The Sun. — London, England, 1846-02-03 00:00:00

.11 3 77 121 16 0 1504 1 9 ° 146'A 1261 , 1 116 10 5 _, 4 luv tniN oi' , ittp( l LO3 to , fi j , cots' aver° - , of Polf!cf: to 10 l e lo e cl ot t „J Oll re .; 11 5, oti i nat in Tor e ' e be p er r oeit 411 .te 1 of f Ta e r - ,e,0 Et 9te L ,00 GlAk 0 1 , t ier 6 re ..! d at 091 110° as ibil ,;,/DE its ;itie; fO r no tiCe d ir 'OA S lit ort a io ' te K ap •il de 00 s ot t° RAILWAYS. N AItRY BALDWIN pres , -tverl a petition, cony tbt t ,.:g, _that the Lancaster and Carlislo Railway pro " 441 not eiaraplivd with the standing order. reIVEIZIAL PARLIA.M . ENT NOTICES OF MOTION. 1-101.2.5 E OF LORDS, Moldp, Feb. 2. Mr.. WODEIIOUSE withdrew the motion which The Pasl. o f --:,/ L or d ' -HAFTEsBuitY, in the ainence of the stood in his uatne on the paper, and begged to substitute Chancellor,. i .. ort. took his seat on the Woolsack, at Five. county-rates, a return of local taxation, namely, poor-rates, a n t tt ,A.,IOYS present e d a.petition from the city of ounty-Lars , , hihway-rates, and church. rates, from the vL °rd, praying for the total and immediate repeal of the Yea's I' °- 'n. 1839. n °rn alai pievisivu laws. Mr. II AIVES moved for certain returns connected Lo PROTECTION. s ti ith the Post-coley, end w ith ti m b er . What the par thetr,2,,BE_ A UMONT presented several petitions from ticulers of the returns were w e c o u ld not hear, in corise me l e- Riding of Yorkshire, in favour of protection, , quence of the noise in the house and the very low tone bn , e_reossing great alarm at the measure propounded of the speaker. THE AYR AND GALLOWAY RAILWAY. 41unusGarvernment for the relaxatien ef the duties on Mr. CRAIG presented a petition against the Ayr and / sir , t icks but more particularly on corn R ISONIN.IG A 13RITISH. SUBJECT IN Galloway Balla - ay on the ground of non-compliance SARDINIA. with the standing orders. i n e T e h . e , NOBLE LORD also presented a petition from an ill)teeheenivriiateual named Henry Graham, stating that he had Sir C. NAPIER wished to ask the Right Hon. Ba ronet at the head of the Government if any compensa _ risoned by the Sardinian Government for no tion had yet been awarded to Mr. Pritchard, the late name o r, le, , sen than that that Government detested the Consul at Otaheite? Nee to li Sir ROBERT PEEL said that the Gallant Officer reaa se ,L t-Trah aint.—(Laughter.) After ten days he was was a -.lire that the question of compensation preyed their Lorclehips to adopt mela tereeent a recurrence of such conduct, in or, r was to. have been determined by two officers, one that a from the English, and one from the French navy. en eace P r'ene winee name, and nothieg else, might give Sir George 'Sea mour was appointed on the part li on f .,. 1 '° the Government, should not suffer inesreera of the English, and the French Government had also anything so trivial.-(In -mewed laughter.) Th e D PROTECTION. appointed an officer of high rank. The . conspensation that they awarded was not thought sufficient, and Mr. from se ti ke of BUCCLEUCH presented petitions Pritchard was accoedingly recpieeted to furnish some ithi.. _ 4 vend Protection Societies, praying their Lord additional information. He had not as yet given that es ot to adopt free -trade measures. Lord es RAILWAY COMMISSION.arranged. information, bat when he bad done so he (Sir R. Peel) the a s u ‘INNAIRD said he had moved for a return of hoped that the question would be satisfactorily Mr. B. COCHRANE begged to ask the Right lion. h of a i n nit of . fees which had been paid by the promoters In uc al lYay Bill in its progress through their Lordships' with ot "Tiler that the might be mule stequaitnetiintended to introduce any alteration of the law o Gentleman at the head of the Government whether he tee,That law compelled 'no hardships which were inflicte,l, both on those entail as it existed ' in Scotland? .. , t . those landed proprietors whose lands bad reeen et any th erns P e renneten a Bill and on those who ought to defend • th en 4 lees Irene the injury' which it was likely to do to ie pr o . the Bank of damage from railways, or otherwise, to deposit the In d eso Perte. He wished to sey, however, that he had money they received as compensation in Scotland. He (Mr. Cochrane) would take the liberty all pai e to detract from the advantages of railways to of suggesting that the landed proprietors should be theta "el.; indeed no one was more anxious to extend allowed ' to draw that money from the bank in order to asd ti More convinced of their great importance, lay it out in fencing, draining, and other improvements, ehi teee ° ?e would rejoice more than himself to find a which would be of great advantage to the next heir. th at r , 11 1 the opinions of the country with respect to S.r R. PEEL said that the Government was desirous !!'oule2t"ed be tees, th refore, anxious That every facility of giviog to the landed preprietors of Scotland the same ad so ai ingisen to the parties either promoi in ;or opposing vantages that the lauded proprietors o:'Eugland possessed. i,l) by the ge that they ought not to be deterred from doing Did the Hun. Member propose tint it should be oblige -ee p rf , , expanse, which was frequently the case under tory upon proprietors possessing entailed estates to de flPeu -ent sYstem as he found that one-third of the 11 se of carrying posit such money as they might receive from railway acne o e , a line through their Lordships' companies iu the improvement in land. The entailed Ile ao,ons svvanowed up by the fees of the House. estates of Scotland are subject to a variety of et:e arl : 4 'o Mention one case of particular interest:—One te in r ns ul s was formed with the supposition that the whole charges. By an Act called Montgomery's, and else by an Act passed last se•sion, called Aber -2C9000e of e cnistructing their line would be under favourable all the proprietors of land on tl e line wer deen's Act, the possessors of entailed estates are enabled to charge the reversionary interest, Nay coo to the project, and yet, because another cum' with a sum not exceeding two-thirds of the sum ex they go u t e etred that this line would interfere with theirs, Fended, in the improvement of the estate; they are also 1 3 .e . easi oner t i l P an opposition to it in Parliament, which enabled to charge upon the heirs of entailed estates a ier no e ` an additional expenditure of 15,0001. Thus ece • r elish in the certain sum as a provision for their widevve and chil , loone, world was there an increased cos; ete t h oo n to these parties of no less a sum than 15,000 . dren. In an Act, passed last year, called the " Lands Consolidation Act," the Lord-Advocate introduced a ne e of`'at, therefore, it was well worthy the considera when their t Lordships at this early stage of the session, clause similar in effect to the motion which he understood his Hon. Friend to have made. That clause gave power Ithethea the w re not oppressed by public business, *lnuit' have House shoule appoiut a Committee, which to the possessor of entailed estate, receiving money from railway and other companies, to apply that sum to that eo i ll e' re all the information submitted to it W its% 11 ." he obtained, with a view to ascertaining the discharge of those burdens which may press upon the heirs entailed estates. lie considered that the Or a C er it might not be thendvisable to appoint a Board . of his Hon. Friend would be fully answered by t h uilln ' i sston for purpose of decidine e Preli •upon all object kin : !irnary point ' • t ailway Bills. This sin priva e r the Acts to which he had referred. pow er 7 dune Without taking away the usual t e_ra . da obel,'_arli.an.ient,Mr. B. COCHRANE was not aware that these laws were generally understood. lie knew that the Board of _ „ Sir R. PEEL was not aware of any obligation to e h oe o Commission of last year was not thoughtconsidered deposit the money with Scotch banks. He eireaaistwatalted satisfactorily ; but he thought that that : mieht invest it in Government securities. of the a l l ) l a ce was in no respect owing to the constitution they THE MILITIA. assid aii , rd itself. He was well aware with what Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said, that as some misappre. P e rfor te Lj Noble Lord at the head of that Board had th at a° the d hension appeared to exist in the public mind with regard duties of his office. But he was convinced dic i - bil e c ould have worked . satisfactorilyunder thethe mode and time of calling out the militia, he would to ti ties with beg leave to a , ;oud wasweich he had had to contend. The Secretary-at-War (Mr. Sidney Herbert), whether it was requisite to ne ver put in possession of the information the intention of her Majesty's Government to call out ?_et i t w __ judge rightly of the merits of the case ; that body under the existing law, or to introduce a new ' 4 4 n i ut ild not follow that by a better arrange -la measure for that purpose? rid . e faults of that Board might be amended, f ro tul th_ benefits,HEßßEßTsaid the II in Gentleman was hoped ar' S. in i t ob e n which had been t il e m onth i 'metl. At the most, that Board had onlycorrect in supposing that a misapprehension prevailed in -ae i . ailiv or s i x the public wind in regard to this question. A. very im weeks for taking the whole of ' t distinction existed, and should be main illt° coenrases which had been submitted to them poteadu as th at w ,eration, , as to the embodying and the calling By the institution of such a board rained, t le of the militia force. In order to correct that and b- iluvt7h.he wished to suggest to their Lordships, igiitinito the the fault he had just pointed out, and e m n isapprebension, he now begged to say that it was the intention of the Government to introduce a new law, or .. ep ont 0 , neernernb ors of it a right to require an earlier rather to consolidate the present law, before taking any need i .) than Plans and sections, he believed that there ` s uch to great impediment to the appointment practical steps in the matter. He would take this a b a Commission'opportunity of stating, with a view to the re moval of e. hoar . for the formation of anfurther misunderstanding, that the public need give :Dull be ' and that the parties thus appointed itself no further trouble until the measures the Govern tways wiii rie to decide upon all the proposed rail ment intended to propose should have been developed. 