The Sun. — London, England, 1846-01-27 00:00:00

WATERFOItD AND KILKENNY RAILWAY COMPANY. A special general meeting of the Shareholders of this Company was held yesterday, at the Hall of Commerce, for the purpose of taking into consideration the Subject of the proposed extension of lines of railway in connexion with this Company. The CHAIRMAN (Pierce Butler, Esq., M.P.) said, that the object of the meeting was sufficiently stated in the adver tisement of the meeting, so that nothing further remained fur him to refer to than the propositions that would be submitted to them. Though it might be travelling out of the way as far as techni calities was concerned, it would be interesting for him to state that be had just arrived from the scene of action. lie had been in company with 04 contractor (Mr. Wright) at that portion of the line which formed the first con tract, and had considerable satisfaction in stating to them that that portion of the line was very promising.— (Hear.) Some cottages had been levelled to the ground , proper compensation having been made to the possessors ; and he was happy also to state that there was a sufficient quantity of timber to complete that portion of the contract.—(Hear.) There existed no ill feeling among the labouring por tion of the community through which the • line passed, who were very desirous of being employed, on the work, so that there was nothing like combina tion among them to be apprehended. It would be a matter of congratulation for them to consider that that very speculation would give employment to the po pulation, 'as well as be very remunerative. They would feel a satisfaction in knowing that it would go a long way towards mitigating the distress that would be occasioned by the failure of the po tato crops in Ireland. To come to another point, he would say that whenever calls were made on shareholders they had a right to demand from the directors the reason of the same, and the mode in which such were to be applied.—(Hear, hear.) The calls for 5/. per share had caused some animadversion, but the object of that de mand was, that they (the Directors) were anxious to pro ceed with the works as soon as possible.—(Hear.) Under these circumstances, they had determined to call a meeting. Sir R. Peel had selected to-day to lay down his plan with respect to railways, but whatever that plan might be, he- conceived it would not affect the speculation to any ex tent. The engineer of the Company lay down the plans and sections. The SECRETARY read the notice convening the meeting, and then read the plan of the proposed extensions. The first was from Kilkenny to Carlow, the next from Kilkenny to Clonmel, the sections and plans for which would be shortly arranged, and it would rest with the Committee whether the same should be proceeded with instanter or postponed till next session. The next line was from Kilkenny to Galway, which was an independent Company, and in which the Directors advised the shareholders to take shares to the amount of 50,0001. Amicable arrangements existed between that Com pany and the Cork and Waterford Railway C.)mpany. Mr. Hoursn proposed a resolution, that having the va rious plans and sections, they should empower the Directors to carry the same into effect, and to oppose any railways which might be in opposition to the interests of this Company. Mr. RICHARDSON seconded the resolution. Mr. TYTHE said he wished to ask a question with respect to that experiment on what was called the wood line. What were the intentions of the Company towards the patentees of that plan ? The eliminate—There was no understanding with their Company on the subject. It was merely to be tested for six miles. Mr. EMERY said it was a contract between the patentees and the Company. Mr. TITHE said he wished to know if the experiment failed whether or not the chief expense was to be borne by the patentees ? Mr. EMERY—Certainly. Mr. TYTHE said that his reason for asking the question was, that they were aware of the difficulty that existed in carrying out those changes. Some companies in that country (England) had found a great difficulty in making th ose changes. If their line were an integral one, it would be another thing, and before giving the Directors such powers as they now sought, he conceived it would be desirable that they should give some further explanations. The CHAIRMAN having read the clause in the Act of Par liament which enabled them to make such alterations as they considered were required, Captain Monsox said that the objections against the ex tension were quite a mistake. Not having been called on till very lately by the Directors, he was not conversant with the details of the Water ford and Kilkenny Railway. He understood that Mr. Prosser was to bear a proper proportion of the expense of the experiment, and the Company another. They must - consider the question involved in this agree ment. , In the first instance, the expense of an iron railway was 2,0001., but the whole expense of the wooden part was about 500/. ; there would, therefore, be an expense of 2,500/. per mile, and the greater portion was applicable to an iron railway. Their would be no change in the gauges, and there would be only twelve tiers of wheels required. Mr.Tiertin said he was very much obligedfor the clear ex planation given by the engineer. He did not possess any knowledge of the matter, and he was merely actuated in asking these questions by a desire to obtain full information. He was aware that on the line from Guildford to Working the difficulty between the Companies respecting the wooden rail had been surmounted, but would that be the case in the present instance? He would wish to ask the chairman a few questions respecting the different lines he had named. The Cisanniaar, in reply to these questions, said that the extent of the Kilkenny and Carlow line was 18 miles (Irish), or 22 and a fraction miles (English), while the parent line was 37 miles in length, of which the cost was 150,0001. The length of. the Kilkenny and Clonmel was about 26 miles, and of the Kilkenny and Galway 70 English miles. There was considerable opposition with respect to the Car low and Kilkenny line. Some years ago there was a Com pany, called the Great Leinster, which had obtained an Act of Parliament. For some years they had given up the prospect, but finding there was money . to be made, they thought it better to revive the speculation, and to take that portion from Kilkenny to Carlow. He slieved they intended to go before Parliament and to offer opposition to their line, and he believed that they (the Kilkenny and Waterford Company) could oppose them with success. Mr. TITHE said ho, was not acting in concert with any other party, but merely from his own suggestions. He could understand that the line (which was a smaller one) would be a profitable speculation if it were carried out. Mr. EMERY said there were five companies, anxious to, obtain their line, which showed its value. They established a communication with the Kilkenny and Dublin, which was the only line between Waterford and Dublin. Mr. tOPPiNGEiI said that he wished to know, in the event of that independent Company failing to obtain their Act, whether they should also suffer? The CHAIRMAN having answered in the negative, a long discussion ensued, which terminated in a resolution, to the effect that they should take shares in the Kilkenny and Gal way Company to the extent of 50,000/., and interest them selves in that Company. It was then unanimously agreed that the Company should adjourn till next Saturday, at one o'clock. LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF EXCEEQUEB, Jan. 26. IMPORTANT TO SHAREHOLDERS AND THE STOCK EXCHANGE. (Sittings in Banco.) YOUNG V. sierru. This was an action of debt for .work and labour done by the plaintiff, as a stock broker, for the defendant, by the sale and purchase of shares in a number of railway companies, including the Churnet Valley, the Direct Northern, the Armagh, Coleraine, and Portrush, and the Enniskillen and Newry Companies, to which the de fendant had pleaded that the companies had not been duly and completely registered, in accordance with the provisions of the Joint-Stock Companies Act, upon which the plaintiff had raised a demurrer, denying that railway companies were liable to the provisions of the Joint-Stock Companies Act, alluded to in the plea. Mr. JERVIS now appeared to support the plea in op position to the demurrer. He commenced his argument by informing the Court that the case involved a point of considerable importance to the railway world, upon which• the opinion of the whole profession was com pletely divided, and both the bar and the railway world were looking for the decision of the Court upon it with the utmost interest. The action was brought by the plaintiff, who was a stock-broker, to recover a sum of money for work and labour done in the buying and selling of railway scrip, but the defendant alleged that the Company had not been completely registered in accordance with the Joint-Stock Companies Act, and this made sales and purchases in their shares not only pull and void, but rendered the shareholders selling them liable - to a penalty. Their Lordships would find that the first clause of the Joint Stock Companies A3t re ferred to the powers of shareholders in joint-stock conapanie‘ , , and that the shareholders of all companies, firmed or commenced after the Ist of November, 1844, were prohibited from selling their shares until complete registration should be effected ;, but companies, such as railway companies, who required an Act of Parliament to enable them to carry on their objects, were exempt from the operations of this provision, except in certain eases to be afterwards mentioned. Now, it would appear from that part of 'the Act, that a railway' compa n y was not liable to this prohibition ; bat if. their Lordships would just turn to the 26th section of the Act they would re that the penaltiesimposed on parties for railway shares in co mpanies not completely registered wore applicable to railway as well as every other joint-stock company, except . a banking company, and this as well as other provisions i n t he Act, was sufficient justification of the plea which his client had placed upon the record. It was difficult, from the the ntrad!ctory terms of the Act, to ascertain what wasrea l t meaning of the Legislature, And he confessed that interpretation clause threw little or no light upon the su bject. Mr. Baron ALDERSON re ma r ke d ject' that the greatest evil of modern legislatic.n was the inter pretation clause of an Act of Parliament, which prevent e d the Legislature from e xplaining in precise words wh a t its .the Inter ih meaning It was like having an inter p r eter who sp okessn. bad that it was more di ffi cult to und e rstand En g i pretei than the other. Mr. JERVIS admitted' that his ,Lordship's objections were