The Sun. — London, England, 1846-03-05 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 4. The SPIAKIR took the chair at a few minutes past Twelve o'Clock. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were read a second time, and ordered to be committed ; viz.:— Midland and Eastern Counties Railway (Cambridge to Weedon.) Deeside Railway. Great North of Scotland Railway (Eastern Extension.) Alford Valley Railway. Edinburgh and Northern Railway (Dunfermline Branch.) .Newmarket and Chesterfird Railway. Enfield and Edmonton Railway. Leeds and York Railway. Llvnvi Valley and South Wales Junction Railway. Hertford and Hatfield Railway. Richmond Railway (Kew Branch). Clitheroe Junction Railway. A messenger from the Lords announced that their Lord ships had agreed to the Irish Drainage Bill. Mr. GREENE moved for leave to correct a clerical error in the Wishart and Colinas Railway, which ought to have been done on the second reading.—Leave granted. Lord DALMENY presented a petition from the inhabi tants of Stirling, for the immediate repeal of the corn-laws. Mr. S. CRAWFORD also presented a petition from the in habitants of Heywood against the enrolment of the militia, and another petition from a person named Bull, for a further r\ tension of the suffrage. Mr. GROSVENOR presented two petitions from places in Tipperary against the repeal of the corn-laws. Mr. C. BULLER gave notice of a motion for leave to bring in a Bill to prevent vexatious objections to votes on the registration. BEQUESTS FOR PIOUS AND CHARITABLE PURPOSES BILL. Lord J. MANNERS said that he felt it necessary to refer very shortly to the objects of this Bill. The subject had come time ago been referred to a Select Committee. That Committee had sat for a long time, and had examined many able and competent witnesses. They ultimately made a report, and that report was submitted, together with the evidence given, to the consideration of the House, and the present Bill was founded on that report. He believed that the statute of George 11. was productive of much public mischief, and proved a great impediment and block to private munificence. The House was, he believed familiar with the case of the late Dean of West minster. There was a bequest of 5,000/. in actual property, to build a church in that neglected portion of the city, and that sum was by the operation of that Act reduced to 5001. The operation of that law had caused many bequests for hospitals, churches, &c., to fail, and it seemed as if all such things as Chelsea pensioners, &c., were objects of aversion to the Legislature, and enemies to the public honour, which it was necessary to put down by any and every means not in conformity with the usual practice in the court of law. The first clause of the Bill repealed the statute of Geo. 11., and the second clause gave increased facilities to those persons who wished to leave property to any public or charit able institution, or for purposes not against the laws of the country. The fifth clause was to the same purpose, and would answer the expectation of those persons who thought property bequeathed was not sufficiently pro tected by the present law. He now came to the safeguards made by this Bill against any undue interference with the ex pectations of heirs. The 6th clause gave power to the Lord Chancellor to order an allowance to be made to the immediate relatives of the person leaving the property for charitable purposes, in case they were not otherwise provided for. Another provision of the Bill was, that every bequest for charitable purposes should be signed by three respectable witnesses, including the medical gentleman of the pe-son bequeathing the money, who should attest that the person was " mens sana et corpore nano," and that his consent was not obtained by importunity or solicitation. He had gone through the main objects of the Bill, and he should now refer to the great objection against it. It was, that very large sums of money would be with draw'n from commercial purposes, and otherwise invested. If the House thought that the country had need of churches and charitable institutions to meet its ever varying demand, he considered that they could have no objection to the passing of the present Bill. If any person supposed that charitable bequests could not be managed as advantageously fur the public interest as other bequests, he thought they were greatly mistaken. As a proof of that assertion he referred to the Hon. Member fiir Chichester, and to the report of the Irish Society with regard to the estates of the Drapers' Company in the county of Derby. He was certain that great benefits would be derived to this large country by the proposed mea sure, and he hoped that Hon. Members of the school of political economists would not oppose its passing. With re ference to the religious objections, he would say that he never heard that the clergy of the Church of England or of the Dissenting interests had ever induced a person to bequeath any suns of money for religious purposes.— (Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord then referred to a report of the Bishop of London to the same effect. The Noble Lord went on to say that it had been said by Mr. Jarmaine that the present law produced litigation, which would always be the case where the feelings of humanity were not in unison with:the statute-book. Requiescat in pace was his motto with reference to the decisions of the luminaries of our ancient law courts. The Noble Lord concluded by moving the second reading of the Bequests for Pious and Charitable Purse( sea Bill. Sir JAMES GRAHAM observed, that he had had time to reconsider his former opinions, and he had seen no reason to change them, nor induce him to give the measure of the lion. Member a ministerial support. It was only necessary to state, that all personal property was exempt from the operation of the present Ac . The law did not oppose any bequest made a proper length of time before the tes tator's death, because the Legislature considered, that it personal sacrifice was to be made it should be made in a state of health, as it would thereby eive a proof of the sincerity of the donor's feelings. The iteeht Hon. Baronet then entered into a lengthened invest gation of the details of the Bill, and concluded by expressing his determination to give his utmost opposition to the pre sent measure. They were only endeavouring to induce the Legislature to legislate in a contrary direction from that which they had already pursued. He concluded by moving that the Bill be read a second time that day six months. Mr. P. HOWARD would give his support to the second reading of the Bill. The clause restricting the grant of pro perty fur charitable purposes one year before the death of the testator would require some consideration. He thought, however, that the principle of the measure was sound, and he believed th_ t the House would adopt a politic course in sanctioning it. There might be perhaps an objection to one or two of its details, but that might be arranged in Com snittee. Mr. M. MILNES did not think that the Act of George 11., alluded to by the Right Hon. Baronet, had worked well. He was of opinion that it did not prevent legal machinery or legal embarrassments. He woulid not, however, enter into the subject of the mortmain laws, believing, as he did, that the report on them, which was before the douse, rendered it unnecessary. It had been said that these laws had been very much abused, and that the Act of George 11. was proposed to remedy them. But he did not think there was any validity in this argument when they considered the tone of society and the character of the time at which that law seas passed. Because there had been abuses of the power of granting be quests, it was not, therefore just or reasonable to say that no such power should exist. He would make a re mark in reply to what the Right Honourable Baronet had said, that the Bill of his Noble Friend would lead to the application of funds for superstitious purposes. To that lie would answer that it was difficult to define what should be cor sidered superstitious or not ; this was a matter to be left to the conscience and opinion of individuals. He prayed that the Right Hon. Baronet would allow the Bill to go into Committee, or if not to provide a Bill such as would meet the defects of the present law. As long as the present abuses continued, without the Govern ment or the great law authorities taking up the question, nothing but dissatisfaction would prevail. lie would give his entire support to the Bill, and he hoped that the Solicitor-General would appi.y his acute mind to the Bill, so as to meet any defects that existed in it. This would be a much more reasonable course than throwing the Bill out altogether. Sir GEORGE GREY generally agreed with the observa tions of the Right Hon. Baronet, and said he should not have spoken, had he not been a member of the Com mittee to whose report reference had been made in the course of the present discussion. Though be had been a member of that Committee, he had not given his sanction to the report, having been called out of town when it was agreed _to. He believed it was only agreed to by three or fear members of the Committee, and not by all. Though he admitted that the Committee dis covered many anomalies in the present law, he could not agree with the Bill proposed by the Noble Lord. Any rea sonable amendment he would gladly agree to, so as to facili• tate the leaving of bequests to education and religious pur poses, but the Bill now submitted was such a one as he must give his decided opposition to. The reasons which influenced the Legislature to pass the Act 9th Geo. 11. was to prevent persons in their last moments from being imposed upon to give away their property. And one of the witnesses, a Mr. Mathews, in answer to a question put by the Noble Lord on the Committee, said, that if that law was to be repealed, a great deal of land would be conveyed away impro perly, but he thought that a law giving a limited power of leaving property would be of considerable benefit. It anything could be snggested without entrenching on the pi inciple of the Acts 9 Geo. 11., there would be no disinclina tion on the part of the House to allow it to pass. Under the proposed Act the medical man was to give his opinion as to the sanity of the testator, and also to state that no undue solicitation had been exercised, but it was utterly impossi ble that the medical man could give such an opinion, as he would have little or no opportunity of judging. Lord CLIVE said that the Right lion. Baronet the Secretary for the Home Department had declared his in ntien of having nothing to do with the Bill, as the ex perience of a century proved its effectual operation. It was well known thfaotldie Act, in less than 25 years after its existence, was foun d Queen Anne be so oppressive that the governors anti trustees of Anne's bounty were excepted from its operation. The greatest innovators on the Act 9th Geo. 11. were the Government themselves.—(Hear, hear.) In Ireland the Charitable B e que sts Act did not give any great security to propert y , 3 h r l o io tect it against the deatle bed influence of which the Ri yo t o to n. Baronet complained. It • allowed the minister ofan r eceivemight beq ueat h any real or personal property which any person Ecclesiastical Commissioner had alsot l a it p ea o t wer of receiving to him. The short time land in spite of mortmain, sad it was en e l since an excellent Member of that HouseYhaadvienrY that bequeathed a large amount of property for that purpose. There were at present several schemes to induce the Court of n C h ancery to make som e p rovision to h inder the increased re venues of many charitable institutions from being squandered away. If the lave proposed were an inferior law, there would be some ground for the position taken by the Right Honourable Baronet. Let the House look at Scotland: was there any co untry in which popular agitation had risen higher, and the institutions of the Teticenry snore completely o verthrown. 'They had a tringent law of En lan d, and yet the e ntail than they had in only restriction imposed on t he testatorn as that thirty days situ - mid elapse from the date of making the beques t before the death of the testator. If thirty days had elapsed the will was valid. 