7 !1 ( 1 1 ba nt . a . a great convenience to the puLlic In answer to a question front Mr. MITCHELL, which e er e was e improvement on the present system. a aeh e e Such a beard for the direction of hackney was V - and inaudible in tee gallery, kthat t ' pers ordered Sir R PEEL unclertoo cer a n ps eh th e ~ other vehicles, and he was impressed R. h ld be laid on the table to morrow. retig,,,;:elief that an approach to that' system of ar- by the Ease s l o ß u is , H 2 no e t would b S 1,-,IT DUTY. retei ,ht eof great common advantage. That of the ltlvs, but' t not only. , consider the merits of the new Mr. a O'CONNELL had seen by the statement of Gentleman opposite H Q , herei take the general mamgement of the old ones. ]tight ---en tlta very considerable reduction was to thei r de_l.Y.suitgestt:d this to Government, and looked for Exchequer) a e d in the duties upon all foreign spirits imported Inas, h, cision upon it at a fature period. One of his be to m this country. Ile would wish to know whether it ,cluriu,,stti last making. the proposition, was the fact that 1 _7 ,, proposed that any similar measure would bad li te : jas t session of Parliament, several companies w be introduced in reference to sprits distilled in Ireland he of th ree lett to great expense by the oppositioe The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER . said . en t h e li or four individuals interested in the . land, h was not prepared to answer the question . at pre Ba gge • nes * Now, if such a board asethat which thee la - s 'ed seer sent, as he had received no information on bled nuo son , eto send down two or three persons to the subject, but he would make inquiry. -3.5 in the country, they would be ena nto RAILWAYS. natise se `hairs such a report as would neu- M HODGSON presented petitions complaining that a ° le ,„ - of the expense. This would in the p r. moters of the Wandsworth branch of the London l'ariiiroYen.,interfere with the general powers of d Brighton ro Railway, and of the Guildford, Chichester, fe ctiu no n n end he believed it would give general satis min o• Tne other House of Parliament ' f t •oin in an P t th Railway had not complied with the and or smou . the Powers given to teette silt mig , i .etanding orders, which were referred to the Select Com te Legislature would s, and by these means ea e. Thero . mittee on Public Petitions. co the real facts of the - to the railway companies, be c°m '' in ed great advantages ELECTION COMMITTEES. Public, esptc'ally nr a i s es h arid more advantage to the The Clerk of the House then read over the list of sections were d • e had Honourable Members who were exempted from serving deposits proposed, plans and Tan was new a month or two sooner on Election Committees. r, quired 'there was also b y the standing orders. Sir ROBERT PEEL begged leave to claim exemp tl, a rmother great evil which had arisen from tion from serving on Committees, he being a Memleer th p . ;et standing orde s, the desecration of the Sab- of the Government.—Leave granted. interfere e was not one that would advise the House to The CHANCELLOR of tne EXCHEQUER claimed be left with Sunday travelling, as that to a similar right, which was also granted. It to thewas a matter public. N * good feeling of the shareholders and the COLONIAL SPIRITS. eitte• • ea the did he allude to the 30th of Novemb -r, know what were the , Mr. P. STEWART wished to . friithproce• dogs of that day, he believed d d intentions of her Majesty's Government respecting the , proceeded e „Reanjilopv,sight'of Parliament, and the officers of the duties now charging upon colonial spirits, 'l4ci a( , 1 ., T tide, according to competent legal advice, restrictions in force against the use . of spirits and mo eaded t t i tbe power of closing the office; but what he al- if he it lasses. He would not ask the question ev nt. it ens ,) was the practice in Scotland. In that country would interfere with the arrnngementsof 7 th . eG ernm w e hile rake noi,perative, on the part of railway compani« s, to The duty -on native spirits_ was . 5.10 d., c hur c h nonces for three successive Sundays on the that on colonial was 9s. 4d., making : a differen teeda 'writ's, and persons were required to be in at- tial duty of ls. 6d., or one . hundre dper cent. Pro pep r each day, to swear that the notices werethe attention of He rose for the purpose of calling he tha t ',Y ffixed. The coaseqUence of this was, the Right Hon. Baronet to these prohibitions, which th e o `Tring th e recent period of giting notices, found were untouched by the Right Hon. Baronet in his ttriaooe conveyances of the country were in new scheme of import duties. 11 11 44 Il na, and the feelings of the people were much Sir ROBERT PEEL rose, and said that her Majesty's 'aeule -e b t hY the desecration which took place. This Government did not propose to make any a t t erli. 1 Cons in the nene,,s avoided in future, and the expenses of serving duty on rum and molasses. The rates of Honourable England, duty in w /e ry much reduced, if the notice required to be Ireland, and Scotland he was sure the d tte mei e i tu as advertised in a newspaper, and placed once on tleman would not wish to see h altere there was no `seat l ' e ll door. The present delivery of notices caused legal prohibition to the use ofsi? articles ' as those alluded of sugar and ,e e , aPenses, by its being required to swear to its ser- to. There was no legal prohibition to the use .. ao ai r siere es regulations, which a registered letter might be made to molasses in distilleries, under certain for the f a r eil, h , a WaS required. There was one other subject it was necessary to carry into effect 41 ret,." protec en blamed her Maje ty's Government- it was tion of the revenue. —( Hear, hear.) t her e 'ace to the ril a de s - •*ts Whatever feeling DRAINAGE BILL (IRELAND). tan 'night 4, • . a • w giving osi • ' •• • - On the motion of Sir THOMAS FREMANTLE, that w ee exist against increased facilities to o de c e' e a l ), eulation' they should recollect the present this bill be read a second time, e fel it Ni. e ,,ling the deposits into the hands, or to the Mr. FITZSTEPHEN FRENCH said that he .r e ad .7 1 %1t ~-, ine Accountaii;-General, was a serious injury to his duty to oppose the Bill. He had not had tim to . ' l llues -s P c able • rt . in business, who never had been much of it, because it had only been printed that morn . t, st e n with an pa r d i es y schemes whatever. He knew ing ; he had, however, read enough of it to see that it 111 r lt respectableyal railway who had been often was one which the House should not sanction in its pre b` e ~. gentleman , i i b tali ractic e in getting . accommodation from sent state. There had been an attempt on the part of the p 4ll ru n g huutp ' tie City, yetlately had Commissioners, that had been appointed some years ago ' P ea r-nse dafter ' repeated applications, on the for the improvement of Ireland, to introduce a clause into 4) licl e , . floating capital had been a Bill for the drainage of that country similar to those in ..ilsorl b Cat ad the y deposits into the Bank of serted in the present Bill. Those Commissioners under all t° Pa h 'ing rail "1 " . of the Accountant-General. took to deal with matters which . they had neither the ali ti‘% -qe„. bins , e credit ability nor the knowledge_ to interfere with, and this fact nt securities ought to be r o3tit ee, aad i r Government das bank it was . that created the great complaints that were at , in o anion the were as goo ais e I bet his P ' ' • t inconve- that P time ex noised by the landowners of Ireland • and bce unless these were taken, g rea was the headof ' the Earl of St. Germans, who the Select t ilt a ad der . would take place. The a , s _s eel, large anninent Committ ebeing ' f ully inform ed of the intentions of the C mn. t ,,, Tl i.er , e, e . , h are , e ints of thesese they securities ; and d againt the introduction of the ciao .e missioners, protested ' t __ ii ii_ti liberate their floating capital, ought proposed to be introduced by them, for he saw that the 1 11 %4 "ed to transfer them to the Accountant- . P would be most extraordinary sought by the Bill e n t 'D th ofthe railway companies. powersinjurious e a -eti on , e had to the landowners of Ireland. The , and also b '''ATlt "e had to make was for a return of the . ... fil e of f e • ; Commissioners thereupon declared that the Bill, when ' n o _ tithi zi 4 .ticurred by the introduction of railway would be utterly use rived of the clause objected to, illi l l4 egitiigiatthe last eession of Parliament, upon peti- P of the less; bet the Noble Lord, who saw the injusticeheasure, and w diati n ,,,., fr Teh Bills, and how such fees . were amp- less; persisted in his opposition tot e Now m it ga teoti^ o ,"'sneig those pail upon each Bill. was the Bill was ultimately abandoned. flies agreed to.opposed tb i l " , l 11 0 \- ' I E UNITED STATES. on the same grounds that he (Mr. French) -eeti e ' tEA the Bill now under the consideration of the House. th e 1 / 4 . n to prod GLE rose to inquire if there was any head of te , ' , lir a uels •This Bill proposes to appoint a board, at the - Ki l of th - an Important document relative to ti e qw• sea e 'suited States of America. He wished gentle man for whom which was to be Colonel Jones, a . n e s I , eth ea tile he had the highest respect, and of whose abilities he to the produc e h e iZlere al , re was any ob j ection . . This board it is eent e a . en of nineeted with the American tariff e (Mr F. French) had the highest opinion. T InanAne en..CLREIMEEN rose and said, there was propose . public d is to take upon itself the direction of the give the des h e ralsnal in the request of the . Noble works of Ireland. ow, ea a N h -3 of opinion that the people of that country were perfectly adequate to super ooif the n o e ired i t1 : 1 no objection, notwithstanding, to p natend the drainage of their own property. Let the v i her V e juneun - a ` c ' k r ,lnation. He had received a copy ' House take a case where the owner of a th usand, The ‘ a -lesty' 'es”"'eli was well worthy of the attention li 3 ‘Jlox, acres of land, all of which the board should be of eta ° te • , rnment. nou, ue, • adjourned. opinion required drainin g, . but the proprietor objects The oC, . ,-, -- -- -----...10.