well founded, but he thought - the Act was suffi ciently explicit to me show that all companies, except bank log companies, st be completely registered before their shares could become Marketable. Mr. MARTIN, on the other side, contended that rail way companies were exempted from the prohibitory provisions of the Act. The A c tonly . requi . red that a railway company should b e pro visionally regi st befo re ered, an the d did not require it to be completely registered shareholders could be at liberty to dispose of their shares. The LORD CHIEF BARON, in giving the judgment of the Court, said that Mr. Martin had put two proposi tions to the Court, both of which he had established. It appeared clear to him (the Lord Chief Baron) that the 26th section of the Joint-,Stock Companies Act did not apply to a railway company. It. was highly satis factory to be able to say tha t they knew the intention of the Legislat ure i n passing t he Act, and that the mean ing of the 26th sectionw a se s e t t hemeaning the Legislature in• 2d sect ion . t e nded to put on the the n seemed to him (the Lord Chief Baron) quite clear tha n. l t operation of this Act as regards complete registration and venalties for sale of shares did not extend to railwa y companies, c :i: and Therefore there was n o defen ce to this action. Mr. Baron ALDERSON and Mr. Baron PLATT c e urrocl with the Lord Chief Baron , and the pleas Qt. 74 ) . - defendant were declared demurrable. THE SUN, .LONDON, TUESDAY POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-BOUSE. Just as the Lord Mayor was leaving the be 'cls, John Kin chin, master of Waterman steam-boat No. 5, and Edward Mackey, one of the crew, were placed at the bar charged with a riot. It apneared from the evidence cf the psl•ceman making the charge, that from instructions he receive that morning at the City Solicitor's office, he had just tz ken the defend ants into custody on account of the dispute which arose on Wednesday last respecting the pier at Paul's-wharf. The case having been partly hear d, a solicitor appeared ohn behalf- of the defendants, when the L ord Ma y or, before e had time to make a remark, asked who he was? The gentleman stated that he attended from the office of Messrs. Newbon and Evans , the solicitors to the Waterman 's Steam Packet Company. e a L a o d np oa M be a i v o sir;" Go as d he th p a la t g Olt re t m h o e n n st s r a a i ttd ‘ w ‘ ce ra w il h in er g e the gentleman was then s tandin g being the usual one for solicitors when attending t here, his Lordship said you do not go out from the railing y ou shall be turned out. The solicitor then went o utside the bar, and thetstatement defendants to find bail in 1001. each, and two sureties o of the police having been taken, the Lord Mayor ordered the ol each, to answer the charge at the sessions. The solicitor, during the hearing of the case, stated that he took the order to go beyond the barrier as a personal insult. • The LORD MAYOR said , in reply, "I meant you to take it as such," and the solicitor then left the Court. GUILDHALL Phoebe Richards, a young woman of respectable appear ance, and Edward Barlow, a clerk at, Messrs. Wreford and Co.'s, 2, Aldermanbury, were re-examined, charged with stealing a writing'case and other articles from the Commer cial Hotel (the Barley-mow), Salisbury-square. Mr. Clarkson, with Mr. Philp, the solicitor, attended for the prosecutor, and Mr. Ballantine with Mr. Hudson, soli citor, for the accused. The room was crowded with the friends of the parties. Mr. Clarkson said there had been a short examination on a former day, but it would now be necessary to go into the matter minutely. He called— Mr. Pare, the landlord of the hotel, who deposed that the feMale prisoner, Richards, came to lodge at his house on the 15th of December, representing that she had come from South Petherton, near Bristol. Her luggage was brought in a cab. having a sitting-room for gentlemen staying at his house, but no such accommodation for ladies, she was in vited to sit in the bar parlour, and while she was lodging in the house property to the extent of 301. was lost. She left on the evening of the 20th of January, without any inti mation that Ae had taken a lodging elsewhere. She went away pretending she was going to the Great Western Railway to meet her sister, who would arrive at half-past nine; but, in fact, she went directly to Hoxton, where she had taken a lodging a week before. There was a raffle at prosecutor's house for some silver watches, which were kept in the bar parlour. The raffie was to have taken place about New Year's-day, but on looking for them they could not be found. They had been last seen in the bar parlour on the 23d of December. The chamber-maid miss ing-something on the 19th, the servants had notice to quit. Barlow was a frequent visitor to Miss Richards, and was her acknowledged suitor. As she did not return on Tuesday night with her sister from Bristol, although she had ordered an extra bed, and that the fire should be kept up, he went to Barlow on Wednesday morning. Barlow said he had not done anything with the young lady, and he asked if she owed anything ? Witness said she owed 11. 4s. Barlow said he would call and pay it in the evening. Witness re quested him to bring Miss Richards with him, as she had, no doubt, by • mistake, taken away sense ar ticles which belonged to Mrs. Pare, or to Mrs. Clarkson, a lady on a visit to her. Barlow pro mised he would do so ; but, in consequence of some infor mation, both the prisoners were taken into custody in Aldermanbury about 6 o'clock in the afternoon. On 'Wed nesday morning a note was received by post, bearing a Cripplegate postmark, setting forth that she did not return last night because her sister arrived so late, and that they slept together in Aldermanbury. He went with the officers to search-the lodging at Eliza-terrace, Hoxton, and saw cer tain articles found there. None of the missing property was found on Barlow, or amongst his effects at his employers. Mr. Alderman CHALLIS asked how the female prisoner accounted for removing her luggage, if she gave no intima tion that she was going to leave? Mr. Pare said he was not aware that she had removed her luggage, but he returned from the country in the course of that day. Mr. Willoughby, a lodger at the hotel, stated that he missed his writing-case from the commercial-room on the first floor. It was safe about five o'clock in the afternoon on the 20th, and he missed it next morning. The outside was of russia leather, brit there was a black leather portfolio in side. He identified the clasp of the portfolio by a scratch. The case contained bills and papers of importance to him. The policeman produced the clasp which he found at the lodging at Hoxtons . There were ashes of paper under the grate, and he also found in the ashes some small nails, screws, and a hinge, which he supposed to be the remains of the writing case. Mrs. Bircham, of 1, Eliza-terrace, Hoxton, said the female prisoner slept there on the night of the 20th, and she heard her busy with the fire till a late hour. Witness had two furnished parlours to let. Barlow first looked at them, and said he would send " his good lady." She took them to be man and wife, and the lady came afterwards and approved of the place. She did not take possession till the morning of the 20th, when she brought her luggage in a cab, but went away immediately. She returned with Barlow about eight in the evening, but he went away about half-past ten the same night. On the following day witness entered the room while Miss Richards was absent, and saw under the sofa-pil low a strip of Russia leather with a torn edge. She also saw a gold chain with long burnished links, and short inter vening links. The officer said both these had been removed when he searched the place at night, but he found another chain. Such a chain as was described had been stolen from Mr. Pare, but the chain produced was identified from the work box of the bar-maid. She saw it safe in her bed-room two days before Miss Richards left. The bar-maid also iden tified two pocket handkerchiefs found at the lodging at Hoxton. One belonged to herself, and the other to her mistress. Mrs. Clarkson, of the Walworth-road, who was staying at the hotel on'a visit to Mrs. Pare, identified a brooch which she had broken, and which was found at the prisoner's lodging. Elizabeth Fisher, the chambermaid, identified Barlow as having been in the commercial-room on the afternoon of the day on which Mr. Willoughby's writing-case was stolen from it. Mr. Clarkson then proposed an adjournment of the hear ing till Saturday, and he was willing that the young man, Barlow, should continue to remain at large on his recog- Mzances. Mr. Ballantine said he was willing to assent to this, for the fuller the inquiry was he was sure the clearer would the innocence of Barlow appear. He had been paying his ad . dresses to the young woman, intending to marry her. He had hitherto appeared as counsel for both the prisoners; but from this time he should represent only Barlow, who be lieved the young woman to be innocent till proofs of her guilt not to be resisted were produced, but now he could no longer endeavour to protect her. The female prisoner, who seems indifferent to the result, was then remanded till Saturday, and Barlaw was bailed to appear at the same time. WORSHIP-STREET. A middle-aged man of respectable appearance, named George Samuel Abrahams, described as an auctioneer and house-agent, was placed at the bar, before Mr. Broughton, for final examination, on numerous charges of embezzlement and felony, and obtaining money under false pretences. Two charges of fraud, after an elaborate investigation, the Magistrate considered it unlikely would be followed by a conviction, and they were therefore abandoned, but the pri soner was committed upon one charge of felony ; and A lady named Lane now stated, that wishing in the latter part of December last to dispose of- some property at her villa, at Ealing, the prisoner, who was recommended to her by a friend as an auctioneer, waited upon her to draw up the particulars of sale. Amongst other, articles in the list were an agate snuff-box, gold-mounted, and with a beautifully executed representation of the Coliseum at Rome upon the lid ; and a silver cruet-stand, both of which having sustained trilling fractures likely to depreciate their value, the prisoner took them away with him on the excuse of getting them repaired. She had repeatedly applied for their restoration, but unsuccessfully, and now found, upon their production by the officer, that they had been pledged by the prisoner, and of course without her sanction. She had al so seen a set of mounted cruet-; found by the officer at the house of the pri soner, which were likewise her property, and must have been abstracted by the accused from her house on the occasion of