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

Zboticti Wlntton P; UN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock. METROPOLITAN RAILWAYS JUNCTION CONIPA NY.—(THIS DAY.) A meeting of the shareholders of this Company was held this day at the London Tavern, in accordance with a resolu tion passed at a meeting of the shareholders on the sth inst., for the purpose of considering the propriety of an amalga mation with the Northern and Southern Connecting Railway Company, and to give the result of the interview between the committee appointed at the meeting in question. George Jones, Esq. (the chairman of the committee ap pointed by the shareholders), presided. The CIiAIRMAN said that as ➢ir. Dowling, the secretary, was absent, his place was supplied by Mr. Payne. Mr. GAnvArr said he wished to know by what authority the gentleman (Mr. Jones) assumed the chair. There was no doubt that he was an efficient chairman. The present was a meeting to receive the report of a committee of five, and only three of that body were present. The CHAIRMAN said he did not wish to occupy his present position. The committee was not merely a committee of five, but they represented the whole body of the shareholders. If it was the desire of the meeting, he would resign the chair. The Chairman was then elected to the chair. Mr. PAYNE then read the notice convening the meeting, which, in addition to the object of the meeting, contained a statement to the effect that no director or member of the provisional committee should be allowed to vote. The CHAIRMAN would now call on Mr. Payne to read the reports. Mr. Giaiv-trr said he wished to know whether the persons who drew up these reports were not brokers of the Company ? The CHAIRMAN said he would read the names of the gen tlemen on the committee, to show that such was not the case. Mr. GARvArr said he wished also to ask if all the com mittee concurred in that report ? Had Mr. Gilbertson done so ? The CHAIRMAN said that they had all given their unani mous consent. Mr. GILBERTSON said that all the committee were not present at the conclusion of tha report. The CHAIRMAN read a latter from Mr. Dowling, stating his concurrence in the viewe of the meeting, and regretting his inability to attend Mr. PAYNE then _read a report of the committee, from which it appeared that they had entered on their duties on the 7th of January last, and had had interviews with the committee of the Company, with whom it was proposed they should amalgamate, but could obtain from them no state ment of their affairs; but the accounts confirmed the suspi cion that they had not 30,0001. in the bank, free from liabili ties. The proposition that they bad made had not been re ceived, as being informal. The CHAIRMAN then read the report of the committee on the state of their own Company, which stated that the deposits amounted to 27,8651., the expenditure to 17,701/, and the liabilities to 3,000/., up to the period of their entering on the inquiry, and that since then 1,0001. had been obtained. It also accused the directors of having sold their shares, and signed cheques to a consider able amount, without being authorised to do so, and con cluded by calling on the shareholders to assert their rights, and not to submit to conduct so criminal. The CHAIRMAN said that if they demanded the names of the directors who had acted in the manner descri:Rd, he was ready to give them. Mr. HOOPER moved a resolution that the Chairman should give the names of the parties. The CHAMMAN then read a list of the different sums that had been granted by the directors, and for which cheques had been given. These were signed by Messrs. Asphethel, Crofts, and Redden, and amounted to 12;8914 _ _ A SIIAREHOLDER moved that the reports then read be adopted. Mr. GILBERTSON seconded the resolution, and said that the matter should be dealt with properly. Mr. GARVATT said that he understood that there was a committee appointed to buy shares. The CHAIRMAN react the portion of the report stating that the committee found that the directors have acted in the way described, and also that the clerk had got orders not to enter the transaction on the minute-book. Mr. GAnvarr said, that he would move an amendment to the resolution, and proceeded to animadvert on what ap peared to him the reprehensible conduct of the committee in not permitting the directors to attend the meeting. The CHAIRMAN said he must interpose to put down these irregular proceedings. Mr. GrAnvATT said he considered he had a right to pursue his present course. The matter was then put to the meeting, who decided that the course was irregular. The CHAIRMAN said that the advertisement did not pre vent the directors from attending and addressing the meet ing. There was no question he was not ready to have answered. Mr. LAIDMAN said he begged to call the attention of the meeting to the fact of their report exculpating those directors who had acted correctly. He would second the adoption of the report. Mr. HOOPER said he was sorry that the names of those who signed the cheques were not appended to the report. He would move, therefore, that the managing committee's names should be inserted in that report. They were doing what was unjust and dishonourable (whatever might be their private character) in paying away the money of the Company. He would willingly pay double what he had already paid to bring those delinquents to justice. Mr. WASHWORTH said he would second the amendment, which. after some discussion, was negatived. The resolution was then put and carried by a large ma jority. It was then moved and seconded that the three names of those who had voted in the minority should be given, two of them declined to comply. The CHAIRMAN said he would suggest to them the course they should adopt. That was, to appoint a committee to obtain their deposits, and also to pursue criminally those who had violated their trust to the Company. He merely threw out these suggestions, which they might or might not embody in a resuitttion. He would recom mend them to have as few as possible on that committee to facilitate the dispatch of business. A SHAREHOLDER proposed a resolution to that effect. Mr. SErtcuM said that he fully agreed in what had been said respecting the conduct of the directors. Mr. PAYNE said he thought it would be better to have the sinews of war before proceeding in the way the meeting desired. The CHAIRMAN said he would contribute 1001. towards the object.—( Hear, hear.) They might tile a bill of dis covery in Chancery. The CHAIRMAN said that the directors had no right to encroach on the deposits tor Parliamentary expenses as they had done. He would himself—if full power were given him to proceed—he would himself find the means to proceed against the parties in law or equity—(Hear, hear)—pro vided a legal document be drawn up by the shareholders. A SHAREHOLDER said he would beg to call the attention of the Chairman to a letter which he had given into his hands, a letter from the directors. The CHAIRMAN said he would take the sense of the meet ing on the matter. A resolution that the letter should be read was unani mously agreed to. The CILLIRII..IN then read the letter, which was directed to "The Chairman of the Meeting," and signed by Mr. Cheese, stating that the directors were ready tri co-operate with the shareholders in procuring for them their deposits from the Provisional Committee. Now that letter was not signed by the Chairman of the Company, and the offer was merely to delude them in adapting a course that would be unjust to themselves. Mr. ETHRIDGE said he would recommend that they should not proceed further, as he had good reason to believe that the directors would, in a short time, make arrangements to satisfy the shareholders. After a desultory discussion it was agreed that the meet ing should adjourn till the 24th instant. Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and the meeting separated. WEST AUSTRALIAN COMPANY.—A general meeting of the shareholders was held to-day at two o'clock, at the offices of the Company, No. 33, Old Broad-street, from which both the public and the press were excluded ; but it was un derstood that the object of the meeting was to render a re port of the precise state of affairs, and to decide whether the business of the Company should still be continued or brought to a close as speedily as possible. TATTERSALL'S-THIS EVENING. Six O'CLOCK. CHESTER CUP. 20 to 1 agst Sweetmeat 20 to 1 agst Whinstone 20 to 1 agst Best Bower 25 to 1 agst ,Hiss Burns 25 to 1 agst Mickey Free 40 to 1 agst Rode 40 to 1 agst Roderick 40 to 1 agst Salopian 40 to 1 agst Intrepid 40 to 1 agst Baron 40 to 1 agst Colleen Dhas. DEltilY. 5 to 1 agst Sting 14 to 1 agst Brocardo 25 to 1 agst lago 25 to 1 agst Spithead 30 to 1 ag•t Malcolm 50 to 1 agst Tibthorpe IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT (THIS EVENING.) HOUSE OF LORDS. The Earl of SHAFTESBURY in the absence of the Lord Chancellor, took hi s seat on the Woolsack, at Five. Lord CAMOYS presented a petition from the city of Oxford, praying for the total and immediate repeal of the corn and provision laws. PROTECTION. Lord BEAUMONT presented several petiti ons f rom the West Riding of Yorkshire, i:favour of protection, and expressing great alarm at the by the Government for the relaxation of the d u ti es on measure propou n d e d va rious articles, but more particularly on corn. IMPRISONING A BRITISH. SARDINIA. SUBJECT IN The NOBLE LORD also resented a petiti on from f individual named Henry Graham, stating that 'e an had been imprisoned by t he Sardinian Government ot h e r reason than that tha t Governm ent detesthel v ntline name of Graham. —(Laughter.) After ten d a y s released. He p ra y ed their: Lordships to adopt n. mea sures to prevent a recurrence of such conduct, in order that a person, whose name, and nothing else, might give offence to the G overouneot, should nut suffer incarcera tion for an thing trivial.