The Sun. — London, England, 1846-05-15 00:00:00

• ! of high respectability had been publicly aspersed, and he really t felt that he would not be doing justiee to his own conscience if , he consented to postpone the mo, ion. It would not be neces sary to detain the House at any groat length. He had two objeces in view. The first was to put .11r. Smith riot-.t with that House and with the public, and secondly he intended to call the attention of the House to the imperfect state of the law, which allowed so gross an indignity to be put on Mr. Toulmin Smith, with a view to having it altered. The short statement of the facts was that a member of the legal profession, at home, in the middle of the day, had his house en t ere d b y two policemen and an excise officer, under the pretence of searching for an il licit still. The only eescound upon which the warrant to search the house was grare e e , was an assertion contained in an ano nymous letter., that a Mr. Smith, of a certain place, was keep ing still. The Hon. Gentleman then read some ex tracts P: a statement made by the servants of the family, to pro ;e the alarm that was occasioned among them by the en. trance of the police with the exciseman, who searched every room in the house. It was conduct which ought not to be to lerated. There was another question which ought to be con sidered, and that was the rower of the Principal Secretrary of State.—(Order, order. ) He would not impute that the ma gistrate was in fault. On a full investigation of this inquiry, he believed that the Government would grant that inquiry. Would they leave this question to that inquiry? He believed that they would, and in order to prevent fraud, the most searching inquiry ought to be made. If that inquiry were to be made, he felt assured that it would be granted. He asked for inquiry, and he there fore requested the inquiry, because if they brought in the Bill there would be cause of such an outcry that. would altogether preclude the opportunity of an inquiry. On these grounds he should move for a Select Committee for inquiry. Mr. NEWDEGATE seconded the motion. Mr. CARDWELL felt that on the only ground on which the petition rested there was no discussion, but that which had reference to the inquiry into the character of Mr. Toulmin Smith. What actually took place was this. The Commissioner on the 15th of March had made a report on which the report was founded. Now it happened that the Commissioner had been absent from his place of business on other business con nected with the office, and the officer acting at the time had sough the necessary warrant, and did obtain that warrant although its grounds were perfectly unjustifiable. That officer did obtain the warrant. He would not deny that this was unjustifiable, because he believed that it was not required by the Act. The supervisor had proceeded on the authority which he derived from the magistrate, and with a policeman had proceeded to the premises, and had gone over them. In the course of this inquiry the parties had found that there was a summer house in which there was a chimney, and in retiring from the premises there had been an acknowledgment on the part of the Commissioner, or rather of the officer engaged by the Commissioner that, therewas no in tention whatever on their parr to bring this accusation. A recent communication had shown, both from letters of the officer himself as well as from the proceedings of the office, that no spirit of malice whatever had existed. It was the rule of the office of Excise that on the Thursday every breach of these regulations should be reported to the Commissioners of Excise. They did not receive that report until the Thursday, and they only then received it from the letters which his Hon. Friend had read. Mr. Card well then read letters to show the facts which he had stated, that the petitioner (Mr. Smith) had felt the proceeding to he a grievance. The answer of the Commissioners of Excise was that in answer to the letter of Mr. Smith they felt it necessary to inquire of the officer, but that then would decide after they had get that information. The wince tor of Excise, as the Commissioners supposed, had la d infor mation before a magistrate, and if there was anything unjust or tyrannical they would revise the magistrate's decision. Mr. Smith by improper means got possessed of a written apo logy from Mr. Mann, and made use of it afterwards in pub• lie, and refused to forego his action. The apology which he had now in his possession was given without prejudice. Mr Mann had been " reprimanded " by the Commissioners of Excise for what he had done in this matter ; and he (Mr Cardwell) begged to explain to the House the meaning of that word amongst the officers of Excise. To" reprimand" a man in the employ of the Excise Commissioners was to deprive him of the possibility of promotion for three years. As to the question of damages, that was a cese which the laws of Eng land left in the hands of the jury ; and they would decide— not upon the mere amount of damages as claimed—but the real injury which would be sustained. The Excise had under it six thousand persons, and was presided over with great ability by a Noble Lord, who was a Member of that House. The present case was one of the abuse of law ; the person committing that abuse had been punished. So far as these things were concerned there was no need whatever for Parlia mentary interference, and so far as he was concerned his Hon. Friend had stated that for sixty years the public had felt no in convenience whatever. There was, therefore, no need for further inquiry. Mr. 11IUNTZ considered that an opinion which fell from the Hon. Member who had just sat down, at the commencement of his sp eec h, was a very strange one. If a person were to enter his house without a warrant he would break his head. That would be the most speedy and summary way of doing justice. Sir T. WILDE said the motion of his Hon. Friend was. ,founded on an act of pu b l i c aggression. Mr. Smith, he be !teved, was a special pleader of considerable talent, and who bore a high character. There had been nothing in the nature of the visit of Mr. Mann at all exceeding what would be necessary for an officer in the discharge of his duty ; there was a great difference between a visit of that kind and a merely complimentary visit.—( Hear, hear.) The excuse for entering the House was certainly a very strange one. It was this, that in some houses not worse than his own he had found an illicit still, therefore he searched his house. The law required consideration by the House, and he thought the Committee should be appointed. He did not think, with a view to Mr. T. Smith's case, there was any necessity for a Committee ; but the public really ought to have some protec • tion against these unwarrantable attacks by public officers on their property. He considered that the magistrate, in issuing his warrant upon the application of an individual whose only ground of suspicion was an anonymous letter, had rendered himself unfit for his situation as a public magistrate. There was gross misconduct on the part of the officer for swearing to a circumstance which he did not know to be a fact. But there was greater misconduct in the magistrate who granted the warrant upon insufficient grounds. What was the safety of the public if such conduct is tolerated? Did it not deserre some severer punishment than a loss of a chance of preferment? If a gentleman's house is to be searched on the authority of au anonymous letter, so much the worse for the public.—( Hear, hear ) It was at present uncertain whether the officer deceived the magistrate as to the facts of the case. But if he did not deceive the magistrate, his conduct was mo s t reprehensible, and the public had a right to be made aware of the circumstances, and an inquiry ought to be granted. The ATTORNEY GENERAL said. that be was at a loss to know what was the real object of the Hon. Gentleman's motion for an inquiry. No person had defended the conduct of the officer. 'The Government did not defend it ? What then was the object of the inquiry ? Not into the facts—thee had been already admitted—but for the purpose of deciding whether the Commissioners had done enough tor the punish ment of the officer. But the House should recollect that illicit stills had been discovered in the very same neighbour. hood, in houses far superior in appearance to that of Mr. Smith. And his Hon. Friend should remember, that at times the only method of reaching frauds committed upon the revenue was through the means of anonymous information. The col lector put the case into the hands of an experienced officer, one who had been employed for more than two-and-thirty years hi the revenue, and had always conducted himself well. He considered, however, that the officer had not acted cautiousls in the matter, nor should the House deem that he was defend ing his conduct on that occasion, for he did not consider that persons should come before a magistrate and make oaths upon loose information ; and if the magistrate did not see that such was done, he admitted he was hardly justified in granting a war rant. However, Mr. Smith had his remedy against the officer. for he had an ac ti on aga i nst hi m, an d could recover damages. It vras asserted th a t great v i o l ence h a d b een done i ts the execu tion of the warrant; but let the House remember that Mr. Smith had in his letter to the Commmissioners laid them at 101., and now he came before the House and told them that it was not a Personal but a public question. This was the way. Mr. Smith, disappointed in his personal views, made it a public question. Mr. Smith was not an illiterate man, and his con duct upon th at occasion ought to b e narrow l y l oo k e d to . H e took advice of eminent counsel, and was advised that he could maintain an action, and obtain damages for 500/. tie sought a n i nterv i ew w ith the officer, and endeavoured to obtain a written apology from him, which would implicate the Ma gistrate, so that he might be afterwards able to put him, as k witness, into the box, and obtain a mass of evidence. The officer offered every apology which a man could offer, but he refused t o implicate the magistrate. He would ask, what was Meant by asking for this Committee ? If it was called for u p on hblic gronnds, he would maintain that i t was necessar y f or the Excise to have the extended powers which they possessed for the detention of subtle evasions of the excise-laws. The l aw was perfectly well known, and had been in operation for a ! l umber of years, and he considered it necessary for the pro tection of the revenue. No one attempted to defend the con duct of the excise-officer in the present case, but it was a case with which the House ought not to interfere. Mr. Toulmin Smith brought his action in a court of justice, and this was still pending. It would be worse than usoless, therefore, for the House to interfere under such circumstances. No public d ground s w h a t ever h a d b een s t a ted why they should be so. Mr. HAWES sa id, that however imprudent might et e conduct of Mr. Toulmin Smith with regard to the pecuniary claim made on him by the Board of Excise, he considered that he was 'a respectable man. He would not, how ever, go into the question on account of his case alone ; at any rate, the documents were not fully before them, and until they were he was not able to form an accurate jwig. ment of the circumstances. He admitted that it was necessary for the Excise to have large powers, but these powers ought to be under due control, and such cases as the present showed that there was not that responsibility which Ought to exist. Nc , grounds whatever had been shown for the course pursued upon this occasion. There was no outrage he admitted, but the officer had evinced such zeal as to go uji stairs into the bed-rooms, and he actually searched the maid servants' boxes.