The Sun. — London, England, 1837-01-20 00:00:00

• -* JUDGMENT. The CHAIRMAN (Mr. Sergeant Adams) said—This is an appeal by the parish of St. George, Hanover Square, against the county-rate made on the ?7th October ; and it is a case of that importance that we ought to give to the county at large, and to the parish of St. George in particular, the reasons for our decision. In my opinion the case has been very ably and very properly argued, and the subject matter of appeal has been unmixed with any extraneous matter ; so that we sitting here, as a Court of Judicature, are now called upon to give our judgment , upon this case, upon its merits. The subject ofthis appeal appears to me to divide itself into three branches : First—That the rate must be made upon the audit of the accounts at the first day of the Session, and that if three fourths of the old rate collected have not then been expen ded, the order for making a new rate must contain the re strictive clause, which cannot be taken off until the next intermediate session. Second—Supposing the first objection to fail, it is then contended that, upon the face of the accounts at the county day three-fourths are not expended, then the restrictive clause must be inserted in the order for the new rate. Third objection is quite distinct from the others, that the accounts have not been duly audited, certain sums have been improperly allowed in these acceotuns ; therefore we have no power to make a new rate. I shall advert to each of these objections in their turn : First, That the rate must be founded on the audit at the THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY ; JASUARY 20, 15370 from it alone, the authority is derived to tax the ccaintY for the purposes of a Lunatic Asylum, and that Act states that all the necessary expenses of the execution of that Act is to be defrayed hy a special rate or rates. roe', whatever may be said of the bondholders who have bona ftdc advanced the money to build the Asylum, still the visiting Justices cannot expend any sum out of the ordinary county- Tate for repairs ; but whatever stria may be requires' roust be expended from the special raves authorised tri the 12th section. I now direct the attention of (his Court to the important provisions contained in the 15th section, by which it will be seen the Justices at Sesions, f they shall unanimously agree so to do, may direct that every tenant at rack-rent may deduct and detain out V. the rent payable to his or her landlord one half part of the full amount of such rate. If the respondents are to say that a special rate is r.w necessary, because e.r the money borrowed on most: sage of the rates, what a position are you then placed in ? You must then coetend against the positive evidence of the 12th section, wh;.oh directs you to make a special rate or rates for the execution of the Statute ; but you must do more —you must render nugatory the whole of the 15th section, for how can this Court direct the teeaets paying rack-rent to deduct and detain out of the rent payable to their land lords one-half part of such special rate, when this Court Lave never once made a special rate for the purposes of the Lunatic Asylum ? CHAIRMAN—We will assume that the account has been unduly allowed—is the consequence of that to he that the rate is a bad one? Is not this the effect—and it strikes me with great force and difficulty—supposing that the ac count was unduly allowed, then we could never have the power of making a rate again, because we have unduly audited the treasurer's accounts. If so, where is the punish ment to fall—on the officers of the county, or by the con fusion of the Bench? If this was an appeal against the accounts, we could strike out the items objected to ; but this is an appeal against the rate itself. I see the greatest diffi culty in the matter. Admitting your appeal to be valid, how is the consequent confusion to be avoided, What do you say ? Mr. BODKIN—That question, I submit, ought not to be put to me, but to my Learned Friends on the other side ; 1 have not the honour to be of Counsel for the County, and the appellants are not to be placed in that situation, be cause of the difficulties which may ensue—assuming, there fore, that my case is a good one, there is nothing to pre vent me from the full benefit of my appeal. Look at the 16th section of the 3d Geo. IV., c. 107, and you will find that if three-fourths of the preceding rate have not been duly expended, or if the accounts have been improperly or unduly allowed, then this Court is to quash, alter, or amend the rate. The onus, therefore, is upon the Bench, and to give the remedy. I speak it with the greatest possible respect. CHAIRMAN—You have the right, and you stand upon it, and if you establish your point, then I am sure that no objection as to the inconvenience which may follow, or the difficulties which may be entailed on others, as well as upon the Magistrates, and our honour, as Gentlemen, would pre vent us from not giving you the benefit. Mr. BODKIN—I have one more point to which I must direct the attention of the Court—it is as to 17,0001. bor rowed in November, 1831, of Mr. Crawshay, as is alleged, without due authority. I must request your attention to the 9th G. IV., c. 40, section 26.—that the Court of Quarter Sessions shall from time to time fix and limit the sum which maybe expended on a Lunatic Asylum. " And it shall not be lawful for the Committee of visitors appointed for the building, erection, and management of such county Lunatic Asylum, to enter into any contract or contracts for the purchase of lands or houses, for the erection of new buildings, or for the extension or alteration of existing buildings, for the purposes of such County Lunatic Asylum, or the yards, outlets and courts thereunto belonging, at a sum or sums which may in the whole exceed the sum so from time to time limited and appointed by the Justices assemhled in Sessions as aforesaid ; and no contract so en tered into by such visitors shall be held tab"! valid or legal." Tile visiting Justices of the Asylum (12,a exceed the sums so from time to time fixed and limited by the Justices in Sessions, and when the debts ha s,l been incurred they came to the Court and asked for a. further grant of 20,0001. to discharge the present cla' ams upon them. This sum was ultimately reduced to ',7,000/., and borrowed of Mr. Craw shay to pay those delat s ; which we contend, according to the 26th section, were, illegally incurred by the visiting Justices. There is one o•'.. nea point, the appellant parish have made a report to thr, Secretary of State, as to the non-necessity of any such 'officer as a Treasurer of the county. CHAIRMAN—On the hearing of this appeal, we cannot enter.. into any question about reports to Secretaries of State. - Mr. BODKIN—But there is a charge in these accounts for fa salary to the Treasurer. CHAIRMAN—That salary was fixed by Act of Parlia ment. Before that Act passed you could only give the Treasurer a salary not exceeding 20/. Mr. BODKIN—I have now, Sir, to announce that I have arrived at the conclusion of my observations, and I trust you will acquit me of having needlessly occupied so much of your time. My intention has been as far as my humble abilities would permit, to do justice to those noblemen and gentlemen of the parish of St. George, whom I have the honou r to represent, and whom I trust, will be perfectly satisfied on this occasion. Mr. DOANE—May it please you, Sir, I am on the same side with my Learned Friend Mr. Bodkin ; and it would ill become me, after the luminous statements of my Learned Friend, to oessupy much of your time. But I would just call your attention to the first part of our objections to this rate, viz., that three-fourths of the money received of the last rate were not duly expended ; and my Learned Fritand contended that you were not in a condition to make a county-rate, unless the order for making that rate scontained in it the restrictive clause. The Learned Chairman said that the interval never arose, and there fore the rate could