—(Renewed laughter.) Y PROTECTION. The Duke of BLIGCLi.:UCII presented petitions from several Protection Sociiaies, praying their Lord stops not to orlopi, free -tralle measures. RAILWAY COMMIS -'TON. Lord KINNAIRD said he had roov ,, d for a return of the . amount of fees which had beet, ' by the promoters a of rtilway Bill in its progress throli4h their Lordships' house, in order that they might le made acquainted with the hardships which were inflicted both us those who promoted a Bill and on those who ought to defend themselve s from the injury which it was likely to do to their Property. He wished to say, however, that he had no desire to i d n e dee trar from the advantag e s o f r a ilw a ys to all parties ; no one was more anxious to extend them, and more convinced of their great importance, and no one would re j o i ce change in the opinions o n .l l' than himself to find a country i with respect to them, and he was, therefore, a: ~aet:_every facility should be given to the parties eitherr om th ----wvaaat or Oppoa in re the powers given to these parties, and by these means the Legislature would come at the real facts of the case. There may be combined great advantages to the railway companies, and more advantage to the public, especially it, as he had proposed, plans and sections were deposited a month or two sooner than was now required by the standing orders. There was also another great evil which had arisen from the present standing orders, the desecretion of the Sab bath. He was not one that would advise the House to interfere with Sunday travellingf as that was a matter to be left to the good feeling of the shareholders and the public. Neither did he allude to the 30th of Novemb• r, as the proceedings of that day, he believed, proceeded from an oversight of Parliament, and the officers of the Board of Trade, according to competent legal advice, had not the power of closing the office, but what be al luded to was the practice in Scotland. In that country it was imperative, on the part of railway companie, to place their notices for three successive Sundays on the church doors, and persons were required to be in at tendance each day, to swear that the notices were properly affixed. The consequence of this was, that during the recent period of giving notices, the whole conveyances of the country were in requisition, and the feelings of the people were much shocked by the desecration which took place. This could be avoided in future, and the expenses of serving notices ♦ery much reduced, if the notice required to be given was advertised in a newspaper, and placed once on the church door. The present delivery of notices caused great expenses, by its being required to swear to its ser vice, whereas a registered letter might be made to do all that was reqUired. There was one other subject for which he blamed her Majesty's Government— it was in reference to the railway deposits. Whatever feeling there might exist against giving increased facilities to railway speculation they shonld recollect the present mode of paying the deposits into the hands, or to the order of the Accountant-General, was a serious injury to many respectable parties in business who never had been connected with any railway schemes whatever. Ile knew one most respectable gentleman, who had been often in the practice in getting accommodation from a banking- house in the City, yet lately had been refused, after repeated applications on the ground that &I the floating capital had been absorbed in paying railway deposits into the Bank of Eng!and to the credit of the Accountant-General. Exchequer-hills or Government securities ought to be allowed, and, in bis opinion, they were as good as bank notes ; but unless these were taken great inconve nience and derangement would take place. The banks held large amounts of these securities ; and in order to liberate their floating capital, they ought to be allowed to transfer them to the Accountant- General on the part of the railway companies. The motion he had to make was for a return of the amount of fees incurred by the introduction of railway Bills during the last session of Parliament, upon peti tions against such Bills, and how such fees were ap plied, distinguishing those paid upon each Bill. The motion was agreed to. THE UNITED STATES. Lord MONTEAGLE rose to enquire if there was any objection to produce an important document relative to the affairs of the United States of America. He wished to know whether there was any objection to the produc tion of papers connected with the American tariff ? The Earl of ABERDEEN rose and said, there was something very unusual in the request of the Noble Lord, but he had no objection, notwithstanding, to give the desired information. He had received a copy of the document, which was well worthy of theattention of her Majesty's Government. The House then adjourned. - - them, and that they ought not to be deterred from doing t Sir George Seymour was appointed on the part so by the expense, which was frequently the case under of the English, and the French Government bad also the present system, as he found that one-third of the appointed an officer of high rank. The compensation expense of carrying a line through their Lordships' that they awarded was not thought sufficient, and Mr. House was swallowed up by the fees of the House. Pritchard was accordingly reque: ted to furnish some He would mention one case of particular interest:—One additional information. He had not as yet given that company was formed with the supposition that the whole information, bat when he had dune so he (Sir R. Peel) expenses of constructing their line would be under hoped that the question would be satisfactorily arranged. 200,0001., all the proprietors of land on the line were Mr. B. COCHRANE begged to 'ask the Right Hon. favourable to the project, and yet, because another com • Gentleman at the head of the Government whether he pany conceived that this line would interfere with theirs, intended to introduce any alteration of the law of they got up an opposition to it in Parliament, which entail as it existed in Scotland? That law compelled occasioned an additional expenditure of 15,0001. Thus those landed proprietors whose lands had received any for no reason in the world was there an increased cost damage from railways, or otherwise, to deposit the occasioned to these parties of no less a sum than 15,0001. money they received as compensation in the Bank of He thought, therefore, it was well worthy the considera- Scotland. He (Mr. Cochrane) would take the liberty don of their Lordships at this early stage of the session, of suggesting that the l•nded proprietors should be when they ware not oppressed by public business, allowed to draw that money from the bank in order to whether the House should appoint a Committee, which lay it out in fencing, draining, and other improvements, should base alit the information submitted to it which would be of great advantage to the next heir. that could be obtained, with a view to ascertaining S:r R. PEEL said that the Government was desirous whether it might not be advisable to appoint a Board of giving to the landedpreprietors of Scotland the same ad or a Commission fur the purpose of deciding upon all vantages that the landed proprietors of England possessed. the preliminary points in private railway Bills. This D:d the lion. Member propose that it should be obliga might be dome without taking away the usual tory upon proprietors possessing entailed estates to de power of Parliamento He knew that the Beard of posit such money as they might receive from railway Trade Commission of last year was not thought companies in the improvement in land. The entailed to have worked satisfactorily ; but he thought that that estates of Scotland are subject to a variety of circumstance was in no respect owing to the constitution charges. By an Act called Montgomery's, and also of the Board itself. He was well aware with what by an Act passed last session, called Aber assiduity a Noble Lord at the head of that Board had deen's Act, the possessors of entailed estates performed the duties of his office. But he was convinced are enabled to charge the reversionary interest, that no one could have worked satisfactorily under the with a sum not exceeding two-thirds of the sum ex difficulties with which he had had to contend. The pended, in the improvement of the estate; they are also Board was never put in possession of the i n f orma ti on ena bl e d t o c h arge u p on th e h e i rs o f en t a il e d estates a requisite to judge rightly of the merits of the case'; certain sum as a provision for their widows and chil yet it would not follow that by a better arrange- dren. Iu an Act, passed last year, called the " Lands went the faults of that Board might be amended, Consolidation Act," the Lord-Advocate introduced a and all the benefits which had been hoped clause similar in effect to the motion which he understood from it obtained. At the most, that Board had only his Hon. Friend to have made. That clause gave power a month or six weeks for taking the whole of to the possessor I.of entailed estates, receiving money the railway cases which had been submitted to them from railway and other companies, to apply that sum to into consideration. By the institution of such a Board the discharge of those burdens which may press upon as that which he wished to suggest to their Lordships, the heirs of entailed estates. He considered that the and by avoiding the fault he had just pointed out, and object of his Hon. Friend would be fully answered by giving to the members of it a right to require an earlier the Acts to which he had referred. deposit of the plans and sections, he believed that there Mr. B. COCHRANE was not a ware that these laws would be no great impediment to the appointment were generally understood. of such a Commission for the formation of Sir R. PEEL was not aware of any obligation to a Board ; and that the parties thus appointed deposit the money with Scotch banks. He considered would be able to decide upon all the proposed rail- they might invest it in Government securities. ways with a great convenience to the pudic THE MILITIA. and immense improvement on the present system. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE said, that as some misappre- There was such a Board for the direction of hackney hension appeared to exist in the public mind with regard coaches and other vehicles, and he was impressed to the mode and time of calling out the militia, he would with the belief that an approach to that system of ar- beg leave to ask the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, the raugement would be of great common advantoge. That Secretary-at-War (Mr. Sidney Hr rbert), whether it was Board might not only consider the merits of the new the intention of her Majesty's Government to call out lines, but take the general management of the old ones. that body under the existing law, or to introduce a new He merely suggested this to Government, and looked for measure for that purpose? their decision upon it at a fature period. One of his Mr. S. HERBERT said the Hon. Gentleman was reasons fur making the proposition, was the fact that correct in supposing that a misapprehension prevailed in during the last session of Parliament, several companies the public mind in regard to this question. A very im had been put to great expense by the opposition portant distinction existed, and should be main of three or four individuals interested in the land, tained, as to the embodying and the calling on the lines. Now, if such a Board as that which he out of the militia force. In order to correct that suggested were to send down two or three persons to the misapprehension, he now begged to say that it was the landowners in the country, they would be ens- intention of the Government to introduce a new law, or bled to obtain such a report as would neu- rather to consolidate the present law, before taking any tralise much of the expense. This would in practical steps in the matter. Ile would take this no way interfere with the general powers of opportunity of stating, with a view to the le moval of Parliament, and he believed it would give general satis• all further misunderstanding, that the public need give faction. The other House of Parliament might join in itself no further troeble until the measures the Govein- ment intended to propose should have been developed. In answer to a question from Mr. MITCHELL, which was inaudible in the gallery, Sir R. PEEL undertook that certain papers ordered by the House should be laid on the table to morrow. IRISH SPF,IT DUTY. Mr. O'CONNELL had seen by the statement of the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) that a very cbusiderable reduction was t:.) be made in the duties upon all foreign spirits imported into this country. Ile would wish to know whether it was proposed that any similar measure would be introduced in reference to sprits distilled in Ireland ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he was not prepared to answer the question at pre sent, as be had received no information on the subject, but he would make inquiry. RAILWAYS. Mr. HODGSON presented petitions complaining that the promoters of the Wandsworth branch of the London and Brighton Railway, and of the Guildford, Chichester, and Portsmouth Railway had not complied with the standing orders, which were referred to the Select Com mittee on Public Petitions. ELECTION COMMITTEES. The Cletk of the House then read over the list of Honourable Members who were exempted from serving on Eleciinn Committees. Sir ROBERT PEEL begged leave to claim exemp tion from selling on Committees, he being a Member of the Government.—Leave granted. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER claimed a similar right, which was also granted. COLONIAL SPIRITS. Mr. P. STEWART wished to know what were the intentions of her Majesty's Government respecting the duties now charging upon colonial spirits, and also the restrictions in force against the use of spirits and mo lasses. He would not ask the question if he thought it would interfere with the arrangements of the Government. The duty on native spirits was 7s. 10d., while that on colonial was 9s. 4d., making a differen tial duty of Is. 6d., or one hundred per cent. He rose for the purpose of calling the attention of the Right Hon. Baronet to these prohibitions, which he found were untouched by the Right Hon. Baronet in his new scheme of import duties. Sir ROBERT PEEL rose, and said that her Majesty's Government did not propose to make any alterations in the duty on rum and molasses. The rates of duty in England, Ireland, and Scotland he was sure the Honourable Gen tleman would not wish to see altered, as there was no legal prohibition to the use of such articles as those alluded to. There was no legal prohibition to the use of sugar and molasses in distilleries, under certain regulations, which it was necessary to carry into effect for the protec tion of the revenue.—(Hear, hear.) DRAINAGE BILL (IRELAND). On the motion of Sir THOMAS FREMANTLE, that this bill be read a second time, Mr. FITZSTEPHEN FRENCH said that he felt it his duty to oppose the Bill. He had not bad time to read much of it, because it had only been printed that morn ing ; he had, however, read enough of it to see that it was one which the House should not sanction in its pre sent state. There had been an attempt on the part of the Commissioners that had been appointed some years ago for the improvement of Ireland, to introduce a clause into a Bill for the drainage of that country similar to those in serted in the present Bill. Those Commissioners under took to deal with matters which they had neither the ability nor the knowledge to interfere with, and this fact it was that created the great complaints that were at that time expressed by the landowners of Ireland ; and the Earl of St. Germans, who was the head of the select committee being fully informed of the intentions of the com missioners, protested againt the introduction of the clause proposed to be introduced by them, for he saw that the powers sought by the Bill would be most extraordinary and also injurious to the landowners of Ireland. The Commissioners thereupon declared that the Bill, when deprived of the clause objected to, would be utterly use less; but the Noble Lord, who saw the injustice of the prove al, persisted in his opposition to the measure, and the Bill was ultimately abandoned. Now it was on the same grounds that he (Mr. French) opposed the Bill now under the consideration of the House. This Bill proposes to appoint a board, at the head of which was to be Colonel Jones, a gentleman for whom he had the highest respect, and of whose abilities he (Mr F. French) had the highest opinion. This board it is proposed is to take upon itself the direction of the public works of Ireland. Now, he was of opinion that the people of that country were perfectly adequate to super intend the drainage of their own property. Let the House take a case where the owner of a thousand acres of land, all of which the board should be of opinion required draining, but the proprietor objects to the expense which this step would entail on him. He complains to the hoard, but he is then in formed that he must be at the expense. This was indeed what he objected to, it gave the board a most absolute power to order the carrying out of any project which they thought proper, regardless of what cost they put the owner of the land to. They had power by this Bill not only of putting a dis tress on his land—not only of charging 5 per cent. ad ditional on any arrears which might remain overjunpaid, but they had also the power of leasing for ever, or of selling off, every acre of his land. (Hear, hear.) Now, he would ask the House if this was a power that ought to be given over any man's estate? They (the landlords of Ireland) wanted not the assistance of 50,000 k, and for that reason he had opposed it the other night. A 1,000,0001. had been already repaid to the United Kingdom, with an additional 150,000/. interest, the interest between three and five percent. on the last three years. All the Irish landlords wanted was that some facility should be given for borrowing money. If the Bill were considerably amended in some of its particulars, and power, as he said, given to the landlords to borrow money for the improvement of their estate, then they would take care that such improvements were made and that the labourers would be sufficiently paid by those who employed them. They might depend on it thet in this way landlords would be able to do more good than if still under the guiding strings of the Com missioners. It had been said that consider. able difficulty had been experienced in work ing out this Act, because two-thirds of the landlords would not assent to its provisions. Perhaps they had sufficient reasons for the adoption of this course. They might not have that faith in the decisions of the Commissioners which others had. He had some experience in Irish matters, and he could assure the Right Hon. Baronet opposite that without considerable modifications the Act would bo received with dissatisfaction by all classes 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 it 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 coeflicting interests of different parties. The general impression was, that the Board of Works e edr f t ai o n r i nm them,l yed deservedhaeni and additional duties th at w gree powerll a t and confidencew asne impartially,esehs should had trhe epyo se rp o oe rd t e h r etu to . e H na e b d l d t h n e o m t h t e k c a rr thisy o q u u t e s t t o e n d w n a t i s e s a t imposed on them. He dd not think this question was altogether a u d y a :b i n o d e one affecting private property. The Beard of Works required the power to drain