'The Lord A.dvocate in Ins evidenFe had said that he never knew an instance in which this power had been abused. He (Lord Clive) did not think that he was calling on the Mouse to do much when he asked them to alter the pretent law, and when they considered the beneficial effect (is(' s law similar to the one proposed, whenever it had been tried elsewhere. Sir R. H. INGLIS said his Right Hon. Friend did not .appear to apprehend the nature of the proposed Bill, when he said that it did not apply to Ireland. Any Bill that did not specially except Ireland from its opera tion must necessarily be considered as applying to -that country, and the same with regard to Scotland. His _ won. Friend had stated, that in Germany, at the period e f she Reformation, the revenues of the nobles were appro u.. fated to the pu r p oses o f e d ucat i on. . H e (Si r Inglis) considered that his Hon. Friend was not sal ta i nt* acquainted with the facts of the case. He be lieves t there were some difficulti es i n t h e law of mort main, teem in the present efreet effecting g h an ut altera ' he se not _ prepared s t e o go to such a length " Imposed by tb. p He thought it would as that • r at e inflict a is To t hard.sl4 4:014 survivors and relatives, who • had entertained a just expectation of bequests on the death of the testator, to find that the property had been be queathed to parties who were entire strangers to him, for the purpose of supporting convents, churches, or othe charitable institutions, urged that the Bill being nugatory of the policy which had ever been adopted by the English Government, it should be at once negatived by the House. Mr. O'CONNELL said, that with !regard to the case of Caldbeck, in Ireland, which had been cited as one where undue influence was exercised, he had to state that the Rev. Dr. Meyler had not the smallest personal interest whatever in the legacy. The lady in question had lived for thirty years with her brother, and had, from the earliest period of her life, declared her intention of leaving her property for charitable purposes. A contest afterwards arose, the case went into court, and when it was tried the judge held that the will was good. After such a decision he would ask was it fair to cite that case as one of undue in fluence ?—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Gentleman then thanked the Noble Lord for having brought the question before the House, and exhortedhim to persevere with it. He considered that they ought not to have one law on the subject for Scotland, another for Ireland, and a third for England, but that these laws ought to be looked into, and a sound and a ra tional Bill introduced to correct these errors. The law ought certainly not to remain as it was, and the relaxation of it should be for the purpose of faciliting the granting of bequests for religious purposes and for acts of charity. Did they at present get too much for such purposes?—(Hear, hear.) Whatever difference of opinion might exist on religious questions, they were all agreed on the necessity of a religious education to therising generation ; hence they ought to grant every reasonable facility on the subject of bequests. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he could not allow the present discussion to pass without say ing a few words. After the most anxious consideration of the measure before the House. he could not consent to its second reading. According to it they were called on to re peal the 9th of George 11., and to substitute this new law, and the grounds for this course were set forth to be the report of the Committee that had sat on the subject of bequests of the kind stated. Now be had looked through that report, and he found an errorin its very beginning,where it was stated that the law of George 11. was a law of mortmain. This was not the fact. There was this distinction between a mortmain Act and the Act of George 11., that the former related to the principle of property being held by corporate bodies in perpetual succession, and the latter pro vided that certain restrictions should be placed on the making of gifts for charitable purposes. It was curious to trace the history of the struggle between the ecclesiastical body and the Legislature on this subject— the ecclesiastical body devising means to evade the statutes, and the Legislature devising fresh means to hinder the mis chief as it arose. One of the acts of the clergy was tort ake land for long terms of years, and this was provided against by the 2d of Edward I. which made these contracts void. The clergy then adopted the plan of bringing feigned actions against the parties, and so obtaining possession. That was also provided against, but it gave rise to an ordinary re covery which, until a very short time since, was used as a means of conveyance of property. The clergy then made that distinction which even now prevails in our laws. They distinguished between the use and the possession of land, allowing tl.e parties to remain in possession while they received the profits them selves. The 15th of Richard 11. made the Act of Mortniain apply to the use as well as to the possession of lands. The clergy then endeavoured to obtain a sort of qualified profit by making charges for various ceremonies, and these charges were payable from the land. That was provided against by the 23d 'Henry VIII., which provided against superstitious uses and customs, and that Act remained in force until the ith and Bth Wm. 111., which vested in the Crown alone the powerof allowingpersons to receive land by mortmain. The Committee had inquired the object of the Act of 9th George 11. He had referred to the Act itself, and the preamble distinctly set forth that it was too prevent the mischief arising from persons willing away their property to be applied to charitable pur poses after their death to the detriment of their heir at law. That law provided that arty deed of gift of that nature should be executed twelve months before the death of the party, and registered within six months from the date of its signature. The Legislature considered that with reference to real pro perty, which is land, that weak and worldly-minded persons might be acted upon by a teeling of vanity to associate their names with some public or charitable foundations. They considered that they might be acted upon when their minds were enfeebled, anti their bodies broken down by sickness, to part with their property. That danger did not extend with so much force to personal property, for in that case there eas no local, visible, or permanent character connected with it. Upon looking over the report, he bad not been able to discover anything, either in the report itself, or in the wit nesses examined, to justify any alteration of the present law. Among the witnesses examined was the Bishop of London ; he was in favour of a relaxation of the provisions of the ex isting law to the Established Church, but to no other religious institution. the House to go into Committee on the Bill, when those features which were beneficial might be adopted. Lord JOHN MANNERS replied to the objections that had been made to the Bill, citing several cases ofhardship arising from the present State of the law in support of the reports of the Committee which had been impugned, and in reply to the Attorney and Solicitor• General. With all due respect to those high authorities, he must say, that all their arguments went but against the details of the Bill. That being so, let them allow it to go into Committee, and then these might be fully considered and altered, if it was seen necessary. If all the evils which the Hon. Gentleman shadowed out were likely to result from the passing of this Bill, how was it that the present law did not guard against them? When he saw his Hon. Friend rise, he expected to hear him say that the present law worked most prejudicially. The Lord Advocate of Scotland had given his opinion that the law as it existed in Scotland, did not produce any of the evils se much dreaded by his Hon. Friend. He felt assured that the supporters of this Bill had made out a case for going into committee, and he felt assured, above all, that the pre.Qent wants of the country were not met by its institutions. He, therefore, with all confidence, asked the House to give him the second reading. for he assured them that he would persevere in his efforts-- although he might be defeated this time—yet he would perse vere until he effected some sort of alteration in the present law, or carried his measure.—( Hear, hear.) The House then divided, when there appeared— For the second reading Against it 6O Majority SALMON FISHERIES BILL. Sir G. GREY moved the second reading of the Salmon irisheries Bill.—Postponed till Wednesday next. Sir C. BULLER moved the secondreading of the Election Notices (Ireland) Bill. The Bill was then read a second time accordingly. The Roman Catholic Relief Bill was also read a second time. Extension) petition, the standing orders ought not to be dispensed with. 10. That, in the case of the Coventry, Nuneaton, Birmingham, and Leicester Railway petition, the standing rders ought to be dis pensed with :—That the parties Le permitted to p, oceed with their Bi 11. That, in the case of the Manchester and Leeds Railway Ex tensions petition, the standing orders ought to be dispensed with That the parties be permitted to proceed with their Bill. 12. That, in the case of the Grand Trunk or Sta•':ord and Peter borough Railway petition, the standing orders ought to be dispensed with :—That the parties be permitted to proceed with their Bill. 13. That, in the case of the lexeter, Yeovil, and Dorchester Rail way petition, the standing rders ought to :be dispensed with : That the parties be permitted to proceed with their Bill, on inserting a clause, restraining them from compulsorily taking the lands in respect of which the names of William Vickery, Richard Granger, John Chard, and William }layman, were incorrectly inserted in the lists of assents to the Bill. 14. That, in the case of the Newcastle-upon• Tyne Improvement petition, the standing orders ought to be dispensed with :—That the parties be permitted to proceed with their Bill, on striking out from the schedule the houses in a street from the New-road to Lawson- Meet. That the Committees on this and the preceding Bill do examine, in the first place, how far such orders have been complied with, and do report the same to the House on the report of the Bill. First, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth reia)lutious agreed to.