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

of high respectability had been publicly aspersed, and he really felt that he would not be doing ju-tice to his own conscience if he consented to postpone the motion. It would not be neces sary to detain the House at any great length. He had two objet's in view. The first was to put Mr. Smith right with that House and with the public, and secondly he intended to call the attention of the House to the imperfect state of the law, which allowed so gross an indignity to be put on Mr. Toulmin Smith, with a •iew to having it altered. The short statement of the facts was that a member of the legal profession, at home, in the middle of the day, had his house entered by two policemen and an excise officer, under the pretence of searching for an il licit still. The only ground upon which the warrant to search the house was granted, was an assertion contained in an ano nymous letter, that a Mr. Smith, of a certain place, was keep•. ing an illicit still. The Hon. Gentleman then read some ex tracts of a statement made by the servants of the family, to prove the alarm that was occasioned among them by the en trance of the police with the exciseman, who searched every room in the house. It was conduct which ought not to be to lerated. There was another question which ought to be con sidered, and that was the cower of the Principal Secretrary of State.—(Order, order.) He would not impute that the ma gistrate was in fault. On a full investigation of this inquiry, he believed that the Government would grant that inquiry. Would they leave this question to that inquiry? He believed that they would, and in order to prevent fraud, the most scotching inquiry ought to he made. If that inquiry were to be made. he felt assured that it would be granted. He asked for inquiry, and be there fore requested the inquiry, because if they brought in the Bill there would be cause of such an outcry that would altogether preclude the opportunity of an inquiry. On these grounds he should move for e Select Committee for inquiry. Mr. NEWDF,GATE seconded the motion. Mr. CARDWELL felt that on the only ground on which the petition rested there was no discussion, but that which had reference to the inquiry into the character of Mr. Toulmin Smith. What actually took place was this. The Commissioner on the 15th of March had made a report on which the report was founded. Now it happened that the Commissioner had been absent from his place of business on other business con nected with the office, and the officer acting at the time had sough the necessary warrant, and did obtain that warrant although its grounds were perfectly unjustifiable. That officer did obtain the warrant. He would not deny that this was unjustifiable, because he believed that it was not required by the Act. The supervisor had proceeded on the authority which he derived from the magistrate, and with a policeman had proceeded to the premises, and had gone over them. In the course of this inquiry the parties had found that there was a summer house in which there was a chimney, and in retiring from the premises there had been an acknowledgment on the part of the Commissioner, or rather of the officer engaged by the Commissioner that, there was no in tention whatever on their part to bring this accusation. A recent communication had shown, both from letters of the officer himself as well as from the proceedings of the office, that no spirit of malice whatever had existed. It was the rule of the office of Excise that on the Thursday every breach of these regulations should be reported to the Commissioners of Excise. They did not receive that report until the Thursday, and they only then received it from the letters which his Hon. Friend had read. Mr. Card well then read letters to show the facts which he had stated, that the petitioner (Mr. Smith) had felt the proceeding to be a grievance. The answer of the Commissioners of Excise was that in answer to the letter of Mr. Smith they felt it necessary to inquire of the officer, but that they would decide after they had get that information. The collec tor of Excise, as the Commissioners supposed, had la d infor mation before a magistrate. and if there was anything unjust or tyrannical they would revise the magistrate's decision. Mr. Smith by improper means got possessed of a written apo logy from Mr. Mann, and made use of it afterwards in pub lic, and refused to forego his action. The apology whi c h h e had now in his posses-ion was given without prejudice. Mr. Mann had been " reprimanded " by the Commissioners of Excise for what he had done in this matter ; and he (Mr. Cardwell) begged to explain to the House the meaning of that word amongst the officers of Excise. To " reprimand" a man in the employ of the Excise Commissioners was to deprive him of the possibility of promotion for three years. As to the question of damages, that was a cAse which the laws of Eng land left in the hands of the jury; and they would decide— not upon the mere amount of damages as claimed--but the real injury which would be sustained. The Excise had under it six thousand persons, and was presided over with great ability by a Noble Lord, who was a Member of that House. The present case was one of the abuse of law ; the person committing that abuse had been punished. So far as these thing s were concerned there was no need whatever for Parlia. Tentery interference, and so far as he was concerned his Hon. Friend had stated that for sixty years the public had felt no in convenience whatever. There was, therefore, no need for further inquiry. Mr. MUNTZ considered that an opinion which fell from the Hon. Member who had just sat down, at the commencement of his speech, was a very strange one. If a person were to enter his house without a warrant he would break his head. That would be the . most speedy and summary way of doing justice. Sir T. WILDE said the motion of his Hon. Friend was founded on an act of public aggression. Mr. Smith, he be lieved, was a special pleader of considerable talent, and who bore a high character. There had been nothing in the nature of the visit of Mr. Mann at all exceeding what would be necessary for an officer in the discharge of his duty ; there was , a great difference between a visit of that kind and a merely complirnentat y visit.—( Hear, hear.) The excuse for entering the House was certainly a very strange one. It was this, that in some hes not worse than his own he had found an illicit still, therefore he searched his house. The law required c onsideration by the House, and he thought the Committee should be appointed. He did not think, with a view to Mr. T. Smith's case, there was any necessity for a Committee; but the public really ought to have some protec • tion against these unwarrantable attacks by public officers ct, their property. He considered that the magistrate, in issuing his warrant upon the application of an individual whose only ground of suspicion was an anonymous letter, had rendered himself unfit for his situation as a public magistrate. There was gross misconduct on the part of the officer for swearing to a circumstance which he did not know to be a fact. But there was greater misconduct in the magistrate who granted the warrant upon insufficient grounds. What wag the safety of the public if such conduct is tolerated? Did it not deserve some severer punishment than a loss of a chance of preferment? If a gentleman's house is to be searched on the authority of an anonymous letter, so much the worse for the public. —(Hear, hear ) It was at present uncertain whether the officer deceived the magistrate as to the facts of the case. But if he did not deceive the magistrate, his conduct was most reprehensible, and the public had a right to be made aware of the circumstances, and an inquiry ought to be granted. The ATTORNEY GENERAL said, that he was at a loss to know what was the real object of the Hon. Gentleman's motion for an inquiry. No person had defended the conduct of the officer. The Government did not defend it ? What then was the object of the inquiry ? Not into the facts—they had been already admitted—but far the purpose of deciding whether the Commissioners had done enough for the punish ment of the officer. But the House should recollect that illicit stills had been discovered in the very same neighbour hood, in houses far superior in appearance to that of Mr Smith. And his Hon. Friend should remember, that at times the ouly method of reaching frauds committed upon the revenue was through the means of anonymous information. The col lector put the case into the hands of an experienced officer, one who had been employed 'or more than two-and-thirty years by the revenue, and had always conducted himself well. He considered, however, that the officer had not acted cautiously in the matter, nor should the House deem that he was defend) ing his conduct on that occasion, for he did not consider that persons should come before a magistrate and make ()Ohs upon loose information ; and if the magistrate did not see that such was done, he admitted he was hardly justified in granting a war rant. However, Mr. Smith had his remedy against the officer, for he had an action against him, and could recover damages. It . was asserted that great violence had been done in the execu tion of the warrant; but let the House remember that Mr. Smith had in his letter to the Commmissioners laid them at 101., and now he came before the House and told them that it was not a p_err oa l, b ut a public quest i on. Thi s was th e wa y. M r . Numb, disappointed in his personal views, made it a public question. Mr. Smith was not an illiterate man, and his con duct upon that occasion ought to be narrowly looked to. He took advice of eminent counsel, and was advised ghat he could maintain an action, and obtain damages for 5001. He sought an interview with the officer, and endeavoured to obtain a written apology from him, which would implicate the magistrate, so that he might be afterwards able to put him, as witness, into the box, and obtain a mass of evidence. The officer offered every apology .which a man could offer, but he refused to implicate the magistrate. He would ask, what was meant by asking for this Committee ? If it was called for upon public gronnds, he would maintain owes that it was necessary for th e E xc i se t o have the extended p s whicthey possessed for the detention of subtle evasions of the excise-laws. The law was perfectly well known, and had been in operation for a numb er o f years, and he considered it necessary for the pro tection o f the revenue. No one attempted to defend the con duct of the excise-officer in the present case, but it war a case with which the House ought not to interfere. Ir. Toulmin Smith brought his action in a court of justice, and this wa: still pending. It would be wo rse than us-less,therefore, for the House to interfere under such circumstances. do soNo public grounds whatever had been stat ed wh y they should . Mr. HAWES said, that however imprudent might be the conduct of Mr. Toulmin Smith with regard to the pecuniars claim made on him by the Board of Excise, he considered that he was respectable man. He would not, how. ever, go into the question on account of his case alone ; at any rate, the documents were not fully before them. and until they were be was not able to form an accurate judg ment of the circumstances. He admitted that it was necessary for the Excise to have large powers, but tiles , powers ought to be under due control, and such cases as the present showed that there was not that responsibility which ought to exist. No grounds whatever had been shown for the course pursued upon this occasion. There was no outrage he admitted, but the officer had evinced such zeal as to go up ,stairs into the bed-rooms, and he actually searched the maid sevants' boxes.