborate the information which he had received, that his tenants had lost half of their crop." Hie stated this much because nothing could be more correct. He was then reported to have said that " whole families werecom pelled to subsist on charity, for it was well known that an Irishman would share his last potato wit his unfortunate neighbours." He did made such a state ment but, it applied to other parts of Ireland. The Right Hon. Baronet to whom he referred took care that ~ is tenants were not dependent upon charity for their existence.—( I Tear, hear.) • [The mistake arose from the low tone of voice in which the Hon. and Learned Member spoke on the evening in question. J Sir CHARLES COOTE thanked the Hon. Member for the correction. OFFICERS IN THE DUBLIN LAW COURTS. Mr. HUME moved for a return of the names and salaries of all persona holding offices in the law courts in Dublin, and of the names and salaries of those, if any, who discharged their duties by proxy.—Agreed to. EXPORTATION OF SALT. An Hos. MEMBER moved for a return of the quantity of British salt exported during the past year, with the ports from which the vessels sailed, which wa' agreed to. THE COM M ERCIAL POLICY OF THE COUNTRY. Sir R. PEEL gave notice of his intention to•morrow evening to move for the production of various returns illustrative of the commercial policy of this country with Belgium, and of the effect of the reduction of the duty on flax ; also for various returns connected with the importation or British and foreign sugars. MERCHANT SEAMEN'S BILL. Sir C. NAPIER wished to ask the Right Honourable Gentleman the Vice-President of the Board of Trade when he proposed to bring in the Merchant Seamen's Bill ? Sir G. CLERK was unable to give any definite or positive answer to the question of the Honourable and Gallant Member. DISTRESS IN IRELAND. Mr. O'CONNELL rose to put a question to the Right Hon. Baronet opposite with respect to the state of the potato crop in Ireland and the consequent distress it had entailed upon the people of that country. Be fore, however, he put the question he wished to say a few words upon the s abject, and to assure the Right Honourable Baronet that the accounts he had received from Ireland were really frightful. In the county which he represented the distress was very extensive, and he had accounts from men of experience detailing the rapid progress and increase in the potato decay. He wished to impress on the Government the fact that this failure of the potato crop would have a fatal effect on the people of Ireland ; and also that the sums of money already voted by Parliament would not suffice to give relief to the people of Ireland. Ile begged to be understood that he was not sueing, in formes pauperig, for money from this country ; he concluded by asking the Right Hon. Baronet whether he was prepared to lay upon the table of the House a statement of further mea sures intended to be taken, in order to obviate the im pending famine in Ireland ? Sir It. PEEL was sorry that the statement read by the Hon. Memb"r did not at all vary from the impres sion which had been made upon his mind with reference to the probable pressure that would be felt at a later period of the season, and the inability of the inhabitants to provide themselves with other arti tides of subsistence. He had reason to believe from the accounts recently received, as well as from those which hid been received in the months of October and Novern b-r, that these melancholy facts would follow. Thet Elon. Member was aware that the first act of the Government had been directed towards providing subsistence for the people by the best means, he alluded to employment. He considered that it would be far more satisfactory to the feelings of the people who were suffering under the scarcity to enable them by payment for their labour to pay for their food. He believed, in justice to wards the labouring classes, of those who were in the grea est destitution, that it would be more agreeable to their feelings to give them an opportunity of earning their subsistence by labour than trusting to charity. 'rhe Hon. Member was aware that the first acts of the Government, preliminary to that measure, which will be brought under the discussion of the House this even ing, was to submit to Parliament three or four measures for the relief of Ireland. They had made advanc , s in those measures towards erecting piers and harbours upon the south and west coast of Ireland, in order to enable the inhabitants, with more security, to carry on their fisheries.