The Sun. — London, England, 1846-05-08 00:00:00

,AILWAY COMMITTEES. (YESTERDAY.) GROUP IV. Tha Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of the Bills comptised within this group re -assembled at the usual hour this morning, and proceeded with their labours, Mr. W. B. Hope in the chair. PERTH AND INVERNESS. The business of the dk was commented with the cross-examina tion of Mr. Joseph Mitchell, the acting engineer of the line, by Mr. B. AND:taws, on behalf of the Great North of Scotland Company.—The length of the line fr. m Redgorton to Nairn was II 1 miles, 3 furlongs, and 5 chains, and from Nairn to Inverness 15% miles. The line would not run right Into Nairn, but there would be a short branch to accommodate the main traffic of about 7 miles in length. From this point of junction to Redgorton there would be only a single line of rails, with the exception of a short distance, Athol Valley, where there would be a double line of way. The highest elevation of the line, which was about the station at Inverness, was 1,450 feet. The Caledonian line had an elevation of 1,050 feet, and the Sheffield and Manchester an elevation of 800 feet. From In verness to a point near Nairn, a distance of ten miles, they ascended .596 feet on gradients of 1 in 84 for seven miles, 1 in 200 for two miles, and lin 144 for one mile. They, however, adopted the alter native line, which increased the distance. The line descended till it reached the Tinder river, where it ascended. Hera there MS a curve of three furlongs radius, the gradient of the curve was 1 in 100. The bridge at this point was 1 in 33), on a straight line crossing the river, and 1 in 100 atter crossing it of five hree furlongs, and ten chains in length. The total ascent from the luOth mile coming from Perth, and going wrthward for tile Drat 29 miles, was 1,123 feet. From this point to Inverness they were on an ascending gradient of 1 in 147 for 6 miles, 1 in 73 for 8 miles, lin 104 for 8 miles. There was always a good deal of snow, rain, and mist at this point. There would be 15 stations on the whole 11 .e. Between Inverness and Nairn they would not occur more frequently than at other perilous of the line. They would be evilly divided throughout the whole li..e. From Elgin to Nairn there would be four stet ons. He con templated ruining four passenger trains, two Sunday trains, and one goods trains each day. The mail coach from Perth ,to In verness was often sent round by the coast in winter, in consequence Or the contractors finding it more profitable to send the bags on horse back, and sometimes in consequence o f th e roads being stopped up with snow. The Edinburgh a n d Gl asgow i nc line of 1 in 42 was worked by an expensive stationary engine ; and also this observation applied :to the Lickay incline on the Birmingham and Gloucester. The line termi nated at Redgorton, where it joined a branch of the Scotch Midland. He did not know whether it was contemplated to make the Scotch Midland at this point a double er single line. He was aware that a meeting of sharehtlders adverse to further progress of the Bill had been held in Aberdeen, but he had been creditably informed that it was got up by the Great North of Scotland Company. To make the line a double one it would require 203 , 5611. more than his estimate, The estimate for the Great North of Scotland, with double lines, would be 10,562,0001., and of the Perth and Inverness, an d Ab erdeen, Banff, and Elgin, 28,816,0001. The capital of the lin e from Aberdeen to Perth was 1,500,0001. The Perth and Inverness, and the Aber deen, Banff, and Elgin, had 81 miles more of rail to make than the Great North of Scotland. The price of the Scottish Midland from Perth to Redgorton would be 50,0001., which would have to be added to the 20,816,0001. His estimate for working a double line was 401. per cent., and a single from Nairn to Elgin 331. per cent. On re-examination he said the Great North of Scotland included In their system two branches to Frazerbnrgh and Peterhead, which he had not taken into consideration in making the comparison he had just made. He understood the Great North of Scotland line was to be amalgamated with the Aberdeen and Perth Company, whose shares were at an enormous discount, while the Great North of Scotland shares were not rateable at all ; and he was apprehensive that, in the present state of the money market, if the two were united, it would be some time before the lines would be opened for traffic. What he meant by his gradients being favourable was that they could be worked by an ordinary engine. There were many gradients already in existence of a similar charac ter worked by ordinary engines. But many of his gradients which were considered objectionable might be avoided altogether. It was not that a coach could not get along the llighland road that the mail was not run sometimes in winter, but because the mail contractor found they made more profit by sacrificing the passengers and running the malls with horses, which they had in large numbers for posting in summer, while in winter they would be idle were it not for the mails. The detail of his estimates agreed with Mr. Gibbs's. Ills own prices were somewhat higher, while they were much higher than what he was in the habit of paying. The highest point of the Great North of Scotland was about six hundred feet, Mr. Errington, who is associated with Mr. Lock as an engineer, was the next witness called.—He said he had, in conjunction with his partner, examined the route of the proposed line, and he could eonflrin the evidence of Mr. Mitchell in every respect. From the nature of the country, the works were of remarkably small magnitude. The gradients were good, there were few curves and slopes, and only one tunnel of 400 yards long ; and from the experience he had with estimates made out upon Mr. Mitchell's principle for Scotch lines he had no hesitation whatever in saying the work could be completed for the sum given In by Mr. Mitchell. There was so doubt that a sub stantial contractor could be got without difficulty to undertake the works upon Mr. Mitchell's estimate ; indeed, he had works under his control which wera being executed at much lower prices. He had no hesitation in saying that the trains could run over the line notwithstanding what had been said about the gradients at the rate of 36 miles an hour. It would not take more than 3,0001. a year to obtain the power on the Perth and Inverness, with its severer gra dipnts and plains, that was proposed to be used by the Great North of Scotland while, at the same time, there would be a saving of I is. 2d. per ten on the through traffic. In a through and a circa- Lions line, the one that had the end, or last link of the line, would have power to decide which way the passenger traffic should go ; and,he was afraid no regulations could be made which should Insure fair play to both companies. The best way was to leave the last link in the hands of the through line, because there could not be any doubt that the local ought to be subservient to the through line. With proper precautions, it was al most impossible that a line could be obstructed with snow, for, in fact the power of the railway was used for keeping it clear in snowy Weather On crass-examination by Mr. AgaTry, he said he was decidedly of opinion that sooner or later a direct line would have to be made, and certainly thought the through line ought to be made before the coast line. There certainly were some gradients of no ordinary character on this lines but this was all a matter of expense. They were mot such as could not be worked by an ordinary powerful engine. The Committee adjourned shortly after four o'clock. P V. This Committee met to-dayGR at OU half-past twelve o'clock, Colone] Pox in the chair. FORTH AND CLYDE JUNCTION. This, the last Bill in the group, was taken up this morning. There is no opposition to the scheme, the object of which is to con nect the east and west of Scotland in a diagonal direction to the north of Glasgow. Mr. Lodi appeared for the promoters of this line, which he stated commenced at the Stirling terminus of the Scottish Central Railway, and proceeded up the valley of the Forth, crossing over In the direc tion of killearn and Drymen, and terminating at Alexandria, in the valley of the Leven, near to the point from whence the river issues from Lochlomond. The line was 30% miles in length, and presented no engineering difficulties, the curves and gradients being generally of a favourable character. It would be of great service in supplying a very important and improving district of country with coal and lime, and taking their produce to profitable markets, while it would, from the line scenery at its western terminus, in the neighbourhood of Lochlo• Mond, be attractive to tourists. There was oulyone tunnel 240 yards on. The steepest gradient on the main line was one in 100 ; on the branch of the main line one in 93. The shortest radius of a curve two furlongs. The estimated expense of the whole line was 350,0001. Evidence was then taken In support of the statement of counsel, when the Committee declared the preamble to be proved. The clauses were then gone through, and agreed to, when the Committee adjourned. GROUP VI. DUNDEE AND PEILTE. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) The Secretary, having returned from the House of Lords, informed the Committee that the clause in question would be struck out of the /till when it reached the Lords. Mr. Sergeant Sit/RIMY proposed another clause to the same effect, which would avoid the technical objection that might be raised in the Lords.—The clause was agreed to. The postponed clauses of the Bill were then gone through, and unanimously agreed to. The Committee then adjourned until. Monday. GROUP VII. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) MD INBITAGH AND NORTHEILN GELLY AND LESLIE EXTENSION). Mr. CLAIMS opened the case for this Bill. He said that he would be able to prove by evidence that this line was one that would be of unquestionable public advantage. It was only five miles in extent, and would afford a much shorter communication through the town of Dunfermline, as well as great facility of going to and from Kirkaldy, whence there was a great quantity of coal imported. The Learned Counsel then proceeded to call evidence. Mr. Smith, examined by Mr. CLARKE—The proposed extension would be of great advantage to Leslie, where there were from 4,000 to 5,000 tons of coal consumed annually. There were eight dax m!lls in work in Ate neighbourhood of Leslie. Cross-examined—These mills were half a mile or less from the village of Leslie. Did not consider the road from the bridge over the Leven to Leslie as a good level read, though he understood that there bad been a good deal of money expended on it. All the mills about Leslie were in the valley of Leven. Atter some further evidence In corroboration had been heard, the Committee adjourned. GROUP VIII. The Select Couniiittee appointed to consider the merits of the Bills comprised within this group met at the usual hour this morning, Mr. B. Hawes in the chair. EDINBURGEL AND The whole of the day was occupied with evidence to show that the proposed line was unnecessary, inasmuch as the exiAting Edin burgh, Leith, and Granton line was amply sufficient to accommodate the traffic of the district. The Committee adjourned at four o'clock. GROUP XI The Committee assembled at the usual hour this morning, Mr Henley, chairman. AIRDRIE{ AND DATZIGA.TE JUNCTION, AND EDINBIT,FLGIK AND BATIIGATZ. The time of the Committee was occupied the entire day in Being through the several clauses of these two Bills, all of which were agreed to. The Committee at its rising adjourned until Monday, the 25th Ina GROUP VIII. 'The Committee met to-day at twelve o'clock, Sir W. Clay in the m . Members present, Earl Jermyn, Lord Shelburne, Mr. Cur tets, and Mr. T. Ainsworth. GLA SGOW. DUNEPILIES, AND CARLISLE . The evidence on behalf of this line was resumed ' for constructing th e line. and briefly examined on the estimates Mr. Miller, civil engincer,lienxettnined.