—( Laughter.) He knew of several . cases of very ,great oppression—particularly in re ference to se zures tobacco—which worked the greatest injustice. This ought not to be yermitted. He thought that sufficient inquiry had not been made before procee ings were taken in the present case, and under all the circumstances he was of opinion that the Committee should be appointed. Mr. BRIGHT thought it desirable to state one or two ma tters in refer ence to hat Ras stated by the Hon. Member f ar Clitheroe. The ch s m ith, for his claim for a r g e of extortion made against Mr. compensationscoured on the Excise, was per fectly absur d, and w ould e outed by all who knew him.— ( Hear, hear.) With regard to the apology referred to, a , agi ee d t o be taken by Mr. Smith, from the officer, officer, and afterwards ough F t back so altered it was taken away by' the that Mr- Smith could not accepts t. h e (Air. Bright) had seen regardingrom private let ters which perfectly convinced that elt eshi a r. d Smith's character, lie was in view . was to expose a gross perversion of the law with a view to its remedy, and .'U had no a - lfish object t o serve i n making his claim on the Excise for compensation, as it was well. known that be intended to hand over the amount he received to a charitable institution.--( Hear, hear. ) He believed that Gentleman was incapable of anything dis honourable, and he hoped this inquiry would, in justice to his character be granted.—( Hear, hear, and cries of " Divide, divide.") Mr. NEWDEG ATE said that the thanks of the House were due to the Hon. Member for Birmingham, for having brought this question on by kmotion. and the thanks of the House were also due to the Hon. Baronet the Member for Worcester for supporting so very proper a motion. A charge had been made against a gentleman, and he now wished to have it properly inquired into. He considered this a case for a Committee of Inquiry, and he could not see the justice of refusing it. Mr. WAKLEY should be sorry for the Hose to divide with ou t the result being for granting an inquiry us e to most singular case. The Learned Gentleman the Attorney-General had adverted to the character of Mr. Smith. When parties came before this House, to seek redress for injury, at the bands of public functionaries, charges the most despicable were brought against the complainants. Who before this case had dared to say a word against the character of that gentleman? It was said that Mr. Smith had entrapped the officer into a fault. If that was the case, why dread an inquiry ? why refuse it? It had been complained of that Mr. Smith did not conduct Iris ease in a judicious manner. Why, how could it he ex pected that he should ? Mr. Smith, a lawyer, had himself for 'a client, and he put to his Hon. and Learned Friend , the Attorney-General, if a lawyer without the fee could pos sibly conduct a case without this pleasurable excitement of the professional usual.---(Laughter.) He was surprised at the • I want of feeling displayed by the Learned Gentleman towards a professional brother.—Charges had been made against this gentleman, and it Has but fair to give him an opportunity of refuting them. He hoped the Government would not refuse the inquiry, for if they troubled the House with a division he thought his, might safely say they would be left in a minority. By the debate of that evening the character of Mr. Smith was brought into question, and it would be not only ungene rous, but unjust, to refuse him an opportunity of clearing himself. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, it appeared to him that no eve had been shown which warranted th . inquiry asked for by the Hon. Member who proposed this motion. He was sure that there were many Members present who had not heard the whole case, so as to judge of the ques tion in all its bearings. It was said by one Hon. Member that they should make this in-juiry in fairnejs and justice to the character of Mr. Smith. Another Hon. Gentleman said, that in fairness to that gentleman, he should have an opportunity of disproving, charges brought against him. There had been nothing brought against his charac t er. Certa in statements had been made, which were necessary to the explanation of the case, and surely this could not be ca lled a char g e a g ainst character. Nothing had been stated but what was correct The character of Mr. smith had been alluded to only by those Hon. Members who had taken up his side of the question. As far, therefore, as inquiry was concerned, in Mr. Smith's case, it was perfectly unnecessary. The lion. Member then entered, at considerable length, into the details of the transac tion, as stated to the House by the Right Hon. the Secretary to the Treasury. The Hon. Member for Lambeth had stated that, of all parties connected with the transaction, Mr. Mann, the officer was the least to blame. He fairly confessed, there fore, that if the House should go into Committee, he, for one, would not have the slightest knowledge of what would be the course pursued I; the Committee in their inquiry. He should therefore oppose the appointment of this Committee. Mr. ESGOTT (who rose amidst loud cries of Divide, divide," and '° Oa, oh,") said—The Right Hon. Baronet had alluded to the conduct of the persons who set these proceed ing in motion. In his opinion, the magistrate who granted this warrant had acted unjustly and illegally. He had granted a warrant to search a house on no information, except an ano nymous letter. He would not discuss the question as to whe ther the letter was sufficient for the Board of Excise to act upon, but there was certainly no ground for the interference of a magistrate. The proceedings were not consistent with the just and proper operation of the laws, and he should vote for an inquiry into the conduct of the magistrate. Mr. MILES (who rose amidst a great uproar) said that a most unjust assertion had been thrown upon the conduct of the magistrate. Proper reasons had been adduced for the grant ing of the warrant ; for on the face of the document it was shown that the proceedings were by no means anonymous, and 'hat the magistrate was perfectly justified in his conduct. The excise officer swore that he had reasons for suspecting, and hat he did suspect that a private distillery was concealed on the premises of Mr. Smith, and applied for the law to be put in force in the case. He (Mr. Miles) did not attempt to de fend the night search. The police force frequently acted on suspicion, and in this case he thought the information was quite sufficient to justify the conduct of the magistrate. Mr. SPOONER said, that a statement made by his Learned Friend, the Attorney-General, showed that he was not correctly informed on the subject he had stated, that se veral actions had been brought. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—No, that notice of action had been given. Mr. SPOONER—The service of a notice, and th" bringing of an action, were very different things. Even if the actions were pending now, the proper time had elapsed for bringing them. It had been stated that his Hon. Friend the Member for Worcester had said that no warrant ought to have been granted against a man of the rank and character of Mr. Toul min Smith. He did not understand his Hon. Friend to say -o ; he understood him to say that the station and character of \lr. Smith required that the warrant should be executed with great care, and that there should be a toll and complete inquiry into the circumstances. Another assertion had been made that leis Hon. Friend said that this was not a poor man's case, and that there ought not to be any inquiry into it. His Hon. Friend had stated that this was not a poor man's case, and that a man in %Ir. Smith's station could have inquiry into it, which a poor man could not. There had been no acting on anonymous pro ceedings, for the officer swore that he had reason to believe that a distillery was in the house, and an inquiry was therefore necessary. The gallery was then cleared for a division. On the re-admission of strangers to the galloy there ap peared— For the motion Against it Majority THE CAN ADAS. Lord G. BENTINCK in rising to move that an humble address be presented to her Majesty, praying that she may he pleased to direct that copies be laid before this House-1. Of -he Governor-General Earl Cathcart's speech to the Legisla tive Assembly of the Canatias. 2. Of the dispatch, or dis patches, referred to in the Governor-General's speech a s havin g been addressed to her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Co looks, remonstrating against certain presumed changes in the Imperial Commercial Policy. 3. Of any petition from the Quebec Beard of Trade, addressed to her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies in the course of the present s ear, on the subject of apprehended changes in the Impe rial Tariff affecting the produce of the Canasta & The Noble Lord said that he had given notice that it was his intention to propose a discussion on the question of the dangers to their colonies in the present alarming state of their relation with Canada; and, under any circumstances, more particularly considering that the trade of the country with Canada compre hended three-eighths of the entire trade with America ; con sidering that the shipping interest engaged in North America comprehended one-sixth of the foreign trade ; considering all this, he thought that any question which concerned the pros ierity of Canada was well deserving the attention of the Howe. Hut, under the present cirumstances, seeing that news had arrived only yesterday of the rejection by the Legislative Assembly of Canada of the Commercial policy of her Ma jesty's Government—(Great cheering) —considering that the rejection of that policy and the defeat of her Majesty's \linisters converted a majority of sixteen, which the Govern ment of Canada in that assembly held at the meeting of the assembly, into a minority of seven on that question, which was Immediately connected with that before this country—he meant the Corn Importation and Tariff Bill—he thought it would be most desirable that the attention of the House and of the country should now he directed to the situation of their Canadian colonies, before they proceeded to a final decision on these measures.