—(Elear.) They had also proposed to give to the grand juries of Ireland the power of raising money. The sum of 100,0001 had been advanced out of the public funds to encourage the grand jury to make presentments for public works. These measures involved an advance of public money, which he believed would facilitate the means of giving snore employment to the people than was in general to be obtain If, however, the measures proposed and the sums advanced by Govrnment should not be sufficient fur the purpose, while the Parliament was sitting there would be no difficulty in making fresh advances ; and even if the House should not be sitting, sooner than the people of Ireland should be in a starving condition, he should not hesitate to take upon himself the :esponsibilitv of making further advances to obviate the mischief. Nothing could be easier than obtaining renewed and enlarged powers. The Hon. and Learned Member, however, would agree with him, that it was not wise to be too liberal, because after all, the great a- sistance must be derived from local efforts. With regard to the introduction of Indian corn, he had every reason to know that it was used in the United States very generally for the purposes of food, and it was admitted that it was a most palatable article. The Government had provided information as to the best mode of preserving it for use, and had adopted every measure in their power to avert the dreaded famine in Ireland. In the month of November last, on their own responsibility, they ordered a very large quantity of Indian corn, and it had since arrived, and every facility would be afforded for supply ing it to those districts where it would be required to avert the dangers likely to arise from a scarcity of food. He hoped the Honourable Gentleman would not require him to explain further at present, as it would not be prudent at the present time to enter into details. It would be most important, and he was sure it would be fully accorded, the concurrence of the landed proprietors, who should use their exertions to aid the Government in the carrying out of their intentions. He did assure the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. O'Connell) that every exer Lion had been made, and every precaution taken, not last week, or the week after, but many months ago, to avert the threatened famine in Ireland. In reply to a question put by Sir R. H. INGLIS, Sir R. PEEL, who spoke with his back to the gal lery, and in a low tone, was u nderstood to say that in the event of the present Corn Bill receiving the sanction of the Lords and Commons, the duties on corn which shall be received in the meantime should be repaid to the importers. Dr. BOWRING wished to ask the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Government, whether .any inquiries had been made by the Government as to the late potato crops in such countries as usually imported that article of food to this country? Sir ROBERT PEEL said that it had been found NUNS OF MINSK. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY wished to know from the Noble Earl the Secretary for Foreign Affairs whether he had recently received any further intelli gence respecting the persecution which these indivi duals had undergone in Russia. He had seen in the newspapers of that morning some additiunal par ticulars respecting them, and he wished to know if the Noble Lord had received any documents ? The Earl of ABERDEEN had seen a copy of the re port referred to by the Noble Marquis, which appeared in that morning's papers, and he had every reason to believe that that statement was correct. When the subject was referred to by a Noble Lord, a few even ings Lgo, he took the liberty of saying that it was one with which they had nothing to do, and he considered that it would be most unwise in them to take any steps in reference to it. At the same time he expressed, and further declared, his belief that there were no grounds whatever for the accusation. There might be ecclesias tical severity, and religious persecution, but he did not think that there were any of the atrocities cammittod which were all ged The very existence of the person in the pre4ent transaction was called in question, and it was ascertained that there was no official deposition made at Rome similar to thnt which hail appeared. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said it was a source of great satisfaction to him, and it would be to the country, to hear the s•atement of his Noble Friend. Lord BEAUMONT said he would wish to say one word upon this subject. He did not wish to say now whether he believed these statements or not ; but he quite agreed with the No-ile Lord the Secretary . for Foreign Affairs that this House conk' not interfere in the matter. LAW OF MORTMAIN. Lord BEAUNION r said he had a petition to present, signed by a large number of very wealthy inhabitants of Durham and Northumberland, praying that steps might be taken to restrain the power of the Roman Catholic Bishops in the law of Mort main, or else the result would be oppressive to the clergy ani unjust to the laity. Lord BROUGHAM said he was aware that many highly respect Ale Roman Catholics, possessed of very large property indeed, had declared that they thought the law of mortmain did not go far enough in affecting real property only. He was aware that some of those persons were worth five and six thousand