The Sun. — London, England, 1846-08-26 00:00:00

_ - was made known to those par.ies that the - Government 4'ould not undert a k e t h at outy, immediate orders were qatout t o a great extent upon private account, which at at that moment in the course of execution. in ', t he must rem i nd their' Lordships that it was not the ii' e ntion of' her Majesty's Government to undertake the :ty of brining supplies into the country. Whatever sitfelt of d e fi c i ency, wou ld b e , no d ou bt, met by the al action of trade or to bring supplies into the coun try T s • "ese would depend upon the importers, and he would Live this emphatic warning to those on whom these sup tiensiidePended that the Government would in no case —L ' "cent in scme extreme exigency, interfere to eff ect the importation. He would only say thus much, inthat her Majesty 's Government would feel it their duty , to the event of any extreme distress arising, and he prayed ez , G ecl that it might not arise, but io the case of any such ` r etne distress arisint , in any part of the country, the P l ace wh ere that distrels arose would be relieved by the Prov ision of wor k , b y wh i c h t h e l a b oure rs might earn outdoor t weep s f or t h ose w h o wer e most distressed, suttl some sufficient relief was obtained, and the'necessity tet relief should'cease by the generally improved of e " the country and the better circumstances the labourers and their families. In the event, how ester' of anY extensive distress occurring a power was listed to the Lord-Lieutenant which he should be a e o h rry to see entrusted to any one, however high his l i o ar acter or h is o ffi ce , except on e xtraordinary occa sip". This power was the ability in cases of exten t, distress, of calling what he would call baronial sessions, and at these sessions the means of compelling 82' strict where the distress: might occur to enter upon i i t ,_/ 1 Public works as would relieve the distress for the time. thee Noble Marquis then detailed the other privisions of th with respect to giving employment for , e , People in baronies, half baronies, and parishes. h ad e Majesty's Government in 'addition to this measure Thesebrought forward another to encourage public worksa„o and partly by eay of grant, and partly by loan. Otte were the outlines of the measures he bad bo n:listed to describe to their Lordships. He A no doubt that there would be a pres „-nere for a time, in spite of all the efforts Government and in spite of all the activity of eantruerce, but eventually the consequences would be roeflcial t o th e na ti o n, and some ultimate good would 'A derived from it. Lord MONTEAGLE would be glad if he saw his w ay clearly, even after passing through great Iti ffering and privation, to the happy results Which his Noble Friend had pointed out. He elnsidered that a Government dispensing food to the P en Ple, a calamity in itself great, could only be Justified by the existence of a calamity still tieater. The circumstances which had prompted tßobcrt Peel— with great boldness and with ettilter wisdom—to purchase food for the people of Ire that n ° longer existed, and, therefore, be did not see eenti n ftn •Y necessity existed for the pre s ent Government ceed to the same principles. He said he would pro- Part ~° f e t 4l - 1 the attention of the House to the second was the Bill, which was the question of labour. He mat " I T to discuss this question, which affected soyinti x6rdlY the i nterests of Ireland, When so many o f their : h ips were absent, especially so many Irish peers. be e ; u ' t saY, that it wag his opinion that the Govern ance" w ould be disappointed of the effects which they euitli:Patsd from t hi s part of the Bill. He said the (lA . - y ea s with which they had to combat were greater this T is r than those which had met the late Government. eat ea l - a nd amity was seen only in the month of November. Pr,'nupt means were taken to provide against it; but cal here, in the month of August, four months earlier, a It a w nli t l Y was foreseen much more extensive and painful. fora ° „ n ` d be unjust to the other Goverr.ment, if it was of t i ) . - moment attempted to underrate the importance bear,i measure. A letter read to day from a magistrate, e th reth l w il p g or d st ate o , f Aug. 3, describes the crops as bring in states. From this they might judge falls,gd of the coming evil. The pressure of itilsa from the circumstances of the Irish peasantry. th„ w 'tY without example. In a case like the present an A w ould not b e continuing the union they were so "nt°,ll.l to preserve, if they were indifferent to the pre forwolstress. Should it be said that they should come el s ard and meet distress in the Scilly Islands and Of re btfre, and not feel for the sufferings of the people tai n i 'nu? Ile relied upon the law to ensure the ob ng of the benefits they contemplated. He confidQd, th g'retoly in the influence of the Board of Works, and ti: selection of some of the officers was the most judi %lib" that could be made. Without the aid of private b e , 3 , n iPtione, the grant to the Board of Works would f ieh a , ' , n • He spoke the sentiments of a large and in the"ll portion of the gentry when he said that the'', did not require gratuitous assistance, and that b„," considered any assistance which was not supported i‘illrivate subscription would be a very dangerous ex pre se, " l ent. But they were endeavouring to render theird Pone,l measure palatable by founding it on the of that W valuation. Why, it was admitted on all hands h ad ii.that valuation was most notoriously unjust, and whi el u i e en made i n many instances for certain purposes th e were completely outside the contemplation of it Was t 4 of Parli ament . He considered, therefore, that th ey ; a most unhappy c hoir' ; but he considered that it n w , a .l . , a more fatal objection to it, and that was that Irel a - n n ( i v t diminish the out-door relief administered in very • ne put it to their Lordships, would it not be hi s 4,4 hard to make the expenditure of a gentleman upon ne t i t tate the measure for his taxation, and to make the , t4 aati o t others the standard of their more alleviated ill Wi n ' This was the principle which the present of relief Ind introduce into the operations of the system e r B ,, e Earl o f WICKLOW cou ld not a ll ow a su bj ect , 34 " much importance t o pa ss b y without saying a word tvvo upon it. H., thought Government had shown much good sense in the plan they had proposed, and he promised their Lordships to use his best endeavours to secure its success. He regretted exceedingly that so heavy and sudden a calamity had fallen u p es t h e s i ster aingdom, but he was sure of this, that the steps Go vernment were taking would insure a sufficient Supply of food and employment for the people. He disapproved Of the plan for placing the constabulary force under the control of the Government, because the 50,0001. which it would remove from the burdens on land would in no Wa y benefit the people, while the relief itself was so St all as to be hardly perceptable to the landlords of Ire d.—(Hear.) There were several points to which he bad wished to refer, but at that late hour he should re frain from doing so, contenting himself with sincerely 1 1 12 4 'Iting Hon. Gentlemen for the anxiety they had ma lested to do all in their p ower t o remove or a ll ev i a t e the prevalent disease and distress of Ireland.—(Hear.) The Duke of GRAFTON attributed much of the ells- Lee se was r o ei f e tre ed land to the bad cultivation of the land, and c lfter a few words see Government evince a disposition to g et rid of the evil. words from the Marquis of LANS TY}";. in explanation, Bdl passed through Committee, and was reported Wtth out ti t° amendments. It was ordered to be read a third e to-morrow. 01 1 th STEAM NAVIGATION BILL. was e motion of the Earl of CLARENDON, this Bill read a thi r d time and phased. Th e SMALL DEBTS BILL. BOoi e h p TILE EARL then presented a petition from the be co -4 ., :A °1 Attorneys-at-Law, praying that they might likaali r ed eligible to be elected as judges under the 13 eb_ta Bi Th. CONSOLIDATED FUND BILL. t o 4 33 Bill went through Committee, and was ordered p rea d it third time to-morrow ; as were also the .a blic Wo r k s (N os. 4 an d 5) (I re l an d) Bill. 4 11 ,e Constab u l ary (I re l an d) Bill. The Leases (Ireland) Bill. 13ate Private Bills Bill, and 4 New Z ea l an d G overnment Bill. EJECTMENTS (IRELAND), AND THE DRAINAGE OF LANDS BILLS. • These Bills were read a third time and passed. RAILWAY COMMISSIONERS BILL. Thisßill was read a second time, and ordered to be : u nnitted on Thursday, when its pr ov isions would be I!„,,P l oined by the Earl of Clarendon. PAWNBROKERS, AND THE DISTRICT LUNATICS ASYLUM BILLS. These Bills were read a first time, and were ordered to be read a second time to-morrow. Their Lordships adjourned at Eight o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS, August 25. The SpzAszu took the Chair a few minutes after Twelve o'clock. STANDING ORDERS. Mr. ESTCOURT moved the abolition of the present standing orders, and the adoption of others which had been agreed upon as being more agreeable to the cir "lnstances of the present time. It would be recollected that the standing orders had been decided upon on the motion of the Hon. Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume), the 10th August. It was by that resolution ' d etermined that a certain number of Members, for ty -two should be selected for the duty of . ascertaining whether the standing orders bad been t2rnolied with. Those forty-two gentlemen had Zin g th emse l ves i n t o sma ll comm itt ees , and Zing nearly the whole of the session has been en- Zig e d, not only every day, but throughout a great part the day, till the House met, laboriously occupied in prtaining whether the several parties who promoted f i lvate Bills had complied with the standing orders of st ... e Rouse. N ow w h e n the number and nature of these ic e "ding orders were recollected, it would be seen that y had no easy task. By the resolution of the 10th 'Lllgust this system was done away with, and the y r was empowered to appoint certain officer s . ,iose duty it was always to be engaged in this bum eBB so that the examination of private Bills might untied., immediately, and thus dispatch was at least ob tionu; By the Bill which was passing for the constitut do; °' a railway board, the sub-committees would be 110 -e away with, and consequently there would no e „,,° Committ ee o f Selection. But it was ne alarY that th ere s hould be some means of bringing ufee... vat g Bills into the House, and the present Committee gel f: on recommend that the six gentlemen who bad t eret 3 .10u1 °fore been entrusted with the business of selection, still be continued in their post. It would be re collected that by the 2d and 3d Victoria,. the Speaker ths required at the beginning of the session to lay on table of the Hof the which ouse a ist p rivate Bills, for „ application had been made. But he could not ob tain l° l ll knowledge without due information from these meminers, and in order to give authority to their state to:, new standing orders were necessary. He (Mr. ra t tart) having thus stated the reasons, and the gene ,te oature of the new orders, proceeded seriatim through e t ." o , n r ders, and stated the Tprbal alterations which the clause ttee recommended for adoption. The only whole wn.inserted is the following ;—Order 120 a, That ga y am endment it is intended to bring up any clause, or to propose endtnent on the report, or the consideration of the eseat; or on the third reading of any private Bill, the °e submitted to the Chairman of the Committee of uZI and Mean s , on t h e d ay on w hi c h notice is given " f in the Private Bill-pftice, and slll4t Aligb 041466 ' ;~'.-~ SUN TDON, WEDNESDAY MORNING, or amendment be offered in ,the House unless the shall have been so submitted to the Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means, and he shall have re• ported to the House whether, in his opinion, the clause or amendment be such as ought or ought not to be entertained by the House without referring the same to the Select Committee on Standing Orders." One of the principal alterations was, that where a turn pike-road was to be passed by a railway, the rise of any arc or bridge or embankment should not be more than one foot in thirty, and where a private road was to be passed, the rise should not be more than one foot in twenty. In Ireland it was proposed to pass an immense number of these. roads, and some such regulation was absolutely necessary to save great public inconvenience. The House w*uld see that the altered+ 113 were chiefly verbal, and he wou'd, therefore, move at once that the report be agreed to, for the adoption of the new orders as the future regulations on private Bills. Mr. HUME, in rising to second the motion, was quite sure that the House wes greatly obliged to the Hon. Gentleman and the other Members of the Committee of Selection for their great labour, and that there would be a great relief to the Members of the House, that the business of private Bills would be placed on a better footing in future sessions, and greater satisfaction would be given to the country. The motion was agreed to. CAMERON'S COALBROOK STEAM COAL AND SWANSEA AND LOUGHOR RAILWAY. The Lords' amendments to this Bill were agreed to. SOUTHWARK, VAUXHALL AND WATERLOO BRIDGES. Mr. BROTHERTON presented petitions from South wark praying for the free passage of these bridges. DISTRESS IN IRELAND. Mr. LABOUCHERE presented petitions from Cork and Antrim counties praying for inquiry and relief. SMALL DEBTS' BILL. Mr. AGLTONBY presented a petition, numerously signed, praying that the appointment of the officers under this Act might remain with the Lord Chancellor. ENGLISH CONSTABULARY. Mr. HUME moved for a return of the numbers and services of the constabulary in England during the past year. I earliest ‘ 0 : , e ,,. House to the re opportunity next sessien of calling the attention ih port of the Andover Committee. taS.L.Lv--..., .1.11 COUNTY OF MAYO (IRELAND). E h g t iao r dn e w a i a d s u i wished re statement to call nhti Mr. thepoirLdLeroosf thendnagwbesin i •of the house to the state of distress a t t enti on. which facts that a thered if p e a m e e e a measures es societyw e re n the cou. '47 Sr f ead i f a u y l o. des li ti e tu to show the county was lithe:. 'tin ' g tL a t t4 dis h tr e ess fe , otherw oul d places, perish and c a su human ha r beings and not taken to relieve would be endangered, nts that the potato-crop of starvation. From ' it i li the rot, but the whole There were not less he had received accot: had not only been ,tainted crop had entirely disappearew. Th. and an immense number in a state e!nsely approximating than 42,000 people in that count- in a state of famine, to destitution. [The Honourable Member read several documents to prove thai his statements were not exaggerated, every one of which save a most appalling description of the state of wretcheziness which existed in the west of Ireland.] He hoped ihe House would of taking imme press upon the Government t he p ro p riety se diate and more effectual steps t han were propod to avert the awful calamities which were impending. He did not wish to make an inflammatory speech, but to give an unvarnished statement of facts. He knew the priesthood would endeavour to repress any outbreak, and to preach resignation and patience to the people under-their suffer ings, but a crisis might arrive when reason and religion would be disregarded, and cravings of nature burst through all restraints. The Hon. Member having referred to - the landed proprietors of that country, many of whom were entirely ignorant of the extent and situation of their properties. and who consequently had little or no knowledge of the tenantry and labourers on them, concludcd by pressing upon the Government and the House the awful responsibility in which they were placed with regard to this destitution, and the ne cesity of taking immediate and effectual measures for its relief.. Sir DENHAM NORREYS corroborated the state ment of the Hon. Member who had just sat down, with respect to the great distress which at present prevailed, and was to be anticipated in the west of Ireland. He trusted that the Government would now seriously turn their attention to the condition of Ireland, and pre pare measures which would tend to bring permanent employment to the people, who were, as it were, children in their hands, for they had never been left to themselves. The British Le g islature had ever interfered with the gentry of Ireland, for the purpose of furthering their own interests at the expense of the people of Ireland. Eng land owed to that country a great debt, and it was but just that they should repay a portion of that debt by increasing the means of employment t f the people of Ireland. The O'CONOIL DON considered that he should not be discharging his duty if he did not rise to confirm the statements of the two Honourable Members who had preceded him. He wished that the failure of the potato crop were confined to the county of Mayo, but it was a lamentable fact, that the greater portion ',of the whole' of Ireland would be ob jected to the greatest distress during the coming winter from the same cause. He could assure the House that the Government were most anxious to do all in their power_ to alleviate that distress. Mr. GRANGER wished to known if the Government had r.ceived information of the distress that at present prevailed at Kinsale ? He held in his hands letters to prove that the distress was most alarming, and that, if remedial measures were not immediately taken by the Government, the consequences to life and property , - would be most destructive. Captain LAYARD corroborated the statements that had been made as to the distress prevalent in Ireland, and stated that he had seen that morning a letter from a gontleman who had recently travelled from Cork to Dublin, and that letter stated that in the whole course of that journey he did not see one potato field which was not tainted. Mr. LABOUCHERE did not dispute the truth of the statements made by the Irish Members that the potato crop had failed to a greater extent this year than the preceding one. He believed that Mayo, of all the other counties in Ireland, was the one which would suffer most from the potato blight. He found by the last accounts from Mayo, that Indian meal was selling at Id. per lb., and every one must admit that that was an exceedingly low price; thirty tons of that meal were lately sold at Westport at that price, and he therefore did not conceive that any one .need have any apprehension as to an outbreak in Mayo froth a want of food. The Hon. Member had said that it was useless to talk of the cheapness of the food if the people had not money to purchase it.—(Hear.) In reply to that he could only say that the Government had exerted themselves towards establishing public works in Ireland, but, unless their efforts were aided by the landed proprietors in that country, they would, he feared, prove unavailing.—(Hear, hear.) The most fatal step which the Government could take in reference to this subject would, in his opinion, be an interference with the importation of food, which he considered would plentifully flow into Ireland in the regular course of trade. The Government, however, were prepared to interfere to this extent—they would take measures to prevent food in Ireland rising to a price which the people could not pay. The Government would continue to devote their most serious attention to this subject, but he must again declare that the landlords of Ireland were in a far better position to aid the prosperity of Ireland than the British Legislature. All the accounts of distress in Ireland that had reached this country brought the very gratifying intelligence at the. same time that the people were most long-suffering and patient, and that the clergy, both Roman Catholic and Protestant, did their utmost to prevent the people from committing any acts of violence in their suff,rings. He hoped that every one would feel it his duty to prevent as much as possible the tendency to exaggerate, which manifested itself so much in reference to the distress in Ireland. SMALL DEBTS BILL. On the order of the day for the third reading of the Small Dsbts Bill being read, Mr. WARBURTON said that he hoped the claims for compensation, to be made under this Bill, would be regarded with the utmost jealousy by the Government. Sir G. GREY said it was the opinion of the Govern ment and of the Lord Chancellor, who had been con sulted on the subject, that no danger would result from that source. Several additional clauses and verbal amendments were proposed and agreed to. The Bill was then read a third time and passed. DISTRICT LUNATIC ASYLUMS (IRELAND). This Bill was also read a