—Report to lie on the table. SECOND READINGS OF RAILWAY BILLS. MONDAY, MARCH 8. Dover and Deal. Congleton and Crewe. Great Grimsby and Sheffield Junction Extension (No. 2). Glasgow, Barrhead, and Nellston Direct (Branches to Thornliebaa, Househill, and Hurlet). Ely and Bury. RAILWAY COMMITTEES. (YESTERDAY.) Mr. GREENE brought up the report on the Trent Works Bill. Sub-Committee No. 1. BUILDINGS ACT. This Committee re-assetnbled this morning at twelve o'clock in room:10.7; Mr. Strutt, chairman. THEATMENT OF THE PRESS. Sir J. GRAHAM moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Act 7 and 8 Vic., c. 84, for regulating the con struction and the use of buildings in the metropo is and its neighbourhood by authorising the appointment of a third official referee. Upon the gentlemen of the several journals entering the room this morning they were most disagreeably surprised by finding the seats which had throughout the whole of the previous sittings of the Committee been exclusively set apart for their ac commodation, taken by the agents, thereby causing the greatest disarrangement to the gentlemen of the press. Had this arra , .gement, or, as we should say, disarrangement, been forced upon the Committee for their own ease and comfort, it would be far from our province to complain, hut such is not the case. The seats occupied by the agents for the four previous weeks were not required for any purpose, as the chairs were empty din ing the whole day. The consequence of this change is, that we are thrown into the back ground, where It is impossible forum to hear one word of the proceed ings correctly. It is but justice to Mr. Gunnell, the clerk, to state that the blame cannot attach to him, for he has most kindly, on all occasions, given every information required by the gentlemen attend ing for the press. We trust the Committee will see the propriety of not impeding the duties of those who attend to furnish the public with information of the greatest interest. THE SECHEVISEURT AND sintsromm. Mr. HAWES said that he certainly would not give his vote for the Bill unless he received an assurance that a com prehensive measure would be introduced, extending to the whole Act. He had not conversed with any respectable builder or surveyor who did not concur with him in asying that the only effectual measure that could be adopted would be to repeal the whole Act. He would not oppose the Bill, but he did it on the distinct understanding that the mea sure would be comprehensive. Mr. HUME expressed his concurrence in the observations of Mr. Hawes. He had never known a Bill so fruitful and productive of complaints. He believed that the only way was to:repeal it, and thus free the metropolis from the pest and plague of this Act. kr. R. HODGSON said, that he hoped the Right Hon. Baronet would consult such persons as could give him such information as would enable him to produce a Bill for the amendment of the Build►ng Act, at a sufficiently early part of the session as to enable them to discuss the question at their leisure. This adjourned case was called on, and the opposition proceeded with the allegations, but, for the reasons above stated, it was out of our power to hear any part of the Inquiry. Why the press should have been so inconvenienced, when the Committee had mot thought proper to remove a host of persons (idle loungers) standing between us and the agents, It is in the power only of the Hon. Members to explain. • Mr. T. D'EYNCOURT also expressed his disapprobation of the Bill, and complained of its inefficient working. He was glad to see that the Right Hon. Baronet was about to bring in a Bill to amend it. Mr. FOSTER thought the Bill ought to be delayed, so that parties might be consulted who were competent to give information on the subject, and a perfect Bill brought in. Mr. PARKER was not surprised at the general expression of feeling against the Bill, as he had always seen it would be a most inconvenient measure. The best course would be to repeal it altogether and bring in a new Bill. Sir JAMES GRAHAM replied to the objections that had been made against the Metropolitan Act, and said that the measure, when introduced into the House, had been fully and carefully discussed, so as to make it as efficient as possible. He was sorry front what he had heard en both sides cf the House, as well as from private sources of information that the Metropolitan Improvement Bill was con sidered so objectionable. But this was not the point at present before the House. The Bill new before them related to the appointment of another official referee, and to make some alterations in the provisions of the Act as it now stood on this subject. The Bill was then read a first, and ordered to be read a second time to-morrow. The other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned. PARLIAMEN TAR Y DL V ISIONS. (From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons.) Mr. HODGSON and Mr. MATHEWS considered that no alteration was necessary in the existing law. Mr. C. BULLER gave his most cordial support to the measure introduced by his Noble Friend. He could not see why such a number of safeguards should be thrown around landed proprietors, and none around those of personal pro perty, when they, considered that the former were but a very small number, when compared with the latter, and he was certainly of opinion that personal property demanded more protection than landed. He con sidered the feelings of mankind were quite strong enough to protect them. Not only the good feeling of man kind in this country, but the desire of family distinction and aggrandisement operated to prevent those having large pos sessions giving too much for charitable purposes.—(Hear. hear.) These feelings were quite enough for the protection of families, without having any restrictive laws, and he therefore thought no impediment whatever should be placed in the way of individuals granting property for public pur poses. Every argument of public policy should lead them to take away restrictions relating to real property which were not applied to personal property. There ought to be r.o die tinction made whatever between those two kinds of property. He thought that nothing could be more beneficial to the Established Church than this facility for leaving property for charitable purposes. The Hon. Member for Oxford thought that the Church was sufficiently supported by the various means of income accruing to it; but, in his opinion. such a belief was erroneous, for he considered that it would be a better principle, if parsons, instead of being compelled to subscribe to the maintenance of the Church durin4 their lives, should at once be allowed to lay the foundation of a permanent fund at their death. Let them look at Green- wich Hospital and several other institutions of a Ile nature that he could name. They would see that they were corpo rate bodies permanently founded, and not dependent at pre sent on any enforced contribution, and yet they were as well managed as any institution dependent on an income derived from a sort of tax levied on the people. He hoped the House would not postpone the consideration of the Bill, as they would have an opportunity afforded them of considering its details in Committee. TUESDAY, ➢IARCH 3. CUSTOMS ANI) CORN IMPORTATION. (IN THE COMMITTEE.) Motion made, and Question proposed, " That, in lien of the Duties now payable on the importation of Corn, Grain, Meal, or Flour, there shall be paid, until the let day of February, 1849, the following Duties :"—Ametadment proposed, to leave out the words "in lieu of," in order to insert the words " all Duties on imported Corn do now cease and determine," instead thereof:—Question put " That the words proposed to be len out stand part of the Question :" The Committee divided : MAJORITY—AYES, 265. Adam!, Sir T. Drummond, H. Lygon, Gen. Aciand, T. D. Duckworth, Sir J. Macaulay, T. B. A'Court, Captain Duke, Sir J. Mackenzie, T. Acton, Colonel Duncombe, T. Mackenzie, W. F. Adderley, C. B. Duncorube, A. 31'Geachy, F. A. Aglioltby, H. A. Du Pre, C G Mahon, Viscount Altbrd, Viscount Egerton, Sir P. Mangles, R. D. Allis, J. I'. Egerton, Lord F. Manners, Lord C. Antrobus, Edmund Ellice, Edward Mannors,:Lord J. Arbuthitott, Hugh Emlyn, Viscount March, Earl of. Archbold, Robert Entwisle, W. Martin, C. W. Astell,.William Fe Wen, William Martin, T. B. Austen, Colonel Ferguson, Sir R. Masterman, John Bagge, William Ferrand, W. B. ISI mile, Fox Bagot, William Filmer, Sir E. Mildinay. H. St. John Bailey, Joseph, jun. Finch, U liihies, IL M. Baillie, Colonel Fitzmaurice, C. Morgan, 0. Baillie, 11. J Fitzroy, Henry Napier, Sir Charles Heine, Waltor Fleetwood, Sir P. Neville, Ralph Bankes,iGeorge Flower, Sir J. Newdegate, N. Barkly, Henry Forster, Matthew Norreys, Sir 1). Baring, F. T. Fox, S. L. O'Brien, A. S. Baring, Thomas Fuller, A. E. Packe, C. W. Baring, W. B. Gardner, J. D. Palmer, R. Barnard, E. G. Gaskell, J. M. Palmer, G. Barrington, Viscount Gladstone, J. N. Palmerst.iii, Vie. Itateson, Thomas Glynne, Sir S. Patten, J. W. Beckett, Williain Gordon, lion. Capt. Peel, Sir Robert Bell, Matthew Gore, Montague Peel, Jonathan Benbow, John Gore, Robert Pennant, Colonel Benett, John Goring, C. Philips, G. It. Genet, Philip Gun'burn, Henry Polhill, Frederick Bentinek, Lord G. Graham, Sir J. Pusey, P. Berestord, Major Granby, Marquis of Rashleigh, W. Bernal, Ralph Grey, Sir G. Reid, Sir John Bodkin, W. 11. Grogan, E. Reid, Colonel Boldero, H. G. Hale, It. B. Repton, G. W. Borthwick, Peter lialtbrd, Sir H. Bart. Rolleston,Colonel Bottled, Beriah Hall, Col. Round, John Bowes, John; nonillion, W. J. Rumbold, C. E. Bowles, Admiral Hamilton, Lord C. Russell, Lord Jelin Boyd, John Hanmer, Sir John Ryder, G. D. Braanston, T. W. Harcourt, G. G. Bandon, Viscount Brisco, M. Hatton, Captain Scott, F. Broadley, H. Ilawes, Benjamin Seymour, Lord Broadwood, 11. Henley, J. W. Sheridan, R. B. Brooke, Sir A. B. Herbert, Sidney Shirley, E. J. Browne, W. Hervey, Lord A. Sibthorp, Colonel Bruce, Lord E. Hildyard, T. B. Smith, Abel Bruce, C. L. C. Hinde, J. 11. Smith, J. A. Buck, Lewis W. Hobhouse, Sir J. smythe, George Buller, Charles Hodgson, R. Smollett, A. Buller, Sir J. V. Hope, Sir I. Somerton, Viscount Butler, P. S. Hope, Alexander Spooner, R.; Campbell, S!r H. Hope, G. W. Sm. Sir S. Cardwell, Edward Herlihy, Johu Stanley, E. Carnegie, Captain Horsman, Edward Stanley, W. 0. Cavendish, G. H. Ilotham, Lord Stanton, W. H. Cayley, Edward S. Howard, C. W. Stewart, John Chandos Marq. of Howard, E. G. St uar t, H enry Chelsea, Howard, P. H. Stuart, J. Chichester, Lord J. Hudson, George Sutton, Henry Childers, J. W. Hughes, W. B. Thesiger, Sir F. Chu? chill, Lord A. S. Hume, Joseph Thompson, /Id. Clerk, Sir G. Hurst, R. H. Towline, George Clifton, J. T. Hussey, T. Trench, Sir F. Clive, Viscount Irton, S. Tuthell, Henry Cockburn, Sir G. James, William Vernon, G. H. Cole, 11. A. Jermyn, Earl Vivian, J. H. Colebrooke, Sir T. Jocelyn, Viscount Vivian, J. R. Collett, W. R. Johnstone, Sir J. Vivian, Captain Colquhouu, John Johnstone, Hope Vyse, R. Compton, 11. C. Jolliffe, Sir W. H. Waddington, H. S. Connolly, Col. Jones, Captain Wakley, Thomas Corry, Henry Kelly, Sir Fitzroy Walpole, S. H. Courtenay, Lord Kemble, H. Walsh, Sir J. 11. Cowper, W. F. Kirk, Peter Wellesley, Lord C. Craig, W. G. Knight, F. W. Wilshere, W. Cripps, William Labouchere, Henry Wodehouse, E. Davies, D. A. S. Lambton. H. Wood, Colonel T. Deedes, W. Law, Hon. C. E. Worsley, Lord Denison, E. B. Lawson, A. , Wortley, J. 3. D'Eyncourt, C. T. Legh, G. C. Wrightsou, W. B. Dickinson, F. H. Lemon, Sir C. Wyndham, Colonel Disraeli, B. Lennox, Lord H. Yorke, E. T. Dodd, G. Liddell, H. T. Douglas, Sir H. Loch, James TILLEIIB. Douglas, Sir C. Lockhart, A. E. - Young, John Douglas, .1. D. S. Lockhart, W. Baring, Usury Douro, Marquis of Lyall, Georgo The SOLICITOR-GENERAL would oppose the second re a I ing of the Bill, because he considered it impossible to assimilate the laws affecting real and personal property. A direct power was proposed to be given to the testator in the Bill to dispose of personal property to any amount to corporate bodies, which was incompatible with the present law, which forbade any corporate bodies holding land to any amount without special license from the Crown. He considered the proposed measure was, there fore, an infringement of the prerogatives of the Crown, and that this was, therefore, an insuper able objection to the further progress of the Bill. He, for one, would be sorry to give any encouragement, by passing such a measure, to any person to alienate the pru perty which otherwise was inalienable, and to give a power to the Church to receive such. He bad very attentively con sidered all the clauses of the Bill, but he was utterly at a loss, from anything contained in the Bill, or the evidence adduced before the Committee, to see anything that would fur nish the slightest grounds for the Noble Lord to call on this House to support his measure. In conclusion, it did appear that this Bill was contrary to the constitution of the country and the first principles of the English law, and therefore he would best discharge his duty by voting against the second reading. Sir JOHN HANMER was in favour of the Bill. \ut withstanding the speech of the Hon. and Learned Gentle man who had just addressed them, which he had been much surprised at, he would vote for the second reading—not that he agreed with the Bill as it at present stood, but that it might be considered and amended in Committee. lie was sorry to differ from so high a legal authority as his Honourable and Learned Friend (the Solicitor-Ge neral), still he (Sir John Hanmer) doubted if he could show any good legal authority for saying that the law of mortmaim dated from the Conquest. It had its origin at a much later period. He had a great objection to the law as it at present stood, as it was of such a character as to he continually evaded. The legal adviser of any Hon. Member could easily show him, if he had any bequest to make, how he could evade the present la.v.