the land immediately ad joining thnrivers, the landed proprietors then who lived at a greater distance from 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 that they would go to the expense of draining their property. Sir IL . FEIZGUSSOINT considered that the alarming preliminary expenses and the great power given to this Board under the Act was a very serious detri ment to the successful operation of his Act. There bad been but two or three cases of drainage under the Act on account of these great expenses. These Drainag Commissioners, when they had prepared a schedule of what they considered necessary to be done, were not, then, bound by plans, schedules, or anything else. He thought that no landed proprietor would consent to this meddling with their property. This Bill, without any exception, was the most übjec tionable that ever been introduced into the House, with respect to Ireland, and 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 it execution, and then they would prove themstives of service to Ireland. Under the present system, however, property, their interference was seldom or never sought for, except in the case of some old mill, which could not be got rid of without their interference. Mr. D. O'CONNELL trusted:that the second read in.; of the Bill would be persisted in. Ile 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 theiri 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 t 6 of the country. lie 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 Bill, Mr. F. FRENCH rose to object to the 6th and 7th clauses of the Bill, as those clauses would take all power end control out Of the hands of the landed proprietors, and placed 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 reapect 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 whatsver. lie should be sorry to retard in the slightest degree the progress of the measures contemplated by the Right lion. Baronet the Member 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 13111 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 direction of the Bill, would be a very injurious Course. THE BUN, LONDON. MONDAY EVFLWINI 7 4- 1 FEBRUARY 2 3 1803. SU MMA ay. The Lords met to-day at a Quarter past Five o'clock. ;ieveral petitions were presented from different parts of the country, against any alteration in the corn•laws. Lcrd CAMOYS presented petilions from Ox fordshire, in favour of an alteration in the corn-laws. Lord ROSSE moved, pursuant to notice, for a return of the amount of fees incurred by the introduction of railway Bills into this House during the last session of Parliament; and by petition against such Bills; and how applied.—Agreed to. In answer to a question from Lord MONTEAGLE, The Earl of ABERDEEN said he had no objection to the production to the report of Mr. Walker, relative to the alteration in the American tariff. Their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock precisely. Mr. HODGSON said he had several petitions which ought to have been presented to the House on Friday last. He wished to know whether any Member present ing a petition was bound to state that he received it on the Friday, in order to present it? Could the petitions be properly presented on the following Friday? The SPEAKER said that any Member could present a petition on the Friday following the previous Friday. Mr. H. BERKLLEY presented petitions against the Glasgow, Paisley, and Ayr Railway, and the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayiltailway, with branehe:. The Hon. Member also presented petitions against the Cambridge, Staines, Henley, and another railway. Mr. DUNDAS presented a petition against the Edin burgh and Northern Railway, complaining of non compliance with the standing orders. Petitions were presented against the London and York Railway, the York and North Midland Rail way, and the Manchester and Southampton Railway. A petition was presented against the North Stafford shire Railway, complaining of non-compliance with the standing orders. Mr. REDHEAD YORKE presented a petition, signed by 3,000 of the inhabitants and burg( saes of York, praying that the sentence of transportation passed on Frost, Will;ams and Jones be remitt e d. ' Mr. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from the in habitants of Hammersmith and Fulham against the en• roltneut of the militia. Petitions were presented in favour of Lord Ashley's Ten Hours' Bill. RAILWAYS. Mr. BARRY BALI)WIN presented a petition com plaining ( as we un d erstood) that t h e L ancaster and Car lisle Railway promoters had not complied with the standing orders. NOTICES OF MOTION. Mr. WODEHOUSE withdrew the motion which stood in hi s name on the aper, and b egge d t o su b st it u t e instead, a r e t urn o f local r c e h t - u r r at s e taxation,rates namely, poor-rates, county-rates, high way . rates, o f r n o n n e c the te d years 1762 to 1839. Mr. HAW ES moved for' certain and chu r n vtith the Post-office and with timber. par ticulars of the returns were we could not otNlVihat the ear, in conse quence of the noise in the House and the very low tone of the speaker. THE AYR AND GALLOWAY RAILWAY. Mr. CRAIG presented a petition against the Ayr and Galloway lif.ilway on the ground of non-compliance with the standing orders. Sir C. NAPIER wished to ask the Right Hon. Pa ronet at the bead of the Government if any compensa tion bad yet been awarded to Mr. Pritchard, the late Consul at Otaheite? Sir ROBERT PEEL said that the Gallant Officer was aware that the question of compensation was to have been determined by two officers, one from the English, and one from the French navy. i SUMMARY. The Speaker took the chair at Four o'clock. Toe names of Hon. Members exempt from sittiug on Election Committees were read. A new writ was moved for the borough of Ripon for a Member to serve in Parliament, in the room of the Right Hon. T. B. C. Smith, appointed Master of the Rolls in Ireland. After the transaction of private business, Mr. SYDNEY HERBERT, in answer to a question, stated that the Government hoped to be enabled to raise the militia by a method less onerous than the ballot. Sir IL PEEL in answer to a question from Mr. P. M. Stewart said that, with regard to the duties on colonial spirits and molasses, it was not the intention of the Go vernment to propose any alteration in those duties. On the Order of the Day for the second reading of the Drainage of Lands (Ireland) Bill, Mr. F. FFRENCEL complained that the Bill gave powers to the Commissioners for Drainage, with which it would be highly improper to trust them. He objected to giving to any body of men the entire superintendence of all public and private works of experiment in Ireland. The landowners were perfectly competent to decide in what manner employment was to be given to the poor of Ire lani, on their respective estates. Sir T. FREEMATTLE believed that the general impres sion throughout Ireland was that the members of the Board of Works had performed their duties exceedingly well and were deserving of confidence. He cousidered that it would be almost impossible to carry out these works properly except under the superintendance of th Commissioners. Sir R. FEacussort considered that in consequence of the enormous powers given to the Drainage Commis sioners, a great number of landowners had been pre vented from taking advantage of the provisions of the Drainage Act ; therefore he must object to any increase of those powers. He considered the Bill as one of the most objectionable that had ever been introduced with regard to Ireland. Mr. O'CONNELL supported the second reading of the Bill ; but he hoped that in Committee various modifica tions would be introduced into it. The Bill was then read a second time. On the motion for reading the Order of the Day for the second reading of the Public Works (Ireland) Bill, Mr. FITZSTEXT FRENCH objected to certain clauses of the Bill as giving too much power to the officers of the Government. Sir T. FREEMANTLE explained that he had before given notice, that on bringing up the report he should propose a clause which would obviate all the objections of the Hon. Member. Sir R. FERGUSSON would suggest the propriety of leaving out the fifth clause altogether. It was necessary to restrain the corn pulsory powers given to the authori ties under this Bill. Colonel CONOLLY would be sorry to retard the pass ing of the measure, but be objected to the compulsory presentments, as calculated to cast a stigma upon the grand juries of Ireland. Mr. O'CONNELL supported the motion. The Report was then brought up, and several verbal amendments were agreed to. On the sth clause being proposed, Sir R. FERGUSSON said that if it were persisted in, he should take the sense of the House on it. Sir T. FREEMAN TLE must press the clause. Mr. F. FFRENCH hoped the clause would be withdrawn The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER trusted the House would support the Bill, as a means of providing employment for the people of Ireland in improving existing public works, as well as in forming new works. Mr. S. CHAWFORM disapproved entirely of the system of compulsory assessments, but if it were to exist he considered that there existed the same grounds for jus tifying it in this case as in other cases. Mr. HAMILTON, lender the circumstances of the case, hoped that the opoosition to the • clause would not be ersevered in. Sir R. FERGITSSON was determined to take the sense of the House on the clause. On a division there appeared— For the clause Against it .... 3 Majority for the clause —94 The report was then agreed to. Mr. BRIGHT moved the reappointment of the cora. mittee on the gamo-laws.