a year He was desirous of obtaining the same advantages in the law of England as is obtained in the provision of the French law ; he believed that according to the code of Napoleon it was devised that no clergyman, medical officer, or solicitor, who was in attendance during the last illness of any in dividual, should take any bequest under his will without a very explicit declaration of his fes , lings, and he thought too great care could not be taken in this country, or the subject. Lord CAMPBELL could not refrain from expressing the very high satisfaction he felt at the general good sense his Noble and Learned Friend had just now evinced. He believed that it was highly necessary to obtain the advantage of securing an individua in a case of severe illness, from solicitations to rob his own family, from what was generally termed pious purposes. It was the law of every other country in Europe, and the regulations of those laws were, if possible, most stringent, and the greatest care was taken to hinder the attempts of interested individuals from interfering with persons who were quite unable to think for themselves, and he thought that any measure that might be determined upon on . the part of Government would be in the highest degree satisfactory. CORN-LAWS. The Duke of RUTLAND presented several petitions against any alteration in the corn-laws. SCOTTISH SCHOOLMASTERS. The Duke of RICHMOND wished to inquire whether any steps were likely to be taken by the Government to revive the Committee of last year for providing any suitable dwellings for the schoolmasters in Scotland ? It was well known that the Commission of last year led to no result. The Duke of BUCCLEUCH said that the Committee of last year was likely to be revived this session, but it waited fur the attendance of several Noble Lords that reside in Scotland, and whose assistance it was desirable to obtain in that Committee; the subject had not escaped the attention of Government, and as soon as they ob tained the report of this Committee they were prepared to act. He hoped in the course of a day or two, in conse quence of the attendance of Noble Lords to whom he alluded, to move the re appointment of the Committee. PROTECTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY (IRE LAND) BILL. Lord DENMAN said that he would proceed in the shortest possible manner to state to their Lordships his views with regard to the Coercion Bill for Ireland. In the first p'ace, he had heard with abhorrence and regret the statement which had been made in that House the other night, when its sanction to the Bill had been so licited. He did not mean to enter at any great length on the Bill, but he believed that the less stringent the Bill was in its nature, and the less it inter fered with the ordinary feelings of mankind, the more likely it was to be efficient. With regard to the first clause giving to the Lord Lieutenant the power of placing any district where a solitary offence had been committed, under the operation of the Act, it was altogether too great a stretch of authority. It appeared that where any murder or attempt at murder had been made, or any assault, with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, had been perpetrated, that that solitary fact was to be sufficient ground for calling this measure into action. The House was aware that such crimes were occa sionally committed in every country, and yet the com mission of a single crime was to be a justification for using' this Act. He had suggested to their Lordships that the justices of the peace in every county should make a representation to the Lord Lieutenant, in the event of this measure being necessary, but that pro position was not approved of. He had, however, found on inquiry that the Lord Lieutenant had sufficient information from the ordinary police reports, and he (Lord Denman) could not see the objection to giving his Excellency the power of calling this Act into opera tion, on his own responsibility, as such a course would be preferable to the present system.—(Hear, hear.) With regard to the transportation a:m.4e, where any person found out of his dwelling after sunset and before sunrise was liable to that punishment, lie confessed that he could not help feeling a very strong reluc tance to an Act granting such a power, with out the fullest proof of the necessity for it. He owned that the mere right of taking ap indivi duals who have been found out after sunset and before sunrise, was, in in his opinion, giving a very extended power to the Executive Government. He thought, therefore, that the person so taken into custody should be allowed to make an explanation before being taken to prison ; and he was glad to find that this clause had been altered in the Bill, for this purpose the person being taken immediately before the petty sessions. He was sorry to find that there was one con dition in that clause which pressed rather hardly up In the individual—he meant that which provided