—lle agreed with the evi dence of Mr. Blythe. The y svas laid down in the best way to snit the convenience of the coun g t r r os . s reliceei estimated the of , the Ayrshire Company the line at 33 per cent. on-the agreeing to work it at the rate. The ?In t l, by this arrangement incouldents. be worked more economically than by independent arrange: Cross-examined by Mr. Horn—He calculated In the arrangement s he proposed that the whole scheme would be traversed four times six passenger carria ges to each i each way daily , with about lie could not give the average width of the line throughout. tr'arihe se:teme was substantially the same as last year, only shorter at each end, a portion having been cut off at Cumnock and Carlisle. Last year the line was classed as a competing, line with the Caledonian ItallWay, but it was so classed against his will. He then admitted that the Dumfries line would take passengers as expeditiously as the Cale donian line, and, therefore, that the former was the one that ought to be made. The Committee, however, did not adopt this view, as it was considered the Caledonian was better for national objects, as di rectly connecting the north with the south. The Caledonian scheme, if perfected, he admitted would give all the advantages of the present slieine, with the exception of the portion between Cumnock and Dumfries. The Cnainsratr asked if the promoters had any traffic tables to put in, chewing the receipts expected from the different parts of the line ; that was the expected traffic on the Dumfries and Cumnock portion, the Carlisle and Dumfries portion, and the two branches separately ? Mr. TALBOT said they were sot prepared with those tables at present, but should the Committee not be satisfied with the evidence already given, they hail more witnesses to call, who would furnish the details. Mr. CocZBtTZN said that the case of the promoters had been placed before the Committee on the supposition of there being sufficient local traffic to warrant the construction of the line. It had been brought forward on itsown merits. That there was such traffic as was alleged, lie, on behalf of the Caledonian Company, totally denied, and maintained that the Dumfries line could not be worked without taking away a considerable portion of the Caledonian traffic, to the great prejudice and loss of that company. It had been proved that year that the through traffic would be more than sufficient to pay for the eenstruction of one line, and give a fair interest in the capital in. vested by the latter company. The CHAIRMAN was of opinion that if the promoters of the Cale donian scheme considered that their case materially depended on the question of local traffic, and that the company on the Dumfries line must depend on the taking away a portion of the Caledonian through traffic, deue then the Committ ee would order the room to be cleare d an d upon the point raised as to the detailed traffic tables being furnished. Mr. TALBOT had not the slig htest plying further evidence on lo cal objector whatever to sop require it, but he was not then prepa red traffic should the Committee re quired. If time was given the tal . w ith tables to the e ff ect be ev g id ot en r ce ead , y w , hi an c d h, in w t i h ti e i meantime lie would go on with the further that already given, the tables would he founded. Mr. COCKBURN trusted the tables would furnish precisely the par ticular sources from which traffic was expected, a s he maintained there was no loc tl traffic to warrant th e construc tion i o l f such a line, a ni and that if it were formed it would only le a d to OuS compet*- lion between the two companies, that would end in an amalga *lon. in which, from the double capital invested, w ou l d lead to ratesi '''. by which - the public interest would be sacrificed. Ile hoped the tables would be furnished by to-morrow morning, as th e whole case at issue depended on the question of traffic under consideration. After some further conversation pro and con. to the same effect, it NM' arranged by the Committee, in compliance with Mr. Cockburn's application, that tables or the details of traffic should be made out, to be supplied in the morning, and that, in the mean time, evidence mktit be taken as to the points on which the tables would Do based. GROUP XVIII. SOMEN,SETSEIRE MIDLAND. This Committee resumed its sittings this morning, at 12 o'clock, Mr. B. Denison in the chair. Mr. Sergeant KINGLAHE commenced by cress-examining Mr. Hill, the engineer. On his cross-examination, Mr. Hill admitted that an original prospectus, stating the capital of the Company to be 150,0001., and describing the proposed route of the railway, which was then surveyed to a considerable extent, had been published without his sanction or authority, before the line was surveyed by him, or any estimates made of the probable expense. He could not remember going into any details with reference to the amount of earth-work or the number of bridges. He merely walked over the line far two days. The only report that be made to the directors with reference to this preliminary survey was, that the sum of 320,0001. (the sum proposed by the directors), would be rather a low sum, as the gradients and cuttings would be severe. In the estimates before the Committee he had estimated the total amount of earthwork at 1,590,194 cubic yards ; of this quantity there were 154,525 cubic yards of limestone cutting, at 3s. 6d. per yard; 98,560 yards of freestone at 3s. ; 204,020 yards of a mixture of freestone and marl at Is. 6d. per yard ; of hard clay there would be 242,465 yards at is. 3d ; marl mixed with gravel and stones at Is. 4d. per yard ; there would be 290,215, and 292,579 yards of common earth which he had estimated at Is. 2d. per yard. He had made six borings, in order to determine the several kinds of earthwork. The slopes would not be more than Ito 1. There were six miles of an ascending gradient of a bad character. He did not know of any existing railway with a worse gradient considering the length ; there was a descending gradient of three miles of 1 in 104. Captain Moroson, R.N., was then examined on behalf of the pro moters. He knew several lines where the gradients were more severe than the present one. The Hartlepool Railway had a gradient of one in thirty for two miless in length. There would be no danger if proper care were taken in working a single line. He was acquainted with the working of the Taff Vale Railway, which was a single line of rails. He did not consider it absolutely ne cessary to the safe working of the line that there should be an electric telegraph along it. He had estimated the cost of con struction at about 20,0001. less than the estimates of Mr. Hill, and could obtain responsible parties to complete the works for the sam which he had estimated. _ _ Mr. Miller, C.E., had examined the sections of the line. He did not think, although of an inferior character, that they would be of serious inconvenience. He was working a line himself with a gra dient of one in forty-two, and found no difficulty. Mr. Lewis, a contractor for the construction of railways, proved the general accuracy of the estimates of earth and bridge work fur nished by the engineer. Mr. Burge, a contractor, also proved the same, and would be very happy to undertake the contracts on the terms mentioned in the estimates. Colonel Coles, a magistrate in Somersetshire, and a director of the company, was the next witness called, who proved that the directors had endeavoured, as much as possible, to meet the wishes of Mr. Somerville by changing the route of the railway, he being a peti tioner against the Bill. This witness closed the case of the promoters. The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow at twalre. GRUP XXX. This Committee re-assembleOd to-day at the tonal hour. Present, Lord Charles Wellesley (chairman), and the other Members. AYLESBURY AND TEAME ACTION RAILWAY. Mr. W. Clarke, examined by Mr. Wims—Carried on business as a carrier and farmer at Luton. There was no traflc of any importance east or west to Oxford and Cambridge. Cross-examined by Mr. WADDINGTOX—Th4 railway from Cam bridge to Oxford would not injure him. Mr. E. Chase, examined by Mr. WlLLs—Viras a surgeon, residing at Luton. Knew that Mr. Byce and other large plait manufacturers were of opinion that this line (the Cambridge and Oxford) would do no good to the town. Mr. WADDINGTON cross-examined this vritness—Was not aware that Mr. Byce was a member of the provisional committee of the Oxford and Cambridge Railway. Did not know that several influ ential gentlemen of the town were members also. Mr. Francis Field was examined by Mr. CaLcaarr, and corrobo rated the testimony of the preetding witness. Mr. J. Bartztun, examined by Mr. CALCRAFT—Was a straw-plait manufacturer at Dunstable, and was brought in contact with Bir mingham, London, and other large towns. None of his description of manufacture went to Cambridge or Oxford, and the opinion of the people of Dunstablet was decidedly against the railway between these towns. After hearing some further evidence to the same effect, the Com mittee adjourned at four o'clock till to-morrow. GROUP XXXVII. The Committee met at twelve o'clock yesteiclay; Lord Seymour in the chair. SEETPILLD AND MANCHESTER (BARNS- LEY JUNCTION). The examination was continued of witnesses to show the traffic likely to be made by the accommodation offered by the line passing over the coal-field, when Messrs. Jeffcock, Brown, and Rhodes gave 'evidence similar to what was elicited yesterday. Mr. Lee, resident engineer on the Sheffield and Manchester, stated in his examination that the length of the Barnsley branch was nearly eleven miles, and that it started from the. Sheffield and Manchester line, 29 miles from Manchester, through a junction with the ?Midland Railway to Barnsley. There were two tunnels of 500 yards, and 440 yards on this branch, and the gradients were rather steep, being one in 95 for 8% miles, rising towards Pennystone, there being a difference of 515 feet in height between the two ends of the line and overcome in something more than 10 miles; bat the natural line of the country was such that a line to the west could not be laid out with more favourable gradients. The estimate was 330,0001. for the whole expenses of the completion of the line, which he considered would be valuable as a through line between Manchester and Goole and Hull. In giving his evidence on the Worsborough branch, Mr. Lee stated that this was a branch from the Barnsley Junction, nearly 5 miles in length, terminating at Worsborough-bridge. The gradients on this branch would be heavy by going down lower than they did on the main line, so that there would be a gradient of 1 in 60 for 3 miles, and 1 in 100 for the remainder, and with heavy trains they would require an assistant engine. There was one tunnel on the line 990 yards long. The estimate for the branch, including land and all other ex penses would be 150,0001. In answer to a question about the ad ditional expense of working a line with steep gradients, the witness stated that on the Sheffield and Manchester line, where there was a ,gradient of one in 100, the cost of locomotive power was 6d. per running mile, which was one penny less than it was in Lancashire. Mr. Locke, the engineer, gave evidence corroborative of the pre vious witness. Be believed that a junction between the Sheffield and Manchester and the North Midlands would be one of the most important lines in existence of the same length, and that no ether locomotive line would effect this but the line to Barnsley —a town which had a great deal of traffic, and mostly to the westward, which had been, altogether neglected by the existing lines of railway. This finished the evidence for the present scheme. The Committee arranged on taking the Midlands branch to - thicar to-morrow, and then adjourned. GROUP XL. - - LEEDS AND YORK RAILWAY. The Committee resumed this day. Mr. Stafford O'Brien (chair man), Lord Norreys, Mr. Bright, Mr. Sheridan, and Mr. Dugdale took their seats at twelve o'clock. Mr. Cope's crass-examination by Mr. HILDYAII.I) was continued— He stated that the North Midland Company were not aware uni the third week of the •tservations ha was making, when they dis. missed some of his men. If a train professed to start at a certain hour, and arrived at its terminus a quarter of an. hour later, Mr. Cope set this down as a quarter of an hour lost. There was no frost during these three weeks of observation, as far as hie memory served him. Mr. lIILDTARD endeavoured to invalidate this witness's statement with regard to loss of time on the North Midland, by affirming that the returns given in by the witness did not tally with Itradshaw's tables of the same date. The Ist of April was taken as an example, on which day Mr. Cope allowed 9 hours 19 minutes for seven trains from York to Leeds. The Learned Counsel did not, however, controvert this fact, but maintained that the time advertised by the Company for starting meant only the time when the doors were closed. Witness, however,. urged that even that was no excuse for the Company's not delivering their freight at the time they advertised. • Witness further begged to correet a statement he made yesterday. lie had stated that the traffic on the Wetherby line was 50 per cent. greater than on the Tedeaster line. Ile now begged to say that it was 100 per cent. greater. Mr, 1111,nvean closely questioned the witness as to the amount of traffic between York and Wetherby, and as to the means of convey ance, whether by public carriers, or by private waggons, but witness having obtained his information through agents, would not give any evidene on the point. The traffic between Wethcrby and York he estimated at alsout 3501. • between Wetlierby and Leeds at about 1,2501. 