—Agreed to. Sir T. FREMANTLE moved for leave to bring in a Bill to afford encouragement to the construction of small piers and harbours calculated to extend the fisheries in Ireland. (LEFT SPEAKING.) Mr. nusfield Ferrand, M.P., who seems to be deter mine., that the good. people of the West Riding shall not wa:at amusement, held a Protection meeting at Huddersfield, on Saturday last, whicre he repeated his one speech, which serves alike for the Rouse of Commons and for all meetings of every sort and description. About 3,000 persons assem bled in the Philosophical Hall, and Mr. Robinson, a free trader, was elected to the chair in opposition to Mr. Ferrand's friend, Mr. Joshua Hobson. There was a great deal of con fusion and up roar —tl be word" calumniator' ;was m ade use of, and reference was made to the resolution no w standin g on the journals o f the A ouse of Commons in refe rence to the Hon. Memb er f or Krares b oroug h, who, after having con cluded his sp eec h , too k hi s d epar ture amidst the most discor dant groans and hisses.. Three cheers were given for Cobden and Bright, and three more for Peel and free - trade , and the meeting dispersed. The Earl and Countess of Haddington received a select party at dinner, on Saturday last, at the Admiralty. We hear that the Noble Earl and Countess will not remove from the Admiralty to 'their mansion in Berkeley-square before the close of next month, when the Earl of E!lenborough is to take pos.ses3ion of the official residence of the First Lord of the Admiralty. and the neighbouring the two quays The tide of the 27t11 - ult. was unusually high at Havre, as was expected. It inundated all the low parts of the town, lock masters ',Jelonging of Notre-Dame, the guarder St. Francois, tide had been streets. As, however, this unusual Previously calculated on, and even mentioned suspension in the almanac.ks of the year, every precaution had been taken, and the only inconvenience felt was the temporary under water, and the flooding of the cellars. Saturday FATAL -ACCIDENT AT THE LONDON DOCKS.—On 0 intercourse through the parts of the town afternoon Mr. Chapman, one of the dock lock to the London-docks , the dock, a height of twenty feet. Drags were procured, accidentally fell into and__.. every endeavour was used to recover the body, but wll , r,out effect. Yesterday th e drags were again p ut into re qu, siti on , an d , after three hours' incessant dragging, the body. ) 2 as found, and removed to his residence to await the Coro tter's inquest. , PRISON DISCIPLINE. The subject of prison discipline has, of late, under gone a great deal of what is called consideration and discussion in the Court and in the Committees of Alder men, and the crowded state of the City gaols has from time to time forced itself not only upon the attention of the City Magistrates, but of the Home-office, by the mere dint of its importance. The fol'esvirg statement embodies the views and opinions of the opposers of the existing system, and of those who contend that the in terposition of the Government, in the City gaol, affairs, would be of injurious tendency not only as regards the privileges of the citizens of London, but as respects the improvement of the moral condition of society. It is admitted by the former, who constitute the mi nority in the Court of Aldermen, that of late years the establishment of the Central Criminal Court, with its monthly sessions, and the power given to the Middlesex Magistrates of committing prisoners for trial at the Westminster sessions, have greatly reduced the numbers confined within the walls of Newgate, and so far have operated most beneficially upon the state of that prison; but those partial improvements have struck far, very far short of the root of the evil. Ooe of the City prisons, Giltspurastreet Compter, affords a most impressive in stance of the bad consequences which result from over crowding those receptacles of crime and misfortune. Giltspur-street Compter was originally intended for City debtors, and if it had been confined to that purpose, was capable of affording tolerable accommodation ; but, in the year 1812, an Act of Parliament was obtained for building a debtors' prison in Whitecross-street, and ever since that period the Giltspur-street Compter has been used as a City house of correction, and also as a place of confinement for remanded prisoners, and for those who are committed for want of bail. The prison itself stands upon a site containing less than half an acre of ground, arid the number of prisoners confined within its walls varies generally from 240 to 300, and sometimes even exceeds the latter number. By the new Building Act, no prison can now be erected upon an area of less than five acres, and this rule is ap plicable to provincial as well as to metropolitan districts. Giltspur-street Compter, therefore, standing upon an area of less than half an acre, though it does not come under the provisions of the Act, which has no retrospec tive operation, is condemned by it as deficient in Ihe pro portion that less than half an acre bears to five acres, the smallest scale upon which the Legislature has de clared future prisons shall be built. If the only objection to small prisons, and the consequent overcrowding of prisoners, were the injury thereby inflicted on the bodily health of that wretched portion of our fellow creatures, it would be a sufficient reason for correcting the defect. But the great evil is to be found not in its physical, but in its moral consequences. An injury to the constitution from confined and unwholesome air would be bad enough, but here is an injury preying upon the mind, penetrating the heart and soul, and producing a moral contagion on the human subject which may be said to affect eternity itself. Want of room includes want of classification, and want of classification prevents anything like a remedial or beneficent spirit from mingling with the severity of our criminal laws. Far from encouraging, or facilitating, or indeed permitting the return of a young offender to virtue, it shuts the door of repentance fur ever in his face by placing him in the society, and as it were under the instruction of the most experienced practitioners in every species of enormity. The child aho has committed a first offence, the adult who has arrived at the full maturity of crime, and the veteran more hardened by his vices than his years, who seems to take a pride in the empire of wickedness, are all huddled together, breathing the same tainted atmosphere, and assimilating with a sort of ma lignant rivalship to the worst specimen amongst them. Such is the state of that part of the prison known as the Compter, where prisoners untried and of course uncon victed, and possibly innocent, are associated with some of the most depraved characters on the face of the earth ; but bid as this division of the prison is, the other divi sion, now known as the house of correction for the city of London, is by many degrees worse. Here are to be seen in the same room from fifty to sixty male prison ers of all ages, and of almost all degrees of criminality siting together, closely packed on benches, picking oakum. The most disgusting conversation is continu ally going forward ; the most revolting levity pervades the whole demoralised and demoralising mass, and the wretch who might, in the first instance, have been sent there for some slight offence, soon finds the sort of school he has been introduced to, and there treasures up lessons and forms connexions, well calculated to fit him for the mischievous career which society may be said to have destined and fitted him to run. Immediately above this den of infamy stands the treadmill, on which a similar number of persons are kept constantly hat work, and there, as in the oakum room, their intercourse with each other is perfectly 'unrestrained and their conversation distinguished by the same reckless disregard of all de cency and order. The sleeping apartments are over crowded in the same manner, and the same want of classification and arrangement, proceeding from the same cause, is observable in the wretched wards devoted to rest and forgetfulness. Such is the information, and such are the opinions gathered from those who view with indignation and contempt the civic gaol system. They call for a remedy for so monstrous a state of things. They say the neglect is inexcusable, not only because the evils resulting from it are so formidable, but because the remedy is so palpable to the slightest consideration, and so obviously within the reach of the civil authorities. To erect a house of correction adequate to the wants of the city of London, would, they assert, require an area of from five to tan acres, and if a prison of such extent were built they would hope to see a proper classification of prison ers enforced and the working of a system of prison dis cipline calculated, not only to punish, but to re form those who become amenable to its regulations. The gentlemen who consider the above description as a mere picture reflected from a diseased imagination, which "sees more devils than all hell can hold," inva riably condemn and discourage allusions to the Giltspur street Compter. In the Court of Aldermen, at any rate in the presence of the members of the press, if we may judge from the newspaper reports of the business trans acted there, where hints have been, from time to time, thrown out expressive of a suspicion that improvement is unattainable without the means of affecting classification, a general murmer is heard, and a peremptory reference is made to the Gaol Committee, in which " profound" it is doomed to repose until some new occasion arise, or some new member, uninstructed in the ways of the Court, is shocked at the horrible reality, and speaks what he thinks. It has, however, been sometimes the case that a plump denial has been given to all charges of bad arrangement and management in the prison, fol lowed up by a high compliment to those by whose judg ment and assiduity the reform has been brought to per fection, and by a sneer at the menaced interference of a Secretary of State with the functions of the magistrates of the City of London. LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, Jan. 31. THE QUEEN V. THE