—( Laughter.) He knew of several cases of very great oppression —particularly in reference to srezures o: t obacco —which worked the greatest injustice. This ought riot to be permitted. He thought, that sufficient inquiry had not been made before procee inga were taken in the present case, and un d er a ll the circumstances he was o f op i n i on t h at the Committee should be appointed. Mr. BRIGHT thought it desirable to state one or two matters in reference to what was stated by the Hon. Member for Clitheroe. The charge of extortion made against Mr. n"br scouted on the Excise, was per fectly absurd, and would c t o o uted by all who knew him.— agt Hear, hear. ) With regard eed to be taken by Mr. Smitl„ t he f- apology referred to, as away by the officer, and afterwardsornbrtol:ueghoffit chearclitswoasalttaekree:i haadeesztnitre regarding private let that Mr. Smith could not f ,e ll h l a r. d Smith's convinced that g tar s which he (Mr. Bright) in vie w . character, he was perfectly Was to expose a gross perversion of the law with a view to its remedy, and he bad no s lfish object to serve in making his claim on the Excise for compensation, as it was well known that he intended to hand over ( th n e ear, amount ar he received to a cha ritable in stitution.— ,lie believed that Gen tleman was in c a pable of anythin:e) dis honourable, and he hoped this in q u iry would, in justic e to his character be granted.—( Hear, hear, and cries of " Divide, Mr. 'NEWDEG ATE said that the thanks of the House were due to the Hon. Member for Birmingham, for having brought this question on by a motion, and the thanks of the House were also due to the Hon. Baronet the Member for Worcester for supporting so very proper a motion. A charge had been made against a gentleman, and he now wished to hare 't properly ' ' nquired into. He conside red this a case for a Co mmittee of Inquiry, and he could not see the justice of refu s ing it. Mr. WAKL EY should be sorry for the House to divide Without the result being for granting an inquiry into this most si ngular case. The Learned Gentlema n the Attorne y -Gener al "ad adverted to the character of Mr. Smith. When parties C ame before this House, to seek redress for injury, at the hands of public functionaries, charges the most despicable were ur tirtglst against the complainants. Who before this case had d ared to say a word against the character of that gentleman ? t Was said that Mr. Smith had entrapped the officer into a fault.hi? If that was the case, why dread an inquiry ? why refuse It had been complained of that Mr. Smith did not conduct s C ase in a judicious manner. Why, how could it be ex- ItTset,ed that he s h ou ld ? M r . S m i t h, a l aw yer, had himself for client, and he put to his Hon. and Learned Friend 4rie,),Acttorney- General, if a lawyer without the fee could pos .l:olf.4tiduet a case without the pleasurable excitement of the " .1( Mal usual,—(Laughter.) He was surprised at the want of feeling displayed by the Learned Gentleman towards a professional brother.—Charges had been made against this gentleman, and it ss as but fair to give him an opportunity of refuting them. He hoped the Government would not refuse the inquiry, for if they troubled the House with a division he thou , sht he might surely say they would be left in a minority. by the debate of that evening the character of Mr. Smith was brought into question, and it would be not only ungene rous, but unjust, to refuse him an opportunity of clearing himself. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, it appeared to him that no case had been shown which warranted th • inquiry asked for by the Hon. Member who proposed this motion. lie was sure that there were many Members present who had not heard the whole case, so as to judge of the ques tion in all its bearings. It was said by one Hon. Member that they should make this in - juiry in fairness and justice to the character of Mr. Smith. Another Hon. Gentleman said, that in fairness to that gentleman, he should have au opportunity of disproving charges brought against him. There had been nothing brought against his character. Certain statements had been made, which were necessary to the explanation of the case, and surely this could not be called a charge against character. Nothing had been stated but what was correct. The character of Mr. Smith had been alluded to only by those Hon. Members who had taken up his side of the question. As far, therefore, as inquiry was concerned, in Mr. Smith's case, it was perfectly unnecessary. The Hon. Member then entered, at considerable length. into the details of the transac tion, as stated to the House by the Right Hon. the Secretary to the Treasury. The Hon. Member for Lambeth had stated that, of all parties connected with the transaction, Mr. Mann, the•otficer, was the least to blame. He fairly confessed, there fore, that if the House should go into Committee, he, for one, would not have the slightest knowledge of what would be the course pursued by the Committee in their inquiry. He should therefore oppose the appointment of this Committee. Mr. ESCOTT (who ace amidst loud cries of Divide, divide," and " On, oh,") said—The Right Hon. Baronet had alluded to the conduct of the persons who set these proceed ing in motion. In his opinion, the magistrate who granted this warrant had acted unjustly and illegally. He had granted a warrant to search a house on no information, except an ano nymous letter. He would not discuss the question as to whe ther the letter was sufficient for the Board of Excise to act upon, but there was certainly no ground for the interference of a magistrate. The proceedings were not consistent with the just and proper operation of the laws, and he should vote for an inquiry into the conduct of the magistrate. Mr MILES ( who rose amidst a great uproar) said that a most unjust assertion had been thrown upon the conduct of the magistrate. Proper reasons had been adduced for the grant ing of the warrant; for on the face of the document it was shown that the proceedings were by no means anonymous, and hat the magistrate was perfectly justified in his conduct. The excise officer swore that he had reasons for suspecting, and hat he did suspect that a private distillery was concealed on the premises of Mr. Smith, and ai plied for the law to be put in force in the case. He (Mr. Miles) did not attempt to de tend the night search. The police force frequently acted on suspicion, and in this case he thought the information was ,uite sufficient to justify the conduct of the magistrate. Mr. SPOONER said, that a statement made by his Learned Friend, the Attorney-General, showed that he was ;lot correctly informed on the sub,ect he had stated, that se veral actions had been brought.. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—No, that notice of action liad been given. qr. SPOONER—The service of a notice, and the bringing 'if an action, were very different things. Even if the actions sere pending now, the proper time haci elapsed for bringing them. It had been stated that his Hon. Friend the Member for Worcester had said that no warrant ought to have been granted against a man of the rank and character of Mr. Toul inin Smith. He did not understand his Hon. Friend to say o ; he understood him to say that the station and chwacter of Mr. Smith required that the warrant should be executed with great care. and that there should be a iull and complete inquiry nto the circumstances. Another assertion had been made that its Hon. Friend said that this was not a poor man's case, and that there ought not to be any inquiry into it. His Hon. Friend had stated that this was not a poor man's case, and that a man in Hr. Smith's station could have inquiry into it, which a poor man could not. There had been no acting on anonymous pro ••eedings, for the officer swore that he had reason to believe •hat a distillery was in the house, and an inquiry was therefore iecitssary. The gallery was then cleared for a division. On the re-admission of strangers to the galisay there ap peared— For the motion Ag.inst it Majority - 9 AS. TI-1E CANADA. Lord G. BENTINCK in rising to move that an humble iddress be presented to her Majesty, praying that she may be pleased to direct that copies be laid before this House—l. Of -he Governor-General Earl Cathcart's speech to the Legisla tive Assembly of the Canaoas. 2. Of the dispatch, or dis patches, referred to in the Governor-General's speech as having been addressed to her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Co lonies, remonstrating against certain presumed changes in the Imperial Commercial Policy. 3. Of any petition from the Quebec Board of Trade, addressed to her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies in the course of the present sear, on the subject of apprehended changes in the Itnpe rial Tariff affecting the produce of the Canadas. The Noble Lord said that he had given notice that it was his , ntention to propose a discussion on the question of the dangers TO their colonies in the present alarming state of their relation kith Canada ; and, under any circumstances, more particularly considering that the trade of the country with Canada compre hended three-eighths of the entire trade with America ; con sidering that the shipping interest engaged in North America comprehended one-sixth of the foreign trade ; considering all this, he thought that any question which concerned the pros perity of Canada was well deserving the attention of the House. But, under the present cirumstances, seeing that news had trrived only yesterday of the rejection by the Legislative Assembly of Canada of the Commercial policy of her Ma jesty's Government—(Great cheering) —considering that the rejection of that policy and the defeat of her Majesty' s Ministers converted a majority of sixteen, which the Govern ment of Canada in that assembly held at the meeting of the Assemble, into a minority of seven on that question, which was immediately connected with that before this country—he meant he Corn Importation and Tariff Bill—he thought it would be most desirable that the attention of the House and , if the country should now be directed to the ituation of their Canadian colonies, before they proceeded to a final decision on these measures.