The Sun. — London, England, 1846-02-20 00:00:00

of to be .ar th at h t i b ; a.uret be, Dracu t • the rder," i s , t2 . . it was reckoned at seventy millions, and the Right teats Gentleman had endeavoured to infer that the value of LiprifisetosveindisltfiBpe4tr2 was higher than in 1815 by a difference amount cent.—( Hear.) Ile (Mr. Alderman Thompson) i eek _ an s . , rn since 1815 land which had lain waste had been a i .u i e sroved to the extent of about 15 per cent. upon itiß4iiielatci_neottiodvi , and at a fallen price.—( Hear.) Did the arot.et mein to contend that thirty millions the ei thoat an increase, had been employed between 1815 and 1842 tepi tai, Yt,triterest having been received on se large a 4, lo :_a sa hat it was . included in an additional revenue of s te p lust f If . these items were put together, it would not steh l uar the 'Right H as. Baronet had made out hie case ek T e Paet to the difference of increase. The argument ualalicei.ght Hon. Baronet wished to prove was, that rents aa era , r __ a d between the years 1615 and 1842. He ( Mr. whol'eat, Thompson) had endearoured to show that that tforread 1 2 1 was fallacious, and whether he had suceeeded or nor b is t f , : for e eehe fi le t r he House to consider. The Hon. Membet 4 a wa t, lt u ad b e a w rki n ; ll had ask hy the corn trade should the Breast , merchant should he restrained in that trade? He would contend that the Essen, d, a as a free trade, nay, it was more than free. it was .rhe [Le o Id hail always been unembarrassed —( Hear. hear.) s se it urable Gentleman had ale() exile-.sed a wish to know lekerlwy"obitilta'itilleadn?d had labittirnsd a: i hiele a pr;ceeow as 'that! 'lade ghat entu, os lie .eltaman Thorne-en) had inquiries Yasi us earters, and had foiind "% " r i ' Z tft s i Y laree, estate whatever had been seld at any O i s e , , O h ear e 01 tie diffisultv of finding a ps ' irrloteer ) Perhays some Ilanent 7 ahla reentie ' tnan th,di rr other side or n , of the tinti.e would inferm him that sup port t ,_ such was the case. Although he (mulct .(ei hi. the piesent measare, he was free to semi', Le al 7 Predilsctiens were in favour of the manufaetnrer. te a s _ eneer s from th e f tliZ el dent ha . .ree-tralers. ) At a very early pe rsoree'red io a To P ac it him a. the head of a very large este lhe 'atere.td enufaet tiring, town, and ceneermently he ease ho Ri g h t H In commerce and m . nufactures than in land C e (01. Gentleinae had a right to expect to hear frem w wss trot disposed to stand still, what were hi, lea oppnedould advance whenever he saw an opportunity ii7s!de-(ffe_anY improvement in the social condition of the 4 7isr ui in v . .- !lie Right Hon. Baronet had been most ,10 : 1 1ae af ben,ls uancial eiperati ,ns, and eessessed a surplus tatted e i te ` ri t eale three and four millions. lieu of the Iso ss _Paoti) „h t o a e rn in the corn-laws, he (Mr. Alderman a T eret eos a advise that the duty upon an article of very ta4PrePortillottlPtei", viz., upon tea, should be reduced. A if " , re or the labouring classes engaged in menufac ttas Itighteetaseurners of tea and sugar to a great extent, and ppr IPenee Per Gentleman had reduced the duty upon tea 1 0 1 4 34 4 d, h e P° ll ad, and the duty on sugar to one penny t he "ho e be : t o:I v :el not only have increased the revenue, but ho to roari tig ed at the same time a very great boon on %p ea ?) to ar e ,m'aes. The duty upon tea amounts to es` ba le see Per cent., and the people of this country Mare toe) tnillions of money for their tea. This expen et eMilliotts!e classified in the following manner, viz.— tit ti Pea t i ed to Government for duty, two millions T he 'e r r,. mote!. atrteieht, dock charges, profits to importer and ka t e o f o u ° two millions are paid to the Chinese people.. tilltenabl e commercial policy with this nation is the kt, 144 in t he w orld. China is the only country that ititnl ef 5 etiel of British manufacture at an ad valorem trid l q e !nt., and he believed the whole trade of this hite !WI ea: tilt ed to receiving tea in return The American !e el Irap orted na was conducted on adifferent principle. Eng- S oo .ehi tia a nPssards of sixty million pounds of tea R e ',„, w atte America, which was the next largest tts o 'pith eon America, i;ttported twenty millions, and the a st. s p er eenwas imposed on that quantity did not amount imht- l ie would ask why a duty of 100 to 250 per tis t ,7 4 8 irled by this country on tea, while the Chinese kp t ieles'aiig° M anufactures at five per cent., and while the - Sbillteeatioalovred tea to be imported into their country at a ‘s was • du tY? His opinion was that our trade with at 1° a most e ke, st r i a dangerous position, and required rte .rat any .gent measures to be immediately adopted Steleeioe jipsastrous consequences. He wished to express ; 0 4?Pos e a . 4 all due deference. The Right Hon Baronet ib i ,lo that !_.aeduction in the article of tobacco. With °lrlh s Ro the I r ticle, according to a return which was made tiot ;74 m ae , rn the year 1844, it appeared that 955 persons 144Seeetioigac,ied of "smuggling tobacco, an article of a value khr4TPri ton ‘.. per pound, and had actually been submitted illadeeY greate r , ! en of two months, and in some cases to a con awe te extent. The Hon. Gentleman having briefly tith, t ht oa Jeductio of duty on soap, expressed a , 4 tre; Te llots: at it u i ng he n had said would give offence to the t that : ar mlet. He could assure the Right Hon. :rosel'Po se ' l hi that Mau more highly respected him f r his le at ast • ~ re % rict sense of duty had compelled him to gli o . 4e lnkt afoll'uts occasion. During the long per;od he had %ea ha h 'e , he had ing eneral given the Right Hon. ast °tabl e i e t hee o nowsupport. lde deeply regretted that tie s keel anent f;• He had given n o pl e d ge , an d was un d er aed hi s I , constituency further than that in 1841 tetif or i ater it i o general support to the Governme n t, and it bgir wanty eT ,ta to have continued it, could he have done so ate. 0 • 1400 his avowed opisaons. 'gat, eatlee, eaSWORTH said the objections which the Ikttti,(iii"...ol4lsChlend.had taken to the measure were, that its N'tl ( igh a I "str , lis to the labouring classes ; and he OOs, c se ries of returns, showing that the condition of use whene last few years had bsen consider avele lien prices were low wages were also low. igt,Psiotiwlagoes were high so also were prices. Imme -504 ie lei w ra illi aTo !,, o t he dissolution of the last Parliament i 3 1 lege orth ) had given notice of motion tit:ds he th e the differences of the prises of cep 'faun w ages of I b r From the returns the 4 , wer A ou the waees of 'about- especially of skilled a t hßeoe r • LP , 114, 1 ' eap . „,aby higher when prices were low and when I„,ats,„ t a lap. "'Len food was cheap the labouring classes tiTlest ee 'llinita' r er Proportion of their earnings in articles of sty oCd thilietai manufactures. This caused a greater demani, a e Y tliere occurred a greater inert ,se, in mender :her branches of trade. On ,he contrary. tilef l 'Otap e a 's dear the laboering classes were neves kte •la 4.4 • • • • their purchases of articles aZta o r th e d e ar, hear. ) In conseeuence of the dimi lttitiltee t he t ak e n'and, large stocks accumulated on the tk i lq4 l , e ll t 0 4,"5• Vanufacturers would decrease their a t _le ith dto hi_ un ar, and th e wages must necessar il y f a ll. t it N ti llrie et it "' that there was no connexion between lON to a ft wages--but the amount of the wages of .1 , 11ed 1 ; consist i n t h e demand for it, in the increased b e th e Me r l t t'P l Y of m anu f actures. The H on Gentleman D et , Ptop osed o the fears of the protectionists of the effects r 'l l'°rtu • rne asure, observed that no fitting or more itt:iftee..oti_fptresl lianfidtlyne.ceould be found ' than the present for the ' , corn -laws. It had been said that tilt- Oss He rd question. It appeared to him that 2ta l e i t ei ad e ow e a nY difference in the price of land lklee tl er. B..aeS be the landlord and not the tenant who be Fl ot i l l, 11e anticipated no such bad results from the a b a d:li ttaaT be ne .tandlords and tenants would even „st witahtedli by the eessation . of protection . .. on. Gentlemen opposite, that small , If s t .l . ta t rt e le i b4u4tt skill arid capital would be greatly injured by ' li um . e o Y might depend upon it that the advance ' Lel to en],aments in agriculture and manufactures i sa N ate. o ,l earioe"alanlate, without the aid of free trade, di a 4 (1 7 , 1 11 whose behalf the Hon. Member for tl a e ver at i a... , made so touching an appeal. For it had t i ae m ald ,_!ndeed, it was a well-ascertained fact—that ti;:t the a tio - FeP e t_r_a l l . arid science production both in agricul z! i the l !_es could be carried on with greater ad daation o rta them. But it might be imagined that f Would e almal and sc i ence to the cultivat i on of cattle Ir raer te nd to annihilate the unskilled and • ke t hs a This' and to diminish the demand for ifaerhaaeree se o",a‘, however, a mistake, for in proportion ek - 7,1)1e ao} : capital applied to land, the demand for b e 'Le of th_an,eed di; and it was a well-known fact that lki t ‘dtti o More va a rand of this country were cultivated, it 1, 1 of ati a th an O u an sufficient to supply the wants of a larger la t s t i her r °wn, and at a price, too, almost as low as tltei a u to acountr oft the world. What, then, might tal :id h e i,a".ecarne the man without skill und capital ? t l ih a t tatiZ 4 rkill" lB wogined, and propel ly too, that the man with o._ uld be enabled to undersell the man who k.ttt (111alities 101 /1 ,. and at his command. Why, this—the man 'ZS' beee it , e j e f a Pttal must abandon his speculation in y o zsere to give him an artificial pro i't4Nealt w ould st t o he d retard theP roe raceumulation of capital in the eetseattaother branch P of lh e asubj e l gprovement. He came t as a landlord himself, he could at It t la from the land had never been higher mel the value of ban the promsrfits jt,,,tqlent moment. But he denied that thisrr they mseult had been tai_et !protection •; and in support of this state 6,7,x ',bat was the correct principle of ascertaininna' heeewa'a' i 1 would 101t1b.7. 1 4, 4 4 Piece of land, comparatively speaking barren s might Sik.lsetater_alte.e than another piece of land when comparieseek eat toe senile—.but this anomalous proposition brought hi po,t ti. 7 . test of the value of 1 The value of land way ‘11:, an . NI, ao m uch by its fertility as the amount of its slur ' news w and when lie considered the vast in t.ki°ing. place in the manufactures of the country, te.'" 4 l demand which was, every day . 4 1 Ott' .t f or ge ta t i„ tabour, he could not help thinking that the 4 1 4 1 , y, 41 % 0 th e tubers'eti.letiee, opposite, and the landed . gentry seve iotinw taa nwf _ . of this me (sure, were quite unfounded. cieqtv, py souring population of this country was ac, n tt LY and to meet the demands for food for this t i 'veatl e ea te ar a nd capit a l was being applied with greaser t em . I ek e to i sti be a e t n ti le d, thus allowing that the value of land a er ree o irap ot i t ttrnount of popul a ti on , an d t h at rents in %sate' ip a , t igh v , 4. ° to the proaperity of manufactur. s. A th is N ay Pros pet 'about to take place in the country. Cam tortlilekt, Pa 't Of ' 43, `.nod before long railroads would inter- I N . d e lth das n Ihe resources of the country by at at ara, aw e w oold ,7 become more developed, and agricul ttetaksteee!d Pop a i a u e hroughi as it wore into close counexion 11:4taiert el we o i d eua towns. _Now, I,e would ask if these te, t ac lau do not advaime. rather than retaid, the in -14. ata "se ne w ners? To whom then would they be in attilta:a 'Zest , abletasted advent ages ?—not tothe capital of the t ad h e e kly 0 the accumulation of manufacturers. 