REV. JOSIAH BARTLETT. This was a rule which had been obtained in the Bail Court a short time since, for a criminal information against the defendant for the publication of a libel on Mrs. Marianna Tozer. At the time the rule was ob tained the particulars of the libel were make public, and they then appeared to be of a most defamatory character. The ATTORNEY. GENERAL having now moved to make the rule absolute, Mr. Sergeant WILKINS said he had been instructed to show cause against it, but that it would rather be his duty to declare to the Court that the defendant extremely regretted what he had done, and that all the insinuations he had uttered against the lady were alto gether without foundation. Some erroneous impression under which defendant had laboured, had prompted him to take the course which he now so deeply lamented, and influenced by them ho was induced to believe that the lady had given rise to disorder in his family. In a fit bordering on madness the letters had been written, but ho was now ready to avow that it did not contain a word of truth. He would also say that the lady was in fact a most excellent person, and that to the last day of his life he would deplore his having ever attacked her so state mentTh e he A h rr op o e ß d NE h 7 e - h G a E d N o E n ß ly Ai do e n x e pr h e i s s se d d ut i unjustifiably and so improperly. I n ma ki ng this y ii . mself fully sa tisfied with so ample a retraction of so foul a calumny, and one which had been so handsomely made by his Learned Friend. Under ordinary circumstances he would have been content to discharge the rule on pay ment of the costs, but in the present instance he must press the Court to make the rule absolute.—Rule ab solute. POLICE IN TELLIGEN CE. SOUTHWARK. On Saturday two policemen of the M, or Southwark a c rhsaorngse, charged e r i e fo , r b e y m d r t . r direction ! keeping a lodging-house in the vicinity of this Court. The complainant stated that on Wednesday morning, w of i thett division, a C s o s m a n u ma l m t i i s n es g dio Roberts n a e n sr d o t f h P r a e o nalditcee Parsons, nan.named Evans, between one and two o'clock, while he was sitting in the front parlour with two of his lodgers, a loud knock came to the street door, and on opening it the two de fendants rushed in and asked him what business he and his lodgers had to be up at that hour of the morning? Before, however, he had time to answer such a ques tion, one of the defendants (Roberts) struck him a severe blow on the face, which knocked him up against the wall, and the other defendant pulled out . his staff, and, flouri s hi ng it a b ou t, sa id that he would like to lay it about the h ea d of the complainant, and ultimately struck one of the lodgers, who had given no kind of offence. The defendants, before they quitted the hou se , expressed their determination not to rest until they suc ceeded in routing the complainant out of the hou se . In reply to Mr. Trail!, the complainant said ho never gave the policemen any provocation. Roberts, in defence said, that on the morning in question, on passing the complainant's house, he heard talking in the parlour, and on listening he overheard some person threaten to throw a brickbat at Parsons when an opportunity presented itself ; that he,(Roherts) informed his brother constable of what he heard, and they accordingly went together into the house, but he denied having used the violence att r ib ute d to him' . James Humphries, an old man, confirmed the com plainant's account of the transaction in every particular, and added, that the purport of th e conversation pre • viously to the intrusion of the two policemen, had no reference to any member of the police force ; that the fact was they were talking about the repeal of the corn laws. In reply to the magistrate, the witness said the police men on rushing into the house did not say what they were there for, but without any ceremony one of them (Roberts) struck the complainant. Parson, in reply to the charge, said that his brother constable informed him that he heard threats used against him by persons in the complainant's house, and that was the reason he accompanied him there. Lie, however, denied assaulting any person, and concluded by saying the house was one of very bad repute. Mr. TRAILL—Have you reported the character of the house to the superintendent, for that would have been your duty, and not to have intruded yourself into it in the way described. Both the defendants admitted they made no report on the subject, but they maintained that they considered it a part of their duty to enter houses of a similar character, if they heard anything was going forward of an improper description. The complainant said that he kept a lodging-house, and that he was doing nothing that should have sub jected him to such treatment as he experienced at the hands of the two policemen. Mr. TRAILL said, that even admitting the defendants, in passing the house, had heard the threats they men tioned, they would not be justified in entering the house, far less in assaulting the landlord of it, for if that were permitted, no man's house would be safe from the intru sion of the police, when they thought proper to enter. The magistrate then inflicted penalties of 20s. each on the defendants; and, addressing the superintendent, said the conduct of the constables was quite indefensible, and deserved severe reprehension. It may be proper to remark that the infliction of a fine, by a magistrate upon a policeman, disqualifies him from serving in future in the police force. THAMES. On Saturday a good looking young women, named Ann Gardner, large in the family way, appeared to an swer a peace warrant, issued at the instance of a ballast agent, John Anderson. The case was a very heartless one, and Mr. Pelham was engaged for the defence by some of the inhabitants of Wapping, whose interest was ex cited in favour of the young woman, Gardner, who is only about eighteen years of age, and who has been ruined by the plaintiff. Anderson complained that the young woman was con stantly annoying him, threatening to tear him to pieces, and preventing him in his occupations. For the defence, it was shown that the plaintiff had effected the young woman's ruin by the most solemn protestations of meaning to act honourably by her. According to her statement, she is the daughter of a solicitor, and though she kept company with the pro secutor, to whom she admitted she was much attached, he had not succeeded in effecting his purpose until hav ing repeatedly promised marriage, he had given two written documents to the same effect. The papers, which were produced, ran as follows: "London, 16th, 1845. " This is to certify that I Jon Anderson am to marry Ann within the term of to years or sooner if possable, Somere perhaps wen I return. Witness my and, the sixteenth day July, 1845. I am, yours truly and affec tionate lover. "JON ANDERSON." The next ran:— " London, 14th, 1845. " I promise to marry Ann Gardiner as soon as pos sible, for me to do which, I have not mentioned the time at present, but as soon as I can. Witness my and. " J. ANDERSON." The complainant, in aggravation of the charge, urged that the young woman annoyed him, even on the Sabbath. Mr. BALLANTiwE,Don't talk to me about the Sab bath. You have ruined this young woman for life, and now you turn round on her in your sanctimonious ness. Complainant—Why, she has been as large as that for the last twelve months. Mr. Pelham—lf so, it is a curious physiological fact, and in the teeth of all experience as regards gestation. Mr. BALLANTINE dismissed the case, and told the girl that as regarded the letters she had better leave them in Mr. Pelham's hands, and he would probably put her in the way of redressing the wrongs which she had sustained at the hands of complainant. The young woman then left, to the great satisfaction of a crowded Court. BRENTFORD PETTY SESSIONS. At the Brentford Petty Sessions, on Saturday, Mr. Samuel Parnell, a master baker at Old Brentford, was fined 40:4 and costs, for a m , st cruel and brutal assault upon a female named Anna Maria Smith. It appeared that the female in question had had a child by the defendant, which she had affiliated to him before the Kensington magistrates, who had ordered him to pay 2s. a week for the support of the child. On the 18th inst. defendant sent complainant the amount of two weeks, instead of three, which was owing, and part of it was a bad half-crown. She accordingly went to the shop to see him, and while she was telling his house keeper the object of her visit, the defendant seized her by the shoulders behind, and forced her out of the shop, and on leaving go of her he kicked her in a brutal manner. By the defendant—Had sent her 4s. out of the 6q. he owed her, amongst which was a bad half crown, and that was the reason she went to him. The defendant declared that he had sent her all the money, and that so far from having sent a bad half crown, he had sent it her all in halfpence, and the time before all iu farthings. The BENCH said that only showed the feeling he had towards the mother of his child, and such payment was quite illegal. The defendant had been guilty of a most unmanly assault, and must pay a fine of 405., or 21 days. . mprisonment. —The fine was paid. DREADFUL SHIPWRECKS. EIGHTY LIVES LOST. The losses announced during the last week have been truly appalling, several American picket-ships being among the number wrecked in crossing the Atlantic, with the loss of all hands. The first on the list is that of the Montreal, . a fine new ship, 3-1 . 