third time and passed. PAWNBROKERS' BILL. This Bill was also read a third time and passed. WASTE LANDS (AUSTRALIA) BILL. This Bill was also read a third time and passed. LEGAL EDUCATION. Mr. WYSE brought up the report of the Select Com mittee on Legal Education. PRIVATE BILLS. Lord LINCOLN moved for a return of the number of private Bills which have passed since the year 1838, classifying them as railways, bridges, canals, roads, &c. MEDICAL REGISTRATION. Mr. WAKLEY presented several petitions in favour of a system of medical registration. PUBLIC RECORDS. Mr. PROTIIEROE wished to call the attention of the Government to the necessity of taking some imme diate steps for the preservation cf the public records, by establishing a proper place for their deposit. A great mass of the records were at present left in the greatest danger, and he doubted not but that, if in stead of their being the records of the nation they were common Government stores, or clothing for the army or navy, a place would very soon be provided for -them. The new Houses of Parliament would not afford any proper convenience for them. Mr. Barry had stated that the Victoria Tower would be a most improper place for depositing them ; he hoped, therefore, that the Government would, in this, the 19th century, build some plain and simple building fit and proper for a depository for these valuable national records ; he would, therefore, move—" That it having been reportea to her Majesty, by the Del - lay Keeper of the Public Re cords, that all the record repositories in the me tropolis are subject to such an amount of risk from fire, that they could he insured only at the following premiums :—Rolls' Chapel, at ls. 6d. per cent. ; Chapter House, Rolls House, and Wakefield Tower, at 2s. per cent. ; Carlton Riding House, and White Tower, in the Tower, at ss. per cent. It being observed of the latter repository by Mr. Braidwood, Superintendent•of the Fire Brigade, that no merchant of ordinary prudence would keep his books and accounts in the same situation in which the records are placed in the said repositories. That a large annual expenditure is in curred for temporary arrangements and repositories, and for watching the same. That the public records are justly deemed of such national interest and value as to °evasion a large yearly grant of public money for their custody and administration. It is the opinion of this House, that no further delay should take place in the erection of a suitable record repository, pursuant to the Act for keeping the public records, passed on the 14th day of August, 1838." The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, that at present he could give no other opinion on the subject except that it was necessary that some place should be erected for the purpose of preserving these records. After a few words from Mr. P- ROTHEROE and Sir G. GREY the motion was withdrawn. BUCK INGITAM. PALACE. In the absence of Mr. Hume, Mr. P. BORTHWICK moved for a copy of the report of the commission to inquire into the salubrity of Buckinghani Palace to Lord Melbourne. Mr. PROTUEBOE hoped that if the arch in front of Buckingham Palace was removed, the beautiful sculp ture of Mr. Blore would not be destroyed, which he had intended for the top of the arch, but which had been placed at the top of Buckingham Palace. He (Mr. Protheroe) did not quite concur in the general condem nation of Buckingham Palace; he believed that some portions of it would do credit to the best periods of Italian or Grecian sculpture. Lord MORPETH said that as it was decided to put up the statue by way of experiment he did not wish to say anything on the subject at present. CONTAGIOUS DISEASES PREVENTION BILL. The Lords' amendments to this Bill were then read and agreed to. Captain PECIIELL presented a petition horn 23 indi viduals, *ho were prisoners in the Queen's Bench prison, complaining of the treatment inflicted upon tiiem there by the keeper. -who frequently put them in solitary confinement, their treatment being that of felons instead of debtors. He also presented a petition to the same effect from Mr. P. Berrieg, a debtor in the prison. I adduced before the Andover Union Committee would be laid upon the table of that House? Captain PEC HELL said that the evidence was being revised by the Chairman previous to its being placed in the hands of the printer. All the members of that Com mittee were most anxious that it should be produced at the very earliest period possible. The House adjourned at half-past Three to a quarter to Two to-morrow. POOR LAWS. Mr. HUME moved the following resolutions : " 1. That the letters of instructions and proc:iedings of the Poor-law Commissioners in I 838•9, for the indis criminate relief of vagrants and casual poor, without direbting proper provision to be made for setting the able bodied mendicants to work (in conformity with the letter and spirit of the 43d Elizabeth, c. 2) have greatly in creased vagrancy in the metropolitan police districts. " 2. That the Act of the 3d and 4th William IV., c. 76, conferred upon the Poor-law Commissioners full powers of inquiry into the actual condition of the poor, in order, amongst other objects, that they should, as re commended by the Commissioners of Inquiry, p. 241, submit any further amendments of the law which they might think advisable, together with the evidence on which their suggestions were founded; whereas it appears in evidence that the estateishment of district asylums was suggested by the Poor-law Commissioners, without their having previously made any due and adequate-in quiry as to the applicability of the existing accommoda tion for vagrats and casual poor in the several parishes of the metropolis. "3. That it appears by returns that the existing ac commodation in the unions and. parishes (with the ex ception of the City of London, where there are not proper workhouses) within the metropolitan police dis tricts, was sufficient for the reception, on any night, of the greatest number of mendicants who app lied for u,d- mission. "4. That the Poor•-law Commissioners have not exer cised judiciously the powers confided in them in the for mation of district asylums ; and that there is no suffi cient record of the grounds on which the Poor-law Com missioners originally recommended the establishing dis trict asylums, nor any sufficient record of their proceed ing's to show the grounds on which they acted under the authority of 7 and 8 Vic., c. 101: " 5. That the 4th and sth William TV., c. 76, consti tuting the Board of Poor-law Commissioners of England and Wales, only empowers any two of them to sit from time to time as a Board of Commissioners for carry ing that Act into execution;' whereas it appears in evi dence that single C o mmissioners, sitting in their private rooms, have frequently, without lawful authority or delegation, and without proper minute or record, given directions and instructions therefrom, relating to im portant proceedings in the administration of the laws for the relief of the poor. "6. That the same Act requires, that the said Com missioners shall make a record of their proceedings, in which shall be entered in writing a reference to every letter received, from whence, its date, the dive of its reception, and the subject to which it relates, and a mi • nut* of every letter written or order given by the said Commissioners, whether in answer to such letters re ceived, or otherwise, with the date of the same , a nd such record shall he submitted to one of her Majesty's Secretaries of State once in every year, or as of en as be shalt require the same ;' whereas it appears that no regular and duly authenticated minute book, of the proceedings of the Board, has been kept during long periods of time, as required, for the information of the Secretary of State and of Parliament, as well for the protection of her Majesty's subjects, by rendering the Commissioners responsible for any illegal or improper acts of omission or commission, as above required, in the performance of their duties. "7. That the Commissioners of Inquiry into the ad ministration of the P,or-law, reported in 1834, that the evils which they investigated as injuriously affecting the condition of the labouring classes, and the welfare or the whole community, ha , { been caused by departures from the letter as well as the spirit of the Act of the 43d of Elizabeth ; and one main object of the appointment of the Poor-law Commissioners in that year was to in sure an administration of the law in conformity with its letter as well as its spirit. And as these Commissioners were for these purposes invested with extraordinary powers, any departure or culpable deviation, either from the letter or the spirit thereof, is fraught with great in jury by the bad example as well as in the direct effects on the whole of the executive administration of the poor-laws. " 8. That as the facts, set forth in the evidence above referred to, are calculated to destroy all confidence in the administration of the poor-law, and to endanger the continuance of the law itself, it is imperative upon this House to take immediate measures to restore and to preserve public confidence in this important branch of administration. "9. That, on these grounds, her Majesty will be gra ciously pleased to cause a special public inquiry to be made into the facts above recited and referred to in the evidence before the House to ascertain whether the Commissioners, by their letters, in structions, and proceedings, and by their omis sion to direct the means for setting the able bodied mendicants to work, did encourage and increase mendicity; and also whether the proceedings of the Commissioners generally have been culpably irre gular or illegal; and, if it shall appear that the Com missioners have so acted, or have, by their culpable de fau:ts, occasioned the mischief's complained of, that her Majesty will be graciously pleased to take into her con sideration the certainty of dismissal of inferior officers when they have infringed the law or the rules laid down for their guidance; and that she will be pleased to direct that even-handed justice be done to these superior officers, who have had, as it is expressed by the commis sion of inquiry,. ' the immediate advantage of well de fined objects assigned to them, powerful means at their disposal, and clear rules for their guidance.' " The Hon. Member said the House would observe that these nine resolutions were placed upon the paper, with the