0 %44 4.4 11 4i :0 d te , the o s: d n a het freedom of trade . would still „ t at o ,. L 1 he h sa ance of manufacturing ingenuity; ,Nsteity. sa shed shown that, the interest of the aqrl '‘Ot,;' dt, t ; or the: he n manufactures Were in a state of k a t tk it h l -; reasons, if there could be no better, he t tes t ,',lla . iLittt g h a t ar n ntY to eeve his cordial support to the 4 1t si th r Bat unet I tri tit : ta te e r th e w ' - 'ntri throw aside all feeling nf animosity t ktl ( I).iPiii,i ti ,,errirnen t or the Hon. Baronet opposite, tkedals,4 lys a ten t i til l l kie. should give to the measure before the Nse % s uppo r t s aetuated by any party spirit. He taat„,,d e uid „„ tae Right Hon. Baronet as a disinte elhe rty colinected with an party, and therefore tsa s es see t i,a" 'airs that the Rieht Hon. Baronet, having ti'd tij' esthete had e yore h . acted most honourably in change tic'. 1 . opi ni " own part, however, he still the Thae e Wo he Ilightn"ltuPin this subject as he did thirty - , lle b e -son. Baronet the Secretary of State t i..t b le ate,t obj eat of ttart ment had expressed his opinion • Annmat of laical economy was to diffuse h f or perf happiness amongst the largest number of 4141 ectl Y r d with a• ti le to gee this opinion, and the e s tett so tae was, would there be as much hap kfforrli o r ta ‘runout as there was with protection? iNk,-trof ed t h e , lier he should imagine to, the cheapness iptlte that l'topl e ; Rbreatest amount of happiness to the largest diet would warn the Government to al e a t dearth y to • It nu" not in. cheapening food, commit the hri el,„ d •it severe distress than at present existed al ta a tal t h ed n „ admitted onh 1e ("i nt , On the Prop all o rtion wells the o deman d d to w i h ts et s h u e p r: th e 'l t hout l eu ti action, they we t wo e u e l n d s n i not lessen the t o B iro fr o eve ry "mg the supply. Now, he main ra a Wailer of h la. Qs r t forei w eat brought into this e atut he nation would reduce the demand ,;:tk si • oirosai of s ' onsequently, strongly opposed tOtt h"at e4 rri. I f reseeactions placed on the eas e , ta t e _ grea t "eYyernove4 protection, he was con zere out ot:reoP.ottion of the land of this country „ t1,,114 ticltere.rabie lianodltavation ; and when they considered lieeehe nod W as equal to four weeks' labour, N:hde_ atk ed, _ two weeks, anti an acre of pastare t,upe"444l for conld this measure dpotherwise than re btr r tit s l abour w• 1 4 , .) suffer ithout diminishing the supply ? tst e f P cw , h .ne snide I:nost grievously, but what cared the tat tip . 1 ' ovvn .t . 10,000/. in , two years.—(Hear, he % il ia, 1 ; h e he had advocated the property-tax e 4 ate • did l a 8 , el' 41 " eek for the repeal of the malt ' qt°l l "hiEr b `' e w as o vte that the taxes of ' 4l inj 1 414 (Z the ir each, to r te; the poor was, in 4 'it , it j; heers.) If that was Or last time Power ) to address OA 40v.gPs THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARI 20, 18413 he would honestly and fearlessly say that the rich ought to be urged much more strongly than they were at present to pay the taxation of the country. —( Hear.) He would not use harsh language when speaking of the conduct of the Anti-Corn-law Leaguers, but he would venture to say that they went about the coun try addressing the agricultural labourers in language of the most deceitful kind. —( Protectionist cheers and cries of " No, no," froth the Opposition.) They told those deluded people that if the ecru-laws were repealed, they would have cheap corn aid deer labour. But those two things did not exist together.—(Protectionist cheers.) Cheap corn and cheap labour might, however, exist together.—(Protectionist cheers.) The labourer might be well off if they re leaaed him from the payment of those burdens under which he at present laboured. But would the Anti-Corn-law Leaguers vote for any proposition a hick would have for its object the real benefit of the labourer ? whilst the members and lec turers of the League were addressing agricultural labourers, they omitted to tell them that whilst the manufac turers were seeking for foreign trade they were at the same time destroying the home trade.—( Hear, hear.) They did not address them in the same honest terms as he did when he went to speak at agricultural meetings. He spoke to them honestly, because he looked upon them as his friends. —( Protectionist cheers. ) But the manufacturers consi dered their labourers as mere machines.— ( Protee tientst cheers. ) They taltaed to. them in no such nonsensi cal terms as he (Mi. Bennett.) did in addressing the :agricul t ural labourers. —( Hear, hear.) The Honourable Member for Durham ( Mr. Bright) had said something of the late mereinge of agricultural Labourers which had been held at Goatacre and one oz- two other places. Now he (Mr. Bennet r) happened to know something about those meet ines est the Goatacre meeting there were breween 34 4) and 400 people, a t l no more; and by whom were they addres eat? The Han. Member for Durham had said that the Anti-Corn law League did not pay their emissaries, but he ( Mr. Bennett) keew that they did.—( Loud cheers from the protectionists.) They canes o his own county, and said they would have a •' flare-up" there.—( Hear hear.) The attempt to have a '• flare-up " had been made long since, but it had failed. At t ..e last attempt there was a Mr. Edwards, who, to the best of his (Mr. Bennett's) information—he was not sure whether that information was correct, was a journeyman tailor, at Marl borough. That man attended all the League meetings 'here; and at the last meeting he put a labouring man, named Pedlar, in the chair, who made a speech, which was printed at a tremendous length in the organ of the League, whilst the speech which he (Mr. Bennett) had made was eomplet. ly hurked.—( Cheers and laughter.) Edwards admitted that he received a guinea a day for what he did. Where he got it he (Mr. Bennett) did not know. God forbid hat it should be from the League.—(Cheers and laughter.; That men's business was to get " flare-ups" in the country for the Anti-Corn-law League.—( Hear, hear.) And it appeared that the Hon. Member fur Durham was disposed to have a flare-up" with him (Mr. Bennett). But he believed that the time had come when this deception of the League wss about to be brought to an end.—(Protectionists' cheers.) The agricultural labourers were a very intelligent and respectable body of men ; they were men whom he called and treated as his friends.—( Hear, hear.) And such men could not be deceived much longer. Ha admitted that at the Goatacre and other such meetings; and, indeed, there might be found in every parish in the country, a set of idle fellows who, for a certain remuneration, would cry out " cheap bread and free trade" for the Anti-Corn-law League, but the agricultural labourers, as a body, were too intelligent and respectable to do any such thing. He believed that the tide amongst that body was turning very rapidly against the advocacy of free trade. He was old enough to remember the excite ment which was caused many years ago in Wiltshire about the property-tax ;at that time he was young, aspiring, and active—he could not bear to see the deception which was practised upon the labourers. There was a meeting held in Salisbury, at which Mr. Hunt and Mr. Cobbett made them -elves most active. He (Mr. Bennett) said to a shrewd, re spectable, and elderly gentleman, named Mr. Burton, " We are neglect ing our duty ; here's Hunt and Cobbett upon the hustings at Salisbury, and they are running down the pro perty-tax." The object of those agitators was national bank ruptcy.—( Laughter.) Mr. Burton said, in reply to him, that he (Mr. Bennett) was a fool for taking any notice of them, because the were doing the work of the wealthy against whom they spoke se vociferously and fiercely. " We, 'said he, "have property, whilst those fellows have none, and they are doing our work in running down the property •tax." So he be lieved were the Anti Corn-law Leaguers doing the work of the landowners of the county. There might be at Goatacre and at one or two other places a cry of " Free-trade in corn—sub iivision of farm—ssmall farms," and the like ; but the poor wretches that made those cries did not know that the " free trade in corn" and " subdivision of farms" would bring ruin upon themselves and the farmers.—( Hear, hear.) A gross deception was practised upon them. The farmer would be the man that would be ruined.—( Hear, hear.) He was the man that would be crushed.—( Hear.) And had not the great manufacturers already crushed the little manufac turers ?—(Cheers. ) Last year the price of wheat was 445. per quarter. The little farmers sold all their wheat at that price because they could not get anything more. But the great farmers that had 4,ooosacks of corn, obtained 765. per quarter. That was done by a rich farmer at Marlborough.—( Hear, hear.) The colonies, which he (Mr. Bennett) looked upon as a portion of the United Kingdom, would also be ruined by this measure —( Hear, hear)—and the labourers at home would would be screwed down to the lowest point of remuneration. There would also be a very large confiscation of property in this coun try. if the mauufacturer found that his bu-iness was not re inunerating, he had nothing to do but to extinguish his fires and discharge his labourers. But not so with the landlord—his capital was invested in his land, and he must go on whether he was prosperous or not.—(Protectionist cheers.) Whatever might be his loss, he was compelled to stick te his land. fie believed that if the present measure were passed into a law, ease price of wheat would be ultimately as low as 40s. per quarter. l'he manufacturers seem to consider they are safe, but they may be assured that as soon as this measure shall have passed, that the sooner they make up their books, extinguish their tires, and bid adieu to the tall chimnies and crowded factories he better, it would be for them. They might depend upon it there was a time of severe and great distress coming upon them. —( Cheers from the protectionists.) They are already manu tacturing more than the world can consume, and foreign nations are rising into competition with them, and bid fair to out-rival them in their supplies of the markets of the world. He would briefly allude to the question of wages. The Anti- Corn-law League maintained that it was the duty of all persons to buy in the cheapest and sell in the dearest market. That prin ciple should be adopted with reference to wages —vraNtees are nre however governed by the farmer they are grwerned by the demand for labour. He considered that the assertions of the Anti-Corn-law League were a mass of contradictions. To the farmer they said the repeal of the corn laws would not reduce the price of corn. To the labourer it would not affect the price of wages, and to the landlord they said, rents would not be lowered. Such was the conduct of the League.—(" Hear, hear," from the protectionists.) He must say one word with reference to the county he represented, Wiltshire. There is no county better farmed than Wiltshire ; everything is going on well, science is doing wonders among them, every man is exerting himself to the utmost, every thing is thriving, and the labourers are employed.--( Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member went on to state that it was a matter of astonish ment to him that so small a circumstance as the partial failure of the potato crop should have been the means of bringing forward such measures at present.— ( Hear, hear.) He had much respect for Hon. Members on both sides of the House ; he considered them honest ; nor could he impute any dishonourable motives to them. He con sidered it, however, very extraordinary that Hon. Members on his side of the House could makelsuch speeches ; that they could take up such an argument as this, and say—" There must be a Government, but I have more confidence in the Right lion. Baronet on this side of the House, than I have fur the Noble Lord the Member for the City of London ; and as there are but two parties, I shall abide by the Earty on this side." What a lamentable state—continued the Hon. Member—what a misfortune is this !