—(Hear, hear.) With regard to laws affecting property, to show that a very stringent law relating to the transmission of real property did not operate prejudicially to a country, he (Sir J. Haunter) might point to Scotland, where they had an extraordinary law of entail, and yet, though the soil was poor and inferior, the land, not withstanding that law, bad been brought into a most superior state of cultivation.—(Hear, hear.) The law should be altered by which pious bequests are made, as it was frightful to see the state of the churches in large towns; and this might be avoided if the law was altered. He would call the attention of the House to the state of churches in large towns, and these churches had connected with them gentle men of great talents and ability, whom they paid in many cases rather less than a menial servant. He should be glad to see all heartburnings arising from the state of churches in large towns satisfactorily set at rest. In his opinion, the old prerogative of the Crown had little weight at the present day, for the circumstances that had given it birth had en tirely ceased. He would only express his general concur rence as to the propriety of going into Committee on the subject, and he trusted that no superstition of the preroga tives of the Crown would influence the decision of the House. MINORITY—NOES, 78. Bannerman, A. Evans, Sir De Lacy Parker, John Berkeley, Craven Ewart, William Pattison, Jatnee Berkeley, Captain Fielden, John Pechell, Captain Berkeley, 11. F. Ferguson, Colonel Philips, Mark Blewitt, Reginald Fitzroy, Lord C. Plumridge, Captain Bouverie, E. P. Fox, C. It. Protheroe, Edward Bowring, Dr, Gibson, T. M. Ross, D. It. Bretherton, J. Hall, Sir Benjamin Russell, Lard E. Busfeild, William Basile, Archibald Stanstield, W. It. Chapman, B. Hindley, Charles Staunton, Sir G. Christie, W. D. Holland, Robert Stuart, Lord J. Cobden, Richard Langston, J. 11. Strait, Edward Colborne, W. it. Layard, Captain Tancred, H. W. Collett, John M'Carthy, Alex. Thornely, Thomas Crawford, W. S. lii`Taggart, Sir J. Trelawny, J. S. Currie, Raikes Marjoribatiks, S. Troubridge, Sir E. Dalmcny, Lord Marshall, Witham Walker, Richard Da rymple, Captain Martin, John Warburton, Henry Dennistouri, John Mitcalfe, Henry Wiled, 11. G. Duncan, Viscount Mitchell, T. A. IVawn, J. T. Duncan, George Moffatt, George White, Samuel Dundas, Admiral Morpeth, Viscount Williams, W. Ebrington, Viscount Morris, David Wood, Charles Ellice, E., jun. O'Connell, Daniel Yorke, H. It. Elphinstone, H. O'Connell, M. J. TILLIE!. E,cott, Bickham O'Connell, John Villiers, Charles Etwall, Ralph Oswald, James Bright, John Mr. HAWES said - that, in his opinion, when a Bill of this importance was brought forward, some great abuse should be pointed out which would render legislation necessary. Had the Noble Lord who brought forward the Bill established any such necessity? The observations of the Right Hon. Baronet who bad just sat down, that the state of churches in large towns was bad, might be perfectly correct ; but he (Mr. Hawes) could only say that the Bill did not in any way facilitate the improvement of their condition. After a Com mittee on a subject of this importance had been appointed, the House ought to be governed by the report of that Com mittee. That report did not recommend the introduction of this Bill, and yet the Noble Lord had taken a very active part in that Committee, and no doubt subscribed to the re port, which certainly did not point out any particular fail ing__ in the p resen t law, nor any remedy for it. thatowned wa os c he did not think the old jealousy with regard That which to mortmain was entirely wrong. dangerousform uo e u rly he re n g o a w rde r d egar a d s edas in corporat dang erous n an e ecclesiasti ca l in a lay iron.wh_ra To a lay corporation personal o r rea l property o be bequeathed knewrati nequeathed the to any extent, and he migyht person no w th would ask an whetheram un t he ef wishedp. ersontt property vested i n I ear ay see any more property placed in their hands. He did not wish to see property accumulating of either ecclesiastical or lay corporations, in the h an d s not consent to go into the merits and he could He believed the Bill could not be amended in C o o f mnte tkis Bill. Ire would therefore give his vote in opposition t o t i l l i t efu e it a l n ie d r progress of the Bill. Lord EBRINGTON wished to see some alteration made in the law of mortmain, and was anxious for that reason that the Bill should be considered in Committee. H e believed that so far from too much provision being made for public charities, that tkere was too little, and he would therefore wish to see the extension of the powers of bequ ea thing property for char i t able p ur p oses. He would support the second reading of the Bill. Mr. COLQUHOUN said that in Scotland any person could tell which were the entailed and which the unentailed estates by the difference of their cultivation. When he found the remedy quite as wide as the evil, and in fact produci n g far more considerable evils, he could not help giving it his most decided opposition. Mr. P. BORTHWICK was in favour of the Bill going into Committee. It had been admitt. d both by the Attorney and Solicitor-General and other Hors. Gentlemen who had spoken against the Bill, that the present law required con siderable amendment. If so, then the best course WAS for PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS. (From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons.) TUESDAY, MARCH 3. The following Petitions for Railways were reported, and tho Bills ordered to be brought in by the undernamed Hon. Members : North Staffordshire (Pottery Line)—Mr. Adderley, Mr. Ricardo, and Mr. Alderman Copeland. Grind Trunk, or Stafford and Peterborough Union Rallway—Captain Carnegie and Sir Robert Heron. Dundee and Arbroath (Extension)—Lord Nallyburton & Mr. Duncan. Leicester and Bedford—Mr. Ellis, Mr. 11. Steart, and Mr. Maunsell. Coventry, Nuneaton, Birmingham, and Leicester—Sir R. Raiford, Mr. Packe, and Mr. Villiers. Lancashire and North Yorkshire—Mr. 0. Duncombe, Lord E. Bruce, and Mr. Entwisle. Liverpool and Preston and Manchester and Southport--Mr Patten, Mr. Clifton, and Viscount Sandon. THE _SUN, LONDON, TrltTitS nAy MORNING, MARCH. a l 1848, Bill-office was not exactly the same as that which had been deposited with the clerk of the peace, and, secondly, on the ground that certain notices had not been served in clue tune. The standing orders were in all other respects complied with. NORTH ITN'ION (HORWICCH BRANCH). The promoters of this Bill seek to construct a branch from the main line at Blackrod to the iown of florwich ; length two and a quarter ►piles ; estimated cost, 28,7001., whirls is provided for by the original funds of the Company. Engineer, William Coultharil, Esq.; Parliamentary agents, Messrs. Gregory, Faulkner, and Co. ; and the solicitors, Messrs. Woodcock, Part, and Part, Wigan. Decision postponed to enable the promoters to produce some no• ceseary proof. LEEDS, YORK, AND MIDLAND JUNCTION, The object anis Bill Is to shorten the means of railway commu nication between Leeds and York, now 3l Y 2 miles, to 25 miles, and to accommodate in its route the towns of Tadcaster and Aberford. The line also passes through extensive fields of coal and of agricul tural lime. The length is 16 1 4 miles; the estimated cost 340,0001., and the amount subscribed 260,0001. The engineers are Messrs.yignolrs and Leather ; the Parliamentary agents, Messrs. Gregory and Co. ; and the solicitors, Messrs. Terry and Watson, i;ra•.lford ; Mr. Cerise, Leeds ; mad Mr. Hodgson, York. Standing orders complied with. THE MANCHESTER AND HYDE. The promoters of this 11111 seek to construct a line of railway from the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, at Ardwich, to Hyde, throlgh Gordon and Denton. The length is about six miles, the estimated cost is 130,2501.; the amount subscribed, 112,400/. The engineer is J. W. Buck, Esq., the Parliamentary agents, Messrs. Dorrington and Co., and the solicitors, Messrs. J. and W. Heron, Manchester. Standing orders complied with. The Committee then adjourned, at half-pact four o'clock, PRIVATE COMMITTE ES. (YESTERDAY.) Sub-Committre No. 2. This Committee met to-day at half-past twelve o'clock. The members present were Sir J. Y. Bather (Chairman), ➢lr. Bell, Mr. Walker, Mr. Yorke, and Mr. Kemble. The Committee, in conformity with their determination, noticed yesterday. proceeded with the unopposed Bills. Harrogate Gas Company and liarrogate Water-works Company. The formal evidence having been heard, the Committee found that in the eases of these Bills the standing orders had been complied with. The York Improvement Company. The Committee found that the standing orders had been complied with. The New Zealand Company. The Hartlepool Gas and Waterworks Company. The Committee found that the s , ending orders had been complied with in the case of these tw• The Pillginwilly Waterworks Company was postponed till to morrow. The Liverpool and Harrington Waterworks Company. The object of this Bill was to amend their Act, and the Committee found that the standhtg orders had been complied with. RAILWAY Sli <RE MARKETS. MANCHESTER, 31Auciz 3. CTOCK EXCIIINGZ.—The sales are Ambergate, Nottingham, and Boston, 3s. Gcl. dis.—Derby and Crewe, 2% p. c.—Fleetwood, Pres ton, and West Riding, 1 7 i p.-- Goole, Doncaster, Sheffield, &c., 1 p. —Great Grimsby and Sheffield, 214 p. c.—Hudderstield and Man chester Railway and Canal, 6 1 4 p.—Ditto, Extension, par—Leicester and Birmingham, % dis.— Liverpool and Bury, New Shares, 3 p.- - Liverpool, OrmskirX, and Preston, 2 p.—Manehester and Birming ham, 78% -Manchester And Bury Atmospheric, 6s. dis.—Manches ter and Leeds, Sixteenth, 9%—Manchester and Southampton, 7-16 p. —Preston and Wyre, Halves (A), 4 1 4 p.—Ditto (B), l p.- Shrop shire Union Railway awl Canal, % dis--Teau and Dove Valley, % dis.—West Riding 'Union, 1 1 / 4 p. STANDING ORDERS' COMMITTEE. The following resolutions were reported from this Committee :- 1. That, in the case of the Dundee and Arbroath Railway Exten sion petition, the standing orders ought to be dispensed with :—That the parties be permitted to proceed with their Bill. 2. That, in the case of the Leicester and Bedford Railway petition, the standing orders ought to he dispensed with : —That the parties be permitted to proceed with their hill. 3. That, in the case of the Norfolk Railway Extension (Stow market, Wymondham, and Attleborough Branch) petition, the standing of ders ought to be dispensed with : —That the parties be permitted to proceed with their Bill. 4. That, in the case of the North Staffordshire Railway (Potteries line) petition, the standing orders ought to be dispensed with:—That the parties be permitted to proceed with their Bill. 5. That, in the case of the Liverpool and Preston and Manchester and Southport Railway petition, the standing orders ought to be die penned with: —That the parties be permitted to proceed with their Bill. 6. That, in the cue of the Lancashire and Werth Yorkshire Rail way petition, the standing orders ought to be dispensed with a—That the parties be p erraitted to proceed with their Bill. 7. That, in the sue of the Wear Dock Beltway Petition, the stand ing orders ought to be dispensed with :—That the parties be per mitted to proceed with their Bill. 8. That, In the case of the Lynn and Ely, and Ely and Hunting don, and Lynn and Dereham Railway Companit-■ 'Amalgamation petition, the stan tang order ought not to be dispensed with. 9. That, in the case of the Berk); and Rants Railway (Mungsrford Sub-Committee No. 2 After disposing of some private Bills, the Chairman called on the LEEDS, IRT.A.ICICrIZI.D, AND MIDLAND JUNCTION. The object of the promoters of this Bill was to construct a railway front the Midland Railway at Chevet Tunnel, near Wakefield, to Leeds, in the West Riding of t!,e county of York. The amount of capital was 400,0001.; the length of the line, 9 miles, 4 inches; and 2 chains. The Committee having heard the formal evidence, declared that the standing orders had been complied with Engineer, Mr. T. Swanwick ; surveyor, James Alexander, Esq.; I'arliamentar► agents, Messrs. Balmer and Dunstbrd ; solicitors, Messrs. Scholey, Stewart, and Webster. SHREWSBURY, OSWZSTRY, AND CHills— Tx.n JUNCTION, AND NORTH WALKS MINERAL RAILWAYS AMALGAMATION The object of the promoters of this Bill was to obtain powers from Parliament to effect