—( Cheers.) And although le felt that at this hour of the night there would be at any rate in question of their proceeding with the Corn Importation Bill. he thought that no apology would be due either to the House or to the country in thus at the earliest hour interposing this dis cussion, before they took any further step in that Bill. He felt that the position of the Canadas was a matter of vital import ante to this country, and therefore it was, he thought, that this House should consider the subject before they proceeded with the other Bill. It was generally known to the Members of that House, that a dispatch had been ad dressed by Mr. Gladstone to the Governor-General of Canada in the early part of March, in which he notified to Lord Cath cart the nature of the measures which were to be introduced by her Majesty's Ministers. It appeared, by the speech which Lord Cathcart addressed to the Legislative Assembly, that he had written a remonstrance to Mr. Gladstone against these .neasures, and Lord Cathcart, in the conclusion of 'gig speech to the Assembly, thus addressed them. ( The Noble Lord then read an extract from the Governor- General's speech, to the effect that the changes about to be effected in the commercial policy of the country were viewed with great jealousy by the Canadians, but it would be inadvi sable to express a decided opinion on these measures until they had a full exposition of the schemes which would so materially affect those provinces.) Then it was evident from the speech of the Uovernor-General that he had addressed a strong remon strance against the commercial policy which was now about to be proposed by her Majesty's Ministers. This appeared to him ( Lord George Bentinck) a matter of grave consideration, but, coupled with the speech of Lord Cathcart, there were other tndications of great dissatisfaction on the part of the consti tuted authorities. A meeting of the Board of Trade, in which the mercantile and agricultural interests of the country were represented, took place at Toronto a few days previous to the meeting of the Legislative Assembly, with regard to the measure about to be proposed by her Majesty's Ministers, the Vice President of the Board, Mr. Workman, stated that the mercantile classes of Canada were in a most undecided state of mind at that moment in consequence of these measures —that they were, in fact, in 'he situation of men precipitated from an eminence, and labouring under concussion of the brain. These sentiments were responded to by the other speakers. It was only in the year 1843 that the Canada Corn Bill was passed. That measure was held to be a sort of compromise with this Government. The Noble Lord then referred to the opinion entertained in the United States with respect to this subject, and quoted from the New York Weeldg H,-raid, which stated that the advan tages which the British Colonial Secretary had pointed out as likely to arise to the Canadas were looked upon by those en gaged in the trade with the mother country as of little worth. They believed that the advantages only existed in the mind of the Colonial Secretary. The same news paper stated, that notwithstanding the differential duty, Canadian flour could be carried through New York, and landed at Liverpool much cheaper than if sent direct from Quebec or Montreal. Now there was 36,000 British seamen engaged in the Canadian trade, while only 9,000 were engaged in the trade to the United States. The policy of the Govern ment was calculated to destroy this great trade, and to render the Canadian colonies utterly useless to this country. There was little to render this debate interesting to the House. Thus much he would say, that there was a strong feeling in the United States on this subject. He trusted that the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Government would not express any indifference as to the prepossessions which had been manifested on this sub ject. He was anxious that there should be no misunderstand ing on the point, because he believed that there would be measures introduced which would render the Government proposition inoperative. He was more anxious upon this point, as he believed in the present experiment there was nothing to justify its adoption. It would appear, from com munications which he had received, that there had been one hundred thousand pounds received on the duties upon timber, and he was not disinclined to believe that such was the fact. He held in his hand a letter ft om a Liverpool merchant, who stated that Canada required a protection, as compared with New York, of not less than 4s. or 55. per quarter upon wheat. Anybody who knew anything of commercial interest—any body " body who knew anyth in g of shi pp in g interest, must e well awar e that those ships that were to be laid u p during the whole course of the winter, must trade at a great disadvantage, M w a j i t e h s t y t , h s o A se t n t s a t t er t s: ad w e h d en d during the int r w o h d o n l e e et o i f t t h h i e year. as com H pa e r r ed friends measure, of hfeiledeo tradeut to t i h n e Parliamentthe United Statesan d t o wouldthe country, encouragedt h f a t th e by the removal of the restriction s on the importation trade betwocoerenn. Dear as would be the purchase of a n unrestricted tthheisicnossunntfroynarncdanthaediaUnneintlendnieSst,aittesmoifghAtnaebernic, matte t e of c g o r s of a t r e consideration, whether it would beto the advantage of this country to adopt the scheme proposed by her Majesty's Government. He found in the Times newspaper, in a leading ar ticle, opi nions exp resse d t o th e same effect. There was, therefore, no hope of a reduction of the tariff in that country on the import ation of British goods. It appeared from the returns of the exports of printed goods and calicoes to our Canadian colonies, that a considerable increase had taken place during the two l op a fo s rt t years. theedn i goodst t The val ue o f t h e raw cotton, an d ot h er goo d s im ehxispcnortuendtriyr,mextbceisetnloeduntbryy t t n hr t e h e a m t illi T on h s is th e e ir v e a u l m ue . stance arose from the general feeling that existed in the United States to prese rve th e i n d ependence of their h ome manufactures. The export of co tt on now exceerledth i a n t of former lB4oi r t years. That of 1827 was 278,090 tons, while amounted 1,241,900 tons ; an d i n 1 845 to 1,409.600 tons. rhey h a t to the opinion also of all th e l ea di ng men of America in favour of ►troffteercstnin also o nt industry,enincidrd w., l Washington b i. It maintained enuli i n 0 that r p el o s i t b i on a . Jefferson wise measure to,risk their conn ex i on w i t h their Csanadiale colo nies. Their export trade with the U n it e d S tates had, within the last few years, been almost doubled, while that with their coloeies had gradually dimished. Feeling strongly that the measures now before Parliament would alienate the affections of their colonial brethren, he thought it right to bring the question before Parliament. He would, therefore, move that an humble address be presented to her Majesty, praying that she may be pleased to direct that copies be laid becore the House Of the Governor-General Cathcart's speech to the Legis lative Assembly of the Canadas—of the dispatches refer re d to in the Governor-General's speech , as having been addressed to her Majesty's secretary of State f or the Colonies, remonstrating 125 , ..... 134 -- 9 THE SUN, LOXDON I " . _PRIDAY MAY_ 15, 1846, against certain presumed changes hair Board policy, f any petition from the Que er oafla commercial r c ad dressedil to her Majesty's Principal Secreta r y of State for the imperial Trade, Colonies, athffe.estuinbgjectthoef apprehendedin the course Canadas. in of the the p i r m es p e e n r t ia y l ea t r a ' ri o ff n Mr. ROEBUCK seconded the motion ; but he recollected a time when the wishes cf the C a n adian p eo p le were not treated with the same respect by the Noble Lord or b y his p art y . Nor did he think that the vote of the Can adian Parliament was con clusive; it was carried by a small majority, and he could con ceive a Ministry placed in such a porition as to be in favour with no party.—( Cries of " Hear, hear.") Instances were daily occurring of such a state of things, and he could suppose that an adverse party influenced by personal feeling might conduce to the vote of the Canadian Parliament. The party in power was not the popular party of the Canadian people. That party knew that loyalty meant profit, and that was the party which had loyalty on their lips, and now they were to be found ready to tern round and threaten them with an annexation with the United States of America. Those loyal persons, those loyal Irish Orangemen, talk of an annexation with a foreign power. What was their loyalty ? Nothing but pro tection. He would now suggest to the Noble Lord, and to those who acted with him, that which, if aplied to the people Canada, would materially benefit them. He would ask the Noble Lord it he was prepared to a form of free-trade with all the shipping of our colonies.—( Cries of " No, no," from Lord G. Bentinck ) Well, then, what was the meaning of their sympathy with the Canadas.? 'I heir sympathy was protevtion, and nothing else. (Hear, hear.) The Canada Corn Bill was introduced at a time when the Noble Lord and his party opposed it, and they went on the hustings and cried out against the Right Hon. Baronet for having passed it. Well, what followed? They now, in their places in that House, complained that Canada was greatly benefited by the measure. He denied that so much benefit had resulted to the people of Canada by this measure. The Noble Lord says the exportation to Canada amounted to three-fourths of the value of our exports to the United States. Why, we need not shut our eyes to the fact that those exports are not to Canada, but through Canada to the United States.— ( Hear, hear.) The danger which the Noble Lord feared from those measures was a mere chimera. The three great articles of export from the Canadas were timber, cotton, and corn. The Noble Lord might be sure that no Legislative measures of a round-about trade would ever produce that beneficial effect which would arise from a direct course. It had been said that adversity brings us in company with strange bedfellows, and he certainly thought that the straits to which that great party opposite were now reduced had brought them to the humiliating position which he did not expect to see. He did not expect to have seen the great leader of the aristocratic party quoting the democratic Jefferson and Washington, and making their statements his own. He was obliged to the House for the kindness with which it had listened to the arguments which he had already adduced, for he should, were it not for the late hour, have wished to avail himself of its indulgence to make a few more observations.—( Hear, hear.) The motion having been put, Sir G. CLERK said that be did not rise for the purpose of offering any observations on the motion made by his Hon. Friend. His object in rising was to notify his intention to add to the list of papers the dispatches of the Secretary of State for the Colonies in this country in reply to those papers for which the Noble Lord had moved. Amongst them was a letter to the Secretary for the Colonies on the duty of 3s. per quarter charged on wheat imported into Canada from the United States. As the Hon. Member for Bath observed, it was now several weeks since any information had been received from Canada. Although no official information had arrived, there could be no doubt they would have that information in the course of a few hours. The Noble Lord commenced his speech by stating that the question now assumed a great de gree of importance on account of the news published this morning with reference to the rejection of Sir Robert Peel's policy in Canada. They would find that he question under consideration was not con nected with the legi-lative policy of Canada. If they looked at the evening papers of a few hours since, they would find that 'he Bill was carried by a majority of 7. The news was dated the 24th of April, and it was stated that they had passed the Bill repealing the duty of 3s. on wheat imported into Canada. No official information had been received by Government, and no certain information as to the minority. He would have en tered into an examination of the statement of the Noble Lord, but as no opposition was intended to be offered to the produc tion of the papers, he would not venture to enter on the subject any farther. Mr. HODSON HINDE said that there was some misap prehension in the mind of the lion. Member with regard to the conduct, past and present, of the Hon. Gentlemen sitting near him, and it was necessary that the minds of the Hon. Members on that side of the House should be disabused on this point. The Hon. and Learned Member said that his (Mr. H. Hinde's) friends sitting near him had stated that in the im portation of wheat Canada never had any advantage. Canada bad had a very material advantage in the im portation of corn under the old system, in which corn was admitted at a duty of ss. per quarter. lie said they had a right to ascertain the sentiments of her Majesty's Ministers with regard to the measures they intended to adopt with respect to the colonies. He did not say this in any disrespectful manner, hot he thought the House h'd a right to know how they intended t, act with regard to Canada.