his visit, and without her authorisation, as they were entire and needed no repairs. The snuff-box and cruet-stand were produced in `court, the latter by Mr. Russell, a pawnbroker in Shoreditch, at whose - shop it had 'been pledged by the prisoner, at the latter end of December, for 4/. The prisoner offered no defence to this charge, and Hol land, the warrant officer, next produced a cigar-case, which he had discovered upon searching the prisoner's house, and which was identified as his property by a Mr. Rubens, a vanilla merchant, who had left it in an apartment to which the prisoner had access, serving as the temporary bar of a publican named Collins, residing in Wellclose=square, Whitechapel, whose house so suddenly fell .down that his family had scarcely time to escape with their lives, and fur whose benefit a subscription was set on foot and collected by the prisoner, to the amount of more than 80/., and applied by him to his own purposes, with the exception of sbout 61. only, which had been obtained from him by stratagem. In this case the prisoner, who betrayed the coolest self possession throughout the proceedings, expressed his inten tion to reserve his defence for another occasion, and he was then fully committed for trial upon all the charges. LAMBETH. Mr• Fre • d erze m oiton, a respectable master tailor, residing at 3, Harleyford-terrace, Penton-place, Newington, was placed at the bar before Mr. Henry, and charged, on sus picion, of wilfully cutting the throat of Joanna, his wife, with intent to murder her. Mr. Games attended on behalf of the prisoner, and the Court was much crowded during the examination. The first witness called was an aged woman, the mother in-law of the prisoner,. who deposed that her daughter had been married to the prisoner about three years, and for nearly, the whole of that time they had led an uncomfortable life, and the prisoner had frequently used her very, ill. On the Friday morning the prisoner had quarrelled with his wife, knocked her dosin, and gave her a black eve, and witness then heard him say, he "would do for her." A little after eight, on the Sunday morning, witness heard a loud scream of " Murder," or some such word, and, on hastening from her own room, she found the prisoner standing at the bottom of the stairs perfeCtly naked, nith his bands covered with blood, and also saw her daughter lying near the fire-place in the front parlour with a wound on her throat, from which the blood w as fl ow i ng f ree ly. Sh e , w it n ess, asked " Who did it?" and her daught er , pointing to the prisoner, said in a faint voice, " lie did it," and this was a ll s h e was a ble to say. —Are you enabled to say which it was Mr. HENRY who first' called out—the prisoner or your daughter ? Witness — Pm sure it was the prisoner. Mr. HENRY—Did the prisoner said, "He did it ?' Witness —Not a word, r s eply or observa tionl, when his wife p o i nte d to as you have stated, and i, -1 makeany rr, but whipped into the back parlour, in which he and his wife slept. as Lena" this time w put his re quested of him, as he was quite naked, to I shirt on. My daughter at saw a razor covered with blood, lying open el : s i e ble tn , and I her. — (The witness was cross-examined at great length by Mr. Games, but nothing material was elicited.) Richard Vesey, the son of the last witness, and brother in-law to the prisoner, said that he with his mother had occupied the first floor in the prisoner's house for the last three weeks. This witness, after speaking to several t acts of ill-treatment of the prisoner to ward; his wif e, said, that on Sundaymornin g, on heanng the cries of , mother," desired his mother to go her," or "murder" dawn stairs, he quietly, and if he shoul d be wa nted to call out to him. runig down eras His mother did call out, an d upon is naked, with hi n s n handsfound the prisoner perfectly pletely smeared in blood, and his face an d the front of his out upon person spotted over with blood, as if it had spirted him. On seeing his sister he charged the prisoner with cutting her throat. He endeavoured to get out by the flout 400 r to give - stit alarm, and procure the assistance or a policeman; but he found that it was double locked, and the key missing, so that he was obliged to get out by the window. In his cross-examination this witness acknowledged that he and the prisoner were on very bad terms, and the latter had given him notice to quit his house, and that he (witness) had applied to this court for a warrant against him. The witness and his mother denied that there was the slightest cause to suppose that Mrs. Munton was insane. Mrs. Ann Cox, a married woman, who lived next door to the prisoner, deposed that, about 8 o'clock the morning before, she heard a violent noise in the lower part of the prisoner's house, resembling that of two persons fighting or struggling. The struggle appeared for some time to be going on in the passage, but at length the parties reached the par lour, and she then heard.a female voice exclaim, " Oh, you villain, you have done it at last !" Mr:Charles William Otway, a surgeon,- in Canterbury row, Kennington, deposed that about eight- o'clock on the morning before he was called on to attend the wife of the pri soner, and on going to the house he found Mrs. Munton on the parlour floor, with the prisoner by her side. The latter had one hand on the wound in his wife's throat, and the other engaged in preventing Mrs. Manton from getting her . . hands to the wound. The wound at this tinie was not bleeding violently, and witness, with assistance, removed her into bed. She was then in a state of collapse from the shock the system had experienced by the wound, and the loss cf blood. The wound in the throat was about an inch-and-a half in length, was across the gullet, and divided the wind pipe and some of the muscles, and might have been inflicted by either herself or the prisoner. He succeeded in dressing it, and remained with the patient until past ten o'clock, be fore whim time she was so far recovered as to be able to dis cern what was going on about her, though unable to articu late. At present she was labouring under a good deal of fever, but he thought she would get over it. After visiting her several times, he asked Mrs. Munton who did it, and she said herself, and at the same time embraced and kissed the prisoner. She subsequently made a motion to signify that she wanted a pen, ink, and paper, and they were brought to her. A piece of paper was here shown to the Magistrate, on which the following had been written by the wounded woman "I did it myself through distress of mind. Pray, my dear Fred., take care of my poor dear Arthur for your poor dear Ann's sake. Will you be a father and a mother for ever. Do not charge my mother and brother with anything. They are innocent. " JOANNA MUNTON." Mr. (Away, in continuation, said that on reading over the paper, and finding that she had not mentioned the name of her husband as being innocent of the offence, as well as her mother and brother, asked her in the presence of two police men whether it was her wish to add anything to that effect. She then took the paper, and after the word "anything" she interlined "nor my husband." Inspector Collier, of the P division, said that on being ex amined at the station-house, the person of the prisoner was found to be very much scratched all over. He also produced the prisoner's shirt, which was completely saturated with blood, particularly the sleeves—and also the nightcap which had been worn at the time, and which was found in the fire-place of the next room—and this, too, was saturated with blood. The prisoner was remanded for a week. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. PORTSMOUTH, MONDAY.—A court-martial, comprising Captain Moubray, of the Victory, president ; Captain Corry, of the Superb; Captain Chads, of the Excellent ; Captain Martin, of the Grampus; Captain Sir R. Grant, of the St. Vincent; Captain Lushington, of the Retribution; Captain Seymour, of the Carysfort ; and Mr. G. L.Greetham, Deputy Judge-Advocate of the Fleet, assembled this morning on board the St. Vincent, flagship, to try, at the instance of Captain Collier, two seamen of the Rodney, named, respec tively William Walkingshaw and John Berry, for desertion. It appeared the prisoners obtained leave of absence on the 23d of December, while the Rodney was at Spithead, which leave was extended, on account of Christmas-day, to the 26th, but the prisoners never returned, and entered on board the Scourge, steam-bomb-vessel—Walkingshaw in the name of Fearless, and Berry in the name of Roxberry--then in the basin in this dockyard; but the Rodney, requiring alteration and repair, came into dock, when the deserters, from their close proximity, were speedily recognised and arrested. This was proved by several witnesses. On being called upon for their defence, Walkingshaw said he had liberty from the Rodney to the time stated, but hav ing been in company during that time with other persons than his companion, and having lost his clothes, he feared the consequences, which he mentioned to his companion Berry, and they agreed to desert and enter on board the Scourge, hearing that she was fitting out and going imme diately to the Pacific station. He further said •he did not intend to quit the service, which was evidenced by his enter ing on board the Scourge. He threw himself upon the mercy of the Court. Berry said Walkingshaw had expressed his (Berry's) sen timents exactly, and he also threw himself upon the mercy of the Court. The COURT, after due deliberation, found the prisoners Guilty, and sentenced each to receive fifty lashes on board the Rodney, and to be each imprisoned for two months and kept to hard labour in the county gaol of Winchester. A seaman named Main, a deserter from the Grampus, was then put upon his trial, and, after very conclusive evidence, convicted, and sentenced to be imprisoned for three months, and during that time to be kept to hard labour in the Win chester gaol. The corporal punishment in this case was re mitted on account of five years' good character in the ser vice which the man had previously borne. The Comet steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander William Pretyman, arrived last evening from the eastward with su pernumeraries for .the Grampus and Janus. She left Wool wich on last Saturday week, but the weather was so foggy on reaching Gravesend that she was obliged to anchor. She started at one P.M. on Sunday, and anchored at Sheerness the same night; left the next day at eleven, anchored in Margate Roads the same afternoon in consequence of a gale blowing from south-west; at eight o'clock next morning started again, but was compelled to anchor in the Downs from the extreme foulness of the weather, where she re mained three days, during which time she encountered wea ther which would have compelled less