--_ to the expense which this step would entail . on 1" SPR "P ( "OM VONS, Monday. Feb. 2. elr n. -ante ' s but he is then in him. He complains to the board, . . l ams ht setneu ann took the Chair at Four o'clock precisely. orneed that ho must .be at the exnse.d d Tis was in ee !Ent, ` Ile I te ,•',,` - 'N said he had several petitions which what he objected to; it gave the board a ll most absolute ' ll 'le ' - " e en presented to the House on Friday power to c rder the carrying out of any project ga e wished the n Petiti on te know whether any Member present- whi f h t 'eh they thought proper, regardless o w a n e le% . was bound to state that he received it on cost 1 fth l d to. The they put tle owner o e an y dis- Dr° Pe I' lb order t it? Could the petitions had 'sewer by this Bill not only of putting a _ Il k r y r ,_ ii 0 present 4 p c ,"e sp E , k „.„ ted on the following Friay? , . tress on his land—not only of charging 5 per cent. ad tine sena said thldpresent ditiona on any arrears 1 which might remain over unpaid, k r, It o n the v . at any Membersou. q i • R . BEio , riday following the previous Frtdat. but the y had also the power of leasing for ever, or ef of his land.— (Hear, hear.) I"ai si g°w, p • ' n ' I LLEY presented petitions against the selling off, every acre if aisle The 3', le n _ y, and Aar Railway, and the Glasgow, Now, he would oh ask the House this was a power Q4 _ y Oll. m in_ inarbuock, and Ayr Railway, with branches. that ought tube e given over any man's estate?' They (the t a trid a.n. L. , r also presented petitions against the landlords of _ Ireland) wanted not the assistance of 1 34 7. bud';;Tec . s, Henley, and another railway.reason he had opposed it the other 50,0001., and for that 1, ci .a h gh ...itS rese A 1 000,000/. had. been a tea y repai to t e % aim. and ziorth P nted a petition against the nun - night. . area:lice with ern Railway, complaining of non- United King o , ' d m with an additional 150,000/. interest e,..eti nt, the standing orders. the interest between three and five per cent. on the last n`ntlt e a ll s were r - ga,. •-w.il wit es;entecr against the London and three years. All the Irish landlords wanted was that 4 " "d the Y ' I/ t e York and North Midland Rail- some facility shoe should be given for borrowing money. If n a Peeti oa _ Manchester and Southampton Railway. the Bill were considerably amended in some of its he said, given to the landlords a • t 7re naihv.was presented against the North Stafford- particulars, and power, as . erida, eY, complaining of non-compliance• hthe borrow money for the improve . merit of their estates, e llt n etdere with to by a l% ItEleili ,.. then they wculd take care that such improvements were 4AD YOI ' . would be sufficiently paid treeing th of inhabitants Hen presented a petition, sinned made, and that . the labourers i; th t the et, w. i a the sentence of transportation passed on it that in this way landlords would be able to do more of the Com b! I "atnsand J ' hal l a D , , ones be remitted kkit, Ill\ and , ', from good than d that consider en Me of _ presented a petition the in- m i ss i o ners. It hadbeen s.l itnt Hamtneremith and Fulham experienced in work le • '°f the •i. - am against the en- able difficulty had been expe T et nio _ s ma itia. because two-thirds of the ing out this Act, + 0 u _ n , were presented in favour of Lord Ahl ' landlords its provisions. emare Bill.s ey a would not assent to Perhaps they had sufficient reasons for the adoption of t hi s course. They might not have that faith in the decisions of the Commissioners which o thers had. H had some experience in Irish matters , an d he could assure the Bight Lion. Baronet opposite tha t w ith out considerable modifications the Act we.uld be received with dissatisfaction by ad clegses in Ireland. Sir T.FREMANTLE said that it there was any man in the House who would take such a view of the case, as had just been taken, it was his Hon. Friend opposite. The expense might be greater than if it were performed by private parties, if the Board of Works super intended it; but it was necessary to have some authority to reconcile the coAlicting interests of different parties. The general impression was, that the Board of Works had performed their duties well and impartially, and they certainly deserved that great confidence should be reposed in them, and additional power was necessary, in order to enable them to carry out the duties imposed on them. He did not think this question was altogether one affecting private propi,rty. The Board of Works required the power to drain the land immediately ad joining the rivers ; the landed proprietors who lived at a greater distancefrom the river would then be induced to drain the rest of the land at their own private expense. ' When they find, however, the water dammed back by the proprietor of the thousand acres to whom the Hon. Member had referred as an illustration, it was not to be considered probable tat they would go to the expense of draining their property. Sir R. FERG USON considered that the alarming pruliminary expenses and the great power given to this Board under the Act was a very serious detri ment. to the successful oper4tion of , his Act. There bad been but two or three cases of drainal,e under the Act on account of these great expenses. These Drainage Commissioners, when they had prepared a schedule of what they considered necessary to be done, were not t2!en . bound by plans, schedules, or anything else: • H, thought thatno landed proprietor is England would consent to this meddling with their property. This Bill, without any exeeptien, was the most objection able that had ever been introduced into the House, with respect to 'rid :lid, and he hoped the Government would give it some further consideration before they proceeded with it. The Board of Works, instead of doing the work themselves, ought to compound with private individuals for its execution, and then they would prove themselves of service to Ireland. Under the present Systmn, however, their interference was seldom or never sought for, ex cept in the case of some old mill, which could nut be got rid of without their interference. Mr. O'CONNELL trusted that the second read ing of the Bill would be persisted in. He had no complaint to make of the Board of Works. They were ready enough to complain of things in Ireland, but he knew of no reason to com plain of the Board of Works, except it was the exorbitance of their prelimary expenses. But per haps this was more the fault of the Legislature than of the Commissioners.—(Hear, hear.) At no time was drainage more wanted in Ireland than at the present moment, for the waters were to be seen overflowing in all pa is of the country. He therefore rose to express his hearty concurrence in the Bill's being read a second time. _ _ PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND) BILL. On the question being put for the second reading of this Bid, Mr. F. FRENCH rose to object to the 6th and 7th clauses of the Bill, as those clauses would take all power and control out of the hands of the landed proprietors, and place it in the hands of the Commissioners. Sir THOMAS FREMANTLE said he intended to withdraw the clauses, and bring up another on the re ception of the report. Sir Robert Ferguson objected to the sth clause alto gether. It was quite unnecessary, and though the object might have been to give more employment, it would fail to have that effect. With respect to the compulsory powers which were conferred, he was of opinion that they should be restrained. He would again impress upon the Right Honourable Gentleman the propriety of omitting the 3d clause, as it would be perfectly unnecssary. Colonel CONNOLLY said he believed that the pre sent Bill would have the tendency of increasing the burdens of the people of Ireland. Under this measure landowners would have no volition or choice or power whatever. He should be sorry to retard in the slightest degre e the progress of the measures contemplated by the R ght lion. Baronet the Secretary for Ireland, and which had been brought before the House with such evident anxiety to ameliorate the condition of the people. of Ireland. If the measures were good, he should at once ask the House to pass the Bill into a law as soon as possible ; but he perfectly agreed with his two Hon. Friends on the opposite side of the House that the powers sought for by the Bill we. e far too compulsory. The Bill would, if passed in its present shape, tend to increase the odium which already attached to the presentments of the grand juries of Ireland ; the course proposed to be pursued by them, under the elevation of the Bill, would be a very injudicious course. In general terms, he begged leave to state his strong objections to the powers proposed to be given to the Irish grand juries, and be should therefore be obliged to oppose the Bill as it at present sto,d. Mr. O'CONNELL said he yowl with his Hon. Frind Sir Robert Ferguson that the compulsory powers proposed to be given by the Bill were highly objection able, but on the whole he was of opinion that the Bill would tend to bone& the people of Ireland, and it should therefore have his support ; and he was of opinion that the sooner it passed the better. Sir ROBERT FERGUSON said he felt it his duty to take the sense of the house on the fifth clause of the Bill. The Government, by the third clans", would have sufficient power with respect to the drainage of land; and he was there:bre of opinion, that it would be inju dicioui to add thereto the powers contemplated by the fifth clause. _ _ _ Sir THOMAS FREMANTLE explained. Mr. F. FRENCH said the Act gave an increased power in reference to the mode of constituting new roads ; and it was also desirous that that power should be extended ; but that was scarcely necessary., because even now the filling up of ruts in a road was an im provement of it. The sum to be thus expended was certainly very small, but the principle it involved wus one of great importance to the country. He would sup port the motion of his lion. Friend. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, it was well known that the operation of the grand jury Act as it at present exiitcd was this, that in all cases of new projects, or the improvement of existing public works, the Government paid one-half and the grand jury levied the other. It was also in the power of the magistrates and cess payers to call a meeting and consider the necessity of any proposed public work, or the improvement of an existing work before it could be carried into effect. Mr. FRENCH—Those subjects did not go before the grand juries at all. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he was aware they did not: the facts were as he had stated. Mr. SEIARMAN CRAWFORD considered that the Right Hon. Gentleman was under a mistake. As he understood the Act, this meeting of magistrates and special rate-payers was entirely uncontrolled by the grand jury. Altogether he disapproved of this system of compulsory assessments.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. A. HAMILTON thought that the Hon. Gentle man ought not to pnrsevere in his opposition. Sir ROBERT FERGUSON expressed his determi nation to proceed, and to take the sense of the House upon the clause. The House the divided— For the clause 97 Against Majority The remaining clauses were then passed, and the report was agreed to; and the Bill, with the amend ments, ordered to be engrossed, and read a third time to-morrow. HARBOURS AND PIERS FOR THE FISHERIES OF IRELAND. Sir T. FREMANTLE rose to move for leave to bring in a Bill for the grant of the sum of 50,0001. for the construction of piers, and the improvement of harbours, with a view to encourage the fisheries of Ire land. In doing this he felt it necessary to observe that off the extensive coast which surrounded that island, it was well known that there was an abundant supply of excellent fish. Several attempts had been made to in duce the peasantry to avail themselves of these means of subsistence, but he regreted to say, that in several in stancesgh owing tha ti v i e nse been desired, and he believed that it was those attemps had not been so successful as chiefly e t x o .e t r h ti e an o w ns tofthe profitable. necessary Therel means vas,itw t a o render s might true, a considerable want of enterprise, but it was hardly to be expected, that without the possession of the necessary boats that active spirit of industry could be induced. The boats which they used were only such as were fit to be launched from the beach, and if they had possessed any others larger there was neither quay nor pier from which to use them. In order to render such an attempt successful they must provide the means for landing from such boats as were fit to go out into deep sea, were the greatest uumber of the best fish were always to be found. Such fishing grounds were known to exist off all parts of the coast of Ireland, and he believed, that if in addition to the construction of piers and harbours the inhabitants in the b neighbour hooa of suchcr t s an w d er g e ea t r o , be provided would rovide to secure the benefit of the great advant a g es which la y with t p h r o the prompted ne cessarytedwithin their reach. He proposed, therefore, that the necessary quays and piers should be constructed under the superintendence of the Board of Works, for he bad learned that in consequence of the want of some such provision, piers had in some instances been constructed in very ill-advised positions, and in a very defective manner. With the consent, then, of his Right Honourable Friend, the Chancellor of the Ex chequer, he proposed that the sum of 50,0001. should be devoted to this object, to be expended in the course of five years, at the rate of 10,000/. a-year. He had anxiously looked at the means from whence this sum might be derived. The Board of Works might advance three-fourths of the whole amount, and the re mainder in certain proportions might be drawn from the localities which were to obtain the advantage of the grant. Those who were interested could not object to bear a part of the expense ; but yet the imposition of that expense must be laid on rateably, according to the nature of the country on which the money was to be laid out. By means of a grant from the Exeequer all difficulty in raising the funds would be obviated. He proposed, then, that competent persons, appointed by the Bard of Works and the Treasury, should make a survey, and on the Government being satisfied of the eligibility of a site for a pier or harbour, that th.. Board advance one half or one quarter of the necessary funds, as the case might be, and the other should be dream from her local sources. For instance, if the site chosen was one on the coast, which was occupied for no other chief object, then a certain small sun should be assessed' on the diatrict within a certain dis tance on each side of the new pier. It the way down to it communicated with any great road, so that the interior of the country was to share in the advantage then he would assess it on the land. If any town was to obtain the advantage he would levy, atter the rate of one-third on the poor-rate. Should the nature of the coast be such that the improvement of the harbour or the erection of the pier was likely to serve not merely ..,--- AIL. ' 10 0 $ ,)t TIIP. SUN', LONDON, TUESDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 3, 1846. the fishery Lot also the general commercisi community for the shipping and landing of gools, th.n he wou'd have an assessment through the agency of the grand jury of the county, whose ckci6ion must prove satis factory to all parties. Ile had also provided for the repair as well as the construction of these works, and this difficulty, he thought, was best met by the imposi tion of certain dues to be paid by thos3 using the piers and harbours, but yet he would not attemr, to make the use of them compulsory. It had occurred t , ) the Go vernment that much discouragement was felt by the Irish population in want of boats, nets, and all ether kinds of tackle requisite for their calling, and also from the want of places where they could wash their nets. He proposed, therefore, to advance a certain sum for the provision of these materials for their calling, and also for the erection of ho . uses on each side of the piers, which might be used by the fishermen, the use of which, however, should not be made compulsory upon them ; but if they did use them, they should pay a small sum towards the repair of the building. He was desirous of placing the construction of these several piers and the improvements of the har bours order the supervision of the Board of Works for instance ; and among others was that of Strangford, on the coast of Waterford, where great injury had been suffered by the insufficient manner in which the work had been executed. The Right lion. Baronet concluded by moving that the Bill be brought in and read a first time. On the motion being put, Mr. FITZSTEPIIEN FRENCH said that he was glad that these works were to be placed under the su pervision of the Board of Works, for instances had come under his own knowledge in which, from improper mate rials or construction, the building had gone to decay. He felt great gratification at the introduction of this Bill, and thought that it would prove of great advantage to the country, for so abundant was the fish off the Irish coasts, that it must ultimately, if properly attended to, tend to cheapen that commodity throughout the whole country, and by providing a healthful and useful em ployment for the people, tend in every way to promote their improvement in the national and social scale. So cheap was fish there, that a turbot could be bought at Kilkenny for half a crown, and all other kinds were equally low in price. Mr. ROSS thought that the Government were going about the matter in the right way, and were laying a good foundation for the prosperity of the people. With such appliances as were then proposed, there ought to be no want on any of the coasts of Ireland, for fish was in the extreme abundant all round the island. He had himself been a fisher in a small way on the west coast, where, to his oss n knowledge, as many as 20,000 her rings had been taken in a single night. He had himself taken as many as a thousand herrings at a single haul. Such a relief to the country must, therefore, prove of great commercial advantage, which in truth was greatly needed, as he had that morning seen a letter from his friend Lord Lurgan, who stated the people to be in great distress, and he (Mr. Ross) was consequently ex tremely glad that such a measure was likely to pass. Sir H. WINSTON BARRON was greatly gratified that the Government had brought this question under their notice, for with all the advantages of a finer coast for fish than Ireland, it was a fact much to be lamented that for many years past several thousand pounds' worth of fish, cured in Scotland, had been annually imported into Ireland. When the provisions of the Bill were fully carried out, he entertained little doubt but that not only would Irelandsupply her own populationwith fish, but that a large quantity would be cured there, and sent out to the colonies; and that when once the principle'were esta blished which was here laid down, it would prove emi nently enriching and improving to the country. He could himself bear witness to the decay of the works on the coast of Waterford, and that they had been in that condition for some years. He would only say, in addi tion, that be thanked the Right Hon. Baronet on the part of his constituents, for commencing this work. He did not however exactly understand the sum of 50,0001 being extended over five years. Did it mean that 10,000/. a-year was to be extended over five years? He thought it quite right, on every opportunity, to make use of the most urgent means to avers the progress of the famine and distress that were coming over this country. If any testimony was wanted to this fact, he could satisfy the House from a paper which he held in his hand. It was a letter from one of the guardians of the poor of the city of Waterford. It was stated, in the letter to which he bad alluded, as follows :—" Let it not be supposed for one moment that the potato crop is im proving. The disease has gone so far that the whole crop is rapidly approaching destruction. Our last ae caunts confirm this statement. The potato is becoming black and rotten at the core." He was more and more convinced that the potato disease was progressing, and that, in a few weeks, the people would be in a starving condition. He should not be doing his duty to his country or to her Majesty's Government, if he did not warn them of the danger that was coming on. To avert this threatened evil, the strongest and most energetic measures should be adopted. The facts he had stated were obtained from personal investigation as well as from the most authentic sources. It was his firm opinion that promo measures were absolutely necessary. He would press on tt e Secretary for Irela:id the great necessity of employing the people of Ireland b., ever ) means that lay i n his power._ Mr. - GREGORY wished to suggest a few observations. The Bay of Galway was extensively u:ei b a corpora tion of tish.