—( Hear, hear.) No man would be more distressed than I should, if there were no party to conduct the affairs of Government; but I still think that the principlef which I advocate would become paramount, even if both parties —the present parties in the State—would form a coalition. The lion. Member concluded by stating that he would oppose the motion. Mr. H. BERKLEY rose, and said that his Hon colleague had advocated sternly and strongly the necessity of protect ion. He (Mr. Berkley) had noted down some of the lion. Mem ber's remarks. He ( Mr. M.) bad stated that there was no special necessity for the removal of protection, and that he considered protection was a benefit to the country, and to the colonies, as well as to every branch of native industry, and he advocated protection to the utmost possible extent ; and he also severely attacked Hon. Members who had ventured to change their opinions on that subject. He (Mr. Berkley) thought that his Hon.:Colleague's anger would be abated if he looked to his own. conduct and opinions a short time since, and compared them with his present course. The lion, Member, a short time since, had been addressed by his constituency at a public meet it,g held in Bristol, the chairman of which w• ote to the Hon. Member, requesting him to support the measures of Govern. merit. IL- replied to the effect that he could not give his vote in favour of that measure, but did not give his vote in favour of that measure, but did not h esi e to say that he thought it would be b et t er for i parties if the repeal of the corn-laws had been imme diate, , nstead of the measure proposed by the Government. His colle , gue said that he had much reluctance in deserting his political leader, but he would ask Mr. Miles, was it not th opinion of the majority of the constituency that he represented — a majority of that constituency that returned him to Parliament—that free trade principles would be bale deist to the country.—(Cheers.) It was riot for him to say what were the opinions of the constituency when he ( \lr. Miles) was returned, hut he would say that the con stituency would now return free-traders for the city of Bristol. Look to the important petition which he ( Mr. Aides) presented from the county, signed by 16,000 persons. He undertook to state to his Hon. Friend that that petition showed that the I population of Bristol were for tree trade. He would say this much for the people of Bristol. that the great moral had not been thrown away upon them—of seeing two of the first statesmen of the day standing forth united against the opinion of his Hon. Friend (Mr. Miles), of whose integrity of purpose and honesty of principle there was no doubt.—( Cheers.) Of the honest convictions of the Noble Lord the Member for London and the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of her Majesty's Government no one now, he thought, could entertain any doubt, for it was clear the change which had taken place in their opinions was the result of honest convictlin.—( Hear, hear, and cheers.) With these observations he would conclude by saying, that he would give his hearty support to the measure now brought for ward by her Majesty' Government. Mr. TOLLEAI ACHE rose and said that the Hon. Member for Durham (Mr. Bright) thought proper to express his opinions respecting the county of Chester. Perhaps he might be allowed to express his opinions in reply. If the lion. Gentleman had been as well acquainted with the cultivation of the soil as be was with the manufacture of cotton goods he (Mr. Tollemache) had no doubt but the Hon. Gentleman would be of a very different opinion. The Hon. Member for Durham he believed to be a most determined and decided op ponent of the corn-laws, and well acquainted with manufac turing interests, but he felt that the Hon. Member knew little with regard to agricultural affairs. He (Mr. Tollemache) was intimately connected, both as a landed proprietor and a practical farmer, with the county of Suffolk, and he could say, especially with regard to that county, that agricultural im p! ovement was going on as rapidly as in any other c miry whatever.—(Cheers from the protectionists.) He (Mr. Tolle mache) believed that the agitation got up by the Anti-Corn law League owed its influende entirely to the vacillating policy pursued by her Majesty's ministers.—(Loud cheers from the protectionists.) He strongly recommended him (Mr. Bright) to make some amends, and vote as he should vote, against the free-trade principles of her Majesty's Ministers.— ( Laughter from the Opposition.) The Hon. Member spoke of the proud aristocracy of Cheshire ; he (Mr. Tollemache) supposed he meant the term to apply to the protectionists; but he would not further notice the ob , ervations. With regard to the Government question before the House the opinions he had long entertained remained unchanged , and , there fore, he felt it his duty to oppose the measure brought forward by her Majesty's Government. If there were a scarcity of food existing in Ireland, he should be most anxious that an effectual remedy should be applied, and that the opening of the ports, for a limited period, should be one of those remedies. If, during that period, her Majesty's Government pursued a consistent course of policy, he had no fear but that the corn-laws would be maintained.—( Protectionist cheers.) Ha did pot attribute the present prosperous condition of the country to any relaxation of protective duties. He believed that it was entirely owing to the great increase consequent upon a succession of successful harvests, the formation of railways and other public wetly, the increased employment of labourers, and the expenditure of large sums of money. He believed, also, that had no relaxation taken place in protective duties, they would have had much larger revenues. It was his firm belief that it was impossible with free trade principles to obtain remunerating prices for agricultural pro , duce.—( Great cheers from the protectionists.) After the policy pursued by her Majesty's Government with respect to agitation in Ireland, it was his painful duty to declare that he could not any longer be one of their supporters. He should support them when he believed they were right, and though he had the greatest possible respect for the Government as individuals, he had no confidence in them as a Ministry. The change of opinion that had taken place he was perfectly satisfied with, although he did not concur with them. He did not say but that change was caused from honest conviction— but as that change had taken place, he (Mr. Tollernache) thought that the Government were hound, as honest and honourable men, to take the sense of the country, and see what view their constituencies would take of such changes.—( Loud cheers from the protectionists. ) He thought the Government were decidedly wrong in holding office without making an appeal to the country. He could not but fear that they laid themselves open to a charge of making use of their power as a Government to cverthrow the principles of free trade. This was a serious charge, and he thought they would have great difficulty to TYI:. intain their cor.sistency, but he did hope and trust that that ch,rue would be satisfactorily answered. He was well aware that this measure was brought forward by a Government prolee-ing to he Conservative, but as he knew he was to fall, he should fall ssith honour to himself, and nupport those opinions which he had always entertained, and which would never involve disgrace.—(Great cheering from the Proteetionionists. ) Mr. T. S. DUNCOMBE observed that he highly approved of the measures proposed by the Government, and believing that they were of such a nature as would not only (10 honour to the Minister, but would reflect credit on the Parliament that adopted them ; and, believing the statement !wide by the Right Hon. Baronet, " that by public opinion, and through the influence of public opinion alone, could he hope to over come the difficulties by which he was surrounded," or contend with the obloquy with which ignorance and bigotry had assailed him—( Loud cheers)—he considered it unbecoming those who did not hold their seats through the nomination of Peers, and who were therefore not removable at pleasure—but who owed their seats to the free choice of the people— on an occasion like this, to give to the Ministry either a silent, jealous, or lukewarm support.—( Hear, hear, and cheering.) Far be it from him to permit—in the few remarks he was about to make—those Hon. Gentlemen on the other side of the House to imagine that he was insensible to the painful and false position in which they were placed, by reason of their inability to keep pace with the changes of opinion which they saw going on around them. It (lid not be come those on his side of the House to cavil or quarrel with !hose changes, it was enough to feel grateful for it, and he for his part atfmired the ability with which it was carried out.— ( Cheers.) But he would tell those gentlemen for whom he had to express sympathy, that they were not taking the right course to extricate themselves from the position in which they were placed. Why, instead of indulging in every personal abuse, could they not pursue some straightfus ward and manly course?—( Hear.) But, no, they adopted a sort of hypo crital cant—" We give you every credit for your conscientious ness"—" We are sure you are quite sincere in your change of opinion, but still we have no confidence in you as a Minister." —(" Hear, hear," from Mr. Shaw.) There (continued the Hon. Member) was the Learned Recorder, who called his as sociates and colleagues, " political cowards."---( Loud cheers. ) His words were, " I have no confidence in these political cowards."—( Hear. ) Why, then, he (Mr. Duncombe) would say, if it be the case, why did they not come forward and at once move a vote of want of confidence in the Ministers.— (Hear, hear, and cheers.) Such a course would be matly—it would be intelligible—and it would be Par liamentary, because they themselves had pursued it in 1841. What did they then vote ?—and why did they vote ? Because it was proposed to meddle with this very ques- tion, viz., the commercial interests of the country. And Their vote was to this effect—" That a Government who legislated on such a question ought to possess the confidence of the House." —( Hear, hear.) They moved this, and they carried it. In their address to the Queen on that occasin, they said, " that it was their urgent desire to consult the interests, and promote the welfare of her Majesty's Government; but that. her Majesty,s Government should possess the confidence of the House and of the country, and that that confidence was not reposed in her Majesty's present advisers." Well, that was their opinion in 1811. What did they do now ? Why, they said that these gentleman did not possess the confidence of the House or country.—(Hear.) Why, then, he would ask, did they not move a vote of want of confidence? Sir J. TYRRELL—Because you won't support us.— ( Great laughter. ) Mr. DUNCOAIBE.—How did the Hon. Gentleman know that?—(Continued laughter.) What right had he to assume that he would not support such a motion ?—( Hear.) Sir JOHN TYRRELL—Your party would not.—( Hear. ) Mr. DUNCOMBE continued—He had no party—his party was that of the country—a party which he would never desert. But what did they do? Why, they exhausted themselves in throwing every kind of obloquy and censure upon the Govern ment, and some went so far as to charge the Right Hon. Baronet with treason.—( Hear, hear.) He wanted to know what they would have done under the circumstances in No vember last—how would they have met the emergency? They had been often urged to state how they would have dealt with those circumstances, but they had never yet explained. (Hear, hear, and cheers ) The Right Hon. Baronet explained the course which he proposed to adopt on that occasion, but ob stacles with which they were till acquainted occurred to pre vent him from carrying it out. He then resigned office. He (Mr. D.) would ask them, were they prepared to take the reins of Government when the Right Hon. Baronet gave them up ?--( Hear, hear.) No, they were not. Mr. Gladstone, in his address to the electors of Newark, had stated that the overnment of the country was offered to the Noble Lords and Gentlemen who were the advocates of protection, hut they refused to accept it.—( Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord on his right was then called upon to construct a Govern ment, but for some season or other he failed too.—( Hear and laughter.) He (Mr. Duncombe) supposed that Hon. Gen tlemen opposite would admit, that some kind of Government was necessary. How, he would ask, could the country be go verned under any other circumstances than those under which the Right Hon. Baronet resumed the seals of office. He con sented to accept office untrammelled by the fetters of party, anti sustained by public opinion alone. He wished that the Noble Lord ( Lord John Russell) had acted in the same way, and he was quite confident that public opinion would have sus tained him also in carrying out such measures as the exi gencies of the occasion demanded.—( Hear, hear.) The Right Hon. Baronet had been taunted with change of principle and even with treason—treason, he would ask, to whom t Treason to his party, trea son to the people, and treason to his own honour. What does that mean? It meant that the Right Hon. Baronet preferred the interests of the people to those of his party, and the safety of the country to the confusion and misery which was the consequence of adherence to the present system of corn. mercial policy. (Cheers. There was one treason only which the Right Honourable Baronet could be guilty of to his country, and that treason was to vacillate in the eourse which he had propose.) to adopt in the measures at present under the consideration of the House.—( Cheers. ) The protectionists, however, said that they had the country with them in the maintenance of protection. He would ask them, where was protection lately in the West Riding of Yorkshir; ? Where was protection yesterday in Westminster? Now it did not signify two straws which of the two gentlemen who were candidates on that occasion were returned. It was simply a question of protection. Had a protectionist remained up to his knees eating cabbages in Covent-garden yesterday, he would not have been successful. He knew that a great out cry had been made on the part of the tenant-farmers, and agricultural labourers, and the Hon. Member for Oxford had stated that protection could not be interfered with on the ground that the tithes must be taken care of.---(" Hear, hear," and laughter.) It was a curious circumstance that no sooner was anything for the good of the people proposed in that House, but some Honourable Gentleman or other got up and said, " Oh, you must take care lest this proposition may interfere with the interests of the Church."—( Hear, hear, and laughter.) He ( Mr. Duncombe) was given to un derstand that a cry was got up that the tenant-farmers and the clergy were up in arms against the Ministerial measure. Let the tenant-farmer get vote by ballot, and they would no longer be found voting at the beck of Noble Dukes, but for those measures which were conducive to their own and to the public advantage. The tenant-at-will clause, however, put an end to that, and left them to be influenced by the selfish and tyrannical dictation of the landlords. He contended that the clergy had not the slightest complaint against the measure, and his authority for such an assertion was one which the Right Honourable Baronet (Sir Robert. Inglis) would con sider of some weight. The authority to which he referred was the charge of the Bishop of Rochester, which was made in 1837, and reported in the Times news paper at that time. The laws relating to tithes had been ar ranged a short time before, and they had entered into a com pact at that time with the Church that tithes should not be ( p l t‘ is i c r e . with ou . respectrnbe had to the c joined corn-laws. rn deterior a t e d by any a lt erat i ons w hi c h m i g ht su b sequen tly t a k e Itso . n . h happened (Sirt t he e - w la i w th s. the h Inglis) in the support of that measure. He had also joined the Elstn. Baronet on a recent occasion, when posed the Maynooth grant, but they were influenced by very different motives in taking the same side on those occasions. With respect to the Maynooth grant he (11r. Duncombe) object e d t o it becauseit was opposed to the voluntary principle ; but th e H on . Baronet, because it was distasteful to the feelings of the high Church party.—( Hear, hear.) With respect to the tithes, one motive for the line or uotidur:t which be pursued was that ifcertain lands were thrown out of cultivation by a change in the corn-laws, those lands would by that measure be saddled with a rent charge. Another reason was because it gave to tithes a prior claim before any other charges. Tithes were no lien on the land before, but by that measure they became a rent charge. (The Hon. Gentleman then read the ex t r a c t s to which he relerred, from the Charge of the Bishop of Ro chester, to the effect that the Tithe Bill was as reasonable a Bill as the clergy ceuld expect, and proceeded to say,) The only argument used by the Vonourable Gentleman opposite, to which he thought it necessary to make any allusion, was that drawn from the state of things in 1842. In 184'2 the country was in a state of great distress; agitation was rife, and the people, the poor of this country, were going about without the means of employment, and many occur rences took place which resulted in the punishment of those who had offended through the force of circum stances against the laws. When those dreadful occurrences took place, he told the gentlemen on the other side of the House, that if they were to give the country those mea sures which would do away with that monopoly which had so shackled its industry, they would have prevented the results of the great depression of that period. He had himself brought a motion before the House which would have saved the Go vernment from the policy they then adopted. He had told her Majesty's Government to give the country such measures as would prevent the consequence which had taken place. That measure was rejected. The Right Hon. Baronet, instead of adopting his (Mr. Duncombe's) motion, sent down a regiment of the guards and another of artillery. If the Right Hon. Baronet had then proposed such a measure as the present, he need not have sent down his army to quell disturbances simply and solely occasioned by the distress of the people. He would have prevented much, if not all, of that misery and suffering which had taken place. The people of this country Were a noble and a generous people ; they were a forgiving people, and they would forgive those acts of the Right Hors. Baronet in the hope that they would benefit by the measure now before the House ; and he (Mr. Duncombe) was quite satisfied they would benefit by its results.—( Hear, hear. ) There was one part of the Right Hon. Baronet's speech which was cheering, and that was when, in answering the Hon. Members who had expressed themselves favourable to a total repeal of those laws rather than to accede to the present mea sure, he expressed himself that he was willing with them to repeal them altogether.—(Hear, hear.) Now he could tell them that a part of this measure, which was important and should not he lost sight of, was that which would make the question a law of settlement. If they did not adhere to that part of the measure, it would be a failure altogether.--( Hear, hear.) A report had gone abroad in the manufacturing dis trict, and he hoped it was true, that the protectionists intended to make the law of settlement a future consideration. If they were to do this, there would be such an agitation in the country, that the measure would be of no be. neat :it all, and it would not conciliate the people. There was the question of the Foot;-lates t and he trusted that the Govern ment would make such an alteration in those laws as would make a repeal of the corn-laws a perfect aneasure.—( Hear.) Not long since it was well known that in Stockport there were persons thrown out of employment— many of them were Irishmen—arid through the poor-laws they had no claim upon that place, and they were sent back to their own country, to which they were almost perfect strangers ; they were entirely disowned, they were quite wretched and unprotected. These poor men were, after having assisted to make the fortunes of great capitalists—( Hear, hear, from the protection party)—they were by these great capitalists sent adrift. Now this was a period when the people were starving through the country, and all this was occasioned by the poor-law. He trusted the Right Hon. Baronet would look to this detestable law.—( Hear, hear.) He believed that her Majesty's Government were sincere in this measure, and that they would neglect no important feature of their policy. It was with such views that he would give his most cordial sup port to the measure before the House. He was satisfied that it was calculated to uphold the character of the country, and better its condition. As to the agricultural portion of the House, he believed that when they would consi:ler the real merits of the measure, they would, he believed, see that they were wrong in the errors which they had so long and so pertinaciously adhered to. Sir T. D. ACLAND said lie was very thankful for having had the honour to have been so fortunate as to hare caught the Speaker's eye from amongst the large number of Hon. Members who had risen at the same moment to address the and the reason he felt se was because it afforded him an opportunity of responding to the observations the Han. Gentleman opposite had thought proper to address to the agricultural Members on this side the House. The agricultural Members had been told by the Hon. Gentleman that they had bsen a long time in error, and that he hoped they had at lenath seen their error on this question. Igo &alit, if t: .e agricultural Members did see that than to endeavour to amend that error giv e them d g s r o e f a a te r r f s ro a m tisfection evinc ing a wish to persevere in it, they would, on the contrary, be foremost in their desire to see carried into effect a measure which it had been said was en fraught with all those blessings which it had been stated it would confer.—( Hear.) But his Right Hon. Friend, the Right Hon. Baronet near him, when he began his speech, by assailing the agricultural body and calling them ungrateful and bigoted, he appeared to have for gotten that when he introduced his measure of 1842 they were amongst the first and most firm cif his supporters, when they began to discern the great troth of its utility, of which they had been deemed so ignorant--( Hear, hear) - and be was one of that unhappy set. But he could assure the Right Hon. Baronet that for the time he ( Sir T. A.) had been in Parliament—during the last thirty years—he had never heard a measure introduced into that [base which he had looked upon with greater anx'ety than the measure now before the House. He had never been a supporter of excessive protection either in that House or else where, and be welcomed the measure of 1842 as a boon to the country, though it had the effect of reducing the amount of protection that the agriculturists had so long enjoyed.— ( Hear, hear.) He now wished to explain what were the rea sons that operated upon his mind in inducing him to vote as he intended upon this question. When the reduction of 1842 took place, though he was told it was for the benefit of com merce, he did not, when it was once decided upon, make any difficulty about it, or the appending of Canada ; on the con trary, he believed that the Right Hon. Baronet was sincere in his expressions of a desire to benefit the country, and therefore he gave him his support. What was the difference between the position of the Government then and now? Whatever might have been the motives of the Government then, it was quite clear that they now thought they could not consistently discharge their duty to their country so long as they allowed protection to continue.