experienced officers to abandon her and take to the boats. On Friday morning at five o'clock she started again, and at nine — itmdefast in Dover harbour, where she took in coals and water, the wind still blowing a hurricane at the time. Here an extraordinary instance occurred of the truth of the adage that "drunken men and children have charmed lives." A man named Robert Braxton, ship's corporal of the Grampus, was comng to the Comet from the shore, when, in walking along the pier to the vessel, he lost his equilibrium and fell over into the dock into a boat, a distance of 35 feet. He was taken up insensible, but the prompt and skilful at tention of Dr. Babingtoo, assistant-surgeon of the Comet, soon restored him to consciousness, and he was sufficiently, well next morning to answer his " muster," the only injuries he appeared to have received being a few bruises. The Comet left Dover at 8 o'clock on Saturday morning, the wind having somewhat lulled; she went along then exceedingly well until 4 o'clock yesterday morning, when she was abreast of the Ower's light, at which time a perfect hurricane was blowing, and an awful sea running. She was obliged to haul off the land, and stand to the southward, when a tremendous sea struck her on the starboard side, carrying away her stern-boat, and staving in the starboard paddle-box, sweeping fore and aft. At noon she bore up, and ventured to make the land, the master (Mr. Braidon) being convinced land was in sight, or very near, although the weather was so very thick nothing could be distinctly made out at any distahce from the ship. At I P.M. yesterday she made the land, which proved to be Dungeness, and about 5 o'clock entered this harbour, after having been eight days in making the passage from Woolwich to this port. She will now have to be docked and repaired before she can be sent to sea. The Comet is a fine old craft, the first man-of war steamer ever built. RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. LEEDS, JAN. 26. STOCK ExcuANGE.—the sales are —London and Croydon, 22', c. —Manchester and Leeds, Sixteenth Shares, 11% p.—Sheffield and Manchester, Quarter Shares, No. 3, 6—East Lancashire, No. 2 (late Accrington), 4% p.—Great Grimsby and Sheffield, 10—Ditto, Exten sions, 15s. p.— lluddersfield and Sheffield, 22—Leeds and Bradford, 50 c.--Leeds and Dewsbury, New Shares, 3% p.—North British, New Carlisle Branch, W. ls.—Wakefield, Pontefract, and Goole, New, 7% p.—London and York, 4% —Liverpool, Ormskirk, and Pres ton, 4%—West Riding Union, 6% —Ambergate, Nottingham, and Boston, 88. p.—Bradford, Wakefield, and Midland, 10s. die Clithe roe Junction, 2% —Grand Union, 10s. p.—Lancashire and North Yorkshire, 17s. p.—Leeds and York, 7s. 6d.dis.—Leeds, Wakefield, and Midland, 10s. p.—Manchester, Buxton, Matlock, and Midland, 1/. 17s. p.—Midland and Thirsk Junction, 18s. dis.—Northumberiand and Lancashire Junction, 15s. dis.—North Western, 2%—Shropshire Union, 3s. p.—South Midland, p. ilui,r,; - JAN. 2G STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are —North British, Carlisle, 3 —Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston, &c., 3 —Axholme, 2% —Derby and Gainsborough, 21s.—Grand Union, 35s.—Great North and South Wales and Worcester, ss. 6d. —Hull and Barnsley Junction, 38s. Gd. —Lancashire and North Yorkshire, 2/. 199.—London and York, 4% ➢lanchester, Buxton, and Matlock, 4—North Western, 3 —North Staffordshire, 5/. 17s.—South ➢Midland, 41. 175.—Shrewsbury and Bir mingham, 3%5._ SHEFFIELD, JAN. 26. STOCK Exciter:oz.—The sales are—Grimsby and Sheffield Exten sion, 21. 18s. —Ditto, Quarter Shares, 2N—Leeds, Wakefield, and Mid- land, 2/. 19s.—Sheflield and Lincolnshire, 4—Ditto, Extension, U. Is. —South Yorkshire Coal Railway, 3 1 ,4 . YORK, JA N. 26. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Newcastle and Darlington Ex tensions, 11% --York and North Midland Extension, 39—Ditto, New (East and West Riding), 10%—Newcastle and Berwick, 20% North British, New, Carlisle Branch, 3—London and York, 4% — Grand Union, 1/. 18s.—Lancashire and North Yorkshire, 21 195.. Leicester and Bedford, 2—Manchester, Buxton, Matlock, and. Mi dland, 4% —Welsh Midland, 2%.. s. ',. L-gt THE IRON TRADE.—AII branches of the iron menu - factures of South Staffordshire continue in undimished•acti vity, and it is expected that a further impetus will be given to the trade before the expiration of the present quarter. During the past week contracts for 120,000 tons of iron rails for the Great Western Company have been taken, a large proportion of which has been contracted for in our own dis trict. This immense order—which, it must be borne in mind, is only a small portion of those that may be looked for from the railways which are all but certain to pass in the present session—is required for the Great Western main trunk and its numerous branches. including the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton line, the . operations of which have already commenced at various points. Of these 120,000 tons, 45,000 are taken by the Colebrook Dale Company; 40,000 by the Plymouth works, Glamorganshire; 20,000 by Messrs. Matins and Rawlins, of West Bromwich ; and 15,000 tons by the Chillington Iron Company. We understand that these contracts have been regulated subject to the fluctuations of trade, but at the present prices they will realise more than 131. per ton. 'raking, therefore, , into account the large sup plies which will be required to meet the demand for British railways, and the orders which may be looked for from the Continent, to complete the great lines under contract, we may, without indulging in any very sanguine specnlatiods, safely conclude that the present price of iro:1 will, under any circumstances, be folly maintained. There is not now, we are informed, a single ironwork of any description in South Staffordshire which is not in constant operation, or if not fully employed, the circumstance is attributable to the want of the raw materials of manzfactare, coal and ironstone.—Bir ininghain Journal. DEATH OF RICHARD LATFIA3I, ESQ., gentleman, who was a life governor of Christ's and St. Bar tholomew's Hospitals, a life subscriber to St. Ann's Schools, life subscriber to the Licensed Victuallers' School and Asylum, Fellow of the.Linnean Society, and for upwards of a quarter of a century acting partner in the eminent brewery of Sir Henry Meux and Co., died on Saturday morning, in the 79th year of his age, at his residence, Bayswater Villa, Bayswater, after an illness of a few days. Mr. Latham re ceived the rudiments of his education in Christ's 'Hospital, wealthy, en and in grat e f u l reco ll ec ti on o f th e b oon , th e fi rs t 4001. he saved by indust r y and frugality he devoted to the uses of that noble I e institution. ter T ta o in e e m ci pl ino hisemploy own emphaticn and words —"From that happ y moment he prospered ." He afterwards , became hospi tablv a leisure hours penetrated deeply into the scientific of i recesses chemistry, botany, geology, and philanthropist, and sustained that hi g eha o r logy. He was l a to devote nearly the whole of his long and n ac se te f l u r l sli, if n e ob to y te s comfort, happiness; and worldly improvement of his fellow creatures, without - reference to grade or station: and his great Christian principle was, to " do unto others as they should do unto you," and on many trying occasions he was k nown to return " good for evil. ' Dispatches were sent off yesterday evening from the Colo nial-office for the Governor of Gibraltar. lii PE RI AMEN T. - _ HOUSE OF LORDS, Monday, Jan. 26. Their Lordships assembled al; Half-past Four o'clock. CORN-LAWS. _ . . • The Earl of RADNOR presented several petitions against the corn-laws. The Earl of CLARENDON presented a petition from the Chvber of Commerce of Manchester, praying that all duties on articles of food may be abolished. ANSWER TO THE ADDRESS. The LORD CHANCELLOR then read from the Woolsack her Majesty's answer to the Address pre sented from the House of Peers, which was as follows : "I receive with satisfaction your loyal and dutiful Ad dress and rely with confidence on your constant desire to co-operate with me in my endeavour to promote the 'happiness of my people." On the motion of the Duke of WELLINGTON, her Majesty's most gracious - answer was ordered to be in serted on the journals of the House. LAND REGISTRATION. Lord CAMPBELL then asked leave to lay on the table of the Ilothe a Bill for the purpose of establishing a general system of registration of land. He would merely move that it be read a first time, and he would de fer the second reading until the exciting questions which at present pressed on the attention of their Lordships had been disposed of. But as soon as those questions were settled, he should lose no time in proposing its ;econd reading. The Bill was then road ... a first time. CORN-LAWS. The Duke of RICHMOND rose to present to their Lordships' House twenty-eight petitions from places in Kent ; from Kelso, in Roxburgh ; from Alford, in Aberdeenshire ; one of them signed by 977 tenants and tenant labourers in the county of Sussex ; also from Yorkshire ; from the Isle of Thanet; from Derbyshire; from Somerset, and other places. In presenting these petitions, and in stating his intentions to support their prayer, he begged to state to their Lordships that the petitioners hoped and trusted that their Lordships would consent to no alteration in the present corn-laws, and, whatever might happen else where, that their Lordships would not consent to such alteration until they first appealed to the constituencies, to test whether they had changed their opinions on this subject. He still would wish to keep inviolate the com pact entered into with the agriculturists in 1842, and he hoped the( their Lordships would not permit themselves to be intimidated by the Anti-Corn-law League or their emissaries. Lord DEVON presented similar petitions from the county of Devon. The Duke of RICHMOND wished to ask the Noble Duke (the Duke of Wellington) if he had received her Majesty's permission to state to the House the reasons for her Majesty's Ministers' resignation, and for their again accerting office? The Duke of WELLINGTON begged to inquire whether the Noble Duke intended to ask any further questions ?