not be collected. What harm could be done if that sum was sufficient—to meet the county expenses no rate was necessary. As to the arrears of former rates received, it is most important to show that by law the Treasurer of Middlesex, and he only can de mand, collect, and levy the county!rates and all arrears. That is an immense power given to this officer. If the Bench should he of opinion that these accounts were correct, and that the Treasurer had been ordered to pay away as me s a s money as he possibly could,to cut down the cash in hand to an amount less than one-fourth cf the monies received of the last preceding rate, and the Treasurer not being able to do so, he then turns round and says—l will deduct certain sums from the audited accounts, and will take away so much from the balance of 12,0171., declared on the face of those published accounts, as may be necessary to reduce the I ; a _ lance within the sum limited by the Act of Perliannent— will it be contended by the other side that the `:cost whole some clauses in this Act of Parliament are thus to be de feated? It appears that the Treasurer, with all his exer tions, was not able to reduce the les;lance of cash in his hands, and therefore he said—Let me re-open that audit of the accounts presented on the i:irst day of the sessions, and I will take out certain items of receipt amounting to 3771. ; and that sum, I will say, is not of the preceding rates, but the arrears of former rates. What was the object of this Local Act? Whs . ; did the county of Middlesex require it ? Because of divers abuses which had occurred in for mer times ; end this Act was obtained purposely to pre vent the accumulation of large balances in the hands of the Treasurer for the future. Now, we have heard from the learned Chairman that the balances do not at all produce any advantage to the Treasurer ; because of the arrangement of the account with the Bank of England he cannot touch them ; and therefore we have have only to see what is the law, for the rate-payers may be equally damiged, in what ever hands these large balances may be. The treasurer, then, being the only person who can collect these rates, might, if he so chose, always have these arrears, which would not, for the purposes of making a rate, be considered cash in his hands ; and he might have only a few shillings of the current rate in hand, while he had a large amount of cash from the receipt of arrears of previous rates. I say this the more confidently, because such has been the case. The CHAIRMAN--The amount of arrears now, I believe Is only .52/. 15s. Mr. DOANE---I do not care for the amount ; I stand upon the principle. Having said so much on the point of the Magistrates having illegally and wrongly taxed the county, it is not our duty to flinch on behalf of the rate-payers be cause of the consequences which may follow, if our case is made out according to law, as I contend it is, no matter what may be the difficulties to the Bench. It has been stated from the Bench, that the 9th Geo. IV. c. 40, is an Act for building the Asylum. There is nothing in that Act to justify such an interpretation of the Statute. What is its title ? " An Act to arni:;nd the Laws for the Erection and Regulation of County Lunatic Asylums ; and more effec tually to provide For the care and maintenance of Pauper and Criminal I.unaties in England." The erection then of the Asylum is a very small portion of the objects contemp lated by the Act ; and therefore I say it is not an Act for the l';uilding only; but an Act. under which these Asylums arc to he regulated, and the lunatic paupers therein main tained. What says the 12th section ? I never saw a more srecilic Act ; and looking at it through the preamble, I find it is an Act not only for providing the building of Lunatic Asylums for these unfortunate lunatics ; but it is also an Act for the regulation of these lunatics when placed therein ; and that the moneys necessary to defray the expenses of repairs of that Asylum, and the sum of 3691. 18s. Id., say ing nothing of the larger sum, I contend that in that case the Justices ought to have provided the money by a special rate ;' and whatever claim Mr. Crawshay may have on the ordinary county-rate, yet the Justices have never made 0 special-rate ; and, with the greatest respect for the Bench, I say the Justices ought to have made a special county rate ; and looking at the 12th clause of that Act, I say that every sum of money connected with that building must be provided for by a special-rate. After the very lucid st.:.tements of my Learned Friend, I fell that I ought not longer to trespass on the time of the Court. Mr. A notritus—l appear in support of this rate; and of oil the things I ever hoard I never knew one more urn founded in its object, or more confused in its details ; and, afict having heard all the statethents, I find there there is not one creature who %•..ettlplains of any grievance ; but it was brought foe'tard as a purely speculative motion to prevent Qo-tte mischief that may or not be clone here after, It was said that great ils might arise, large ba lances remaining in the hands .et Ine treasurer ; but he ap prehended there w a . we - .langer of that, unless there sh s , uici be a general ers4.!;piracy of the Magistrate Co eboat tkke 1 county. it was to be remembered that the "rreattrer found 15,0001. securities for Ill.! Vroper 'Co:MVO. ti'e ' could well understand. ~ iiie motives ;fer ;th'it V_!laIllorous motion, which , r-vi-e. different from 41' , .0 objects avowed. The first ground of attack Iss Veen that a new rate must be founded on the acconnt 'presented to the auditors at the commencement ofelie session. This be denied, for the vv..) , nature of tiro transaction showed the necessity that 1r)1 'lto- nies ro'itg out up to the very . day of makinpt The rate shouiA be taken into account. 'fire 1 , to Was clearly to be not on the amount ;waited, but c:Oi the amount in hand at the time of making the 'tate. The deductions merlse ' were perfectly justifiable, being on account of ~ ett, i irs that had been long. in dispute. He contended, that taking it as the le.w intended, not threo , fourths of the gross re cept, but three-fourths oF the last rate, the amount re quired had been fully expended. Besides, it was on oath that it was necessary to pay 5,200/. to Messrs. Strew and Paul for a mortgage debt on the sth of November, only eight days after the new rate was made, ond when the balance in hand was but about 5,8Q0.3t. Such sum of 5,200/. might therefore be fairly reckoned as expended, although net actually disborsed. There remained, then, when the new rate was made, no availobte balance in hand. Allusion bad been made to a former defalcation, but what was the consequeoev? Why, the magistrates had trenched themselves up to their teeth against a similar misappropriation. It had been insinuated that payments were made between the first day of the Session And the day of making the rate, for the purpose of making th e balance in h an d, b u t on i nqu i ry it would be found the pay ments so made consisted of bills and salaries, to which the sanction of the Court was first necessary, and which for the credit of the county ought to be paid as soon as sanctioned. Mr. PRENDERGAST—I shall cant detain you long because many of the facts arc;well knrrwn to many gentlemen on the Bench. The first point, raised was as to tin making of a rate upon the aud;:t of the accounts furnished by the Trea surer on the E - rst day of the Ss lions, and it was contended that the new rate ought to have contained the restrictive clause, because three-fourths of the last rate had not been expended, although it is abundantly clear that more than three-fourths had been properly and duly expended. Mr. Prendergast submitted Mr. Allen's statement of the 27th October, and allowed from it that Mr. Allen had received more money rib the 13th September than he had expended up to the County day, when the new rate was made, ex elosive of any receipts subsequent to the 13th September to the 27th October inclusive, his receipts betwee❑ these two periods being from all the different sources, 5,4351. 