—(Hear, hear.) The position of the farmer now and in 1815 was very different. Up to that time the farmers made fortunes by means of the war prices; but then, on the commencement of the peace, the war prices ceased, and the ruin of the farmer would have been the result had not the protective laws been enforced for the pro tection of the agr'culturist. Subsequent to that period—that was in 1822—the protection was diminished to 75., and in 1828 a further reduction was made after a discussion of the question as to what amount could be considered a remu nerating price to the agriculturist. A price was fixed on them, but it underwent a further reduction in 1842 ; but still the cry was that these much villified corn laws had not yet beer, sufficiently reduced. The speech of his Right Hon. Friend upon this subject was, no doubt, dis tinguished for its forensic talent, but it had failed to satisfy him as to the expediency of the present measure— ( Hear, hear)—and, therefore, he would ask what other reasons could be adduced for taking such a step? The reasons stated might be deemed by some to have had great excellence ; but to him they only aepsared to possess the merit of putting others in the dark.—( Hear, hear.) It had been stated there were three reasons of policy and one of justice for the measure; but his opinion was that the dictum of Mr. Huskisson was the only basis of justification for that restrictive in licy which that statesman had deemed necessary, but which he afterwards said could not be defended, though this country ought to he in such a position as not to be de pendent on a foreign country for her supply of food.—( Hear.) It had been said by Mr. Huskisson, " Let corn be cs cheap as it will, I care not, if it be not of native growth.—(Hear, hear.) The princip!e on which every Legislature had acted since 1815 had been such as to ensure that amount of protec tion to native agriculture as enabled the country to look to itself and not be exclusively dependent on the foreign market for the necessary supply of food.—( Hear, hear.) It was a re markable thing—though he only complained of it for his own satisfaction—that the main and centre spring of the entire movement had not been mentioned, nor even alluded to, in the three very able speeches of the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of her Majesty's Government.—( Hear, hear.) He ( the Hon. Member) fairly owned that he did not possess the wit to discover what the reasons were that altered the previously expressed convictions of the Right Hon. Gentleman in the year 1845, when lie had avowed himself adverse to such measures throughout his entire career. Even the Noble Lord the Member for London, when he introduced his fatal proposi tion on which his Government was defeated, acknowledged the principle, to a certain extent, of protection.—( Hear, hear.) He, and Hon. Gentlemen who agreed in his view of the matter, did not want to shut out corn, nor did they wish to see starva tion and fernine.—( Hear, hear.) He doubted not they all possessed humanity, but they should protect their people; there fore he contended that it was humanity, not personal interest, that led them to take the position they did on the question. They did not want high duty at a period of high prices, but the time they required it was when the price of corn went down. That was the plain matter of fact. They wished to give com petent remuneration for the investment of capital, which, if not given, the soil would cease to be culivated. Now, what had they been told by the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of her Majesty's Government ?—why, " that the prosperity of agriculture did not depend on the high price of wheat." That was one of the reasons why the agriculturists above all others should in ju•tice have time given to them. And if a scanty harvest should occur at ho ee with a scanty supply from abroad, at the moment when their estates were going back in their produce, they would find themselves in the very situation which it had been the object of all legislators for the last thirty years to guard against. They might depend on it that the low prices they then enjoyed had arisen from the exer tions of the agriculturist, and if the times and seasons were unfavourable the agriculturists placed their reliance on their favour. Let that be his answer to the Hon. Member for Durham, instead of rendering railing fur railing ; and to the speeches of all others who chose to rat!, both in his presence or in his absence. He felt it due to the Hon. Member to say, that he had very much improved of late in his way of speaking, and that he used his talent. in a more temperate manner. He ( Sir T. Arland) did say that the Hon. Member for Durham and other , had in the course of the debate indulged in personal reflections and attacks on the great body of the country gentle men, and had almost imputed to them the consciousness of con tinuing in the policy which eventually led t o misery and starva tion. He said to the Hon. Member, and to all others, that that was his answer to all objectors to the corn-laws, on the ground that they would cause starvation to the labourer in order to benefit the landlords. In the year 1815 the price of wheat was 975. 6d., and if they took the average of the five succeeding years, they would find that the price varied from 104 e. to 105 s. 6d. per quarter all the year round. Under the protecti ve l aws the prices descended rapidly, so that in the last four years the price had become us low as 51s, per quarter, so that during the last thirty years the price of corn was reduced more than one-half. That was his answer to all those who accused him of making the bread of the people dear for his own benefit. He would take the average of the im ports during the years 1822, '23, '24, as compared with the im ports in the years 1842, '43,'44. During the first three years the average imports amounted to 35,000,000 of tons per annum, and during the last three years the average of the same imports was no less than 70,000,030 tons per annum. The value of the imports during the years 1822, '23, '24, was 55,000,0001., and during the years 1842, '43. '44, the value of the imports was from 141,0a0,000/. to 145,000.0001. That showed that the mercantile community had more than doubled their trade. With regard to the shipping Imports during the year 1842, they amounted on the whole to 4,501,000 tons. Now he would ask what had happened between 1842 and 1846 to justify the change now proposed ?—( Hear.) The serious matter the Right Hon. Baronet had stated as influencing him to his present course—the apprehended famine in Ireland. He ( Sir T. D. Acland) thought he might dispose of this reason by simply stating what he was sure every one would agree to. Had the Right Honourable Baronet in last Novem ber, when he was apprehensive of coming famine from the failure of the potato crop, by an Order in Council opened the ports, and come down to that House the first day of the session, and asked for an indemnity, not a single voice would have been rained against it.---(Hear, hear, and cheers from the Conservative benches.) If he had thus proposed a tempo rary measure, he would have received the unanimous support of the House. He (Sir T. D. Arland) grieved, for the Right Hon. Baronet's own sake, as well as for their sakes, that he had introduced a most leigated question to meet the emergency, instead of acing in this manner. By the course he had taken he had done himself great injustice. He (Sir T. D. Acland) remembered the Noble Lord the Member for the City of London h a a n v d ing ill placed feei n he him self in a similar difficulty, w ith regard t o th e t i t h e quest i on i n Ireland. In attempting to arrange it, he int ro d uce d a mo d e which excited the greatest opposition g h itsh ecolleagues propositionth that to thedo meant the appropriation clause.—( Hear, hear.) The Right lhaatewet dhs laws.—(lleac. a a r }tear.) Hon. Baronet had placed himself in an analogous posi tion. In November last he might have opened the ports, had he wished to have done so, and he (Sir T. D. Acland) was sure the House generally wished he had' seen the pro heuedet ihn th ad e m leo ion of the whole ta i oklid o e nsiderat: torts to his (the Right y would seem that the opening of the Pthat,iet openingi t of w o o f t would seem p e o o r u t rs a t e i h . n a v t o ß l RthigehtHon. Baronet . did Hon. Baronet's) meaning was a repeat corn -laws. Th at laws that related to the i m portation ta o f f t f h m a id. From that it during the e e . sessiou. Hon. Friend found I no wonder then that his Right him. What he (Sir 'l'. D. again.—(Loud if g a t h i n e . _ ports (L o u d were cheers once fr o o m p etnheed Opposition ti would on hen n e e h v e e s r .2n b y e itths washreuet Members of the Cabinet to support immediate distress, in point of time. Acland) complained repeal a n n o d t separateta leave questionbranches hoafodf been eh t e h en e mpqueurcemhs permanent tat influenced least a b s y t r.) The and of tthoeallocwornParliament to sa) time was Right Hon. Baronet, no doubt, in Ireland, and scarcity in this coun trythe apprehended famine First, ef w as to tha t relievetbe to that House • ; still he had not done justice come to do aw -l a a y m wi t th e the be codr'enwb 'nth— all united with one heart and one mi ( Hear, hear.) pos.ng a measure of relief in which they could have a u could of earn would give food to 4,000,0 00 of p ersons for one quarter of a year. These were his views on the general merits of this He had one thing more to say, and i t was, to as k what this law had done for Ii elacd ? 't here were 1,000,000 quarters of corn at present in their ports, and w h y were th ese not sent to h lr e elan oh d v ? iated Sur h e y ly a t u h e e h a eed necessity for This rth this measure n t t s quantity y law, and he was not prepared to accept it at the ha n d s o f t h e Right Hon. Baronet. He could not , like him, in thr ee s h or t. week:, learn this new lesson • and though the Right H on. Ba ronet might be willing to lead, he (Sir T. Ackland) could not in principle follow. There were circumstances to be taken seriously into account on the other side, but he would retain the opinions that had hitherto guided him, till he were con vinced that another course was calculated to do more good to the country. He was convinced that the agitation that at present existed would be successfully met, if men were but firm and resolute; and he was sure he would be for given if he said that the Anti-Corn-law League would never have progressed to a settlement of this question, had the Right Hon. Baronet been true to the principles on which he had accepted Government. He (Sir T. Acland) considered men who could expend their money in the manner that the supporters of the League did, had no right to complain of the distress that at present pressed upon the country. He had no doubt that if the opinion of the Govern ment had been expressed at an earlier period for or against protection, they should not then be in their present position. When he last met his constituents he told them that he would dispassionately consider this question when it came before the House. He had dono so, but he had heard no reason given for the change which had been proposed. He would, however, offer no factious opposition. If that House should sanction the measure by a considerable majority, he would offer no further opposition ; but if, on the contrary, the division should he a close one, then the sooner the Right Hon.' Baronet sent them to the right about the better. Lord ALFRED PAGET had listened with a great deal of attention' to this debate, and Hon. Gentlemen opposite would forgive him for saying that he thought a great many of them had been a little hard upon the Right Hon. Baronet.—(Hear, hear. )—No doubt they had causes of complaint, but still, when they came to consider what the Right Hon. Baronet had sacri ficed, he thought they must be convinced that nothinti but a sense of public duty could have induced him to have brought forward this measure. The Right Hon. Baronet had had a strong Government, had been supported by a large majority ' in that House, and yet now, north, east, wes t, an d sout h , nothing but the renegade Minister was talked about.