•rmen for the salmon fishing. By the laws of the corporation, no person was permitted to fish in the bay except by their permission. The people of the sur rounding country were, in consequerc , ?, frequently prevented from obtaining the subsistence which they might obtain were it not for the obnoxious right of the corporation to exclusive fishing. The tyranny of the corporation was carried to a great extent. He would mention one instance that occurred very recently to a friend of his (Me. Gregory). This gentleman introduced the troll nets, against the use of which a great antipathy existed. By its means a great abundance of fish was supplied, amongst which the sole was furnished, which fish had never been caught in the bay previous to the use of the troll net. When the fishermen heard of this, they immediately conspired together to destroy the nets, and it was only by the personal interference of the gen tleman himself that no greater mischief was effected. If the Government afforded sufficient protection to the persons engaged in fishing, it would be conferring a great benefit, and he was p er f ect ly conv i nce d th a t t h e Bill of his Right Hon. Friend would have a very bene ficial effect on the interests of all those who were con cerned in the fisheries of Ireland. Leave was then given to bring in the Bill. LOCAL TAXATION. Sir JAMES GRAHAM said that, in consequence of what had fallen from the Hon. Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume) the other evening, he (Sir James Graham) had endeavoured to frame a return of the local taxation in England, Scotland, and Ireland respectively. He was anxious to lay upon the table of the House the returns for 1826, 1833, and 1841, distinguishing the amount levied on dwelling-houses from the amounts levied on other property in England. The returns were then moved for, and laid upon the table. SEA FISHERIES (IRELAND) BILL. On the motion of Sir T. FREMANTLE, The Sea Fisheries (Ireland) Bill was read a second time. The House then adjourned at a Quarter past Seven o'clock. AIODERN CHINESE. (From the Chinese Mail.) KEYING'S VISIT TO HONG-KONG. On Thursday, the 20th of November, about sunset, the Vixen steamer arrived with the High Imperial Com missioner Keying and suite, accompanied by the Hon. Major Caine, Chief Magistrate ; A. W. Elmlie, Esq., Secretary to the Superintendent of Trade ; and the Chi nese Colonial Secretary, the Rev. Charles Gutzlaff, who had been deputed to proceed to Canton for the purpose. A considerable number of the inhabitants and a croed of Chinese were in waiting at the Commisseriat to witness the landing, which took place under the British salute of a Minister Pl-nip)tentiary. His Excellency gas re ceived by the Commandant, who, along with his aii es de-camp of the Governor and General, conducted him to a spacious residence inothe Queen's-road, which had been handsomely placed at the the disposal of Go vernment for the purpose. As the barge approached the wharf, the Chinese band " pour'd around a torrent of shrill sound," and on Key ing's stepping ashore three g . gagtic crackers were fired oft; which we presume is the Chinese method of saluting. Having seated himself in his chair, an attendant with a brush having dusted the soles of his immense shoes, and the materials of a procession, composed of English, Chinese, and Indians, proceeded along the road, produc ing a picturesque effect with more charms fora painter's eve than for that of Mr . Inspector May. The motley assemblage certainly did not '- stand upon the order of their going," and they seemed to be actuated only by the sentiment of the Fr ench soldier s in Henry V.— e l r li like that of Chrononho tuntholo g os " rou gh music," and t a king due advantage of their p ositio n to let their in struments be heard. T here were also m en bearing aloft t h e eha devil d take order crowd n o% w l) a Chinese band, making Navasw ll s well th e th rong ." pavilions, such as our read ers at ho me may see on por celain cups and lackerod ware; min g led with these were others carrying large boards on their shoulders, inscribed with Chinese characters, which may have been intended to set forth the titles and dignities of the Commissioner; and the hare feet and tattered ap pearance of the fellows themselves might also have been intended to mark the contrast between the great men .and their pursuivants. The guard which f o ll owed must have been one of h onour solely; for their weap.ins, of all imaginable shapes, were merely of painted wood, the blades being ornamented with gold leaf and tin-foil. The executioners may be considered as forming a part of this group. They were clad in sober coloured frieze, with grey hats shaped precisely like those of the guards, and each armed with a whip or other instrument of corrective justice. At some distance followed a body o f sepoys with their band, sadly puzzled to keep dine or tune with another Chi nese . one , immediately behind, consisting of eight performers on , •and wind instruments gongs, cymbals, ; for it must be remarked that all the available music wa s to be heard to gether, mingled in one inharmonious whole. The prin cipal wind instruments were in shape like a flageolet with a child's brass trumpet stuc k to the end of it, emitting a sound precisely like the cha nter of a bagpipe without the drone. Then came Keying in a large, comfortable sedan chair, borne by eight coolies, and guarded by a body of police ; and behind were the nffieers of the mili tary staff of the colony, and a series of chairs, having mandarin; of superior button and unquestionable feather, down to others who had nothing to distinguish their rank except the comp my they were found i n , In front of the mat shed, which we still dignify with the sane of church, a number of ladies seated on coaches attr.cted the special regard of the Minister. As he ap proached his residence, a detachment of the 42d Native Infantry contrived to make the way comparatively clear, and at the door he was received by Captain Bruce, As sistant Adjutant-General. The next forenoon the Governor, accompanied by the Major-General and military staff called upon Ke.iing, who received his visitors with his accustomed graceful urbanity, embracing his Excellency and the General. Being a visit of compliment, Keying was not forgetful of the usual forms of Chinese etiquette, and when the com pany rose, he condueted the governor to the outer door, and took a ceremonious leave. d e s vthe Atercnni visit fired rs f snrdei o egrtt u hiaio r niewt n whonahe' sevencrttiul nrs o pi et governor'scvecs dnua i • t n ani ei line sni the,nree front rav, oici afterwardsai denhfln f w * t t ar e tgtoe r i lohi n efse o i timaatitQhnsi flag-stab. ef.neu, t taeet h ne ietenp:o;Cresom, troops,. asrip i eno n a vngaTn e otdwi s i;:n e l heedegt returned)hon. artillerynettirhn t they toiyno_t. thetf o o touching him m n cession, which was again repeated. The corps next broke into columns of subdivisions right in front, and marched past in review order, the officers saluting the governor and Keying, who, with the other mandarins, made their acknowledgments by touching their caps. When the troops had gained euffielent space beyond the saluting flag. they halted, counter-marched, and marched past in quick time ; and on arri% ing n n their former ground they again halted, counter-rrarehed, and marched home to their quarters. The Chinese seemed much interested in the display, and frequently asked ques tions about the purpose of the various evolutions. Be fore returning to their chairs, on the suggestion of the Majer-General, they proceeded to the esplanade to witness the artillery unlimber, limber, and fire their duns. When the soldiers were seated on the riis. mounted guns and carriages, Keying was very curious to know what this meant ; and on the officer applied to !laving said it was to conceal the men and guns from the enemy when there was reason to fear they might be overpowered and taken, Sir John Davis suggested to Dr. Gutzlaff that it might be as well to omit in his interpretation all reference to fear in connexion with an English soldier, In the evening Keying and the mare distinguished members of his suite dined at the governor's, where they net the general, admiral, and heads of departments. About nine o'clock a party of ladies and gentlemen assembled, and dancing was shortly afterwards com menced. Ono of the Chinese, a membn. of the Imperial family, offered his arm to a lady es cavalier, and had ,he not apparently misunderstood his meaning. would probably have helped to form a set at a quadrille. As it was, he frok the arm of an aide-de-came, and stood i)eside one of the dancers, keeping time with head, hands, and feet, and eaggishly ogling the ladies. A quadrille is at best a monotonous affair to lookers-on, and the polka, or better still, a Highland reel, would probably have offered more charms to the Chinese, except perhaps one old gentleman with immense Pickwick spectacles, who, seated between two ladies, deliberately filled his pipe and puffed away, in happy indifference to all that was passing around. Keying, feeling a little fatigued with the day's exertions, retired early, and was, as usual, accompanied to his chair by his host. During the forenoon of the day following, his Excel lency honoured Mr. Gutzlaff with a call ; in the after noon a long conference, which lasted upwards of two hours, was held between the Governor and Imperial Commissioner ; and when it broke up they proceeded together to inspect the new military hospital. In the evening the Chinese dined on board the Agincourt, which they had visited in the morning. The ship, profusely decorated with flags, was illuminated from stem to stern, and when the royal salute was fired, the effect as seen on shore was magnificent. The deck covered with awn ings formed a splendid ball room, and the mandarins, greatly struck with this union of power and refinement, declared that a hundred years would not suffice to pro duce anything like it in China. Next morning the Minister and some of the mandarins made an excursion round the island in the Pluto steamer, Accompanied by the Governor and the Admiral. The sea being a little rough, he felt sick, but the weather, on the whole, was fine, and