2,550/. as the whole revenne from traffic of goods between York and Leeds; 5,5251. as the result derivable front cattle. 78,604 persons pass between Wetherby, York, and Thorp. Arch. Mr. Sergeant W'msurs.having put a question or two that were answered to his satisfaction, Mr. Cope stated, M reply to Mr. iIAZDY, that 138,4641. might very fairly be assigned as the total amount of trails between Leeds and York by way of Wetherby. Mr, BAINE3 called Mr. James, superintendent of police in the Borough of Leeds, who gave evidence corroborative of the alleged delays on the York and North Midland. He hid latterly sent wit nesses by coach at assize time to-susure their attendance. To Mr. HILDYARD —Witness admitted that he was a shareholder in the Leeds and York Railway, He had known the Court to be delayed for hale-an-hour. .To Mr, E 0 STN . bo' . .-- na;lero. buvaithatmedantheeseiviirlreeigiguilnaereriticiso. N --Witness said that an additional train would Patty, was next' called by Mr. Baines, o f To 0...1i professionalriliiti lices,lb'ourtk ills td A" character,Ttivetle:Thiadn m ot itted that by the powers of the mute with the Leeds and Brad ford, with wiatttit Ports Bill Midland. with Leeds and Ch urch Fenton, nor, indeed, with any of the linesintheilitch Mr. Hudson was inte t entertained th e i dea of such rested, although h e h a d originally junctions. u ons ;Lovett]) now submitted to the Committee , inasrn that thl,Landmasisi-t Mon ought to pr ove f atal to the Bill before them, proved that the hue was not laid out in the best way for the public benefit.r. 13 Mr. AINEs urged, on the contrary, that his Learned Friend was tamina buttleat otf ke witness. bound lur. u to mp eo y o l n a w r. it di h d h no is t er or e ject x o this, distinctly intimated that he by no means waived the objection he had ke 11 d , O i a , t: a d g a a d i r d i e r t e l , 1 that he should, on the termination o f his cross-exantialn,a the sense of the Committee ontehecpoominintihtteeheat,iehrsaving of time that Mr. ALEXANDEIt urged on the might be effected if they would give their decision ont e s haailt raised by his Learned Friend Mr. Hildyard, as, otherwise, he upon a lengthened cross - etarnination of the witness on behalf orNtler F ou ntain Wilson, as would also his Learned Friends, Mr. Sergeant Wilkinsey were a e n n d ga l‘ g fr e . d. Knowles, en behalf of the Compani es for whom Mr. BAINEs submitted that the line was the best of the three before the Committee, and wished to call Mr. Cubitt to prove this fact. Mr. HILDYARD, to save the time of the Committee, was ready to admit that this was the best line of the three, but contended that, even after This admission, the point must still be decided against Mr. Baines, by the admission of Mr. Bateman, that the line was not so good as it might have been. Mr. ilildyard continued to address the Committee for some time • IS the subject, and was followed by gr. KrrowLEs, who, as the representative of large landed proprie tors, had Important interests to protect. The Learned Gentleman maintained that the interests of private individuals were not to be sacrificed to a scheme which was imperfect through a feeling of Jealousy towards Mr. Hudson. Mr. ALEXANDER next addressed the Committee, on behalf of Mr. Fountain Wit-on, in a similar strain to that of the Learned Counsel who had preceded him. Mr. Sergetoit WILKINS opposed the objection raised by Mr. Hil lyard. and added that if the admission of Mr. Hildyard was accepted, all three of the lines must be thrown overboard, but he was prepared to prove, in direct contradiction of Mr. Hildyard's admission pro argu mento, that the Leeds and York line was the best of the three. He was prepared to prove that it was the worst of the three, and he had too many dealings with the emissaries of the Great King to be taken. in by such a ruse. Mr. BAINES was sure the Committee would not be influenced by the threats of prolonged cress-examination which had been thrown out by his Learned Friend (Mr. Alexander), and argued that if he showed his line was an integral line, and involved such a degree of Public accommodation as to outweigh the objections of his competi- • tors or of the landowners, the Committee were bound" to allow him to proceed with his Bill. Mr. HILDYARD contended that the point at issue for the decision of whether c e o m u m la it h :e . w n as struet( i parties applying for powers to construct °tat railwayhhreatC plained whether they were not compelled to prove that it was the best by w d er e e ny b i o n n e nd to show that their line was merely a good one Leeds tout York unthaet e ohy.;erhadth T:e cielortit t f e acto am m, !d tuni a l e at n t.s tl d em the an su f pe lte r r ity ez o i, the Le Mr. AUSTIN then called Mr. Geddies, who was giving general evi dence in support of that tendered by Mr. Christie yesterday, when The Cumumere interfered. This was general evidence, which they had had already before them. What was wanted were the particu lars on which the tables were to be founded. He thoa .;ht it would be better at once to adjourn, and have the tables put in, when any evi dence the promoters of the Bill thought best talc : ated to prove them might be submitted. The Committee, in consequence of this, adjourne : till to-morrow at twelve o'clock, IGROUP XIV. NORTH KENT DISTRICT (SOUTH-. EASTERN LINE). The Committee to which the lines traversing the North Kent dis trict are referred, met to-day at twelve o'clock, in Room No. 30 ; present, Mr. Pretheroe, chairman, Lord Emlyn, Mr. J. O'Connell, and Mr. Grogan. Mr. Sergeant WaANGilam proceeded in his address to the Com mittee in support of the North Kent case. His observations referred chiefly to those engineering details which have been already fully given in Mr. Vignoles's evidence. In conclusion, the Learned Ser geant urged on the Committee the necessity of not en trusting the important district cf North Kent in the hands of a Company which was impoverished by its gigantic speculations and schemes, and which, having another line of access to the termini of the North Kent line, could not possibly feel so much interested lit ac commodating the public as a company which possessed that line alone, and which knowing that it was their all, would leave no means untried to secure the patronage of the public. Mr. Cocsnuax said, that with the gonsent of the Committee, he would put in a letter from the Lords of the Admiralty, assenting to the passage of the South-I-astern line through Greenwich Park. Mr. Sergeant WRANCHIAM objected to the admission of any such document, as the proceedings in both cases were closed, and more especially as he did not consider that portion of the South-Eastern line as having been actually brought before the Committee. The CneramArt decided that the document could no e t m be be a rs drn fornm itted ig After some deliberation on the part of the Hon. Members the Committee, The CHAIRMAN announced that the Committee would give its de cision at half-past three o'clock to-morrow. The Committee deferred their decision ti Journed at a quarter past four o'clock. 11l to-morrow, 4nd ad. GROUP XLIII. EAST AND WEST YORZSIX2I2.E. The Cemmittee on this Bill met again to-day at twelve o'clock, in Room 33, Mr. N. Miles, chairman. Mr. Giainger, engineer to tho Company, was called and examined by Mr. Banim, Q.C. The line was easy of construction, the cuttings being very light and gradients most favourable. The estimate for snaking the line was 20,0001. Ile was satisfied that the line could be constructed for that amount. After 601128 further; evi dence the witness was cross-examined By Mr. Buss—Had the line gone thriller north before coming towards Knaresborough, he did not think they could have avoided Knaresborough without great inconvenience. Could not tell how many houses they would pull down at Knaresborough. He had not taken any account of the value of the property which would be required ; that was not part of his duty as engieeer. By avoiding Knaresborough the length of the line would be very much increased.' After a lengthened cross - examination of this witness, the Commit tee adjourhed to twelve o'clock to-morrow. GROUP XLIV. LIVERPOOL, MANCHESTER, AND NEW. CASTLE -UPON -TYNE JUNCTION. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. Robert Stephenson was then called, and gave evidence corro• borative of that of Mr. Hawkshaw. He had examined the plans, &c., and could speak to their correctness. He totally denied the as sertion made in one of the allegations of the petition of Sir W. Law son, that the plans were incorrect. The Committee declared the preamble of the Bill proved. LANCASHIRE AND NOTE TOILICSHIRE. This Bill, it will be remembered, forms but a part. of the same pro ject as the Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle, the two being in fact bat one line. The Committee, therefore, in passing the preamble of one, also passed that of the other, and it was determined to apply to Parliament for leave to unite the two, and pass them as one Bill. It must be re membered, however, that part of each Bill has been abandoned, the two having originally been competing lines, but by uniting them and discarding parts of each, the present apparently perfect project has been formed. Having disposed of these Bilis, the Committee proceeded to the case of the T F. _R j , __LONDG.N, FRIDAY EVENING. TON= AND CAZZLISZE. Which, it will be remembered, was agreed to be taken next to the Liverpool and Manchester, the Bill having been read on the 25th of February, being earlier than any of the other Bills except the Liver pool and Manchester. The Bill was opposed by the Yorkshire and Glasgow Union, a com peting line. There was no opposition on the part of the landowners. Jr. Murphy and Mr. Woo'ridge appeared for the promoters of the Bill; Mr. Talbot, Mr. Sergeant Wrangham, and Mr. Killen for the Glasgow Union. Mr. Pease, a large coal-owner in the district to which the York and Carlisle will give: accommodation, gave evidence at great length on the advantages to the collieries that would ensue from the making of this line. The examination, cross-examination, and re-examination of this witness occupied the Committee the whole day, and at four o'clock they adjourned till to-morrow. STANDING ORDERS' COMMITTEES. HOUSE OF LORDS. Their Lordships met this day at the usual hour ; present, the Earl of Shaftesbury (in the chair), the Duke of Richmond. Lords Devon and Redesdale. The business upon the paper was exceedingly heavy, but before their Lordships reached the Railway Bills, the Earl of Shaftesbury had to adjourn the Committee, in order to attend the Appeal Committee. LONDON AND SOUTH ESSEX RAILWAY COMPANY.-THE LONDON AND BLACK WALL RAILWAY.