5 tons burthen, a trader between London and Que bec, which was lost during a snow storm on the night of the 14th of last month, on shore near Cape Chat, and not one belonging to her was left to tell the tale. The wreck, when discovered, was fast breaking up, her masts were gone, and her hull had parted in two. On shore the bodies of the captain, wife, and child were found, the latter being clasped in its mother's arms. Four other bodies were after- wards discovered entangled in the wreck. They have all been buried in one grave. The vessel was laden with flour and other articles. The next melancholy affair is that of another packet-ship, supposed to be the Saxon, bound to London, lo: t, with all hands. The ship, which has a large amount of insurance on her at Lloyd's, was 367 tons burthen, ani left Boston, where she belonged, on the 13th of last month, manned with a crew of twenty. She was last seen on the 17th, and her de struction is supposed to have occurred about the 19th, on a reef of rock called the Ledges, near Red Head, as her wreck was passed by the Stamboul, from Smyrna, on the 24th, 25 miles N.N.W. of St. George's Shoal. .Another loss took place on a field of ice, the particulars of which are thus described :—The brig Laurel left Quebec on the morning of the 29th of December, with a cargo of 400 barrels of flour and 28 of butter. On arriving off Cacona, on the banks of Newfoundland, she was met by a large field of ice, and every effort to steer clear of it proved abortive. The ship becoming fixed in it, she was shortly driven ashore on Green Island, where she immediately became a wreck. The crew suffered severely for three days. The barque Uni verse, of Boston, was lost under similar circumstances; for tunately, the crew were saved. The ship Cambridge, from Liverpool, on the 23d of De cember, saw a vessel in distress, which proved to be the Lord Lynedoch, of London, in a sinking state. They took off the crew, thirty-two in number, who were in a dreadful state. The vessel foundered shortly afterwards. The East India Company have received infor►nation of the total loss of one of the Company's war sloops, named Coote, commanded by Lieutenant J. S. Grieve. The disaster happened on the 3d of November last, on a reef of rocks opposite Calicut, the vessel at the time being on an expedition to the Malabar coast. The brig Merlin, of Newcastle, was totally destroyed by fire on the 3d instant. She was laden with wine and fruit, and within twelve hours after leaving Oporto Bar she caught fire. The captain and crew were soon forced to take to the boat, and abandon the vessel. They were afterwards picked up by a foreign schooner, which conveyed them to Gibraltar. On the books are also reported the total loss of the ship City of Shims, in the Mindora Sea, with forty persons drowned ; and also the wreck of tho Gustave Edouard, a French Indiaman, 650 tons burthen ; and another vessel, name not exactly known—both attended with melancholy results. SINGULAR ADULTERATION OF CHAMPAGNF..—A sin gular mode of increasing the intoxicating power of cham pagne has recently been discovered in Germany. It appears that a wine-merchant of Rheims has for some years past enjoyed the almost exclusive privilege of supplying the kingdom of Wurtemburg with that wine, and that an extraordinary effect has been noticed to attend the drinking of - a single glass thereof. After several ana lyses of the wine had been made, the contents of some of the bottles were examined by Liebig, who ascer tained by analysing its gases, that it contained one volume of carbonic acid gas, and two of the laughing gas or protoxide of nitrogen. The last-named gas, the peculiar effects produced by which on the animal economy, when it has been respired, are well-known, is prepared by the de composition of the nitrate of ammonia. If this salt be at all impure, and not unfrequently when it is used absolutely pure, nitrous acid is evolved in the first instance during its decomposition. Chemists, therefore, when preparing the the laughing gas, are in the habit of throwing away the first proportions of gas that come over, an d further test the character of the gas before th y allow it to be inspired, as the nitrous acid gas would act on the economy as a dan gerous poison. Furthermore if the l ungs cont ai n a i r when this gas is inhaled, nitrous acid gas will be formed, and danger result. There is another danger occasionally encountered, when this gas is used for purposes of exhilira tion by respiration. In persons of a consumptive habit, it may cause severe pain at th e c h est, d i ff i cu l ty o f b reathing, and even spitting of blood. In those who have a tendency to apoplexy or palsy, mischief in the head may be caused by its incautious use. How far these results may be modi fied by the gas being tak en i nto t h e s t omac h , i t i s at present impossible to say, b u t th e su bj ec t a d m i ts o f , an d d eserves further inquiry. At all eve n t s , th ere i s th e d anger o f a portion of nitrous a c id gas b e i ng use d i n t h e w i ne, toget h er with the laughing gas, and the adulteration is one of a most improper, as well as singular, character. It can hardly be regarded as altogether innocuous.—Medical Times. STAGE CARRIAGE DUTIES.—On Saturday a deputa tion from the coach proprietors round London, headed by Colonel Wood, M.P. fer Middlesex, waited by appointment on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on the subject of the stage carriage duties. The trade complain that, all along the banks of the river Thames from Hampton Court to Wool. wich, they have to compete with untaxed steam, and on many roads with the rail also, and soon will on all; the rail paying 5 per cent. duty on their receipts, except third-class passengers, on which they pay nothing, whilst the coach pro prietor pay duties amounting on many roads to 25 per cent., and seldom less than 16 per cent. on their receipts, besides heavy annual licenses, from which the rail and steam are 'totally exempt, and they ask, on principle, to be placed on an equality with the steam-boats and railroads. All the proprietors forming the deputation gave it as their decided opinion that if the Government placed them on an equality with the railroads as regards the duty, many long coaches would be placed on the road again this spring, the heavy duties being the only hindrance, and that by a judicious re duction, the Government would in this instance, as in most others where duties had been reduced, be rather gainers than losers, in consequence of the extra carriages th a t wou ld b e started. The Chancellor promised to give the case , w hi c h was argued at great length, his serious consideration. The Sacred Harmonic Society's next performance takes place on Thursday next, when Handel's Samson will be given. The cast includes Brabant, Phillips, Leffler, Miss Birch, and Miss Hawes. S YV MONEY MARKET and CITY NE CITY, SATURDAY EVENIFec;_ TIMES.—Money transactions remain iu the most nu ' taro state possible ; the Circular to Bankers says:--- . 0 "There is no describing money by rates, which vary:. the course of the same day according to the circumstallf, of the parties. Very few bills are taken in by the bill I'S kers under five per cent. ; and the temper of tke Bank 1 ,„,1 be known from the fact, that after having agreedoteiTie 100,000/. on Exchequer-bills for a month, they imPl, reu b il et borrower to curtail the time for the loan, and to take one-fourth or one-half of the sum which he had terest." ifect ive In general the discount brokers maintain a pretty e competition with the Bank, but the latter now aPPr element by far thegreater part of the business, and this is a newi c oldifficuity at the present moment, for the Bank Dire rwe d having so large and important a trust to exercise must I?. a the/ with greater caution than other establishments, anidt,',oo - the least danger a-head will suspend the rcl.e.,trsay diately„ That they will continue to give assistance In a l e paid for is a much more prevalent belief than the contrary; "reseet monied interest have this further reliance--that the P as ',jet board have a wary eye to profit, and would fe at it the neW of great gratification so early in the working of ttiLividead system to be able to announce an i ncrea se in thei r , t the e<- to the next court of proprietors. The knowledge toed tent of the business they are engaged in has, in f act; of late the value of Bank Stock at - a time when other deilo tions of stock were giving way, and these woul d bea fore no other rational construction than such 511 eslie"rtiote e as that just adverted to. The enormous amount eQjeediel; deposits disclosed by this week's return, 'pr 14,000,000 L, further shows the vast available PQ w ; to ss/ sessed by the establishment; yet no man can vect u , r ', t he how far it may be prudent for them to go, and w" e 010 1° may think fit to withhold that support upon which the City depends. 