view of having the opinion of the House upon them. The resolutions had arisen from the evidence which had been received before the District Asylum Commission, of which he (Mr. Hume) was a member. The last re solution was connected with the poor-law, and as he considered it a most important one, he would beg leave to trouble the House with his opinion upon the subject. He was, as the House might be aware, a great advocate ,sf the new poor-law, which he thought a most ad mirable Act if its provisions had been properly carried out. He would not detain the House with the informa tion which had come before the late Andover union inquiry, hut he could not help remarking that by the proceedings of the Hon. Commissioners of Somerset House the clauses of Nos. 2 and 4 of the Act had been virtually annulled. The Commissioners had been in the habit of sitting in different rooms. No minutes, no records of their proceedings had been kept since the year 1841, but something like minutes had been put upon scraps of paper, which had been at the end of the year b iund together. This mode, he contended, was quite illegal, and on these grounds, seeing that the end and aim of the Act had been altogether thrown overboard, he thought that these officers should be dismissed altogether. The Hon. Member then went into several statistical details to show that, under the management of the Poor-law Commissioners the number of paupers receiving relief, without adequate work being provided, had increased threefold. He would merely mention two instances, one in St. Saviour's parish, where in three weeks before the test of labour was applied 1,111 applied for relief, but in the next three weeks after the application of the test there were only 776 applicants. Again, in the parish of Sts Marylebone, 900 applied in one week before the test was applied, and when that principle was adopted only 90 remained.—(Hear, hear.) Could any other proof be wanted that the Commissioners had grossly neglected their duty in not providing labour for able-bodied paupers. On these, and many other grounds, he felt that he was justified in bringing forward these resolutions. The Hon. Member was proceeding, when Sir GEORGE GREY said that there had been a distinct understanding between himself and the Hon. Member for Montrose that these resolutions should not be pressed at that late period of the session, and after the pledge that had been given, that her Ma jesty's Ministry would give this important question their earliest attention, he could not conceal his surprise at the course which the Hon. Member had seen proper to adopt. Mr. HUME said that he had already given some Honourable Members beside him to understand that it was not so much his intention to press these resolutions as to take the opportunity of making known the reasons which had induced him to bring them before the Hence. He was quite willing to withdraw them. The resolutions were then withdrawn. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that he had a notice of motion on the paper " That the liouso, at its rising, do adjourn till Thursday," but as there would be a Com mission to-morrow at two o'clock, he shc,ul:l move th,ti the House should reset to-morrow at a quarter boron , two o'clock.—Agreed to. ANDOVER COMMITTEE, Ur. ETWAS4L Me notice that be would take the ANDOVER UNION. Mr. P. BORTH VV IC K wiihed to ask the Hon. and Gallant Member who had last spoken when the evidence MEXICO. The followidg is a fuller report of Lord Palinerston's speech than appeared in our yesterday's edition : Lord PALMERSTON should have had great plea sure in answering the question which his Noble Friend had put to hits. He trusted, however, that the House would think that it was most fitting for him, in the po sition which he had the honour to hold, if he did not follow his Noble Friend through the whole of the obser vations which his Noble Friend had made with respect to past transactions between this country, the United States, Mexico, and Texas, in regard to the annexation of Texas to the United States. These were matters which belonged to past periods; they were facts histori cally known; and he thought the House would agree with him that it would not be useful, and was not neces sary, that he should g i ve any op i n i on upon t h em . Hi s Noble Friend had expressed. an opinion as to the idury that was arising to British interests from the war be tween Mexico and the United States. He (Lord Palmerston) entirely concurred with his Noble Friend in thinking that in the present state of the international relations between the states of the civilised world, it was impossible that any war could arise between two independent na tions without causing. injury to the interests of those countries which might happen to have relMions of com merce with the two belligerent states ; and he believed that just in proportion as commerce was set free from all those restrictions which set a limit to trade and circum scribed its extent, in that very same proportion would it be the interest of all nations that peace should prevail throughout the world ; and therefore it was that he looked to the progress that had lately been made by those doctrines of free trade as most satisfactory, because he believed they were calculated to promote the cause of peace all over the world.—(Cheers.) He thought, how ever, that his Noble Friend had in some degree exagge rated the facilities with which (as he had stated) the United States might establish their dominion over the territory of Mexico.—(Hear, hear.) That territory was vast in extent, and in no proportion to its vastness was it difficult for military operations,—(Hear, hear.) That territory was inhabited by a very large population -8,000,000 or 9,000,000 he thought. Mr. BERNAL—Between 8,000,000 and 10 000 000 Lord PALMERSTON resumed—That territory, it seemed, was inhabited by between 8,000,000 and 10,000,000 of persons, of a different race, he believed, from the race who peopled the United States ; of a re ligion different from the religion of the people of the United States, and therefore, though it might have been easy for the people of the United States to incorporate with the inhabitants of Texas, which was tilled and in habited almost entirely by settlers from the United States, the question, he could assure the House, became very different when the country sought to be incorpo rated was inhabited by a race so very different as the Mexicans were from the Americans. But he would wish to say nothing which could in any degree affect that cha racter for impartiality which befitted a Government that had made otters of mediation between two contending states.—(Cheers.) His Noble Friend doubted the accu racy of the statement that an offer had been made by the late Government of mediation on the part of Great Bri tain between the two parties. He (Lord Palmerston) was glad, in justice to his predecessors, that his Noble Friend enabled him to set that question right. The facts of the case were shortly these :—lt was perfectly true, as had been asserted by the Right Honourable Baronet at the head of her Majesty's late Government, that an offer was made to the United States' Govern ment, and also communicated to the Government of Mexico, which her Majesty's late Government under stood and meant to be an - offer of mediation; that that offer was conveyed, and, as he thought, properly con veyed, in terms which left a great latitude of interpreta tion to the Government of the United States. Our posi tion with regard to the United States just at that period was not that which was becoming the character of a mediator. Our disputes and negotiations with reference to the Oregon question had not come to a final settle ment. It was possible, notwithstanding the negotiations then going on between the United States and ourselves, that the question might assume a position which would have divested us altogether of the character belonging to a mediator, and then the mediation of which we had made au offer would have been put out of the question. Now the offer which was made by her Majesty's late Government to the Government of the United States was in effect this—that if the Government of the United States were disposed to ask the mediation of the Government of Great Britain, that mediation would be formally offered and accorded. He thought that was going as far as the British Government could have gone in the position in which they were placed. Well, then, the Government of the United States, consi dering what he had stated with regard to the position in which the Oregon question placed Great Britain with reference to the United States, did not think it expe dient t I express any opinion in answer to the communi cation from the British Government. The Government of the United States thought that it did not require an answer to be made to it. It had been intended by her Majesty's Government that they were to be left to da as they pleased, and accordingly no umbrage was taken by the Government of this country at' that omission to answer their note. He had had an interview, not long ego, with Mr. 11PLane, who had been obliged, he (Lord Palmerston) was sorry to say, on account of his health, to return to the United States—and he (Lord Palmerston) was sure that every body who had had the pleasure of knowing that distinguished man would agree in regretting that we had lost the benefit of his services here as the organ for promoting that mediation between the two countries now at war., Whoever might be sent by the Government of the United States to supply his place, he (Lord Palmerston) was sure that no man could have more at heart the maintenance of good rela tions between Great Britain and the United States, or more fully possessed of all the qualities that could vi able him to carry his wishes in that respect into effect. But, as he had said, he had lately had an interview with Mr. *Lane, and he found from him, that was the un derstanding on the part of the United States with re spect to the offer of mediation. But since he (Lord Palmerston) had had the good fortune, immediately after his taking possession of his present office, to in terchange with Mr. M'Lane the ratifications of the treaty between this country and the United States re specting the Oregon territory, he had given instructicns to Mr. Pakenham to renew the offer of mediation en the part of this country to the Government of the United States in such a shape as would require an answer.