18s. 81c1.; and although there was an actual cash balance oa the 27th October of 5,8241., still he had expended of the last preceding rate, a sum of more than three-fourths of that rate rrceived by 151. Os. 6d. I now show from another tray of stating the accounts of Mr. Allen, that more than three-fourths of all the money he has actually re telved,have been actually and duly expended. Mr. ,Allen's gross receipts from the 22d July, including the cash balance he received on that day from Sir Robert Baker, the late Treasurer, down to the 17th of October, the day on which Mr. Allen's accounts were presented to the Magistrates, according to the provisions of The Act of Parliament, were £23,481 1 101 And his receipts from the 17th October to the County-day, were.. 1,341 4 0 £24,822 5 10i One fourth of the gross receipts of the Treasurer is 6,20.51. 11s. sd. I advert now to his payments which were to the first day of the Session... £11,463 19 8i His payments between that day and up to the County day, 27th October, were 7,533 18 2 Gross Expenditure .18,997 17 toi The balance of cash in hand when the County Rate appealed against was made, being actually less than enc-fourthof his gross receipts--it was 5,824 7 11;1 24,822 5 10i So that upon this account we are very strong. We leave out all technicalities, and show that there was in our hands when the rate was made, a less sum than one-fourth of our whole receipts. Now, it was actually necessary to retain this balance of 5,8241. in hand, because of the payment of 5;200/. to be made in nine days after to Messrs. Snow and Paul ; and such was the state of the finances on the Bth of November, that having only 6511. 17s. lid. in hand, he could not pay a demand on him on that day of 1,44:3/. 15s. Remarks have been made on the receipt of the County Rates from Gray's Inn and other of the Inns of Court, and the inference was that a very gross neglect had occurred. What is the real fact of the case ? These rates, as I un derstand, have been collected with great difficulty, except within the last year. The Treasurer pays for all that part of the Inn which is occupied by the Society, but other parts of the Inn are to be received in small sums of Is. 6d., and even as low as ls.—these have not always been received until they accrue to a larger sum. These accounts, I then contend, were duly audited, and properly allowed ; and if my friends for the appellants could have shown they were not properly audited, or if the Magistrates were appointed as a Committee to audit them, they would have done so. They do not intend to submit this point to you, but that the accounts ought not to have been opened after the audit. The 12th Geo. 2,, chap. 29, sec. 9, shows what is to be the diiebarge of the Treasurer's ac countability for et•rtain payments. Now, can we ima gine that the Treasurer, lawyer though he be, and accu rate though we know him to be, would take care not to pay any orders on the county stock which were not legal, still he is not safe in so doing, until he receives his acquital of his responsibility for such sums from the magistrates, for these sums. Now, the very gentlemen who have set up this appeal state it is not necessary to have any County Treasurer at all. I now, Sir, refer to the 9th Geo. IV., c. 40, and say thqt the 12th section of that Act does authorise A special county rate ; but then the 13th section shows that the county of Middlesex was not in the precli earnent to be affected by that clause, and the 14th section shows that we arc not only to charge the rates, with the interest of the sums borrowed, but with a further sum of the principal, so that the whole may be repaid in fourteen year 3; then, again, the form of mortgage requires you to mortgage the whole rates, known as County-rates. I say, then, it is a perfect reductio ad absurdum, to say that we must make a special County -rate with the 33d section. I say, if the Bench had made a special County-rate for the repairs of this Asylum, they would have been very proper persons to be inmates of it. I may say, with great respect for my Learned Friends, I had hoped in this appeal to have heard of some very gross misapplications of some sums of the public money, instead of these personal and petty fogging objections. Notwithstanding what has been said of the lucid and luminous manner in which my Learned Friends have brought out this case, I do not think there has been more skill in getting it up than that of a lawyer's. It has not been pretended that the money has not been paid away—it cannot he insinuated that the cash-balances in the Treasurer's hands, accumulate there for his profit— this would be not only untrue, but impossible. I certainly do regret that that rich parish, with all their professions of economy, should have so exposed themselves before this Bench ; and I do also regret this on hehalf of my clients, Mr. Allen and the Bench. This appeal does not appear to me to have any legitimate object, and I trust you will not be unduly prejudiced against us, because of the obser vation that Ton are parties sitting in judgment on your own conduct. Mr. BODKIN rose to reply. He contended that not one of his positions had been shaken by the other side. He ob jected to the new account Mr. Allen had now, for the first time, produced, showing that of his gross receipts more than three-fotirths had been expended ; and having enforced the previous statements of law and facts which we have already given, he left the case with the Bench to determine on its merits. first day of the Session. That ol4ectiott cannot prevail, unless we strike (silt the 10th section of the 3d Geo. IV., - e. 107. What arS,t'ne powers given by Which rates can be made upon — the county of Middlesex ?In the PrO'eisions made for these rates, it is especially enacted that the si Ti Aititer shall be from tountyday to 'Coont)'7-ctay ; that on the first day of the Session the treasurer shall present his accounts, made up to the preceding day ; that there::: e - magis trates shall appoint a committee • , , , . • .., co toots terough thesis ae counts, and to - - tee that tiny ate tight: If ),Ife Matter stood aloe - _....5: on titif. ! I', la eviilet that it h tl'ae . cotilitif-dai'', drid • ,., , ~, tmt flit first ct' y g q<6.,.:,,,eri 4iat id Meant. As we have largo,piry'a , e'TAs t':+ Make, it would rea lly a nd necessarily 140 . 61 d'.'en when a provident rate is made, that large ' balances must be in the hands of the Treasurer. Let us look at the words of the Statute :—" That in case, at ,th,e time of making any such quarterly raty, re tat - ',..S it shall not be mad e a p ven v to th , -..' s'i't4 ..ins'tices that three-fourths or more of tiro Monies actually received by the Treasurer, on nUesent of the last -preceding rate, have been ;lethally and duly expended." Here, then; v4/e. baV'ti the precise words, that the state isf tll';• i ',:niances is to be taken at the time whop the ‘...i':.1% , rate is to b e ma d e ; and not, as the y 0 ,, rt.1 for the appell an t s conten d, b ase d upon th e au dit o f k Inc accounts at the first day of the Session. The first ob jection, then, falls to the ground. The second objection is, that if not as contended for in the first objection, it must be clear on the face of the ac counts at the county day that more than three-fourths of the money received have been expended at the time of making the rate, I confess that this point is not by any means so clear as the former,. The appellants case is this;; you have, n o ma tt er from what source, more money in hand at the tiatiz. of making the rate than one-fourth of the M aount received of the last preceding rate, and they con tend that the Treasurer is to apply all other sums which he has received whether from previous rates, fines, rents,; and you are to exhaust all these sums before you touch the new rate, and therefore in such a case you then have more meney in hand at the time of making the rate than one fourth of the last preceding rate. To this