the junctit•n between these two Companies, and set forth that. the same would lead to a more efficient and economical arrangement of the affairs. The formal evidence haying been heard, the Committee found that the standing orders had been complied with. LONDON', BRISTOL, AND SOTITU WALES DIRECT. The object of this Rill was to connect London and Bristol by the shortest line, and with South Wales. The length of the proposed line was 36 miles, and the amount of capital 674,0001. Engin er, Mr. T. Giles; solicitor, Mr. Nathan Giles ; Parlia mentary agents, Messrs. Dorrington and Ellicombe. The formal evidence having been heard, the Committee decided that the standing orders had been complied with. This being Use last case we the list, the Committee adjourned, shortly after two o'clock, till twelve o'clock to-morrow. Sub-Committee No. 3 This Committee met to-day at ono o'clock. Thero were present Mr. Aglionby (the chairman), Itr. Thurnely, Mr. Edward Buller, and Mr. Stanfield. LYNN AND ELY (SPALDING ExrEivsxoN), The Committee resumed their consideration of the petition for this lino. Mr. VENABLE/ contended that the 23d standing order had not been complied with, inasmuch as the plans were deposited with the clerk of the peace tor the Isle of Ely, whereas, they ought to have been deposited with the clerk of the peace for the county of Cam bridge. The Isle of Ely was not a county, nor a division of the county of Cambridge, although it had a clerk of the peace who ex ercised a jurisdiction independent of the county of Cambridge. The borotigh of Liverpool had a clerk of the peace who was uncon nected with the clerk of the peace for the county of Lancaster, but it could never be pretended that a deposit with the clerk of the peace for Liverpool was sufficient for that county. The CHAIRMAN over-ruled the objection, and decided that for all the purposes of publicity, and according to the true meaning of the standing order, it bad been properly complied with. The petition for leave to bring iu tie Bill was then declared to have been proved. LYNN AND DLY (111AUCE EXTENSION). This was a petition tor leave to bring in a Hill to construct a branch railway from Wisbeach to March, in the Isle of Ely. The cost was estimated at 60,0001. The usual formal proofs were gone into, and the Committee de cided that the standing orders had been duly complied with. SOUTH UNION. The object of the Bill sought to be obtained by this Company Is the construction of a line of railway between the Manchester and Bir mingh ;m Railway and the North Staffordshire Railway. The pro jected line is intended to commence at Colton, a point on the Trent Valley line. and to run to Roughly, a point on the North Staffordshire Railway, both in the county of Stafford. The length is thirty-two miles, and the estimated cast is 700,0001. Messrs. Dyson and Hall are the agents, and 3fr GraYatt is the en gineer. The formal proofs 'Were gone through, and then the Committee a number of non-compliances with too the took ansutianing ts b ul e i ror or P d e e titi . "3 alleging Mr. VENABLES appeared for Mr. Walter Hyde, whose petition con tained a number of allegations which were entertained. The Committee reported that th e stan di ng orders had not been complied milepllied'viot e has respected the cross i ng of a turnpike road at the e the projected line, inasmuch as the cross section was not properly shown upon the plan, not being numbered and other wise speciticially pointed out as required by the standing order on the subject. Various other allegations of a similar character were sustained, but they were too trivial to be reported in detail. The engineer in explanation said that the plans were so badly printed as to be almost illegible, and quite unfit to enable him t o rep l y sa tisfactorily to the questions of th e Hono urable Chairman. Had the plans b ee n Another alegation sustained was, th at two miles of the proposed lines had been omitted , a whole sheet of the plan depo s it e d w ith th e clerk of the peace at Stafford being absent. ground. Another many of the alle ga ti ons would have falleu to the The Cuatestert decided that upon the general merits of the de posits ou the 30th of N vember last they were altogether inaccu rate, and that the standing orde . s had not been compli e d w ith. The deposits were worse than information to the p u bli c. In the course of n ng made some pertinent remarks upon t h e mode worthless, being calc u l a t e d t o mitt gave their evid ence . He complained of the ne mis leadth instead he,,c. oinafei Chairman witnesses loose manner in which questions were put, and the very careless way in which they were answered. Facts were gabbled over In a sin gular way, and so little respect appeared to be paid to them that it was very difficult to understand them. He trusted witnesses would for the future be examined in a better manner, so as to enable the Committee to he able to put a proper value upon their statements. The Committee took no other case, and at four o'clock adjourned until twelve o'clock on Friday next. Sub-Committee No. I. Th• Committee met at twelve o'clock —present, Mr. Home Drum mond (Chairman), Mr. Forbes Mackenzie, The O'Conor Don, and Mr. Compton. lIANCHESTER IND POOLE RAILWAY. In this case, which was before the Committee yesterday, and stood over on an objection raised respecting the sufticiency of the notices for application, published in the respective newspapers through which it was proposed to pass, The CHAIRMAN said, when the case first came before them, he had expressed an opinion that it was not necessary to prove the publi cation of notices in counties through which other lines in connexion with it had to pass. He alone was responsible fur taking such a view of the question, for ho considered that the additional notices would be superfluous. But, considering the Bill now before the Committee which contained some clauses amending other Rills, he had consulted the Chairman of the Committees, all the Members of the present Committee being present at the conference. The unani mous opinion of the Committee was, tiat them: shoved be other notices given on account of the amendments proposed, as in the case of a third-class Bill. _ Mr.; 3fACICEDIZIE said with respect to third-class Bills, notices should be given within the district, to which clauses 8 and 9 referred, and that notices for a second-class Bill, in all the districts through which the new line was proposed to pass, like that of the Manches ter and Poole project. The CUAIIIMAN said, in reply t• a gm 'Bon from Mr. Coates, that there was no objection to mix up notices given of second and third class Bills. The Committee then decided that, with tho exceptions already noticed, the standing orders had been complied with. MACCLESFIELD AND LICHFIELD. o l t ev il e h l e s , This case, which stood over from y e st e rd a y, was nex t resume d, datumfrom whichpo int the was d proceeded um pwith.point was s .a t was ke n, caonndtettlialeeadetcit,tftrtactyhe were inzorrect, and that there was no datum point, it being described as taken from the pier or a proposed bridge, to be constructed over the contemplated line, whereas there was no pier shown on the snaps, and that the term pies' was improperly used, a " pler" being a building beta fen the arches of a bridge, or work projecting into a river or sea. A model of the bridge was then produced by the engineer who took the trial sections, who proved that he could not find the part described as the "pier" from which the datum line was taken. On the part of the promoters of the line, Mr. Lock, engineer to' the line, was called, who distinctly stated that no fair engineer would have any trouble or difficulty in finding the pier in question, as the bridge, being a single span, the piers of coarse would be the buildings on either side, from which it sprung. On cross-examination, he admitted that the more usual term was " abutment pier," when talking of the buildings next to the shore. Several other engineers were called, who gave similar testimony to the last witness, among whom was Mr. Donaldson, professor of architecture to the University College, London. Mr. Clarke was called next on behalf of the promoters of the line, to prove the accuracy of the levels taken, but Mr. G. P. Bidder, proved from the field-book of Mr. Clarke that ass error of 16 inches existed. The agent for the Bill then solicited a postponement for the purpose of re-taking the levels, which was opPoial by Mr. Burke, and the Committee ordered strangers to withdraw On our re-admission The CHAIRMAN said that the Committee had decided that the standing orders had not been complied with, inasmuch as the datum horizontal point on the line was not correctly described. Sub-Committee No. 6. This Committe resumed its sittings at twelve o'clock this day, there being present Capt a i n J o nes (in the Chair) , Mr. Dander, and Lard Ebrington. The following additi ona l Bill s have beau referred to the Com mittee : The North Union (H arw i c h Branch) Railway. The Leeds, York. an d Midl an d Junction Railway. The Manchester a n d Hyde Railway. The Bristol and Bir m i ng h am An d Midland Railway. The Birmingham R a il way T r i n g.to Banbury). The Bristol and Gl oucester , a nd Birmingham and Gloucester Railways. The Chester and Bi r k en h ea d R a ilway. Ihe Newcastle and Darlington Junction Railway (Pontop and South Sheila Railw a y P urc h ase ). The London and Bi rm i ngham Railway (Birmingham Extension). The Leicester and Birmingham Railway. The East Coast Railway. The Northampton and Bedford Railway. The London stud Birmingham (Leamington Extension, and Coven try and Rugby Stations Enlargement) Railway. The Landon and Bi rm i ngham R a ilway (the Aylesbury Purchase). The Sheffield, Ashton-under-Line, and Manchester Railway 00.111.• patty Amalgamation. The Midland Railways (Birmingham Extension). The London and Birmingham, Grand Junction Purchase. The Sheffield and Lineolashire Railway Extension. The Southampton and Dorchester Railway. The Guildford Chichester, and Portsmouth Railwa y . The Rochdale Canal and Manchester and Leeds Railway. WEST LONDON IMPILOVEMENT AND EXTENSION. --- This was an adjourned ease from last week. The CHAIRMAN said that the Committee would be obliged' to report' non-compliance with the standing orders on two points ; Arst, on the. ground that tho plan which had been deposited at the Private.. 1,1:1:1)S, dieacii 3. Creed Exemoinzi.-The sales are -Manchester and Birmingham, New Quarters (B), 10 --Midland, 14S-Great Grimsby and Sheffield Extensions, Ss. p.-Huddersfield and Manchester, 6% p. - Leeds and Bradford, 51 cash-Leeds and D. wsbury, 16 %, -Ditto, New Branches, 3 p. -North British, Halt' Shares, 9% -Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton, 13% cash -Loudon and York, 3% -Direct North ern, 2% - Liverpool, Onnskirk, and Preston, 5 4—West Riding Union, 31 73.-Ambergate. Nottingham, and Boston. 7s. 6d. die -Bucking hamshire (late Rugby), 4s. die.- Lancashire, Yorkshire, and North Eastern, 15s. dis.-Leeds, Wakefield, and Midland, 2s 6d. dis. - Leicester and Birmin:ham, 7a. lid. dis.-Manchester, Buxton, Mat lock, and Midland, 375. 6d. p.-Midland and Thlrak Junction, 20s. dis.-Northumberland and Lancashire Junction, 20s. dis.-North Western, 2/. 65.-South Midlands, 2 p.-Boston, Newark, and Shef field, 15s. die. SHEFFIELD, IdAacu 3. ITOCE EXCHANGIC—The sales are—Grimsby and Sheffield Ex tension, 21. 9s.—Trent Valley, 26—London and York, Extension, 2 —Leeds, Wakefield, and Midland, 7s. Gd. dis —Lincoln and Wain fleet, 345. —Manchaster, Sheffield, a: d Midland Junction, 31. las. (id. —Sheffield and Lincolnshire, 31. 3s. Gd.- South Yorksklre Coal Rail way, L. dis.—West Itiding Union, 3!.i MULL, 31eicll 3. IiTOCK EXCHANIM—The sales are—North British, Carlisle, V. 16s. —North Wales, 24—Ambergate, Nottingham, and Boston, &c., 214 —Derby, and Gain•;barough, 16s. Grand Union, 1 1 A —Hull and Barnsley Junction, 32s.—Lincoln and Wainfleet, 355. 6d.—London and Birmingham txtension, 4s. - Manchester, Illuxton, and Mat lock, 31. 19s. 6d.•—Dljrth Staftbrdshire, £l. las. 3d.—South Midland, 41. 2s.—West Riding Union, 34. NE WC. AST LE-UPON-TYNE, Maacit 3. STOCK EXCLIANG2. —The 3/Ilea are—Eastern Cuunties, 21% —North Staffordsthre, :HUDDERSFIELD, MARC/I 3 , STOCK EXCNANGS. —The sales are—lladdersfield and Manchester Railway and Cana:', 6 lit.lifax, and i'radforil Union, 2% —Leieester and Bedford, 17s --Manchester, Buxton, 3lat lock, and 3lidland, 355. p.