he expressed himself much gra tified with the cruise. In the evening the Imperial Commissioner partook of the well-know and hearty hospitality of the Major- General. The party, from the smallness of the apartments, was limited to sixteen. There were only two toasts drunk during the evening. Upon the cloth being removed, the Vlajor-General gave first : " The Queen of England and the Emperor of China, and may the happy relations subsisting between the two countries be productive of increased commerce and pro sperity to both." This toast was drunk with the usual loyal honours and the eyeatest applause, the band play ing " God save the Queen." The General, in the second toast, addressed Keying more at length, and after expressing the honour and gratification he felt in receiving him on the present oc casion, added that, bred and born a soldier like himself, it was not his intention to occupy much time with un necessary compliments, but simply to assure him that he gave him, with all sincerity, a soldier's welcome, and felt liatisfied that there was that professienal sympathy be yone nteidnni continued—"l h egd e c m —o r , not tl Havingefta4 r d es h eat i i m dt ht t eh o i sh a , c i thegc,h.p, t xtr ietapjsroveirst-ehGn Major-General r rv e al e - , and diplomatic capacity in which his Excellency is now among us, or the great objects of commercial union and peace he is come here to consolidate. In that capacity, therefore, and as the representative of the highest au thority in Chna, I beg leave to propose his health—the health of Keying, the enlightened statesman, and who, alike the friend of England and of China, has taught us to respect him as much for his , political talents as we value him for his social qualities.' Keying listened with great attention, and seemed anxious to have every sentence translated fully as the General went along. After the loud applause with which his health had been drunk had somewhat sub sided, Keying replied with great grace and readiness, to the effect, that " though his talents had been greatly overrated, the General had only done justice to his sin cerity, for lie could assure him, on the faith of a Tartar soldier, while he had any voice in the affairs of China, the peace and prosperity of both our countries would be always the objects nearest to his heart." He then gave his hand to the Major-General and the Governor, who sat beside him, with earnest good-will, as if anxious, by this act, to convey de mica his public feeling and his per sonal acknowledgment. Nothiog could exceed the affability and good humour of Keying, accompanied by the highest tact and good breeding. He was jovial at dinner, but without excess ; and after having volunteered a Mantchow Tartar song, which he gave with great spirit, the company adjourned to the drawing-room, where a party, consisting of the ladies of the garrison, with most of the naval and military officers and civil residents, had assembled. Keying went the round of the roam with the utmost blandness, offering his hand to each of the ladies, and distinguishing one or two of them by little presents of purses or rosaries taken from his person. There was one little girl in particular, about seven years of age, present, in whom Keying seemed much in terested, and it was delightful to witness the good nature and benevolence of his manner when be took her upon his knee to caress her, and then placed an ornament about her neck. His fine Tartar head and person, grouped with the infant beauty of the little stranger, formed quite a picture. Keying retired shortly after eleven o'clock, but not till he had asked the General, with his characteristic goodnature, if' he wished him to remain any longer, evi dently desirous not to disappoint the guests, who crowded round him with a mingled feeling of respect and curiosity. There was another instance of high breeding worthy of being recorded. A married lady who was sitting near him attracted a good deal of attention, and having desired one of his attendants to bring him a silk hand kerchief, he presented it to her, and begged he might re tain her own in exchange for it. The lady was momen tarily embarrassed, and Keying seeing this, said "be hoped he had done nothing contrary to our usages of propriety," an apology which was immediately appre ciated and understood. In the course of the following day, the last conference took place between the English and Chinese Plenipoten tiaries, and in the evenieg Keying gave a sumptuous en tertainment in the Chinese fashion. The hour of din ner specified in the invitations, which are curiosities in their way, was six o'clock, and before that time all the guests had assemb!ed in one of the lower rooms, ex cept the Governor, Opel whose arrival being announced, Keying hurried to meet his Excellency at the landing place, and to conduct him to a seat in the centre of the room, the rest of the company sittin; in arm-chairs formally placed - on the other side, with a small table bet."een each two. The halt hour before dinner, proverbially dull and trying to the patience in Europe, is in China relieved by the sedulous attentions of the entertainers, and by re freshments of the finest tea, which are offered to each guest in little cups—what with us is the saucer being made to perform the more useful office of a cover, to preserve the aroma. Dinner being announced, the company proceeded up stairs to the sound of music which had not the least re semblance to the "Roast Beef of Old England." A large table was set out in the spacious saloon, at the centre of which sat Ke) ing, with Sir John Davis on his left hand, and Major-General d'Aguilar on his right ; and, proceeding round the table in the Chinese order, from left to right, the other distinguished guests. To readers at home it may be interesting to have a pretty minute account of the whole menu of the t d h in e n d e e r, especially as it differed in many r es p ects s ssm C iovo r l ee i d p n e) t r nn i B O en sort" e O rr tdi f :et D isrppe u :, eweani Froml n d or e r r b F ltyhh a eat t h h t n e eit r uf wom ß rah c i s i ne u aer v r e f ofe t oa , fs feast ods fhotherthese succes sively t more mehcooerrs e: ties ; but instead of a small table for each guest there was, as we have said, only a single large one in the English fashion for the whole company, and except such a general invitation to be seated as might have passed unn oticed in Europe, there was none of the ceremonious bows to i idividuals with Father Bouvet speaks of. Before each guest was placed a plate and kwai tz', or c hop sticks, on one side, and a knife, fork, and spoon on the other. The chop-sticks, however, were pretty generally used, a little awkwardly at first, it must be a dmitted, by the English, while the mandarins, pro bably out of politeness to their guests, occasionally made use of the fork and spoon. Beyond the plates were ranged innernerable little pyramids of preserves, pickles, and dried seeds, which from the experiments we made, we presume, were not intended to be eaten, but placed merely for show ; but at the left hand there was a small saucer of sweetmeats and salted relishes, which were partaken of and washed down with a glass of wine. And then commenced the mere important part of the feast, by the army of servants setting before each guest a small bowl, about the size o a moderate breakfast cup, of blrds' nest tom), which might pass for ve ry good vermicelli at home, and scarcely merits the celebrity it has obtained, or seems worth the enormous I price it is said to cost. This was the prelude to a succession of other soups, F s, and hashes, most of. which were so excellent that the genius Archmus, who, according to the fanciful Van llclmont, keeps post in tl)' upper orifice, as a sort of custom-house ewer to e stomach, to watch all contra bani food, must ceriaildy have found his occupation gone, and declared for free trade on the occasion. • Alter the birds'-nest soup, there were venison soup, du:k soup, never-to-be-sufficiently-praised sharks: fin soup, cheLnut soup, pork stew, a sort of vegetable pa'e;, with gravy in a separate saucer, stag-sinew soup, shark skin soup, second only to his elder brother of the fin; earth-nut ragout, a gelatine soup, made of the pith of stag' horns macerated ; mushroom and chcsnut soup. stewed ham sweetened with sugar or syriip, a stew f bamboo shoots, another of fish-maws, esculents with hot sauce, slices of hot cakes and cAd jam puffs; with numerous other nondescript soups and stews, in largA bowls placed in the centre of the table, of which vege tables, pigeons' eggs, and more especislly pork, seemed to be component parts, showing Chinese cooks, like Beaumont and Fletcher's, to be " thoroughly grounded in the mysteries and hidden knowledge of all soups, sauces, and salads whatsoever." In such a labyrinth of novel dishes, even the most piaetical gourmand might have been excused for feeling a little at a lois ; and our entertainers seemed to appre ciate the circumstance, for when any particularly good ME-SS came upon the table, they would put some upon the plates of those near them ; and Keying, with the must refined Chinese politeness, more than once took a tit-bit from his own dish, and t onveyed it with his chop sticks to the honoured guests beside him. Lest there might have been any one who could not contrive to make a sumptuous dinner from such mate rials, there wer:2 in the centre of the table roast peacock, pheasant, and ham ; and tea was several times served to relieve this active " alimentary progression," never dreamt of by Ude or Brillat Savarin. It is worth while noting as a remarkable circumstance, that, during the whole dinner, there was not a grain of rice on the table, not even mixed with other food, though almost all writers tell us it is never wanting at a Chinese dinner of any sort. If, acc:rding to Sir John Davis, the appearance of bowls of rice at such feasts is the sig nal ot• the repast approaching its termination, the party on the present occasion must have broken up long before the host was tired of his guests ; for the rice signal was never given. There was no lack of good wines, liqueurs, and man darin somshoo at dinner, nor were the Chinese unmind ful to do due honour to them by frequently pledging their p uests ; and this soon came to be no light matter, for they were never satisfied with a mere sip, bnt insisted on bumpers every time, and that the glass should be turned upon the table in proof of its