that if oily one to igistrate were sitting at the ses sions the person should be taken to prison. He thought the 'iberty of the subject ought not e. depend upon the accident of only one magistrate being at the time at the petty sections. He regretted also that the punish ment consequent upon the offence was so severe. He felt a repugnance to transportation for fifteen years, or (as it was now reduced) seven Tears, Ile did not think this severe punishment Whuld be attended with any good effect. Their Lordships were perhaps ILA are that a transportation for seven years was in many cases a transportation fur life, because ,persons in that humble station of life guild hot always command the means ef returning home. He was told that transportation was a punishment they dreaded, and that they cared nothing for imi.risonment ; but the power of apprehending was a power for the prevention of mischief for the time, at least, and let the House depend on it that imprisonment was not a light punishmept to a labouring man. He had been induced the other day to speak to the Noble Lord who had introduced the measure, with a view of making the punishment proportionate, that was to say that the individual should be slightly punished for the first offence, more heavily punished for the second, and when offending the third time that he should be held contumacious, and sentence of transportation be passed upon him, There was other subject to which he would refer. It was that which related to the change of venue to another county to that in which an • offence was COMP' mitted. If a strong case was made out for this Act at all, then ought the power to change the venue be given, in order to put down such schemes and associations as were supposed by the Act to exist.—(Hear, hear.) The law which existed in this country on the subject ought to be extended to Ireland. Ile could not agree with the Noble and Learned Lord b-hind him, that it was a great privilege for parties charged with offences to be tried by their neighbours ; there were many cases in which it would operate injuriously for persons to be tried within the limit of small jurisdictions ; and there were many instances in which it was much more convenient for offenders to be tried out of the county in which the offences were Denman) shrie county. Yorkshire to committed than i n it. Th ere were many par t s i n Lan cashire, r l k e s a hire and Lincolnshire, in which it was fund much more conven i ent to try persons i n t h e a d• joining r al that a was t th a e great Nobleerd ( consolation theE to ar h l i s m t. (L G o e r r d . mans)in hisstatement the other evening, did not state that juries were intimidated in the discharge of their duties ; still he (Lord Denman) could not but think that such must te the case if the violence and insubordination stated to be the foundation of the Bill had au existence. It would be better and safer in hisopinion, however, that instead of introducing the power of changing the venue in any particular Bill, like the one he was considering, to introduce the principle into a general Act of Parlia ment, so that the practice might he the same in that there !-Itcl a great isilure in the potato 1 in Italy, Spain, Belgium, Denmark, some Parts,:3 Prussia, Prince Edward's Island, Nova Scottioti other countries. No dependence could he P 1 3,7,0 any importation, as the root was very likely to ' l ' 7- diseased upon the voyage. re c ° Mr. M. GIBSON wished to know with referesetho the articles of maize, rice. and Indian c )rn, whe the ,{ she new duties should take effect after the passing measure. measure. hid Sir R. PEEL said that as soon as the resolutionso, passed he proposed to issue a Treasury orde r, P 4 ting the importation of those artia-s duty tree. WINDOW TAX. Viscount DUNCAN intimated his intention of r - to poning his motion in r e ference to the window Thursday Thursday next. CORN DUTIES. Wo uld re4 Sir J. TYRRELL trnsted that the House goa be of opinion that he was unnecessarily detainilkettl Members when he took the liberty of T-e ldieg which he held in his hand. He could a cure thebosio that he did not wish to interpose delay to th e ,,,,,icrs' ef the evening, and he felt certain he would be ""liil suiting the convenience of the House by o P rec a r tfo at once to read the letter. But in the e ars e i ;,, r for other evening the worthy Alderman, the ge, re sn - e eth. Stoke, made a statement in the c ourse of pig , P ei' which was cheered most loudly by a Minis teria l ,' I , s_t lid man. He (the Hon. Baronet) had a letter in is m er which went to contradict that statement, andAbrejuset, that the importance of the statement tv0111".4 House to bear with him while he red it letter was from an Essex farmer, debt r j they were very often alluded to in the be; he felt assured that their opinion w e- re ▪ ad A , some consequence. The Hon. Baronet thelten letter, which said that a statement ha d ,_`' - ‘ ,feets',. f by Alderman Copeland in that House to tee ~t - {O l % a farm of nine hundred acres was let to an S-„bess" at an increased rent of 2001, p er annum, netracie is irig the decrease which was lik e ly to take P oti/ value of land by the introduction of the Goirerreer, sure. The Hon. Member had not, hove° wet the whole facts of the case, and he (the s s , o of hoped the House would be put into tiosse ss ; ( r ee s. ,,' facts, as it would serve the cause of the ' s oiels l t 't (Laughter.) The statement of the worthY lo g,br e ) had a tendency to damage the cause.