The Sun. — London, England, 1846-05-19 00:00:00

Ebitton SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock. RAILWAY COMMITTEES (THIS DAY.) After some more general information as to the engineering merits of the line, the, Committee adjourned to eleven o'clock to-morrow . HOUSE ( IF COMMONS. 0 ROI7P X. ZNSDIELTIAGOW, DALSETLF, AND COAT. BEIDGE XVITCTION. (Centinucd from our Afternoon Edition.) Mr. rIORDON addressed the Committee at length in support of the ' petitions against the Bill. He applied himself with great force and ability to the proposed changes in the Bill, showing that there was a danger of exorbitant charges and diminished accommodation from the extension of the influeine of established main lines and new branch lines. such as the Lesmahagow, &c., Junction Railway. He referred to the reports of the Amalgamation Committee, to prove that this was no ideal danger. He called witnesses to show that the proposed charges were too high, as compared with those on other lines of the same character—that is, lines for the carriage of minerals. The evi • dence was further to the effect that the lines with the lower rates of charge were paying well, and their shares were at a good premium. The CHAIRMAN observed that the rate of charges upon the lines referred to were no guide to the Committee as to the equity of the charges proposed upon the line before the Committee. They could not estimate the comparative outlay in the construction, or the com parative cost of working. Mr. M'NEIL (for the Bill) observed that some of the lines which had lower charges than the proposed railway could be worked for were nearly level lines. Mr. Goanox submitted that the evidence which he had offered respected this line in a fair comparison with the others, taking into account the distance, the difficulty of the gradients, and the conse quent expense of working. Mr. 11.'Nnir. elicited from Mr. Baird (a witness for the opponents) that there was really no comparison between the cheap traffic lines and the present in point of working. [The details of evidence were too minute for a report.] Mr. M'NEIL having replied, . . . _ 'the Committee decided that the preamble was proved. The clauses were then gone through and agreed to, and the Bill passed. _ . The Committee adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow. GROUP XIII. NORTH BRITISH (CARLISLE AND GRETNA BRANCHES). (Continued from our Afternoon Edition.) The Duke of Buccleuch was the :first witness called, who stated that the proposed line went, for a great extent, through his property. 'The line would be of great benefit to the manufacturing towns of Galashiels and Hawick, besides accommodating the important agri cultural comity of Roxburgh. He had thought this would be a good line since the autumn of 1844. Hawick was at present supplied with coals from the east, and frcm the neighbourhood of Berwick, also from his collieries at Berwick. • To Mr. CURTELS—He could not say whether all the three through lines would pay, as he had not paid attention to the question. lie thought, however, the Hawick traffic would not much interfere with that of the Caledonian. Examination continued—He thought the North British, from _ Langholm to Cannobie, preferable to the branch of the Caledonian proposed between these two points. He had himself suggested the former as not co likely to interfere with the scenery as the latter. Cross-examined—lie could not say there was much traffic from Longtown to Carlisle. The country between Crowick and Lang holm was in a great measure pastoral, and but thinly populated. The principal advantage he looked to was taking coals by this branch ftem Cannobie to Crowick. He believed one great reason of passing the Edinburgh and Crowick line last year was to accommodate coals . --- coming from Dalkeith toCrowick. He could not speak of the through traffic, of that the course of it was not to the north—to Edinburgh and Glasgow. He thought the Edinburgh, through traffic, would not be taken from the Caledonian, that was, as far as he had received infor ination. He had from the first, doubted the policy of passing the Caledonian line. If the difference between the two through schemes was but two miles, then tbere would be a probability of the Caledo nian being injured. He admitted that the extension agreed to, to Berwick and the south-east, would give a great outlet to the traffic of Roxburgh. A great deal of produce went that way, and also to the north. Mr. Wilson, a manufacturer of Hawick, examined—The popula tion of the town and the suburbs was 8,000, engaged in manufactur ing tweeds, shawls, and blankets. They were principally supplied with wool from England, a great quantity of which would come by this railway. The same, he believed, applied to Galashiels. At present the foreign and English wool came mainly from London to Berwick, from whence it was carted to Hawick. Oils and scouring and dxp.stuffs principally came the same way. He thought the proposed extension to Carlisle would be of great advantage to the traffic of the district. The sale of goods manufactured at Hawick he set down at 270,0001., and with the railway he thought it would very much increase. Cross-examined by Mr. Cocxsuatf—The population of 8,000 in habitants included a portion of an adjoining parish. At present the principal portion of their goods went to Edinburgh and the north. Ho was examined last year, and then stated that the bulk of the trade went to Edinburgh. He also stated that they consumed at Hawick upwards of 700 tons of wool, both home and foreign ; but the proportions of the foreign to the home wool had altered last year on account of the growth of the fancy trade. The wool consumed last year was about 850 tons. The increase was mainly in foreign wool. He had derived his information respecting the wool from the manufacturers of the town, who had stated, to the best of their belief, what the amount was, but they did not give the real figures of the quantity received. The wool came from London, Liverpool, and Yorkshire. The timber used at Hawick came principally from Leith though he believed some came front either Carlisl e or A nnan, but he could not say how much. He was not aware that no American timber was imported at Annan. Further evidence on behalf of this Bill was adjourned till to morrow. GLASGOW. DUMFRIES, AND Cala MlSTai. The clauses of this Bill were proceeded with a little after three o'clock. On the application of Mr. COCKBURN, the clauses in this Bill that related to the portions of the extension and branches which the Caledonian proposed, and on which the argument took place this morning, were postponed till the case on behalf of the extension and branches was gone into, and the decision of the Committee known. Several of the unopposed clauses of the J ill were read and agreed to. The further consideration of the clauses was put off till to-morrow at twelTo o'clock, when, as there Is a proviso in the Bill for an amal gamation with the Glasgow and Ayr Railway, evidence on the toll clauses, according to an instruction of the House of Commons, will be taken.—The Committee then adjourned. GROUP XIV. The Select Committee appointed to consider the merits of the Bills comprised in this group re-assembled this moron;, and proceeded with their labours ; Mr. Protheroe in the chair. ;TERN (MID KENT). The next line taken by the Committee was the South-Eastern (Mid rent) scheme, which was represented by Mr. Alexander. The line Was opposed by . Mr. Sergeant Talfourd, on behalf of the Kent Atmos pheric, and by the Croydon Railway Company, and several land holders. but bsiore going into the case the Committee decided that the latter could net be heard. A witness having beene:Uptipiedtotrt his line, had b een complied with,ove that the res o l u ti ons of Mr. Duncombe, so fax as th ey Mr. Coexist:mg opened the case for the promoters. The object of the line was M afford railway accomm odation to the midl and dis tricts of Kent, to shorte n th e route between the metropolis avd Dover, and to shorten the dist ance between London an d and Londo n . The lines would shorten the distance betw een and Dover by thirteen miles, and fifte en between c . i on F L i n k : ed w ar: y d e I • Hastings, while the distance to Maidstone w ou ld be shortened twen t y miles , and Tunbridge by eighteen miles. The line commenced at a point on the Greenwich line, passed through Bromley by 3faiditcine and on to Chard, where it joined the exiating. line. Another line branched off at Riverhead,. crossed the existing main lice st.Ttinbridge, *where it joined a line running through Tun. bridge Welke, and so on to Reigate and Hastings, which had alrealy received the, sanction of the Legislature. The competing scheme was the Kent Atmospheric; but the gradients and engineering features of the South-Eastern were so very much favourable to its rival, that he was sure the Committee would have no difficulty in seeing that the South-eastern lines were the best. Besides, the atmospheric system, as applied to long lines, was still a matter of speculation ; and ho hoped the knowledge of this fact, added to the severe gradients and bad engineering features of the atmospheric lines, it would be quite suffi cient to justify the Committee in throwing out the latter scheme. The total distance of the main line to Chard was forty-nine miles and three-quarters, and of the Riverhead branch ten miles and three quarters. The total estimate was 1,500,000/. Colonel Middleton was the first witness called, commandant of the military depot at Maidstone. Be said Maidstone was the cavalry depOt for all the regiments serving In the East, and he considered the proposed line would be of considerable advantage to the public and to the service. He calculated that about 3,000 individuals, con nected with the establishment at Maidstone, would take advantage of the existing railway communication, and he had no doubt the number would be considerably increased if this line were made. Sir Edmund Filrner, M.P. for West Kent, Lord Camden, Mr. W. Stone, M.P. for Rochester, Mr. Turner Baldwin, Mr. Wilds, soli 'nor, of 3faidstone, Mr. W. Hone, the Rev. Mr. Cobb, rector of Bythan ; Mr. John Carter, of Botha m; and Mr. Charles Ellis, of Maidstone, gave evidence in favour of the South-Eastern scheme. The Committee adjourned at four o'clock. GROUP XVIII. MUTER, YEOI7IZ, AND DORCHESTER, LONDON, SALIS3D'EY, AND YEOVIL. (Continu timberm our Afternoon Edition.) Mr. Wilson, a large grower, residing in the neighbourhood of Exeter, considered the proposed line would be of great advantage to him in the conveyanc e of his timber. At present he bad to send it to Southampton and Portsmouth, at an expense of Is. per foot. It was also very inconvenient for him to get to London by the present mode of communication —h e had either to go to Southampton, and thence by the South-Western Railway to London, or to proceed to Bath, a distance of seventeen miles, and then proceed to London by the Great Western Railway. The examination of this witness completed the Proceedings to day, and the Committee than adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow. HOUSE 01? LORDS. GROrP I. THE LONDON AND TORN. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition.) Mr. Badley was re-examined by Mr. Sergeant KixoLAKIS —The London and York Railway was the nearest line to the cattle dealers of Lincolnshire, St. Ives, and other large grazing districts and market towns. It was of the greatest consequence to the condition of the cattle to have a day's rest before coming into the market. When they arrived at Smithfield on the Sunday, they could then rest till the Monday. By the London and York Railway they would arrive in such time in the morning as to have all Sunday to rest, in stead of, as at present, coming In on the evening. Charles Chaplin, Esq., examined by Mr. DENISON—Was one of the Commissioners for the drainage of the Witham. Was also proprietor of about 20,000 acres of land. The London and York line would not interfere with the drainage, the loop line would interfere with the small landowners, such as tho'se who held about ten acres ; it would Interfere with the drainage of their land to some extent. The witness was not crass-examined. Plta l4ll , traffic-taker, was examined as to the correctness of the tsbleS shewing the amount of traffic. The witness was briefly cross.examitei by Mr. TALBOT, and this Concluded the traffic evidence. 31r. Cubitt, civil engineer, was then called and examined a by T T e . w I) Exisosr—ls engineer for the London and York Ra y. length of the lino from London t 3 York, without branches, is 185 miles 78 chains. The loop line goes from the main its line 2 miles beyond Pe terborough round by Byston and Lincoln ;length is 86 miles 10 chains. From Bedrord it Is 7 miles 72 chains. There was a branch intended to be made, called the Stamford branch, but it is not sow deemed expedient to construct it, in consequence of the difficulty of crossing other proposed lines. That branch tr as to have been the length of 4 miles 75 ch a i ns. There was also to have been a branch from Doncaster to Leeds, but it is not now in the Bill, that having been abandoned. The branches or spurs are as follow :—there is for Doncaster, 64 chains, for Hull and Selby, 51 chains; and the whole length of the line, including the spurs, is to be 283 miles 47 challis. That is the length of the line now before the Committee. The table of distances now handed in were prepared by him. There is nothing at all uncommon In the construction of this line; it is as easy as any ordinary line of railway. The gradients are as lin 200 ; there is a small portion of the line as 1 in 108, and that is close to the London station, but it did affect the ruling gradients. The Birmingham station at Euston square had a gradient considerably under 1 in 100, The gradients, with this exception are as 1 In 200. He had taken. great care to have the gradients thus favourable. It would cost more to construct it in this way, but then it will be saved other. wise. Where the engines should be required to go at its greatest stied, tee gradients will not eff4 , :t them. The Bedford branch is a dead level. The most difficult- part of the line is for about Sweaty Mika" going oat .. of • London, the remainder is a ll very favourable, with a . slight exceplort coming up to Grantham. There are tunnels along the main line to the num ber of fourteen, and the longest is 1,352 yards ; there is another OX .1,312, and another near Grrinthani of 1,047. At Islington there IS nue of 632 yards, and at Tottenham one of 737, and farther on one of 580. The other tunnels are one of 378 at Enfield, close to whieh is another of 220, and at St. Math's one of 112, at Digswell one of 1047, Sandy one of 187, tittle Sands one of 198 ; at Great Ponton, one of 352 ; Little Ponton, one of 205 ; and at Guyd, one ef96B, making a total of 8,266 yards of tunnelling, at a coat of 603,365/. This is less than five miles in length. Ori the Loop line there 1i ro tunnelling. The total estimate of the main line is 4,149,9011. The estimate of the Loop is 149,4081. The cost of the Bedford Branch is estimated at 86,90 1., making a total of 5.236,4441. The banks of the Witham are well adapted fur a railway, and are just such as would be required. The soil is generally sandy, but some of it is peat. It is, however, admirably adapted to the purposes of a railway. GROUP XX. The Committee on this group of Bills re -assembled this morning ; Mr. Sotheron in the chair. V27NDSO3i, SLOUGH, AND STAIITZS ATMOSPHERIC. Mr. Weitaxx, on the :part of the authorities of Eton College, re-- Fumed the cross-examination of Mr. Seeker, with respect to the fisheries on the Thames and the neighbourhood of Windsor. The witness was re-examined by Mr. KNOWLES, as to the extent of the boundary which could be cl a im e d by the Eton Corpor a ti oa. Steam 414•701404 um U tQ 149 ProPriStY of 044144138 C 411414 deeds and other documents in evidence, and also as to whether Mr. Pemberton should be recalled. The room WAS then cleared, and on strangers being ra•admitted, The CHAIRMAN announced that the Committee would not receive the further evidence of Mr. Pemberton, because the Crown could in any stage assert its own rights ; and they further decided that from the evidence already adduced, they could not recommend Parliament to sanction this Bill, and, therefore, they would require no further evidence on the preamble. Mr. KNOWLES wished the Committee to confine their decision to that portion of the scheme which was really objectionable, or at least to defer the confirming of the whole resolution until he had had an opportunity of conferring with his clients. The Committee assented to this proposition, and adjourned. GROUP X XII. The Committee re-assembled this morning at the usual hour, Sir George Grey, chairman. NORWICH AND SPOONER.-BOW. The morning was consumed in hearing local evidence as to which of the two stations, the one projected by the above company in Nor wich, or that proposed by the opposing company, the Ipswich and Bury St. Edmunds (Norfolk Extension), was the better one. Other witnesses were called, who also corroborated the evidence Of the first witness, both as regarded the superiority of the station pro posed to be made by the company, and also to the inconvenience generally felt in their neighbourhood in consequence of the want o f railwayaccommodatthioenn. rose, it having been annou nce d that the Committee Speaker was at prayers. GROUP XXVI. SOUTH ESSEX AND GRAVESEND. The Committee on this line assembled at twelve o'elock, Mr. M. 0' _:onnell in the chair. Captain Bullock, R.N., Admiralty Surveyor, testified to the ad va stage which would be derived from forming an anchoring ground In the river Crouch, and the facilities that would be obtained by the pr posed line for the public interests, in the way of defence for our m :rcantile marine. ' Captain Hallowell confirmed this testimony, and described the course of the river Crouch. Mr. Richmond, a coal-owner and ship-owner of Newcastle, spoke to the convenience for the coal trade which this line would afford, and stated not only that there would be a great economy of time, but hat there would be a saving of ninepence a ton in the carriage of coals between Gravesend and London. There was much effort to shake this gentleman's evidence, as also that of Captain Bullock, but It was to no purpose. Several farmers in the neighbourhood of Foulness were called to show the advantage that would result from the more rapid and cheap conveyance to London of their corn by means of this railway, and that a great objection existed to using the South-Eastern line from the necessity of crossing the Thames. The Committee then adjourned till to-morrow. GROUP XXVII. This Committee met this morning at the usual hour ; Sir C. Lemon in the chair. LEICESTER AND BEDFORD. the engineering evidence was - proceeded with Mr. Joseph Cubitt was the first witness examined. Was a civil engineer, and had surveyed this line. It commenced at; Jaitchin in the north, and extended to the Leicester and Swannington Rail Way in ate south. It was 644 miles in length. After describing the course of th,eline, treamtid there were no peculiar engineering difficulties. :The Works were generally favourable There were two tunnels, one 1,221 yards and the other 643 yards long. The gradients and curves were of the ordinary character, genitally favourable, as was also the nature of the soil traversed by the line. The estimated cost of the works was I „500, 0001. • •- Cross-examined—Was . not aware that the Leicester and llefliord line would cost 110,0001. more than the South Midland. The Committee adjourned at four o'clock. GROUP XXXI. SOUTH WALES. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition.) Mr. Brunel was then called, but as he was under examination In another Committee, some evidence was taken with respect to the Margem deviation. Mr. Mayl.ns, an iron manufacturer in I lynvi Valley, examined by Sir Tnosfes Pnimars—The main road was so steep that the convey ance of his goods to it cost as much as the whole expense of trans mitting them to the sea, 13 miles distant. A railway would be an immense saving to all the other manufacturers in the valley. The deviation was a considerable improvement on the line of last session. The majority of the largest manufactures was carried on to the north of the deviation, whereas the old line was neither near towns nor manufactories. In addition to this the line would give direct communication to the ports to which they were desirous of sending their goods. It would also open up communication with Staffordshire. Porthcavel, the only available port in the vicinity, ivas most inefficient for the number of ships communicating with that part of the country. It was too small, and the water was at times extremely shallow. No ornamental ground on the property of Mr. Talbot, at Margem, would be interfered with, and, in his opinion, it would be of great advantage to that gentleman. Sir H. De la Beche, examined by Sir T. Pumars—ls Chairman of the Geological Society of England ; had made a geological survey of Glamorganshire. Llynvi Valley was extremely rich as it pos sessed a quantity of " black band" ore. The deviation line would afford facilities for the transit of these minerals, which the original line would not have afforded. The Learned Counsel for the Severn and Wye Railway Canal applied to the chairman to move for the production of the notes of the evidence taken before the Committee on the "Rugby. Worces ter, and Wolverhampton Railway in the last session of Parliament ; and also for the report of the Gauge Commissioners. Mr. Ausrme held that the report of the Gauge Commission was not binding or conclusive, inasmuch as no measures had yet been adopted with respect to it by Parliament. Then the parties before the Com mittee this year had no connexion with the lines which the evidence referred to The Learned Counsel contended that the report of the Gauge Commissioners was conclusive as far as it went, and that the parties in the Bills to which he had referred were the same par ties which were interested in the Bill before the Committee. The CHAIRMAN considered that such a motion, if made, should not proceed from him, or from any other member of the Committee, but from a member unconnected with the Committee. The Committee would express an opinion whether the motion ought to be acceded to or not. Dr. Bowring, M.P., was then examined. He said he was a large proprietor of iron-works in Llynir Valley, and the Chairman of the Llynvi Iron and Coal Works. It was a rich mineral valley. No thing could be more wretched than the present mole of com munication as it was the worst in the Queen's dominions. The deviation of the old line would be a great accommodation to the district, as it would afford more easy transit to the various ports in the Bristol Channel. The coal-owners of the valley suffered immensely from the defective communication to which they is ere exposed, and even their workmen had done them great injury at times by combinations, because they knew the difficulty of obtaining workmen and materials from other places. Mr. P. Bowring, acting manager of the Llynvi works, corroborated the preceding evidence. The Committee then adjourned until to-morrow, when the engi• neering evidence will be taken. GROUP XXXVII. BOUT IN YORRAIIIRIII COAL RAILWAY AND CANAL. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition.) The Committee then proceeded to hear evidence on the part of the landowners against the remaining lines. At four o'clec.k it was announced that the Speaker was at prayers, and the Comatittee adjourned until twelve o'clock to-morrow. GROUP XLIV, On the meeting of this Committee at the usual hour, in Room 2J Lord Palmerston in the chair, Mr. Moannua, on the part of the FLEETWOOOD, PRESTON, AND WEST RIDING JUNCTION, - - - said, he was Instructed to say, that the part of the line from Clitheroe to Elslack, as well as the Whalley Branch, had been abandoned, and .the only part retained was that from the Preston and Longridge line near Preston to Clitheroe. He would, therefore, withdraw all oppo sition to the ltlackburn and Clitheros line. Mr. BAINES opened the case of the DMACIEDITN,N, CLITNEROE, AND NORTH • WESTERN' JUNCTION. The Learned Counsel's address occupied the Committee for a con" siderable time, and on its conclusion Mr. WiMani Pease, agent to Lord Balcarris, who owns large coal fields in the Wigan district, was tallest to give evidence on the sub ject of the coal traffic. In. consequence of the low tone of voice in which he spoke, some of the most important parts of his evidence were lost, being quite inaudible. He was understood to say that there were 30 or 40 coal-owners in that neighbourhood. He had made calculations of the amount of coal that might be raised annually, and would be available for the traffic on this and the Blackburn and Chorley (another proposed line)—we understood him to say that the result was 46,000,000 tons. Twenty-five feet was the average thick ness of the stratum. The royalty was Ad. per ton. Mr. Pease gave details as to the price of coal at the pit's mouth and in the market, and other similar matters, and expressed his conviction that the value of the coal-fields would be increased and the price of coals diminished by the proposed line. Mr. William Withers, surveyor, gave engineering evidence in favour 'of the line. In cross-examination by Mr. BRENTD, he said that the line passed through the ornamental grounds of Mr. Thompson, a cotton and calico printer, who petitioned against the Bill, on an em bankment. A viaduct of 120 yards might be substituted. Mr. Vignoles, the chief engineer to the line, was then called, and gave the usual engineering evidence, describing the course of the line, &c. The line started at Blackburn, at the station common to the Blackburn, Chorley, and Liver pool line, and the Blackburn and? Preston. (The former of these is a projected line, which had been placed in another group --the latter is sanctioned by Parliament, and is in course of construction.) The junction, with these llues, would be effected in such a manner as to de no injury whatever to the property of the other companies. The three lines were laid down by him (Mr. Vig. noles), and in aging the site of the station of the Blackburn and Pres ten line, he had had in view the formation of the Blackburn and Chorley, and the Blackburn and Clitheroe. At Whalley there is an abbey of great antiquity, near the banks of the Ribble. The line would cross the Ribble near this abbey, but it would keep clear of the building itself, crossing the river on a viaduct at some distance from it. At Clitheroe there were extensive lime works, to which this line would give the best accommodation. A meeting of the Blackburn and Chorley Company took place yesterday, and it was agreed, by a majority of 10 to 1, that this line should be immediately proceeded with, without waiting for the assent of Parliament. The worst gradient on the line was 1 in 82, which occurred near Blackburn. Near the point of junction there is a curve of a radius less than half a mile, which is the only curve of so small a radius. The estimate was 600,0001., wnich was much more than lines which he was now c.instnicting actually cost, though they were as expensive as this could be, as they passed through the same country. In cross-examination by Mr. BRENTD, on the part of the petitioner Mr. Thompson, the witness said that the company would have no objection to make the line upon a viaduct instead of an embank ment, if Mr. Thompson wished it. They would use either the main line or the alternative line, whichever he preferred. Re-examined—The use of the alternative line would lessen the n jury to the property of Mr. Yates, another petitioner. By the CnAiitmatc—We might, if necesssary, go 100 yards further off from Mr. Thompson's property, We would thereby avoid his ornamental grounds. Mr. 31EIRESIETIER, on the part of the promoters, said he was prepared to call further engineering evidence, if the Committee wished it. The - CHAIRMAN—We are satisfied that the line is a good one in an engineering point of view. m aaaawrritxx—Then my case is concluded. ProceameLocn ji , ci.,_ttee gave no d ec i s i on upon thi s Bill i mmediately, but ri,*.srracr—l'atob. ir ulut dllii cage i°fltittrar. AND c4:o,4l4thaTth: °T' peiieitt ltx:Dxsrci rtr isrstr=o7/11. - Mr. Bidder, .the engineer, the the usual:, to this Bill. The length of , the line was sixte en mate 268,0001. Mr. BRENTD, on the part of the Clitheroe Junction, was about to cross-examine Mr. Bidder, when Mr. CaLvEaT objected that the Committee having declared against the Clitheroe Junction Bill, his friend had no locus standi. The CHAIRMAN said that although the Committee expressed an opinion. that the preamble of the Clitheroe Junction was not proved, they had reserved their final decision for the express purpose of giving them an opportunity of cross - examining the witnesses called: and although they were not likely to give them a line of rail way, they would give them a tine of argument.—(A laugh.) The cross-examination, which was of no interest, then proceeded. The CHAIRMAN ordered the room to be cleared, that the Committee might consult as to their decision. On our re-admission, the Chairman gave the decision of the Com mittee on the Clitheroe Junction ; Blackburn, Clitherbe, and North Western Junction ; Fleetwood, Preston, and West Riding Jun ct i on. Lord PALMERsTON. — The Committee are of opinion tphrrattertaamth.beitteprreeo-f. pre amble of the Clitheroe Junction is not proved; that o f t h e Blackburn, n a c n h d te not proved o ed so far as theClitheroe Fleetwood, and p o North t l i V e l e t! t a e n r nd WestJu n Junction t Ridingion is iis proved; pre: proved, the i l t at r e e s ta t t o es the o l t i h n e e l f i r h o e m to Preston Etsi ack th an C d lit th h e °r ;r ° a ' day they adjourned , it being ten minutes t o The Committee postponed the consideration of certain clauses until Monday, to which four o'clock. GROUP LIV. The Committee re-assembled to-day at the usual hour; present. Mr. Epiincrman (chairman), and the other members. MIDLAND (LEICESTER AND SWANNING TON ALTERATION AND BRANCHES.) The evidence respecting Mr. Harris (one of the petitioners against the Bill) was resumed ; but, owing to the absence of one of the neces sary witnesses, the further consideration of the Hill was postponed till to-morrow. The Committee then adjourned. GROUP LV. MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD, AND MID- LAND JVNCTION. The Committee, Mr. Shaw in the chair, resumed its sittings this morning, when Mr. Vignoles, the engineer of the line, gave evidence as to the na ture of the earthworks, tunnels, and other features of its course, by which it appeared that there would be no tunnels of unusual character as to the difficulty of forming them, though one was to be three miles In length ; but there was to be a viaduct carried through part of the town of Sheffield, not, however, as he conceived it, at all likely to interfere with the property or convenience of the town. The cost, including land on one of the main lines, would be about 50,0001., and on the other 44,0001. per mile. The traffic would, on the usual data, give a clear 7 per cent. profit. The Duke of Rutland, and several other witnesses, deposed to the advisability of the line, and the benefit it was likely to produce to property thrQugb, winch it ma. The country was represented as • Turner, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Browne, May 19. 