the respondents say—First, that taking our gross receipts and our gross expenditure, we have less in hand than one-fourth of the gross amount of monies received. My mind does not go with the respondents' explanation ; the Statute says there shall not be more money in hand than one-fourth of the amount received of the last preceding rate. But the re spondents Say, if the gross receipt and the gross expenditure does not serve us, then we (the respondents) have a right to take the payments in the order they are made to us, and apply the first payment to us to the first debit in the account ; and then in that case we have exhausted more than three-fourths of the preceding rate. That this has been an honest and a boitaitcle interpretation of this clause there con be no doubt. It has been placed publicly upon the accounts ; if there had been an intention to deceive, it would not have been published and sent to every parish in the county. Now, although, in point of truth, on the 27th October, the Treasurer had 5,824/. cash in hand, yet he declares that he had in nine days after, on the sth Nov,, to pay Snow and Paul 5 3 2001., at which time had it not been for the singular circumstances of the No vember Sessions, there would not have been a Court at that period, My individual opinion is, that the respondents' me thod is not the correct way of making out the account. I think that every sum of money ehould he exhausted before they touch the new rate, The impression on my mind also is, that thki, 5,000 t. retained by the Treasurer for Snow and Paul, could not be said to be expended. What is it that the parish of St. George say ?—you ought not to touch that rate until the old rates had been expended. But did that parish pay the rate between the nine days from the 27th Oct, to the sth Nov.? No : they did not. Where then is the grievance to them, and what is the relief they seek ? Assuming that my opinion is correct, the appel lants did not pay the rate of the 27th Oct. until fourteen days after the time allowed by law to pay it in ; that parish ought to have paid the rate on the day it tvas due, and if so, then the relief we could have given them was interest on 1,100/. for nine days. The Learned Counsel for the appellants say you ought to have made the rate of the 27th Oct., with the re strictive clause mentioned in the 10th section. But I say the Court ought rather to adjourn the county day until the balance is reduced, than make the rate with the re strictive clause, otherwise we correct evils for no good purpose. The object of the statute is that no more money shall be in the Treasurer's hands than is necessary, and the Magistrates, by adjourning the Court to a future day, when the balance would be reduced to a proper amount, and then-make a new rate. If the appellants should think it right to take a case for the Court of King's Bench, I would propose that in order for making the rate of the 27th Oct., that that date should be struck out, and the date of the sth Nov. be inserted therein instead of the 27th Oct. These being my views of the case on these ftWo points, I now proceed to the Third Objection, as to the Lunatic Asy lum. lam sorry these grounds of appeal h a v e b een gone into ; the others might have established a principle, but if the appellants succeed on this objection, this Act of Parliament must be repealed. The Learned Counsel con cedes that the principal money borrowed and the interest might be paid out of the rate, but that a special rate is necessary for the repairs. But the principal and interest is only to continue for six years longer, and then it is over. If, then, you have to make a rate now for principal and interest, then we should have to make a , special rate for the repairs only. Should there then not be such a clear statement in this Act that the special rate only was intended, before we adopt the views of the appel. lants, because the expense of the notice papers of such special County-rate and the great deal of trouble it would give to the rate payers as well as to those who levy the rate? Let us see, then, if tie are obliged to come to this conclusion. I shall refer to the 9 G. 4, c. 40, 12th and 33d sections, and to the form of Mortgage, No. 2. The 12th section : " And be it further enacted, in order to defray the neces sary expenses for the execution of this Act, that the Jus tices of the Peace, at their General or Quarter Sessions, may and shall assess and tax a County -rate or rates on all places liable to contribute to the County-rate, which said special County-rate shall be collected, levied, and recovered in like manner, and by such ways and means, and under such penalties, as any ordinary County-rate may by law be collected, levied, and recovered." 1 was, I confess, very much perplexed with these words " a special County -rate or rates," until I found subsequently that two, three, or more counties may join together to erect an Asylum, and then this is the fair and legitimate interpretation of these words. The 13th section proceeds to show, that when the expense of the Asylum is likely to exceed one-half of the amount of the ordinary annual assessment for the County-rate on the mean proportion of the said rate for the last five . . years, and would thereby become so burthensome to the county if the expenses were paid by a special rate, that the money may then be borrowed on mortgage of the whole County -rates, so is it with the 15th clause, it re fers only to the 12th section. By the 33d section also all the funds in the Treasurer's hands are applicable to the expenses of the repairs of the Lunatic Asylum ; but then we know there are other funds which come in aid of the County-rates, such as fines and rents, and the Treasurer is by that clause directed to pay the orders of the Visiting Justices out of any moneys which may come into his hands, without any inquiry as to the source from whence they were received. Supposing then the appellants' argument were good, and 301. were wanted for repairs, why, it would take three months to collect it. Upon these views the argument of the appellants is not correct, and therefore these sums of money for the Lunatic Asylum have been properly paid and duly allowed. Assuming for the moment that it is not so, look at the difficulty there is ; you have audited a large account of 17,0001., and you have wrongly al lowed a sum of two hundred pounds, for which the pe nalty upon the Magistrates who have done it there is none, upon the County there is none; but upon the prisoners in confinement they would have no bread to eat ; upon those on whom felonies and wrongs had been committed they would suffer. I cannot imagine that the Court of King's Bench will make such a decision, and I find no words in this Sta tute so clear as under such circumstances would guide my judgment to say the appellants are right. I am of opinion that the appeal should be dismissed on the first ground, because that objection is not sustained by the Act on the last ground, that the expenses of the Lunatic Asylum have been properly paid and duly allowed. And on the second, I would dismiss the appeal, because no damage has been sustained by the appellants. I should say further, if the appellants wish to take the case to the Court of King's Bench, that on the second ground of appeal I would pro pose that the rate be amended, by substituting the sth of November instead of the 27th of October. I trust the ap pellants will go out of Court perfectly satisfied with the at tention that has been paid to the case. Mr. BitouctrroN delivered his observation on the points of the appeal. He was of opinion that no case had been made to entitle the appeal to be allowed on the ground that the accounts had not been duly presented or properly allowed. On the next point he coincided with the Chair man, altb ough there was some little difficulty as to the intention of the Legislature in the Act in the 10th section, as to the three-fourths which must be expended. On the third objection I cannot go the whole way with the Chair man, as to the 12th section of the Lunatic Act. But then I am utterly at a loss to know what is the object to be gained by the whole expenses being paid by a special rate, instead of the ordinary county rate. 