—(Cheers.) And although he felt that at this hour of the night there would be at any rate no question of their proceeding with the Corn Importation Bill, he thought that no apology would be due either to the House or to the country in thus at the earliest hour interposing this dis ,•uQsion, before they took any further step in that Bill. He felt that the position of the Canadas wss a matter of vital import ance to this country, and therefore it was, he thought, that this House should consider the subject before they proceeded with the other Bill. It, was generally known to the Members of that House, that a dispatch had been ad dressed by Mr. Gladstone to the Governor-General of C nada n the early part of March, in which he notified to Lord Cath cart the nature of the measures which were to be introduced by her Majesty's Ministers. It appeared, by the speech which Lord Cathcart addressed to the Legislative Assembly, that he r.ad written a remonstrance to Mr. Gladstone against these neasures, and Lord Cathcart, in the conclusion of his speech to the Assembly, thus addressed them. ( The Noble Lord then read an extract from the Governor- General's speech, to the effect that the cl anges about to be .ffected in the commercial policy of the country were viewed with great jealousy by the Canadians, but it would be insdvi able to express a decided opinion on these measures until they had a full exposition of the schemes which would so materially affect those provinces.) Then it was evident from the speech of the Governor-General that he had addressed a strong remon strance against the commercial policy which was now about to be proposed by her Majesty's Ministers. This appeared to him (Lord George Bentinck) a matter of grave consideration, but, coupled with the speech of Lord Cathcart, there were other , ndications of great dissatisfaction on the part of the consti tuted authorities. A meeting of the Board of Trade, in which the mercantile and agricultu r ial interests of the country were represented, took place at Toronto a few days previous to the meeting of the Legislative Assembly, with regard to the measure about to be proposed by her Majesty's Ministers, the Vice President of the Board, Mr. Workman, stated that the mercantile classes of Canada were in a most undecided state of mind at that moment in consequence of these measures--that they were, in fact, in he situation of men precipitated from an eminence, and labouring under concussion of the brain. These sentiments were responded to by the other speakers. It was only in the year 1843 that the Canada Corn Bill was passed. That measure was held to be a sort of compromise with this Government. The Noble Lord then referred to the opinion entertained in the United States with respect to this subject, and quoted from the New York ',Teddy Herald, which stated that the advan tages which the British Colonial Secretary had pointed out as likely to arise to the Canadas were looked upon by those en gaged in the trade with the mother country as of little worth. They believed that the advantages only existed in the mind of the Colonial Secretary. The same news paper stated, that notwithstanding the differential duty, Canadian flour could be carried through New York, and landed at Liverpool much cheaper than if sent direct from Quebec or Montreal. Now there was 36,000 British seamen engaged in the Canadian trade, while only 9,000 were engaged in the trade to the United States. The polity of the Govern ment was calculated to destroy this great trade, and to render the Canadian colonies utterly useless to this country. There was little to render this debate interesting to the House. thus much he would say, that there was a strong feeling in the United States on this subject. He trusted that the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Government would not express any indifference as to the prepossessions which had been manifested on this sub ject. He was anxious that there should be no misunderstand ing on the point, because he believed that there would be measures introduced which would render the Government proposition inoperative. He was more anxious upon this point, as he believed in the present experiment there was 'iothing to justify its adoption. It would appear, from corn munications which he had received, that there had been one hundred thousand pounds received on the duties upon timber, and he was not disinclined to bel eve that such was the fact. He held in his hind a letter f. om a Liverpool merchant, who stated that Canada required a prott-ction, as compared with New York, of not less than 4s. or ss. per quarter upon wheat. Anybody who knew anything of commercial interest—any body who knew anything of shipping interest, mutt be well aware that those ships that were to be laid up during the whole course of the winter, must trade at a great disadvantage, as compared with those that traded during the whole of the year. Her Majesty's Ministers, when they introduced this measure, held out to the Parliament and to the country, that the friends of free trade in the United States would be encouraged by the removal of the restrictions on the importation of corn. Dear as would be the purchase of an unrestricted trade between this country and the United States of America, at the cost of the loss of our Canadian colonies, it might be a matter of grave consideration, whether it would be to the advantage of this country to adopt the scheme proposed by her Majesty's Government. He found in the 7'imes newspaper, in a leading article, opi nions expressed to the same effect. There was, therefore, no hope of a reduction of the tariff in that country on the import ation of British goods. It appeared from the returns of the exports of printed goods and calicoes to our Canadian colonies, that a considerabl e increase had taken place during the two last years. The value of the raw c at°u id othergoods im ported int o this country, exceeded by three a millions the value of the goods exported frm this country to that. This circum stance arose from the general feeling that existed in the Unit e d States to preserve the independence of their home manufae. .tie The export of cot t on now exceeded that of former yestrs.Trhasi of 1827 was 278,000 tons, while in 1840 it amounted to 1,241,900 tons; and in 1845 to 1,409 60 They hart h a o t f l the opinion a l so o f a il the leading men o , f t e zj r n r Ca . i favour protection to industry. Wa•hington maintained that position. Jefferson also coincided with him. It en uld a wise measure to r i s k th e i r connexion with theirn (olanSaudriealny cboel nies. Their export trade with the United States had, within the last few years, been almost doubled, while that with their coloeies had gradually dimished. Feeling strongly that the measures now before Parliament would alienate the of their colonial brethren, he thought it right toe affections question before Parliament. He would, therefore, an humble address be presented to her Majesty, praying nlove that she may be pleased to direct that copies be laid before House of the Governor-General Cathcart's speech to the Legis lative Assembly of the Canadas—of the dispatches referred to in the Governor-General's speech, as having been addressed to her )Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies -znoustrating 1 against certain presumed changes in the imperial commercial policy, c f any petition from the Quebec Board of Trade, ad dressed to her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, in the course of the present year, on the subject of apprehended changes in the imperial tariff affecting the Canadas. Mr. ROEBUCK seconded the motion ; but he recollected a time when the wishes of the Canadian people were not treated with the same respect by the Noble Lord or by his party. Nor did he think that the vote of the Canadian Parliament was con• elusive; it was carried by a small majority, and he could con ceive a Ministry placed in such a position as to be in favour with no party.--( Cries of " Hear, hear.") Instances were daily occurring of such a state of things, and he could suppose that an adverse party influenced by personal feeling might conduce to the vote of the Canadian Parliament. The party in power was not the popular party of the Canadian people. That party knew that loyalty meant profit, and that was the party which had loyalty on their lips, and now they were to be found ready to tarn round and threaten them with an annexation with the United States of America. Those loyal persons, those loyal Irish Orangemen, talk of an annexation with a foreign power. What was their loyalty? Nothing but pro tection. He would now suggest to the Noble Lord, and to those who acted with him, that which, if applied to the people of Canada, would materially benefit them. Ile would ask the Noble Lord if he was prepared to a form of free-trade with all the shipping of our colonies.—(Cries of " No, no," from Lord G. Bentinck ) Well, then, what was the meaning of their sympathy with the Canadas ? Their sympathy was protection, and nothing else. (Hear, hear.) The Canada Corn Bill was introduced at a time when the Noble Lord and his party opposed it, and they went on the hustings and cried out against the Right Hon. Baronet for having passed it. Well, what followed ? They now, in their places in that House, complained that Canada was greatly benefited by the measure. He denied that so much benefit had resulted to the people of Canada by this measure. The Noble Lord says the exportation to Canada amounted to three-fourths of the value of our exports to the United States. Why, we need not shut our eyes to the fact that those exports are not to Canada, but through Canada to the United States.-- ( Hear, hear.) The danger which the Noble Lord feared from those measures was a mere chimera. The three great articles of export from the Canadas were timber, cotton, and corn. The Noble Lord might be sure that no Legislative measures of a round-about trade would ever produce that beneficial effect which would arise from a direct course. It had been said that adversity brings us in company with strange bedfellows, and he certainly thought that the straits to which that great party opposite were now reduced had brought them to the humiliating position which he did not expect to see. He did not expect to have seen the great leader of the aristocratic party quoting the democratic Jefferson and Washington, and making their statements his own. He was obliged to the House for the kindness with which it had listened to the arguments which he had already adduced, for he should, were it not for the late hour, have wished to avail himself of its indulgence to make a few more observations.—( Hear, hear.) The motion having been put, Sir G. CLERK said that he did not rise for the purpose of offering any observations on the motion made by his Hon. Friend. His object in rising was to notify his intention to add to the list of papers the dispatches of the Secretary of State for the Colonies in this country in reply to those papers for ohieh the Noble Lord had moved. Amongst them was a letter to the Secretary for the Colonies on the duty o 3s. per quarter charged on wheat imported into Canada from the United States. As the Hon. Member for Bath observed, it was now several weeks since any information had been received from Canada. Although no official information had arrived, there could be no doubt they would have that information in the course of a few hours. The Noble Lord commenced his speech by stating that the question now assumed a great de gree of importance on account of the news published this morning with reference to the rejection of Sir Robert Peel's policy in Canada. They would find that he question under consideration was not con nected with the legi lative policy of Canada. 1 f they looked at the evening papers of a few hours since, they would find that •he Bill was carried by a majority of 7. The news was dated the 24th of April, and it was stated that they had passed the kill repealing the duty of 3s, on wheat imported into Canada. No official information had been received by Government, and no certain information as to the minority. He would have en tered into an examination of the statement of the Noble Lord, but as no opposition was intended to be offered to the produc tion of the papers, he would not venture to enter on the subject any farther. Klr. HODSON HINDE said that there was some misap prehension in the mind of the Hon. MembTr with regard to the conduct, past and present, of the Hon. Gentlemen sitting near him, and it was necessary that the minds of the Hon. Members on that side of the House should be disabused on this point. The Hon. and Learned Member said that his (Mr. H. Hinde's) friends sitting near him had stated that in the im portation of wheat Canada never had any advantage. Canada had had a very material advantage in the im portation of corn under the old system, in which corn was admitted at a duty of ss. per quarter. He said they had a right to ascertain the sentiments of her Majesty's Ministers with regard to the measures they intended to adopt with respect to the colonies. He did not say this in any disrespectful manner, but he thought the House had a right to know how they intended to act with regard to Canada.