— ( Loud cries of " Question.") The Noble and Learned Member for Bath said that it was true the exports to Canada were large, but he said also that Canada was only a means for introducing exports into the United States. But he would ask, what would become of this country if the measures now in progress were to deprive them of Canada, even as a means of introducing their exports into the United States ? He was much mistaken if the accounts to which the Vice-President of the Board of Trade attached so little importance would not strike dismay into the shipping inte rests of Great Britaiu. SERVICE OF HEIRS. The LORD ADVOCATE gave notice of his intention to introduce a Bill for the purpose of simplifying and economising the law which related to the service of heirs; and he purposed also to introduce a clause into the Bill which had received the sanction of the Legislature in the last session relative to Crown charters. PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS. (From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons.) THURsDAY, MAY 14. BirkenheadThefol following andwh lg Petition for a Railway Bill was withdrawn : RAILWAYS. Select Committee on Group No. 54. Mr. Fitzgerald discharged ; Mr. Waddington selected, and added to the Committee. Select Committee on Group No. 55. Mr. Hughes discharged ; Vis coun t Ingestre selected, the Committee. and added to Select Committee on Group No. 56. Mr. Maher discharged ; Mr. Irton selected, and added to the Committee. The Committee of Selection have nominated the following Select Committees on Railway Groups : A Committee consisting of—lion. E. Yorke (Chairman), Hon. F. Tollemache, Mr. Itrocklehurst, Mr. I). S. Ker, and Sir W. James, to whom they have referred the Bills comprised in Group No. 17 of Rail way Bills, viz.:— Manchester and Poole, Manchester and Southampton, London and South-Western (Romsey and Redbridge). Tr;ng, Reading, and Basingstoke. The Select Committee to meet on Monday, May 25, at one. A Committee consisting of—Mr. Vernon (Chairman), Mr. Trail!, Mr. E. W. Knight, Mr. Borthwick, and Mr. Ackers, to whom they have referrel the Bills comprised in Group No. 24 of Railway Bills, viz.:— Ipswich and Bury St. Edmund's (Cambridge and Ely Extension). Ely and Bury, Newmarket and Chesterford, Thetford, Bury St. Edmund's, and Newmarket. The Select Committee to meet on Thursday, May 28, at one. A Committee consisting of—Lord Dalmeny (Chairman), Mr. St. John Mildmay, Mr. Marton, Mr. Matheson, and Viscount Milton, to whom they have referred the Bills comprised in Group No. 28 of Railway Bills, viz.:— London and Birmingham (Newport Pagnell Branch), Hertford and Hatfield, London and Birmingham (St. Alban's and Luton Branch), London and York (St. Alban's, Luton, and Dunstabla Branch), Extra Northern and Sou hero. The Select Committee to meet on Monday, May 25, at one. A Committee consisting of—the Hon. H. Liddell (Chairman), Mr. T. I). Acland, Sir A. Armstning, Mr. Antrobus, and Mr. Du Pre, to whom they have referred the Bills comprised in Group No. 39 of Rail way Bills, viz.:— Manchester and Leeds (Railway Extension, &c.), Huddersfield and Manchester (Oldham Branch), Oldham District, Oldham, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birkenhead Junction, Huddersfield and Manchester (Cooper Bridge Branch). The Select Committee to meet on Thursday, May 28, at one. A Committee consisting of—Mr. Parker (Chairman), Dr. Bowring, Earl of Arundel and Surrey, Sir A. Brooke, and Captain Dalrymple, to whom they have referred the Bills comprised in Group No. 53 of Railway Bills, viz.:— Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Dudley, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Stour Valley (Birmingham, &C., Lines), Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Stour Valley (Stour Valley Line), South Stafbrdshire Junction, South Staffordshire Junction (Bilston and Prestfield Branch), South Staffordshire Junction (Willenhall and Bloxwich Branch), Trent Valley, Midlands, and Grand Junction, Birmingham, Lichfield, turd Manchester, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Worcester Junction, Shropshire Union Railway and Canal (Shrewsbury to Stafford), Shropshire Union Railway and Canal (Chester and Wolverhampton Line), Shrewsbury and Birmingham, Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, & South Staffordshire - Junction (No. 1), Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, & South Staffordshire Junction (N 0.2). The Select Committee to meet on Monday, May 25, at one. The Committee of Selection have appointed the Select Committees on the Groups Nos. 33, 38, 41, 46, 49, and 57, to meet in the week commencing Monday, June 8. PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS . (From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons.) THURSDAY, MAY 14. JOSNUA TOULMIN SMITH. Motion made, and Question put, " That a Select Committee be ap pointed to consider the petitions of Mr. Tolllmin Smith and the papers presented to the House relative to the case stated in those petitions." The House divided : MINORITY—AYES, 125. Acheson, Viscount Escott, Bickharn O'Brien, A. Stafford Alexander, N. Esmonde, Sir T. O'Connell, Daniel Archdall, Captain Farnham, E. 13. O'Connell, John Armstrong, Sir A. Fielden, John Pechell, Captain Astell, William Fellowes, E. Phillpotts, John Baillie, W. Finch, George Plurnptre, J. P. Banks, George Fitzmaurice, C. Plurnridge, Captain Barnard, Edward G. Fitzroy, Lord C. Polhill, Frederick Baskerville, T. B. Forster, Matthew Powell, Caleb Bennet, P. Frewen, C. 11. Rawdon, Colonel Bentinck, Lord G. Fuller, A. E. Rendlesham, Lord Bentinck, Lord H. Granby, Marquis of Repton, G. W. J. Berestord, Major Grogan, E. Rolleston, Colonel Berkeley, Captain Harris, Captain Scott, F. Blackburne, J. I. Hatton, Captain V. Sheppard, T. Blackstone, W. S. Hawes, B. Somerville. Sir W. Blake, M. J. Henley, J. W. Spry, Sir S. Borthwick, Peter Hill, Lord E. Stuart, J. Bouverie, E. P. Hill, Lord Marcus Tancred, H.;W. Bowring,, Dr. Ilindley Charles Taylor, J. A. Bradshaw, James Hudson, George Thompson, Alderman Bridgernan, H. Ingestre, Viscount Thornely, T. Bright, John Inglis, Sir R. Tollemache, J. Brisco, M. Kerrison, Sir E. Troubridge,Sir E. Browne, R. D. Knightley, Sir C. Tufnell, Henry Buck, L. W. Law, C. E. Tumor, C. Bulkeley, Sir R. B. Lawson, A. Tyrrell, Sir J. T. Buller, Edward Long, W. Verner, ,Col. Cayley, E. S. M`Taggart, Sir J. Wyse, R. IL:R. H. Chandos, Marq. of MaitlandArhomas Waddington, H. S. Christopher, R. A. Manners, Lord J. Wakley, T. Churchill, Lord A. S. March, Earl of Watson, Henry Clifton, J. T. Marsland, Henry Wawn, J T. Colquhoun, John Miles, William Wilde, Sir Thomas Crawford, W. S. Moffatt, George Williams, W. Denison, W. J. Morison, General Wodehouse, E. Dick. Q. Mostyn, E. M. Worcester, Marquis Disraeli, B. 31untz, G. F. Wyse, Thomas Duncan, George Neeld, Joseph Yorke, E. T. Duncombe, T. Neeld, John Duncombe, A. Newport, Visa. TELLERS. Duncombe, 0. Norreys, Lord Spooner, Richard Elphinstone, H. Norreys, Sir D. Newdegate, N. MAJORITY-NOES, 134. Ainsworth, Peter Flower, Sir James Manners, Lord C. Anson, Colonel Forman, T. S. Martin, J. Antrobus, Edmund Fox, C. R. Martin, C. W. , . Austen, Colonel Gill, Thomas Meynell, Captain Baillie, Colonel Godson, Richard Milton, Viscount Baine, Walter Gordon, Captain Mitchell, T. A. Barclay, David Gore, Montague Morpeth, Viscount Faring, F. T. Goulburn, Henry Morris, David Baring, W. B. Graham, Sir J. Neville, Ralph Bell, Matthew Orimsditch, Thomas Ogle, S. C. Bellew, It. M. Hale, R. B. Patten, J. W. Benbow, John Hamilton, W. J. Peel, sir Robert Bodkin, William H. Hamilton, Lord C. Peel, Jonathan Boldero, H. G. Hanmer, Sir J. Philips, G. It. Botfleld, Beriah Hayes, , ir E. Reid, Colonel Bowes, John Heneago, G. H. iv. Roebuck, J. A. Bowles, Admiral Herbert, Sidney Romilly, John Boyd, John Heron, Sir R Round, C. G. Bretherton, J. Hervey, Lord A. Round, John Bruce, Lord E. }Linde, J. H. Rutherfurd, A. Buckley, Edmund Holmes, W. A B C. Seymour, Sir H. Buller, Charles Hops, Sir IJ. Smith, Abel Busfeild, William Hope, G. W. Smith, J. A. Cardwell, Edward Hornby, John Smyth, :Sir H. Carew, W. H. Pole Horsman, E. Smythe, George Carnegie, Captain Hotham, Lord • Somerset, Lord G. Cavendish, G. 11. Howard, E. G. Stanstleld, W. R. Chichester, Lord J. Jerinyn, Earl Stratt, Edward Clay, Sir W. Jervis, John Sutton, 11. M. Clerk Sir G. Jocelyn, Viscount Thesiger, Sir F. Cockburn, Sir G. Johnstone, Hope Tomline, George Colebrooke, Sir T. Jones, Captain Trench, Sir F. Corry, Henry Kelly, Sir Fitzroy Vernon, G. H. Cripps, W. Langston, J. 11. Vivian, J. E. l)amer, Colonel - Lascelles, E. Walker, Richard Dennistoun, J. Lascelles, W. S. Walpole, S. 11. Dickinson, F. 11. Lincoln, Earl of Warburton, H. Divett4Edward Lindsay, Captain Wellesley, Lord C. Douglas, Sir C. Lockhart, A. E. Winnington, Sir T. Drummond, 11. 11. Lockhart, W. Wood, Charles Duplale, W. S. Lygon, General Wood, Colonel T. Dundas, F. Mackenzie, W. F. Wrightson, W. B. Dundas, J. C. 11`Neill, Duncan TELLERS. Estcourt, T. G. Mahon, Viscount Baring, henry Fitzroy, Henry Mainwaring, T. Young, John DUTCR MAIL. THE HAGUE, MAY 1 1.—The Minister of Finance has issued a notice for the information of merchants' and others wh , ) desire to take advantage of the over land mail to India to send letters and newspapers to the Dutch possessions, but appear to be uncertain how to proceed. Thus letters and newspapers intended to be forwarded by this mail, are received every day at the Post-office. That though this mail is dispatched twice in a month from Europe to the English posses sions, yet it is to be observed that it is the last or second mail in each month which is the best for a speedy correspondence with the Dutch colonies, because it is that mail only which goes the nearest way to those colonies, that is to Sincapore, whence the letters are regularly forwarded, as soon as they arrive, by one of our steam-boats, in the name of the Government of the Dutch possessions ; that though the letters may be forwarded by different ways (through England if preferred), not the direct way from the Netherlands, if by way of Paris and Marseilles to Aleicandria, this he recommends for the present as the most eligible. As the mail leaves England on the 24th, and reaches Paris on the 25th. the letters should be dispatched from Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht on the 23d at the latest. But, as delays sometimes occur on the road, it is advisable to dispatch the letters on the 22d. Care must be taken to write on the cover " Overland via Marseilles." An extract from the latest accounts from the Caucacns, published by the Russian Government, says, "If we consider the principal events that took place in those countries in the course of last year, we may hope that in a short time tranquillity and peace will be established on the right flank of our line. Soliman Effendi, Schamyle's friend, though he had collected a numerous band of followers, has not been able . to do us any inj u ry. The peaceful tribe of th e AbasTms placed itself under the protection of Russia. Last winter a deputation was on the way to St. Petersburgh to tender their submis sion to the Emperor. The warlike tribe of the Baschilbayess are become Russian subjects, and the insurgent Prince Lidof has submitted. Lastly, the for midable robber Alasehukin has fallen. Such a succession of favourable circumstances will tend to promote tran quillity and order in the right flank of the line of the Caucacus. Nothing further has happened that may tend to disturb the public peacein Dagh as t an , —Dutch papers, May 12, 1846. q u estion amicably, and al notice at his own discretion. THE OREGON NOTICE.