-WINDING UP. A very numerous meeting was held yesterday at the Lon don Tavern, of the scripholders in thi s C om p a n y , to, con sider the dr aft of a Bill to be laid before Parliament, in pur suance of the resolutions of the Houses of Lords 'and Com mons. I. N. Daniels, Esq., in the chair. The solicitor read the marginal notes of the Bill, from which it appeared that the objects proposed to be accom plished by the Company was to form a railway from Step- IleY s in connexion with the London and Blackwell Railway, to Burnham, on the river Crouch, in Essex with branches to Tilbury and Southend. Th e ca pit a l was fixed at 900,0004 to be raised by 18,000 shares of 50/. each. The greatest amount to be called for was fixed in the Bill at 10/., and that there should be three months between each call. It also provided that all the operations.necesQary for effecting the junction with the Blackwell Railway at Stepney should be carried on , under the superintendence of the engineer of that Company, and also contained a clause authorising the sale of the proposed line to the Blackwell Company, if it should be considered advisable. The CHAIRMAN having proposed a resolution to the effect that the meeting approved of the Bill submitted to their con sideration, and that the directors be retested to take such measures as they deemed most advisab to prom6te the for-, mation of the same, A SCRIPHOLDER inquired, what security the directors would afford that the residue of the call of 5 per cent. for defraying the incidental Parliamentary expenses would be paid, in case the Bill were to be thrown out? The CHAIRMAN replied the directors entertained no doubt but that they would be enabled to defray those expenses without pressing upon the scripholders. Mr. Surrox then proposed, and Mr. T. Wir.Sow seconded an amendment to the effect, that the meeting desires that the chairman should state specifically from what source the di rectors propose to raise the money. A long and - rather stormy discussion ensued between the supporters of the original motion and the amendment, when Dr. BOWRING rose to.order. .He thought if such doubts as seemed to pervade the minds of some of the gentlemen who had spoken prevailed generally among the scripholders, the best course to follow would be to at once abandon the undertaking. The - directors were most anxious to promote the interest of all connected with the Company, but he con- - sidered that their efficiency would be considerably impaired , if such doubts as those were to be allowed to . pass without .comment. Some - gentleman here said, they meant to - east no imputa tions ersonally upon the director s . A &lAREITOLDER wished to inquire how many applications for shares had been made to the directors, and how many had been allotted? The CHAIRMAN - said, the number of shares to be allotted was 18,000, the applications were 64,756, and the number allotted was 14,587, and of those latter some had never been taken up. Tho SuAxEmetzum inquired why nearly 4,000 shares had been thus kept back? The CHAIRMAN said one of the reasons, and the principal, was, that out of this 64,756 applications the references of a large number were found to be fictitious, and the Committee thought it better for the respectability and interests of the Company to refuse those as well as many others. The SHAREHOLDER said ho considered the keeping 4,000 'shares for the Provisional Committee and the Directors was rather too much. If more had been allotted generally, the expense upon the holder of each share would be only 158., instead of 20s. 6d. , In reply to Mr. Wilson, the CHAIRMAN said the manner in which the directors proposed to raise the money for the par liamentary expenses, would be upon their own responsi bility.— (Cheers. ) After a lengthened dismission, in which 3lr. Wilson pro= posed a resolution, urging in forcible terms the winding up of the undertaking, which he eventually withdrew, a poll was taken, and the chairman and scrutineers retired, and after an hour's absence r e t urne d, w h en they declared the numbers to be— In favour of continuing the scheme ...... 4,258 Against it 3,136 • At the first blush this would indicate a continuance of the scheme, but the sessional orders require three fifths cf the scripholders to be in favour of" going a head." The majority who voted at this meeting was less this proportion, however by 180, so that consequently the scheme is to be" wound up.' PRODUCTION OF COAL IN THE DIFFERENT STATES OF EUROPE. After iron, there is certainly no produce of the mineral kingdom which exercises a greater influence on our com mercial relations than coal. The following is a statistical sketch of the produce of that article in the different countries of Europe:— England possesses the richest veins of coal, both as regards quality and quantity; they form a line from south-west to north-east. In Northumberland and Durham, from the Tweed to the Tees, coal abounds; at Whitehayen, in the hills of Cumberland, in Yorkshire, and in Lancashire. The most abundant mines arc in Wales. The consumption of coal in England and in exporta tion is so great, that it has often been asked if the mines would not be exhausted ; but, according to calculations made in proportion to the present consumption, they could not be exhasted under 1,500 years—the yearly consumption in Great Britain is -20 to 21 millions of tons. The exportation increased in the following propor tions :—ln 1830, 505,421' tons ; in 1832, 588,450 tonal in 1834, 621,256 tons'; in 1836, 1,101,000 toes ; in 1838, 1,413,800 tons ; in 1840, 1,621,300 tons ; in 1842. 2,120,000 tons ; and in 1844, 2,410,000 tons. The number of miners exceeds half a million. English coal is to be had in every part of the civilised world; there are deposits at Rio Janeiro, at Odessa, at Archangel, and at Constantinople. France does not produce enough coal for her own consumption, and is obliged to i m p or t. Sh e p ossesses: 250 mines, f which 182 are worked, and which mil. dered in 1844 72,000,000 cwt. of coal, to the value of, 21,000,000 f. (840,0001.) The produce is decreasing, a s , in 1815 they only rendered 17,000,000 cwt. ; 40,000' men are employed in the mines, and traffic belonging to , them. In 1842, the i m p or t a ti on o f coa l , i nto France, amennted to 16,711,328 cwt. I F e r r a r n u c s e si i a m n p p or ro tl ii h n e c r e coals oon t f h r e o ma ßh ß in el o g . ium, England, and . ; da th n e t ' mines; Spain h d e r a p w r i s n c b i puatl minesligh t i p t r n o fi t h t e f s r e m rr a h m e r r a e b n u a n produce is not known.. They import but little. In some of the principal Spanish ports, there are depots of English coal for the steamers.. In Portugal there are depots at Piguierls, at Coimbra, and near Oporto. The principal mines of Italy, which produce annually from 140,000 to 150,000 cwt., are in the Savoy, and near Genoa. The others, scattered over the Peninsular, are of very little value, and there are depots of coal in the principal ports. Belgium possesses immense, mineral riches; in this country production increasers. In 1831 the produce amounted to 4 2,800,000 cwt., and in 1844 it realised 84,232,420 cwt. In 1844 the exportation amounted to 1,050,000 tons, a value of about six millions florin (600,0001.) Holland has no coal mines. There is a single mine in the countygandß of Lirnberg. They imp or t a ll t h e i r coal from En, elgium, and the Pr ussian provinces. Switzerland, though rich in metals, has very little coal; and imports a quantity from England. The only mine of any value in this country is. at Hochefeld; in 1843, it produced 514,969 cwt. Norway has no coal mines. in Russia the production of coal does not exceed 800.0,30 ponds. It seems that between the Don and the Unit:per, and in Siberia, there are measu re ric s to turh coal mia themdnes, ano accocnt, the G overnment are now taking t , Denmark has one insignificant mine at Bornholm, and imports nearly all her coal from England. Austria is rich in coal mines, but the produce is not in tihne Austria number i o s E , a h t e l r east mines. The annual 12,000,000 cwts.; n pr o o d p n o c r e tio n n f Moravia, 2,000,000; ,Carinthia and in r 1843 it did not exceed 9,C 1 0 0 0 0 0 ,0 ,0 0 0 0 0 . ; Of this amount withc al than 500 000. the districts of °grew" a Austria, Bohemia ll 3 , r s o o d ol l, o c o e o 3 ;a h g ) t u y tr ia na ,e - ii : h t a t l i f e ; a very small quantity. 60,000; Galicia, 3,000; Lomb! fir y, province of the Coal mines exist in nea fly every in more , , Hungary, 600,000; the co , d st lands s ( 0 1C r ii th s e ten m - i l n a e n r d a ) l , Monarchy. In Bohemia the is ,exe veins of Klattan, along the river Betatm, in flee north Ecerrague. sen, and linkoritz, to the*. neighbourhood There are coal mine in Erzgebirge, in the valleys of the Eger and the Biela. and at the foot of the Riesengeberg, from Sehatzlar to Landekron. The principal mines of Moravia are in the district of Brunr, near Rossitz and Oflovan, and the coal near the mouth of the Oler is of a superior quality. In the Archduchy there are mines near Wiener, Neustadt, Klingenfurt, Grunbach, and Gloggnitz; in Styria, near Leoben, and Fohnsdorf; in Carinthia in the valley of the Lavan, and in the neighbourhood of Prevali; in Dal matia in Lombardy, in the districts of Como and Pa►ia; in Tyrol, near Haring, and in Hungary, in the Carpa thian Mountains. In 1844, Austria exported 773,065 cwt., of which 703,262 cwt. were sent from Bohemia by the Elbe to Saxony, 25,433 cwt. to Turkey, 23,210 cwt. to Sotithus Germany, and 20,542 cwt. to Prussia. Prussia possesses 540 coal mines, giving employment to 25,000 workmen. The produce, in 1844, amounted to 53,000,000 cwt., or a value of fOur and a half million dollars (675,0001.) In 1841, Prussia imported 3,865,944 ewt , principally from England. Her exportation was 6,903,473 cwt. to Holland, France, and Poland. In Bavaria the produce is not what it might be; there are 40 extensive coal mines, principally in her Rhenish provinces; the produce is about 1,200,000 cwt. In Saxony the mines are worked with zeal; the pro duce amounts to about 4,000,000 cwt. There are extensive mines near the the forest of Thuringen. _ The 'brand Ducy of Baden possesses some valuable coal mines. In the Duchy of Brunswick there is scarcely a mine. In the kingdom of Hanover there are coal mines which occupy more than 1,000 workmen. Wurtemburg is poor in this respect. The Grand Duchy of Hesse, the Duchy of Nassau, the Grand Duchies of Mecklembourg and Olembourg do not possess coal mines. In the Electorate of Hesse there are some valu able mines, producing annually about 900,000 cwt. Generally speaking, the production of coals in Europe is susceptible of being greatly developed, especially in some parts of the Austrian dominions. It is true that during the last few years much has been done, but there is still much more to do. The produce of coal in Europe amounts annually, on a rough calculation, to 120 , 000,000 fl or i ns, or 12,000,0001. sterling.—Lloyd's Austzan Gazette. STATEMENT OF THE ABBESS MIECZISLAWSKA. The Journal de Debuts inserts the following answer from the Polish priests at Rome to the second denial by the Rus sian Government of the truth of the recital of the Abbess Igieczislawska, which we have published. The answer to it is transmitted to the Le - Gals by the Count de Monte 'em bert : " ANSWER TO THE ADDITIONAL NOTE DATED FROM ST. PICTERSBURGIL MARCH, 1846. "The venerable nun, whom it pleases the author of the ad ditional note to eel 'the woman Mieczislawski,' never as sumed the title of Abbess of the convent of Kowno. We defy the pe rs o ß n u s s Rs who a n have dipl o m s e a e t n i s s n d t o co ei n t v e e f r m s e m d w a i n tr hge rthe since enumerous rival within the Prussian territories, a single witness worthy of credit who heard her tike this quality. In the first decla ration made before the Archbishop of Posen, two months before the publication of the article of the journal the Third of May, she took her true title of Abbess of Minsk. The error into which the journal, the Third of may, had fallen, was rectified in the next day by that journal and by the Univers. Thus vanishes the first part of addition num ber 1. Remains the title of Abbess of Minsk. The author of this second note is forced to confess that, in the first note, it was carefully concealed that in the said town of Minsk there did exist a convent of Basilian nuns, and to acknowledge that the mother Makrena did not arrogate to herself an im aginary title. Thus is confirmed by the admissions of Russia herself the existence of this convent, the reality of which, has been wilfully denied :—thus is confirmed the testimony i of the old inhabitants of Lithuania, and particularly that of the Sisters of Charity at Wilna, as well as that of the Marquis de Narp, an officer who was in the service of the French army in 1812, now resident at Rome; all of whom attest the fact from having been eye-witnesses of it, Driven to speak of the convent of Basilian nuns at Minsk, the note gives its history from 1834, and pretends that at that period it was converted into a hospital. This assertion is completely false. In 1835, the convent still belonged to the Basilian nuns, and by the fire which in that year reduced Minsk to ashes, the convent suffered severely. 