— (Cheers.) A c Irresponding communication had been made on the part of this country to Mexico, and it de pended on the answers this country received, how far this country might entertain hopes of bringing the question to an amicable settlement • and he was sure that the hopes of all well-wish ers o f this country, and of the United States, would be that that should be the result. He thought it was a question of some importance, as illustrating a general principle, that the United States, having a war with Mexico which involved a great increase of expenditure, and finding that their revenue was unable to meet the demands of the war, bethought themselves how best they might remedy that deficiency. And what was the step which the United States' Go vernment took for the purpose ? That step was to lower the duties of their tariff.—(Hear, hear.) When they wanted revenue they said, " Our high protective duties, which are all very well in a time of peace, and when revenue is no object to us, must be abandoned now that we are about to commence a war which requires a great and augmenting revenue."—(Hear, hear.) This was a fact which afforded a strong illustration of the truth of the doctrines which showed that freedom of commercial intercourse was not only conducive to the development of the industry of a country, but was the surest foundation of an augmenting and prosperous revenue.—(Hear, hear.) PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS. From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons. MONDAY, A Ut3. 24. Sittings of the House.—On the motion of Mr. Brotherton, a return was ordered, " of the number of days on which the House of Commons sat in the session 1846 ; stating the total number of hours occupied in the sittings of the House, and the average time; and also showing the number of hours en which the Homo sat each day, and the number of hours after midnight, and the number of entries in the Votes of each day's proceedings." Divisions of the House.—On the motion of the same Hon. Member the following return was ordered :—" The number of divisions in the session 1846 ; stating the subject of the division and the number of Members in the majority and minority, tellers included; also the aggregate number in the also the number of divisions g e li i;e t ;d ( ias i nt n idng continuation of Parliamentary also the divisions on re o ifvo u ar s e e t ea o bi n l di eachllasftferrodmiiivl midnight i nu o bi n gi Paper, No. 659, of session 1845).' , Messengers from the Lords brought up the following Bills, to which their Lordships have agreed:— Fisheries (Ireland) Bill—Cameron's Coalbrook Steam Coal and Swansea and Loughor Railway Bill, with amendments. PUBLIC-INCOME AND EXPE NDITURE.—Returns have been laid before Parliament relative to the public income, &c., for some years past. It th ence appears expenditure, that the public income of the United Kingdom was as fol -57,602,268/. The expenditu r e was i n 1843, lows :—ln 18 43 it was 56,935,021/. ; in 1844, 58 , 590 , 217 / ; (l eav ing a surplus of 1,433,2837 . ) ; i n 18 44 i t was and in 1845, leaving a surplus of 3 ,486,570/. ; and in 1845 it 5 5 5 5: 5 1 0 03 1 :6 7 4 4 0 7 / 1 .. , was 53,873,0631. (leaving a surplus of 3,729,2050 In 1843 the expenses attending the national efforts for the abolition of slavery (such as bounty on slaves, commissioners to pre ventsm), a mounted to 1,760,463/. ; i n 1844 t o 1,733,3281 . ; the traffic in slaves, bills draw n on account of captured „ thlumaN G O U T: —The rare occurrence o f drum saliaidveisr: 1645, to 1,568,451,1. as an incorrigible vagabond ming a soldier o ut of the service and thief, occurred in the 41st Regiment yesterday, with pri vateyears, and who has been and a half. The offence for in th the Fish regiment er, ae d aboutab u s t i x twenty-sixyea r which he was last tried was for having stolen his comrade's Caubul medal, which he broke up and sold as old silver. He was found guilty, and sentenced to be expelled the regiment, which sentence was carried into execution on full parade. A hollow square having been formed the adjutant read the finding of the court, and also gave a repetition of his tbrmer misdemeanours; the ceremony of divesting his jacket of facings, lace, and buttons was then performed, after which the regiment formed into two lines extending to the gate, and with drums andthe " Rogue's Mar c h," he was expelledbarracks, lailg first receiving th hi s di sc h arge an d hi s pay for the day. fifes 13 He had been tried by six different courts martial, and punished for various offences, including deser tion, petty thefts, drunkenness, &c., since he joined the corps. After being discharged, he drank pottle deep, and was taken up by the p olice in a state of " glorious inebria tion," and passed the night in gaol. He was liberated to day, but stands a good chance of a free night's lodging tc . ht night also. — Westme a th 4 Guardian. AUGUST RS, '71846. THE CITY CHARITY SCHOOLS. The Lord Mayor having transmitted a letter to the trustees of Lady Hollis's Girls' School, in consequence of the statement made by the father of a rl named Fanny Wettentiall, who gave evidenceon the gi examina tion of Smith, upon the charge of the murder at the Guildhall eoffee-house, his Lordship received the an swer copied below. The father of the girl, it will be remembered, stated that the education of the poor chil dren who were sent to that school, was most scandalously neglected, and that fur one who appeared to have re ceived any benefit at all, crowds were in a state of the greatest ignorance, in testimony of which he instanced the fact of his daughter's inability to write her own name. " Red Cross. street, Cripplegate, 22d August, 1846. "My Lord M a y or ,—l n answer to youre tter addressed to the trustees of Lady Girls' School. with refer ence to a statement made by the father of a child named Fanny Wettenhall, I am diree:ed by the trustees to in form your Lordship, that the school contains 120 children, 110 of whom are clothed, 10 admitted upon probation, and the whole are educated upon the National system, and are divided into three distinct classes. "In obedience to a decree of the Court of Chancery, a mistress is appointed by the trustees, who is assisted in the education of the children by five teachers, exclusive of five assistant teachers, selected from the first-class scholars. A competent Toaster is also engaged to instruc: the children in writing and arithmetic, and who are in variably selected from the first and second class scholars, consisting of upwards of 60 children. The child Fanny Wettenhall, although having been some time in the school, from want of capacity and attention did not make that pro gress in her education which the school is calculated to impart, consequently was unable to arrive above the thin-class scholars. She has recently been withdrawn from the school by her parents on the plea of illness of her mother, being two years befose the appointed time of her leaving. "I am also directed by the trustees to state that the institution has always been under the management of one mistress, the present mistress having conducted the school for the last twenty-two years, to the entire satisfac tion of the trustees, who meet monthly tos uperintend and transact the general affairs connected with the institu tion.—l have the honour to subscribe myself your Lord ship's most obedient humble servant. "JOHN ELLIS, Secretary. "To the Right Hon. John Johnson, Lord Mayor." The LORD MAYOR said, in speaking of the above communication, that he did not consider the trustees, ' having such ample funds, were doing their duty in throwing so much labour on an old and faithful servant, and that they ought at once to provide a competent as sistant to her, and a separate writing-master for the girls. The father of Fanny Wettenhall had stated, that she had been four years at the school, and it was quite evident that she must have been most grossly neglected, for she was obliged to substitute a mark for her name; and even that mark was miserably scrawled, at the same time that the girl, who was twelve years of age, showed by her answers that she was far from being destitute of capacity, the principal ground upon which they defended the institution. He trusted that, at a time when such powerful arguments were used to show the necessity of general education, that there existed a strong competition amongst all educational establishments, the school in question would give some proof of the posses sion of a kindred spirit. He recollected that a few years ago a similar complaint was made against the system and practice of the Bishopsgate school by a policeman, whose child afforded a deplorable specimen of the laxity which prevailed in that institution. The complaint met the public eye through the press, and a few days ago he had the satisfaction to observe that the Bishopsgate school was a model to which the charitable establishments of the City might look with great ad vantage to themselves. The following circular has been sent to the sub scribers and other friends of the "Cripplegate Within Ward Schools," in consequence of the publication of the statement made by the father of the girl alluded to in the letter; and the Lord Mayor expressed a hope that the impression, no doubt created against these schools, would be removed by a general notice of the fact. (eoPv.) " To the Subscribers and other Friends of the Cripple gate Within Ward Schools. " Gentlemen,—My attention has been directed to some observations made before the Lord Mayor in the Justice-room of the Mansion-house, on Tuesday last, the 18th instant, which reflect severely on what was designated the " Cripplegate School," but upon inquiry it is found to be the one in the WARD WITHOUT, and not for those schools you so kindly patronise in the WARD WITHIN. " It is unfortunately the second time that our schools have been exposed to an unjust impression in the minds of the subscribers through the general name of Crip plegate, omitting to add the word " WITHOUT," which would have exempted them from the present charge. " I trust you will not think this explanation unneces sary on the present occasion, being anxious that you should appreciate the unwearied exertions of the com mittee, for the advancement of the objects of your bounty, in useful knowledge and good moral and religious in struction, and that I may not appear wanting in due respect for the confidence placed in me as your treasurer. I am, with