26th Foot—Ensign J. G. Mountain to be Lieutenant, by purchase, viee Rhys, who retires; W. R. Bell, Gent., to be Ensign. by purchase, vice Mountain, May 19. 32d Foot—Lieut. R. Souter, from 15th Light Dragoons, to be Lieutenant, vice Trower, who exchanges, May 19. 34th Foot—Ensiss Sir G. H. S. Douglass, Bart., to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Brisbane, who retires • E. Probyn, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Sir G. 11. S. Douglass, Bart., May 19, 1816. 47th Foot—Captain W. O'Grady Haly to be Major, by purchase, vice Warburton, who retires; Lieutenant W. D. P. Patton to be Captain, by purchase, vice Haly; Ensign J. Birney to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Patton ; N. G. Philips, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Birney, May 19, 1846. 56th Foot—Ensign J. P. Woolcock to be Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Hare, appointed Adjutant; R. M. vice Woolcock; Lieut. E. F. addell, promoted, May 19. Hare Eden, t o G e be nt . , d Aju to t a b n e t, Ensign, vic e 69th Foot—Brevet Lieut.-Colon e l Sir E. Brackenbury, from half pay Unattached, to be Major, vice Brooks, pro moted ; Captain Sir E S. Thomas, Bart , to be Major, by purchase, vice Sir E. Brackenbury, who retires • Lieut. A. Magnay to be Captain, by purcha se , v i ce Si r E . g. Thomas; Ensign F. W. Bennett to be Lieutenant by purchase, vice Magnay; C. D. Cameron, Gent., to be Ensign by purchase, vine Bennett, May 19. Rifle Brigade—Sergeant-Major P. Macdonald to be Quar termaster, vice E Flattery, who retires upon half-pay, May 19. 2d West India Regiment—Lieut. J. Miller tole Captain, without purchase, vice Bartley, deceased ; Ensign R. C. D. Bruce to be Ligetenant, vice Miller, May 15 ; A. J. C. Campbell, Gent., to be Ensign, vice Bruce, May 19. BREVET.—Major A. Richardson, of the 23d Foot, to be Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army, November 23, 1841; Capt. 11. M. St. Vincent Rose, of the 25th Foot, to be Major in the Army, June 28, 1838. MEMORANDUM. —The commission of Surgeon David Dyce, of the 48th Regiment, has been antedated to 13th Dec. 1844. Commission by the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall. C. IL 'l'. Hawkins, Esq., to be Deputy Lieutenant; J. T. H. Peter, Esq., to be Deputy-Lieutenant, May 4. Commission by the Lord-Lieutenant of Southampton. For the County of Southampton—J.. Mills, Esq., to be Deputy Lieutenant ; 11. Compton, Esq., to be Deputy Lieu tenant; T. Pipon, Esq., to be Deputy Lieutenant; W. W. Bulpett, Esq., to be. Deputy Lieutenant, April 30. For the Town and County of the Town of Southampton— G. Atherley, the younger, Esq., to be Deputy Lieutenant, April 29 ; Captain T. Griffiths, to be Deputy Lieutenant, April 30. 2d or South Hants Regiment of Militia—J. Beardmores Gent., to be Lieutenant, May 7. Commissions by the Vide Lieutenant of the County of Haddingt on. - The Right lion. the Earl of Dalhousie to be Deputy Lieu tenant; the Earl of Gifford to be Deputy Lieutenant; the fion. F. Charteris to pe Deputy Lieutenant; Sir H. Dalrym : ple, Bart. to be Deputy Lieutenant; Sir J. Hall, Bart. to be Deputy Lieutenant; Sir R. Houstoun to be Deputy Lieu tenant; J. U. Balfour. Esq.' to be Deputy Lieutenant; G. W. Hope, - Esq. to be Deputy Lieutenant; G. Sligo, Esq. to be Deputy Lieutenant; J. W. Hunter, Esq. to be Deputy Lieutenant; J. Sprot, Esq to be Deputy Lieutenant. Berwick, Haddington, Linlithgow, and Peebles Regiment of Militia—G, Park, Esq., to be Captain, vice Hay •W. C. Sandilands, Esq., to be C a pt a i n , vice Syjserff; F. t,. David son, Gent., to be Lieutenant, vice 13orthwick ; J. Sawers, Gent., to be Ensign, vice Sharpe. Commission by the Lord Lieutenant of the County of Essex. Royal Sussex Light Infantry Militia—Lieut. J: H. Borrer to be Captain, vice R. It Hurst, promoted ; F. Moor, Esq., late Lieutenant 2d Regiment, to be Captain, vice W. W. Richardson, resigned ; Ensign J. S. D. Scott to be Captain, vice I'. Tourle, resigned; Ensign R. M. Cripps to be Captain, vice Lord W. P. Lennox, resigned ; Ensign H. S. Lord Tem plernore to be Lieutenant, vice J. H. Borrer, promoted ; Ensign Hon. F. A. Chichester to be Lieutenant, vice G. Mel lersh, resigned.; D. Cole, Gent., to be Lieutenent, vice R. Docker, deceased; Sir P. Shelley, Bart., to be Lieutenant, vice T. Faulconer, resigned; C. C. Bates, Gent., to be Lieu tenant, vice J. W. Cooper, resigned ; H. Shiffner, Gent., to be Lieutenant, vice D. S. Scott, promoted ; R. Shawe, Gent., to be Ensign, vice R. M. Cripps, promoted ; J. G Willis, Ge n t., to be Ensign, vice Lord Templemore, promoted; N. Macnarnara, Gent., to be Ensign, vice the Hon. F. A. Chichester, promoted ; E. E. Dormor, Gent., to be Ensign, vice J. Dvott, resigned; J. Dennis, Gent., to be Ensign, vice H. W. Vreeland, resigned ; G. Weeks, Gent., to be Surgeon's Mate, with the rank of Lieutenant, vice M. Rogers, deceased ; April 21. Commissions by the Lord-Lieutenant of Essex. West Essex Regular Militia—A. Z. Button, Esq. to be Captain, vice Dick, promoted, April 11 ; It. H. Lovell, Gent. to be Ensign, vice Spurrell, resigned, April 13. East Essex Regular Militia—Ensign H. Eustace to be Lieutenant, vice Atkins, deceased, April 14; C. Brewster, Gent. to be Lieutenant, vice Langstaffe, deceased, April 15; H. Jones, Gent. to be Lieutenant, vice Jagger, deceased, April 16; W. H. L. Johnson, Gent. to be Lieutenant, vice Osborne, deceased, April 17; P. Goldney, Gent. to be Lieu tenant, vice . Thornley, deceased, April 18; M. L. Light, Gent. to be Ensign, vice Bell, resigned, April 20; S. C. Kirby, Gent. to be Ensign, vice Osborne, promoted, April 21. Commission by the Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire. Royal North Gloucester Regiment of Militia—J. Parkinson, Esq., to be Captain, April 14. Commissions by the Lord- Lieutenant of Somersetshire. 2d Somerset Regiment of Militia—J. Halliday, Esq., to be Captain, vice Baillie, resigned ; J. P. Lethbridge, Esq., to be Captain, vice Staple, resigned ; J. G. Evered, Esq., to be Captain, vice Tooker, resigne ; Ensign R. E. Perrott to be Lieutenant, vice Gowan, deceased ; Ensign G. C. M. S. W. 8. Johnston to be Lieutenant, vice Popham, resigned, May 7 ; C. W. Kinglake, Gent., to be Lieutenant, vice Rutledge, superseded; C. W. Fuller, Gent., to be Lieutenant, May 8 ; D. Williams, Gent., to be Ensign, vice Perrott, promoted ; E. Harwood, Gent., to be Ensign, vise Robbins, resigned; J. F. Nicholls, Gent, to be Ensign and Assistant-Surgeon, vice Nicholls, resign e d, M a y 7 ; C. G. Horner, G en t., to b e Ensign, vice Johnston, promoted; W. Porter, Gent., to be Ensign, vice Rutter, superseded ; R. Hetherington, Gent., to be Ensign; T. B. Wright, Gent., to be Ensign, May 8. Commissions by the Lord Lieutenant of the County of Berwick. Berwickshire Militia—J. Pringle, jun., Esq., to be Cap tain, April 6; J. C. Renton, Esq., to be Captain, April 20; J. Ronne, juu., Latl., LO be Cup Lain ; B. APLaren, Gent., to be Lieutenant, April 30. Commissions by the Lord Lieutenant of the County of Kent. West Kent Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry—W. C. Mor land, Gent., to be Cornet, vice Boyd, resigned, May 14. Errata in last Gazette, page 1787. In the list of commissions by the Lord Lieutenant of the west riding of Yorkahire for the Hon. Edmund M onc kt on, read, the Hon. Endmund Gambier Monckton, to be Captain. read, Walter Spencer Stanhope, to b e E Lieutenant.or Walter Stanhope, hilly, but the opportunities of improvement were great, and the people had sufficient spirit to employ any facilities they might obtain. A person was called on behalf of the Woodhouse Branch of the Manchester, Buxton, and Matlock, and stated there are five seams in the Handsworth coal-field of variable thickness, but fit severally for converting iron into steel, for refining steel, for furnace work, and for domestic purposes. The quantity contained in these seams he estimated at 300,000,000 tons. There was another bed running for six miles in the course of the Lincolnshire line from Woodhouse, and extending for a mile on each side of the line. This bed, allowing one feurth for faults, would, he thought, yield more than 90,000,000 tons before it was exhausted. After Mr. Jeffcoek's evidence the case of the promoters was stated to be closed, and, Mr. JamEs, on behalf of the Manchester, Buxton, and Matlock Company, took an objection to the preamble, on the ground that an agreement had been entered into by them with the Sheffield, Man chester, and Midland Junction, which precluded the latter from issuing scrip, and in effect violated the contract deed, and conse quently rendered the project ineligible for Parliament. Mr. TALBOT, Q.C., contended at considerable length that this was not so, and even if it were, that the question was one which the Committee were incompetent to try, and that a court of equity was the authority to which the complainants ought to apply. Alter Mr. James's reply, the Committee decided against him, and Mr. John Power, engineer, of the Lincolnshire Ea.ttern Junction Railway, was called to state that he had surveyed the county be tween Chesterfield and Sheffield in 1836, after the North Midland Company had obtained their Bill, and that after the submission of his report to Mr. Locke and Mr. Leather, it was decided by those gentlemen that there was no opportunity for a lin,e. in that direction. At the conclusion of this evidence, the Conaltted adjourned till to-morrow. MEMORANDUM. Downing-street, May 16, 1846. The appointment of Lieut.-Colonel Barney to be Lieut.