—At length th e vote has been taken on the Oregon question , and Mr. Crittenden's re so l u ti on has passed the Senate by a vote of 40 to 14— all the 54 d eg. 40 m. men d voting in the negative. titleThs resolution, o le tionas amended an d passed, The intelligence was received hero yesterday, b y the magnetic tele graph, about twelve o'clock, and it was i mmediately sent by the hePre h s i l m de n t t o to give s the year's the O r n e British Consul, by a special steamboat exp ress, to reach the packet a s v o i sc' : authorises t sailing to Liverpool, and then lying in the lower harbour at that hour. The vote of the Senate is of the utmost importance. Some suppose it will be rejected by the House ; b ut whether rejected er not, it settles the Oregon question during the present Congress. It places in the hands of the President the entire control of the negoti ation, to he used according to his own discretion. It is the greatest and most potent element of a re-election that any President ever re ceived ; and the probability now Is, that nil negotiations, looking to a final settlement of this question, will be postponed or protracted for the next three years. The 54 deg. 40 m, men will be perfectly satisfied with the result. Mr. Polk, with the peculiar influences surrounding him, can now spring the Oregon question upon the country whenever he chooses, and thus secure the decid e d c h ances of a re-election. We shall have a peace with England for the next four years, but a terrible war among the factions at home. Great result this ! All President-making and humbug.—New York Herald. THE HUDSON BAY COMPANY'S TERRITORY.—TWO sergeants, two corporals, two bombardiers, and twenty gunners and drivers of the Royal Artillery volunteers, were selected yesterday afternoon and medically inspected at the Ordnance Hospital, at 'Woolwich, for special service on the borders of the Oregon territory, and will proceed about the latter end of the present month or begin ning of June for their destination, under the command of Captain Blackwood, promoted last month from the Royal Horse Artillery. The Terrible war steamer is expected to take them to America, with a supply of guns and stores. 3,000 excavators are also to proceed from various parts In this country, and assemble at a certain place on the Hudson Bay Company 's territor y. T HE NEW MONEY-ORDER OFFICE. —Yesterday the workmen employed at the extensive, building intended for the new Money-order Office, in St. Martin s-ln-Grand, commenced removing the scaffold poles, the whole of the side walls being completed. The buildin g ,-, from the base to the s um m it is 75 feet high. Thi s establish ment, when completed, will furnish acc ommodation for upwards of 200 officers in the Money-order department, and then the whole of the room at the General Post-office, now occupied by this important branch of the service, will be taken into the London district esta- M 114914, PUBLIC BATHS AND WASH HOUSES. The humble Petition of the undersigned Chairman and Deputy. Chairman of the Committee for promoting tie Establishment of Baths and Washhouses for the labour- iug classes, Showeth,—That the committee of which your peti tioners are the chairman and deputy-chairman was con stituted at a public meeting held at the Mansion-house, in the city of London, in October, 1844, and con sists of 230 members, many of them engaged in the most important professional and commercial pursuits of the metropolis, and several of them clergymen of its populous and crowded parishes. That your petitioners have been authorised by a spe cial meeting of that committee to present this petition to your Right Hon. House, as expressing the sentiments and wishes of that committee. That. the various recent official reports on the condi tion of the labouring classes, and on the state of large towns and populous districts, and the evidence on which those reports are founded, show that the dwellings of large numbers of the labouring population are painfully overcrowded, and that, in many places, the overcrowding is steadily increasing. That one of the consequences of such overcrowding is, in many cases, a total neglect of personal and domes tic cleanliness, leading, with the destruction of all cons fort, to intemperance. recklessness, and extr erne demo ralization. That in those :instances in which persons in sneh cir cumstances do not .abandon the endeavour to keep them selves and their rooms clean, they can rarely secure more than such an imperfeot degree of cleanliness as is insufficient for the due pre,,ervation of their health ; and that the damp alor.e, arislog from the washing and drying of their clothes in the rooms in 1 7hich they live, does constantly, and to a fearful extent, occ2sion or ag gravate disease. That not only the vast majority of the labou7ing classes in all large towns, but also very many of the h.' . dustrious classes whose occupations are not those of mere manual labour (such as clerks, shopmen, ware housemen, and apprentices), are unable, from the want of adequate facilities for bathing, to cultivate those habits of personal cleanliness which are conducive both to the physical comfort and to the sound moral state of the population. That, as a rule, the overcrowding of the labouring classes, and the general deficiency of means for personal and domestic cleanliness, are evils which are not attri butable to any misconduct, or even to any imprudence or neglect of self. control on the part of those who suffer from them, and which are wholly beyond their means to remove, and rarely within their power to avoid or in any sufficient degree to mitigate. That the lamentably injurious consequences to the comfort, health, and morals of the people, resulting from the want of proper supplies of water, the defective state of sewerage, drainage, and street cleansing, and the insufficiency of existing regulations for the preven tion of disease, which the recent official inquiries leave shown to affect large numbers of the people, have led to proposals for legislative measures calculated to better, in many respects, their present condition. That were these proposals acted on in the fullest ex tent, the overcrowding of the labouring population would be almost unaffected by the measures which have been suggested. That the most ample supply, to every room, of the purest water, at the cheapest rate, a perfect system of sewe rage, drainage, and street cleansing, and the most scientific general regulations for the prevention of dis ease, would still leave many thousands of the families of the labouring . population, compelled to live each in a single room, as unable at present to bathe there without a total disregard of common decency—as much exposed as at present to the destruction of comfort and injury to health from washing and drying their clothes at home —and scarcely more able than at present to procure the firing necessary to heat the water for bathing and wash ing, and to dry the clothes. That the cleansing of towns and houses, so far as it could be accomplished by the measures suggested, would not remove any portion of the dirt with which labouring men are, of necessity, in the ordinary course of their work, constantly brought into contact, Etna from which bathing and washing can alone free their pt rsons and their clothes. That while the committee acknowledge that the measures in question are highly desirable, and promise to be of great benefit, they confidently submit that other measures are necessary to promote the physical and moral improvement of the people. That the committee have made extensive inquiries among the labouring classes of London, and have as certained that, in general, the washing and drying of their clothes at home occupy the greater part of two days in every week, and in many cases, owing to the absence of proper accommodations, extend into a third day ; and that for the most part they are very im perfectly done. That the committee are Hilly satisfied that of all the means proposed for enabling the labouring and other industrious classes to cultivate habits of personal and domestic cleanliness, and to escape the injurious effects of washing at home, at the same time avoiding all inter ference with their feeling of independence, none is more promising of beneficial results than the general establishment in large towns and populous districts of public baths and washhouses, to be open at moderate charges. That experience has shown that those for whose ad vantage public baths and washouses have been estab lished gladly resort to them, and are willing to pay such charges as, when the establishments are in full work, may be relied on as sufficient to defray the expense of supporting them. That at the baths and washhouses which have been established at Liverpool by the corporation of that town, and which were opened in the month of May, 1842, the number of those who bathed in the first three years was 41,788, and in the first nine months of the present (the fourth) year, ending in February, 1846, was 14,562 ; and that during those three years and nine months 44,115 persons washed there upwards of 1,000,000 articles. That the accommodations at that establishment were found to be so inefficient to meet the wants of the town that the corporation of Liverpool are erecting a second establishment there (at an expense, beyond the value of the land, of about 6,5001.), which is to be opened in the course of a few months. That at Glasshouse-yard, near the London Docks, a small establishment of baths and washhouses has been open about 11 months, for the use of the very poor ; and though the accommodations there are so limited that sometimes nearly 200 applicants have of necessity been refused admittance in the course of a single week, 25,123 persons have bathed, and 31,882 persons have washed 235,814 articles there during that period; and of those persons several hundreds have come from distances varying from four to six miles. That the Committee of which your petitioners are members are engaged in the erection, at Goulstone square, %Vhitechapel, of a model establishment of public baths and washhouses. That the building is to contain about 100 baths, each in a separate apartment, to insure privacy to the bathers —about 100 pairs of wash tubs separated by sufficient screens—hot closets for drying all the articles washed, and accommodation for ironing part of them. That the baths are to be of two sorts, about four fifths of them being for the labouring classes ; and that every bather is to have an ample supply of clean water. That the charges at the baths for the labouring classes, including the use of one towel for every bather, are proposed to be a :d. for a cold bath, and 2d. for a warm bath. That the charges at the other baths, including the use of two towels for every bather, are proposed to be 3d. for a cold bath. and 6d. for a warm bath. That the charges at the washhouses are proposed to be such as to enable the week's washing of a labouring family to be well done, and the articles washed to be dried rapidly, and so as to insure thorough ventilation and the destruction of all vermin and infection, in about three hours, for about 3d. That the use of the wash-house, on such terms, will not only wholly free such of the labouring classes as resort to it from the constant discomfort and frequent injury of washing at home, but will also effect an impor tant saving to them in time and