much respect, your obedient servant, JOHN BRADBURY, Treasurer. " 6, Aldermanbury, August 22, 1846." Alderman WILSOIT, who was present when the Lord Mayor commented upon the letter, said he had much pleasure in bearing testimony to the exertions made in his ward (Castlebaynard Ward) to promote the advance of education amongst the poor. The greatest interest had peen taken by the inhabitants in the grand object of the charity, and an infant school had sprung out of their recent labours. He rejoiced to be able to state that the energies of the teachers seemed to increase in proportion to the necessity arising from the numerical increase of the children, and he attributed a vast deal to the several meetings which had taken place at the time the subject of serving the ward schools was so warmly discussed at Guildhall. He had just received notice to attend a meeting of the friends of the Castlebaynard Ward School, on the 28th inst., upon the subject of the funds, the investment thereof, and the state of the schools. THE BALLOON RACE. —On Monday two balloons ascended from Cremorne Gardens—the object, as stated by the announcement, being, by a race, to show their aero nautic powers. The extraordinary excursion attracted a very numerous company, larger than on any other farmer occa sion—above 10,000 persons being present, a great portion of whom were composed of foreigners. The machines were the "Coronation,' in which were Mr. C. Green, the veteran aeronaut, who made the 340th aerial voyage, and Captain Davies; and the " Albion," which carried Mr. H. Green, the power of each not being able to take up any one else, and before starting Mr. C. Green was compelled to part with several pounds of ballast. Upon being sufficiently in inflated (the gas, as on a former occasion, being supplied through the new gasometer) the balloons went in a direc tion west by south. The ascending power of Mr. Green's being soon apparent, as it speedily rose above that of his brother, and as it rose, veered more towards the west. Upon the other balloon rising it got into a similar current of air, but did not obtain a much higher altitude, and they kept in that position, Mr. C. Green being in advance as long as they were visible. They remained in sight above twenty minutes. RIOT AT HAWARDEN.—On Monday evening, a riotous affray, originating from some domestic quarrels, occurred a Hawarden ; and to such a pitch and so great an extent did the tumult proceed among the working classes of the place, who made themselves partizans to the squabble, that it was found necessary to send to Chester for the military to quell the disturbance. As the infantry had left the Castle on that day, and the regiment which was to replace them had not arrived, a detachment of artillery armed with their muskets was ordered to the scene of action, where their arrival restored order. In consequence of this unexpected demand for military aid, Chester Garrison, with its stand of 40,000 arms, was left, on Monday night, under the guard of the glazed hat battalion of the city police !—Carnarvon Herald. The lead ore miners of Alston-moor, Allendale, and Weardale, have engaged the services of Mr. Thomas Bow m an, of Boal Cleugh, as their oculist, at the rate of sixpence er man per annum. LAMENTABLE SUICIDE BY A YOUNG FEMALE.--011 Monday Mr. J. Payne, the Deputy-Coroner, held an in quest at the Grapes Tavern, Tooley-street, Southwark, re specting the death of Miss Sarah Hester Peirce, aged six teen years, the niece of Mr. Thomas Lobb, the landlord of the above house. It appeared from the evidence that the deceased was barmaid to Mr. Lobb, but for some time past she had suffered severely from pains in the head, for which she had been under the occasional treatment of Mr. Walker. The deceased was of very religious habits, and usually occupied her time by reading the Bible. On Sunday morning the deceased was much worse, and Mr. Lobb procured some pills for her, which she took in the bar. Immediately afterwards the deceased became very restless with 'pain, and left the bar as was supposed to lie down. About half-past eleven o'clock, one of the servants went to her bedroom, but found the door fastened. An alarm was raised, and when the door was forced the deceased was dis covered lying on the bed, which was saturated with blood. She held a razor in her right hand, which was also wet with blood. She had a wound in her throat which seemed to have been inflicted by herself. Mr. Pettigrew, the surgeon, was called in, but the deceased had been dead about ten minutes. The deceased had inflicted the fatal injuries whilst lying on the bed, and death must have been almost instan- Caneous. The Coroner remarked on the lamentable nature of the case, after which the jury returned a verdict of" Tem porary insanity." SERIOUS AND FATAL ACCIDENTS.-011 Monday after noon a shocking accident occurred to William Martin, a brewer's drayman in the employment of Messrs. Barclay and Co. It appears that the poor fellow was walking . alongside his dray in Whitechapel-road, when, by a sudden jerk. occa sioned by the application of the whip to the horses, a small cask of beer was thrown from the cart, knocking him down in a state of insensibility. A surgeon was in prompt at tendance, and upon examination it was found that one of his legs was broken and the other very severely fractured.— The following shocking accident occurred on Monday at King's-cross to an elderly gentleman named Warner, who was seated at the front corner of a Paddington omnibus, proceeding along the New-road in the direction of Battle bridge, when one of the foremost wheels of the vehicle broke, throwing him, together with the driver, violently to the ground. Before either were enabled to rise or assistance could be procured, both wheels of a cab passed over the legs of the former. Upon being picked up, the unfortunate gentleman, who was understood to be a surgeon, presented a shocking appearance, a frightful wound being inflicted on the right side of his head, from which the blood flowed lite rally all over his person. Although sustaining other very severe injuries he was perfectly sensible during the occur rence, the dressing of the wounds, and the conveyance to his residence in the Lower-road, Islington, where he now lies, little hope being entertained of his recovery. No blame ap pears to be attached to the driver of the omnibus No. 371, but to the originator of the second occurrence wilful negli gence was imputed, inasmuch as he did not attempt to stop his horse, either before or after the accident took place.— Whilst attempting to reach a boy out of the river at Tower stairs, on Monday, a lad, whose name and residence was not known, fell into the river and was drowned. The assistance of a boat and Waterman was obtained a speedily as possible, but not before the body was washed away. No exertions were omitted on the part of those who witnessed the occur rence to save the unfortunate lad, who might have been re covered, but far the swell of the water occasioned by the passing of the Waterman stem-beat, No. 4. MILITARY REFORM. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Srn,—l am no man of war, hut I think there are sub jects in connexion with the army on which a civilian may exercise his common sense without impertinence. Whether, in the present state of the army, corporal puni:liment can he safely dispensed with, is a point on which professional opinions ought to have due weight, but whether that state be a creditable one to the profes sion, and to the country, is a question to be referred to a more impartial and less technical tribunal. We hear a great deal of the bad materials from which the rank and file of our army are recruited ; but we never hear a word of the incompetency of our "soldier officers" as a body, though, I believe, there is no fact more notorious to the rest of the world. I believe if a military foreigner were called upon to name those points which distinguish our army for good, he would not lay his finger cn the epaulettes. I believe that the military re putation of the British soldier is higher than that of his officer. I believe that the success of our arms is far more owing to the indomitable pluck and endurance of the ranks, than to the stra!akgic, abilhi , a of their leaders, whose mistakes have been often retrieved by the mere courage of their followers, and converted into glorious triumphs. Then again, how do the British officer and soldier compare in what we may call their civil life—in their habits and manners, as far as we see of them at home ? It is pleaded by those who, as Ben Jonson says, " Flay men alive Before they kill them," that our British soldiers are the off-scourings of the labouring classes. It may be so, but may I ask in what relation do their officers, as a body, stand to the middle and higher classes ? Taking into consideration the dif. ierence of rank and education, are the morals and con versation of the mess-room much more exalted than those of the canteen ? Are not country quarters a pro • verb of insipidity and excess ? It is all very well to complain of such wholesale strictures upon " an honour able profession," "a gallant body of men," and so forth. No doubt there are distinguished exceptions, but what are they amongst so many ? How many of our officers of the line know anything of the art of war, beyond the mere details of the parade ground, of engineering, of for tification, of tactics on a large scale? And yet in an army like ours, distributed over every part of the world, and liable to every kind of warfare, the officers ought to be eminently practical men, full of resources, and a knowledge of every branch of their profession. I hap pened a short time ago to be in a colony which has been, and is not unlikely again to be the seat of war, and of all the persons I met with, those to whom the defence of the province was intrusted seemed to me the most ignorant of the history of the past, and the prospects of future campaigns. IC may be that the pay and pensions of British sol diers are inadequate, but we shall never have better men till we have better officers, and we never shall have better offs.