- Governor of North Australia has not yet been carried into effect. _ WHITEHALL, MAY 5. The Lord Chancellor has appointed James Charles Calver, of Kenninghall, in the couaty of Norfolk, Gent., to be a Master Extraordinary in the High Court of Chancery. WHITEHALL, MAY 11. The Lord Chancellor has appointed John Marsh Bird, of Okehampton, in the county of Devon, Gent., to be a Master Extraordinary in the High Court of Chancery. DECLARATION OF INSOLVENCY. William Darribrourh, tailo r , Ri c h mo nd, Surrey. BANKRUPTCY SUPERSEDED. John Elliott, coal merchant, Bristol. BANKRUPTS. Samuel Whately, grocer, William-street, Lisson-grove, to surrender May 29, at two, and June 30, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Whitmore, official assignee; Basing.. hall-street ; Simpson and Cobb, Moorgate-street. henry Elkington, chemist, Maida-hill East, May 26 and June 26, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Official assignee, Belcher; Meyrick, Furnival's-inn. Rebert Perry, draper, Brighton, May 30, at half-past twelve, and June 20, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Offiial assignee, Follett, Sambrook-court, I3asinghall-street ; Sole anc &c., Aldertnanburv. Thomas William Green Stevens, hackney master, Bampton, Oxford, May 28, at eleven, and June 20, at half-past eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Follett, official assignee, Sam brook-court, Basinghall- street ; Close, St. Milfred's-court ; Rose, Brompton. James G Gordon, n j l un iall-street, Chambers , 26, at one, at the C ourt o f B an k r uptcy. Groom, official insurance u 2 r , a a n t c e half-past broker, East ilo India an d assignee, Abchurch-lane; Ewbank, South-square, Gray's Inn James John Hance, broker, Liverpool, May 29, at twelve, and June 23, at eleven, at the Liverpool District Court. Morgan, official assignee, Liverpool ; Cornthwaite and Co., Old Jewry-chambers, London • Pemberton, Liverpool. Thomas Hartley and Robert Ingham, share-brokers, May 26 (and not May 27, as advertized in the Gazette of Tuesday last), and June 15, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Ikpe, official assignee, Leeds ; Nelson and Co , Gresham-place, Lombard- s t ree t, L on d on; N elson, Leeds. * Thomas Walker, tallow chandler, Leeds, June 4th, and 23d, at eleven, at the Le e d s Di s t r i ct C ourt. Freeman, official assignee, Leeds; Rushworths. Staple Inn, London; Sander son, Leeds, Yorkshire. John Cooke, auctioneer, Cheltenham, June sth, and 26th, at twelve, at the Bristol District Court. Acraman, official assignee, Bristol; Packwood, Cheltenham. William Wonnacott, grocer, Bath, May 29, - at two, and June 30, at eleven, at the Bristol District Court. Hutton, official assignee, Bristol; Little, Bath. George Daniel French, cabinet maker, Stroud, June 4, at half-past one, and June 30, at twelve, at the Bristol Di s t r i c t Court. Miller, official assignee, Bristol; Cole, Tokenhouse yard, London. Thomas BothaMs, licensed victualler, Nottingham, June 8 and June 14, at ono, in the mingbam District Court. Bittleston, official assignee, Waterloo-street, Birmingham ; Well% Nottingham ; James, Birmingham ; Sudlow and Co., Chancery-lane, London, John Russell, coal dealer, Kidderminster, May 30 and June 30, at half-past eleven, at the Birmingham District Court. Valpv, official assignee, Waterloo-street, Birmingham ; Brin ton, kidderminster. John Fletcher Corbett, scrivener, Worcester, May 30 and June 30, at eleven, at the Birmingham District Court. Christie, official assignee, Birmingham ; Motteram and Knowles, Birmingham. John Richmond Hayward, bookseller, Manchester, May 29 and June 22, at twelve, at the Manchester Disti let Court. Fraser, official assignee, Manchester ; Johnson, Son, and Weatherall, Temple, London ; Blair, Manchester. Samuel Dethiek and Thomas Richard Kay, brewers, New ton Hrath, near Manchester, May 29, and June 22, at one, at the Manchester District Court. Fraser, efficial assignee, Manchester; Norris, Allen, and Simpson, Bartlett's-build ings, Holborn ; Woods and Jackson, Rochdale. MARKET INTELLIGENCE. (From the London New Price Current of May 19.) SUGAR. —To-day importers of West India Muscovado Sugar evinced legs thinness, but generally submitting to prices under those of Friday, caused a good business to be transacted In Grocery and Re- Jibing kinds. REFINED.—To-day all sorts of Refined Sugar were much wanted by the home trade, but few parcels were to be had ; lumps are very firm at 67s to 67s 6d fur brown, and at 68s per cwt. for Standard. Bonded Crushed Sugar Is dull of sale, and can be easily obtained at former rates. IVAURITIUS.—This afternoon the market was largely supplied with Mauritius Sugar, 12,971 bags being offered at auction ; the trade were less inclined to operate, and prices declined 6d to Is per cwt EAST INDIA. —This afternoon the market was much better sup plied with Bengal Sugar, and terse parcels amounting to 3,246 bags were submitted to publio competition : the demand was good, and the whole sold at full rates. TEA.—Congou has been sparingly dealt In, but full rates de manded. Pouchong Is not to be had on lower terms, but the demand has been only for small parcels. The market for Ilyson has become 0_ To-d a quiet, bat holders show no inclination to take lower rates. TwankaY is dull of sale. Gunpowder and Imperial have been purchased with caution ; still lower prices are not taken. In Pekoe Teas little busi ness has been done, notwithstanding the low rates that exist. the quantity improvement has taken place in prices, although quantity on show is small, but there has been a fair business trans acted In all descriptions, upon former terms. The accounts come to hand tom all the Hop g , districts are good. F a Bon, and 1,384 chests at public sale were all taken rather above Whiter w n ji g nv the former value. C°FFEE.—This afteat public sale 180 bags Singapore Java rnoon sold at woderitto rates, Holden of Ceylon, are Inclined to realize, annah Sugar met with little alien- THE _SUN LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, NI KY - 19, 1R46. and offered 1,088 bags- at auction, the whole sold, but generally 6d per cwt. under former rates. • Mocha met with little attention, and 105 bales were nearly all taken in rather above the value. SPIRITS.—Leewa - d Islands has been purchased with caution, and previous rates cannot be obtained. Prices are going down for Fast Idia, shippers and the home trade have operated with caution. In the low kinds of Brandy a good deal has been done, but not at better prices; the better sorts, however, having been purchased with can bon. Geneva is little wanted for exportation, and prices are drooping. Sitei - s.—To-day Black Pepper was only in limited demand, and 442 bags at public sale went raper cheaper. RICE.— To-day Bengal :Rice was in good request, and at public sale 4,113 bags were all sold, but upon rather lower terms. TALLow—Prices are sustained for Russian on the spot, the stock being still small and in the hands of few parties ; but chandlers and soap-makers only purchase sufficient for their Immediate wants. At public sale 101 casks of first quality St, Petersburg Yellow Candle were bought In at 42s to 428 6d per cwt. A stronger desire, however, has been shown to operate for forward delivery, and at 41s to 41s 3d per cwt. in bond a good business has been transacted for the last three months of the year. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. (THIS EVENING.) HOUSE OF LORDS The Lord Chancellor not having taken his seat on the Wool. sack at a Quarter past Five, Lord CAMPBELL said that, in the absence of the. Lord Chancellor their Lordships had the power within themselves of appointing a Speaker, and it being then a quarter past five, he considered it was time they should go on with public business. He should, therefore, move that a Speaker be elected, and he was sure their Lordships conk not make a better choice than by appointing the Noble and Learned Lord.—( Laughter, occa sioned by Lord Brougham inadvertently progressing towards the Woolsack.) He proposed that Lord Brougham be appointed Speaker. Lord Brougham was:on the point of taking his seat, when the Lord Chancellor entered the House, and amidst con siderable laughter occupied the Woolsack. LUNATIC ASYLUMS. The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from the Poor-law Guardians of the Union of Lewes, in the courty of Sussex, complaining of the heavy charges under which they were placed by the Act of Parliament which bad been passed last session, compelling them to support the lunatic asylum for that county. They considered, and he (the Duke of Rich.; mond) perfectly agreed with them, that the support of the lunatics of the county should be imposed on the public funds, and he was glad to find that the Committee on Local Burdens had recommended that such should be the case. CORN LAWS. The . DUKE of RICHMOND presented petitions from Ross and Cromtirtie, praying that, the free trade measures introduced by the Government should not receive the sanction of their Lordships. The Noble Duke then presented several petitions to the same effect from the counties of Norfolk, Salop, Sussex, Essex, aed Stafford, and from several places in Scotland. MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. Messengers from the 'House of Commorts brought up several Bills, which were ordered to be laid'on the table. Sir JAMES DUKE presented a 'petition in favour of the Religious Disabilities Bid. Mr. MUNTZ presented a petition from Birmingham, pray ing the House to reconsider the criminal law so far as it re lated to juvenile offenders. Mr. WILLIAMS presented a petition from Cardigan, pray ing the House to establish a more effective and extended system of education for the poor. Mr. HINDLE Y presented a petition against the Irish Great Western Railway Bill. Mr. BARRY BALDWIN presented petitions in favour of the Buckinghamshire Railways:Bill. Mr. HUME presented several petitions from Scotland, pray ing the House to pass a Bill to enable Christian congregations in Scotland to obtain sites for places of worship, manses, and school-houses. CORN-LAWS: Lerd WARWICK presented one hundred petitions from the southern division of Warwickshire against any alteration in the corn-laws. These petitions had been most numerously signed, and were most carefully got up. There was not a single name attached to one of them that was fictitious. The petitioners prayed that if the duty was taken off corn; it might also be taken off everything else.