— ( Loud cries of " Question.") The Noble and Learned Member for Bath said that it was true the exports to Canada were large, but he said also that Canada was only a means for introducing exports into the United States. But he would ask, what would become of this country if the measures now in progress were to deprive them of Canada, even as a means of introducing their exports into the United States? He was much mistaken if the accounts to which the Vice-President of the Board of Trade attached so little importance would not strike dismay into the shipping inte rests of Great Britain. SERVICE OF HEIRS. The LORD ADVOCATE gave notice of his intention to introduce a Bill for the purpose of simplifying and economising the law which related to the service of heirs; and he purposed also to introduce a clause into the Bill which had received the .auction of the Legislature in the last session relative to Crown charters. BRIDPORT ELECTION. Mr. G. BANKES postponed his moti9n that Wm. Rockett be heard at the bar of the House till Tuesday next. He also on the part of Mr. Christie postponed his amendment till the same day. COUNTY RATES IN ENGLAND AND WALES. Mr. PRAED gave notice that he should move for leave to bring in a Bill for the more effectual making of County Rates in England and Wales. RAILWAY CONIPANYS BILL. On the motion of Mr. HUDSON this Bill was read a second time, and was ordered to be read on Thursday next. FACTORY BILL. Mr. BA NKES moved that the debate on this Bill be post poned to Friday next. Sir R. PEEL consented to take the debate on Friday, pro vided the Corn Bill and the tariff were disposed of by that day. After a few words from Mr. HINDLEY, who stated that Mr. Greg, who had written a pamphlet in favour of the Ten Hours Bill, had changed his opinions on the subject, and was now opposed to it, the debate was adj , urned till Frick), next. The House adjourned at Half-past One o'clock. THE SUN, LONDON,_, FRIDAY EVENING MAY 15, 1846. C')URT CIRCULAR . Sir Robert Pee! had an audience of the Queen yester day at Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty and her Royal Consort took their accus totned early walk yesterday. his Royal Highness Prince Albert afterwards rode out on horseback, attended by the Equerry in Waiting, the Hon. Captain Gordon. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Alice, took tlprir usual exercise yesterday in the garden of the Palace. The royal dinner party yesterday included her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, the Marquis of Nor manby, the Earl of Liverpool, Lady Augusta Bruce, Baroness de Speth, the Bishop of Salisbury and the Hon. Mrs. Denison, Sir George Couper, and Colonel and Lady Cltherine Vernon Harcourt. The band of the Sc , its Fusilier Guards was in attend ance at Buckingham Palace, during dinner, and under h e direction of Mr. Boose, performed the following Nieces : Overture, " Cheval de Bronze,"—Auber. Waltz. " Natatieu,"—Labitzki. Selection, " Ernani,"—Verdi. Polka, " Dobranoz,"—Fahrbach. Selection, " I Lombardi,"—Verdi. After dinner there was a concert. Her Majesty's private band attended at the Palace. The following was the programme of the performance : Overture, " Konig Stephan,"—Beethoven. Duet, " Du bist die Stutze deines Vaters—Madelle. Bockholtz and Herr Pischek (Joseph)—Mehul. Lieder, " Mein Kerz ist am Rhein," " Die Heimath,"— Herr Pischek—Reissiger. Fantaisie, Violincello, Mr. Drecholer—Franchomma. Siciliana, Lied, " Warnun or dun Rhein " d gv— a °mot selle Bochkolt z —P ergo l es i . Bohemian National Melodies, Herr Pischek. Duet " Liebesfruhling, "—Mademoiselle Bockholtz and lierr Pischek—Speier. Mrs. Anderson presided at the pianoforte. On Wednesday evening the band of the Royal Regi ment of Horse Guards attended at Buckingham-palace, luring dinner, and under the direction of Mr. J. R. Tutton, performed the following pieces : Overture, " Stradella"—Flotton. Introduction and Trio, " Yes time will show"—Mountain Sy Iph—Barnett. Ist .Movement and Scherzo, from the Septett—Beethoven. Selection. "La P, ri"—Burginuller. a e l 1 8 a a r e r r r i o a n 'l g l e p a j y e e e d s s e t t y i e , rd the a Queen Dowager t oo k an a i r i ng i n Minister of the Netherlands, transacted business at the Foreign -office on Wednesday. The Commissioner s of the Metropolitan Improvements had a mt eting yesterday at the office in Whitehall-place. There were present Viscount Canning, the Right Hon. J. C. H,rries, the Lord Mayor, Sir Robert H. Inglis, Bart., Mr. Alderman Humphery, Mr. H. T.' Hope, Mr. Milne, and the lion. C. Gore. Sir George Hayter, having her Majesty's gracious permission, left on the 12th for a tour to Italy immedi ately after the celebration of his marriage. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council sat veiterday. The Lords present were the Master of the of the I )tieby of Cornwall, and the Judge of tlie Rolls, the Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce. the Chancell,j,. Ad miralty Court. The Court was occupied ',II, whole of the day with tie hearing of an 9 'i,peal from British Guiana, " Alacrae (attorney of Campbell) v. Goodman." Mr. Parker, Queen's Cour.:;el, and Mr. Wigraw, Queen's Couns,A, were heard, r frlE WACHORN TESTIMONIAL.—We trust that at length justice will be done to the claims of that indefati gable public servant Lieut. Waghorn, R.N. Among those who have recently signified their intention to become sub scribers to the Waghorn testimonial is Sir R. Peel; thus show ing how highly he appreciates the exertions of Lieutenant Waghorn. Alas we not hope that those exertions, of which Sir Robert Peel has thus expressed his ap proval as a man, will be rewarded by him as a Minister. " The subscriptions to the Waghorn testimo • vial are the individual offerings of private gratitude for the benefits which we have each of us individually received through Lieutenant Waghorn's exertions in opening the overland route. But, over and above these individual bene fits, he has also bestowed great benefits upon us collectively as a nation, and has, indirectly, materially added to the power and the wealth of England. These are national benefits, demanding a national reward; and for the sake of our credit as a nation, we trust that this reward a rewigllbaet not grudgingly or t ar dil y b estowed, b ut will be such as yestenradtaioy ( n should give , morningite,f,andthat about will be a give d n o a z t en f onc o e. our mackerel boats returned with it a quantity fish, ftora 100 to SOO Loudon naaPrlietitsi: prices. The portion was in a boat, which realised ca tiought up for the PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS. (From the Vo:es and Pro-'c^ dings of the House of Commons.) THURSDAY ? MAY 14. The following Petition for a Railway Bill was withdrawn: — Birkenhead and Llang,dlen. RAILWAYS Select Committee on Group No. 54. Mr. Fitzgerald discharged ; Mr. Waddington sel?cted, and added to the Committee. Select Committee on Group No. 55. Mr. Hughes discharged ; Viscount Ingestre selected, and added to the Committee. Select Committee on Group No. 56. Mr. Maher discharged ; Mr. Irton selected, and added to the Committee. The Committee of Selection have nominated the following Select Committees on Railway Groups : A Committee consisting of—llon. E. Yorke (Chairman), Hon. F. Tollemache, Mr. Brocklehurst, Mr. D. H. Kee, and Sir W. James, to whom they have referred the Bills comprised in Group O. 17 of Rail way Bills, viz. : Manchester and Poole, Manchester and Southampton, London and South-Western (Romsey and Redbridge), Tring, Reading, and Basingstoke. The Select Committee to meet on Monday, May 25, at one. A Committee consisting of—Mr. Vernon (Chairman), Mr. Traill, Mr. F. W. Knight, Mr. Borthwick, and Mr. Ackers, to whom they have referred the Bills comprised In Group No. 24 of Railway Bills, viz.:— Ipswich and Bury St. Edmund's (Cambridge and Ely Extension), Ely and Bury, Newmarket and Chesterford. Thetford, Bury St. Edmund's, and Newmarket. The Select Committee to meet on Thursday, May 2s, at one. A Committee consisting of—Lord Dalmeny (Chairman), Mr. St. John Mildmay, Mr. Marton, Mr. Matheson, and Viscount Milton, to whom they have referred the Bills comprised in Group NO. 28 of Railway Bills, viz.:— London and Birmingham (Newport Pagnell Branch), Hertford and Hatfield, London and Birmingham (St. Alban's and Luton Branch), London and York (St. Alban's, Luton, and Dunstable Branch), Extra Northern and Souihern. The Select Committee to meet on Monday, May 25, at one. A Committee consisting of—the Hon. 11. Liddell (Chairman), Mr. T. D. Acland, Sir A. Armstrong, Mr. Antrobus, and Mr. Du Pre, to whom they havo referred the Bills comprised in Group No. 39 of Rail way Bills, viz.:— Manchester and Leeds (Railway Extension, &c.), Huddersfield and Manchester (Oldham Branch), Oldham Distriet, Oldham, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birkenhead Junction, Huddersfield and Manchester (Cooper Bridge Branch). The Select Cominit•.ee to meet on Thursday, May 28, at one. A Committee consisting of—Mr. Parker (Chairman), Dr. flowring, Earl of Arundel and Surrey, Sir A. Brooke, and Captain Dalrymple, to whom they have referred the Bills comprised in Group No. 53 of Railway Bills, viz.:— Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Dudley, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Stour Valley (Birmingham, &c., Lines), Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Stour Valley (Stour Valley Line), South Staffordshire Junction, South Staffordshire Junction (Bilston and Preetfield Branch), South Staffordshire Junction (Willenhall and illoxwich Branch), Trent Valley, Midlands, and Grand Junction, Birmingham, Lichfield, and Manchester, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Worcester Junction, Shropshire Union Railway and Canal (Shrewsbury to Stafford), Shropshire Union Railway and Canal (Chester and Wolverhampton Line), Shrewsbury and Birmingham, Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, & South Staffordshire Junction (No. I), Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, & South Staffordshire Junction (No. 2). T T h h e e C S e o le n c , i C t t o e ur 0 f3 i t 3s t , e ,3 e l eB t c, o t4io n l e h4 t 6a,v o e n 49. l: p i o p. o n n i d dn a t 3 es , , (71 11 ,t 1 th a oe y, sz 2 ne l, ,ec t t i t t i e m i w t t e e e e k s Conu on the Groups Nos. commencing Monday, Juno 8. PARLIAMENTAttY DI VISIONS. .From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons. TH UZSDAY, NAY 1 4. JOSNUA TOULMIN SMITII. Motion made, and Question put, " That a Select Committee be ap pointed to consider the petitions of Mr. Toulmin Smith and the papers presented to the House relative to the ease stated in those petitions." The House divided : MINORITY-AYES, 125. Acheson, Viscount Escott, 13,ckhann O'Brien, A. Stafford Alexander, N. Esmonde, Sir T. O'Connell, Daniel Archdall, Captain Farnham, E. B. O'Connell, Joha Armstrong, Sir A. Fielden, John Peellell, Captain Astell, William Fellowes, E. Phillpotts, John Baillic, W. Fine!,, George Plumptre, J. P. Bankes, George Fitzmanrice, C. Plumridge, Captain Barnard, Edward G. Fitzroy, Lord C. Polhill , F rederick Baskerrille, T. B. Forster, Matthew Powell, Caleb Bennet, P. Frewen, C. 11. Rawdon, Colonel Bentinck, Lord G. Fuller, A. E. Rendlesham, Lord Bentinck, Lord 11. Granby, Marquis of Repton, G. W. J. ' Berestord, Major Grogan, E. RoHeston, Colonel Berkeley, Captain Harris, Captain Scott, F. Blackhurne, J. I. Hatton, Captain