-ers until we select them on a more rational and less exclusive system, and require other qualifica tions than those of birth and fortune. Why should the army be the only profession in which advancement de pends not on industry and talent, but on a purse of gold or descent? Why should not privates be eligible for commissions when they have passed through the lower grades of the service with credit, and displayed, as many of them would if the opportunity were given, extra ordinary abilities? The cavalier was no match for the yeoman, and the marshals of Bonaparte did not spring from the patrician race. Depend upon it, the profession of arms, like eve y other, will be none the worse for a little infusion of plebeian blood. When such a reform is effected, the army will cease to be the last refuge of poverty and crime. It will supply the ordinary incentives to good conduct, the ordinary rewards of superior abilities; the officers will no longer be coxcombs, nor the men ruffians; and there will be an end to these barbarous and intolerable punishments, which are a diszrace to our country, our age, and our religion.—l remain, Sir, your obedient servant, CIVIS. THE LATE EARTHQUAKE AT LEGHORN. _ By a letter from Leghorn of the 17th of August we have accounts of a dreadful earthquake in that town and the volcanic district of Maremmes. The account was brought over to Marseilles by the Sardinian steamer under the orders ofCapt. Scribanis :—" This town has ex perienced an earthquake, which has thrown the inha bitants into the greatest state of alarm. On the 14th inst., at 50 minutes p.m., the first shock was felt, hav ing been preceded by a subterranean noise. The shock lasted from seven to eight seconds. The oscillations were r.t first perpendicular, and as ifproduced by a rising up of the earth taken from the south-east to the north east, and repeated five or six times. Household furni ture was displaced and thrown down, the church bells violently agitated. The noise produced by the cracking of beams and the walls which ope:o41, gave warning of an impending catastrophe. The inhabitants, terrified, threw themselves into the stre:q, evincing the greatest fear and despair; women throwing themselves down on their knees, imploring the Madonna de Montenero, the patroness of the town; the men making the sign of the cross, and hastening to the residence of their fawilies to give them succour. During the night several other shocks were felt; the earth seemed to be in a continued convulsion. The sky was free from clouds, but there was a thick mist in the air which produced a melancholy on the mind. The palace occupied by M de la Rocheluu cault, the French Minister, has been much damaged. A stone from the ceiling fell on the chair Madame de la Roehefoucault had left a few minutes before the earth quake. The house of M. l3renier, Consul general, ha ' also suffered; at an angle it sunk, and all the inside walls are full of crevices and shaken. No Frenchman established at Leghorn has been pers finally injured, or his property damaged. The villa established by NI. Moreau, the son of the cashier of the Bank of France, has been seriously daulaged. M. Moreau passed the night in a carriage in his garden. The earthqaal“ was more violent and did more damage in the country round, and great disasters have occurred, eipeciall v in the Maremmes, a volcanic country, which still bears the signs of a subterranean influence. Whole villages have been thrown down in the Saulia, Lorenzana, Osciano, and Casciano, the centre of the oscillating motion, and at about five leagues from Leghorn. At Voltera, a government prison fell, burying several prisoners. The number of persons killed are stated to be, in all the districts, 38, and 140 wounded, of which 58 seriously. The effects of the shock extended to Pisa. The vaulted roof of the old Church of St. Michael fell at the first shock. The congregati ,, n had just left the building after divine service. The houses of the town were shaken, but the shock being less than at Leg horn did riot cause so much damage. Several natural phenomena occurred. Spouts of muddy and b ding water sprung out of the earth. A lake has been formed in a sunken space of land. All the villas in the neigh bourhood of Pisa have been considerably dampgecl. l'he farms and peasants' dwellings have more or less suffered on the whole liise of the shock. The inhabitants are in the greatest state of alarm, which is increased by the recitals of the disasters caused by former earthquakes in this quarter. The inhabitants have a full recollection of the earthquakes In the years 1798 and 1316. It is not forgotten that in 1798 the town of Sienna was threatened with total lestruction by shocks which lasted nine days. The last shock in particular caused many victims. During the last four days]the earth has not ceased to shake at in tervals. Looking to the state of the houses at Leghorn, a smart shock would evidently complete the ruin of the town. A portion of the inhabitants have left the town, many arc bivouacing under tents in the public places, many are on board the boats. The Government has lost no time in sending into the rural districts engineers, medical men, medicine, and provisions. It is stated that on the 10th of August a slight shock of an earthquake was felt in the city of Naples, but fortunately without any injury being done." MELANCHOLY OucURRENCE. It is our painful duty to record, this week, the death of Mr. Michalow:ki, a Polish gentleman of high rank, and who once held the position of major in the Polish army, but who has recently resided in this city and de voted his time to the teaching of languages. The un fortunate gentleman had been in the habit of visiting Penrith every Tuesday, in his professional capacity, and thence usually proceeded to Long Marton Academy, to give instructions to the pupils of the Rev. Shepherd; but, on Tuesday last, he had only reached Brampton-lane, within a mile of the academy, when by .;orne accident, he fell from his gig, and was severely and fatally injured. He was found, about half-past three o'cicok, lying by the side of the road, by au intelligent lad named Atkinson, who had picked up his stick and umbrella, and 'at this period Mr. Mi chalowski was enabled to speak, and, in answer to the inquiries of the boy, to say that he had lost his horse and gig, and required assistance. The gig, in the meantime, had been taken to the academy, where it was immediately recognised, and the Rev. Gentleman promptly proceeded in search of the driver, to whom he was ultimately guided by the boy Atkinson. The suf ferer was then unable to give any coherent answers to the questions of Mr. Shepherd; but the fact of his wiping his coat subsequently with his handkerchief, where it was soiled, showed that he had nat lost all consciousness. In deed he was afterwards able to enter the gig with very little assistance; but on sitting down he gave evidence of being. seriously affected. lie was immediately conveyed t tho Spread Eagle Inn, Kirkby Thore, where medical aid was promptly procured, and every assistance was rendered by the worthy clergyman ; but Mr. Michalowski lin gered in an insensible condition until five o'clock on Wednesday morning. An inquest was held upon the body on Wednesday evening before Mr. G. Thomp,on, one of the coroners of the county of Westmoreland, when no circumstances transpired which could explain the cause of the calamity, beyond a severe wound on the back of the head, which showed that he had been thrown or fallen from the gig ; but the fact that a sum of money and his gold watch were found on his person, proved that he had not been exposed to any violence. The jury accord ingly found a verdict, " That the deceased died by a fall from his gig, but from what cause there was no evidence to show.' The body was brought to Carlisle on Thurs day morning. Mr. Michalowski has left a widow and two young sons to lament this sudden bereavement. He had resided many years at Dumfries, and was deservedly held in the highest esteem, and during his short stay at Carlisle, his great abilities and excellent conduct had gained him many friends, by whom his sad catastrophe is deeply regretted. —Carlisle Patriot. GENERAL STEAM .',..IAVIGATION COMPANY.—The half yearly general meeting of this corporation was hel4l yester day, at their offices, 69, Lombard -street; Mr. \Vilkin in the chair. A report from the directors, and a statement of the accounts for the half-year ending the 30th of June last, were read to a large assemblage of the proprietors. The report was very satisfactory, the result of the last half•year's opera tions rivalling that of the most prosperous the company ever had. After declaring the usual dividend, the cordial thanks of the proprietors were voted to the chairman ana to the directors, for their unabating zeal in the promotion of the company ' s intorest% REVIEW OF THE_BRIiISIi CORN TRADE. The accounts which have this week readied us from different parts of the country on the subject of the potato crop are even more alarming than any of the previous reports. 'Dee disease is evidently spreading in all directions, and there is no saying where it will stop. So general has the conviction become that the produce of sound potatoes will be exceedingly small, as to cause a material rise in prices of all kinds of gain. Nor is this at all surprising, . when we consider the im mense extra consumption of flour and meal so great a calamity as a serioes failure in the potato crop would inevitaby occasion. Other circumstances have, however, assisted to give an upward tendency to prices of corn ; among the foremost of which has been the state of the weather. Since the beginning re' the month we have rarely had two dry days col - smut e:et/ ; and the harvest in the north has, consequently, progressed very slowly. The repeated showers, accompanied as they have been by a high range of te m per a ture, must have done injury to the grain in the fields ; reel it is, the re fore, to be feared that the quality of much of the corn grown in the later districts will be greatly inferior to that of the south. This alone would have been suffi cient to have caused some excitement in the tr idee and when coupled with such statements as thceei which pour in from all quarter: relative to the spread of the potato rot, there is little wonder that an impetus should have been given to business, even if the complaints of the deficiency in the yield of wheat ft om the straw be wholly overlooked. The primary cause of the altered position of affairs is, however, to be found in the fears generally entertain, d regarding the extent of the mischief likely to result from the potato murrain ; and in proportion as these fears preve to be ill or well Sainded, meet be the extent of the advance in the value of other sorts