money. That calculations, made on the basis of actual experi ence, show that those proposed charges will, when the establishment is in full work, be not only amply suffi cient for its support, but will leave a surplus at least equal to the interest of the capital sunk in its erection. That the receipts of the establishment at Liverpool have been, for the first year, 1591. ; for the second year, 2801. ; for the third year, 332/. ; and for the first three quarters of its current year, 325/., exceeding its ex penses (exclusive of improvements and repairs) during those nine months by more than 30/. That the average expense at Glasshouse yard is fraction less than threehalfpenee a-head. That the Legislature has recognised the propriety of taking measures, under the sanction o f spec i a l l aws, and at the public expense, for promoting, no t on l y t h e h ealth of the people, and their physical comfort, in matters nearly relating to their health, but also their instruction, and (in such instances, for example, as the British Mu seum, the National Gallery, the Victoria Park, and borough museums) their national amusement and re creation. That the want of personal cleanliness is constantly found, by those who have to endure it, an insuperable obstacle to their availing themselves of opportunities, otherwise within their reach, for obtaining instruction, whether religious or secular, and indulging in rational amusements and recreations. That for the reasons which your petitioners have stated, as well as for others which will readily occur to your Right Hon. House, the Committee are of opinion that it would be highly desirable for the relief of a vast proportion of the inhabitants of large towns and popu lous districts, from evils now incident to their social po sition, and from which they cannot relieve themselves— thati t would add greatly to the efficiency of other mea sures proposed for the welfare of the people at large— and that on the ground of public principle and national policy of duty and expediency, it would be right—to facilitate by law the establishment of public baths and wash-houses, and their support for a limited period at the public expense. That your petitioners respectfully suggest that for this purpose it would be proper to pass a law, enabling such boro►ughs and parishes as might voluntarily resolve on adopting its provisions, to establish public baths and wash-houses for the use, at moderate charges, of their respective inhabitants ; for that purpose to obtain loans as for other public works, for the repayment of such loans, and the support of the establishments during such a period as may be necessary for bringing them into full work, to impose moderate rates, and to carry the income to be derived from such establishments (which, when they are in full work, may be reasonably expected to leave a yearly surplus over expenditure), to the credit of the rates. Your petitioners, therkre, humbly pray that your ;-;-= .0 Right Hon. House will be plc used t -'d pre ive mises your careful considerati /3..11" t" • take such 'mea sures for promoting the goner. es,"ablishment, it large towns and populous districts of public baths and wash houses, as to your wisdom shall seem meet. And your petitioners will e ver pray, &c., WILLIAM COTTON, Chairman. WILLIAM HAWES, Deputy-Chairmann. POST_QFFICES OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE. Additional Article: to those agreed upon between the Post-office of Grt 411 Britain and the P os t- o ffi ce of France, for carrying into execution the Conve n t;,, o o f April 3, 1843. v granted. by the At 49 In pursuance of the powc and 87 of the Convention of April 3, 1843, betwe en France and Great Britain, to the two Post-offices, to settle the matters of detail, which are to be arranged by mutual consent, for ensuring the execution of the said Convention. The undersigned, duly authorised for that purpose by their respective offices, have Agreed upon the following Articles : Art. I.—Letters originating in the United K;ngdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the British colonies and possessions, for the Grand Duchy of Baden, shall be transmitted through the Post-office of France, unless especially directed to be sent by some other route. They may be forwarded to the said French Post•office, either unpaid or paid, to their destination, at the option of the senders. Art. ll.—Reciprocally, letters originating in the Grand Duchy of Baden, addressed to the United K , fi ando ffie e o possessions, France, u shall s b e e s transmittedr e e t h t e r d o u t g o h dom of Great B r it a i n an d I re l an d , the Br i t i sh e ies route.may British o som eo i th ,o e s r t-offi They ce,d b t e l 1 1 :t o s b t ; be forward either unpaid or paid to their e todesthtie nation, at the option of the senders. 1 Art. lll.—The French Post- o ffi ce s h all pay ra I British Yost-office, for postage on unpaid lette rs °ng Ire land, !o. n the ih s.t in the United Kingdom of Great' Britain arlcl t • the British colonies and possessio ns , a dd ressed to land, Ni Duchy of Baden, namely :-I s t. O n letters the Gra. Kingdom of Great Britain and I re l and, from the L. at the rate of i per ounce British, net weight. 2 n d. On letters from t he British colonies and possessions (but . only from the port -if embarkation in the said colonies and possessions), at therate of 3s. 4d. per ounce British, net weight. There sl. all be added to the rat e o f 3s. 4d., fixed as above, that of I. , for the internal postage of such of the aforesaid lette. ° as are forwarded from Jamaica (those coming fr 011& Scotia, Kingston excepted), Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Prince Edward's Der ounce Island, and Newfoundland, mak. l ng in a ll British, net weight. Art. IV.—The French Post-office' halls likewise pri7 to the British Post-office for postage' on letters origi nating in the Grand Duchy of Baden, which shall be paid to their destination in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the British colonies rind posses sions—namely, Ist, On letters addressed to ale United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, at the roe of ls. per ounce British, net weight. 2d, On letters ad dressed to the British colonies and possessions (btu Paid only to the port of landing in the said colonies and p.os sessions), at the rate of 3s. 4d. per ounce British, ne,t, weight. There shall be added to the rate of 3s. 44. fixed as above, that of Bd, for the internal postage of such of the aforesaid letters as are addressed to Jamaica (those addressed to Kingston excepted), Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince. Edward's Island, and Newfoundland, making in all 4s. per ounce British, net weight. Art. V.—The British Post-office shall pay, on its part, to the French Post-office, for postage on unpaid letters originating in the Grand Duchy of Baden, and addressed to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the British colonies and possessions, at the rate of lf. 60e. for every thirty grammes, net weight. Art. Vl.—The tßritish Post-office shall likewise pay to the French Post-office, for postage on the letters originating in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the British colonies and possessions, which shall be paid to their destination in the Grand Duchy of Baden, at the rate of If. 60c. for every thirty grammes, net weight. Art. Vll.—The inhabitants of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the British colonies and possessions, and those of the Grand Duchy of Baden, may, reciprocally, send registered letters. The postage on such letters must in all eases be paid to the place of destination. VIII.—The sum for which the two offices of France and Great Britain shall snutually account to each other, as regards the postage of registered letters, sent either from the United Kingdom and its possessions to the Grand Duchy of Baden, or from the Grand Duchy of Bade?t to the United Kingdom and its posses sions, shall be dortble the sums mutually fixed upon by the preceding articles 4 and 6 for ordinary letters paid to the place of destination. Art. IX.—The French Post-office shall pay to the Post-office of Great Britain an uniform rate of 3s. 4d. per ounce British, net weight, for transit through the territory of the United Kingdom, and for sea convey ance of the paid letters originating in the Grand Duchy of Baden, and addressed to colonies and countries be yond sea, wherever the same may be situated, when for warded by the French to the British Post-office, to be conveyed, either by private ships, by Governmentvessels, or by vessels freighted or maintained by order of Go vernment, from the ports of the United Kingdom. The same rate of 3s. 4d. per ounce British net weight, shall likewise be paid by the French Post-office to the Post office of Great Britain for sea conveyance and transit postage through the territory of the United Kingdom of unpaid letters originating in colonies and countries be yond the sea, wherever the same may bo situated, ad dressed to the Grand Duchy of Baden. It is, however, understood, that in the rate of 3s 41 per ounce British, fixed as above, for sea conveyance and transit postage through the territory of the United Kingdom, of the let ters described in the two preceding paragraphs, the rate with which those letters may be chargeable for internal postage in the said colonies and countries beyond sea is not included. Art. X.—The Post-office of Great Britain shall for ward to the French Post-office, free from any chage for postage, newspapers and printed papers, originating in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and addressed to the Grand Duchy of Baden. Art. XL—The Post-office of Great Britain shall pay to the French Post-office, at the rate of four centimes for every newspaper, for transit postage through France of newspapers originating in the Grand Duchy of Baden, and addressed to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Art. Xll.—The Post-office of France shall pay, on its part, for transit postage and sea conveyance of news papers originating in the Grand Duchy of Baden, and addressed to colonies and countries beyond sea, when forwarded to the British Post-office, to be conveyed either by private ships, by Government vessels, or by vessels freighted by order of Government, from the ports of the United Kingdom, the following rates; namely:-Ist. On newspapers addressed to colonies and countries beyond sea, wherever the same may be situ ated (those addressed to Canada excepted), one penny each. 2d. On newspapers addressed to Canada, three halfpence each. 0 Art. XIII. The Post-office of France shall likewise pay to the British Post-office, for sea conveyance and transit postage of newspapers addressed to the grand Duchy of Baden, and originating in the colonies and countries beyond sea, and brought in any manner whatsoever into the United Kingdom or the Channel Islands, the follow ing rates; namely:-Ist. On newspapers originating in the colonies and countries beyond sea, wherever the same may be situated (those coming from Canada excepted) one penny each. 2nd. On newspapers originating in Canada, three halfpence each. _ _ _ Art. XIV. The forms of letter bills and acknowledg ments of receipts, for the use of the respective offices of exchange, beginning from the first day of May next, shall be made according to the forms agreed upon and annexed to the present article. Art XV.