-(G reat to ° A I The farm had been taken from the comf'''y it belonged, at the increased rental, becaus e eel e j determined not to take less.-(Laughter, ha d till e , o tl " Hear, hear.)" The company, however, 119- the tenant greater privileges under th e I : f r e ier i ,,,o that more than counterbalanced the iner ess ; l e a se But, above all, a clath 1,0 e was inserted in the ,1:, in the event of agricultural protection being' (v et rv o then the tenant might be at liberty to beido farm, and in the _ event of its operieion Po reduce the price of his produce, an d „ s e es 13 .,0 landlord not agree to let it him on such , 4:,, g csP' he might feel safe in continuing the " - Nosyt he might be at liberty to leave it• Altier ° ,o (Sir J. Tyrrell) regretted that the w orthy sts terot was not in his place; for although tbe ,do , h vv e o h r a t d hy m A a i d d e erm wa an s t n h o e t j e u x st ac ie t e ly to tr s u a e y , he In l i t s bsd ilee tl t hat 1 e be very well invented, and it was like faces in SC 'tiel . th vi -to give them the slightest twist was t° 7 ses 4 expression. If the Hen. Member for iSti h sil ly nl been in his place, he (Sir J. Tyrrell) wou ld ": 19 8 tstl e t 14 to another Essex farmer, re-petting when; the 11 had been made as unfounded as that e ' Alderman. dos tp e n . lier Mr. LIDDELL said it was not his into the n o te d the Right Hon. Baronet any trouble on "telo°o4 duties.,-(Cheers.) He might state that *lb:lithe that the petition should be printed wit° s he abetit was his bona fide intention to move the should express an opinion on the subjec t e ,,J0 5 ,. ° ,,jeg duties. He had thought it was his duty the', be cause he knew perfectly well what was the il h od w of as th b e ou s n h d ip t p o in s g ay i s n in te c r e es t t ha u t p p o e nhhi s s o ni s i u sn h at i ye r rnr: t es . t e t t tb i h c e: : ::; been presented to that House in favour „'i m esr ie rei i p t o , s t e h d at c h h e an n g o e w , and having ihdaevreindgthr,ecsehiivpedpinngo eerie cos'edll be opposed to that change. He -wished V e il ' ) O s ' [lon. Baronet right as far as be (Mr. Du"' 1 , tof corned. vib ic ' e ti ) Sir R. PEEL-After the severe ren3s l ' s , l oo Hon. Friend made on me for proposing th e c s 3 of these duties ?-(Hear, hear, and a laug b qait Lord G. BENTINCIi. was understo"d tfroalell"for‘ his opposition to the propositions of the Ge: r y q the' the understanding that be should again br tn ve t ward in an advanced stage of the Bill. theo/ Mr. MILLS said, from what had fallen fr,°:ini to Hon. Baronet (Sir R. Peel), he understood ItersiToil that he Would take care to introduce sows, to ,tri' the resolutions before the House, in act o' l 'o o the importation of buck-wheat into thr t iy, b it If he had understood him rlg d t iog would withdraw a vast deal of oppos itte rct , O e side of the House. By inroducing a few ▪ tOe floee, that the importation of buck-wheat would - g for three months, say the Ist of Ju l '`'' l tsV, i tio ° other time, the Upper House migh t o idolid whole business of the tariff 5/ 3 IL' th l without any unnecessary delay; which, sece,'l, ▪ on 00 notion would not be the case, if the cl" o ° ,o o article was proposed to be remitted on the 11`,' fisrrer Bill. He hoped the Right Honourableirool3,,fieo would adopt his suggestion because ti e , h ' e 5 7 0 1i 1 ceive from the disposition shown by t ' tit° of the House to which he (Mr. Mills) hel ent L e bsd r e : was not their intention to offer any for Poi/ to the importation of food into Ireland, 0 11 o f*; lief of the people of that country, free °, a f l e th, 'and that they, therefore wished to lue e " rare evil with a temporary _ remissl of, o ' O e protection duty on that commo dity, instes,4oo' away nearly all the duties on articles bale- ~it country. la eV" Sir R. PEEL-I wish to explain what P p' c e; is. I propose that by law there should he no P c j reduction of the duty upon Indian ma i o ° • , and upon buck-wheat and rice ; t" '1" it ; 1 0 ,11 shall be reduced to a mere turnin ti 1 , 1 ; that this shall, be the permanent law, 01"j1 and shall take . effect so soon as 1,1)„4 r ,0 ‘ have received the consent of the Legis's:";odoec ,r " Royal assent. With respect to buck-wh,e3; resit/ corn, I propose when the resolun to ,a nt these articles shall have been report(' ' 3 l es',o o Treasury order, remitting the present l e -01 duty to a nominal rate ; such Tr,illl l , l not to have