—(Hear, hear.) FREE CHURCH X:tF SCOTLAND. Lord CAMPBELL presented a considerable number of petitions from members of the Free Church (Scot land), complaining a the difficulties which they cx. perienced in obtaining sites for their churches. Ile regretted exceedingly that it was necessary to bring the subject before the attention of the House, but in . some parts of Scotland the members of the Free Church were compelled to worship God oil the hill- tops or the highways. Now he need not tell their Lordships that this was persecution. The petitioners had come before their Lordships in a most proper spirit. They admitted that they had experienced some kindness from land lords, and only complained of the refusal to give a site for a church. EDUCATION IN WALES. The Bishop of ST. DAVID'S presented a petition from the Common Council, and other inhabitants of Cardigan, praying their Lordships to adopt measures to afford a better system of education to the poorer inhabitants of the principality than that which now existed. He earnestly supported the prayer of the petition, and trusted that its importance would be an excuse fir his troubling their Lordships with a few remarks in this respect. The petitioners deeply regretted the want of education among the poor in Wales, which they attributed to the want of funds to educate them in the English language; that the ignorance of that lan guage prevented the working of many laws and institutions, and restricted the natives to those scanty sources of information which their language afforded; and concluded by praying their Lordships to take steps for the industrial training of the poor. In the month of March an inquiry into the state of education in Wales was acceded to by the Go vernment on the motion of an Hon. Member noted for his humanity, which he feared however Would be superfluous, as the ignorance which prevailed was too well known. A national „system of education had been suecessfusin England, and he saw no reason why;it should not be equally successful if applied to Wales; at any rate the inquiry might lead to some practical result. Nothing could be done without the assistance of the Govern ment, and he thought that that was a; case in which they could claim with some degree of prOpriety peciiniary assistance for the purpose to which he had adverted. There was another point on which he would venture to make a remark. He was afraid that the anticipations expressed by the petitioners were doomed to be disappointed; he did not think that a Government, however stronglytdisposed to concur in the wishes of the petitioners, could:guarantee all the results which they expected. There were numerous districts then in Wales where schools had been long established, and where tuition had been given in the English language to the children, but where, notwith standing, the language was still very barely understood. He was of opinion that if a measure of education had been carried out in Wales they would not have been at the present time labouring under the burdens they now experienced. They would not have required soldiers and police to maintain tran quillity, nor have been saddled with an enormous expense. The resources thus applied might have been used with great advantage in carrying out an efficient system of moral and in. tellectual education. • st The Marquis of LANSDOWNE agteed in the suggestions which had been offered by the Right Hon. Prelate, and thought something should be done to meet the present alarming defi ciency in education. While he agreed with him in that, he at the same time thought there had been ample information laid on the table of the House in order to form a correctjudgement. The result of the inquiry into the Rebecca riots showed that in the districts where the disturbances principally oc curred there was an entire want of education amongst the people.—( Hear, hear.) He considered something was absolutely necessary to be done to meet the deficiency. There had been every year since Government had undertaken to maintain .the system of education an increased demand for as sistance from the Government, and so much so that the in spectors were unable to inspect with anything like proper attention. He considered that they were not called upon to adopt a different principle of national education in Wales from that adopted in England, which he considered was a sound principle, and he hoped it would never be departed from. There should be a number of districts apportioned, in which the utmost latitude should be allowed, in order to effect a great moral revolution. The Bishop of ST. DAVID observed that the Noble Lord had completely mistaken his meaning_he was as much grati fied as the Noble Lord with the national system of education. Lord BROUGHAM was glad that the subject of education in Wales had been brought under the notice of their Lordships, for he believed that in no part of the country was there re quired more assistance from the education fund than in some of the Welsh districts. But he agreed with his Noble Friend who was sitting beside him, that no grant ought to be given for the support of any local scheme, unless they send a certain contribution, a certain proportion of pecuniary aid from the local funds. Without this aid they would only be weakening the cause of education in the districts which most wanted their assistance. Charity-schools would never prosper in any locality that did not itself materially support them. The Duke of BUCCLEUCH said, with respect to the state of Wales , _ that subject had rece i ve d t h e attention of her Ma jesty's Government, and was then tinder the consideration of the Council. With regard to the condition of schools at the present time, and the inability of the inspector to look after them all, he must say that their numbers had lately greatly increased, so that the wo r k upon t h e i nspectors was more than they were originally expected to undertake. CORN-LAWS. Earl DUCIE presented a petition in favour of the repeal of the corn-laws from the town of Southampton. CUSTOMS' DUTIES BILL. Messengers from the Commons brought up this Bill. The Duke of BUCCLEUCH moved the first reading of the Bill. The Duke of RICHMOND said he could not even allow the Bill to be read a first time—(Cheers and laughter) —without expressing his opinion that it was adding positively insult to in jury, because they were called upon to consider two Bills taking away protection to the agricultural interest ; and he must say that as far as he was concerned, it was a very unusual course and extremely hard to the agricultural interest for those Bilis to be brought into that House before the others had been read a second time in the House of Commons. He considered that the provision for lending money for the improvement of land would be of some service, but he thought it was as bad a Bill as it was possible to conceive, because it was inconsistent by only applying the principle of free" trade to some articles an d not to others. The re was no r ed n i t hi n on their cottons from India, for instance. The duties on ,some Manufactu res were to be reduced, but th ere was laist t — free' trade altogether. [LEFT SPEAKING.I HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. VISCOUNT HARDINGE AND LORD GOUGH. Mr. CAMPBELL, of the India House, appeared at the bar, and presented papers connected with the pensions granted to Viscount Hardinge and Lord Gough. LANCASTER AND CARLISLE RAILWAY. Mr. GREENE moved that the order made on the 25th day of February last, for referring the Ulverstone, Furness, and Lancaster and Carlisle Railway Bill to the Committee of Se lection, be discharged, and that the said Bill be withdrawn.— Agreed to. BURY WATERWORKS. On the motion of Mr. WALKER, this Bill was read a third time and passed. REPORTS. The reports on the following Bills were made and considered, he amendments agreed to, and the Bills ordered to be en ;rossed : Scottish Central Railway (Denny Branch). Scottish Central Railway (Perth Termini and Stations). Scottish Central Railway (Alloy Branch). Slamannan Railway (Bathgate and Jawcraig Branches). Edinburgh and Northern Railway (Dunfermline Branch). Dundee and Arbroath Railway Extensions. Dundee and Perth Railway Amendment. Rye and Derwent Drainage. Northumberland Decks. Carshalton Rates. Wakefield, Pontefract, and Goole Railway (Methley, Askern, and Oakerishaw Branches). Forth and Clyde Junction Railway. Stirling and Dunfermline Branch Ra _way. Hartlepool Gas and Waterworks. Dunblane Donne, and Callender Railway. Gravesend an d Milton W.derwork s. Kilmarnock and Troon Railway. Plymouth Cemetery. Salford Hundred Court. MALTON AND DIFFIELD JUNCTION RAILWAY . On the motion of Mr. STANSFIELD, this Bill was read a third time and passed. BROMSGROVE IMPROVEMENT AND SMALL TENEMENT BILL. On the motion of General LYGON, this Bill was read a I second time, and ordered to be committed. KENDAL UNION, GAS, AND WATER BILL. 1 This Bill was read a third time and passed. CHARING-CROSS BRIDGE CoAIPANY On ti e motion of Si r DE LAC Y EVANS, this Bill was read a secon I time, and ordered to be committed. WATERFORD HARBOUR. On the motion of Mr. WYSE, this Bill was read a second time, and (admit tu bo oninnttcd. GROUP LVI, This Committee met to-day for the first time, in Room 29 (New Houss of Parliament). The members are Mr. Ewart (chairman), Mr. Gill, Mr. Pittsford, 31r. Irton, and Mr. lleneage. The lines included in this group are-1. The Eastern Counties Sta tions Enlargement. 2. London and Birmingham (Camden-town and Euston Stations Enlargement) ; 3. London and illackwall :4. East London Extension ; 5. Enfield and Sidmonton ; .6. London and Croydon (Thames Junction Canal) ; 7. Eastern Counties (Thames Junction Branch) ; P. East and West India Docks, and Birmingham J. nction. The usual preliminaries were gone through, and appearances made on Lehaif of all the above Bills and the petitioners against them. In the case of the ENFIELD AND EDDIONTON;, Mr. BEENWALL appeared for a petition against the Bill. Mr. JAMES, for the promoters, objected to the appearance, on the ground that its heading was not in compliance with the standing orders, and by a sessional order all Committees were directed to see that petitions were prepared and signed in strict conformity with the standing orders. , Mr. Brß;iwaLL said that the petition was prepared and signed in conformity with the standing orders, the fault being only in the title. The Committee decided that the petition was tplermally prepared, and could not be entertained. Mr. BURN WALL was about to urge some further observations,when The CHAIRMAN said the Committee had decided the - matter. Mr. BustiwaLL—Oh of course, Sir, If the Committee choose:they are pelfehtly at liberty to decide the easetwithout hearing me ; If they like ,that is, it they, force me to sit dowrt—.they can decide the case as they please. . - The CHAIRMAN—WeII, what more have you to say ? • 111 t. BURNWALL repeated his argument, that the entitling of a Bill was not a part of its preparation. The Committee again expressed their opinion that it was. Mr. BURNWALL proceeded to argue. the matter over again, after which the Committee were of the same opinion. The preliminaries of the other Bills.wcre then proceeded with. The first Bill taken was the LONDON AND CROYDON (THAMES ZITNC- TION CANAL). - This Bill is one of the many projects for the formation of railways In conjunction with canals. The Surrey Canal is the one of which this Bill proposes to make a railway. Several witnesses were called and examined in the course of the day on the part of the promoters. 