—The present articles shall be considered as additional to these agreed upon between th o e f two offices for carrying into execution the Convention_l 1843, signed at London the I s t May fol owing ) r i and , tshhiartilletchomdeayionftothoepsearmateiomnotnhteh.filvrAsG.tpuLdpEnarnyio:tveoedifdA3liNay, 1846. Done in Duplicate, and signed at Paris the twenty-fifth day of the month of March, 1846, and at London the (Signed) MAI3E RLY, Secretary of the Gen. Post-office of the United Kingdom. Postmaster-GeneralSigned ofBTth'e [ADVERTISEME ]— s Real Head Gentleman, of Hair, or Invisible Ventilating Peruke, is so close a resem blance to nature as to defy detection ; and to enable anv gen tleman to see the effect, a large assortment is always kept for inspection, any one of which, if approved of, saves the purchaser both time and trouble. These splendid specimens of the per ruquean art, superior to anything to be obtained elsewhere, either in Paris or London, have only to be seen to be admired, and are the sole invention of Ross and Sons, 119 and 120, Bishopsgate-street, London. N.B. Splendid hair-cutting apartments on the ground-floor, the whole of th e wa ll s b e i ng lined with looking-glass a / a mode de Paris. To THE SPORTING WORLD.—The sale of Bell's Life in London exceeds twenty-four thousand. Bell's Life is published at 170, Strand, every Saturday, in time for the afternoon railways. Bell's Life, May 17, will contain a full report of the pugilistic contest between Gill and Norley. [ADVERTISEMENT.] —DEAFNESS AND 'DEFECTIVE VISION RELIEVED, 39,1 ALBERMARLE-STREET, PICCADILLY. —.Newly invented acoustic tubes, for relief of extreme deafness, and n hen inserted in the ear cannot be perceived by the nearest observer — they are entirely different from all others, and are the smallest hear ' ing instruments constructed—measuring only a quarter of an inch in their widest part; they may be securely adjusted in the ears unob served, and removed therefrom with as great ease and facility. Per sons are enabled to join in general conversation, and to hear most distinctly in a place of worship, &c., and what should be greatly considered, a natural expansion of the cavity of the ear is preserved —a thickening or contraction of which in many instances is par tially the cause of deafhess—and by their use the unpleasant sen sation of singing noises in the ears is entirely obviated. Also im proved hearing trumpets of every description. Immediately the newly-invented spectacle lenses are placed before imperfect vision, either by day or candlelight, that mist and dullness which appear before the eyes is at once removed, every object becomes clear and distinct, so that the most aged defective sight becomes bright and brilliant, and is brought to its youthful, natural; and original state. Also the most powerful achromatic telescopes, opera glasses, and microscopes. Caution—Messrs. S. and B. Solomons, opticians, are not in any way connected with a person of the same name p in re t v h e e n ir t immediate neighbourhood, nor in any part of the country. T m tre ls e t t a , k ri es e , ca be d c ill a y u , ti o o p u po s, s a i n te d t o h b e se y rv or e— H on o l t y eL to be had at 39, Mlle ° rmarle- GENERAL DEBILITY, CURED BY - SHORTNESS OF BREATH, AND • name of Spencer, residing for he f al or th m , a a l l l l 3 cl [ADVERTISEMENT.] —PALPITATION OF THE 11EA H R O T T: was LowAy's PILLS.—A gentleman of the years in the East India Company ' s the present in Sackville-street, Dublin, and service, heart being frequently so was even at death's door, the action w in h t o o violent as to cause, lyin g d own, the very bed to shake; and, again t hunt • h may now be seen oat ing, in t e lhllest from shortness of bwreahetnhlaYnind-ddebility he could scarcely walk twent; yards. This gentlemanaving been cured by the surprising virtues of enjoyment of health, h Holloway's justly by every chemist, celebrated Pills, which are sold and at Professor Holloway's Establishment, 244, Strand, London. Mr. Smith O'Brien yesterday received the deputation fro m the '32 Club appointed to deliver to him the address of that society. The Hon. Member returned an appropriate answer, which bereettested the deputation to deliver to his brethren, anti the depu town :Writ! S THE RELIGIOUS TRA 21:C-.11t2wr.,; TO THE EDITOR OF -1.?! day on_ T so li m e e re . i m at a e rli c s orn yo m u u ru ni a c l a ie tio in n. • 1_ /41, tvev4 l.4) Society and Mr. Hume, are conclud e O 4( . , :4'relf l ito of a fear that the gnat philantisropiceresstentv3_,o: Lions of the day are becomieg gratfirgyAnt, ott, same time, totally perverted from their (Akashi eldt4:k. ter. lam not much acquainted with these societies ge nerally, but there is one; respecting which as a London Missionary of some years standing, I can give you some information, which, I doubt not, the religious public at large will consider of no little importance. The Society to which I refer is the Religious Tract Society ;. and the pare;eulars referred to as follows I have no doubt yortr publication of, and remark upon them, will be of signal s ervice- I. The materielitmlf, furnished by this society, is of the most inferior description. It is entirely behind the age. Sometimes the tracts are written in a spirit which is positively mischievous : such, for instance. as snore of the tracts on Ron - lenient and Puseyisun. Some times their theology and logi c are alike letd. Only lately I car r i e d a tract on e:ti of those subjects to en eminent dissenting minister, under wheel I am labour ing, and asked him, after reading it to him, whether I could circulate it ? Ills answer Irae to this effl:et— " Decidedly not. The argument has no more to ds with the point argued than it hes with any .other point. The texts of Scripture cited have no bouriug whatever on the proposition they are meant to support." If I had given the tract to a Romani, t he would have laughed at me. Again, a vast proportion of the thought in them is lucre twaddle. Men, used to the downright matter of-fact ways of the world, feel it a degradation to be schooled by professors of the theology of the nursery. Having become men, and put away childish things, like the Apostle, their religious intellect will not submit to be made any longer conversant with the things of God and immortality, only through the most puerile associations. I confess, with all my in eradicable biasses in favour of _men set apart to holiness and God, I often, as I look over a lot of tracts, have this notion pass through my mind—" Well, the writers of these are very good men, but really they are very silly ones." Now, Sir, you may imagine what a wretched a s t . th i nghe ß si o et o i k n s o is h fo ins r h a an m d i s. religious missionary to have daily to penetrate through the ph a l anxes o f i n fid el i ty w i th such weapons by the Soci ety . In fact, it ha 3., and is so resistl ess as a monop el s u u t b i l i i e s t c t x s ta , nerf o neb f di t extended universal itself so widely, trade, that I think i t very quesotiy nl really keeping down b oo k s of°avieviri s hethi! it is not p t i r h i e t- s t o i s r i r t l i n r g e character in religion at a cost greater than gain of its labours and influenc es . Booksellers speak p of it as a perfect nuisance. A very valuable book is offered them ; they would like to publish it, but dare not. This great religious book monopoly has its agents in every town, its advertisements in every room, its brokers in every pulpit. It has the market before them, and they - are afraid to speculate. Men of business in Paternoster row even go so far as to say that the Tract Society watches their speculations, and if they strike out some new and lucrative ides, immediately simulates it by something of its own, divides the sale, and swamps their project. 3. Taking the authorised reports of the Religious Tract Society as evidence of fact, the governing body of the 'Society is too circumscribed. It ought to hive a committee of at least fifty members, annually eligible or re-eligible as may be, and the right of election should be so vested as to secure correct representation of the subscri,l,ers. We know that this Society pays very handsomely for its copyrights, and there seems something very extra ordinary in their being of such an inferior description. The public wants something m ore i n re t urn for its mu nificent contributions than the salarving of certain clerks and shopmen for doing the " duties" of a trade that answers its grand end in so very inferior a style. It appears to me, Sir, to have become our imperative duty to do one of these two thi ngs: — E i ther we ought to apply our subscriptions to securing a better materiel elsewhere, or insist upon this Society altering its pro ceedings. It was not meant to be a monopoly of trade in religious books, underselling every body, and keep ing most valuable works out of the market. it was not meant to confine itself to the mere function of instructs ing babes, or to supply to the infidel and papist a shaft of scorn against the Christian missionary. But it was meant to be the vehicle of a printed course of religious instruction for certain classes, and that at least not be hind the age in soundness of sentiment and tone of expression. Excuse the hurried manner in which, no doubt, yon will detect this to have bean written, as I write it in a few minutes snatched from my dinner hour, and because my conscience has so long and so loudly importuned me upon it.—l am, Sir, yours truly. May 5, 1846. A MISSIONARY. GREAT INDIAN PENINSULAR RAILWAY COMPANY. (From the Bombay Bi-21Ionthly Times of March al.) The Committee of the Great Indian Peninsular Rail way Company have issued the following circular :—" The London Board of Directors of this Company, having resolved that no shares shall be allotted i n L on d on a f ter the lath of April, 1846, but that all sh ares formerl res`n- Ye d f or India which then remain unallotted shall I .',e allotted' in England, the provisional committee in Bombay, notwith standing the measures adopted for closing the list, will be prepared, in consequence of that resolution, to receive appli cations for shares in the Company up to the date now qie citied, after which no further application will be attended to. The Committee deem this a fitting occasion to intimate, for the information of the public, that the surveys and investi gations which have been carried on during the past few months by the engineers and other officers of the Company, have elicited results of a highly favourable nature, anti that the information now in their possession, as to the general features of the line, would have warranted far more flatter ing expectations, as to its advantages and capabilities, even than the documentary fact-, originally available, led the projectors themselves to entertain. The tract between Bom bay and Tannah is almost entirely devoid of engineering difficulties, while the country lying between the l a st- name d place, and the foot of the Malsej 'Crhaut, though of a more intricate character, will, it is believed, afford a fair average line, involving few works of magnitude or expense. The Ghaut itself, the examination cf which is nearly completed, has been found perfectly practicable; and though, of course, calling for appliances which are not likely to be elsewhere required, will, from all appearances, tax neither the ingenuity of the engineer, nor the funds of the Company, to nearly so great an extent as was anticipated. In the absence of the engineer's report, which is as yet delayed, of the surveys in progress beyond the Ghaut, the committee cannot speak po sitively with respect to that part of the line, but the unoffi cial information they have as vet received is very promis ing, and they have no doubt that this will be speedily con firmed by official documents. On the whole, therefore, as regards the physical examination of the country, the . pros pects of the project, as far as can be perceived, are in the highest degree encouraging. Influenced by this consideration. the