effect until the Bill 4 ," t passed both Houses of Parlism cel 'ieev ih io ceived the royal assent. First , oe eg r e t duty upon buck-wheat and upon t e e l oll e pel i e removed by a Treasury order, in ord , r to re e n ; 0 i, gencies of the country, instead of !Witt t e ge, t r tli to , to a decision, by which great delay 011 , t he",,ePei occasioned ; but I cannot consent Si) alto t he le by Os, re nation, by inserting the words sugges., -d , o f V i e doted t le h f a c t m t b h e et r o . d au t l yn p oum r p o i p )nn o a a l e ldn f u o dt r iya t .n h b e uct p o e tr r hn m a to a r n t permanent t ai er r , Lion of the measure should be merely t>n unary r, e • I ,s: r i i' t Mr. MILES said, from what had fallen: l- ion • j ' e iF,,,tl lion. Baronet, he gathered that the rerais' . / 11°, 4; in fact, t) be of a temporary cha. a or, 0 0 fIP do 7, therefore, the agriculturist to understand well ro were about to do. They were g,ing t 0 s rl i o r f , A n , ° o off maize or Indian corn altogether. s eer • A r ee pertics of Indian corn were little under:oo'PA. country. A bushel of maize or Indian e9oa he`' to a bushel and three-quarters of barleP. ble Vol bushels of oats ; that was as nearly as P: 9 ,, 1 ed i ti 0, 1 r) tive quantity of the three grains. V e ' useu oriel doubt that maze or Indian corn would b e . 0 ,1c 3 iS f el country and Ireland, as largely as bar - i g itejou;/ at present. They could compete with r t ) , i$ P ,4 pro luction of barley and oats, but in rel - e sag'o °. .,'Jf corn they could not. Mr. Cobbett, some P b° isl dnced into this country Indian tbis to the temperature which prevailed into it was impossible to bring i t : n e.OsPee e v ; Some years since he tried it in the We'',„" 0 1 : 4 0 0 , after having cultivated it in the be't ""; yeloroo only succeeded in ripening it once in thr e si for es; in the case of this article it was impossild to r i d to o , to compete with America, The whole ° ,,eafl e 4 1 , southern states of that andseintry ar e on - r el growth of that article ; if we look q i ops re er ) ,J, tity of wheat consumed in this cOnntrY s s . ° t hii 4 l l , f e ti O the United States, they would find that ' ri ot er?' P ir o the consumption was at the rate of one 9,. ll tls eoP' ii ies o ei and in America only three-zed- a-hal,r tt" was the reason of that difference ? lq.he labour was better paid in this country ,e s n also prefer bread made from le"1- free bread made f rom wheat, It a,' o ue h- , what extraordinary on account O' ant ty rtt to m ole by him ef the great q re in America last year. He found that up tso e riger o t his authority h.- had mistaken in one i n ; eras ;1 1 • 14 ') ; i 41 for bushels ; the quantity of wheat er0w,..,, 0 pod quarters, and of Indian corn 700,000.ve'ore, b t ti r i t i' about 87,000,000 quarters. Virhen, lher‘ountrlto be at the immense quantity grown in 'b et ( i‘ fie' 101 when he considered how much more eas , idr „ e n , a n vated than any other cereal considered °j(ed coils s • j e great use in clearing land, he ought to reflect before they allowed S fie W e e" to be imported into this c ountry'. t hin g ie e anxious indeed to have heard soul eut ‘ A ing the dressing of this Indian cone' 0e 0 ' htP, t ,i not to be enlightened by the Governinceet-:tealtoessiefohnel tVt self received a letter from a gentlemain small package of Indian corn, and r ent. , o teri duty paid in America was only one Pr ot of v ery the quantity he enclosed, when a f',l e tir g row ( "r o d added to it, would be as much as 1° 5 u se 6 40 0, tt would eat at one meal. The Americ' e pars tied' , • its Pr e e re ; es sometimes molasses, and also salt in .n prof p for an article which was used by the m ' to ote' f i. o to wheat they only paid eight shillings salidition Of I,e excellent, light, good bread, with the ' er y P o e British flour. The article would not be co ilst 5 1- 0 0 1 . use for the feeding of cattle, but aro° and 00,/ nerally used for human consumpli'Aniet 0, be would throw out of the I n sr hoe •g II he end quantity of wheat ; and, as f p revr.,,per• o c? said, it would have the efft ct 0 he fbe ee. :il bs i o English farmer from competing with t ettrui er * a vid was in vain to talk of stimulating thc,' ht to le rt lo ll ,lo facts before him. He thought it inteodder to i le' statement, in order to show that , , t t ini ports e l y ia Indian corn was not a matter of oe fou' 0 11 s e English farmer, whose interest would I 3 ' e to fered with. The Americans vvould hav„ ~, leg" t er lied per quarter, but if they had eventO pty . .. ier to it would be impossible for the 13ritish,n14 be Ir!, an tP, o e competition with them. Our ma rkets f le „ s e cri b et, l o o with that description of corn ; Koch itr►markEt would be introduced into the Englishtr 1):15.0_01 produce of the farmers of this coun y_!_ e gr it- 11 00 , out, and the land would, ef course, be r.., ro test the present uretheoranefodrhee, wenoteulrdedoithdlosick'a .~` F^~ , the I a w l ,