—( Hear, and laughter.) He thought the Right Hon. Baronet had made as large sacrifices as ever had been made by any public man, and for conscientious motives. The Hon. Gen tleman who had just spoken had said, that the Noble Lord ( Lord John Ru,sell) was the most proper person to bring this motion forward; and so did he (Lord A. Paget) think. He always supported that Noble Lord, and he hoped long to do se. Wii h regard to the measure of the Right Hon. Baronet, he could only say that he should give it his support. Ile did not, how ever, do so because his opinions had undergone a change, for he had long been attached to the broad principles of the forlorn hope that had been led on by the Hon. Member for Northampton, and lie hoped shortly to see the corn-laws repealed altogether. His family derived their income entirely from land, and in conclusion he would assure the House that they did not feel any alarm at the mea-- sure of the G said the Hon. Member B R l i N gh G t H H A on I . I Bet made some allusion to Catholic Emancipation. Now, did the Hon. Member recollect how that measure was carried? D:d he remember that it originated with a small party, and that the Government of the time al lowed the question to convulse the whole nation before they yielded to the pressure from without ? Now, did the Hon. Member wish this question to be carried to that point? if so, he could only assure him, that to gratify his wishes would be endangering property, and sacrificing th e b es t i nterests o f so ciety. Under these circumstances, was it not better for them to settle the question at once, now that it was a mere topic of discussion amongst thinking men ?—( Hear, hear. ) A very large class of agriculturists had themselves declared that protection was unnecessary.—(Loud cheers.) In order that the decision might be unanimous, it was necessary that the House should be unanimous ; otherwise the country would not have much confidence in their deliberations. He hoped, as the House would in a great measure be acting as a judge in its own cause, the Members would act in such a manner upon this question as to gain the credit and esteem of the country.—( Hear, hear.) Their decisions had beer, hitherto respected, and he trusted that Hon. Members would not forfeit the high character which they- had h itherto possessed. On the motion of Mr. C. BRUCE, The debate was adjourned till to-morrow. BURGHS (SCOTLAND) BILL. This Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be corn mated. The House adjourned at Twelve o'clock. MONEY and COMMERCIAL NEWS. (From The Sun of Last Night.) The sales of Cotton at Liverpool yesterday were 3,000 to 4,000 bales, all to the trade. There was no alteraaion in prices, but buyers rather had the advantage. The sales in cluded 300 bales of Egyptian at s:r i d. to 7d. per lb., 200 Surat at 2j/d. to 3d., and the rest American at 3 3 / i d. to 534 d. per lb. There was but little done in Shares, but pre vious rates were current. The Commissioners appointed to report upon the most ad visable gauge to be adopted in the case of all new railways, having mate a statement in favour of the narrow gauge, the Great Western shares have suffered to some extent, and the Hues which will obtain branches on the gauge recommended. benefit, of course, by the decision. It is some time since this matter was first debated, and it is greatly to be re gretted, seeing its importance, that Government did not two or three years ago endeavour to enforce uniformity. We say this without any reference to the merits of the broad or narrow gauge, and simply on the assumption that one general gaups for the United Kingdom is highly desir able. From the known talent of Mr. Brunel, and the excel lent working of the broad gauge, one might almost be dis posed to think that he looked more to the future, when the extraordinary increase of traffic may require the most ex tended accommodation, than to the present time. Some relief for the substantial, but at present most cruelly inconvenienced class of the commercial community, holding what are termed second-class bills, is expected to accrue from the stated intention of the Bank of England to extend the deviation of its loans to the 9th of April. By that time, no doubt, the money market will have become much easier, if indeed the pressure does not entirly subside ere then. The efforts making to procure an amendment of the bank ruptcy-laws, are still actively pursued in the City; and the result, it is hoped, will be to place the credit system, which is unavoidable in such a country as this, on a sounder and safer basis. The Funds are looking decidedly better to-day, thanks to the anticipated easing of the money market. Con sots have been 964 to 96% for present transfer, and 964 to 1 / 2 for time. This is to 1 / 2 per cent. better than yesterday. The Reduced Three per Cents. have been 96 1 / 2 to 967. Bank Stock is up to 208% and 209, and East India Stock to 259 and 260. The premium on Exchequer. bills has been :16s. to 395. The formaft in of a Ministry has not improved the value of Spanish Stock, the Five per Cents. being 2674 yy, and the Three per Cents. 37 1 4 %. Mexican Bonds have been quoted at 31, and Grenada 23 ; Dutch Twc,-and-a-half per Cents. are 434. Shares have been a little firmer. ONE CLOSING BRITISH FUNDS. 'O'CLOCK. PRICES. Bank Stock .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 208 4 209 '209 Three per Cent. Annuities .. .. .. ........964 96% Three per Cent. Consols Annuities .. .. 9614 IA % 96% Three per Cent. Annuities, 1726 .. .. 96!4 964 8 New Three-and-a-Quarter per Cent. Anus. 95%% • 98% I,olig Annuities, Expire Jan. .5,1660 .. 10% 11-16 10 11-16 India Stock .. .. • • • • • • • • • 259 260 20 India Bondi, 1,0001, South Sea Stock . 38p 38 p Ditto. Old Annuities 96 1 ,4 Three per Cent. Annuities, 1751 .. 9”,4 Bank Stock for Account 204 1, ,j Const.ls for Account .. .. • • 961' Vl4 961‘ Exchequer Bills. 1 3 ,4 d. 14d 1,0001... .. -- •• • • 36 39 -- pm. 39 5001... •• • • 36 39 pm. 39 Ditto, Small •••• 3G 39 pm. 39 ONE CLOSING FOREIGN FUND!,. O'CLOCK. PRICES. Equador Bonds .. •• • • • • • • 3 !•4 34 Grenada, 1 per Cent .. • • ~. .. 23 23 Ditto, Deferred .• • • .. .. 4 .7,i 4N 1837, 5 per Cent .. 31 Mexican Bonds, 31 Ditto, for the Account .. .. .. 31 31 Ditto, Deferred • • . • .. .. 16 1f.% Russian Bonds .. • • • • • . • • 112 Spanish Bonds, 5 per Cent .. „ Ditto, for the Account .. .. .. 26:7,i It 271 4 Ditto, Three per Cent .. .. „ _ ...._, Ditto, tier the Account .. „ „ 37 N : ,... i 374 Venezuela Minds, 2 per Cent .. .. 45 45 Dividends on the above payable in Loudon. Belgian Four-and-a-Half per Cent .. 974 4 974 Dutch Two-and-rt-Half per Cent .. 59 5934 Ditto, 4 per Cent. Certificates .. 954 95 •.'i Ditto, for the Account .. .. „ 95 95 PRICES OF RUMNESS RAILWAY SHARES. PAID . D O NE AT CLOSING ONE O'CLOCK. PRICES. par 13% 21 Buckinghamshire 425. .. • • • • • • Caledonian •••10 .... 14 Ditto Extension Chester and Holyhead .. .. 20 .... • • Direct Manchester (Rastrick's) .• 51,1 . Direct Northern .. 2% •• . • 25 ?9i 5•• • • • Dublin and Belfast Junction .. 5 .... 5% Dublin and Galway .. • . • . 4 .... 4% • Eastern Counties .. .. 141. 16s. 21X Ditto New .. 165 . •• • • 6 5 p Ditto, York Extension .. 105..... 1 .. Edinburgh and Glasgow .. .. 50 .... .......... Ditto Shares .. .. • . .. 5 .... 16 . Great Southern & West. (Ireland) 15 .. .. 171'y . . Great Western .. 85 • • ..149 cx div...... 130 x d Ditto, Half Shares .. .. 50 .... 83 ex div Ditto, Quarter Shares .. .. 5 17% x, 18 x d 18 x d Leicester and Bedford .......... 225..... Liverp., Manch., & !COST. J unct. 215.. • • 3 14 • . London an 1 Birmingham .100 .. ..219 222.. 222 x. d. Ditto Fifths 2 .... 24 ex div.. London and Brighton .. 50 .... 651, 66 ex div 65.)j, xd Ditto, Consul. Eighths • • .. 40 .... 54 London and Croydon .. 13/. 15s. 9d. 2213 . 22% London and Greenwich .. 121. 15s. 4d. 9% London and South. Wes'ern.. 41/. 6s. 10d. 78 ••..• • • • Dttto, Consolidated Eighths .. 28 .... 43 44 London and York .. .... X London, Warwick, & Kiddermins. 23k .... IX Londonderry and Coleraine. .. 5 .... 5 Londonderry and Enniskillen .. 5 .... 2)4 Lynn and Ely .. . 6 . • Manchester and Leeds 82 .... Ditto, Half Shares .. 38 .... 61 Manchesterand Birmingham .. 40 . 78 .. • Ditto, Quarter Shares (B) .. 2 .... 10% 9% 10 1 4 10 1 4 Manchester, Brixton, & Matlock 425. .... 1% p • l% p Manchester and Southampton .. 2 .. .. 2 Midland .. ..100 ....150 151 l5l Ditto, New .. .. 12 .... 27 1 1'.•.•.., 2714 Ditto, Birmingham and Derby 109 ....118 120...... 120 Newcastle and Darlington Junct. Ditto, New .. 1 .... 10% .. . . Newcastle and Berwick .. 10 .... 21 Newark, Sheffield, and Boston .. 2%.... 2 1 4 ....... North British 171; .... 241 25 „. 2 1 / 2 5 3 4 14 2174 die P _l% 10% 25 2 7i 69% 4p 1% 1414 Ditto, Carlisle Extension .. 1 1 ,4 .... Northern and Eastern .. 50 North Kent and Direct Dover .. 2 i3 .... .. •• • North Staffordshire .. 425. .... 3% 4 p Northmpton,Banbury,&Chelthm. 2 . . Oxlll.,Worcester,& Wolverlimptn. 12 .... 14;4 •• • • Portsmouth I)lrect .. • • • • 3% •• • • 3 % ••••• • • • • • Rugby and Huntingdon .. 2 • Scottish Central .. .. • • • 7 1Y' ••" 16 Ditto New - • .. .• • • 2 14 •• • • 9 •••••• • • •• Shrewsbury and Birmingham .. 2 ;4.. Shropshire Union .. • • • • 42 '• •' • • ' • •"• • • • South Midland .. 425..... 2;. % p South Eastern and Dovor • • •• 3 : 3 3 •• • • •• •• • • Do., New (do. 33/. as.Bd.) No. 2. 10 123‘ Do., New (do. 151.) .. No. 4. 21% .... 3 1 4; 4 ........ Teen and Dove Valley.. • • • • 1 % •• • • Trent Valley .. • • • • • • 5 .. • • 2613 253 26.. Waterfd., Wexfd., Wick., & Dub. 133 •• .. 1 .•• • • • Wilts, Somerset, and Weymouth 234 334 14........ York and North Midland .. .. 50 .... ..... Ditto. Extension .. .. 15 .. .. 32 31% FOREIGN RAILWAYS. Boulogne and Amiens 10 .... 1134 .. ••• • • • Bord., Tout., & Cette (Mackenzie) 2 .... Ditto, ditto (Espelete) .. 2 ... 23 ... Central of Spain .. 2 .... I East Indian .. • .. ss. ... „ , Grt. North. of France Constituted 5 ... 15y. % Great Western Bengal .. ss. •• • • ..... . „ Jamaica South Midland Junction 1 Louvain and Jcuieppe • • • • 4 .. . 2 „ Lyons and Avignon . • • . .. 2 „ 234 Luxembourg .• • • • • • • 4 2%% Madrid and Valentin .• . • .. 2 Namur and Liege • • • • .. 4 Orleans and Vierzen 10 Orleans and Bordeaux „ •• 1 1 1 '4 Paris and Rouen 20 .... 4034 ... Rouen and Havre . .. 20 .... 29;4 MINES. 2 3}4 dis. ' 2 ! , 1 P 12!4 ..... I 15t 4 •• 31 4 , 9 2% • •• 17N ••••• 40q 29 Real del Monte, Unregistered .. .... 4 ...... A committee of the Treasury was, it appears, held at the Bank on Wednesday morning, at which it was settled that the period of accommodation by leans shall be extended to the 9th of April, a period of seven weeks. This is a well- timed and judicious measure; and it will unquestionably en courage the private bankers to deal more liberally with their customers. In all descriptions of trade, however, prudence will prescribe the drawing bills for some time to come at no longer dates than can possibly be avoided. At the period to which Bank loans are now extended the dividends will be in course of payment, and assist, as far as they go, in restoring the equilibrium to the money-market. THE LINEN ;RAPERS AND SILK .4sERCERS' INSTITUTION. The fourteenth annual Okla of the Institution was held last evening at Exeter-hall. Mr. PEARCE, the President, took the chair at half•past reven o'clock, and called upon the secretary to read the adver tisement calling the 'fleeting. The SECRETARY a ft erwar d s read the report of the directors for the past year, stating that the capital stock of the institution amounted to 16,847/. Three per Cent. Consols, and 10,0001. Three-and-a -Quarter per Cent. Consols, besides a sum of 2441. in the hands of the treasurer, showing a slight increase over last year. The report further stated that seventeen applications for relief ha.l been received and met, and that a total of 4591. 