—North Staffordshire, 3 p.—Direct Northern, 2U, YORK, lf.ancii 3, STOCK EXCHANCUL—The sales are --Grand Union, 1/. ss. 6d. — London and York, Z'. I4s. —Manchester, Buxton, 31at1ock. and Mid. a/. 188.—Newcastle , and Darlingtou Exteasions, 10% —North British, Half Shares, 9%. EDINBURGH, FEU. 28. STOCK Excriawnt. The sales are—Ayr and Galloway, 40s. —Cale donian Extension, 453.—Direet Northern, 48s. —Edinburgh and Northern (Newport), 21s. 6d.--Edinburgh and Perth, G2s. Gd.— North British, Ext.. tnsion to Carbalo, 50s.—Scottish Central, New, B!n—Scottish Grand Junction, 35s.—Stirling and Dunfe rmllne, 433. GC GLASGOW, MARCO C 2, STOCK FACHANGN. —The sales are -- Ayr sad Galloway, 38s —l3l ttsh and Irish Union, 535. Caledonia. Extension, 45s.—Cornwall and Devon Central, 355.- -Direct Northern, 435. (A.—Dundee and Perth, 14% —East Indian Railway, lis. lid..—Forth and Clyde Junction, e. 63.— Glasgow General Terminus, 11% Glasgow and Belfast Union, 40s.—Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Ayr, New, 25% -- Glasow, Dum fries, and Carlisle 4 CA I.—Glasgow and Garnktrk, New, y% —Gla grave, Kilmarnock, and AA re.ran,:i6s. 3d.- Great North of India, Is. ';d. Inverness and Elgin., 225. 6d. —Larne, Belfast. and Ballymena, 30e. Lesmahagow, 495.--:Perth andlnverness, 325. Cd.—Scottish Ce , tral, 14%•—Soatle Mtdlaail. 811,1.—South Unions and Potteries, 243. 6d. MONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS. TUESDAY EVENING. TIMES.—The news from America, published this morning, took the City completely by surprise, and produced a tall of almost I per cent. In Consols, front which they but slightly recovered at all in the coarse of the day. Tito closing price of ye terday for the Account was 967 i to 97, and the concluding price onto-day 96!6 to 4, but they were done at 95%. With the exception of this very marked effect, it has hem unusually difficult to collect in detail any opinions respecting this news People here are mostly disposed to regard the who'c as a continuation of that tone of brava,lo which the House of Representa tives., under the auspices of the President, Mr. Polk, has hitherto maintained ; and to hope, therefore, that the same feeling will not he ex hihited in the Senate. But the most anxious question discussed here to-day has turned upon what course is likely to be taken by our Government, should the notice to abandon the Oregon territory be actual:y given—that i, whether such notice would be followed by an immediate hostile manifestation, or whether that would be reserved till the twelve months had expired. Front observations that have droved .from Sir Robert Peel it io errors ously Inferred, that, in how ever cou meous a manner this notice might be conveyed, it would be immediately resented ; and therefore the feeling which the news has produced vas, on the whole, a very uneasy one. The premium on gold at Paris is IN per ' , utile, which, at the English Mint price of 31. 17s. 10 . ;id. per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of 25 46 ; and the exchange at Paris en London at short being 25 65, it follows that gold Is 0.74 per cent. dearer In London than in Paris. By advices f..om Hamburgh the price if gold is 434% per mirk, which, at the 1 tnglish Mint price of 3'. 17s. 103 d. per ounce for standard gold, g Ives an exchange of 13 9%; and the exchange at Hainburgh on Lo ndon at short being 13 11%, it follows that gold is 0.80 per cent. dea,•er in London than in listinburgh. The course of exchange at New York on London is 108% per cent., and the par of e xchange between England and America being 109 23-40 per cent.„ it follows that the exchange is 1.08 per cent. against England. Mit the quoted exchange at New York belug for bills at GO days' sight , the interest must be deducted from the aboTe difference. MI DDLESEX SESSIONS. (Before the Asaistant-J udgft, Mr. Sergeant ADAMS, and a Bench ofMagistrate; ) The March general sessions for the county of Middlesex commenced on Tuesday at Hicks's Hall, Clerkenwell-green. The calendar contained the names of 92 prisoners for trial, of whom 77 were committed for felony. The Learned Judge briefly charged the grand jury, who then proceeded to the discharge of their duty. JUVENII.II OFFENDERR. Witham Martin, an interesting child, who cried bitterly upon being placed at the bar, was indicted for stealing the au In of W., the moneysnf Maurice Casey. The prisoner D'.eaded Guilty. The Learned JunGa, upon observing the commiseration expressed by a crowded court, said that he heartily joined in t2ais feeling, and he would tell them the boy's history. Its mother was a washerwoman, who was constantly getting drunk. She turned him out of doors a fortnight ago, since which time he had lived by begging. The child could ant rend, and his father had been dead seven years. This was the brief histo7, not only of that boy, but of great numbers of children of both sexes and of all ages, from seven 3 ears and upwards, who were committed for trial to that Court. Now what could be done with that child? It did* not seem to hint that a criminal tribunal or a prison was the proper place for the punishment or reformation ref the se children, whose destitute and friendless condition called lotully for some powerful interference. There was a measure prof acted a short time ago, namely, the union of the Philan throyic Society and the Refuge fur the Destitute, which, if it could have been carried into effect, the Government would have given a great sum towards it, but the Philanthropic Socia ty had declined a 'stilted movement, and he (the Leart.ed Judge) had in consequence withdrawn all his sup port f rem that institution for the present. Now, what was to be done ? The fact was that these children were without a home, without food, without friends, and destitute of everything that was necessary for their nurture, mentally, morally. and physically. Could that state of things con tinue in a civilised age, and amongst a Christian com munity ? It clearly could not. The public would not permit it, And they already loudly demanded that something should be done. What he conceived was wanted were es tablishments where these children could be sent for two, three, or four years, and supported and educated at the ex reuse of their jarents, if they had any, and could afford it, and if net, at the expense of the parishes, and then, if they had Ito friends to take charge of them, they might be sent mat to the colonies, where, he apprehended, they would not arrive as they did now from Park hurst, with the stain of an appearance at criminal bar and a prison educatioi t upon their characters. He was aware of the fatal effect of t;iis stigma to their future prospects abroad. Under it, they were too often wholly repudiated. A short time ago he had ;Sent him a newspaper from New Zealand, which contained roost violent abuse against the Government far sending them 1 'neon apprentices. There were great diffi culties which way they turned, but if the various excellent charities now in oi seration would lay aside their little jealousies and unite for this one grand object, something effective might be done. There might be many establi.4iments, but they should all agree upon one grand principle of action. The child was sentenced to imprisonment for six calendar months in the House of Correction. The next case was that of two boys, brothers, aged re spectively ten years and eleven years of age, who were found guilty of steal ing four half-crowns and other moneys, the property of Jo hn Thomas Boulden, and it transpired that they were under the pupilage in crime of an elder lad, named Dobson, nineteen years of age, also indicted for the same offence. The -two younger boys were sentenced to imprison • ment for six months in the Westminster Bridewell, in the hope that the: s=chool there might do them some good. Tha elder prisoner,. Henry Dobson, was sentenced to transportation for seven yea rs. We understand that the British and North American Royal Mall Company, anxious to prosecute the service which they have hitherto conducted with such vigour, have determined on imme diately laying down another steamer, of great power, for the convey ance of the mails between Liverpool and America. NORTH NOTTINGHAMSHIRE ELECTION.—NOTTING • HAM, TUESDAY, FOUS. O'CLOCK, P.M.—The opposition threatened by Mr. Bailey has given way, as it was likely to do, to the general opinion felt by the free-trade party, that it was unwise, un ler existing circumstances, to enter into a contest with Lord 11. Benthick. Bailey's own friends entertain a very strong feeling against the course which he adopted. The poll, as a matter of course, has been opened, hut very few votes have been polled since twelve o'clock. At that hour the numbers stood—.or Lout H. Benthick, 151, and fur Lord Lincoln, 4b. One ress , m why en few persons have gone the Poll, in favour of either party, was the publication last evening, by Mr. Railey, of a hand-bili, stating that being unwilling to cause any unnecessary trouble and expense, he requested that the friends o Lord Lincoln would, abstain altogether from tendering vote e for hint. P" , t, (_P N , 7 env ~ » ~•. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. HOME• ClRCUlT.—Chelmsford, Mara 4. The Commission of Assize for the county of Essex was opened on Tuesday, by Mr. Baron Alderson. There were only forty-two prisoners for trial, and on the civil side twenty-three causes, four of which are special jury cases. Both Courts proceeded to business this morning, the Lord Chief Justice presiding in the Crown Court, and Mr. Baron Alderson at Nisi Prius. (CIVIL SlDE.—Before Mr. Baron Aunt:sox.) DEW V. BURGESS AND OTHERS. This was, an action brought by Mr. John Henry Dew against the defendant, Capt. Polhill, M.P., and another gentleman, as the responsible members of the provi- sional committee of a projected railway, called the Great Leeds and London Direct Railway, to receive compen sation for his own cervices, and for money 'he had expended on behalf of the company, to their use. Mr. Montague Chambers and Air. Hawkins were for the plaintiff. Mr. Sergeant Shee and Mr. Hance ap peared for the respondents. Mr. Citasenents, in addressing the jury for the plain tiff; said that this was one of a very numerous class of cases that would in all probability engage the attention of courts of law and gentlemen in their position. The defendants were sued as:the projectors of a line of rail wa) branching from the Eastern Counties line to Leeds, and which was called the Great Leeds and London Direct Railway, and the project was brought before the notice of the public in August last. The jury were aware that at this period there was very great excitement in the public mind upon the subject of railways, and a number of lines were projected, the names of noblemen and gentlemen of influence being, in many instances. added to the prospectuses solely for the purpose of giving apparent stability to the undertaking, and inducing the public to take shares. He did not propose to trouble the jury with going through a detail of the particulars stated in the prospectus of this company; it would be sufficient to state, that they represented there were no engineering difficullies, that thegradients were remarkably easy, that there were no ornamental properties to be in terfered with, and that, in fact, it was to be one of those lines which at that period were so full in :promise, and which was to cost very little, and to yield a very large profit in the shape of interest upon the capital expended. The effect of these measures upon the mind of the public was such that he believed a sum of no less than 30,000/. was received in the shape of deposits, and the line was marked out, and every thing want on swim mingly. Offices were engaged in London, and the original provisional committee, as it was termed, re placed by a committee of management or board of directors, and several meetings took place in furtherance of the objects of the company. At those meetings the defendants all took an active part, and they were now, thefere, sued by the plaintiff as the parties responsible to him on behalf of the Company generally for the sums he had incurred. The Learned Counsel then proceeded to state that in accordance