—(Laughter). The Dull.) of RICHMOND replied that he thought it would be more convenient to the House if, instead of making a speech, he contented himself by asking a ques tion, as he was sure the House would be anxious to know the grounds that led to the resignation of the Ministry, and also to know the grounds upon which a Government, which declared itself one day un able to go on, undertook the Government of the country ten days afterwards. The Duke of WELLINGTON—I beg to state, in answer to my Noble Friend's question, that in making the statement I am about to do I can only answer positively for myself and for my own motives. I shall, however, state to the House what generally passed in her Majesty's Councils. In doing soy I may have to detain your Lordships for a few moments, but you may rely upon it I shall keep you for the shortest possible time. My Lords, when accounts were received from Ireland, and from different parts of Great Britain, of the state of V - e potato crop, in the course of the last autumn, and of the consequences likely to resat from this failure in different parts of the country, my Right Honourable Friend at the head of the Government considered it his duty to call together his colleagues in order to take into consi deration the various reports that had been received. My Right Hon. Friend called his colleagues together, and having laid before them _the reports I have alluded to, made to them a certain proposition for the adoption of measures which he considered necessary her Majesty's Government should adopt, in order to avoid or remedy the evils likely to occur in his opinion in consequence of this misfortune. One of the measures suggested to my Right Hon. Friend was, that her Majesty's Ministers should recommend, by an Order in Council, to suspend the operation of the existing corn-laws, so as to open the ports for the admission of corn duty free. My Lords, it is not necessary that I should discuss the motives stated, or the grounds on which that recommendation was founded, L was one of those who considered that it was unneces sary to adopt that measure. I considered that a mis fortune had undoubtedly occurred, which had the effect of depriving millions, I may say, of a large portion of provisions upon which they relied for food. But still there was a fair supply of food in the country. It was my opinion arrangements should be made similar to those made in former years, for finding employment for the people, and for finding means of rewarding them for that em ployment. And, my Lords, beside that, it appeared to me that the existing corn-laws made provision for throwing open the ports, should that measure be deem ed necessary.—(Hear, hear.) That law enacted, that when the price of wheat or grain should reach such an amount as that there should appear to be a deficiency or want, then the law provided that grain should be admitted at a nominal duty.—(Hear, hear.) Under these circumstances, I judged it necessary to suspend those laws, and upon that ground it was that I objected to that proposition. At the same time I was most anxious that the Government should adopt measures immediately to form a commission in Ireland, and instruct that commission as to the measures to be adopted for giving employment to the people, and for procuring food for them, and for rewarding them iu payment of that employment, and all those measures which, on former occasions, have been found to be bene ficial and effectual. My Lords, I believe that all these measures had been adopted on former occasions. They are not new to the public servants in this country ; they have been effectually adopted. My Lords, in the course 'of the discussion on this :Ilea sure, it was intimated that a suspension of the corn laws might endanger a renewal of that measure, or that it might be necessary to make a very essential altera tion of it. My Right Honourable Friend inti mated his opinion of the necessity of making an essential alteration in the corn-laws. I be lieve every one thinks now that some alteration is necessar y— a n alteration in certain points was necessary, and was now admitted by all.—(Hear, hear.) It was necessary to make an essential alteration in the existing laws. Many Members expressed a strong difference of opinion on the subject. As for my part, I was certainly of opinion that it was necessary to make an alteration in the corn laws. But my Lords, I confess that in my opposition, I considered that a division in the Cabinet might endanger the safety of the Government itself, and having served in England for more than fifty years in high places, I considered it my duty to endeavour to do all in my power to reconcile the difference of opinion amongst my colleagues ; to preserve a Government which enjoyed the confidence of the Sovereign, of the people, and, to a great extent, the confidence of both Houses of Parliament. I consi dered it my duty to make every effort to recon cile the differences of opinion, as the best ser vice I could render to my Sovereign.—(Hear.) In this attempt I did succeed. The result was, that I advised my colleague to tender to her Majesty his re ` signation, and to recommend her to form a new Cabinet, My Lords, it was necessary after his again taking office, to come down to this House and advise Parliament to make some alteration in the corn-laws. But previous to his informing her Ma jesty of the difference of opinion in the Cabinet; I strongly advised my Hon. Colleague to tender his re sign-ation, after first asking her whether he ould be allowed to make any alteration in those laws. The great difference, - however, among my colleagues made me of opinion that it would be better for him to resign his office under the cir cumstancea. All the m mbers of the Cabinet were of the same opinion I know I was. My Hon. Friend followed the advice of the members of the Government, and he tendered his resignation to her Majesty, and - advised her to for:n a new Cabinet. Her Majesty aslied a Noble Lord to form a new Administration, but "tha't Noble Lord did not succeed, and the consequence was that her Majesty asked his Hon. Friend at the head of the Cabinet to remain in office. My colleague wrote to me informing me of her Mljesty's wishes, and then it became neces sary for us to act nnder the circumstances, and my Hon. Colleague having been of opinion that an alteration of the corn laws was necessary, several mem bers of the Cabinet agreed with him in that opinion. I do not say that all were of the same opinion, but this I do know, that a great number of them were, and myself among them. I came to the resolution that let what would happen I should support him most cordially, and I am of the same resolution still. I applauded the conduct of my Right Hon. Friend on that occasion, and I deter mined that I for one should stand by him. Because, my Lord, I felt it was my duty to my country to do so. And I did think that the formation of a Government in which her Majesty would have confidence was of infi nately greater importance than opinions of any indivi dual of the corn-laws, or of any other laws.—(Hear, hear.) My Lords, my Right Hon. Friend wrote to me, desiring that I would attend their Cabinet, which would be held that evening, which I did. I there applauded the conduct of my Right Hon. Friend. I was delighted with it—because it was exactly the course I should have pursued myself under similar circumstances, and I there. fore determined to stand by him. My Lords, at the 'same time that I did this, I knew well the position in which my Right Hon. Friend stood in relation to the present corn-laws. I knew well that, in consequence of his having resigned his office into her Majesty's hands, because be could not prevail on the other Members of the Cabinet to support him in a material alteration of the corn-laws, that those who were employed to form a .Government v.ust have obtained a knowledge of the particular circumstances under which my Right Hon. Friend had resigned. I therefore beg to ask, my Lords, how my Right Hon. Friend could enter the House of Commons and again defend the corn-law, which he brought in himself—as he had done only in the preceding July.—(Hear, hear.) How could he go into Parliament and defend the corn-law against those gentlemen who were informed of his opinion that it ought to be altered, and who, o f course, would have rep roac h e d him for the fresh a l te ration of opinion he had come down to support. I knew well that I should have acted as I did, and I therefore told him that I should stand by him in the resumption. Of' his government. I also knew well that, in doing so, I must be a party to the proposition Of % ITIALOZiaI AIWA" EVEN] N'S, JANUARY 27 5 1846. tion of fhe corn-law. I could not be otherwise. I did it, and I knew it. —(Hear; hear.) So far, then, my Lords, I have accounted for my own conduct. The pro position of my Right Hon. Friend, although it will involve the material alteration of the corn-law, will be satisfac tory to the country, and satisfactory to the'friends of my Right Hon. Friend, and will give such advantages to the landed interest as the landed interest have a right to expect in the general arrangements of the country. My Lords, my Right Honourable Friend is a great landed proprietor. His pursuits are those of agriculture: He is connected by friendship and by associations with most of your Lordships. I cannot suppose that he would betray the interests of a body such as that of the landed interests. No, my Lords, I entreat your Lordships to wait until you see what the proposition is that he will lay before you. He will bring his measure before Parliament :in the course - of th-enext few days, and then you will see whether or not he has betrayed his duty either to your Lordships or the country. At all events, my Lords, whatever that measure may be, I— so highly rewarded as I have been by the people of Eng land—could not refuse to give my Sovereign all the assistance in my power towards the formation of a Go vernment. I could not refuse this when I was called upon, in order to enable her Majesty to me , t Parliament and carry on the business of' the country. On that ground I have now presented myself before your Lord ships. I have no doubt that the measure to which I have referred will give satisfaction to the agriculturists, and will meet with general approbation. After a pause of two or three minutes, The Marquis of CLANRICARDE rose and said, he wished to withdraw the motion of which he had last session given notice, with respect to the London and York Railway Bill. The Duke of BUCKINGHAM wished to know why it was that the Noble Lord and his colleagues, who had undertaken the task of forming a Government, had not been successful in the attempt. He confessed the state ment just made by his Noble Friend was not satisfactory to his mind. The present Government was almost en tirely a free trade one, and he therefore wished to know why the Government, when it declined the task, and . found Noble Lords ready to come forward to make a Government—why, as they had altered their opinions with respect to the question of free trade, they did not join the new Government (if such it could be called) that had, always advocated free trade conscientiously and consistently?—(Hear, hear.) He begged to ask the. Noble Lord (Lansdowne) why they had been unable to form an Administration,—(Hear, hear.) He hoped the measures to be brought forward on the following evening in the HPuse of Commons, by the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the GoVernment, would be satis factory.