of agricultural produce. Wheat has already risen from es. to 7e. per quarter (rim the lowest point of depresion. This advance has occurred in the short period of two or three weeks, but as yet there ap peer no symptoms of a check to the upward movement. Our advices from Scotland speak even mote despond ingly of the potato crop this than the pe (ceding week, and great fears also appear to be entertained there re. , specting the harvest, comparatively little grain having hitherto been secured even in the most forward districts. At Edinburgh, on Wednesday, new wheat advanced 2a. to 3e, and old fully 2s. per quarter, whilst at Glas gow the rise was equally great. From Ireland we receive similar reports as from other parts of the kingdom; indeed the potato murrain seems, if anything, to be more virulent in the sister isle than on this side of the channel. And as the population there is more dependent on this crop than is the ease either in England or Scotland, the censternation is proportionably great. The rise in the prices of wheat, oats, and in ' Tian corn had consequ , ntly been considerable at the principal markets, and shipments to England had dimi nished materially. The arrivals of wheat coastwise into London have been extremely small during the week, only 4,656 quarters having been reported up to this (Saturday) evenink. The quantity exhibited at Mark-lane by land carriage samples from the neighbouring counties has been still more trifling ; indeed there was scarcely any thing offering either en Wednesday or Friday, en the Essex, Kent, or Suffolk stands. Meanwhile an in creased disposition has been manifested by the millers to get into stock, and the insignificance of the supply having induced sellers to raise their pretensions, pur chasers have been under the m cessity of pa3ing en hanced terms. The little business done on Wednesday was at prices quite ls. per quarter above those current in the beginning of the week, whilst on Friday a fur ther advance to the same extent was established, mak ing the total rise from tne lue tsit pint 2s. to 3s. per quarter. Foreign free Wheat has likewise ex cited attention, but its value has not got up quite so much as that of E ng li s h. T he f i ner kinds of Dant zic, Rostock, and other favourite sorts, have been held Is. to 2s. per quarter above previous prices, which has hed the effect of ch. eking the demand ; and the actual transactions were not particularly extensive either onWede nes:lay or Friday, though the inclination to buy had under-. gone a decided increase towards the end of the week. The duty rose, as was expected, to 9s. per qr. on Thursday, and will attain the maximum point, next week; it is not likely, however, to remain long at 10s. per quarter, if the lately established advance in prices should be sup ported. Under these circumstances it may be pretty safely concluded that no more wheat will for some time to come be entered for home consumption, par ticularly as there is a prospect of relatively higher rates being made for the article in bond than could be obtained for it free. The demand for lock wheat for export to Preece has been rather active since our last, and several parcels have beets taken for that desti nation; for the best Lower Baltic red 445. to 455. per qr. have been paid, and good Danizic has commanded 465. to 48s. per qr. The stock at present in bond hero is trifling; and as comparatively little is now on passage from the north and east of Europe, there is not much chance of an accumulation. The market has been scantily supplied with English and Scotch oats, vi !Cyst from liel,nd only 2,654 qrs. have been reported. Of the 29,631 qrs. of loreign re ceived, a large proportion is from Arehaegel. Th© belief that the potato rot in Ireland will prevent us obtaining anything like the accustomed quantity of this grain from thence has given an impetus to the demand, and the trade has been quite excited during the week. Con-itlering the useful properties of Indian corn, and the probability that it will hereafter be extensively used es a substitute for potatoes, the article has excited less attention in the London marls t than might have been expected. Good parcels of yellow have been freely offered at 30s. to 325., and fine white at 31s. to 335. per qr., without meeting with many buyers.—Murk-lane Express. STILL HUNTING. There is a small island in L•uieh Coon, not far distant from Rinagry, where illicit distillation has been in the habit of being carried on for ninny years, ov,ing to the difficulty of access, though only a few t undred yards fro m the shore. On the evening of Satu, day last, abut 8 o'clock, Lieut. Thompson and his party, stationed at Pontoon, resolved on making an attempt on this island; and to effect this two of the party, having taken off their clothes, swam to the island, with their bayonets between their teeth. On reaching the island two men (the only persons on it) attempted to prevent their landing by throwing stones, but were stoppe.l by the men on the main land threatening to fire on them if they persevered. The younger of the two men then got into a boat, in order to escape, and rowed himself a little from the shore ; on his refusing to surrender the police tired and sank the boat, and imtnettiately the policemen on the Wand swam out and saved. the man that was in the boat, who had clung to an oar when it sank. Two more of the revenue party then swam to the island. and soon alter a boat with eight men came up and attempted to land and rescue the two prisoners, but dreading the point of four bayonets, and being tired on by the re mainder of the police on the main land, they soon went off. At this time a great number of the country people had collected, and appeared very much disposed to attack the officers and the four men who were with him, but these having their own firearms ready, and also *hose of the four men on the island piled before them, kept the people at bay till two others of the policemen had come with a boat, for which they were dispatched two hours before, during which time the officer and his party were in much danger of being attacked, and had to remain in their wet clothes, being obliged to go a considerable distance into the water to be heard by those in the island. A still at full work and a very large quantity of malt were found. on the island. The two prisoners were brought before the magistrates in this town on Monday, and fined 61. each, or three months' imprisonment. On Friday last the revenue party from Crossmolina, under the com mand of Lieutenant Wllougal, and the party stationed in this town, under the command of Lieutenant Carter, united, and, accompanied by Mr. Henry P. Wilkinson, sub•inspector, proceeded to Coolcarney, where they seized, we understand, upwards of 200 stone of malt, a still, head, and worm, and a large quantity of pot-ale and potteen.—Tyrawley Herald. ' LOST AND WON p OR, THE LOVE TEST. Br THE AUTHOR OF TUE MAID'S HUSBAND."—" This is a tale of hearts lost and hearts won—of the effects of aristocratic non chalance in the most important concerns of lite—of the ter rible vengeance of superseded affection—of the consequences of neglecting the systematic education of children born to move in the highest sphere of society. It is a well constructed and consistently told tale; the dramatis persona act upon principles universally comprehensible, and the issue and catastrophe are the natural consequences of the errors of people who have never studied mankind or themselves. The author has so contrived the story that no event is antici pated—no casualty foreseen. There is eneugh of each of the characters to create a special interest in their respective pro ceedings, and there is a sufficiency of distinction in their several dispositions to impart variety to the work."—Court Jounsul The Prince Napoleon Louis Bonaparte is on a visit to our city, and we understand that he intends to remain here f.,r a few weeks, in order to avail himself of the Bath waters, his health not being good. He resides at the Pultenney Hotel, Sydney-gardens. The Prince is at tended by no retinue, and lives quite en simple particulier.— Bath Herald. DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT POPLAR.—On Monday, shortly before ten o'clock, a fire, that caused considerable alarm, broke out in the premises occupied by Mr. Steward, a general dealer, carrying on business in Grundy street, at the corner of Oriental-row, Poplar. The flames were first perceived on the second floor, by a neighbour, who immediately raised an alarm. So firm a hold, however, had they obtained be fore the discovery, that very speedily the whole of the top part of the house became enveloped in fire. The intelligence was promptly fOrwarded for the engines. and, with as little delay as possible, the several bri gade engines, with Mr. Braidwood, the superintendent, arrived at the scene of conflagration, and were followed by Mr. Connorton with the West of England engine. The East London Works afforded an abundance of water, and the en gines were worked with full vigour, but upwards of; an hour elapsed before the flames could be said to be entirely sub dued. By that time the whole of Mr. Steward's stock in trade was consumed, his furniture and wearing apparel de stroyed, and the building itself completely gutted. The ad joining house, belonging to Mr. Brine is likewise injured by fire and water. The whole of the residents being from home at the time of the outbreak, it was impossible to learn whethr or not they were insured. The origin of the fire, like that of most others, could not be ascertained. THE HanvEsT.—The weather, during the past week, we are sorry to state, has been very unsettled, much and continued rains having fallen, which have done very con siderable damage to the standing crops of wheat in this neighbourhood. However, a large breadth of wheat has beansecured, and we look for a change of weather with the moon's change to-day.—iVorcester Guardicra. TAY SAL9ION FrsuEniEs.—The flailing season is now drawing fast to a close, n(1 has every appearance of being below au averag e year. The arrivals at Billingsgate, from 27t.t iti 7 l to Bth August inclusive :—From the - Tay, 668 boxes; Spey, 1,213 boxes ; Aberdeen, 706 boxes; } 99 390 boxes; Berwick, 265 boxes ; from Ireland, 49 M 9 boxes ) and from Norway, 3 boxes. Grand to o tal es a . t i t r b e e hui L d o , n 4 diAl market for 13 days—Scotland, 3,250.. b x wimma boxes and from foreign, 3 baxes!—.e.cf . r MungM 4 , e 1