'All the wealthy inhabitants of the town witnessed the' mother Makrena, with the sisters Wawrzecka and Conorska, demanding and receiving contri butions towards the reparation of the damages then convent had sustained. It was not until 1838 that it was suppressed 'by the violent expulsion of the nuns. As to the augmenta tion of revenue and other advantages of which the note speaks, favours still enjoyed by the superior of the convent transferred from Minsk, there is the same sophistry, the same falsehood as was inserted in the first note. If it be true that: the revenues of some convents have been increased by fresh grants, it has been most assuredly only for the benefit ofsuch nuns as have embraced the schism, and not of those who have refused to do so ; since these last have been treated as servitors and prisoners, and as no longer forming a legal community. Besides it is literally false to assert that any new revenues have been conferred upon religious establish ments since the Russian Government, after having seized their estates and property, has replaced the ample incomes derived from them by very small pensions. Consequently there is an evident falsity in this second part of the first ad dition. No person canoe made to believe that the Russian Government, which had seized the property of the convents, can have augmented revenues no longer in existence, that they can have been augmented in favour of nuns considered to be rebellions heretics, and that these grants have been continued up to the present 'day. The fact referred to in the addition No. 5 has never been disputed. It has not I been denied that some nuns may, on account of the state of • their health, have been allowed to return to their Catholic families ;:but it is affirmed that these permissions have all been anterior to the cruel persecutions of 1838. Addition 12.—The note affects to give the names of the superiors of the convents existing in" 1839. Here, again, it falls into vo luntary error. Thus, the superior of Grodno was not Bai kowna, but Maliszweska ; that of Witebsk was not Kasi merska, but Kublika; that of Polock was not Kuleszawka, but Kostrewna. From this let the confidence merited by the writers of the note be judged, when they say that Ma krena Mieczislawska was not Abbess of Minsk. It may be that in 1839 there were only nine convents of Basilian nuns in Russia, for at that period persecution was already old. It must be concluded that persecution had already brTrne its fruits ; for previously there were at least fift een o f t h ese con vents in Russia, viz., those of Wilna, Grodno, Pinsk, Orza, Minsk, Polofock, Witebsk, Novogrodesk, Zyrovi ce , Sl on i m , Boruny, Beresweez, Czaswiki, Biala, and Foczajow. These Convents were inhabited by 245 nuns, as is proved by the Calendars of the order printed before the persecution." The convent of Minsk alone reckoned 35. If, therefore, there were no more than 55 nuns in all, there would remain only 20 for the other 14 convents, or one and a half for each. It is added that no change has heen made in the interior dis cipline of the convents. Nothing, certainly, beyond the re ligious faith and the persons of their inhabitants—the old faith has been made to give place to a schism, and the inha bitants have Become Greco-Russians, o r have been martyr ised for remaining faithful to their creed.- With these ex ceptions, it is true that there has been very little change. The note concludes with two allegations—th e fi rst of which is founded on a slight mistake, which it vainly endeavours to exaggerate ; and the second of which is branded with flagrant bad faith. It is true that the Governor of Minsk was not named Uzakoff. The mistake arose from the similitude between the two names Suzkoff and Uzakoft, and not Usrakoff or Souchkoff, as the note, with a view to delude, wishes to represent. It was in truth General Suszkofi who was Governor of Minsk at the time of the persecution. It may be easily imagined that the ear of the Abb ess , or o f those who took down her testimony, may have misappre hended the sound, It will be easy to appreciate the declara tion which the note attributes to General Suszkoff, when it is known that this personage is a man of crue l an d d espot i c character, sent at that period to Minsk precisely to be the executor of those pitiless orders against the Catholics, whom it was determined to force by whatever means to apostatise. In the second place, the note joins irony to falsehood, in affirming that the Princess Euphrosnia Giedyinin, who is brought to life in 1838, died at Rome more than six hundred years ago. We inform the learned author of the note, that Christina Clara Giedyrnin, who took the name of Euphrosina on becoming a nun, was visitress gene ral of the . order of Basilian nuns; that she is the person designated under the name of mother-general—a title which wag givea to her according to custom—and that she it was who perished miserably when she wa s being conveyed to Siberia. It will be seen that the author of the note is little versed in genealogies, although he pretends to have consulted them. It will not be out of place to make him acquainted with that of the nun whom he persists in calling the woman Mieczislawska. Makrena Mieczislawska be longs to a distinguished family of Poland, allied to the princely family of Wistgenstein. She is the daughter of Joseph Mieczislawski and Anna Jagiello, daughter of Casi mir and Hedwige. She was born at Stokliszki, the estate of her parents, in the ancient palatinate of Troki, in 1784. She is not the only member of her family who has suffered for' religion. One of her brothers, Calixt Mieczislawski, who took the name of Onuphrus on entering the order of St. Basil, was, on his refusal to forsake his religion, put into a cart, and so tightly bound, that he perished on the way to Smolensko. Two of . his companions, Szozerbwiski and, Chryanowski, died with him in the same cart; and a fourth, Zolkowski, expired on arriving at Smolensk°. We will add that mother Makrena entered the order of St. Basil at the age of twenty-thiee, - i7lVe convent of Biala, of which' her maternal aunt, Isabella Jagiello, was Abbess. Several Months afterwards she went to the convent of - Minsk, where she remained, and performed almost all the duties of the establishment until the moment when the abbess Kulesza; having become infirm, Mikrena took her charge for three years, and succeeded her as abbess at her death in 1823. In her quality of abbess, she was present at the elections of the abbesses of Wilna and Bereswecz. We have destroyed one by one the allegations of the additional note, and we deliver the new errors with which it is filled, as its most cruel con demnation, to the indignation and contempt of all upright and impartial minds.—Kome, Apri1,1846." MELANCHOLY DEATH OF CAPTAIN DUFF, ILK The painful duty has devolved upon us of recording the death of Captain Duff, Resident Magistrate of Roscommon, which took place on Saturday last, the 2d instant, under the following melancholy circumstances :—He was proceeding with some friends through the lawn of Hermitage, in the county of Lo ng f or d . l ately the residence of his deceased brother, George Duff, Esq., when he received a kick on the right side from a horse, led by one of the party, which caused instant death. What renders the circumstance peculiarly distressing is the fact, that he had gone there from Roscom mon, for the purpose of arranging the affairs of his only brother, above alluded to, whose death took place only five weeks since. --Dublin Evening Post. THE CHOLERA.—In a late number we stated that the Asiatic cholera had spread through several of the provinces of Persia, and had given rise to great mortality in some of the principal towns. It is reported to have extended from Bokhara across the Persian frontier to Herat and Meshid, thence south of the Caspian to Tehe ran, and still further south to Ispahan. Recent accounts from Odessa state that it has crossed the Russian boundary, and has appeared at Tiflis, taking a course northward between the Caspian and Black Seas; while, according t o th e latest i n t e lligence from Riga, it has broken out at Or en b urg in the Uralian mining d i str i ct, crossed the Volga, and appeared ort the European side at Kasan, about 12,000 miles front St. Petersburgh. If these accounts are to be trusted, the disease has taken a somewhat Irregular course, in a direction west by north; and it does, not appear to have followed the banks of great rivers as in the former irruption of 1828-30. the disease which reached England in 1831, prevailed in Persia for seven years, from 1823 to 1830, It appeared at Orenburg for the first time in 1823; and was eonfined to this quarter fora riod of five ears. It reappeared at Orenburg i n 1829, and its prevalence and fat y ality in this province were so great, that upwards of one-tenth part of the inhabitants bwreorkeesne zoeudt,Nvtiitilei It,oarntdaloi t n y e - f f r o m rth th o e f f t o h nn ose er who were attacked died. It reached St. Petersburgh in July, 1831 ; and England on the 26th of October of that year. At Tiflis where it is again reported to have epidemic was so great, that three-fourths of those who were attacked perished. We shall take care to report any further information which may reach tut MP•cting the Programa of the ease*. MAY 'B, 1846. ABOLITION OF DEODANDS BILL. Lord CAMPBELL rose to trove the third reading of this Bill, and regretted to say that intimation had reached him that it was intended to offer considerable opposition in the other House of Parliament to the principle of the measure. It had received the approbation of the Lord Chief Justice of England, and of the other learned judges, in whose judgment it appeared a most admirable measure. He trusted, if they intended to offer any such opposition, that the Noble Duke opposite would use his influence with the Government to get the measure through the other House. The Duke of WELLINGTON had had some communica tion with his Noble and Learned Friend, and quite concurred in the principle of the Bill. Lord DENMAN conceived that no real opposition would be offered to the measure, which was simply intended to abolish a remnant of a barbarous and superstitious practice, and likely to be of great service to the public. The consequences would be inestimable in the preservation of life. Lord CAM BELL quite concurred in the importance of the observations that had been made. He trusted that the prin ciple of awarding compensation to the widows and children of any person killed by gross negligence would not be lost sight of, and that this Bill would be suffered to pass the other House of Parliament. The LORD CHANCELLOR conceived their Lordships would have a difficulty in awarding a value to his Noble Friend's hope. - The Bill was then read a third time and passed. BURGHS (SCOTLAND) BILL. On the motion of the Duke of BUCCLEUCH. The House went into a Committee on this Bill, The Duke of RICHMOND proposed a clause, exempting Glasgow from the operation of the Bill. The Duke of I3UCCLEUCH opposed the clause, which was negatived without a division. The' hills on the table were advanced a stage, and their Lordships adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 7. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. IIALTON AND DRIFFIELD JUNCTION RAILWAY. The report on this Hill was brought up and agreed to, and the 13ill was ordered to be engrossed. GLASGOW AND BELFAST UNION RAILWAY BILL. Mr. DUNCAN moved, that it be an instruction to the Select Committee on the Glasgow and Belfast Union Hallway Bill to hear parties, on the petition of James Ballantine, Esq., against the said Bill', presented by Mr. Duncan on the 28th day of April last, and referred by the House to the Com mittee on the Bill, an d C ounse l or d ere d , on a copy of the petition being produced, and certified to the satisfaction of the. Committee, the petition having been lost, And not entered in .the Journals of the House. • After a Tew words from Mr. GREENE, who objected to the motion; ' The SPEAKER suggested that a fresh petition should-be presented, Which would at once obviate any difficulty respect ing the motion of the Hon. Gentleman. • The amendment was accordingly withdrawn. LEICESTER IMPROVEMENT.. VE MEN T. Sir J. EASTHOPE moved the third reading of this Bill, which was read a third tine and passed. WELSH CHARITY SCHOOL INCORPORATION. The Lords' Amendments to this Bill were read and agreed to. BIRMINGHAM AND OXFORD JUNCTION RAIL- WA Y. Mr. SPOONER moved the second reading of this Bill, which was ordered to be committed. The lion. Member also moved the second reading of the Birmingham and Oxford Junction ( Birmingham Extension) Railway Bill, which was likewise ordered to he committed. SOUTHAMPTON PORT AND HARBOUR. The report on this Bill was brought up and agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be engrossed. SALE OF LIQUORS ON THE. SABBATH. Several petitions were presented from different places against the sale of intoxicating liquors on the Sabbath. TEN HOURS' BILL. Mr. S. CRAWFORD presented a petition from the borough of Rochdale, signed by sixteen millowners, and several manu facturers of the town, in - favour of a Ten Hours' Bill. Mr. BLEWITT presented a petition in favour of the Ten Hours' Bill. CATHOLIC RELIEF BILL. Sir W. CLAY presented a petition from the Tower Hamlets in favour of this Bill. GUILDFORD, CHICHESTER, AND PORTSMOUTH RAILWAY (No. 2). - • - Mr. ESTCOURT moved that it be an instruction to the Committee of Selection to fix The first sittinrof the Guildford, Chichester, and Portsmouth Railway (No. 2) Committee for Friday, the 6th day of May, and that it be referred to the Chair man of Ways and Means, and two other Members, not being those who were ordered to bring in the Bill.