12s. had been expended in annuities and temporary relief, most of the sums being upwards of 301. Mr. FAIRBANKS then came forward, and moved, according to notice, Ist. That the secretary should be requested to put up in the ballot-room a list of the names of the directors, and the times they have attended the Board; and, 2dly, that the class and name of the medical attendants, a list of the cafes, and their nature, attended on by th em , s h ould be printed an d ' circulated among the members of the Institution. The first of these motions uas bef o re the Court for some time, but was ultimately lost. Mr. Fairbanks withdrew his other motion, as he had heard it was impracticable. Mr. Swirra Le moved the following resolution :—" That this Court, agreeing that an asylum, as projected in a circular from the Secretary some time since will be for the interest of the institution, recommend it to the reconsideration of the Board." The gentleman supported his proposition on the general grounds of benevolence, and on the necessities and grounds peculiar to the class of trades connected rith the Institution. Several gentlemen, directors, and members of the Institution, expressed their opinion of the proposition, and The SECRETARY, as the originator of the scheme, was called for by the meeting to set the reasons before them which had indmied him at first to commend it to their attention. Ile said, the conclusion to which he had come, and which thew might b astonished At, was derived from experience of other trades as well as their own ; a n d he had to say that he did not think there was any class of trades more asleep to their own interest than theirs. He believed that the class of trade to which he belonged had the means and the power, but neither had been as yet called into action. Others far inferior in these had accumu lated great advantages for themselves, and conferred immense benefit on the public—be begged to refer to the licensed victuallers. Under that conviction he was earnestly desirous that their energies should be called out. Since publishing, his scheme he had heard arguments which had led him to re consider it, but he still clung to what he had proposed. He would specifically observe, however, that it would b e th e ob ject of those who adopted his proposal not to impair or to clash with the object of those who were the originators of the Institution—(Hear, hear,)—but he felt it was perfectly practicable to get a large fund without infringing at all on the Institution. The asylum, he sa i d, which he pro posed, would not be confined to the members of the Institution. He wished that it should be open to the trade, and that every person in the trade who gave one guinea should have a vote in filling a vacancy. He hoped in this way to make the scheme more popular, and he believed the effect would be to excite more favourable attention to the Institution itself.—( Hear, hear. ) The discussion having been continued some time longer, the motion was put, and carried by a large majority. It was moved and seconded that the thanks of the Court were due to the medical staff of the Institution, which was carried unanimously. A vote of thanks to the directors and to the president were I severally moved and carried unanimously. WESTMINSTER ELECTION. (YESTERDAY.) DECLARATION OF THE POLL. Two o'clock having been appointed for officially declaring the. result of the polling, at that hour the High Bailiff of Westminster, accompanied by the successful candidate and Captain Rous, appeared on the hustings.l The HIGH BAILIFF then stated the numbers. They were— For General Sir De Lacy Evans 3,843 For Captain Rona Majority It was his duty, therefore, to declare General Sir De Lacy Evans duly elected. The Gallant GENETIAL then came forward and thanked the electors fur the honour they had confered on him. In a somewhat lengthy speech, embracing no great variety of topics, he condemned the policy pursued by that portion of the public press which had supported Captain nous in the election. He complained also that the oath of identity had been tendered to every voter, not even the venerable Mr. Byng, Member for Middlesex, being excepted. The speaker concluded by again thanking the electors. Captain Bova then came forward amidst great uproar and partial cheers. He said it was not his intention to enter upon the discussion of the topics his Gallant Friend had ad verted to in his address, but simply to express his thanks to those who had recorded their votes in his (Capt. Roues) favour. He hoped his Gallant Friend, now that the electors had re turned him, would give them more satisfaction than he had done. Now that the battle was over, he (Captain lions) de clared that he had no ill-feeling, but that he wished the electors every happiness and prosperity, and that his gallant antagonist would live long to enjoy their sympathy and support. Though he (Captain Rous) was down now, he hoped to rise soon again in some other place, and in the meantime he would beg leave to bid them adieu.—(The Gallant. Captain, who was assailed with every manifestation of ill feeling, as far as uproar and noise were concerned, and whose remarks, in consequence, were most imperfectly heard, then retired.) After a short speech from Mr. Healer, a fanner from But landshire, in support of free trade, on the motion of General Evans, a vote of thanks was given to the High Bailiff; which being duly responded to, the assembly separated. NUMBERS POLLED IN EACH PARISH. EVANS. ROUS. St. Anne ... ... ... 346 158 St. Clement Danes ... ... 296 '227 St.:George, Hanover •square ... 1,109 1,015 St. James ... ... ... 595 480 St. John ... ... ... ... 426 208 St. Margaret ... ... ... 381 284 St. Martin ... ... ... 481 413 St. Mary ... ... ... 38 27 St. Paul ... ... ... ... 153 86 Savoy .. ••• ••• ••• 18 ' i Majority 937. ELECTION NEWS. SOUTH NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. NEWARK, WEDNESDAT.—The Earl of Lincoln arrived at Newark on Monday, from the seat of Sir Robert Bromley, at Stoke, and has since been engaged in canvassing the voters at Cottingham, and other places in the neighbourhood. Quarter before Two o'Clock.—The Earl of Lincoln has just attempted to address the crowd from the steps of the Town hall. His Lordship was received with shouts and groans by a knot of fellows, who exerted themselves so successfully as :o prevont him from obtaining a hearing. The farmers took no part in this demonstration. Lord Lincoln professes himself sanguine of success. A few days ago his Lordship looked extremely jaded, but this morn ing be appeared to have almost recovered his usual health. REP4SENTATION OF WEST SOMERSET. On the 9flh instant a requisition was agreed to at Yeovil calling upon the members for West Somerset, Mr. Acland and Mr. Dickinson, for " an explicit declaration of the view which they take of the Ministerial plan." Mr. Acland, in reply, states distinctly that he shall vote with Sir R. Peel, and gives his reason at some length. Mr. Dickinson is le.sA explicit, but gives the electors to understand that he also intends to support the Ministers in the coming .division. A county meeting is spoken of for the purpose of fprinally calling upon these gentleman to follow the oxample,.of Lord Ashley and Mr. Stmt. HIGHLAND SOCIETY of CANADA., -(From the Cornwall Observer and Eastern and Ottawa -46'.., vertiser, Jan. 22.) . , vu 9ni A meeting of the Highland Society of Canada was held at Ranald M'Donald's Inn, Williamstown, on JlVfidneadav, the 14th January, 1846—present, the Hon. John M'Gillivrav, President, Alex, M'Donell, Esq., D. A. C. G. Wlcabb, Rolland M'Donald, Archibald M'Bean, Alexander M`Bean,- James M'Cracken, George M'Donell, Duncan M'Donald, David M'Pherson, A. Cattanach, Alexander H. M'Donell, Dr. Roderick M‘Donell, John M'Bean, Kenneth M'Donell, Hugh M'Gillis, John Neil M'Lean—when several new members were proposed and balloted for, amid after their elec tion the committee appointed at the last meeting of the Society to draft an address to Lord Metcalfe, the chief of the j Society, on hisleaving the country, reported the following:— ) ADDRESS TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE CHARLES THEOPHH.ws, LORD METCALFE, BARON METCALFE OF FERN HILL, IN THA: COVNTY OF BERKS, KNIGHT GRAND CitOSS OF THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER. OF THE BATH, ONE OF root MA JESTY'S MOST HONOURABLE PRIVY COUNCIL, ANI' LATE GOVENNOR-GENERAL OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA, &C. May it please your Excelleney,—When your Lordship was graciously pleased to mark your approbation of the aim and object of "the Highland Society of Canada," by consenting to become "The chief" of the Society, its members fondly hoped that you would have been spared to them and to the country for many years, but Providence bas ruled it other wise, and though we bow to the decree as in duty bound, we trust that it will not be thought presumptuous in us to say, that we do so in sorrow and regret. Though resident many miles from the seat of Government there are many among us (some of whom have had the ad vantage of a personal intercourse with your Lordship, who would gladly have availed themselves of the opportunity of personally bidding your Lordship adieu, on the eve of your departure from the shore of Canada, but unfortunately it had actually taken place before they were aware of the intention. The members of the Society cannot, however, allow the opportunity afforded by their assembling together, on the oc casion of their annual festival, to pass away, without for warding to their revered " chief" the spontaneous expression of their unfeigned regret at his departure, and their lively ' sympathy with the severe sufferings which compelled him to take a step which has entailed so great a loss upon the Pro vince. The members of the Highland Society have of f v read your Lordship's touching address t o th e C anada, and their hearts have thrilled with emotion while they read, and if the assurance, that your Lordship's "honest endeavours to promote the welfare of this Province" are appreciated by its people, and will be remembered with gratitude by their latest posterity, be c a l cu l ated to assuage one single pang of your sufferings, we pray your Lordship , in all sincerity, to receive that assu rance at our hands. We now bid your Lordship farewell, fervently hoping, that under Divine Providence, the air of your native land, and the withdrawal from the cares and anxieties of Government may yet prolong your valuable life, in mercy to the poor of mankind, whose abiding friend you have ever been, and whose blessings will follow your footsteps to the grave. Glengarry, Januar) , 14, 1846. When it was moved by George McDonald, Esq., seconded by John M'Bean, Esq., that the address just reported lie adopted, that the same be signed by the president and secretary on behalf of the Society, that it be forwarded to J. M. Higginson, Esq., to be transmitted to England. and that copies be sent the Cornwall Ohserrer and Montreal Herold newspapers for publication. It was then moved by the president, seconded by A. Catta nach, Esq., that the thanks of the meeting be conveyed to the members of the committee, anpoiuted to draft the ad dress to Lord Metcalfe, our chid', for the able manner In which they discharged the duties imposed upon them. James M'Cracken, Esq., moved, seconded by the president, that this meeting do adjourn 4o the 18th June aext, if tbat day do not fall on Sunday, and if it fall on Sunday, then to the 19th June, 1846. JOHN NEIL M'LEAN, Secretary H. S. of C. _THE SUSPECTED ARSON AT HAMMERSIUITII.—Wad nesday, the further examination of the thr ee persona, viz., John stone, sen., Anne Stone, otherwise Ann Hyde, and John Stone, jun., ° n a Charge of having wilfully set fire to a house in the occupation of the elder prisoner, in the Bridge-road, Hammersmith, took place, and, after hearing additional evidence, which tended to confirm the ins_ Edelen wine. the prisouere. they nen cinUalatea lig WILL _ _ . LAW INTELLIGENCE. T I CE - CHANCELLOR'S COURT, F.-/. 