V. Sheppard, T. Blackstone, W. S. Hawes, B. Somerville, Sir W. Blake, M. J. Henley, J. W. Spry, Sir S. Itorthwick, Peter Hill, Lord E. Stuart, J. Bouverie, E. P. Hill, Lwrd Marcus Tancred, H.W.; Bow - ring, Dr. Hindle) , Charles Taylor, J. A. Bradshaw, James Hudson, George Thompson, Alderman Bridgeman, 11. Ingestre, Viscount Thornely, T. Bright, John Inglis, Sir R. Tollemache, J. Brisco, 31. Kerrison, Sir E. Troubridge, Sir E. Brownie, R. D. Knightley, Sir C. Tufnell, Henry Buck, L. IV. Law, C. E. Tumor, C. Bulkeley, Sir R. B. Lawson, A. Tyrrell, Sir J. T. Buller, Edward Long, W. Verner, Col. Cayley, E. S. M`Taggart, Sir J. Vyse, R. IL:IL H. Chandos, Marq. of MaitlandAThomas Waddington, H. S. Christopher, It. A. Manners, Lord J. Wakley, T. Chin chill, Lord A. S. .March, Earl of Watson, Henry Clifton, J. T. Marsland, Henry Wawn, J T. Colquhoun, John Miles, William Wilde, Sir Thomas Crawford, W. S. Moffatt, George Williams, W. Denison, W. J. Morison, General Wodehouse, E. Dick, Q. Mostyn, E. M. Worcester, Marquis Disraeli, B. 31untz, U . F. Wyss, Thomas Duncan, George Neck!, Joseph 'Yorke, E. T. Duncombe, T. Neeld, John Duncombe, A. Newport, Viset. Duncombe, 0. Norreys, Lord Elphinstone, H. Norreys, Sir D. TELLERS. Spooner, Richard Newdegate, N. MAJORITY-NOES, 134. Ainsworth, Peter Flower, Sir James Manners, Lord C. Anson, Colonel Forman, T. S. Martin, J. Antrobus, Edmund Fox, C. R. Martin, C. W. Austen, Colonel Gill, Thomas Meynell, Captain Baillie, Colonel Godson, Richard Milton, Viscount Balite, Walter Gordon, Captain Mitchell, T. A. Barclay, David Gore, Montague Morpeth, Viscount Baring, F. T. Goulburn, Henry Morris, David Baring, W. B. Graham, Sir J. Neville, Ralph Ben, Matthew Grimsditch, Thomas Ogle, S. C. Bellew, R. M. Hale, R. It. Patten, J. W. Benbow, John Hamilton, NV. J. Peel, Sir Robert Bodkin, William 11. Hamilton, Lord C. Peel, Jonathan Boldero, 11. G. Hanmer, Sir J. Philips. G. R. Bottleld, Beriah Hayes, Sir E. Reid, Colonel Bowes, John ileneage, G. H. W. R o ebuck, J. A. Romilly, John Boyd, John Her on , Si r R Round, C. G. 13retherton, J. Il e r vey, L ord A. Round, John Bowles, Admiral Herbe r t, Sid ney Bruce, Lord E. 'Linde, J. 11. Rutherfurd, A. Buckley, Edmund Holmes, W. ,VC . Seymour, Sir 11. Buller, Charles Hope, Sir IJ. Smith, Abel Busfeild, William H ope, G. W. Smith, J. A. Cardwell. Edward Hornby, John Smyth, Sir H. Carew, W. 11. Pole Horsman, E. Smythe, George Carnegie, Captain Hotham, Lord Somerset, Lord G. Cavendish, G. H. Howard, E. G. St rait, IV. R. Chichester, Lord J. Jermyn, Earl Strait, Edward Clay, Sir W. Jervis, John Sutton, H. M. Clerk Sir G. Jocelyn, Viscount Thesiger, Sir F. Cockburn, Sir G. Johnstone, Hope Towline, George Colehrooke, Sir T. Jones, Captain Trench, Sir F. Corry, Henry 'Kelly. Sir Fitzroy Vernon, G. H. Cripps, IV. L angston, J. 11, Vivian, J. E. Darner, Colonel L ascelles, E. Walker, Richard Dennistoun, J. L ascelles, W. S. Walpole, S. H. Dickinson, F. H. Lincoln, Earl of Warburton, H. Divett,;Edward Lindsay, Captain Wellesley, Lord C . Douglas, Sir C. Lockhart, A. E. IVinnington, Sir T. Drummond, 11. 11. Lockilari., W. Wood, Charles Ditgdale, W. S. L Ygon, General Wood, Colonel T. Dundas, F. M ac k enzie, W. F. Wrightson, W. B. Dundas, J. C. M'Neill, Dun can TELLERS. Estcourt, T. G. Mahon, Viscount Baring, henry Fitzroy, Henry Mainwaring, T. Young, John ..............—___ DUTC R MAIL. THE HAGUE, MAY 11.—. The Minister of Finance- has issued a notice for the information of merchants' and others wh ) desire to take advantage of the over land mail to India to send letters and newspapers to the Dutch possessions, but appear to be uncertain how to proceed. Thus letters and newspapers intended to be forwarded by this mail, are received every day at the Post-office. That though this mail is dispatched twice in a month from Europe to the English posses sions, yet it is to be observed that it is the last or second mail in each month which is the best fur a speedy correspondence with the Dutch colonies, because it is that mail only which goes tke nearest way to those colonies, that is to Sincapore, whence the letters are regularly forwarded, as soon as they arrive, by one of our steam-boats, in the name of the Government of the Dutch possessions ; that though the letters may be forwarded by different ways (through England if preferred), not the direct way from the Netherlands, if by way of Paris and Marseilles to Alexandria, this he recommends for the present as the most eligible. As the mail leaves England on the 24th, and reaches Paris on the 25th, the letters should he dispatched from Amsterdam, R o tt er d am, t h e Hague, and Utrecht on the 23d at the latest. But, as delays sometimes occur on the road, it is advisable to dispatch the letters on the 22d. Care most be taken to write on the cover " Overland via Marseilles." An extract from the l'ltest accounts from the Caucacus, published by the itussian Government, says, "It we consider ON, principal events that took place in those countries in the course of last year, we may hope that in a short time tranquillity and peace will be established on the right flank of our line. Soliman Effendi, Schamyle's friend, though he had collected a numerous band of followers, has not been able to do us any injury. The peaceful tribe of the Abasins placed itself under the protection of Russia. Last winter a deputation was ononthetowaytheto Emperor. pPereoter.rsbulr,ghhe warliketotender tribe e r southmtihse sißaschilbayess are become Russian subjects, and the insurgent Prince Lidof has submitted. Lastly, the for midable robber Alaschukin has fallen. Such a succession of favourable circumstances will tend to promote Iran quillity and order in the right flank of the line of the Caucacus. Nothing further has . happened th at may tend to disturb the public peace in Daghastan.—DutA papers, May 12, 1846. the vote h as b een taken on the Oß E O G re O g N on N qu O e T st l l C el E t,. — titi A tl tMire.h4 t i! i tenden's resolution has i passed the Senate by a vote of 40 to 14—all the 54 deg. 40 in. men voting in the negative. Thu resolution, as amended and passed, advises the President to nettle the Oregon question amicably, and also The a inte uthorises him l o g i ve the year ' s not i ce at his own discretion. rn 2:2.-ice was received here yesterday, by the magnetic tele grant, about twelve o'clock, and it was immediately sent by the ;sriiisli Consul, by a special steamboat express, to reacl, the packet sailing to Liverpool, 'and then lying in the lower harbour at that hour. The vote of the Senate is of the utmost importance. Some suppose it will he rejected by the House; but whether rejected or protracted ever not, it settles the Oregon question duri ng th e present Congress. It places in the hands of the Presid en t th e ent i re control of the negoti ation, to be used according to his own di scre ti on. It is the greatest and most potent element of a r e - e l e ction th a t any President re ceived ; and the probability now is, that all negot i at i ons, looking to a final settlement of this question, will be p os t poned or for the next three years. The 54 deg. 40 ni. men will be perfectly satisfied with the result. Mr, Polk, with the peculiar influences surrounding hint, can now spring the Oregon question upon the country whenever he chooses, and thus secure the decided chances of a reelection. We shall have a peace with England for the next e T e O R hospital,/ . four years, but a terrible war among the factions at home. Great TOrEt:aaßnl result this ! All President-making and Y orkhumbug.—siell'eetcate ye/fsteetr:/:.y --rr i lp t sergeants, two corporals, two bombardiers, and twenty gunners and THE HUDSON BAY COMPANY'S , a drivers aeri o n f t a h . e d Royal medically Artillery inspectedvolunteer s, Woolwich, for special service on the borders of the Oregon territory, and will proceed about the latter end of the present month or begin ning of June for their destination, under the command of Captain Blackwood, promoted last month from the Roy 4 l Horse Artillery, The Terrible war steamer is expected to take them to America, with a supply of guns and stores. 3,000 excavators are also to proceed from various parts in this country, and assemble at a certain place on the Hudson Bay Company's territory. THE NEW MONEY-ORDER OFFlCE.—Yesterday the workmen employed at the extensive building intended for the ne w Money-order Office, in St. Martin's-le-Grand, commenced removing building from the base to the summit is 75 feet high. Thi s establish the scaffold poles, the whole of the side w alls being compl e t ed. The ment, when completed, will furnish accommodation for upwards of 200 officers in the Money-order department, arulthen the whole of the room at the General Post-office, now occupied by this important hr-nch of the service, will he taken into the London district esta ltaigent PUBLIC BATHS AND WASH- The humbl e Petition of HOUS the un E dersigned Chairman and Deputy-Chairman ash,. Committee for promoting the Establishment of Baths and Wushhouses for the labour ing classes, Showeth —That the committee of which your peti tioners are the chairman and deputy-chairman was con stituted at a public meeting held at the Mansion-house, in the city of London, in October, 1844, and con sists of 230 members, many of them engaged in the most important professional and commercial pursuits of the metropolis, and several of them clergymen of its populous and crowded parishes. That your petitioners have been authorised by a spe cial meeting of that committee to present this petition to your Right Hon. House, as expressing the sentiments and wishes of that committee. That the various recent official on reports on th e condi tion of the l a b our i ng classes, andthe state of large towns and pop u l ous di stricts, and the evidence on which those report s are f ounded, show that the dwellings of large numbers of the labouring population are painfully overcrowded, and that, in many places, the overcrowding is steadily increasing. That one of the consequences of such overcrowdin is, in many cases , a total neglect of personal and do g dom e tic cleanliness, l ea di ng , w i th the destruction of all coems-- fort, to intemperance, recklessness, and extreme demo ralization. That in those instances in which persons in such cir cumstances do not abandon the endeavour to keep them selves and their rooms clean, they can rarely secure more than such an imperfect degree of cleanliness as is insufficient for the due preservation of their health ; and that the damp alone, arising from the washing and drying of their clothes in the rooms in which they live, does constantly, and to a fearful extent, occasion or ag gravate disease. That not only the vast majority of the labouring classes in all large towns, but also very many of the in dustrious classes whose occupations are not those of mere manual labour (such as clerks, shopmen, ware housemen, and apprentices), are unable, from the want of adequate facilities for bathing, to cultivate those habits of personal cleanliness which are conducive both to the physical comfort and to the sound moral state of the population. That, as a rule, the overcrowding of the labouring classes, and the general deficiency of means for personal and domestic cleanliness, are evils which are not attri butable to any misconduct, or even to any imprudence or neglect of self control on the part of those who suffer from them, and which are wholly beyond their means to remove, and rarely within their power to avoid or in any sufficient degree to mitigate. That the lamentably injurious consequences to the comfort, health, and morals of the people, resulting from the want of proper supplies of water, the defective state of sewerage, drainage, and street cleansing, and