—(Hear, hear.) For his oWri part he had not the most . distant idea they could be satisfactory. to the, country or to the agricultural interests. Believing that the measures about to be proposed would be destructive to the agricultural interests,' it would be his duty to protect them as far as he was able, and to defeat any measures that might be brought forward by this or any other Government to introduce a free trade Legislature: The Duke of WELLINGTON wished to knb* what the _Noble Duke meant by' a free-trade Government.— (Laughter.) He certainly was Staggeredat it. The Duke 'of BUCKINGHAM - oleserved lie was staggered to find the, Noble Duke now in the Cabinet, proposing measures which he formerly so strongly ex pressed his disapproval of. The Noble Duke and his friend upon a former occasion turned out the Govern ment, which attempted to support measures such as those now about to be brought forward.—(Hear, hear.) The Marquis of LANSDOWNE had been upon a former day perfectly prepared to state, at some length perhaps, the circumstances under which be in common with the Noble Lord, the Meinber for London, (Lord John Russell,) and others, had been called upo'n to fei:m a Government, upon which the Noble Duke (Buckingham) had called " principles of, free-trade." All the circumstances, how ever, had been so fully stated to their Lordships, and to the public, that he really did not .feel himself called upon to relate all the •occurrences. that had passed, He did not feel himself called upon to enter at any length into an explanation of the reasons which induced him to become a convert to free trade, because they bad been fully stated in another place. After it had been stated by so important a personage as the Right Honourable Baronet at the head of the Government, that he would 'not consent to any, measure involvipg the principle of a fixed duty, or any relaxation of the present corn-laws, he felt he had no other alternative than to resort to free trade principles ; guarding, at the same time, all the legitimate claims of the landed interests, as well as the other interests of the country. Had the proposition of his Noble Friend, the Member for the City of London, been adopted at the time when he proposed a fixed duty, a stability would have been given to - trade, and the agi tations which followed would have been.prevented. He had, nevertheless, never maintained the fixed duty on principle, but he contended that while remissions were made in other 'articles of commerce, it was absolutely necessary; considering the circumstances of the country, and, in particular, the failure of a material article of the food of the people, it became impracticable to bring a fixed duty .before Parliament, and, therefore, it was necessary to resort to a free-trade measure. To continue an evanescent duty would only be perputating uncertainty and its attendant evils. The measure he and his Noble Friends would have brought in would have relieved the distess of the country, consistently with an alleviation,. as far as consistent with justice, of the burdens bearing on the landed proprietors and occupiers of land in this country. He had been called upon by the Noble Duke, and he felt himself called upon to state the grounds which had led him to concur in the general views of those with whom he had consulted. These views he had stated to her Majesty when he had been honoured by command to attend her. fle had felt, however, that nothing good could 'accrue from his Noble Friend, the Membr for London or his colleagues, if they had not the influence of Parliament. He felt that if he undertook, or contem plated, this duty, it would be, absurd, unless they pos sessed that confidenee. It ought to have been their first duty to ascertain whether Sir Robert Peel could com mand the House, because, if he could , not, it would have been an useless attempt to form an Administration. He thought it. was unnecessary for him now to enter into details upon the subject. They have been sufficiently stated elsewhere, and your Lordships cannot but-be cog nisant of the statement which has already been made. And I do hope, that for the future, no consideration, on the part of their Lbrdships will prevent an adjustment of this great question upon the most satisfactory terms, in whateyer hands the Government may be placed—and I, for one, have no doubt that facility will be afforded for speedy settlement of this question.—(Hear, hear.) The Duke of WELLINGTON—My Lords, I wish to state a few words in explanation relating to the pro position which had been made to me as to whether I was willing to undertake the conduct - of the Govern ment. It is perfectly true what has been stated by the Noble Marquis, that it had pleased her Majesty to ask me if I was disposed to undertake' the formation of 4 Government upon the principle of maintaining the exist ing corn-laWs. My Lords, what others said I cannot say. I answered immediately that I could not undertake the conduct. of.a Government upon such principles. But, my Lords, when I made that answer I did it not only out of a feeling of diffidence in my own abilities, but also from the feeling that it was utterly impossible, according to my knowledge of the then state of affairs, to form a Government in which my colleagues could attain the full cenfidence of Parliament. The Earl of RADNOR stated that there was one point upon which he thought a little explanation was due to the House. He alluded to the interval a hich had elapsed since first her Majesty's Ministers had become acquainted with the failure in the potato crop, they had met, consulted, followed, separated, and left, and nothing had been done for the people—for those millienis of whom the Noble Duke had spoken and they have left them in the same situation up to the present time. He for one should be very glad to see an alteration in the 'corn lawo and the disease in, the potatoes would be found to hasten that alteration. Ile would say one word-- 2 he could not see, although he had often heard of, the pe culiar burdens on land; but he hoped nothing would he done without an inquiry into the subject. The Duke - of WELLINGTON—My Lords, what I stated to your Lordships, I think your Lordships will consider has been fair instructions in respect to it, apd if my memory serves me right, I think the Noble Lord is mistaken. The Duke of RICHMOND rose to present a petition from Ware, against any alteration in the existing corn laws. He humbly hoped that before their Lordships would pass any new plan, that they would have an in quiry, and he would then show his Noble Friends that the farmer who paid a rent of 3001. a-year,.was liable to treble the taxation that Mr. Cobden paid. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE—The Noble Duke has named Mr. Cobden, and their Lordships may recollect, that he moved for a Committee to inquire into the peculiar burden on land ; and that as his arguments had converted almost every one out of that House, he hoped they would be successful in con vincing their Lordships also.—(Hear, hear.) He could never see the peculiar burdens on land, al though he had often I - eard of them, both in and out of that House. He never considered a quit-rent a burden on land.—(Hear, hear) If that inquiry which was now recommended could be made, he should have no objec tion to it, though it would cause delay. He could not see why this Commission had not been favourably viewed by the landed interest, when proposed some time ago. he Duke of RICHMOND—There had been an at tack made upon the landlords of this country, and he rose to answer it. The Noble Lord said that an in quiry had been proposed some time ago, but that the landlords of the country bad refused to sanction it. He also informed their Lordships that there were no burdens on land. If high rates and poor-laws were burdens, then, indeed, were there burdens on that land; and he (the Duke of Richmond) was of opinion that his own tenants paid more rates than all the Anti- Corn-law League put together.—(Laughter.) His Noble Friend hid said that the opinion of the country Was well known upon the question of the corn-laws. This he denied ; not, indeed, so far as their opinions were formed, but in so far as that those opinions were not yet taken. If the Noble Lord was of that opinion, he should advise her Majesty's Government to at once appeal to the country, and strengthen themselves by such a step. Lor d BEAUMONT—The Noble Marquis had, said. that the landlords were inconsistent on the ,question of an inquiry into the burdens on land. Ile xnust any this —it was not inco nsistent. A t the time his Noble Friend alluded to, an i n q uir y was certainly proposed, b u t then That being th e Cage, manyop that Commission of Inquiry did not propose tcore move d that such a prOCeeding would n n s which ' w al l e t not h ave b een p t b h pu e st e d b ur raise ti d s e eo n n s e xt o hp n ee l c a gt n ar d t( on realised, and the' consequence would liave been a general ' disappointriaent, engenderi ng discontent. - Change of opinion had occurred which threatened such a dreadful revolution,,that he not only wished an in quiry to be instituted into. the burdens of land, but into the operation of the p oor -l aws, and the commutation of tithes. He did not, however, consider tithes a burden on the land, as they were pl ace d u p on rea l property i n possession of the landowner, whether a clergyman or not. If. he wished an inquiry into the commutation of tithes, it was for the purpose of treating those persons who had in this care behaved with a sense of honour highly to their credit—he meant the clergymen of the Church of England, who had not tAvocated either one side or the other of the great questions which at present - occupied the public attention, as they had re fused to attend either, protection 'or free-trade meetings. If the Noble Earl who sat bshind him (the Marquis of Claoricarde) wished to know what were the b irdens on land, he would refer him to two volumes now lying on his table on the subject, and to that admirable volume lately issued by the Commission of Local Taxation. He would ask him to read that passage which stated that 12,000,000/. were annually paid by the owners of real property. Was not this sum a burden upon land ? If they entered into this-ipquiry, they should ascertain the distribution of these burdens, and the manner in which the proprietors of land complained of the lame amount received from them. Whilst he was speaking on this point, he might be excused for offering a few-re marks with respect to the explanations which had recently been made, as to the proceedings of the Govern ment. He must say, candidly, that the Noble Duke had distinctly explained the part which he had taken in these proceedings, but he thought curiosity might be well excited as to the motives and reasons which had influenced the other members of the Government is the course they had adopted with respect to the opinions of the Prime Mi ulster. He thought their Lordships had a right to know—he did not, however, say they had a right to de mand the information—but he must confess that his cu riosity, and the curiosity of others, had been excited to know, what had induced the First Lord of the Admi ralty to support the views of the Government. The same remark may apply with equal truth to the Noble man at the head of the Board of Control. He wanted especially to know the reasons which had influenced the conduct of that Noble Earl (the Earl of Ripon), as he remembered the speech which h e h a d a dd resse d t o th e i r Lordships last session in favour of protection. Again, he wished to know why the Noble Earl the Minister for Foreign Affairs (the Earl of Aberdeen)—(" Hear, hear," from Lord Brougham)—had consented to uphold the:opi nions of the Government, to the great danger of our rela dons on the other side of the Atlantic ? If they now removed protection, would there not be found in Ireland certain parties who would clamour for repeal of another kind ?