31r. Cubitt gave the engineering evidence. The length of the line was seven furlongs, eight chains. It forms a connexion between the Blackwell Railway and New Cross. It does not take a single house, nor deteriorate any existing property. The Committee were occupied with Mr. Bidden's evidence up to four o'clock, when they adjourned till twelve to-morrow. STANDING ORDERS' COMMITTEES. HOUSE OF COMMONS. This Committee re assembled to-day at three o'clock. The first Bill considered was the CALEDONIAN RAILWAY, which was allowed to proceed. In the case of the NORFOLK RAILWAY (THETFORD TO REEDHAM), the Committee decided that the standing orders in this case ought not to be dispensed with. The Committee then adjourned. TATTERSALL'S—THIS EVENING Six o'CLo C DERBY. 5 to 1 agst Sir Tatton Sykes 7 to 1 agst Tom Tullock 8 to 1 agst Sting 10 to 1 agst Humdrum 10 to 1 agst Fancy Boy 20 to 1 agst Pyrrhus the First 40 to 1 agst utleaf 40 to 1 agst The Premier 40 to 1 agst The Conqueror. GREAT MUNSTER RAILWAY COMPANY. —SPECIAL MEETING (THIS DAY.) A special meeting of the proprietors, shareholders, and scripholders of this company, took place at the offices of the company, 29, Parliament -street, in pursuance with the ses sional orders of both Houses of Parliament. The Chair was taken at half-past one o'clock, by Colonel Darner. It appeared that in consequence of some faults committed by the former direction of the Company, that if the share holders authorised the directors proceeding with the Bill, that they would have no disposable fund of which to avail them selves for any contingent expenses. The CHAIRMAN said that the meeting were probably aware that instead of following out the original intention of the company, the directors, in consequence of the state'of the money market, were obliged to limit their application to Parliament for a line to go to Limerick, reserving to them selves at a more favourable opportunity the power of extending it to Tralee. They found that many parties declined paying up the shares allotted to them, and that the deposits upon three thousand shares reserved for the Company had not been made by reason of that alteration, and therefore when they came to make those deposits( they were obliged to limit their shares from 22,000 to 11,295. The directors found the greatest difficulties in making the Parliamentary deposits, so much so that they were obliged to incur the personal responsibility of 7,500/.—(Hear, hear) —before they were in a position to enter Parliament. How ever, by this effort they were enabled to go before the ilouco of Lords, and he need scarcely tell them the company has two severe struggles before that tribunal ' • 'they were, h owever , in the end so successful, th a t the Chairman of the Commit tee stated the Bill had passed unaniincgsly, and that it was considered as a national undertaking. The accounts should be submitted to the meeting, as the board of directors were most anxious that the - shareholders should feel perfectly satisfied with the whole arrangements which had taken place. He wished, however, to say, that the present committee had nothing whatever to say to the original formation of the company. He, (the chairman) did not join it until the 19th of June. It had been deemed pru dent to send over a deputation to Ireland, to examine the country, and to make known the scheme, and he con sidered that there was nothing more necessary, for, along the line the scheme was looked upon as a bubble, and it was not until they had met at Limerick and Nenagh, and the other towns, that the people and landowners took a real in terest in the concern. He would now call on the Secretary, to read the report of the expenditure ; from which we extract the following items : For the formation of the Company £6so 0 0 For advertisements 852 8 5 For printing 132 5 1 Brokerage commission 480 9 0 Deputation to Ireland Engineer's expenses Solicitor's ditto lB,OOO 0 0 For Scrip purchased by commission Leaving a balance of 12,489 0 0 The CHAIRMAN begged it to be understood that these shares were purchased before the present directors had any thing to do with the concern. Aiier several speeches from Daniel Whittle Harvey, Eel., Mr. Waley, and Mr. Baldwin, M.P., in which strong observa tions were made on the reckless expenditure which had taken place, it was resolved that until a report from certain gentlemen appointed, should be made that, the meeting be held as void for Parliamentary purposes, it was also inti mated that if the Company would now proceed with their Bill, the Cashel Company might be inclined to purchase the line. After a great deal of discussion, this course was adopted, and the meeting separated at a quarter to four o'clock. The next meeting of the Company will take place on Monday week. COURSE OF EXCH. Amsterdam ...... C.F. 12 10k, Ditto, at sight ...... 12 7% Rotterdam .... ••2 U. 12 11 Antwerp .......... 25 20 Hamburgh .... • .M.B. 13 153 Paris, 3 days' sight .. •• 23 85 Ditto, 3 months...... 26 10 Marseilles • ...• 26 15 80urdeanx.......... • . 26 15 Frankfort on Maine.... 123 Petersburgh, 3 U 5...... Berlin. • • ...... • • • • •• Vienna, effec.flo•—• • • 10 11 Trieste, ditto 10 12 Madtid ...... 36% Cadiz .• •.. : ........ 36% Bilbao.. ............ Barcelona NGE.--(TIIIS DAY) Gibraltar.. ........ Leghorn ......... . Genoa ..... • Venice . •• • ..... Naples .......• .• •• 39% Palermo, per oz.. ..... 1194 Lisbon ....... 62% Oporto. •.. • • . .•••.. • . 52% Rio Janeiro . ...... .•. 24a Bahia . . . Buenos Ayres ........ New York, 21 days' sight Philadelphia .... • ..... ?Alfas or BULLION, PER Oz, Foreign Gold in bars.. £3 17 9 Portugal Gold Coin .. 3 17 5 New Doubloons ...... 0 0 0 New Dollars ....... 0 4 9 Silver in bars ...... • • 0 4 11 THE LONDON GAZETTE. (THIS EVENING.) birthday will , LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S-OFFICE, MAY 18, 1846. be N ce o l t e i b ee ra i t s ed h or A Tu ß g 4 O v d e i F , l t t c h h E e a , 9 t tk i ; e A o r y f J M l u 9 a n i , e es l n t B y e 4 x ' 6 B t . . tait,h b Diag p o n o r n eb G ate ur:rdz- e L A i e r u c t h e enrr, who hGo. retires; i rJeasc;obcotron Cornet te E. ar r. Lane to be Lieutenant, p e, yl9 ; Nicolls, by urchas vice Jacob, Ma A. M. Robertson Gent., to be Cornet, by purcha se , vice Cornet, promoted; May 18 ; J. C o l lingwood, Gent., to be by purchase, vice Lane, May 19. 7th Dragoon Guards —B. C. R. Gardiner, Gent., to be Ve terinary Surgen, M a y 19 . 4th. Light Dragoons—ll. Mallet, Gent., to be Cornet, by purchase, vice Molyneux, appointed Adjutant, May 18. 10th Light Dragoons Sergeant-Major .1. Fenn to be Regimental Quartermaster, vice J. C. M'Clallen, who retires upon half-pay, May 19. 13th Light Dragoonsr—Lieutenant W. R. 0. Gore to be Captain, by purchase, vice Bateman, who retires; Cornet J. J. Lloyd to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Go re ; T . R. C. Di nu d a l e, Gent., to be Cornet, by purchase, ' vice Lloyd, May. 19. Foot, 115 s Ist, , h t 00 Lightrb Grenadier Lieutenant,ren O a i ra r g on Regiment.sc . i T e L s t - o e u n ot t fe e r n , t who FootH G. exchanges, ax T ac r rh o da wii Te , so, f ritboiemaLy Lieu tenants E t e . n A a i n o t n s t and reso r, Captains, vic G i b y y n n. w purchase—Ensignho retires, m a and y 18.. Ensign Lieut. and Lieutenant his Serene Highness PrinceWilliain Augustus Edward of Saxe 'Weimar, vice Balfour, who retires, May 19.3 To be Ensigns and Lieutenant s , by pui Hon. E. M. G. S. Wortley, v i ce Montresor, May 18rchase—Th; W. S. Mo. rant, Gent., vice hi s S erene Highness Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar, May 19. 6th Regiment of Foot—Staff Surgeon of the Second Clam P. Robertson, M.D.. to be Surgeon; Assistant Surgeon J. i n tz e m n t half-payh a s been can celled, n - W. Mostyn, M.D., from the Staff, to be Assistant Surgeon, , May 19 . 1 outslth Foot—V. F. L. Fogerty, scut., to be Ensign, with 91:arAry:, R w i h c o h s a e rdso pp n : Major, vice J. Enoch, who exchangesl- De Major, by purchase, vice Richard_; - F Granville to Captain F. bC •Lieut. T. P.Bickfordto e Captain by L pu ie r u ch t. as t e, he vic l - e lo ß n i . c l k V fo . r M d M. son, who retires; . 23d Foot—Major ille ;Second c a e t l t a l e p c d t h , 1 : 1 May , has e l 9 % .. i c e by - st Lieutenant, Plunkett to be First Second Lieutenant, by purchase, be J. C. Brady, Gent., to vice Plunkett, May 19. n 11. M. St. Vincent Rose, from half pay2sth Foot—Captain purchase, vice Granville; Lieut S. M. Gildea to be the difference; . : C. F. changes, receiving . Rose, who retires ; Ensign Captain, by purchase, vice Purchase: Tic': Qilagai W. G. Brine t 9 in JAeuteuant, by P Unattached, to be Captain, vice R. Jenkins, who ex +".~5~ ~ .:i37faY POOR-LAWS. Capt. PECH ELL presented a petition from a place in Sussex complaining of the conduct of certain boards of guardians. The Hon. and Gallant Member gave notice that on Thursday he should move that the petition be printed with the votes with the view of founding a motion upon it. tBINGLEY POOR HOUSES. Mr. FERRAND said that he had been requested to post pone putting the question to the Right Hon. Baronet the First Lord of the Treasury, of which he had given notice, respecting the Bingley poor houses. He begged therefore to postpone the questions to Thursday next, on which day he should put them. THE GAME LAWS. Mr. WILLIAM MILES, in the absence of the Hon. Member for Cheltenham, gave notice that to-morrow it was the inteoth,n of the. Honourable Member to ask the Hon. Member fir Athlone whether he had lodged affidavits in the hands of the Secretary of State with regard to Sir Charles Taylor, and whether be intended to take further steps in the case, or to allow this mtter to rest as it was? LEAVE OF ABSENCE TO LORD CLEMENTS. Colonel RA WDON rose to ask for have of absence for fourteen days to Lord Clements. His Noble Friend was one net in the habit of neglecting his Parliamentary duties, but his neighbourhood in Ireland was in such a state that he was re quired to be on the spot in order to use his exertions to find employment for the peon le.