—Agreed to. Mr. FORBES nresented a petition, praying the House not to interfere with the spiritual independence of the Church of Scotland. CHANNEL ISLANDS. In reply to a question from Mr. ROEBUCK Sir J. GRAH A NI said that a commission had been issued for the purpose of making inquiries into the administration of law in the Channel Islands, and that he should have no objec tion to lay the Commissioners' report upon the table of the House. Dr. BOWRING said there was another island to which he wished to call the attention of the Right Hon. Baronet, and he wished to know whether he was prepared to de the same thing with regard to the Isle of Man ? Sir JAMES GRA HAAL—No. Mr. AGLIONBY said that in the absence of the Hon. Member for Liskeard (Mr. C. Buller), he would give notice that that Hon. Member would, on Thursday fortnight, move for copies of correspondence relating to New Zealand. THE NELSON MONUMENT. Mr. J. COLLETT said he asked a question in the early part of the session of the Noble Lord opposite relative to the state of the Ne;son monument, and when it was likely to be finished, and he was then told that a satifactory answer might be expected in about three months. Since that period three months and a half had elapsed, but the boarding of the monument still remained in the same state. The Earl of LINCOLN answered the question in so low a tone as to be scarcely audible in the gallery ; but lie was u, der stood to say, that at the time he gave the answer alluded to, he (lid expect a satisfactory answer to the question would be given at the time stated, but since then he had not been able to as certain what had been done ; but he had reason to exp'ect that the wank would have been completed within the time stated. TAXATION OF SUITORS. Mr. WATSON moved for a Select Committee to inquire into the nature and extent of the taxation of suitors by the col lection of fees in the courts of law and equity, and the applica tion of such fees, and the compensations paid to retired officers of those courts, and into the propriety of the continuance thereof ; and particularly to inquire into the orders for com pensation made by the Lord Chancellor to the persons filling the offices of clerk of the enrolment, comptrollers of hamper, riding clerk, six clerks, sworn clerks, waiting clerks, and others, under the Act 5 and 6 Vic. c. 103, and to inquire into the nature, duties, and emoluments of those officers before the passing of that Act, and their right to compensation dur ing life and for seven years after the death of such person. In making this motion, he said he did so in consideration of the manner in which suitors in the courts of justice were so enormously taxed, and in which the most outrageous compromises often took place. Now, contrary to every principle of justice, there was no suitor in the Court of Chancery and no suitor in any other of the Courts who was not subjected to very heavy taxation. There were no le-s than from 300 to 400 persons who were employed in collecting , fees in the Courts of Equity. Some of these fees went to the consolidation fund and some to the officers in the Courts, but no step whatever could be taken unless the fees were paid, and it was impossible to obtain redress otherwise. The House would be surprised also to learn that there was no check or control, or scarcely any, over the collectors. Some of them were certainly bound by oath, but there were others who were not. A great many officers were paid by fees only, and the only guarantee with re gard to the collectors of these fees was the honesty of the persons. What he asked for, therefore, was a Committee to in.. quire into this system, which he considered a mostohjection Ie one. Thenext point he wished to call att en ti on to was, whether it was right to tax suitors at all. There might be no fear enter tained that by the abolition o f th ese taxes law would beco m e too cheap, for in this c o u n t ry t h ere was verylittle chan ce o f that. In the year 1843 t o 184 4 the fund called the Suitors' Fee Fund amounted to 97,000/. There was also a sum of paid in taxes into money amounting to 155,000' , which was the Court of Chancery. Altogether there was from 300,0001. to 400,000/. paid in salaries to officers connected with the court, and a sum of 29J,0001 ,t w hich went to the Conso lidated Fund, amounting altogether upwards of 600,00 i/., co,OOC/. of which was a direct the upon the suitors, i o l lu more r m a o t and the rest a tat upon he t f e h wa i this kswecados collected e o ud n o s bu t y r s oeufsors personsu amc, overbuto whomwhat . there was no cheek, and . ittee, to consider whether this principle ought not to be disconti nued._( Hear, hear.) There was one individual in the Court of Queen's Bench who held a sinecure of 7,700/. a year, another who held a sinecure of f5;04m96/t.haat ysenamr; tean2dooll4re were numerous others, varying there was formeorflyh; office was that sine - cu a re ye o a f r. som l e n 2 th o e L . anca , ster Court 179 t iet prothonotary , and it as a he e ld ar. by The one individual from up to a very recent period. It was, how ever, abolished, and although the fees collected • were only COMMITTEES ON RAILWAY BILLS. Lord REDESDALE then moved the resolution of which he had given notice, " That the Select Committee appointed by their Lordship s t o name the Select. Committee for the consi deration of opposed private Bills should notfname any such Com mittee on any opposed railway Bill after Monday, the 20th .luly. There would be great difficulty in obtaining proper and efficiebt committees after that period, to sit upon ails and give them due attention. Their Lordships were alai aware that some 01 the most important Bills were those that came up at the latest period, and that was the case with those that were most op posed. It was desirable to secure good committees, and a fair and proper time for the consideration of Bills before them, and he thought every person must be fully aware that the time that was allowed by this resolution for the lull consideration of those Bills was such as ought to be allowed in such matters as railway legislature. He had, therefore, selected the 20th July as the day beyond which no committee should be earned for sitting on railway Bills. Their Lordships were aware that a Committee named on that day, might very properly sit be yond the end of the month, and on some occasions in the other House they had lasted for a longer period. He, therefore, did not wish to name a later day. He had conF•ulted that with Noble Lords, who were best acquainted with the arrangement of that House, and they entirely concurred with him on the desirableness of selecting the day he had named. He, there fore, begged to move that nu Select Committee for the con sideration of opposed private Bills should be fixed after the 20th July. The Earl of WICKLOW said that the motion appeared to be a very unjust one towards the public. 'I here never had been a session in which a greater number of railway Bills had been brought before the house; and, not withstanding that, a proposition was brought forward at an early period of the session which, to a great extent, delayed the progress of those Bills. He perfectly approved of those measures; but if this resoiation was passed the promoters of several railway Bills would be subjected to great expense and inconvenience. No doubt many Noble Lords would think it convenient to leave town before the end of the session. But they had duties to perform, and very important duties, in attending to railway Bills. It was very true that great injury had been done to the public by over-speculating in railways, but it was also very true that they benefited by such undertakings. How was it possi ble to fix a time after which no Bills were to be taken in Corn mittee, when the session would, in all probability, last till August, judging from the great amount of business which was to come before their Lordships. To pass suck a resolution would be to do a great injury to the public, who would most un doubtedly be benefitted by many of the Bills which would be rejected, because refused a hearing. He was, indeed, sur prised to find the Noble Lord proposing such a motion, and he expected to have heard some good reasons stated for taking such a course. Lord REDESDA LE said that he did not make such a motion for the purpose of saving the labour of their Lordship., but to serve the parties interested in railway Bills, who would, by the course he proposed, know the latest time when they could come before a Committee. This session many Bills had commenced in the House of Lords, and that expedited their progress very much, and he saw no injury whatever by the adoption of this motion. The resolution was thn put and passed. IMPERIAL P RL lAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, .11ety 7. In the absence of the LORD CHANCELLOR, the Earl o SHAFTESBURY took the Chair at Fire o'clock. SCOTTISH FREE CHURCH. Lord CAMPBELL said he had petitions to present of very great importance to the country, from certain inhabitants of Edinburgh and Paisley, praying for the interference of the House in a matter in which they were deeply interested. They said that there were certain religious questions in Scotland which excited great disagreement, and that members of the Free Church were not allowed to purchase lands for the erec tion of churches for any purpose. They were quite ready to give reasonable remuneration for any land which might be required for the erection of churches ; but in some cases, where one great proprietor held the whole of the land in the parish, they could not obtain any quantity of land whatever. If such were the case, he thought t was a reasonable ground for the interference of their Lord lips, as they had interposed and given their sanction to an nvasion of private property in the case of railroads, where .he companies merely sought permission for travelling with greater facility from one part of the country to the other. Phis was a ease of infinitely greater importance, and if the pe itioners made out their east, he should feel no difficulty what • seer in assenting to the principle they had adopted, and sup sorting a Bill for making it law. FACTORIES BILL. Lord REDESDALE presented a petition frem the Dissent ng ministers of Wigan'in favour of the Ten Hours' Factory Bill. CHARITABLE TRUSTS BILL. The Earl of CLARENDON presented a petition against he Charitable Trusts Bill. THE PORT OF LIMERICK. The Duke of BUCCLEUCH laid on the table certain capers relative to the improvement of this harbour. The Marquis of LANSDO WNE presented a petition from he mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of Limerick, praying that steps might be taken for the improvement of the harbour of That town. Lord MONTEAGLE presented several petitions in favour of the Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle, the Midland Counties, Ind other railways. THE OFFICE OF HIGH CONSTABLE. The Duke of BUCCLEUGH presented a petition from the city of Westminster against certain provisions in relation to that city and liberty in the Bill proposed for the regulation sf the office of high constable, and praying to be heard by their agents and counsel against the Bill. The Duke of RICHMOND stated it was not his intention to press that part of the Bill. CHARITABLE TRUSTS BILL. Lord COTTENHAM presented several petitions against the Charitable Trusts Bill. Lord STANLEY presented a petition from Lancashire to the same effect ; also a petition from the same place against the sale of spirituous liquors on Sunday. CORN-LAWS. Lord ASHBURTON moved for the returns of some papers with reference to the corn-laws, which he thought would facili tate the progress of that measure when before their Lordships . He was not at all wishing to open up a discussion