having been ho nestly emptied. The effect upon themselves was scarcely perceptible, though we remarked a formidable-looking Tar opposite where we sat, who besides his share of champagne and other wines, discussed the greater part of a bottle of mareschino, and made serious inroads up..n another of noyau. stroking his chin, and exclaim ing; " lloh !" at each glass. The succession of s'o'ups must have occupied nearly three hours, and when he at length came to a close, Keying rose to dedicate a cup to the Queen of Heaven ; and forthwith a series of low benches, covered with crimson cloth, were ranged from one end of the room to the other, and were speedily loaded with roast pig, hams, fowls, and other substantial dishes, and before each a cook or butcher (we could not tell which) sat down a la Chinois, and, taking a knife like a cutlass, commenced slicing it down, in defiance of the maxims of the " Carver's Guide." grasping the joint with the left hand, the long nails of which serve for both fork and sp, - ,on. The ceremony is intended as an acknowledg ment of the bounty of the Queen of Heaven, and is gone through b; fore the guests to show them that, even after the exuberance of dishes with which they have been served, there is still enough and to spare. The sliced meat was set upon the table, as were also cold mutton and pork, none of which were eaten ; and then succeeded a desert of fruits and preserves, with abundance of wine, cordials, and samshoo. The first toast was " The Queen of England and the Emperor of China," which was drank with tremendous applause, the Chinese being especially ♦ociferous, him zaing, clapping their hands, and beating the table in the most approved English public-dinner fashion, the band in the adjoining room striking up what we presume was an appropriate air, but which sounded to our ears not unlike a Highland pibroch. A few other toasts followed, amongst the rest, " The King of the French" and " The King of Sweden," each of whom had a subject among the guests ; and Keying then called upon the Governor for a song, as a condition to giving one himself, which he afterwards did, and very well, too, and joined lustily in the applause with which it was received Pwang-tsye•shing gave us two songs. The Emperor's son-in-law excused himself on account of a hoarseness, brought on, doubtless, by the unwonted exercise of his lungs during the visit ; and an attendant Tartar, a descendant of Gengis-Khan, we Here told, chanted a wild lilt, having many of the cha racteristics of an old Scottish or Irish air. On the - part of the English guests, betides the Gover nor, songs were sung by the Major• General, the Chief Justice, the lion. Frederick Bruce, and Mr. Shortrede. The Chinese are fond of enlivening their entertain ments with shows and dramatic exhibitions, and most authors speak of these as invariable accompaniments. The present dinner was an exception, probably because visits tl foreign Powers never kiving hem before dreamt of in China, players form no part t f an ambassador's retinue. However, a substitute was found in a game which we do not remember ever inav:ng seen described. The flowers (dahlias) were given to Keying, who first began whirling them round his head, and then holding them to his nose, gave one to the Governor and another to the General, who were desired to hand them round the table. In the meantime, a drum was kept beating in the outer room, the performer, at random, making a sudden stop ; and the person in whose hand he flower then chanced to be found was required to quaff off a bdinper of wine. This sport, from the sort of esprit de patrie with which it was kept up, created a good deal of amusement, the Chinese being especially mindful to watch their victims, and laughing good humoured!) , when caught them selves. In sporting phrase, the pace of the evening had been uncommonly fast, and all " caroused potations pottle deep ;" but whether it was the excellence of the drink, or the counteracting effects of the rag nits, every one. European and Chinese, seemed quite able to carry his liquor discreetly, The company broke up about eleven o'clock, Keying and the rest of the Chinese accompanying their guests down stairs, and taking leave of them at the door, both appearing to be mutually satisfied with the meeting. At half-past six next morning the minister embarked on board the steamer for Canton, having previously em braced the Governor at the door of his residence, and the General at the wharf, whither the Gallant Officer accompanied the Imperial Commissioner. A man so famous in the western world as Keying was, of course, the observed of all obse, vers during his visit. He is, we should suppose, of some 50 years of age, his tall and majestic form being graced with manners at once die . nified and courteous. His whole deportment, in short, was that of a perfectly well-bred man of the world, and but for his dress and language, he might have been taken for a fine specimen of the old English gentleman of the highest class. As we saw him on such public occasions, his bland countenance was beaming with good-humoured benevolence ; but it is of an intent ctual class, and lighted up with a twinkling eye, which, as occasion demands, would be equally expressive of penetrating shrewdness as of social glee. NOTES ON THE OUTRAM CON- TROVERSY. [From the Kurrachee Advertiser of the 4th of October, 1845.] One of the greatest errors prevalent in reference to the controversy beteen General W. Napier, and Colonel Outram is that the General was the attacking party. A great deal of sympathy has in consequence been accorded to the Colonel on this account. He is supposed to be an injured man merely fighting for his own ; a person at tacked who has a right to use any weapons within his reach for his defence ; a person strove to be trod down, and only seeking to upset an ungenerous foe. Such is the most prevalent notion on this subject, but it is from beginning to end the reverse of the truth. It was the Governor of Sinde who was first attacked both by Colonel Outram and his party ; and all that his brother General William Napier has done has been to come to the rescue of one who had neither time nor inclina tion to enter the fiel..3 of controversy himself. Having stated my premises, I shall now proceed to adduce my proofs, and those proofs will be best furnished by giving a short account of the origin of the controversy. I defy any one to disprove a tittle of what I shall assert ; and I trust that those who read in search of truth, and not to cavil in party spirit, will find how reverse of the p art attributed to him, Sir Charles Napier's conduct has been. It will be remembered by the public that, for reasons with which the Governor of Sinde had nothing earthly to do, but which, I have no doubt, L or d borough will satisfactorily exp l ain, if called o n b y those competent to question him in the House to which he belongs. Colonel Outram was removed in October, 1542, from the political management of Sinde, and the Governor of Sande was placed in sole charge, both political and military, of the p rov i nce. In consequence arg of this ar rangement he proceeded to Sukkur, and there relieved Gol.mel, then Major Outram. Unacquainted with the character of the Colonel ex cept from description, much of which was the Colonel's own mouth, he felt a very high opinion of him for generosity, as well as courage, and paid him the glowing compliment which rang round India afterwards, and perhaps as much as anything had the effect of bringing Colonel Outram to the notice of the many, who being distant from the scene cared little about Sinde or the changes in its management, I should not allude to this circumstance were it not to show the feeling the Go vernor was prepared to view him with ; a feeling which even Colonel Outram's friends cannot deny was one e xaggerated, or to say the least of extreme partiality and favour. After this the Colonel returned to India, and being in extreme Lisfavour with the Governor-General, had of course nothing to look forward to but regimental duty, a furlough, or such inferior staff employment as lay within the patronage of the Commander-in-Chief, or Governor of his own Presidency. The latter was but a narrow field of hope, all appointments being filled, and the more lucrative ones being generally in departments where seniority must be attended to: a furlough, it was understood, was not desirable, for the Colonel was not believed to have money sufficient to live with much com fort at home, and it was not to be supposed that a re sidence there would much further his views, while the influence of the G.>vernor-Go'neral was in the otherscale. t, Such was the statt, of affairs with Colon el o for r tram, when the Governor of Sinde found an opernpg. lieving him from his embarrassments, au e tid bringing again forward on the stage on which he had figured ,before. Lord Ellenborough, hail, by this time, come to his decision on the charge; preferred against the Ameers by Coionvl Outram: that decision was in ac cordance with the views the Colonel had expressed, ad verse to them, and with some modifications, rather in favour than otherwise of these princes. Ms Lordship determined to impose on them as a punishment for their treason the penalti es C o l one l O utram had proposed in the treaty which be b a d d rawn up, and submitted to his Lordship or in defanit to treat them as that officer said they deserved to be treated as enemies who had most jastly incurred the forfeiture of their thrones. This secured to Sir Charles Napier an opportunity for the exercise of h's kindly Soling to Colonel Outran, too favourable for him to pass over. Being alloived to select a commissioner to carry on the negociations, he named Colonel Outram ; and though Lord Ellenborough dis tinctly warned him of the dangerous nature of the man as a political connexion, he, all unsuspecting honesty, and believing Colonel Outram to be the same, still pressed the appointment, and his claim was without fur ther difficulty allowed. Little could the Governor then fresco all the long train ef evils this act of generosity was to bring down upon him, but like the poisoned shirt of the Centaur, Colonel Outram seems destined to be a source of acute repentance to every one connected , with him in affairs, whether the person be Sir John Keane, Lord Ellenborough, or Sir Charles Napier. Such was the manner in which Colonel Outram re turned to Scinde—not to guide Sir