the insufficiency of existing regulations for the preven tion of disease, which the recent official inquiries have shown to affect large numbers of the people, have led to proposals for le4slative measures calculated to better, in many respects, their present condition. That were these proposals acted on in the fullest ex tent, the overcrowding of the labouring population would be almost unaffected by the measures which have been suggested. That the most ample supply, to every room, of the purest water, at the cheapest rate, a perfect system of sewerage, drainage, and street cleansing, and the most scientific general regulations for the prevention or dis ease, would still leave many thousands of the families of the labouring population, compelled to live each in a single room, as unable at present to bathe there without a total disregard of common decency—es much exposed as at present to the destruction of comfort and injury to health from washing and drying their clothes at home —and scarcely more able than at present to procure the firing necessary to heat the water for bathing and wash ing. and to dry the clothes. That the cleansing of towns and houses, so far as it could be accomplished by the measures suggested, would not remove any portion of the dirt with which labouring men are, of necessity, in the ordinary course of their work, constantly brought into contact, and from which bathing and washing can alone free their persons and their clothes. That while the committee acknowledge that the measures in question are highly desirable, and promise to be of great benefit, they confidently submit that other measures are necessary to promote the physical and moral improvement of the people. That the committee have made extensive inquiries among the labouring classes of London, and have as certained that, in general, the washing and drying of their clothes at home occupy the greater part of two days in every week, and in many cases, owing to the absence of proper accommodations, extend into a third day ; and that for the most part they are very im perfectly done. That the committee are fully satisfied that of all the means proposed for enabling the labouring and other industrious classes to cultivate habits of personal and domestic cleanliness, and to escape the injurious effects of washing at home, at the same time avoiding all inter ference with their feeling of indep , , , ndence, none is more promising of beneficial results than the general establishment in large towns and populous districts of public baths and washhouses, to be open at moderate charges. That experience has shown that those for whose ad vantage public baths and washouses have been estab lished gladly resort to them, and are willing to pay such charges as, when the establishments are in full work, may be relied on as sufficient to defray the expense of supporting them. That at the baths and washhouses which have been established at Liferpool by the corporation of that town, and which were opened in the month of May, 1842, the number of those who bathed in the first 'hree years was 41.788, and in the first nine months of the present (the fourth) year, ending in February, 1846, was 14,562 ; and that during those three years and nine months 44,115 persons washed there upwards of 1,000,000 articles. That the accommodations at that establishment were found to be so inefficient to meet the wants of the town that the corporation of Liverpool are erecting a second establishment there (at an expense, beyond the value of the land, of about 6,5001.), which is to be opened in the course of a few months. That at Glasshouse-yard, near the London Docks, a small establishment of baths and washhouses has been open about 11 months, for the use of the very poor ; and though the accommodations there are so limited that sometimes nearly 21)0 applicants have of necessity been refused admittance in the course of a single week, 25,123 persons have bathed, and 31,882 persons have washed 235,814 articles there during that period; and of those persons several hundreds have come from distances varying from four to six miles. That the Committee of which your petitioners are members are engaged in the erection, at Goulstone square, Whitechapel, of a model establishment of public baths and washhouses. That the building is to contain about 100 baths, each in a separate apartment, to insure privacy to the bathers —about 100 pairs of wash tubs separated by sufficient screens—hot closets for drying all the articles washed, and accommodation for ironing part of them. That the baths are to be of two sorts, about four fi fths of them being for the labouring classes ; and that every bather is to have an ample supply of clean water. That the charges at the baths for the labouring classes, including the use of one towel for every bather, are proposed to be a :d, for a cold bath, and 2d. for a warm bath. That the charges at the other baths, including the use of two towels for every bather, are proposed to be 3d. fora cold bath. and 6d. for a warm bath. That the charges at the washhouses are proposed to be such as to enable the week's washing of a labouring family to be well done, and the articles washed to be dried rapidly, and so as to insure thorough ventilation and the destruction of all vermin and infection, in about three hours, for about 3d. That the use of the wash-house, on such terms, will resort to it from the constant discomfort and frequentnot only wholly free such of the labouring classes as injury of washing at home, but will also effect an impor tant saving to them in time and money. That calculations, made on the basis of actual experi ence, show that those proposed charges will, when the establishment is in full work, be not only amply suffi cient for its support, but will leave a surplus at least equal to the interest of the capital sunk in its erection. That the receipts of the establishment at Liverpool have been, for the first year, 1591. ; for the second year, 280/. ; for the third year, 3321 ; and for the first three quarters of its current year, 3251., exceeding its ex penses (exclusive of improvements and repairs) during those nine months by more than 30/. That the average expense at Glasshouse•yard i s a fraction less than threehalfpenee a-head. the'That measures,Legislature un d er the l i a sanctionrecognised or special iparlolparl%i,esty and of taking at the public expense, for promoting, not only the health of the people, and their physical comfort, in matters nearly relating to their health, but also their instruction, and (in such instances, for e xamp l e, as the British Mu seum, the National Gallery, the Victoria Park, and borough museums) their national amusement and re creation. That the want of personal cleanliness is constantly found, by those who have to endure it, an insuperable obstacle to their availing themselves of opportunities, otherwise within their reach, for obtaining instruction, whether religious or secular, and indulging in rational amusements and recreations. That for the reasons which your petitioners have stated, as well as for others which will readily occur to your Right Hon. House, the Committee are of opinion that it would be highly desirable for the relief of a vast proportion of the inhabitants of large towns and popu lous districts, from evils now ineident to their social po sition, and from which they cannot relieve themselves— that it would add greatly to the efficiency of other mea sures proposed for the welfare of the people at large— and that on the ground of public principle and national policy of duty and expediency, it would be right—to facilitate by law the establishment of public baths and wash-houses, and their support for a limited period at the public expense. That your petitioners respectfully suggest that for this purpose it would he proper to pass a law, enabling such boroughs and parishes as might voluntarily resolve on adopting its provisions, to establish public baths and wash-houses for the use, at moderate charges, of their respective inhabitants ; for that purpose to obtain loans as for other public works, for the repayment of such loans, and the support of the establishments during such a period as may be necessary for bringieg them into full work, to imppse moderate rates, and to carry the income to be derived from such establishments (which, when they are in full work, may be reasonably expected to leave a yearly surplus over expenditure), to the credit 9f the rates. Your petitioLer3, therdore, humbly pray that your Right Hon. House will be pleased to give to the pre mises your careful consideration, and to take such mea sures for promoting the general establishment, in ]urge towns anc popu, us districts of public baths and wash houses, as to your wisdom shall seem meet. And your petitioners will ever pray, &c., WILLIAM COTTON, Chairman. WILLIAM HAWES, aptity-Chairmann. POST-OFFICES OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE. Additional Articles to those agreed upon between the Post-office of Great Britain and the Post-ottce of France, for carrying into execution the Convention of April 3, 1843. In pursuance of the power granted by the Articles 49 and 87 of the Convention of April 3, 1843, between France and Great Britain, to the two Post offices, to settle the matters of detail, which are to be arranged by mutual consent, for ensuring the execution of the said Convention. The undersigned, duly authorised for that purpose by their respective offices, have agreed upon the following Articles : Art. I.—Letters originating in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the British colonies and possessions, for the Grand Duchy of Baden, shall be transmitted through the Post-office of France, unless especially directed to be sent by some other route. They may be forwarded to the said French Post-office, either unpaid or paid, to their destination, at the option of the senders. )sidGf fino rdrn A ( a. enp r odoo t f . sr Duchy,GFelsrlr possessions, IL — Reciprocally, tcn ß eso fcus shall Britainßp. ael r aeil o asti cally, letters originating in the • T e shbae r hee , n , rsedtpyureinaerpn addressed mieaaslamil4diynyi tdot.drebi transmitted ,h o acteif t htdoe h rßrd e toworu at; United otirishidlbee,teid.hres et Konp coloniesntshtg)t) e B so r m it e ish o p th o e s r t-o r ffi ou ce te , desti nation, at the ol , tion of the senders. Art. lll.—The French Post-office shall pay to the British Post-offic e , f or postage on unpaid lettersorig' na ing in the United Kingdom of' Great B r i ta i n and original. the British colonies and possessions, addressed to the Grand Duchy of Baden, namely t—lst. On letters from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, at the rate of Is. per ounce British, net weight. 2nd. On letters from the British colonies and possessions (but only from the port of embarkation in the said colonies and possessions), at the rate of 3s. 4d. per ounce British, net weight. There shall be added to the rate of 3s. 4d., fixed as above, that of ld., for the internal postage of such of the aforesaid letters as are forwarded from Jamaica (those coming from Kingston excepted), Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward's Island, and Newfoundland, making in all 4s. per ounce British, net weight. Art. IV.—The French Post-office shall likewise pay to the British Post-office for postage on letters origi nating in the Grand Duchy of Baden, which shall be paid to their destination in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the British colonies and posses sions—namely, Ist, On letters addressed to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, at the rate of Is. per ounce British, net weight. 