about the ex• aediency of passing such a measure. If they did pass it, he wished them to do it with their eyes open, as it was one in which not only the agricultural portion of the community was interested, but in fact every class in the country. The motion he had to make was for the purpose of ascertaining the quantity of corn in bond. The last time they had a return, the amount of wheat was 1,200,00 quarters, and the quantity of flour was about 700,000 or 800,000 barrels. He had also to move for a return of every hundred pounds' worth of tithe received under the Tithe Commutation Act, from the passing of that Act down to 1845. He hoped there would be no objection to such a motion. Lord BROUGHAM entirely concurred with his Noble Friend, and, differing from him as he did on other matters, he rejoiced to be able to agree with him on this. —( Laughter.) He was undoubtedly of opinion that the result of the measure that would shortly come before their Lordships would have the effect of lowering the price of grain, inasmuch as a much greater quantity of grain would be introduced into the English market. He had no desire, however, to anticipate the disscus lion that would arise on that measure, and he would, there fore, postpone any arguments which he had on the ques tion till the proper time arrived. Ile would, at the same time, express d Lope that their Lordships, who were appointed to inquire into the burdens on land, would lose no time in laying their report before their Lordships, believing, as be did, that a more important report had never been laid on the table of their Lordships' House. Earl FITZWILLIAM thought it would be desirable for their Lordships to have a statement similar to that which was 'asked for by the Noble Lord (Lord Ashburton), of the corres ponding periods, as far back as the time when the last Corn Bill but one (1828) passed, and he should move an amendment to that effect. Lord ASHBURTON said that in the last year the quantity in bond was 430,000 quarters ; the year before that 220,000 ; the year before that 245,000; then 124,00 0; then 132,000; then 257,000; and so on up to the year 1838. Lord BROUGHAM suggested that it should be ascertained whether corn was at such a price as to be importable at the time these returns were made. Lord ASHBURTON said that the returns were from the months of October and December in each year, when the farmer held most of his corn in hand, and at that season ci rn was exported from abroad for this country. The corn dealers on the Baltic found all the ports between their country and ours shut against them, and consequently their supplies came to the British ports. Earl FITZ WILLIAM said there never was's.) great a quan tity in bond as at the present moment. .It was now better than four months since this measure was first introduced ihto Parliament, and he would leave it to their Lordships whether the; :real •nature of the measure had not been well known two months before that time ; so that there was a period of six monthi sineethis measure was 'first brought under the notice of ; the which time no merchant in his senses wou ld take,a-single.Nuarter out of bond. . The Duke of RICHMOND wished to correct his Noble 'Friend the Earl Fitzwilliam in one point. It was well known that the British farmer never 'brought his corn to market until it was in the best condition. Now, it was also known that English corn required some time to be laid up, and the influence of frost, to bring it into condition. The late season had been unusually mild, and there was, in con sequenee, never a greater qtlantity of corn in the hands of the farmer than there was at the present moment. It was always kept up in the hope of obtaining better prices, and there was in fact at this particular time a great quantity of grain waiting for disposal. He did not think the Bill would pass, but if it did pass, be would do all he could to protect those farmers who had large stocks of wheat on hand. He must protest against those No ble Lords who said that the question was settled. He did not think so. He could not believe that Noble Lords on the oppo site side could so suddenly turn round, or that those on the other side, who had advocated a fixed duty, would now give it up in favour of the Bill before the other House. Lord BROUGHAM did not think the question settled, but whether settled or not, 'he would give a little advice. He would strongly. advise those who had large stocks on hand to bring their wheat to market as if it was settled.—( A laugh.) Earl GREY differed with the Noble Duke. He believed that the farmers were suffering greatly through this delay. They would be exposed to this deluge of foreign corn, from the importation having been dammed up for six months, instead of the market receiving gradual supplies. The suffering of the farmers had arisen from the want of foreign wheat to mix up with, the. produce of last harvest, which was generally of an inferior quality. It could not be ground sinless mixed up with old or foreign wheat; .and the state of things had been such . that the necessary supply of foreign wheat was not forthcoming. In the north of England the wheat of lait harvest was generally inferior in quality, and millers were pre vented from grinding it from want of foreign wheat. It would have been a great advantage to the country if the ports had been opened in November or December last. Lord BEAUMONT was anxious that there should be no delay in producing those returns. He hoped next week to be able to lay on their Lordships' table the report of the Com mittee of which he was Chairman. At the same time he hoped that whatever might be the result of that measure the labours of the Committee would not be altogether lost. The motion was then agreed to. RELIGIOUS OPINIONS BILL. The B shop of EXETER consented to postpone the mo ion of which he had given notice for to-day, until Monday DR. REID'S VENTILATION. The'Marquis of CLANRICADE wished to know whether there would be any impediment in the way of allowing Mr. Gurney to have some part of the new Houses appropriated to him, for the purposes of ventilation, that their Lordships might be able to judge of the plan proposed ? The Commissioners had. not yet made ther report upon this subject. Lord CAMPBELL complained of the serious annoyance caused to their Lordships by Dr. Reid's system of ventilation; that annoyance became worse and worse' every day. When he 'entered their Lordships' House that morning he could scarcely breathe the air, and he only wished that Dr. Reid might him self be compelled to breathe it for two hours. Thus he (Lord Campbell) knew that it was utterly impossible for that gentleman to make the air worse than he had already made it. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE said that Dr. Reid had acquired great reputation as a ventilator, ar.d he apprehended that their Lordships would have no objection to accede to the very seasonable request of that gentleman, viz., that he should be allowed the use of one room in the new House of Lords, in which to experimentalise. WESTERN AUSTRALIA BILL. Lord STANLEY moved the second reading of this Bill. For several years there had been no indications of a wish for a change in the Government. In 1829 that colony was founded, and, with the exception of 1837, there had never been any wish for a change. Sines that period, however, there had been an indication of a wish for change. Earl GREY could not help expressing his surprise and regre t at the principle of the B i ll, w hi c h had just been i n t ro d uced by her Majesty's Government, and h e still more regretted th e opinions of his Noble Friend w h o h a d j ust sat down. In the course of last session a very important debate had occurred in the other House of Parliament, during which the Right lion. Baronet who held the weighty office of first M em b er of the Government had propounded the doctrine that the colonies had bettor be loft to the Government themselves ; that, with some modifications the principle of representation ought, to be in troduced into all our depende nc i es. especially New Zealand. If this was true with regard to New Zealand, it was more espe cially true with respect to Western Australia. Hi s N o bl e Friend had said that until within a few years nothing like a sentiment of discontent had been evid en t in t h e colonies. Bnt that such discontent did exist now was allowed. He trusted, therefore, that no measure would be allowed to become law without first consulting the colonists themselves. Unless means were taken to put the colony on a proper and popular footing, it would be impossible to develop the resources of the colony in the way that was desirable. Lord LYTTELTON thought that time should be allowed for due deliberation. If they legislated hastily on the matter, it might be the cause of more evil than was sought to be reme died. At least they ought not to take any step that would in crease the expenses of the colony, without consulting those who were resident there. Earl GREY remarked, that popular forms of govern. :Went had been carried out with great effect in Nova Scotia, New Brunswi k, and many of the West India islands. The Duke of RICHMOND said the horrible state of things that prevailed in Australia ought to be met with a remedy. If the Government was not prepared with a measure to remedy those evils by the end of the session, he, as an independent Peer, would consider it his duty to move fer a Select Commit• tee to inquire into the whole affairs of the colony, with the eb 'ect of providing a remedy. Lord LYTTELTON said the subject had occupied the attention of the Government for a considerable period. He was not, however, prepared at that time to announce any de cision they had come to upon the subject. The Bill was then read a second time. RAILWAY DEPOSITS BILL. The Earl of DALHOUSIE moved the third reading of the Railway Deposits Bill. The Bill was then read a third time and passed. FRIENDLY SOCIETIES BILL. Earl ST. GERMANS proposed that this Bill, which hp,d been brought up from the.other House, should be read a second time en Monday next. The Bill was then read a first, and ordered to be read a mond time oa Monday next, 2,3001. per annum at the time it was abolished, a compensation of '2,700/. per annum was awarded to the sinecurist, who was no less a person than Lord Liverpool. What was more to be la mented was, that it was a poll-tax, and no matter whether a man sued for 20,000/. or 2,0001., he had to pay the same fees. The Bill was to give compensstion to the six clerks of the Court of Chancery, who had long been considered a public nuisance; they received enormous fees, but they were per fectly useless, and compensation was given to them for absolutely. dome nothing. They were old offi c er s , t o b e sure , and some of tem were in the receipt of between three and four hundred a year. He was sure the House would hardly believe him, when he stated that four of these persons were enjoying amongst them the enormous amount of 30,000/.. a year.