19. (Before Vice-Chancellor WicatAir.) /RANK r. WALLER. The case of the Welwyn Benefit Society was mentioned this morning by his HosiotTn, who said he wished to state to the parties the conclusion to which he had come on the subject of costs. He was bound to say that he could not give costs to either party. They had thought proper to enter into a contract; they had formed a club subject to the most strin gent rules. The 19th rule permitted alteration of the rules so long as there was no tendency to dissolve the club; the 27th continued the existence of the society so tong as three members were willing to support it; and the Bth said that any surplus beyond what was wanted for the current expen diture should be accumulated. His Honour said they bed always contemplated an accumulating bend; but that wee no reason why they should not take into consideration the expediency of making a division of that fund. One party had pursued that coarse, and it bad been pressed to a Chan cery suit. The act done was perfectly harmless in itself. The other party sought to enforce an extrema right, and deprive the seven members of that money which they had bells paying in . for many year., and all for suggesting an act of expediency. The plaintiffs said they were exeluded, but held that they were not thereby deprived of the right over the society's fund. It had been argued on their part that they had a right to secede and withdraw their money ; but hisiionour thought there was more difficulty oo that point thou might at first sight appear to the Learned Counsel. it was ex pressly stated in the rules that the society should not be dis solved so lo:ug as three members were wilting to support it. I fere appeared the contradictory character et' these rules; a member could not secede; whet then must he do? Ile must continue to make his monthly payments; but if he failed in these how were they to he enforced? According lo one of the rules, payment wee to be enforeed by expulsion, So that the relief sought is at length got by an act that is im proper. But as his Honour was net giving a decision in the ease at that time, he said he would reserve his opinion of the rules and the means of relief they gave to the members. As for the defendants, he said, thabr cause was one which no court of justice could haik at. No court could enforce their act without being guilty of plunder. His Honour doubted whether the 19th rule was a regulation which any court could enforce. His Honour strongly advised the parties to have recourse to some gentlemen in the neighbourhoo;t, and settle their case by arbitration ; for if he wound it up, and divided the finds in proper proportions, the account would be very complicated and the expenses heavy. One of the Counsel said that three of the members were removed from the locality, and there was a doubt as to how their connexion with the club would be affected by it; but his Honour refused to give env opinion. COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH. Feb. lA. (Sittings at Nisi Pries, Guildhall, before Lord M.:antis and a Common Jury.) Qur3r3Tur V. Dar. Ibis was an action taken by the plaintiff; who is a Freneh man and a lithographic printer in colours, residing at Paris against the defendant for the recovery of a certain sum, as remuneration for work and labour done in his (plaintiff's) capacity as lithographic printe..-. It appeared from coun sel's statement that the plaietiff sent specimens from Paris of ornamental lithographic printing in colours to the defendant to Louden, the result of which was, that defendant wrote to him, expressing his satisfaction at the specimens, and re questing him to come to London, and work for him, for which he was . . to have &l. a week while in Lor.doa, and 31 a week, if he should go to Paris, where, it was agreed upon in writing, that he should not stay longer than four weeks in any one year. The plaintiff alledged that the work was done to the defendant's satisfaction, but that defendant refused to pay him for certain portions of the work done. in Paris, and also for the use of certain printing presses, &c. The defendant's executors contended that they were not liable to any claim, upon the ground that the plaintiff, when he went to Paris, was not to come back any more; and also that he had committed a breach of the agreement, and had therefore put an end to it, inasmuch, when he went to Paris he remained away several months, instead of four weeks. Defendant's counsel, them. fore, contended that the defendants were not liable, arid that the plaintiff could have the presses whenever he liked; and that he did not come back to London until after the death of defendant, and it was only then he made any claim. Specimens of the prints were exhibited in court, and some of them were very beautiful. There were no . witnesses called for the defence. The jury found for the plaintiff 54/., arrears 'of salary to the 4th of Febru ar y, and 654, the value of th e presses. SHERIFFS' COURT, Feb. 19. (Befor Mr. UndenSheriff Ilencnvee.) BLUNDEN C. razu.s. This was an action brought to recover the sum of ad. on a bill of exchange. The defence was, that the plaintiff had accepted a machine newly invented by 'defendant. in satis faction of debt ; in reply, however, it was contended there was no such bargain, and that the value of the machine was not more than V. For the plaintiff witnesses were called, who proved that the plaintiff had invented a machine for the blocking of bet-fronts, and that plaintiff; who was a currier and blocker, sent to defendant two or three times to induce him to pert with the machine. It was stated that the invention was very valuable, as twelve dozen pair might be blocked in a day, whereas not more than three dozen could be done by hand. It was particularly adapted to blocking very stiffleather, which other machines would scarcely affect. A smith, who. bad made part of the iron• work, had offered 25/. for the in vent ion. The only one at all similar was brought out in 1840 by a Frenchman, who obtained 60/. each at the time. De fendant's was nut made of such expensive materials, and wee valued at 30/. --- For the defendant, the principal witnesses were a person in the employs of Messrs. Robertson and Co., successors to Bramah and Co., with whom ke had been twenty years, and a machine-maker, named Green. The former said he had never seen a machine like the defendant's before, but although he did not understand blocking, he considered that it would not answer the purpose intended, and, as a piece of machi nery, it was valueless. Green said he had sold more than 110 machines; his charges w ere 71. and 9/. One oh defendant's constmetio. , , made of brass instead of iron, wittld be worth 101. 10s. Witness's was on the lever, defendant's on th e screw principle. The matter had moor.' power. Defendant's was made of iron, which would stai n th e l eat h er, when damp. - Smith, a I;ootmaker, said that defendant's ti achine was only worth N. 10s. Mr. triomAs, for the defendant, contended that the Ties tionof value cold not arise on a bargain to take the article in liquidation of a debt; but, even if it could, there could be no doubt it was at least p.o/. The rxDt:tt-Sitr.yruF left it to the jury to say whether there had - been a eontract for sale, .tt a tixed price, in da(bn of the debt, or whether the plaintiff had taken it nitliont such alt agreement. jury gave a verdict for the defendant. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. NORTHERN CIRCUIT, Feb. 17. The assize fur the northern division of the county of Lau caqer commenced here this morning. Mr. Justice Patteson presided on the criminal side, and Mr. Justice Coleridge on the civil. 15 causes are entered for trial. The calendar contains the names of 22 prisoners. Of these one stands charged with infanticide, three with manslaughter, one with robbery, and four with cutting - , and wounding. SlDE.—(llef)re Mr. Justice PATTEsox.) Edward Lrarh,aged 46, was indicted for the manslaughter of William Day, at Over Damen. Mr. Whigbrink conducted the prosecution. The prisoner was defended by Mr. Brandt. The prisoner and the deceased met, it appeared, on one evening in the month of January last, at the Red Lion pub ! lie-house, in Ov er Damen. They had h a d some previous , inorrel, and the prisoner being somewhat intoxicate.l began to use towards the deceased some abusive language. The deceased retorted in the same strain, and they finally agreed to go out into the yard to tight. On getting into (ha yard: they seized' one another by the collar, and began, u • the witness expressed it, " rawling" backwards and forward*. _Jae deceased at last got out of the bands of the prisoner, -and ~gait up two steps, which led to a back kitchen. The prisoner ran at him as if to seize him round the middle, When the deceased, who was a h eavy man, leaped upon him, and bore him to the ground—the head of the prisoner hitting the deceased in the lower part of the abdomen. They struggled for some little time on the ground, until the land lord of the public-house came out with a Jight, and re quested them to desist. They both said they bail had enough, and ceased fighting. .They went into the public house, and deceased complained of being ill. He was taken home, and became rapidly worse. A doctor was sent fen but he lingered in great agony till the following day, when he died. (hi a post mo, tem examination it was apparent. r le ,s a et t i b uc h i a lt d fi b ifl ee a n m e n a la ti t s i e o d n b tf • t r h u e pt b u o r w e t o bi f . the -bladder ill Verdict—Not s t h co - - Guilty. The Court, in the course of the day, disposed of two Mint cases, and a case of street robbery by a woman of loose el:a racter. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HOUSE. Michael Ilt;apins, Nary Ifiggins, Elizabeth Copps, std William Copper, were brought before the Lordf Mayor, charged with felony. William Palmer, clerk to Mr. Barber, wharfinger, at Galley Quay, stated 'that a truss of linen-drapery was de posited in the warehouse on Wednesday week, to be shipped for Margate. On Saturday last it was lost, but on Wednes day night two pieces of calico Isere found bidden. The truss was gone altogether. A porter, in the employment of Mr. Barber, stated that he knew the two male prisoners, as working in the quay. and they were employed. in that pelt of the ware m which th e truss h a d been . deposited. He found house a blue package and a. brown paper parcel underneath a box. Charles Fowler, warehouseman to Mr. Sta n l e y, 67, Cheap side, stated that thei truss of linen-drapery was sent from the warehouse, directed to J. Gosling, Margate, to be forwarded by boy, from Galley Quay. He believed the pieces of calico produced were part of the goods which were contained in the truss. Each OF the prisoners was identified as a person who Dawned some portion of the fttolen goods. They were all remanded. CLERKENWELL. John withams. a well-dressed, young man, was placed at the bar, charged with having attempted to commit a robbery at Messrs. Clarke and Mes.sans, linen-drapers, of 29, High'. street, Islington. It appeared that on Wednesday evening, Wright, of the N division, was is High-street, Islington, in private clothes, when he KM the prisoner and two other well-known thieves looking in at shop windows, and following ladies to pick pockets. He (Wright) concealed himself in a door way, until he saw the pri soner an d his compa nions stop at • the shop window of the prosecu tors, when the prisoner broke a pane of glass. Wright immediately came from hiS hiding place, and on being seen by the thieves they raised a cry of " Bobby's a cooling," anti they ran off. They were pursued, and the pri soner was taken into cnstodv. after a resistance. John M'Gregor, ehopmanto Messrs Clarke and Co ' preyed. having heard the glass break, and seeing the prisoner with, his hand through the Window. Several officers identified the witnesses, but at Mr. Vann, the solicitor, questioned t w ' i e th w such g evi prisonerias a known thief. length said that he would not combat i,e evi dence—it would only . be time of the Court. the cry of "Bobby's a ' Wright—TheY call the policemen 11 - obby., :d sti l, n r a ha _ coming'' alter Sir Robert Peel, wa s committed to the House of Correcti on, wii i h h heaprriilslolle aho r nr, for three months. CAsg OF STABBING AT CRIPPLE. GATE. — ThiS eas e o f brutality wit, ion Wednesday examined at Guildhall, be tore Aldermen I arebrother ar d Hunter. The culprit, a mats named Feacey, abou!, 50 years of age, was charged with, running a carving knife into the left side of a man named Martin, between the 11th and 12th ribs, penetrating to the lower part of the thorax, within the cavity of the chest. According to the evidence of Susannah Emberse, the quarrel originated in jealousy. -Martin was subsequently examined, though in a very precarious state. The prisoner was con veyed in a cab to the Compter, to await the fate o f Martin.