2d, On letters ad dressed to the British colonies and possessions (but paid only to the port of landing in the said colonies and pos. sessions), at the rate of 3s. 4d. per ounce British, net weight. There shall be added to the rate of 3s. 4d. fixed as above, that of Bd, for the internal postage of such of the aforesaid letters as are addressed to Jamaica (those addressed to Kingston excepted), Canada, New Brunswick. Nova Scotia, Prince Edward's Island, and Newfoundland, making in all 4s. per ounce British, net weight. Art. V.—The British Post-office shall pay, on its part, to the French Post-office, for postage on unpaid letters originating in the Grand Duchy of Baden, and addressed to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the British colonies and possessions, at the rate of If. 60c. for every thirty grammes, net weight. Art. Vl.—The British post-office shall likewise pay to the French Post office, for postage on the letters originating in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Inland, the British colonies and possessions, which shall be paid to their destination in the Grand Duchy of Baden. at the rate of If. 60c. for every thirty grammes, net weight. Art. Vll.—The inhabitants of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the British colonies and possessions, and those of the Grand Duchy of Baden, may, reciprocally, send registered letters. The postage on such letters must in all oases be paid to the place of destination. Art. VIII.—The sum for which the two offices of France and Great Britain shall mutually account to each other, as regards the postage of registered letters, sent either from the United Kingdom and its possessions to the Grand Duchy of Baden, or from the Grand Duchy of Baden to the United Kingdom and its posses sions, shall be double the sums mutually fixed upon by the preceding article&4 and 6 for ordinary letters paid to the place of destination. Art. IX.—The French Post-office shall pay to the Post-office of Great Britain an uniform rate of 3s. 4d. per ounce British, net we;ght, for transit through the territory of the United Kingdom, and for sea convey ance of the paid letters odginating in the Grand Duchy of Baden, and addressed to colonies and countries be yond sea, wherever the same may be situated, when for warded by the French to the British Post-office, to he conveyed, either by private ships, by Government vessels, or by vessels freighted or maintained by order of Go vernment, from the ports of the United Kingdom. The same rate of 3s. 4d. per ounce British net weight, shall likewise be paid by the French Post- office to the Post office of Great Britain for sea conveyance and transit postage through the territory of the United Kingdom of unpaid letters originating in colonies and countries be yond the sea, wherever the same may be situated, ad dressed to the Grand Duchy of Baden. It is, however, understood, that in the rate of 3s 4d. per ounce British, fixed as above, for sea conveyance and transit postexe through the territory of the United Kingdom, of the let ters described in the two preceding paragraphs, the rate with which those letters may be chargeable for internal postage in the said colonies and countries beyond sea is not included. Art. X.—The Post-office of Great Britain shall for ward to the French Post-office, free from any chage for postage, newspapers and printed papers, originating in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and addressPd to the Grand Duchy of Baden Art. XL—The Post-office of Great Britain shall pay to the French Post-office, at the rate of four centime, for every newspap , r, for transit postage through France of newspapers originating in the Grand Duchy of Baden, and addressed to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Art. Xll.—The Post-office of France shall pay, on its part, for transit postage and sea conveyance of news papers originating in the Grand Duchy of Baden, and addressed to colonies and countries beyond sea, when forwarded to the British Post-office, to be conveyed either by private ships, by Government vessels, or by vessels freighted by order of Govern:nent, from the ports of the United Kingdom, ,the following rates; namely:-Ist. On newspapers addressed to colonies and countries beyond sea, n•herever the same may be situ ated (those addressed to Canada excepted), one penny each. 2d. On newspapers addressed to Canada, three halfpence each. Art. XIII. The Post-office of France shall likewise pay to the British Post-office, for sea conveyance and transit postage of newspapers addressed to the grand Duchy of Baden, and originating. in the colonies and countries beyond sea, and brought in any manner whatsoever into the United Kingdom or the Channel Islands, the follow ing rates; namely:—lst. On newspapers originating in the colonies and countries beyond sea, wherever the same may be situated (those coming from Canada s excepted) one penny each. 2nd. On newspapers originating in Canada, three halfpence each. Art. XIV. The forms of letter bills and acknowledg ments of receipts, for the use of the respective offives of exchange, beginning from the first day of May next, shall be made according to the forms agreed upon and annexed to the present article. Art XV.—The present articles shall be c o n sidereda: additional to these agreed upon between the two offi ce for carrying into execution the Conventio_n_. o . f A p ri l 3 d , 1843, signed at London the Ist May fowing ' 1846. and shall come into operation the fi rst day of i! May, Done in Duplicate, and signed at Paris the twenty - fifth day of the month of Mulch, 1846, and at London th e thirtieth day of the same month. (Signed) W. L. MABERLY, Secretary of the Gen. Post-office of the United Kingdom. • Approved. (Signed) ST. GERMANS, Postmaster -General of th e U n i te d Kingdom. r ADV ERTISEMENT e .I—Th Gentleman's Real Head of Hair, or Invisible Ventilating Peruke, is so close a resem blance to nature as to defy detection ; and to enable any gen tleman to see th e e ff ect, a large assortment is always kept for inspection, any one of which, if approved of, saves the purchaser both time and trouble. These splendid specimens of the P er ruquean art, sup er i or t o an ythi ng t o b e o b ta i ned elsew h ere either in Paris or London, have o n ly t o b e seen to be a4mired, and are the sole invention of Ross and Sons, 119 and 120, Bishopsgate-street, London. N.B. Splendid hair-cutti ng ' apartments on the ground-floor, the whole of the walls being lined with looking-glas s a /a mode de Paris. To THE SPORTING WORLD.—The sale of Bell's Life' in London exceeds twenty-four thousand. Bell's Life is published at 170, Strand, every Saturday in time for the afternoon railways. Bell's Life, May 17, will contai n a full report of the pugilistic contest between Gill and Norley. [ ADVERTISEMENT.] —DEAFNESS AND 'DEFECTIVE VISION RELIEVED, 39,1 ALBERMARLE-STREET, PICCADILLY. —Newly invented acoustic tubes, for relief of extreme deafness, and when inserted in the car ca nno t b e p erce i ve d b y th e nearest ' when inserted in the ear cannot be perceived by the nearest observe are entirely different from all others, and are the smallest hear ing instruments constructed—measuring only a quarter of an inch In their widest part; they may be securely adjusted-in the ears unob served, and removed therefrom with as great ease and facility. Per sons are enabled to join in general conversation, and to hear most distinctly in a place of worship, &c., and what should be greatly considered, a natural expansion of the cavity of the ear is preserved —a thickening or contraction of which ha many instances is par tially the cause of deafness—and by their use the unpleasant sen sation of singing noises in the ears Is entirely obviated. Also im proved hearing trumpets of every description. Immediately the newly-invented spectacle lenses are placed before imperfect vision, either by day or candlelight, that mist and dullness which appear before the eyes is at once removed, every object becomes clear and distinct, so that the most aged defective sight becomes bright and brilliant, and is brought to its youthful, natural, and original state. Also the most powerful achromatic telescopes, opera glasses, and microscopes. Caution—Messrs. S. and B. Solomons, opticians, are not in any way connected with a person of the seine name in their immediate neighbourhood. nor in any pert of the country. To prevent mistakes, be cautious, and observe—only to be had at 39, Albermarle treat, Piccadilly, opposite the 'for HoteL [ADVERTISEMENT. ] —PA L PITATION OF THE HEART, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, AND GENERAL DEBILITY, CUBED BY HOL LOWAY'S PILLS.— A gentleman of the name of Spencer, residing for the present in Sackville-street, Dublin, and who was for many g k e f r ; elu d e ,nt again,ly years in the East India Company's service. fell Into ill-health, and cause,deatl' w s d h o e o n r iy t i l n i g e d a o c u ti , o n u th of e v h e i r s y h t e w ar d violent so was even as toot'tobeshina from shortness of breath and debility he could scarcely walk twenty yards. This gentleman may now be seen out hunting, in the fbllest Holloway oealth, having Fills, cured by the surprising virtues of Holloway's usjly celebrated which are sold by every chemist, and at Professor Holloway's Establishment, 244, Strand, London. Mr. Smith O'Brien yesterday received the deputation from the 'B2 Club appointed to deliver to him the adarose of that , !s oc iety. The Hon. Member returned au appropriate answer, which haroquei,o! the deputation to deliver to his brethren, and the depu- titiouretiredf THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SlR,—The remarks you make in your paper of yester day on Some late communications between the Bible Society and Mr. Hume, are concluded by the expression 0, a fear that the great philanthropic religious associa tions of the day are becoming gradually, but, at the 3 saute time, totally perverted from their original charac ter. lam not much acquainted with these societies ge nerally, but there is one, respecting which as a London Missionary of some years standing, I can give you some information, which, I doubt not, the religious public at large will consider of no little importance. The Society to which I refer is the Religious Tract Society ; and the particulars referred to as follows. I have no doubt your publication of, and remark upon them, will be of signal service. 1. The materiel itself, furnished by this society, is of the most inferior description. It is entirely behind the age. Sometimes the tracts are written in a spirit which is positively mischievous : such, for instance, as seine of the tracts on Humanism and Puseyism. Some times their theology and logic are alike bad. Only lately I carried a tract on one of those subjects to an eminent dissen'ing minister, under whom I am labour ing, and asked him, after rewling it to him, whether I could circulate it ? His answer was to this effect— " Decidedly not. The argument has no more to do with the point argued than it has with any other point. The texts of Scripture cited have no bearing whatever on the proposition they are meant to support." If I had given tile tract to a Romania he would have laughed at me. Again, a vast proportion of the thought in them is mere twaddle. Men, used to tile downright matter of-fact ways of the world, feel it a degradation to be schooled by professors of the theology of the nursery. Having become men, and put away childish things, like the Apostle, their religious intellect will not submit to be made any longer conversant with the things of God and immortality, only through the most puerile associations I confess, with all my in eradicable biasses in favour of men set apart to holiness and God, I often, as I look over a lot of tracts, have this notion pass through my mind—" Well, the writers of these are very good men, but redly they are very silly ones." N thin ow, Sir, y ou may i magine what a wretched g it is for a missionary to have daily to penetrate through the phalanxes of infidelity with such weapons as these in his hands. 