—( Hear, hear.) What could, then, be the meaning of giving such extravagant compensation? Their business depended solely upon connexion, but that connexion was like an attorney's, it might not last five days, and it might last for ever; but the business transacted was not worth six days' purelase. The country had a right to inquire and see how the funds were distributed, and whether the public money was to be wasted in such an extravagant man ner as he had detailed to the House. He would quote to the House an authority upon this subject which he was sure would have weight with the House, he would quote Mr. Pemberton Leigh, who after vainly, for a length of time, endeavouring to get a return front these gentlemen of their emoluments, they having refused them for a length of time, had at last given some lump sums without stating name, or time, or place. Mr. Pemberton Leigh designated the fees which these officers received as an iniquitous tax upon the suitors in Chancery. One gentleman, who was eminent in the Court of Chancery, had said that when he was doubtful upon a point of the practice of the Court, he applied to the sworn clerks, and acted directly the reverse of their advice. One gentleman, in his evidence before the commission, had stated that the fees to the sworn clerks were a great tax upon the suitors in Chan cery. and the services of the clerks were useless. In fact, one of the officers was a good clerk when he was a lunatic. He would now call the attention of the House to what was called the compensation clause—a clause by which the Lord Chancellor was enabled to award compensation to officers in certain cases. At the time of Lord Erskine he had found the fees of those officers so low that he increased them ; but in 1829 the fees of those officers had so enormously increased, that they were entitled to fees on every item on the paper ; and Lord Brougham had seen the enormity of these fees to be se glaring in the year 1833 that he told them their days were numbered; but they still remained the same to the present time. One of those clerks who had been dismissed received 5,4241., and 2,00 W. a-year for attending for a few hours each day in Chancery-lane. Another, who retired, was a clerk to a clerk, and he got 4721. a year; and a third, a young gentleman, only 28 years of age, received fees to the amount of 5,2041. per annum, besides a salary of 2,000/., mak ing a total of 7,204. per annum. Again, there was an agent who received for compensation alone 1,778/. per annum ; a waiting clerk received a compensation to the extent of 3441. per annum ; in fact, altogether the compensations amounted to no less than 170,000/. annually. The Lord Chief Just ice of England, the highest dignitary of the law, received under 10,0001 per an num, and the Noble individual who now held the office refused to receive the whole salary, and only took 8,030/., and yet there were persons, without holding any offic, receiving 7,0001. The First Lord of the Treasury had, on elate occasion, given to two gall an t officers who had distinguished themselves in the service of their country, pensions of 2,0001. and 3,000/. while many persons !who had done nothing for it were receiving the large salaries he had mentioned. The House ought to come to some resolution, which would submit this matter to the consideration of a Committee.—(Hear, hear. ) It was the brightest morning that ever dawned in Chancery lane, and to all the clerks in a certain law institution there, for all the flesh and blood, and every human being therein, re ceived a good compensation ; and even some of the clerks were to have one-half of their compensation paid to their friends for several years after their death, in consequence of the loss of the influence and services of those gentlemen to the country. The sale of these office=, therefore, was wholly illegal, and the persons who held them were not entitled to receive any com vensation. No Bill ever travelled with the same railroad velo city as the Bill in question did through that House. It came down from the Lords on the 29th of July, and was read a first time. On the Monday following --the Ist of August— it was read a . second time. On the 2d of August it went through Committee, and on the 3d of August it was reported and ordered to be re-committed. The 9th of August, 1842, was a lucky day for the riding clerk, the waiting clerk, and the agents of the House of Commons, for on that day their Compensation Bill passed; and how, let him ask, was this compensation to be calculated? Why, it was calculated upon the produce of the three yearsduring which there was the most extraordinary amount of business trans. acted in the Court of Chancery, and when the equity business of the Exchequer had been transferred to the Court of Chancery. The compensation which should be given, according to the Acts he had cited, was to be only two-thirds of their former receipts. The examiner was also to inquire into those re ceipts. Now he asserted no inquiry had taken place, and how was this compensation, extravagant as it was, obtained? was levied from the suitors of the Court of Chancery ; from those who had the misfortune to appear there in order to have justice done them. Why, it was monstreue.--( Hear, hear.) Four per cent. was laid upon a _Bill, without reference to the amount of the property sought to be'`. obtained ; after years of anxious and dreary litigation, four per cent. was laid upon the costs of that cause before they were bound to pay a shilling. When he first brought forward his motion, a seduction of twopence .a folio took place, which, trivial as it appeared to ,be, amounted to 5,0001. out of every 70,000/. One per cent. had since been taken off, which also • amounted to one thousand in every seven thou and pounds. --( Hear s ') He asked for a Committee to inquire into those - mattere. He asked the Government to . giant 'that Committee ; and if he - was asked, teas he ready tb be unjust to these iodis e . viduals? he would say, he was ready to:be so, sooner thansto • :be unjust - to hundreds and' thpusands who would - be suiters in the Court of Chancery. He wished that 'this' Com:- mittee would be granted in order to investigate the matter.. The ATTORNEY-CiENERAL, in answer to the state. meets of the Hon.' Metiaber'whe 'hed . iest seat do wn , sa id hi s Hon., and. Learned Friend hatbkd great' advantage- Over him,. because he , :was the, aisitiltiOg' party; and there: Vas lalways - sornething excitinginleerin g &party making a ehitrge, white+thee arguments of-the party in defence genereliy fell :upoti"dult 'ears.t' 'He (the 'Attorney- General). costists not hope ...to_ _make... what_ hse, had to say, in answerto the charges of hi s - trOnourable say. reiined Friend at all interesting, alit applied to snatters,of dry law, not by any means interesting ; but still he would make a demand on the time of the House, hut he trusted he would be heard with patience. His Hon. and Learned Friend proposed a Committee on the very same materials upon which the same motion was refused by the House in 1844.. New he ( the Attorney- General) would say that his Hon. and Learned Friend called upon the House to do an act of gross injustice. It would be very easy to lead the House to the conclusicn that the compensation awarded to those holding those offices was enormous, in ordeeto excite in Hon. Members the notion-that the motion which the Hon. Member for Kimale proposed to make, was well founded, and ought to be granted. He at once took the Hon. Member on that ground, and said that the question was not - whether the existing emoluments for these offices were or were- not abuses - . - It was quite immaterial whether the emolurnent derived from those offices was in proportion to the services rendered by, tbose, who possessed them. Those offices had been established a number of years ; they were vested interests, and if they desired to re form them, they were bound to give the possessors -the fullest compensation. His Hon. and Learned Friend would not consieer it any disparagement if he considered that the opi nions of a 'better reformer were against him oh this subject, In 1812 a motion was made in that House respecting the sine cure offices of tellers of the Exchequer. The object of the motion Was te call• the attention of thee-House Au the enormous emoluments which were derived for servioea performed by deputy ; and what did Mr. Horner say On that occasion ? He gave it as his decided opinion that in such cases the offices were vested interests, and however far economy was stretched, vested interests were always sacred, and therefore these offices should remain untouched. In those sentiments Mr. Tierney and Mr. Ponsonby clearly concurred, and the motion for the reduction of the enormous emoluments in the sinecure offices were rejected. Now he (the Attorney-General) was willing to call for the sane principle to be applied to this question. The offices of these clerks were established in 1592, and there had been no diminution in the fees from the year 1743 down to the time of the abolition of the offices. It had been said that Lord Lyndhurst had reduced the fees before they abolished the fees. That was not so. All Lord Lyn-ihurst did, was to prevent the sworn clerks receiving attendance fees in caves where no attendance was required. It was quite true, that at the time of the abolition of these offices there were only twenty-five remaining out of sixty clerks, and five or six of these engrossed the greater part of the business. In answer to the objection of his Learned Friend, it was perfectly notorious that the persons who pos. sessed these offices were in the habit of disposing of their business and transferring it to others; and this was so well un- m derstood, that every one looked upon the matter as they would upon any other bargain or sale. His Learned Friend said that the sale was contrary to the sth and 6th of Edward VI. and the 49th of George 111. He (the Attorney-Get.eral) denied that it was contrary to the sth and 6th of Edward VI. That Act was directed against the sale of offices connected with the execution and administration of justice ; but these offices were nut of that description. Besides, the offices of the clerks, ac cording to the 4th, sth, and 6th of William IV., were die. tinctly recognised as saleable. If the Learned Gentleman would look to the Ist of Victoria. chap. 30, he would find offices much more closely connected with the administration of justice which were saleable. According to this Act, the aevee ral offices referred to, and which were connected with the Court of Queen's Bench, were all saleable. Here there were offices more closely connected with the atlmi: saleable.—( Hear ) which were distinctly s e t n a t t l e e d b. - to then quoted from a pain_ (The Hon. and L e earn doctrine dG was laid down that p s e w n o sa rn tio cill'erkswere who these six clerks nistration of justice than thoose be e f the six clerks, phlet, in which the _. ) The author • terest in making the statement had not any in ; he wrote the L y on so tP, o s se e e l s i work to show received an enormous salary for absolutely doing nothing. Hie stated thatit;eit uwnadsearsrteocoodgtnhissetdoriiigoehrt,aamrodnghethweapstorf:asds. their good will, they had also a right to compensation -( Hear, had a right w to th se e ll a t b h u e s ir e e w la h im ich for th c e o s m e hear. ) it ; he apprehended that fair compensation vvo"'d be that kind which would be commensurate with the fn ".. office. Many of these gentlemen had • r . mer receipts of the nett incomes of 10,879!., 8,000/., and 7,000/., and they should net adopt an arbitrary principle with referencel He would wish to call attention to oe"e"ation. compensation.—.(Hear. public by the House of C the information given to t Jmmons. when Lord Lyndhurst en deavoured to introduce reform into the Court of Upton that occasion Chancery, 2 a memorial was presented by the attornies practising in that Uourt, praying for reform in this department, and the Lord Chancellor appointed a Committee who reorted upon the necessity ofabolThof fthe six clerks and is ing thee o es o sixty clerks, and asked the Law Association to suggest some practical means of doing so. The most careful d mature consideration • • was given to this Act b learned ersons who were appoi n t e d on that Com m ission, and ythe every clause in this Act received their most careful attention. It was considered ex tremely desirable that a measure of this description should have the attention of the nobleman who had presided for some years with great distinction in the Lord Chancellor's Court. Some corresp on d ence h ad passed on the sub ject of compensation t o t h e tellers, and he could not d , r better than read to the House the last two letters which had passed between them on the sublect. He had the sanction of Lord Cottenham, and of the other law lords in the other House, who had made no objection to the Bill. The Bill came down- from the House of Lords w.th the unanimous sanction of that House. If there had been anything improper in the clauses of the Bill, the Government would never have given their consent to it. The Hon. Member for Montrose had stated that he approved of the principle and the details of th e measure. Every Member of the House was a party to that Act of Parliament. The Act expressly provided that the six clerks should receive compensation to the extent of not less than three-fourths of their income, and the other clerks were to receive remuneration to an extent not exceeding two thirds of the:r regular income. It was rather important that they sht eld leok a little into the matter for the precedents for the course they had adopted. In the year 1836 it was first pro lerks. The Bill was passed, posed to ab o li s h t h e off i ce of six c and there was a legislative permission granted for the sale and purchase of thee - offices. By the 6th *and 7 t h W i lli am IV., cap. 7 4 , ... the officers were allowed to dispose o f their offices for a pecuniary consideration, and th ey rece i ved a sum of 4,000/. for the reversion o f their offices. Th ey were pensioned off with the 1141 %MIMI of the althea emolument&