'Would not the same parishes and places pay the special rate that pay the ordi nary rate ? Would not the same county Treasurer demand and collect both rates ? Perhaps it would have been bet ter e i k -ht years ago to have commenced with making the special rates. The Chairman has very properly put the difficult . v we should be in, if f or e very 20 . /. or 30/. re qu i re d, we s h ow , 'd be compelled to make a special county rate. Mr. fl )TCH-I admit I wish these appeals were more frequent ; ..than they are, because then Magistrates would look thore 'to the 'clauses of thb A c t s of Parliament than they now, do. I ;Stinuld ,not :have ; srolien .had I not in reference to the.apPeal,of this day ,diiored with the Chair tc 'oli hi 3. qiiliqrin A i'it ,Ivi . i I , eit' l, . Of ,the appeal, and as we are regulated by Acts of Parliament as well as those who come here to seek redress, it may be important for them t 9 IcP9 I4 T OlCre is ft differolide of opinion among Mt igagigtratTi on Ole ne,ints unbtnitted„ tn them.Tbe first 1 act-thee it, as tothe ,OnStrtiCtia of What the Chairman ' Ogn 2 ite4 tbe,"Si;',-Oiid lictid,i44,ROc4l;,ai ~=',, o balance of th'ekit ri.aclz -tite; - rir the i - liel'e tneney In, haiid:, I am at variance with the Chairman's opinion as to the !ii - lle.ne of the last made rate, for the 6th clause of the 3d G. IV. c. 107, where it directs that the accounts shall be presented, not only of the last preceding-, but every former rate or rates not aecontite4 for I !dial! nflt 0.01, .tii.bas'in the Lu . natic Act repealed ; 1 understand the Chairman to say that that Act did not centerriplate a speCial rate, and by that Opinion he,gets Otir the difflolty: Now; it chat clearly the inkentiori of Old LOgisiature in that Att of liatlidthent to have special rates as stated by the 12th clause, to defray the necessary expenses of the execution of this Act. The CHAIRMAN interrupted Mr. Rotch, by saying he had overlooked the first five lines of section 13. Mr. ROTCH resumed--I could not have given my judg ment without having read the whole Act from beginning to the end. It is perfectly manifest, then, the advantage of the special rate, which is shown by the 15th section, when this Court could visit one-half of the tax on the landlords and the other on the tenants? Who will say then there is not a necessity for the special rate? Nothing can be iiiore absurd than the proposition that we must levy a rate for two shillings and sixpence. But the Act provides, on the contrary, for every difficulty. The 33d clause states that the Treasurer shall pay out of the funds he may have in his hands the orders of the Visiting Justices for the repairs of the Asylum—and this it does to prevent delays ; but that does not release the magistrates in this Court from making a special rate. I am therefore clearly of opinion that a special rate ought to have been made ; that the special rate ought heretofore to have been made, and ought still to be made ; and by making that special rate we should relieve ourselves from every difficulty. Sup pose we were called upon under the 15th section of this Act, by the rate-payers of the county, or other persons, to agree to divide the rate between the landlord and the tenant, what a situation we should be in, never having made a special rate, as the Act directs? But, notwithstanding, I am of opinion there is no pretence for this appeal, and I shall vote against it. Sir Jon SCOTT LILEIE thought the object of the ves try of the parish of St. George was manifest : they wanted to establish the principle upon which these rates should be made. Mr. M‘WILLIAm-1 am gratified beyond measure that the accounts should be so sifted and examined. With re gard to the motives which induced the vestry of St. George, Hanover-square, this Court had nothing to do. I think the vestry of St. George, Hanover-square, is entitled to the very highest credit. That parish has done more towards correcting and purging the errors committed, as to the mak ing and collecting of the County rates, than all the efforts of the Bench of Middlesex Magistrates for the last quarter of a century. I am, however, of opinion that this appeal cannot be sustained. Sir CHARLES FORBES was of opinion that a special County rate ought to have been made. The CHAIRMAN—If that principle be established, then we have no right to take one shilling for the Lunatic Asylum, unless it be the produce of a special county rate. Appeal dismissed. As to the costs of this 'appeal, the Chairman said, by the 18th section of the 3d Geo. IV., c. 107, that no por tion of the expenses of any appeal can be charged to or paid out of the County rate. Sir CHARLES FORBES, Bart., said the Justices themselves ought to pay the expenses out of their own pockets, for it was clearly their own error which occasioned the appeal. Costs taken by consent at 451. IRELAND. MR. O'CONNELL—FACTORY-BILL—POOR LAWS.— On Monday last Mr. O'Connell made his public entry into Kilkenny, where he was received with every demonstration of enthusiasm by his constituents. When he entered Kil kenny he was accompanied by about fifteen thousand per sons, who attended him to the Court House. Mr. O'Con nell was received by the Mayor (Mr. Reed), by whom he was conducted into the Court House. Amongst inscrip tions on the banners in the procession, those which attracted most attention were the following :—" An effective Poor law for Ireland," " Abolition of Tithes, Corporation Re form, and Vote by Ballot," " Equal Laws or a Repeal of the Union," " The Woollen Trade of Kilkenny revived." The Mayor of Kilkenny took the chair. Mr. O ' CONNELL having first thanked the people in the front of the Court House who bad done him the honour of meeting him, and having obtained from them three cheers for the Lord Lieutenant, and three groans for Lyndhurst, r then proceeded to address his constituents at a length through which our space will not permit us to follow him entirely. The Hon. Gentleman asked, " Is there a man amongst you discontented with my Parliamentary conduct? Is there any one who differs from me ?" A person in the gallery Navin; replied, " Yes, from your opinion of Poor laws"—Mr. O'Connell said that was just what he invited, and he should presently dispose of that question. After making a passing allusion to the statements which have been put forward by Mr. F. O'Connor and others, his po litical enemies, he came to the explanation relative to his vote on the Factory Bill. He had refused to afford any explanation to his assailants, but he would not withhold the facts respecting it from his constituents. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman then alluded to the history of cotton factories as connected with the employment of children. " In England, for several years, there has been in the cotton factories necessarily a great num ber of children employed, and employed for wages." " Now (continued Mr. O'Connell), 1 took an active part in preventing children from being employed before the age of nine years at all, and that children, even at that age, should not be required to work more than eight hours a day. A number of operatives wished to have the time of labour limited to ten hours a day for every body, old and young, children and adults. I refused to have anything to do with that plan, as far as it would interfere with the re gulations affecting grown-up people. Yet I was ready to give protection to the children. Their only property was their labour. The children of the age of twelve were, on the Ist March, 1836, that is, the March of last year, to come under a nevi regulation, and to be subject to be worked only eight hours a day. Under these circumstances, Mr. Poulett Thomson brought in a Bill, leaving it to children arrived at the age of twelve to work as they had theretofore done, for twelve hours. My determination was to oppose that Bill. I went to the House to oppose