Committee have resolved to usestrenuous efforts to begin the actual construction of some part of the works without delay, to which end detailed surveys of the country between Bombay and Tannah are in progress, which it is hoped will be concluded in sufficient time before the monsoon, to allow of the Committee taking advantage of that season , ( w h en active operations in the field will o necessity be suspended) to submit to Government the plans, selections, and other papers, necessary as the basis for an application for permis sion to commence the undertaking. Whatever direction the trunk line into the interior may eventually follow, the route to Tannah must certainly form a portion of it, and it has been determined to make this commencement le-s in the ex pectation of immediate profit than with a view to familiarise the natives of India with the construction and working of railroads, and to afford a school for the instruction of such artisans and labourers as the company may require to employ in their more extended operations. With resPect„Testa tisticalin- quirieshave details, it is only necessary the accuracy of the firm, in the most satisfactory manner, b - Mr. Chapman, and information collected in Englan 1 to menti t o c n o Za to eon t ' h data on which to found which furnished the projectors determined, the fruits of these in quiries- finally Rich the exact course of assume a._ snore definite shape, and; become wilt rcable to the solution of the question more directly applicable profit. The shot, e presents a most cheering view of the e ei m r apinrelillinnienairys calcslitionrs. of the prospects of the proposed undertaking ; and it seems quite clear that unless any obstacle should arise from o the proceedings Although the measures of Government—a co n ti ngency in the last degree improbable —a portion o f th e i ntended line of rail haerctoourse been of givenconstruction. littlew y will publicity ere has s long be h i t i of the company, it is evident that its officers have not bees idle; and there is, we believe, every reason to hope that before the com mencement of the rains, the survey of the whole sketch of country between Bombay and the Gun gathurree, will be completed. We are glad to perceive that it has been determined to commence the actual construction of the works between Bombay and Tannah at an early date. This is an arrangement, the judiciousness of which can ad mit of no question, for by its adoption the native artisans and labourers will become familiar with the details of rail way operations, and be enabled to execute hereafter, in a satisfactory and expeditious manner, works which must of necessity involve, in the first instance, some degree of difti. culty and delay. The knowledge thus acquired will soon be generally diffused, and in the course of a short time, we may expect to see at the company's disposal a numerous band of efficient workmen, available for employment at any stage and in any branch of its undertaking. We hear that measures are already being taken for marking out the course of the railway between Bombay and Tannah, and that a commencement has been made in the direction of Girgaum, so that any of our readers who may be desirous of inspecting the work will have an opportunity of doing so." DEATH OF SIR WILLIAM MILLER, BART.—We have to record the death of Sir William Miller, Bart., better known as Lord Glenlee, who expired, on Saturday morning last, at Barskining. Ayrshire. The deceased Baronet had arrived at an advanced age. for he was in his 90th year. He was son of thd first Baronet, the Lord President of the College of Justice in Scotland, and married his cousin, Miss Chalmers, daughter of Mr. George Chalmers. In 1789 he succeeded his father in the baronetcy, and in 1795 was appointed one of the Lords of Session, when he assumed, by courtesy, the title of Lord Glenlee. In 1840, from his increasing years and consequent infirmity, he retired from the judicial bench, after a strict attendance of above 45 years to the arduous duties attached to that high legal office. The late Baronet is succeeded by his eldest son, now si r Thomas Miller, F art. n er pro- lisonoinglritseciorivdegreedb.aroranckins,quN‘ihne.7.,esuterdd sense less, ACCIDENT oTnoFLrizi;TafEteNrALTn-tChOisLgOaNliaEiLit 1017111cel;TmEetOrwiTtililEs, s7e7ouliscassctildsci—it by being thrown from his horse (a spirited animal) t g t; a hl l ei l e ant Colonel had sustained - -a-we subsequently to the accident' while riding in llyde Park. The gallant Colonel was taken up se removed no very serious to noun-. slow barracks, the head-quarters of the regiment. injury, e n eTr ue r n r3r a t i . a e , a d ia d n i n c ed a i ° lt ai conveyeddea beent tnhi to SALE OF ANCIENT DRAWINGS. y by auction of a valuable collection of ancielit yesterday, a sale drawings, eminent masters of the German , Italian, Dutch, and Flemish by the most schools, the property o f B . Kertz Es q„ and the coll ec ti ons of Sir' q„ formerly i n th e A run d e l col de Ligne, the Cou n t d e Fries J. Reynolds, Sir P. Lely, the Prince , " & c., took place in Mr. Phillips' auction rooms, in New Bond-street. In this collection there are 230 draw ings, divided into 205 lots, of which number 118 were disposed of yesterday, the reinainhe ~ portion, the most choice, being for sale this day (Friday). Tile sale yesterday consisted of works by the early German and Italian masters. Among the fanner there were six drawings by Albert Durer, one by Hans Holbeln, one by Hemsklrk. one by Lucas Van Leyden, two by Lucas Cranach, &c. These were principally pen and ink drawings from the Fries collection, and sold for good prices. In the Italian school the drawings were more nu merous, comprising three by Michael Angelo, four by Annibale Car racci, twelve by Agostino Carracci, nine by Cignani, two by Cor ' regio in red chalk, nine by Guide, principally in red chalk and pen and ink; three by Claude, pen drawings, washed with bishe ; five, by Guereino, one by 'Murillo, pen, washed with black itik; eight by. Parmagenio, seven by Nicholas Poussin, and one by Gaspar Pouseiss. &c. &c. The subjects were principally of a religions Character. 6caat t au, but wire ['archived far the Britbh Maim. BRIDPO RT ELECTION. Mr. G. BANKES postponed his moti'n that Wm. Rockett be heard at the bar of the House till Tuesday next. He also on the part of Mr. Christie postponed his amendment till the samedn___ COUNTY RATES IN ENGLAND AND WALES. Mr. PRAED gave notice that he should move for leave to bring in a Bill for the more effectual making of County Rates in England and Wales. RAILWAY COMPANYS BILL. On the motion of Mr. HUDSON this Bill was read a second time, and was ordered to be read on Thursday next. FACTORY BILL. Mr. BANKES moved that the debate on this Bill be post poned to Friday next. Sir R. PEEL consented to take the debate on Friday, pro vided the Corn Bill and the tariff were disposed of by that day. After a few words from Mr. HINDLEY, who stated that Mr. Greg, who had written a pamphlet in favour of the Ten Hours Bill, had changed his opinions on the subject, and was now opposed to it, the debate was adj9urned till Friday next. The House adjourned at Half-past One o'clock. COURT CIRCULAR. Sir Robert Peel had an audience of the Queen yester day at Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty and her Royal Consort took their accus tomed early walk yesterday. His Royal Highness Prince Albert afterwards rode out on horseback, attended by the Equerry in Waiting, the Hon. Captain Gordon. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Alice, took their usual exercise yesterday in the garden f the Palace. The royal dinner party yesterday included her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, the Marquis of Nor inanby, the Earl of Liverpool, Lady Augusta Bruce, Baroness de Speth, the Bishop of Salisbury and the Hon. Mrs. Denison, Sir George Couper, and Colonel and Lady CAtherine Vernon Har,ourt. The band of the Sc , .ti Fusilier Guards was in attend ance at Buckinghatn Palace, during dinner, and under the direction of Mr. Boose, performed the following pieces : Overture, " Cheval de Bronze,"—A.uber. Waltz. " Nataiieu,"—Labitzki. Selection, " Ernani,"—Verdi. Polka, " Dobranoz,"—Fahrbach. Selection, " I Lombardi,"—Verdi. After dinner there was a concert. Her Majesty's private band attended at the Palace. The following was the programme of the performance : Overture, " Konig Stephan,"—Beethoven. Duet, " Du bist die Stutze defines Vaters—Madelle. Bockholtz and Herr Pischek (Joseph)—Mehul. Lieder, " Mein Kerz fist am Rhein," " Die Heimath,"— Herr Pischek—R-issiger. Fantaisie, Violincello, Mr. Drecholer—Franchomma. Sicilians, Lied, " Warnung vor dem Rhem,"—Mademoi sell,, Bochkoltz—Pergolesi. Bohemian National Melodies, Herr Pischek. Duet " Liebesfrubling, "—Mademoiselle Bockholtz and I I err Pischek—Speier. Mrs. Anderson presided at the pianoforte. 0,1 Wednesday evening the hand of the Royal Regi ment of Horse Guards attended at Buckingham-palace, during dinner, and under the direction of Mr. J. R. Tutton, performed the following pieces : Overture, " Stradella"—Flotton. Introduction and Trio, "Yes time will show"—Mountain Sy 1 ph—Barnett. Ist Movement and Scherzo, from the Septett —Beethoven. Selection. " La Peri"—Burgrnuller. Her Majesty the Queen Dowager took an airing in a carriage yesterday. Baron Dade!, Minister of the Netherlands, transacted business at the Foreign -office on Wednesday. The Commissioners of the Metropolitan Improvements had a an eting yesterday at the office in Whitehall-place. There were present Viscount Canning, the Right Hon. J. C. Herries, the Lord Mayor, Sir Robert K. Inglis, Bart., Mr. Alderman Humphery, Mr. H. T. Hope, Mr. Milne, and the Hon. C. Gore. Sir George Hayter, having her Majesty's gracious permission, left on the 12th for a tour to Italy immedi atelyaft erthecelcootmlite celebration of of his the mar riage.ivy The Judicial Council sat ellor Knight Bruce, the Chancellor yßeosltles.rdtahye.viTceh-ec Lords present were the Master of the of an appeal from British of the Duchy of Cornwall , and theecuJpuidegdethoef whole e ol A e Ad miralty Court. The Court was of the day with the hearing m ueen s Mr. Parker, Counsel, were heard. s at c to o r u n n e s y e o l, f a C ud am m p r b . e i l v i) ig v r . a G 7Q dman. , " Guiana, "MacraeQtiee Cn THE WAGIIORN TESTIMONIAL,—We trust that at length justice ►•ill be done to the claims of that indefati gable public servant Lieut. Waghorn, R.N. Among those who have recntiv signified their intention to become sub scribers to the Waghorn testimonial is Sir R. Peel ; thus show ing how highly he appreciates the exertions of Lieutenant Waghorn. Mav we not hope that those exertions, of which Sir Robert Peel has thus expressed his ap proval as a man, will be rewarded by him as a Minister. The subscriptions to the Waghorn testimo nial are the individual offerings of private gratitude for the benefits which we have each of us individually received through Lieutenant Waghorn's exertions in opening the overland route. But, over and above these individual bene fits, he has also bestowed great benefits upon us collectively as a nation, and has, indirectly, materially added to the power and the wealth of England. These are national benefits, demanding a national reward ; and for the sake of our credit as a nation, we trust that this reward great nation should give, and that it will be given at once. will be not grudgingly or tardily bestowed, but will be such as tiought np Itc the -Lond In a boat, which ( r i a ' a l i l i u se r:ia.')inoffiifig Th abou, a dozen of a ou 7 r e capital prices. greater portion was mackerel boats returned with a quantity of fish, from 100 to 800 on maxis sts , —Anvhion OffeNe.