'th the Mr. Cobden's letter does not raise his character I v ' pra y men of business here, where everything is emiee nt - ch oe' tical, and where such a course is he would adopt is, j oy tensed as headlong legislation, which if attempted ;bolt Minister, would drive him from power, or threw' at country into confusion Our merchants, and that 7'oojeg, any peculiar sympathy with the landholders, are b e fi t . bel a upon calmer reflection, to think the Minister sufficieeri4o already, as regards his mode of dealing tei - .11 the e mrieP, and a few timid voices are beginning to be 13 0. '1 ' Ty the other parts of his measure, but more Pa rtial t ete ri . reduction of duty on cotton and silk foreign mann ne bli; articles. To this, which is a common reaction of ten: l ,lo, mind in all such cases, no great importance need be el ta te though it is not to be omitted in adverting to the t ; t / feeling in the City on the present occasion. W ,b i e net! o : impressions there arises, by a natural transition; two of much opposition to the Minister on other pints ! e Suer Clooter' o wl the corn-laws. Nothing, however, on this side o f t tion can be said yet to assume an important The Select Committee of the House of Commons serP:alid, to arrange the mode of proceeding with railway settle the extent of them, is certainly sinking je r it ' s in the City with the same men who do not del sp eet e ;. city. under the circumstances into which, with ~rs't . Tb„ . • those undertakings, the conntry has been Vo l t. se' s ?; contend that this ought to have been done in the Ay eutd instead of so much being done to encourage o il % can 10 prise in all directions. Nothing that the Committehe will give satisfaction ; that is perfectly evident , a n to t ,, subject is obviously doomed to be an annoyance sPZ I gislature during the whole course of the session' t bis 11 ;6; decision of some rule or principle of proceeding by 0 0 mittee may, however, materially assist in alsl7 o , o ° . ,de vexatious question of the payment of the depes"; tbs , "„o companies who do not find it prudent to go on At le ,i i el o ) ;o cision, may help in restoring the equilibrium in "„ 1 00; 0 Market, and facilitate the movements of other 0 113 ,,r - t ribe t `. o withdrawing at once, and by proceeding to a rec' of the funds they have in hand. To give renewed cotlifor!lio to the Money Market is a more important ebi e „ e n; trec ti time being, than any question arising out a the e"_4l. of new railways, at least so far as the City is "once THE 4 , GREAT UNPAID,; / „, qv Tear THE EITOR OF TRE lo co , ,e Sm,—The glaring d unpardonable neg to The tio magistrates in some of the provinces appear s t he P u .if the increase, and this piece of insult upon. t or ise' o l must be stayed. Wherever cause for coroPhi lu vt 0 , 5 , this respect, the public may easily remedy its . a score only—no matter how humble in statio to tb~t ) .mit a short memorial (showing the grievan c , e tO be Lord-Lieutenant, and it will be his bounden L ' ll l fee t t ° into it. The remedy is very plain and essY• OP' dient servant, 080 Jan. 30, 1846. 13i t arc itf DEATH OF SIR JAMES RIVETT CARS - t, We have to announce the decease of the ab n P i joi whose dissolution took place on Wednesday lest; c ase' s' cliffe, his residence in Lymington, Hants. The " eat for some months past suffered from severe illnes; o fdf,s ceased was some years back chairman of the boat" Gos r of tors of the East India Company, and was formed : Ys IS of of Bombay, in which appointment he was succe ed sat 01 late Sir William Macnaughten. The late Baron et Se r i House of Commons so:ue years ago, for Sandiv' c r . son created a baronet in 1836, and is succeeded by b's r(4 o John R. Carnac,_ _late of the 73d Regiment. O. DEATH OF .MK. CARPUE.—We regret to of d i et itr that this veteran reformer, and celebrated stirg e° tr eets s o? Friday evening last, at his residence in Charlotte -s diste'd roy-square, after a protracted illness. The itnin e cose e i t i of his death, we understand, was dropsy. ai r ' , ne t SicP well known some years ago as a veteran refortn e i l ' o se " c ite' of the abuses in his own profession, but also of t. eg i es, affect the common weal. In times of great pot s ,' 'Lir meet, during the elections, he was ever to be Je - ct iseS o os post, either on the hustings at Covent-garden, ° T I : r gaged in canvassing in support of his own pectut - f the i ide, In the medical profession he was known as o n e r O t see" ) , stern and uncompromising of all the" oppone nts 0 , h ot 01/ of Surgeons, by the governing body of which, to t : t tie e tM disgrace, he was constantly refused a seat of rase 01A cil, though eminently entitled t o it by his re:os. je o profession, and surgical and anat om i ca l attainn : '",i, Carpue was scarcely known as a writer, his prin c 're d el we believe, his only work being On the Taliaeotias and On Vie High Operation of the Stone. As pee l ! 0 1 on anatomy and surgery, his style of lecturing vr 3 ! tri gof fi st but eminently successful. Shortly after the o P en s tire' l t iO Brighton Railway, Mr. Carpue, who had then te at shell public and professional life, excepting his appoint.skss4o vaccine establishment, was travelling on that that fearful accident happened by which so Ina n t t sed°, l o c! sacrificed. Two of Mr. Carpue's servants were ' so d, sr occasion, and he himself was most seriously blab wh:le but little hope was entertained of his recovettS 'of 4 s( ferings were dreadful; and even when appare nt3) d still complained of great oppression at the chest ISli ct t he w o o+ of breathing. How far this accident may have I , 3l i sse dation of the disease which ultimately destroy ec r ' ; Ith unprepared to state; but he himself having, al le s . el 00 cursed, expressed his firm conviction that it w ° l.ol fl es t) death. He proceeded against the company bY c ,' and recovered 1001. damages. From that titne r e l isea j i nothing was known of him by the public. l i , e s h gether retired, and free from the turmoils if"'" 84) gaged the greater part of a long life. Be was t'S° 0 Observer. THE WAGES OF THE DOCKYARD AI" bee t c o- 4 , Meetings of the artisans of the Dockyard bap s . ill, c fs te, with a view of organising a movement to obtai r r i d s a k e of wages. The shipwrights of Woolwich Dockfa.iid csloo, the proceedings, and wrote to the shipwrights a n t rot of Devonport and other dockyards ; other classes 0 0 4 sr learning this summoned a meeting, in order t", : s e t': o et s " might be made by all hands. The result has, eti ti s sirs pointment of a committee, and the adoption 0 1 f f : g the Admiralty, setting forth the high price of foot' .. „Sia ground for the increase which they solicit' ba Standard. EXPENSIVE CLOAK.—His Majesty Ka tlik s e ies sll; jet i ?: still in his possession the mamo, or feather svirTeoli.rssh' father, the celebrated Tamehameha. It was n ° ,' ;n s until his reign, having occupied eight prece,,u7eir s io,f' its fabrication. It is four feet in length, Wi t ", o uPs a half feet spread at the bottom. Its P - o liiesst is a coarse netting, and to this the feathers,,,ol , very small and exceedingly d e l ica te, are S ' l ' s tached, overlapping each other, and forming bo rde v de llo smooth surface. The feathers around the, .sht; inverted, and the whole presents a beautiful Ltgol', o o eolour, giving it the appearance of a mantle %OP" deed it would be difficult for despotism to °l o t s ' s - iln . s tr richer or more costly garment for its pron.' its tf' s Two feathers only (such as are used wholly i n of s sli'; facture) s are obtained from under the sving 3 eel' t se6 species of bird inhabiting Hawaii, w hich is s n o ' s" with great care and toil. L ong p o l es , with; e re f , " i ; substance smeared upon them, an d well balt e T L 0 0.4 near their haunts. The bi r d a li g ht s upon — 0 10" able to disengage itself from the adhesive dth Jo) secured, the much prized feathers pl u cked, e f 0° set at liberty. A piece of nankeen, valued li,"hers ,01' 4 and a half, was formerly the price o f five tee' e lealt, ff it kind. By this estimate the value of the .eWs.„°; c l equal that of the purest diamo n d s , in the se f;sth e ' e s , , pean regalia, and including th e pr i ce o f the ; e$ 11 0?, less than a million of doll ars wort h o f l a b o ur w it T l l,, e t upon it, at the present rate of computing svitg es 'asitTg e s l spear accompanying the cloak is ten and t "reo,`" length, of a dark-red wood, flattened to a P ° '" polished. It possesses an additional interest, wheitiererli, that it was the favourite weapon of a savage c.. °1 , (1 ifo r deep stained with the blood of many a Hawans - Hawaiian Spectator, vol. 2. -pt V - 1 40 d THE DUKE OP RICHMOND ON POOR — 2 O O DS et fishmonger Duke asserted in the House of 14 0 r u ,:'tse O' evening, that the poor rate pressed so heavy °' oo r is' I n that " one of his tenants alone paid more in s P t tb,t ee , e ,'P.t i o the whole of the League put together!" Ant s pis"„erie° age, we know that the Messrs. Marshall of t' a lber'p ° o f upwards of 2,000/. of poor rate in one years se f°l ; e lifO l s et in Holbeck alone. Which of the D u ke 0t ni e th nants, we wonder, pays as much as the Wen d. this amount in annual poor rate ?—Leeds r ifn BIRTHS. O. ill e t he ladf .11,- On the 20th of November last, at Madras, the """ K. Hamilton, of a son. Of ' ,o f Oa the 27th ult., at Manor House, Bognor, P rir Es n O q., of a son. J oao the 28th ult., at BlacVzcath, the lady e l t r Esq., of a son. On the 28th ult., the lady of Fran -f 3lorphY , place, Russell-square, of a son. the wife On the 28th ult., at H ornsey -l ane, Blgasa,a Sep' sl Watson, Esq., of a daughter. of On the 28th ult., at th e R ec t ory , L e igh, the la w Eden, of a son. On the 29th ult., at Gloucester-villa, Relo -14 11. Phillips, of a son. 04 ; #1 ;b 4 MAIED. s e f On the 19th of November, at Ban RR galore g ore George Or 0 O King's Plussars, to Agnes Mary, daughter 0-(the , la" too , vigD C On the 27th ult., at St. M ar y Abbott's, Kens' n u g iig est Colman, of Manchester, to Elizabeth Winifred , Matthew Terry, Esq. Oll. DIED. rautftO rter On the 11th ult., at Genoa, H e rman Count - file S te Bavaria, son-In-law of Lord Erskine. On the 20th ult., at Hackney, Hanna , Vis le* Beedham, of Highgate. Nora' c ret i On the 24th ult., at Tremadoc, Carnarvorislis,rs_sossit. A. R. Mapwell, Esq., late of the 2d West India 111 0. '' On the 25th ult., at Asherton, Sidmouth , s i r IP" Potts, the wife of G. Pot, aged 27. tOO Sb ire' O ff On the 27th ult., at- Courtsen ' Hall, Not --mP ° Wake, Bart., aged 78. On tile 27th ult., at Margaret-street, iselsreste• tc Rhodes, Esq., late of her Majesty's Woods lai d 1.;• c sad On the 27th ult., Edwin Craven, infant sou ot redo relict of of" . it A. of Church-row, Limehouse. iv child On the 27th ult., in London, Frederic°, 00 - aP taiti Emilie Scarth, aged 7 years. wife l i• of On the 27th ult., at Pa r is, Jane, th e t & lot the Elliot, R.N. too' of On the 27th ult., at Stoke Newington ,)fr rres_laolf On the 28th ult., a t Turnham-green, Miss races yox, ^ On the 29th ult., at L a mbeth-terrace , I ra " late Mr. Charles Fox of: Pr -----11.1": inted and Published ° b } ll / 1/1)° Y°- tbe -1111° London 1115' of ep S h tra t nd e , Printer, at The Sun Oftl Y X 112 S vo w, tr° Seyoy, in the County of ALicl4llo" , . 2 1 MU. itr