it. The debate came on, and I found this to be asserted and not denied, that the cotton trade, instead of being unhealthy, as it had been described to be, was the very contrary—that the mor tality in other trades was as five to one in that trade— that is, that there are five deaths in other trades for one in the cotton trade. This was stated as a fact, to prove the propriety of permitting the children of twelve years of age to work at this trade, as before. It also was distinctly stated in that debate, and not denied by the opponents of the Bill, that if the Bill were not passed, a number of not less than 25,000 children would be thrown out of employment—that a proportionate number of men, probably 10,000, would also be thrown out of employment. These series of facts are then to be carried in recollection —first, the healthiness of the trade proved ; next, that the rejection of the Bill would turn out of employment at once about 35,000 persons, old and young ; and next there was to be allowed upon the Bill going into Committee the appointment of twenty-four inspectors instead of four. I bethought myself then : I asked myself what was my duty ? Was I to befriend the children in a healthy employment ? and I found 25,000 were about being turned out of work. I found, too, there were not inspectors enough, and that Mr. Poulett Thompson was ready to accede to Sir Robert Peel's suggestion, upon his mentioning the propriety of their appointment. Under these circumstances, I considered it would be cruelty. to the children themselves if I did not al low the Bill to be put in Committee, where the statements relied upon could be, if not true, shown to be false—and if false, no one would more readily vote against the Bill than I should have done ; but if true, it would, I consider, have been my duty to have voted for it. Mr. Poulett Thom son did not come into Committee with his Bill, which makes me suspect that the facts relied upon could not be proved : and if they could not, I repeat it, no man would more readily have voted against the Bill than I should have done." Mr. O'Connell then proceeded to speak on the' question of Poor-laws. There was necessarily but little novelty of re mark in the Hon. Gentleman's address. He began by ad mitting that " it was the first duty of a public man as well as of a Christian to take care of the poor," and professed that he would " become a violent supporter of a Poor-law" the moment that it was shown to him that a Poor-law would be for the good of the poor ; but he was averse to any measure that would impose additional taxes. " I am (continued Mr. O'Connell) fbr every Act that can give re lief to the poor—l would get justice done to them—l would put an end to absenteeism—l would have the landlords either to reside at home, or not to have an estate in Ireland, if they have one elsewhere. I would have capital to ac cumulate in the country—l would get the people of Ireland work—for it is wages and not alms that they want. My plan is to elevate man in the social state. We have al ready done much in this respect. There is, however, one Poor-law that I will support—a Poor-law that will increase hospitals-a Poor-law that will increase dispensaries —one, by which all sick poor persons will be fed, taken care of, and attended, and by which they will be provided for, after their recovery, until they are in full health. I would pro vide for all eases of - accidents and sickihi ti!hone sex'og. For these, and all iaieh cases, I have always said th e r e w as rot half r9.lief,erioup i - h .proVidcd in this country. lam fo! a poor-idw to,impositoti, an,' gives no security for inteMiidtaiia Referring to the present GOVOintitent, the lion. Genflon.ln said, "Let us have but one twelvemonth more of Lord Igrave's government in Ireland, and I will be able to gig :!qa . t.t tlart of my Poor,lawg. Having spoken to you of what was ri eiYh'cVYet ire Parliatren±).- Ist me tdi you what I mean to do not;. g'tl to Parliament to sup port the present Ministry.—(tae'df: 'mat cheers.) If there a 6 a ri4a'rs' aniVngst you. who . differs Nov mo on t hi s point, l e t hi m , a 3; ffear;ditar,. cheers, and cries of " Not one of us.") Well, then, .1 thither at your direction to support the. present Ministry.- ,, !ctiTheers.) Ido it pverything that an honest and thorOtsgli Radical can slim-tort thi!!'tr, b ; for in my heart's core I am a Radical."—( Cheers.) This is the -first Government 1 ever lthew doing justice to Ireland.—(Hear, licar,) Let us keep iii die llellidt.irrre, Administration for twelve months more, and instead of 60 lidrieo, Irish Members as at pre sent, we will be able to send DO Merribefs., to Parliament, and then, I ask, who could resist the demand of Ire land for justice ?"—(Hear, and cheers.) The Hon. Gen tleman having referred to the opposition which the Iri s h people had to expect, and the manner in which they were deserted by English Radicals, upon whose sympathy they calculated, called upon his constituents to rally round the General Association, to appoint pacificotors in each parish, and to forward to Parliament petitions for shortening Parliaments, for increasing the fran chise, for vote by ballot, and the abolition of the blood stained tithes. That was his plan of operations. Mr. O'Connell then noticed the insult put upon Irishmen by Lord Lyndhurst, who designated them aliens in blood, in language, and in religion. The Hon. Gentleman con cluded his indignant commentary on the words imputing inferiority to the Irish by saying, " I am not a man of blood ; on the contrary, so much am I a man of peace, that I am contented to bear being designated for my sins a coward, because I will not violate the law of God. This, however, is, I say, an insult that must be wiped out. I tell myself, I tell my sons, it must be wiped out, and, if the necessity arise, with blood.—(Hear! and cheers.) I do say, that, in my opinion it were better that Ireland as a nation suffered that with which the late Sir Joseph Yorke threatened her—that she were thirty-six hours under water —that the entire nation were extinguished, than submit to this. I preach not Wood, I venture to prophecy it never will come to that—that the energetic union of Irishmen will be sufficient—that the insult will be atoned for when Irishmen combined together shout for liberty and equality —the liberty of law, and the equality of privileges ; that that shout will be heard in the tones of an entire people— that it will be a downfall to bigotry, and extinguish the enemies of our country."—(Hear.) At the conclusion of Mr. O'Connell's speech he was called on to support the Kilkenny Railroad. He replied, amid loud cheers, that he had taken on himself the con ducting of that Bill. Mr. FINN, M.P., and Mr. SULLIVAN, the late Member for the city, subsequently addressed the meeting, referring principally to the subject of Poor-laws. Mr. Sullivan ex pressed himself satisfied with Mr. O'Connell's explanation respecting his opinions on that all-engrossing topic at this moment. Thanks were then voted to the Mayor, and the meeting separated. S. CRAWFORD, ESQ.-Mr. O'Connell's reply to this gentleman's letter, inserted yesterday in The Sun, con cludes thus :—" Hostility to the Mulgrave Government of Ireland is, in my humble opinion, tantamount to hosti lity to the people of Ireland. It certainly will find few re sponses amongst the hitherto misgoverned Irish nation." The Chair at the Association yesterday, was to be taken at one o'clock, on account of the quantity of business to be done. POOR LAWS MEETING.—Last Tuesday there was a nu merous meeting of the parishioners of St. Mickan, in re ferring to which the Freeman says—" We rejoice heartily to see men of all persuasions uniting cordially together in favour of our suffering and destitute countrymen. If any thing could add to the importance of the proceedings, it is the gratifying fact of almost all the speakers being Protes tants, and a Protestant clergyman joining his Catholic fel low-citizens in advocating the claims of those who have been rendered " poor indeed" by a long course of misgo vernment and oppression. CONSERVATIVE DINNER.