2. Books on religious subjects, of the most unequi vocal value and universal utility, are kept out of sight by the Society. In fact, it has extended itself so widely, and is so resistles s as a monopoly of the religious book trade, that I think it very questionable whether it is not really keeping down books of a vivid spirit-stirring character in religion at a cost greater than the positive gain of its labours and influences. Bookseller s speak of it as a perfect nuisance. A very valuable book is offered them ; they would like to publish it, but dare not. This great religious book monopoly has its agents in every town, its advertisements in every room, its brokers in every pulpit. It has the market before them, and they are afraid to speculate. Men of business in Paternoster row even go so far as to say that the Tract Society watches their speculations, and if they strike out some new and lucrative idol, immediately simulates it by something of its own, divides the sale, and swamps their project. 3. Taking the authorised reports of the Religious Tract Society as evidence of fact, the governing body of the Society is too circumscribed. It ought to have a committee of at least fifty members, annually eligible or re eligible as may be, and the right of election should be so vested as to secure correct representation of the subscribers. We know that this Society pays very handsomely for its copyrights, and there seems something very extra ordinary in their being of such an inferior description. public wants something mire in return for its mu nificent contributions than the salarying of certain clerks and shopmen for doing the " duties" of a trade that answers its grand end in so very inferior a style. It appears to me, Sir, to have become our imperative duty to do one of these two things:—Either we ought to apply our subscriptions to securing a better materiel. elsewhere, or insist upon this Society altering its pro ceedings. It was not meant to be a monopoly of trade in religious books, underselling every body, and keep ing most valuable works out of the market. It was not meant to confine itself to the mere function of instruct ing babes, or to supply to the infidel and papist a shaft of scorn against the Christian missionary. But it was meant to be the vehicle of a printed course of religious instruction for certain classes, and that at least not be hind the age in soundness of sentiment and tone of expression. Excuse the hurried manner in which, no doubt, you will detect this to have been written, as I write it in a few minutes snatched from my dinner hour, and because my conscience has so long and so loudly importuned me upon it.—l am, Sir, yours truly. May 5, 1846. A MIoSIONARY. GREAT INDIAN PEN iNSULAR RAILWAY COMPANY. (From the Bombay Bi- Monthly Times of March 31.) The Committee of the Great Indian Peninsular Rail way Company have issued the following circular :—" The London Board of Directors of this Company, having resolved that no shares shall be allotted in London after the 13th of April, 1546, but that all shares formerly reserved for India which then r ema i n una ll otte d shall Y be allotted in England, the provisional committee in Bombay, notwith standing the measures adopted for closing the list, will be prepared, in consequence of that resolution, to receive appli cations for shares in the Company up to the date now spe cified, after which no further application will be attended to. The Committee deem this a fitting occasion to intimate, for the information of the public, that the surveys and investi gations which have been carried on during the past few months by the engineers and other officers of the Company, have elicited results of a highly favourable nature, and that the information now in their possession, as to the general features of the line, would have warranted far more flatter ing expectations, as to its advantages and capabilities, even than the documentary fact, originally available, led the projectors themselves to entertain. The tract between Bom bay and Tannah is almost entirely devoid of engineering difficulties, while the country lying between the last-named place, and the foot of the Malsej Ghaut, though of a more intricate character, will, it is believed, afford a fair average line, involving few works of magnitude or expense. The Ghaut itself, the examination of which is nearly completed, has been found perfectly practicable; and though, of course, calling for appliances which are not likely to be elsewhere required, will, from all appearances, tax neither the ingenuity of the engineer, nor the funds of the Company, to nearly so great an extent as was anticipat e d. I n t h e a b sence of the engineer's report, which is as yet delayed, of the surveys in progress beyond the Ghaut, the committee cannot speak po sitively with respect to that part of the line, but the unoffi-- cial information they have vs yet received is very promis ing, and they have no doubt that this will be speedily con firmed by official documents. On the whole, therefore, as regards the physical examination of the country, the pros pects of the project, as far as can be perceived, are in the highest degree encouraging. Influenced by this consideration, the Committee have resolved to use strenuous efforts to begin the actual construction of some part of the works without delay, to which end detailed surveys of the country between Bombay and Tannah are in progress, which it is hoped will be concluded in mniicient time before the monsoon, to allow of the Committee taking advantage of that season, (when active operations in the field will of necessity be suspended) to submit to Government the plans, selections, and other papers, necessary as the basis for an application for permis sion to commence the undertaking. Whatever direction- the trunk line into the interior may eventually follow, the route to Tannah must certainly form a portion of it, and it has been determined to make this commencement less in the ex pectation of immediate profit than with a view to familiarise the natives of India with the construction and working of railroads, and to afford a school for the instruction of such artisans and labourers asthe company may require to employ in their more extended cperatioms. With respect t t i c: e sta tistical details, it is only necessary to mention that in quiries which have been made in India have accu racy of the e tended to con firm, in the most satisfactory manner, h When the exact course of the main their preliminary calcucalculations.ons. ned the fruits of these in quiries line is finally determined, whichrm a fu t i rn o s h c e o d l e t c h t e ed p ro i j n e England,fors with by d ta M o r. n , C v h hi sp eh in t a o n iou a n n d il more definite shape, and: become will assume applicable to the solution of the question of mo re direcqy aPP pr ; of prospectsthe ont. rile ofabo thee see ms quite clear that unless any obstacle should ar i se f rom the measures of Government—a contingen c y i n t h e l ast degree improbable—a portion of the int en d e d li ne of rail way proposed will ere long be in course of construction. Although little publicity has hitherto been given to the proceedings of the company, it is evident that its officers have not been idle; and there is, we believe, every rea , on to hope that before the commencement of the rains, the survey of the whole sketch of country between Bombay and the Gun gathurree, will be completed. We are glad to perceive that it has been determined to commence the actual construction of the works between Bombay and Tannah at an early date. . This is an arrangement, the judiciousness of which can ad ' mit of no question, far by its adoption the native artisans and labourers will become familiar with the details of rail way operations, and be enabled to execute hereafter, in a satisfactory and expeditious manner, works which must of necessity involve, in the first instance, seine degree of diffi culty and delay. The knowledge thus acquired will soon be generally diffused, and in the course of a short time, we may ex , ect to see at the company's disposal a numerous . band of efficient a orkmen, available for employment at any stage and in any branch of its undertaking. We hear that measures are already being taken for marking out the course of the railway between Bombay and Tannah, and that a commencement has been made in the direction of Girgau,n, so that any of our readers who may be desirous of inspecting the work will have an opportunity of doing so." DEATH OF SIR WILLIAM MILLER, BART.—We have to record thp death of Sir William Miller, Bart., better known as Lord Glenlee, who expired, on Saturday morning last, at Barskining, 7TRAIIczDAERs7f onT,y, LriziPTetreNrAZTn-crutChe:ilidlst:lg:ssuoNtllosnaEtitaLiihtiniegi euan:ccrynido3en- Ayrshire. 'the deceased Baronet had arrived at an advanced age, for he was in his 90th year. He was son of the first liarenet, the Lord President of the College of Justice in Scotland, and married his cousin, Miss Chalmers, daughter of Mr. George Chalmers. In 1789 he succeeded his father in the baronetcy, and in 1795 was appointed one of the Lords of Session, when he assumed, by courtesy, the title of Lord Glenlee. In 1840, from his increasing years and consequent inirmity, he retired from the judicial bench, after a strict attendance of above 45 years to the arduous duties attached to that high legal E ce Y r T m E et OF wi T th EtE a office. The late Baronet Is succeeded. by his eldest son, now Sir Thomas Miller, Bart. r p n e i r suer i rA i yt i La e t ,ia l En i n c ed 4 do t 1 hlt i a: dhr treatment, the beenll hcu e el e 1 0 V v es et t ry e to rd sH a e y reiano m u 'e t serious accident by being thrown from his horse (a spirited animal) while riding in iiyde Park. The gallant Colonel was taken up sense lass, jecteitsßrotursolleobnocn:foo:vtqlfihNeaunrecsgi.eirmitednrta.wings, lass, and conveyed to the Knights ridge barracks, where, under pro - yesterday, e bs Z av n t e lbe n at t irorna n c t ok a rs s a t ' ers of the German, Italian, Dutch, a b n s ;l lllae mosts Flemish ale schco!s, the property of B. Kertz, EN,' e d e e ti rrie o s f , & Si e r , j t . oo lt kplace ' ..' formerly in the Arundel col- d le e c L tio ign it, e nd ie th c e ou co n li t Reynolds, Sir P. Lely, the Prince in Mr. auction rooms, in New Bond-street. In . this collection there are 230 draw ings,Phillips' ' divided into 205 lots, of which number 118 were disposed at yesterday, the remaining portion; the most choice, being for sale this day (Friday). The German and Italian masters. Among the former there were six drawings by Albert Durer, one by Hans Holbein, one by Heniskirk, one by Lucas Van Leyden, two by Lucas Cranach, Sae. These Were , ' : principally pen and ink drawings from the Fries collection, and sold for good prices. In the Itali in school the - drawings were more nu merous, comprising three by Michael Angelo, four by Annibale Car racel, twelve by Agostino Carracci, nine by Cignani, two by Cot, regin in red chalk, nine by Guido, principally in red chalk and pen ant ink; three by Claude, pen , pen drawings, washed with bishe ; five by Guereino, one by Murillo, pen, washed with black ink ; eight by Parmageein. seven by Nicholas Ponsshn, and one by Gaspar PeaSsin, '' EzO: &c. The subjects were principally of a religious character, s ome Otto Dot were puchand tor the Drittah Mumma