—(Hear, hear.) He mightgo farther, and look to Canada. What would become of the Canada Corn Bill? Repeal protection, another independence and another annexation might arise in the west. The Earl of ABERDEEN said, that though feeling his situation in some degree different from that of his colleagues, he still felt it necessary to explain somewhat to the Noble Lord, in consequence of a question he had put. It would be unnecessary for him to trouble their Lordships with the reasons which had influenced him, but he wished to state the fact to the Noble Lord, that when his Right Hon. Friend communicated with him and with her Majesty's Goverment, in the beginning of November, he (the Earl of Aberdeen) gave to that pro posal his cordial and unhesitating assent. He repeated, that he need not give his reasons, but such had been his opinion then, and such was his opinion now. The House then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Monday, Jan. 26. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'Clock. ANSWER TO THE ADDRESS. The SPEAKER—I have to inform this House that the House waited upon her Majesty on Saturday last, when she was pleased to return the following gracious reply : " I receive with satisfaction your loyal and dutiful Address, and I rely with confidence on your support in carrying out the measures about t o b e propose d t o promote the Welfare of my people." NEW WRIT FOR THE BOROUGH OF RIPON. Mr. YOUNG moved that a new writ be issued for the borough of Ripon, in room of Mr. T. B. C. Smith, ho had accepted the office of Master of the Rolls for Ireland. CORN-LAWS AND THE LEAGUE. Mr. OCTAVIUS DUNCOMBE presented several petitions from the North Riding of Yorkshire in favour of protection to agriculture, and they prayed that some means might be taken to prevent the wholesale manu facture of votes by the Anti-Corn-law League. An HoN. MEMBER presented a petition from 870 oc cupiers of land, to the amount of 104,674 acres, in the county of Leicester, praying the House to' uphold the corn-laws, or at least to apical to the opinions of the country before adopting any system of free trade. Mr. HO WARD ELPHINSTONE presented a pe tition, signed by upwards of 3,000 persons, from the city of Westminster, against the corn-laws. ASHBURTON AND DEVON RAILWAY. An Hort. MEMBER presented a petition, praying for leave to bring in a Bill to construct a railway from Ash burton to Devon. MANCHESTER AND SALFORD WATER WORKS. Mr. BROTHERTON presented a petition from the Manchester and Salford Water-works Company, praying for leave to bring in their Bill. . _ _ Mr. G. BANKES presented a petition, from the borough and town of Wareham, and from the Isle of Penbeck, in the county of Dorset, praying for a confirm• ante of the present system of protection to agriculture. CORN-LAWS. Mr. BOUVERIE presented a petition from the borough of .Reading in favour of the abolition of the corn-laws. Mr. B. ESCOTT presented several petitions from Somerset against the corn laws, and in favour of the re moval of all restrictions on the importation of foreign food. RAILWAY BILLS. Several petitions were presented by Hon. Members in favour of the North Kent and other railway Bills. NOTICES OF MOTION. Lord DUNCAN gave notice of his intention, on the 20th of February, to move for a Committee of the whole House, with a view to the repeal of the window taxes. Dr. BOWRING gave notice of his intention on a future day, to move for certain returns, showing the effect of commercial restrictions on the exports and im ports of the Isle of Man. Mr. HUTT gave notice of his-intention to move, on a certain day, a resolution respecting the Excise Laws. Mr. BROTHERTON moved for a return of the number and names of the persons summoned for offences against the Factory Acts, between the Ist day of January 1845 and the Ist day of January 1846; specifying the date of the conviction or hearing, the place of hearing; by whom each conviction was made; the offence in each case; and the manner in which the penalties and costs were appropriated ; also-, a summary of the to:al number of informations and convictions, and the amount of penalties and costs. Mr.WODEHOUSE moved for a return, in continuation of previous returns, showing the highest and lowest priees of corn in this country for a period of several years past, and comparing . them with the prices of corn in every other county in Europe. The Hon. Gentleman said this return would extend the aggregate returns over a period of 150 years. DUTY ON FIRE INSURANCES. Colonel SIBTHORP said he regretted very much that the returns for which had moved during the last session, respecting the amount of duties received by Govern ment on fire insurances, had not ixftn presented to the House.—(Hear, hear.) He begged to state that he would renew the motion on that subject during the pre sent session. THE NAVAL RETIREMENT. Admiral DUNDAS wished to know w hat had been done by the Government with respect to the number of naval captains who were anxious to retire from service ? Mr. CORRY, the Secretary to the Admiralty, said that the number of captains who had applied to be dis charged did not justify the Government in carrying out the intentions which they had held on this head, but satisfactory arrangements would be entered into as soon as possible. CONIMITTEE OF SUPPLY. Mr. CARDWELL moved that. the whole House re solve itself into a Committee of Supply. Sir THOMAS FREMANTLE moved that a grant of 50,0001. be made for the purposes of carrying out public works in Ireland. _ _ Sir H. W. BARRON said that such a sum would be for the purpose but as a drop of water was to the ocean. Sir T. FREMANTLE said that that sum would not be expended unless a similar sum was levied to meet and further the same objects. Mr. WILLIAMS wished to ask the Right Hon. Ba ronet whether they would take the usual securities for the repayment or sums raised for the purposes of public works in Ireland. Sir THOMAS FREMANTLE Observed that the present sum was to be an absolute grant, but that there were other sums which would be lent upon loan. The Irish loans had always been very punctually paid. The Government were willing to afford every_facility for the carrying out of th ese wor k s. Colon(' SIBTHORP said he did not wish things to be done in the dark. How was this money to be applied? Was it to be given for the furtheranc. of that job of all jobs, the Shannon Harbour ? He should like to know whether the 50,000/. now proposed was to be in addi tion to the sum which was already granted. Sir T.FREMANTLE replied that the sum now pro posed was in addition to what was already granted. The former grants were nearly exhausted, and it became neces sary to vote the present amount to carry the works on. It was necessary, however, for Honourable Members not to in clude sums which were loans with those which were grants. Mr. HUME wished to ask the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the 'Government whether it was to be re cognised as a principle that the public money was to be given away for the employ mentof the people? The question at present for their consideration was, tor what purpose the incnfy was to be applied ? He doubted whether any good had ever resulted from any former grants which had been voted for a similar purpose. He decidedly protested, therefore, against any money being given for the employment of the poor, when other causes were allowed to exist which prevented that employment. In England and Scotland every man was employed, and there was no necessity for votes of public money; but in Ireland this was not the case. He could attribute such a state of things to nothing else but bad legislation and misgovernment. lie really feared that by granting the money without inquiry into the causes which led to the want of employment, they would be lending themselves to perpetuate that state of things which arose out of their misgovernment. Why did :they not make grants to Stockport, Paisley, and other places. He did not know how the former grants had been applied, and he protested against the Imperial' Parliament voting this money with out inquiring into the causes of the want of employment. He protested, therefore, against- the grant on that ground ; for he considered it would be atfirining a pernicious principle, unless it was thought desirable on every °melon of a scarcity, of employment it to vote away a sum oc.' money for the district where existed. •• Sir ROBERT PEEL begged to assure the Hon. MI . tier that any information uPon.the subject. he 1)0d ° e e l ) , tionedavhich it was in his power to give, sheuld br! fr e he granted. With regard .to the grant'. in (Fest ift ra . would al beg to &..st - Ire the Hon. Member that h jesty's Governmrnt were. resolved to. take_ care all .t ". 111'9 should not be expended otherwise than in the r'e motion of public, works ; and *when the in came, every inforuation 44.;--to.. the manner v. which -this sum should be expended would be freely gil., be —(Hear.) But with reference 'to the past, it weal" remembered that former Governments had th e discre, tionary power to make grants of this nature, w hil e th f e o ); did not consider themselves liable to be called upona- disclosure of the manner in which it had been.! f pended. For sev e ral y ears p as t it had been the hablt,fs_ Government to vote sums of money for public suet and surely the present was th e l as t year in which sticu proposition ought to be Opposed.—(Hear.) Mr. HUME said he would not have made the servations that had just fall en f rom him, but for the IT:, that he had in his possession returns with re g el Lo the manner in which public grants to Ireland had er'en_ applied, that were sufficient to remove all coned from his mind. as to the future management of t a a; expenditure —(Hear, hear.) He remembered "74.0, distress was so great in Ireland that a grant from ü b , vernment was given, and a large sum besides was su e t scribed by the British public, a very large portion r.) which went to pay rents to landlords.