wiih the standing orders of Parliament it was necessary that certain plans and books of reference should be deposited with the clerks of the peace for the different counties through which all pro jected lines of railways were to pass; and like wise at the office of the Board of Trade by the 30th of November, and therefore great exertions were required to prepare the necessary documents. The plaintiff in the present action was employed to make up the books of reference, and he was empowered to en gage ail the assistants that might be necessary to enable him to complete them before the 30th November, and accordingly he engaged a number of persons, and was prepared to commence his duties, when, on a sudden, the directors -of the projected railway resolved upon abandoning their undertaking, and making an amalga mation with some other line ; at the same time de clining all their own contracts and undertakings, and instructing their solicitor to make the best terms he could with the parties who had been engaged. In consequence of this, the plaintiff was obliged to arrange as well as he was able with • the per sons whom he engaged, and he got off his bargain with them by giving a guinea to each man, and treating them all to a supper ; and ho expended about 281. for this purpose, imagining. and very reasonably, that he had settled the business very advantageously. Upon his applying, however, for the money he had actually expended, and also for the amount to which ho was himself entitled for the breach of contract by the com pany, they refused to give him a farthing. Under those circumstances, he was compelled to bring the present action, and he (the Learned Counsel) must say, that he thought the gentlemen, who hail received no less a sum than 30 0001. from the public in reference to this under taking, were badly advised Wein they refused to pay a man who, he considered, had rendered them important service, and who had actually expended his own money in their behalf. Mr. J. H. Gibson deposed that he acted as solicitor to the company while it was in existence, and that the de fendants were members c,f the provisional committee. and took a part in the subsequent proceedings relating to the company. In November the plaintiff made a proposal to prepare the books of reference for the Com pany at the rate of 11. I.oi. per mile, and his proposal was accepted by witness on their behalf, and he at the same time told him to have contracts ready, so that the work might be completed in tune to comply with the standing orders of Parliament. There was no particular portion of the line assigned to the plaintiff, and he was merely to attend to what might be given to him. This arrangement was made on the 17th of November last, on the Monday following the directors resolved to " amalgamate" with another live, and all further pro. ceedings were abandoned. By Air. Baron ALDERSON.—No specific portion of the line was assigned to the plaintiff. He might have been called upon Only to do the books of reference; on a half, or a quarter, or one-eighth of the distance. Mr. Baron ALDERSON said he thought this evidence would not support the first count in the declaration, that there had been a certain contract between the parties. All that was proved was, that there had been an uncer tain contract for a certain amount. Mr. Sergeant UREA said, that by the contract as it appeared, the company were to tntrust what portion of the line they pleased to the plaintiff, and it appeared they had not thought fit to entrust him with any of it. How, therefore, could they be liable ? The only thing that seemed to have been done in the matter was eating the supper.—( A laugh.) Mr. CHAMBERS said he should submit that the e►i dence supported the pleas for money paid for the use of the company. Mr. Baron ALDERSON said, in his opinion, there was no legal proof of the money being paid to the use of the defendants. It was as though a person employed another to build him a house, and that person engaged others to pet form the work, and he afterwards changed his mind and would not have the house built—in that case those persons who were so engaged would have no legal claim tr-on him. ‘- kr. CHAMBERS submitted that there was this differ ence, that tlml solicitor to the company acted responsibly on their behalf. Mr. Baron ALDERSON said that all that was provcd on this point was, th • lt the solicitor was to get the parties to make the best bargain they could. He was of opinion that in law the plaintiff had no case, and so should direct the jury. If ha was wrong, he might be set right hereafter. After some further observations by Mr. Chambers, the plaintiff was non-suited. OXFORD CIRCUIT. —Reading, March 3. CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Baron PLATT.) Thomas Fowler, aged 46, was charged with the man slaughter of Joseph Barnett, at Abingdon, on the 22d of January last. J:Williams appeared for the prosecution, and the defence was conducted by Mr. Carrington and Mr. Tyrrwhitt. This case, which has, it is understood, excited very great interest in this county, came on for trial to-day. The pri soner, who surrendered in discharge of his bail, is a man of very .respectable appearance. lie is a maltster, in large business at Abingdon, and had borne, up to the unfortunate occurrence which led to the present inquiry, an excellent character, and was considered to possess a kind, good, and humane temper. The deceased (Barnett) WAS 0::Ce in the prisoner's employment, but had been discharged. The counting-house of the prisoner is situated on a broad pave ment on the banks of the Thames, at Abingdon, and is closed with two folding doors, one of which folds back agaiu upon itself against the wall. On the morning of the 22d of Jan uary last, a man named Middleton noticed deceased, with whom he was unacquainted, walking up and down the wharf opposite the prisone's house, when the latter came our, and as the witness stated, the two spoke together, from what he saw, for he could not hear what passed. The deceased seemed to be conducting himself towards Mr. Fowler in a provoking manner. Mr. Fowler then returned into the house, and shut the door, when the deceased went up to the door, and shoved against it with his shoulder. The door then opened, but it was not possible to say whether fom the force exerted against it outside, or from Fowler'e having opened it from within. The two met again, and the witness stated that the deceased held up his hands in asort of threat ening attitude, being at the time quite near enough to have hit the prisoner, but the witness did not see any blow given, until he saw the prisoner seize up an iron shovel and strike the deceased with it on the right side of the head. This blow made the deceased fall, and on being taken home, after a little delay, lie expired in about. an hour. At this stage of the proceedings the Learned Jul:3GB inti mated that the case bore much the aspect of being merely one of self-defence. The deceased might have struck the prisoner, whose humane character should be considered, and lie, to keep the deceased off, struck the blow which deprived him of life, and which no man probably more deeply deplored than the prisoner himself. The Learned Counsel for the prosecution acquiesced in his Lordship's view of the case. The jury immediately acquitted the prisoner ---a verdict received with applause, which was in stantly suppressed. THE Comm AT REIADING.—At the conclusion of the above case the grand jury entered the Court, and having handed in some bills, the Chairman then stated that the grand jury were desirous of making a presentment to his Lordship, which Mr. Bellamy, the clerk of the arraigns, read. It alleged the extreme inconvenience of the present courts held both at; the assizes and the sessions in Guy's-hall, Reading ; and described them as insufficient and incommo dious to judges, juries, counsel, and witnesses. The grand jury then proceeded strongly to recommend that new courts should be erected. Most sincerely do we hope this will have its due effect, as the Courts here are uncomfortable and in convenient on this circuit. Benjamin Chapman aged 28, was charged with having , on the 29th of December last, set fire to and destroyed an outhouse and other buildings, the property of a man and hie two sons, named Partridge, at \Vantage. • Mr. Tyrrwhitt and Mr. J. J. Williams appeared for the prosecution, and the prisoner was defended by Mr. Car rington. The prisoner, who was nicknamed the Sea Ape, it would seem was, on the night in questio n, at a public house called the Shoulder of Mutton, kept by a Mr. Airey. At nine, however, he quitted it. At eleven the same night, the land lady heard a noise of kicking and a cry of fire at the door, which she opened, and saw the prisoner running off knock ing at the neighbours' doors, and crying fire. She called out to him, " Ape, you are the first who gave me the alarm of fire Net time, and so you are now." lie made no reply, but col.tinued running. She heard her husband come out and ask where the fire was, when the prisoner said, " Back of Partridge's house." At two the next morning she again saw him, and made an observation about the alarm to him. The I• tl same evening Mr. Airey heard the alarm and went t cr o i ;i door, and also saw the prisoner running along an d , 04 fire, and on asking him where, was told in Partridg ° 4o He ran up there, and saw a little fire which he L ' he could have put out with a pail of vret, er ', tiS fire could certainly not have been seen "Z, Li t street. The flames soon became stronger. In l ' - ,pro minutes after he had returned home be heard the o w bells ringing. Joseph Partridge was alarmed by al fro king He looked out of the window and saw the fire sr- - l i e itr the shed, where they kept several stacks of wok. ti re . mediately got up, ran to the spot, and found a g r ,, , io There was nothing to keep any one out of the y ard was a road from which a path ran on one side of bis g 3 ;011 A man named Lawrence went up at the same time ° se ptet , and saw the fire about the size of a bushel. A M ito; seeing the fire, went to the parish clerk to alarm b re , oti' was looking out of the window, and then left. 1 0 s A ii tb flutes more, perhaps eight, he heard the bells rin ofd; c was after the alarm had been given at the Shouldt,,te The prisoner was taken up, when he made a volantsr, e;,O ment. He said he was at home in bed with bisho"liipp the night _in question , and was alarmed by chureb b. 7110. ing. He got up and saw fire. His brother went a ti d He thee went and alarmed various pecPle• Tel where the fire was. Went to - the fire and dieei g nust ei biother was alleged to be idiotic ; had, after questioning v et the tte him respecting his anderstae .11,70? nature of an oath, allowed him to be sworn and te 14 0 1 0 /0 donee. He was not present this day and his eh ge ,a o life! commented upon by the Learned Ju ' dge. a I.no‘i next door to the prisoner, was alarmed by the u`': lfi tite down, and saw Richard Chapman. He went to is " the saw the prisoner there. The prisoner had said ba d try ness's presence, at the magistrates' office , that he him There th night. p Vn i j was some evidence given to contrad ict '" ",, ,.Th ri statement, which was clearly at variance wit h frg.. " 9 witnesses had sworn. f theS e j Mr. CARRI/4GTON addressed the jury on b ehalf Boner, contending that no motive was shown to as' against the party whose property is burned. s a lk" A fter Mr. Baron PLArr summed up; and the jury" •ttis% one minute's deliberation, returned a verdict-461w. prisoner. 2,410 POLICE IN TELLIGENC SOUTHWARK. do ° 0 00° 0 Edward Gordon, a man, about 35 years of age , wt.,.Ntt c- , t re o bar, before Mr. Cottenham, charged w ith stealing A V ol ler the house of a geetleman named 151ackmore , ~t j Horselydown. c ‘ v On Monday morning, about eight o'clock, the lunto- O.A ;04 4 Mr. Blackmore's house, and said he had been S ep ' to 0 . 