Charles in his politi cats, much less in his military arrangements ; for Sir Charles is not a man who either requires, or seeks for guidance : and had he been so, the political functions to be executed by the commissioner were so excessively narrow, that, as Lord Ellenborough had remarked, one of the Aides-de-Camp, or any other officer of the force, might have easily performed them. In fact, for all but politeness sake, a puttawalla (a messenger) might have discharged tl.em, for they considered in nothing but carrying a treaty to the Ameers for signature, and tel ling them, in as few words as the occasion required, that they would subject themselves to a worse fate. The reason therefore that Colonel Outram was employed was solely a kindly attempt on the part of Sir Charles Na pier to open a path again to him for political employ, and to a return of favour on the part of the Governor- General. Colonel Outram accepted, and apparently with thank fulness, the aprointment, but it was not long before it appeared that his views were very foreign to the views of those who had employed him, Sir Charles Napier and the Governor General. He appeared anxious to re-open questions which had all eady been decided, and decided on his own statements ; instead of following the plain and simple course laid down, he appeared de irous of leading the Governor into the shoal of Sindian diplomacy where he would necessarily be the guide, and it was nothing but the firmness (d . Sir Charles which prevented his succeeding -a firmness which Colonel Outram has since construed as a settled purptAe, whatever happened, to put an end to the reign of the Ameers. The Council of India has, however, negatived the interpretation, and allowed that, had the Governor followed in the path the Colonel beckoned him to, the arms of Sinde would have been lost, and India, perhaps, at this moment in a state of rebellion. Toe view the Council have taken is con firmed by subsequent conversations with the chiefs of Sinde, and no rational man who takes the trouble to go into the case can for a moment doubt it to be the correct one. The rest of the account of Colonel Outram's diplo macy is very short. The Ameers held out every in ducement to obtain delay ; it was now two days, now three days, now a halt here, and then another there, that was asked for. Had the proposed delays been to give time ter reference to the Governor-General there might have been some shadow of reason in them, though re ferences were needless a subject which had been so maturely weighed before decided on ; but the delay of two or three days could be for no earthly purpose, but for procrastinating matters till the hot weather came on, or at least till the Ameers could assemble their forces. The General had his orders to execute, and had no power of deviating from them ; what purpose, therefore, could delay serve, but an adverse one. If the treaty was to be signed' without a recurrence to force, it might just as well have been signed at first as at last. But the great point is it never was signed, or rather it never was signed with any purp-ise of adhering to it, for it was torn up and trampled on by the signers almost immediately. It was signed, in short, as is now known to all, with no intention of holding to it, but simply in the hopes by the last stratagem, of obtaining a delay sufficient to give the Ameers time to collect an army, with which in a few days more they would have been capable of putting to the sword every Briton, and every British soldier, sepoy, and follower in Sinde. The attack on the Residency immediately followed their tearing up the treaty ; an attack which is now as certained was planned by Nusseer Khan himself. That such is the fact is undoubted. Meer Bijjar, and Meer Ghnolam Shah have testified to it, and Meer Khan Mahomed, Ghoolmn Mahomed Coombri 'Wallah, and all the chiefs in Sinde, can vouch for its truth. This alone would prove the gross delusion in which Colonel Outram lay. Some of his friends I know will persist that this was a false attack merely intended to frighten the party away ; but if this be true what becomes of Colonel Outram's dis patch describing the fight—his acceptance of the General's thanks for a battle, which Sir Charles at least assuredly thought real—his permitting an inscription in honour of the event to be put upon a sword given him by the public—and a Lieutenant-Colonelcy, and C.B. ship to be granted for the same service by the Crown. They who would make out the attack on the Presidency as merely a feint, make out a far worse case for Colonel Outram than his wor. t opponents. The latter only charge him with a want of sagacity to manage a negocia tion in which failure entailed no dishonour; the latter would save his character for wisdom at the expense of every thin.' men'hold dear. After the battle of Meeanee, as is well known, Co lonel Outram proceeded to Bombay, and there pro fessing ad the time the greatest devot ion an d grat i tude to SirCh,rles, commenced that fierce struggle that has been since maintained by him to upset the policy pur sued in Sinde, and to ruin the commander. What share Colonel Outram took in the newspaper part of the busi ness he only can tell; but the statements that appeared day after day in the Bombay Times were so similar to those attributed to Colonel Outram in society, that if he had no connexion with the press, it was almost impos sible to disbelieve that those in his confidence had—and were the authors of the libels. Colonel Outram shortly after went home, avowedly for the purpose of procuring a condemnation of the policy;and consequent political ruin of his commander; who had, from motives of the purest generosity, placed him in the confidential situation which alone gave power to his efforts. The extraordinary spectacle was thus exhibited of Sir Charles Napier's late commis.. stoner making use of confidential communications, and of knowledge obtained under circumstances which most mon consider render secrecy in violable, to aid the violent endeavours of an adverse faction, and upset his late chief ; and strange to say, for the sole crime of carrying out the very measure he had himself, when resident, proposed to Lord Ellenborough, and which measure had been adopted entirely on his own suggestion. Put Colonel Outram and Sir Charles Napier for the moment out of the question, and let us ask what would be thought of any other man who acted thus ? To change sides is not often viewed in a favourable light in politics ; but to carry off when doing so all that had been confiden tially entrusted to one in the enemy's camp, would, in English political circles at least, put a man utterly be yond the pale of employment by any party whatever. , Imagine then the astonishm en t w ith w hi c h Sir Charles Napier received notice from the Governor-General that certain communications had been made to the court of directors by Colonel Outran], which . were so worded, and S t i h r e Ch re a s r u le l s and turned as to give a most to a portion of Sir Charles extrerorsdlncoanrydna:tpeaarnance ap pearanceafforded rdd a in , per fec tly st satirsofancttroar7 explanation,oNtahPe reality. ' was n most complimentary letter from the Supreme Go vernment ; he came pure as i snow from the o r d ea l , and t h e only effect was to confirm! n the minds of the Go vernor-Gsensta,rgaalcita3n.d anCdountch ,re i e l the conviction want viction of Sir ii a eh les had been displayed by Colon e l Outrun 0f it, Charles thus stood un h armed by Colonel Cl Sir lutrarn's attack ; but he determi ne d , and determined rightly, there should be an immediate end to all semblance of friend ship for one who had used him so ungenerously, and not till after this was Colonel Outram attacked in return ; an attack which u n d er the circumstance was justified on every principle of se lf-d e f ence. T he B om b ay Times was pouringinvective upon invective again s t Si r Ch ar l es, and daily proph es yi ng t h e e ff ect o f C o l onel Outram's efforts in Lond o n, The Colonel on the other hand was moving heaven and earth in those circles, to which, from his recently having been so mixed up with Sinde affairs, he had access ; and there, as has been seen, he used weapons to effect his object hitherto most scrupulously esc h ewe d by all public men of any pretensions to the world's respect, he had thus declared open and most ungenerous war upon his late commander, and in return could expect no favour at his hands. The first result of Colonel Outram's conduct, was a belief on the part of General William Napier, that the man who could act as Colonel Outram had done would not hesitate to halloo on an unscrupulous paper to the hunting down his brother ; and under that impression, he called upon him for a distinct avowal or denial of any connexion with the false statements and seurilities of the Bombay Times. Scurrilities which appeared to be written with but one object, and that one the Colonel was himself, in a manner contrary to all tho rules of party warfare, pursuing, namely, the destruction. of Sir Charles Napier's character, and the elevation of his own upon the ruin. The Colonel, in reply, declined avowing either connexion, or disconnexion with that point; said he was not answerable for what ap peared in tro papers ; and failed to give what ther i e , wits an opportunity of giving with grace, and what, in m opinion, the circumstances of the case imperatively 1 on Sir de manded, an assurance that he beheld the Charles, which had appeared in the Titnes , himself. Had he disgust as General Williara Napi,c,erl__ with h as great well —his single error the stating, irst at attack, and ' even it they had not done this all might have still bc n e d n might have been forgotten ; - :mild never have stood irk the position of Colone l n reality, and not with General W. remained friends, Sir C o h waub r t l ar e nt a nl:eetn,onulty.by to the second of having made f point on proceed e Sinde has been misrepresented. Napier, ia. I , iv, itecrruobsiaort shall iit hors!,:ernvt:i.):;,s,o,hinr::nox.ivunft s and I s which the In treating this subject, I shall, as the Colonel pro poses doing, abstain from disclosing official secrets, f or t he best possible reason, thatl have b een ma d e the de pository of none. I have no access to exclusive infor mation ; I merely repeat facts well-known to all those: who have noted with attention the occurrences of to last three years in reference to Sinde. (TQ be coniinued).