—There was, on Tuesday last, what the Mail characteristically calls " one of the most splendid entertainments ever witnessed out of the metro polis." This exceedingly splendid entertainment, it is an nounced, " was given by the nobility, gentry, and indepen dent freeholders of the county Carlow, to their respected representatives, Colonel Bruen and Mr. Kavanagh." As we cannot find room for heralding any part of the convivial feats or transferring to our columns the orato rical flourishes of the gentlemen who figured on this occa sion, we will adopt the description of the meeting given by their own organ. " The meeting (says the Mail) was in every way worthy of a county the most distinguished in Ireland for the intrepid assertion of its rights, assembled to do honour to two men, not surpassed by any in the whole Conservative force, for their pecuniary and personal sacri fices to their cause, their undeviating principle, and we will add, their enlightened moderation. Two hundred and fifty gentlemen sat down to dinner, not comprising all that is respectable and distinguished in the county, because al though all that was respectable was in the town for the same purpose, the largest room in Carlow could afford no greater accommodation. There has been no meeting of the same number composed so entirely of men of rank and property ; and regretting, as we do, that Mr. Kavanagh was wholly incapacitated by ill health from being present, it was really a proud thing for any man to witness, as Colo nel Bruen did, so vehement an expression of public feeling for his and his colleague's services, accompanied by an inti mation of unbounded personal esteem." Mr. Anson, Private Secretary to Viscount Mel bourne, is recovering from a severe attack of influenza. MEDICO-BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.— President, Earl Stanhope ; Treasurer, Henry Cope, Esq., jun. ; Secretaries, George G. Sigmund, M.D., and John Foote, Esq., jun., F.R.C.S. ; Librarian, 'William Henry Judd, Esq. ; Conservator, Frederick John Farre, M.D. Professor of Botany ; Charles Johnson, Esq., Professor of Chemistry, Thomas Everitt, Esq.; Professor of Materia Medica, Michael Ryan, M.D. ; Professor of Toxicology, John Davie Morries, M.D. IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING LAW-SUIT.— A case of very great interest and import ance i s soon go i ng to be opened in one of our colonies. The difference of cir cumstances in life of the contesting parties, the interesting facts which will be brought before the public, and the large sum in question (about 400,0000, will probably attract to it the attention of Europe. The plaintiff is a very poor lady, residing in Sweden, of the name of I'ilecn, and the defendant a gentleman of immense wealth in this country. The plaintiff having a long time struggled against obstacles, arising from her poverty, has now found means to carry on a suit for recovery. WASHINGTON IRVING'S NEW WORK, " ASTO- RlA."—Washington Irving possesses, in an extraordinary degree, the felicitous power of casting over reality the at mosphere of romance, without diminishing its truthfulness. The tone of his mind is singularly poetical, and whatever be touches takes the hue of his feelings. Whether he treads the gorgeous halls of the Alhambra, or tracks the red Indian through his remote and sublime haunts, or chro nicles the wonders of early adventure and enterprise, he i s equally pictorial, .devotional, and eloquent. Astoria' is one of the most perfect, beautiful, and picturesque produc tions of this distinguished writer. Based upon a founda tion of facts amongst the most curious and exciting in the annals of enterprise, this narrative, with its startling epi sodes, its st r ange portraits, its dramatic circumstances, and marvellous Panoramas, may be affirmed to belong to the regions of romance without compromising the sobriety of truth.—Atlas. A sub-Committee, consisting, of the following gen tlemen—viz., Messrs. Weston, R e dh ea d, Cory, Evans, Smith, and Brookes, having been appointed to select an appropriate piece of plate as a testimonial to B. Hawes, Esq., M.P. for Lambeth, have decided upon a splendid candelabrum, to weigh 450 oz., the height to be two feet six inches, and to be presented to the Hon. Member early in March next. The Hilary Examination of Attorneys is appointed for Monday, the 23d instant. The examination will take place as usual, at ten o'clock, at the hall of the Incorpo.. rated Law Society, in Chancery-lane. The number at pre sent appointed to attend considerably exceeds the former Terms, being no less than 138. The candidates are to leare their testimonials of qualification with the Secretary of the Law Society, within the first seven days of Term, the last of which was Wednesday, the 18th instant. We understand that no material change is contemplated by the examiners, either in the course of proceeding or in the nature of the questions to be put. The inquiry will ex tend to ail the branches of Law and Practice, namely, th e Common and Statute Law, Conveyancing, Equity, Bank. ruptcy, Criminal Law, and the Practice of the Courts in each department.—Legal Observer. — The superlatively ridiculous affair of the Spanish Inquisition in Broad-street is not likely to escape the sati rical pencil of a certain celebrated caricaturist. On Monday morning, a hostile encounter took place at Paris, in the Bois de Boulogne, between Major Andrews and Lieutenant Barker, both in his Majesty's service. The meeting arose out of a discussion upon mi litary tactics. After three exchanges of shots, the Major was mortally wounded in the breast. A stray ball struck the arm of M. Gamboyine, Mr. Barker's second, SUN EXPRESS EXTRAORDINARY. _ ~r ., -- 746 Try EDITOR OF THE SUN. crLASGOW, JAN. 18, 1837. SlR—Tile extraordinary and unprecedented despatch with which you have given to the public an account of the ,plendid banquet to Sir Rol)ert Peel in this city on niday last, and received back by the ordinary post on Tuesday, demands : even from a political opponent, some trifling acknowledgment ; and I do it with the more plea sure, because accident brought me in contact with the ac tive and intelligent gentlemen by whom your extraordinary express was so cleverly managed. On my way through Argyle.street, at a late hour of the night, 1 wa.s attracted by an assemblage of three or four hundred persoDs, oppo site the Black Bull Inn, and, on making inquiry, was in formed that one of the London Papers was about despatching a report of the important proceedings which had ,rust taken place at the Pavilion. Little dreaming that the honour of giving exclusively the first intelligence of this brilliant display of political feeling would he left. to one of the organs of the Liovement party, I mingled with dr) crowd, and was astounded when I heard two gentlemet who were strvggling through the dense mass, exclaim— , " Make way for The Sun Express !" The crowd instantl:' did 07 0 way—the important despatch was thrown over the shoulders of the fearless rider—the animal which he be strode dashed off at a pace which bid fair to render any rail way communication between this and your metropolis un necessary, his scarlet coat, laced hat, and streaming ribbons flashing like a meteor in the wind ; and I joined most cordially in the hearty shout of acclamation which rent the air from the assembled multitude as an involun tary tribute to the skill and enterprize which had conceived and executed this arduous undertaking. I re turned to the dinner-table with the gentlemen to whom the conduct of the express was entrusted, where I had the pleasure of spreading a tale which was received with a buzz of astonishment and admiration, mingled, I must say, in many quarters with a good deal of incredulity, and of joining Tories and Conservatives of all shades in pledg ing "the gentlemen of The Sun" ip full bumpers. What ever my opinion of the political principles advocated by The Sun may be, I sincerely trust that the enterprizing spirit which has prompted such unparalleled and expensive expresses on every matter of interest or importance, may meet the reward it so justly merits in an ample share of public patronage.