0 ,00 with a bottle of ink, at the same time handing a ustetsln to o'4 demanding half-a-crown. While the latter went tips at 0 04 inquiries about it, the prisoner decamped with a g re Pi e 21* 25., which was hanging in the hall. CO' On Tuesday the prisoner went to the house of Mr. _oto school-street, Horsely down, and presenting a elo w— _. bsif' S 'oll4l.: bottle of patent ink, demanded, as in the former 0 0! for:, The servant, however, suspecting him detained AT; Vi g o: policeman gave him into custody. in his pear ° , „ile d to , several notes, of which the following is a copy grae , ' of March, 1846, for a bottle of patent ink, 98 . of ,0 MasoThn, 14, Fish-street-hill, City." e peliceman said the prisoner answered the who had carried on the same trick in various parts o f he was therefore remanded until Monday. • A f ' ) ' _ MARKET NE Iv yEsT.Dfl p ~ CORN-EXCELA.MTGIL mo d e rste 1 1/ Pr fl l olo ll4 We have again to report the arrival of a very r , „, oi l 0 Wheat for our market, consequently the standswss ls, with samples. Although the attendance of buy ers gesSo/0 finest qualities of both rod and white command e d re'F,g very full prices; while the value of other kinds •_`.,d DO, 1r ported. For foreign Wheat there was a fair denis; 00' 0 4 any improvement in value. Holders of Co' were again firm, and would not sell except £t 0. 0 dO ot , Malting Barley, the supply of which was small , :"10.103 09: 4 1 at Monday's prices. In other kinds comparativ!L ‘ 0 7,04 The Malt trade was steady, at late rates. Oats we.7.„ 0 00 1 .' at quite as much money ; but all other article" "- r. little attention. PP - 0 OW 1,/ 1,7 70 41. / Wheat. 1,741 qrs. English . ..... Irish ........ Foreign ...... ARRIVALS. Earthy. 1,521 qrs. -- I - Malt, 8,460 nrs. or s. The supplies of Moat ou sale here being on the I , q uo 0 'nand was throughout heavy, at barely last we` t d • 1 4 ' Beef, from 2s 4d to 3s 6d ; Mutton, 34 6d to 40 4s 10d; and Pork, 3s 8d to 5s 2d per 81be by the carom STATE OF TRAPS' bo'ro 27 vre „ o ft,4, FOREIGN WOOL TRADE, LEEDS, FEB. cp remarked any material improvement in this b ri t, b p during the past week. Th e d ema nd is rea ler •. 1 and prices stationa r y. sfe ENGLISH WOOL MARKET, LEEDS, FE8. 27 o r any change to report in this branch of trade tof,dfsr• are limited to the immediate wants of all Prices may be quoted as stationary. WAKEFIELD, WOOL MARKET, FEB. 27 ,- """ e c se iittit , 1 ° that we noticed last week still continue to nals2d fr favourable kifluence on the wool market, es" eior bt-, done. Prices are still without altetation for s oito tbe or long wool. t bss TRADE OF LEEDS.—Both in the Coloured rd but `,l Hall there was more business done on St° p a rist 4 iurir/ been the case on any market day for some tinbe Cott, Tuesday the market was exceedingly dull- Or; articles in demand continue to be Tweeds of I _",, th s s r :Dett`, the continental markets, but fine and middle c' r stim l esr; dull sale. Business in the warehouses has be eri n f till a cDr than of late. From the exceeding mildness " 00 1 P ninny' of the country buyers have been in the t ing goods for the spring. S. / o iC , ‘4 ItI A T 464 1 . ,:r MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.—CHATS ,--- ,' 0 00 1 . -' 0O , " The severe loss sustained among British o ffi cers b e l t d e t. slVl4 f her Majesty's regime:l is recently engaged in the 0 1 7, il gagemeuts in India with the army of the Seiklis,un o knsli ° , d or, to be received by the commandant of this d:. d oil 7 0 0;0 Thomas Wiltshire. K.C.8., commanding the provt i 7 o - oet t 0 11 : hold the following officers in readiness to proceed T ,P g. ii , ' tars of their respective corps now serving in Ind.lh , i st 41' F. Lister, Ensign IL E Furdell, 9th Foot; Lieut e ; bruham, 29th Foot; Captain Richard Wuddy, Er‘ f g: - Fo fr t",„ . 10 / and Ensign B. C. Clifford, 50th Foot; Captain W• bt tei:ant Edward Sippings Harrison, Ensign G. J. A in ,;; 0 0:0 , Vantier Seale, and Ensign H. W. Sibley, 62d fA t i,t S. T. Christie, Ensign H. Leslie Grove, and Ens_,,ig u to le!,01 0 0 , Freeman, 80th Foot. These o ffi cers are ex pectet 00 1 6th instant. and are to pro2eed by overland mall f ar ~110° yM This sudden route has cAused - much interest till . ° 0 01 s OO P 0' neon. , it'"` I" .DETENTIoN OF TRAINS .- On Sll lO9l whil e ", [.., accident occurred on the Great Western itail w3l j cO Ol O - ti ti ' ' not attended b" serious eonseqnences, occasions Wards pet ~ de l convenience to passengers wishing to proceed Mi. roo It' ir f 0 ,. f from Bridgewater to Paddington. It APPea" . a ~0‘, 0, : ascertained, that the train which left Exeter a" 0 , co"ser 40 . , o'clock P.M. met with an accident at Bridgewa,, ter i u ees : 4 14 1 _,' 1/ ,, ' • the engine (the Fire Fly) having burst one of tu i ~d 11 a r isn' o ff t i by which the train was detained for two hours a l t to:01 04 tog for a luggage engine from Taunton to conve9 4y if . 00 piP o r o passengers at the Bath station, who were allxi eu ' fl ientrid o r , up-train, having complained loudly 0 the incenvde to sts et te o ptr , t were placed in by its non-arrival, were forwar d ' d Cir ei tiegol;e tion, to meet the branch train from Gloucester su e , to to le t ie ,f their arrival the Swindon engine conveyed t i oter, t ett ° 4 6 ,l where they arrived at about hall-past nine ; th e 4;0 1 i f rIY ° arrive at its destination (Paddington) until ne' s ; at, 4. 0 ,4 o'clock, its time being thirty-five minutes after eie 0p.,/ 1 of two hours and ten minutes. -pla $/ t ; 1 " 1'1 ;0! STRANGE AFFAIR ON THE SOUTH--- 81 ;00 1 2,411„ t c ,i; -At about midnight on Monday the policent ° ! o % tlll' c re,t' o pfro the Abbott's Cliff tunnel, near Folkstone, in Pate th e v e i dl 4 4l Dover, was startled on seeing a white figure 8 ";dolt,t ee l e s ~t s tunnel. He immediately hastened to the spot , °I, : o rial',l o d i' o f discovered it to be a female, standing between ' ',wet pee e n ' ,l side of the line. For some time she refined to IV an teen e t ,3 as to how she became in so dangerous a situation. -I,olons,heopi in a very desponding state of mind. Eventuagrtotlistot:'oooo way to Folkstone, she stated that she had god e r i t ;lne d tiolib'„,,P, killed by the trair. It has since been ase, e ' at e laStlice_.,o fps„ no weak intellect, and had escaped from some Pri f irc aies u p t . ,P . 'O If the. vicinity of Folkstone. It was a fortunat e , ° "„_ 4 " the 010', I ls t e; policeman discovered her at the time he di., ..7.: 4 1d01t 4 ',a Dover shortly afterwards passed, and from th e f e ii)eleeb i t le,„ / In, had she remained, she would have been cu t by - t P'ilt Y ;4' posed that she must have got access to the tun . ° l ife t i 00- 4 sea wall from the beach. Her friends are sai d t.45g at t/s l r l o t WILFUL MURDER 01? A WIFE s l 2, n ied tt lif lee ,,,ee.,/, On Tuesday night Mr. Payne, City coroner, r''',:ijart e ,, 'Piet " to, pital the adjourned inquiry touching the dea th °r ft o .. l: l 4eti o yel thirty-three, of Amicable-row, Kent-street. , .W De e se 0 ' pa:, DeA, O 0 1 died from the effects of injuries received trod', 5 0 °' e def t ' t lei l 'ilD 4 band, in the open street on Friday week 1a5 . : 04 , ils e pOt i o! f ilt . this case have already appeared in our eol d ''' ti rtrie f , , fee‘ 01 t ; Southwark police. The inquest, and also the l ed Oli o , ree iee f. 5 9. the prisoner befere the magistrate, was adio urn w o. 1 j3 14 76, r 0til in order to procuro the attendance of Witn . . - , Jee,,,g1 , 0 0 , inquiry was a verdict of '• Wilful murder aga te li P c ies lii! p d' ' [ADVERTISEMENT].-SIGHT A l ' l f d site tit e d : e f l,,plie. Albemarle-street, Piccadilly, .Newly-Inve nt ratro ni t at c l l,,jlJ'itO,' Telescopes, Opera Glasses, Microscopes, 8 ";, -- ,,,,,age r .. o rlt• ' 4 0,4 , I ', jesty tile King of Hanover, her Grace the ,0 1. 0r i, " d e, et set ford, their Graces the Archbishops of Caut e f tta rltiOr?, o oo o ,4, 4 o", the Dukes of Levonshire, Norfolk, ArgYlei ', hie, 16 , op‘ 0 1. 1i,D cheater, Bishops of Exeter, Lincoln, Cork, '?, Ave , 1 0 ,11 c," re:, dare. Messrs. S. and B. Solomons, oc u n ' s t l f actZ or c o oe:'( 0 invented Spectacle Lenses upon a new e;:, er bY ", e s o _ol o ,to 1 , they are placed before imperfect vision, e"" ro the e h 't tt r thl r lit:9 that mist and dullness which appears he ft ' ct, god-0 I).eliti, moved, every object becomes clear and distill . alt _ it . 0 1 .0 defective sight becomes bright and brillial u it e o , o et t r o alt d ceO r ti te l youthful natural and original state. Als o t e s. n °s l - 00 5 * • r oP rls'A matte Telescopes, Opera Glasses, MicroscoPooo deaf" t eld vo cil 0 r of Acoustic Instruments for relief of e ltr ,, Q t in,n, 0,4 va i ii Messrs. S. and it Soleraons, opticians , or e .".. t medis' s . to ' 1 " fir' with a person of the same name in their _i_i , i a °el l d ei ot To prevent mistakes, be cautious, and ohs` . or e llo t _ e o pt ii ,4 1 0 11 Albemarle-street , Piccadilly, opposite the ' t _ ( - )i of f 0 0,40 .0, S t ,l , [ADVERTISEMENT].iItaIIOWaY ' ma I 'os o , i , '' are producing immense simsation in the nail % ar e & t oe' ti e icill ,l " e ft o'o' received recently from Mr. Frederic k 00110_0, .., 0011 0 _ 0 , th tcl „et,' " I know of many here that have t 1 7, 1 511; "" e t, s a re di c ied Pills. and who have derived the greateet , _ tit su _,, d,, case in particular, a lady, whose foot vii,', re els e_', t',o',. dm. - - c oehr. t t• ,„1,1,10 that, to save her life, amputation was , these e ert raw regained the complete use of her limb h) ba d leg , „ a tlol,o l ' Any wound, sore, ulcer, abscess, or . ,_.„. 0pti,,,,, p. years' standing, will readily heal h 3 fr uc oovia. 7 dealers in medicines, and at Professor •'-' i t, 244, Strand, London. 01 011 n gee' poi iyiltribt , i s iingt ° ' ' (l log ,o , " . tlo iv' On the Ist inst., at Annett's-crss•en" Alport, of a daughte r. a n•Seu ffr "' er tr 0 portal 00 f , l e ' On the lit inst., in King-street , iti n ' Il e 4 Jennings, Esq., of a son. Wicken s ' r th e .f ' On the Ist inst., Mrs. Georg* Vi t. the 13dY 12 ' 00 r North Brixton, of a daughter. . -.,T efolk, • On tho Ist inst., at Rngton, ~. c' te , p arr. Webb Flavell, of a son. • Rige l ' ~ o' l burgh - f errite ' iv t. p ,i 011 the 2d inst., at Osna W. Percival Boxall, Esq., of a da U g ht.r. COOt 6 MA ItßlED,;,,„norrot`",. %. It GrOainidthrieulkletly.lrtu.,scaatuF3lro,rteonsceo,sCiiomsirt;),Vof th e 1P " Alla g, ; of Chedingsell7grange, Essex. yeell e# fo‘ ti . paP• • l ot - le, Da Neale, iSQ. eg tero l "' w ...410 , i s e at Blockley . Wore On the 26th alt , On the 21st ult., at Neufchatel, in Swlf°l..._ se , col lottir h Y 331i tTe rli It son of the Rev. G. SaYleY• sur-aid , IV ° e getf On the 26th G . at Boning g n ' ll.' $ ster, Herefordshire, aged 83.. ___,,,, .1.. 13• ,f, 0 at GosPorr , " i P1...-..-- /TO1• 0 u t Ono the tlie 227:thhuulltt: Edward Bn'ooe-dbouse, •••'''yeuil_ , .. --------.----: ..... y 0 flto 55th ~. 1 . MONTHLY liflLlTA tt poe i of sof o " ' C IL , C° General -Sir W. Clinton, G. • . i r . C.l:',l of it na L n i t. e . u G t o e v n e m n i t t or G o en f l' 0 sfelcset e rt : - colo r '''" ,t V' Sir James I , eara c r ' iferr ii ' 4 10 neer*, Charlton; T• - Hussars, Kilkenny. eCrhaeisisAslll.oFsp...it_rval..., ii.c., 0. Co'wife France ; et M a j o r-Generals -Staffor d, ,eache d ' 0" . mt ~,a . Company's Service. el Oitr cw-- 1 , , Crosse,,lt ii e J n 0 t reli-nere.tioACno.i.lohsnicel t-.t,J:all East t a lu e: sse. - rot b rai d , 1 , comPOY lo 4 o gig ll' C „,,, 1111 if h r Bengal. Vincent ; - ow' on, Of .6 F 00t , St. 'Vot e . vo d- . 0 Captains-roape, 85th . Unattached' . go as . 00 , 0 oil half-pay 9th Foot; J. Leslie ! ~240, Pr . 001 net Lieutenants -.Money, hai l-143 42d FOOt • w o e, 1 ) 04. • kegs, ilial- Pay , w 92d ',.. at tse• 12th Foot, Francs , , , a n -pit. , or 1.,0 Foot, Argyllshire ; MackliLlay• , ,,gent, h. l 1-P 0. bo ir doo l Dennis, half-pay 101st Foot; .N, 88th y.ot.. ii til. ye it D ori, poi ' l'ayinaeter- Brenan, halt P,i,l! Cit -i-ork 3 l o ' rt o; t ll / 4 root , 1,4 11 ' Adjutant - Richard. on, let . r_,.. Foo t, ( F .p __ 94 tit _ slio ~, Quarter-Masiera --Allan, 4 1 1 , 1 4 " ,zie, hal Gio t : d / pp ips, o v i r" 84th Foot, Wakerfiehl ; if ', l° „,, cape o f r K, s . e roor ..,,ecto 0 uo , ....., j l, Schonfeldt, half p a y' eita-PeAt'ss°irskiant ii ,ergus. ., a, _.., 1 , 0 Medical Departmet . pay Ordnance, Grectiw n iel . i .e , ift %e , e g u e S_;ay nts ff__ _____' --; - (4 -- • f 1 1 ° ,1 Leone at sea ; Surge° u __.,-,•____.---- - 1-61' 1 ‘. o f s tr d Published hY . 112. I'll- London : Printed a* ~„. un °lnce, 1 `.., ° ' 14 0,01. , Strand,. Printer, at I " 4 '', ol „„ty of ~.. of the Bayer 1a the v 5, 1846. E T I ST' 4 s Ir itt be hew i hro int, at late r ' t he 1 16Leehie ado 1 .7_ boy 4ePteti