—(hea r ' 1113s .However, after the assurances of the Right Hon' ronet, he would not oppose the motion. Sir IL W. BARRON said he only regretted that;thbi: sum was so small.—(A. laugh.) Gentlemen 11:1 : g e tita laugh, . but he' would ask' wits this thal when millions of people were starving il l i d country, to be haggling about some paltry fif t y thotis as pounds ?—(Hear, hear.) And when he stood up , la he then to be met by a laugh.—(Hear, hear.) H e ?/... in say that this was a paltry sum, when it was borne mind the awful state of Ir e land a t p res ent, where h °, o sands and hundreds of thousands had at that wom en ; of other resource or dependence th an the G ov ernieey'., the country, and the charity of their neighbourstioa (Hear, hear.) He stated this under the solemn eoll'ie'ri .of the fact, and as the result of his own personal eaPe.,h, !pee and inquiry in the counties he was connected 1/17;* He was told . that the people of Ireland were cr T sid e red, b ecause suc h a step di d not agreewith w test axioms of political econom y. • H e cou ld on ly say; it was bad econo m y to haggle a b ou t suc h a paltry 7 00 and he for one only object e d t o th e smallness of it' „i s• hoped at some future time to h ear her Majesty's the ter come down to the . House and demand Os; o p people of Ireland should r ece i ve more effectual sistance. tot Mr. WILLIAMS said that he was - sorry eat he had appeared to his f r i en d unw illing to .., n a any assistance to the people of Ireland, as he vvs l ;'es' always would be, the last man t o hi n d er a ny suc h dire sure. Ile was as anxious as any man to see s t est tress in. Ireland provided against, b u t he thougtu oe s there were means of avoidin g it by i nt roducing s on e measure that would a ff ord the same secu rity to life By property in Ireland as there was in this kingdon t. for that means there would be a greater inducem en r t t of capitalists to make an o u tl a y o f money in that Pt e of the empire. He k new t h at I re l an d was as cgs end improvement as any .part of the United Kingdom' „ to afforded as good opport u niti es of securing re utle f , -account, and he hoped th a t means w ou ld b e taken - o r troduce that peace and confidence which was 60 es tiaLoy ll necessary to its welfare. ith rd CLEMENTS begged leave to find faulov , some expressions that had fallen from the ver y Gentleman, who appeared to forget, or to pay her little attention to facts. He forgot that a vast e u ,i, s l of Irish tended proprietors w e re li v i ng i n Engii til j o l; I paying income-tax on revenues deri ve d from re ies; and as that fact could not be disputed, could he a — to to a small portion of the tax b e i ng return's' no the people of Ireland? There was little f r n ot reason to suppose that such money woul d ire sl• be applied to the end for whi c h it wasbss W t. lea Nothing on the part of her Majesty's Governine% to to the supposition that any portion of the grent t w o' be laid out on ornam e nt a l wor k s . V as t su ms fig t he had already been laid out on w or k s o f th a t kind; 01 '0 grant now sought for was to be appliel to works 'N were to be reproductive. 1,0 had Dr. BOWRING said that the Hon. Member we s „ r • ° just sat down did n o t seem t o un d ers t an d the obr; i l tecl of his Hon. F r i en d (M r . Willi ams ) , w h o only `s ari t he some security that th e mone y wou ld b e a pplie d purposes for whi c h it was soug h t. I t was neee' r ite that some guarantee should be given res pecting i d) proper application of th e grant . H e (D r . 1 3 ° w1. „101' would offer -his cordial support t o an y me asure F a fas lated to improve the condition of I re l an d, only l ielth his duty to know that it was properly applied. to this explanation he would not offer any itneedin ieo the grant. RAILWAY BUSINESS FOR THE SESS I°I4. es Sir ROBERT PEEL, rose and said,—Sir , I the on behalf of her Majesty's Government to sts`T ios i course which they recommend in relation to the rs '' business of the session. Her Majesty's Gover l l ici t have felt it their duty to avail. thems e lves of the ettritio opportunity of calling the attention of the House t u tor various railway Bills that are "out to be 0 00 mitted to it, in order to take its °P i° f beto as to the best mode o f di s p os ing of - - 4 0 The attention of her Majesty's G overnm ent has "" o f called to this subject ; they have seen the necess it y P , making arrangements to meet it ; and I, as their org a e have considered the present time the proper one of ing the attention of the House to it. In ordinal 5 1 r y cumstances it might not have been so urgently e ec ess o to call your attention so prominently to the quest iell 'ol considering the great interests, I have felt it ply Cpl to bring this matter under your considers to o accordingly, I now make thi s application to the l i w u joo for the appointme n t o f a Committee in order to ee into and report on the best course of disposing of t h u n der way business of the session. The Government , : d to ordinary circumstances, might hav e b ee n prel?' brit' arrange-the carrying out of the business in questir t seir under the existing circumstances, they felt it to wsie'tte('; duty to ask the House to appoint a Select Corn - s s i st e7 The Government have been making all the be rho inquiries, and they will be prepared to lay beforleor Committee the information they have acq uired+, o to ing it to th em t o institute an inquiry, and to rePL rh o the course the Hous e ought t o p ursu e. ' s ses' importan ce o f t h e i nterests i nvo l ve d w il l b e ma de 00;01 by me calli ng th e a t tent i on o f t h e H ouse to the n u ": ee° of Railway Bihs passed during the last two yesrs , e dt , the amount of capital these Bills were empowe r 04 4 raise. The number of Railway Bills passed in be o; was 48, sanctioning the raising of a capital of a lt os 14,708,0001. In 1845—that is last year—tbe ing agreed to one hundred and eighteen Railway Bill s, ,rotie . powers to raise a capital of not less than fifty In", 1 00 It is generally understood that it requires three .7, r s for the completion of a railroad. At least it is n s 1 ) 101 matter of experience that, for the formation of a r;s, gel in this part of the United Kingdom, three years 11 `i t oV nerally required for the completion of railways e ' r est , length. If that time be allowed to be CO ei r si i we shall find that for the construction of the rat or e, which have received the sanction of the Legi si f e el l during the last three years it will be necessary sum of upwards of 70,000,0001. sterling on the of the country for the entire completion of thes e ," ways ; that is to say, that in the year 1846 an 11- ni th e of 23,500,0001. will be required to be drawn f s eo- e ssl' capital of the country, which is employed in W e f ,; ro il' channels of commerce and trade for th e c ompletion ° ways within the year. In th e y ear 1847, also, th t e r b e ci it t be required the sum of 23,500,000/. s t er li ng , wh'e,, tP" be found in no oth er source t h at l am aware of -h ap rho which 1 have just stated. And in the year lt e for t sum of 18,000,0001. must be drawn from the the same purpose. In making this calculation, the course intend to except the ra il wa y s w hi c h obtain ecr . e st; Bills authorising their construction during the lo c n i and, therefore, something i s t o b e d e d ucte d f r° 1 0 1 14 ; amount, bnt including them, the compliment of eeP',; e rilt' quired for the completion of the rail wilys a uthorise" last session, and the y ears 18 43 and 1844 is not a 1 e5 00 0 . 1. 0 than7o,ooo,ooo/. s t er li ng . N ow t h e sum o f 23,5(A -to be think, it will be allowed, is a very large sum •iPe drawn from the ordinary course of its circulation one year, and th a t so large a sum as this er l s t ;,tsg e r ; thus occupied without detriment to the general anv"" ris e and, as it appears to me, without serious incensrel l ,f' s the interest of the country. The expenditure of tri'", however, has been sanctioned by the Legislst ur b lei ve now turn to-the number of railway schemes 9 , 1 ' 2 6 been deposited at the Board of Trade, and seeking the sanction of Parliament in the co urse t : J 0 present session. I 'am aware that the 00' se e schemes requiring the sanction will be e aerl: time before they can get into the of execution. The number of English railw a i s 0 6 ; that have been deposited at the Board of Trade , 1 ; See' the number of Scotch railway Bills, which he nLi deposited at the Board of Trade, is 121 ; and t-- h c e tber! ' ber of Bills for Irish railways, is 88 ; there ar e ' el r e fore, no less than 815 Railway Bills, which,. "i . , s rb ie , quire the consideration and the sanction se s! ! " meat. I -am aware that many of W e i ra i l ; opposing schemes for the same lines ° ae cti ° 6 way, and that Parliament will not give its ~9 0 / tbO r to more than one. lam also aware that severs' s ecs 00_ 1 / Bills cannot possibly receive that sanction f r f f sers.„ o incapability of complying with the standing; os ts ej, / (Hear, hear.) The House will; therefore, ales '"eiersul that the number of these Bills will be very co osl l, tti° reduced ; but yet it should be reinarketde pro.( the plans deposited with the Board of Tr" waits posed the construction of no less than 20,6871 eft coe o l i new railway, and that the amount r equired for t 1 000, 00 0 pletion is upwards of the enormous sum of 3 S O ' fi loo ° b , It is impossible that the application of such ° ll e a Wit o f of capital to these undertakings can be na ncti na °l3 3 rice t ' s o t, out ialicting injury on the trade and mope): ; 0 0°03 the country.—(Elear, hear.) I think it mos t e s therefore, at the earliest period of the Sessionrineiplo House of Com mons should consider wh et Peslatv , ° fi e ought to guid e th em i n ra il way legislation. ob j e cti cl , one can feel m ore strongly than I do th e Oove r ie which the re are t o the interference either of the l a tie° e e 1 , merit or the House to st o p legitimate sP e d u *De so o rail Way or any o th er un d er t a kings ; ' for 0 0 spcet to th e r a il wa y s o f this country , afi plies'i l ' o s feel most f a vour a bly di s p ose d towards th e co r r ete t he of British capital to them, rather than to e to s o dertakings, SO calculated as they a terpr ise, op , promotion of fair and legitimate e , ll the e tb e calculated as they are to promot e rorn°te venienee of the public, and to P t . on tbee o r general welfare of the people. The q ues whether there are good and su ffi cient reaso 0 eo lat fering at all with the progress of railWal. su P g uide W I " and if so what should be the priucißles