--I have the honour to be, Sir, &c., A CONSERVATIVE EYE-WITIIESS. The Sun Paper, by most extraordinary speed, obtained and published the report of the proceedings at Glasgow up to their close, on Friday night, so early as Sunday morn ing, half-past one o'clock. The distance is four hundred miles.—Taunton Courier. The lack of local intelligence in our columns of this week, will be amply compensated by the interesting and spirit stirring speech of Sir Robert Peel at Glasgow. It is un necessary for us to make an apology for withholding notices, which, whatever their interest, must necessarily fail of ex citing such interest as the speech we have reported nearly at length. The metropolitan newspapers were fully sen sible of the excitement this speech would produce, from the pains they took to have express reports at so early an hour. The Sun received its report at half-past one on Sunday morning, thus performing a distance, presuming the reporter to have left the meeting at eleven o'clock, of nearly 400 miles, in the incredibly sort space of twenty six hours and a half. The report was re-expressed through out the kingdom on Sunday, and we have to acknowledge the courtesy of the spirited proprietor, in favouring us with so early a copy of his Journal, containing nearly the whole proceedings of this memorable meeting.—Bury and Suffolk Herald. _ By " a most extrordinary express," received at The Sun Newspaper Office on Sunday morning at half-past one o'clock, the spirited proprietor of that Journal was enabled to give a full report of the speeches at the Glasgow Ban quet to Sir Robert Peel on Friday evening, and copies of The Sun were circulated in these towns by nine o'clock on Sunday morning, thereby anticipating the re.ct of the me tropolitan press by twenty-seven hours.—Roche,cter, Chat ham, and Stroud Gazette and Weekly Advertiser. DINNER TO SIR R. PEIL.—The expresses of T,le Sun London newspaper have been employed on this occasion with extraordinary effect. The account of the dinner at Glasgow, about four hundred miles from London, reached Birmingham in about forty-eight hours after the feast com menced ; and we ourselves received a copy from Messrs. Mansell and Co., news agents in Birmingham, on Sunday evening—an instance of expedition which, we believe, is unexampled in the annals of newspapers.— Wolverhampton Chronicle. It is a proud thing to witness the involuntary homage paid to the superiority of the Conservative leaders. When was half the anxiety felt to read a speech of Lord John Russell ?—risum teneatis ?—or even of Lord Brougham, or Lord Grey, that has been displayed, by Whigs and Radio cals, as well as Tories, to read the speech of Sir ,Robert Peel at Glasgow Even a " Liberal" paper, The Sun-- and it would be unjust on such an occasion not to notice its wonderful exertions—published in London, early on Sunday, a long report of the dinner, which had thus been brought, in an almost incredibly shbrt-space of time, a dis tance of four hundred miles.—Brighton Gazette. SIR R. PEEL'S SPEECH.—It is but due to our enterpris ing London Contemporary, The Sun, to notice the extra ordinary exertions it made in procuring a report of the Glasgow meeting. The account was expressed to London in little more than twenty-four hours, was printed to the extent of nearly nine columns, and reach this city by the Emerald coach on Sunday evening about half-past nine. It is also clue to our aforesaid contemporary to state, that though similar surprising efforts are now made by other London papers, The Sun was the first, some years ago, to set the example, and that it is particularly and almost exclusively distinguished among the evening Press, for the fullness and lateness of its intelligence. In the eventful Session about to commence, as we are quite sure a similar display of energy will not be wanting, so we trust it will meet with a corresponding return on the part of the pub lie.—Bristol Gazette. DINNER TO SIR ROBERT PEEL.—We copy the following from an expressed edition of The Sun newspaper. 'the dinner took place on Friday evening, at Glasgow, after which this and other speeches were delivered. The report; being eight and a half columns in length, small type, W as expressed to London, a distance of 400 miles, in about 24 hours after the meeting, immediately printed, and forwarded to all parts of the kingdom within 200 miles of the metro polis by Sunday evening. The extraordinary rapidity with which important events have heretofore been circulated through the country by The Sun, has been matter of sur prise and astonishment to the whole kingdom; but the dis patch used in this instance exceeds that of any former oc casion. Yet the spirited proprietor promises to endeavour to outdo his former exertions, during the eventful Session of Parliament now at hand. To doubt for a moment that such herculean efforts and tremendous sacrifices as must then be called into requisition, will go unrewarded, would be a libel upon the commonsense of the British public.—Lca»zing ton ChrOitide. DINNER TO Sin ROBERT PEEL.—We are indebted to the spirited proprietor of The Sun for a copy of that paper, which reached us early on Monday morning, containing a report, extending eight columns, of the proceedings at the dinncr given on Friday last, at Glasgow, to Sir Ro bert reel.—Barrow's Worcester Journal. Through the astonishing exertions made by the con ductors of The Sun newspaper, that publication on Sunday morning contained a lengthened report of Sir Robert Peal speech, delivered at the dinner at Glasgow, on Friday even ing. The company did not sit down to table till five o'clock ; and allowing for the time occupied in discussing the feast, in the toasts which preceded that of their dis tinguished guest, the Right Hon. Baronet's address, and the subsequent speeches—then the copying the short hand notes—the distance accomplished (400 miles in about twenty-four hours, and full half the time in darkness) —and, lastly, the publication at seven o'clock Sunday morning-- when, we say, all these are taken into consideration, grati fication gives place to wonder at the excellence of their ar rangements, and the astonishing celerity with which the task was accomplished.—Sherborne Journal. The Russian Ambassador is expected to be joined by his nephew, Colonel Pozzo di Borgo and his Lady, in the course of a month. A new and elegant town chariot, which was ordered previous to the departure of the Count, in the summer, for Savoy, is now ready for him. The General Steam Navigation Company's fine new steam-ship the .Nrptune, waslaumhed yesterday from the dockyard of Messrs. Green and Wigram, at Black wall. The Neptune went off in gallant style, and was the admiration of the spectators who witnessed the pleasing scene. This splendid steam-ship is intended, we under stand, for the Hamburgh station, and is the sixth vessel of the first class launched by the General Steam Naviga tion Company within tho last six months. This Company have also a steam-ship of the first class now building at Leith, and another at Liverpool, which will be launched in a short time. Yesterday evening a meeting of gentlemen cow netted with the medical profession was held at Exeter Hall. George Webster, Esq. of Dulwich, in the chair. The chairmain explained the object of the association to be the relief from the disabilities under which licentiates of the College! of Surgeons laboured by reason of their not ranking with those who had studied at the Universitieg• and also from their being precluded from all Court ap pointments. The remedy proposed was an union of the branches of the medical profession, so as to form one general faculty of medicine, who should have the power of electing its own officers, and managing their own affairs• The address, which want of space has compelled us t° curtail, was received with much applause. After passing various resolutions the meeting separated. a