—( Hear. )—Leave granted. PREVENTION OF SMOKE. Mr. MAKINNON gave notice that he would, on Tuesday, the 26th instant, bring in a Bill for the prevention of smoke. ROMAN CATHOLICS RELIEF BILL. Mr. B. ESCOI 1' presented several pee ions from Oxford shire, in favotir of the Roman Catholics Relief Bill. FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, Mr. FOX MAULE presented 115 petitions, signed by 14,000 personB, from various parts of Scotland, praying the House to adopt some measures to enable the petitioners to ob tain sites on which to build places of worship. Mr. P. M. STEWART also presented petitions of a similar nature. Mr. FOX MAULE then rose to move for leave to intro duce a Bill to enable Christian congregations in Scotian(' to obtain sites for building places of worship, manses, and school houses. .He would not then enter into any statements with reference to the Bill. Not seeing either the Lord-Advocate or the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary of State fur the Home Department in their places, notwithstanding that they were aware of his intention to introduce the Bill to-night, he concluded, therefore, that they had no objection to the intro duction of the Bill. Sir R. H. INGLIS wished to know what the Hon. Member meant by the term religious congregations? The object of the proposed Bill was to give to certain persons, describing them selves as Christian congregations, the power to take a certain portions of their neighbours property. It was to enable Chris tian congregations to take their neighbours property at fixed prices, and before he gave any such power, he would like to have some further statement respecting it. Mr. FOX MAULE said that he was perfectly ready to go into a full statement of his grounds for proposing this Bill. But if the Government officers were willing to concede to him leave to bring in the Bill, he would reserve the discussion upon its principles till a future occasion ; he was perfectly willing to abide by any proposition of the Government with reference to this measure. Sir JAMES GRAHAM said he had the most grave objec tions to the principles of the Bill, and he did not anticipate that any exposition of those principles by his Hon. Friend on any future occasion, would be able to remove those objections. After what had been said in that House, in the course of a dis cussion on the subject of the Free Church. of Scotland, he did not feel himself authorized in making any agreement on the part of the Government, with his Hon. Friend. He had, however, no objection to the Bill being read a first time. The Bill was then read a first time, and the second reading was appointed for Friday next. CUSTOMS DUTIES BILL. On the question being put that this Bill be read a third time, Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN rose to ask a question of the Government with reference to agricultural statistics. During the present Parliament, said she Hon. Member, he believed in the year 1844, the question of agricultural statistics was brought before the House by the Hon. Member for Miinhes ter, who was supported by the Hon. Member for North Lincoln, than whom perhaps a more experienced agriculturist did not occupy a seat in that House. The Hon. Member for Manchester consented to withdraw his motion on the understand. ing that her Majesty's Government would take some steps to ob tain an alteration in the mode of obtaining those statistics. He believed that it was understood that the Government of that day were unfavourable to the course which the Hon. Member for Manchester proposed to pursue. But still there was an impression prevailing that they would take the matter into consideration, and under the difficulty that Hon. Member was allowed to withdraw his motion. He tried an experiment to get from the several counties information respecting the actual facts of the case, but received the answers from only 27 of them. It would be recollected that Sir John Sinclair, who was some years since at the head of the Board of Agricul ture' had endeavo u r e d to o b tain the same information also for the Government. Sir John Sinclair prided himself on the COMMONS' SUMMARY. The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly before Pour o'clock. Mr. CAMPBELL, from the East India House, presented papers with respect to the pensions'granted lo Viscount HARDINGE and Lord GOUGIE. Mr. FERRAND postponed the question which he had given notice of putting to the First Lord of the Treasury , relative to the Bingley U n i on , to Th ursday next. Mr. Fox MA ULE then moved, pursuant to notice, for leave to bring in a Bill to enable Christian congregations in Scotland to obtain sites for places of worship, manses, and school-houses. He had intended to have gone at some length into the ob jects of the measure, but as he did not see the Lord Advocate of Scotland, or the Home Secretary, in their places, he supposed the proposition he had to bring forward was not objected to, he should content himself with making the motion of which he had given notice. The motion having been seconded. After some observations from Sir B. INGLis and Sir JAMES GRAHAM, who came into the House in a few moments after, Mr. Fox MAULE had made his motion for leave to bring in the Bill—leave was given to bring in the measure. After some obServations, After some observations from Mr. Stafford O'Brien, Sir G. Glerk, Sir B. Inglis, Lord G. Clerk, Mr. Bright, and Mr. W. Miles, the Customs Duties Bill was read a third time and passed. Dr. BOWRING then moved, pursuant to notice, that an humble address be presented to her MAJESTY, that the would be graciously pleased to direct such correspondence or extracts o:i . the subject of the quarrantiue laws as had taken place with foreign Governments since the last returns to Parliament to be laid on the table of the House. ( LEFT SITTING.) IMPERIAL I'ARLIAIII-e,NT. ILO USE OF LORDS, May 18. THE CORN IMPORTATION BILL. After a few words from the Puke of RICHMOND, who denied that he had ever voted against the Reform Bill, The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said that he conceived that it would be in better taste of their Lordships not to indulge in any personal invective on this question, as to whe ther the Prime Minister of the country had changed his poli tical opinion. He had sat long enough in that House to see those individuals who were now br.neing forward a question of a personal nature repeatedly change their opinions. His Noble Friend himself had repeatedly changed his position in that House, and after that he should not judge the Prime Minister for having deliberately conic to a judgment on this question after a very long consideration. He would only say these few words with reference to a statement made by the Noble Duke with regard to suppressing all personal invective, which had appeared in another case so disgraceful, and which he hoped would not be found in that House. The Duke of RICHMOND wished that the Noble Lord who had spoken would practice what he preached. He gave his opinion against personal invective, and then made a violent attack against him (the Duke of Richmond). He (the Duke of Richmond) had said that he did not wish to express any in vective against Sir R. Peel. He was very anxious to express his opinion, because he was anxions not to bring into any part of the second reading of the Bill any discussion of the present nature, but he felt so strongly on the subject, that he thought it right to speak at once. What he had at present stated was not to offer any objection to the Bill ; he was merely anxious that nothing should take place on the consideration of the second reading of the Bill of a personal nature, and he had, therefore, judged it ri g ht f or all parties that 1:e should state what be should feel:. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY said, that he bad made nolersonal attack on the Noble Duke. What he had said was, that the Noble Duke should not make any present attack on the Right Hon. Baronet, for the question they were to consider was not his change of opinion.— (Cries of " Ob, oh.") The Earl of RIPON said that he was very glad to hear from his Noble Friend an expression of his intention to can. duct the discussion, which they would have in the course of next week, upon this important subject, on principles which, if adhered to, would command the approbati on o f t h e H ouse ; viz., the absence of all personality. He was glad to be as sured that his Noble Friend had exhaled all his feelings on the present occasion, and he was particularly glad to hear that they were not likely again to have the same course of ob servation. He felt glad, p ar tl y on account o f th e feelings of their Lordships, and partly on his own account.—(Laug hte _ l l? He well knew th e representat i ons w hi c h wou ld be ma de , b he was prepa re d t o meet t h em —h e was p r epared to me etth em not only on his own part, but on the part of his colleagues, in leag t u r e e. s, with whom b e s h are d th e aw ful responsibility blicanaprivatenn flour, Noble Friend talked of a dis and which he did not duced this measure, and though my . . , it n i c s t i s o nw distinctionl c h latterly wb prev ails ieb hb disregarded,pu recognise. Nor did he deserted think hhe twouldthe principl e r i m m a i i p n i t e a i o n f his a man of honour if he pu blic or pri vate honour. He therefore begged to state to hi s Noble Friend— Tis noterror, in on Cassius, in your r y threats ; T Fo h hr a e t r they le am arm'd so strong pass by me like the idle wind Which 1 regard not." , Oved that it b e printed. T T b h B D i u l l k w e a o s f t N h v e E n L r e L a l d N a G first t N i m n e i Agreed to. The Duke of WELLINGTON moved that it be read a second time on Monday next.—Agreed to. The Bishop of ST. DAVID'S presented several petitions against th e Ch ar i ta b le Trusts Bill. The Earl of RIPON presented a petition from Trinity Col lege, Cambridge, to the same effect. Lord COTTENIIAM presented a petition from the trustees of a Wesleyan chapel to the same effect. Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition, very numerously (and respectably signed, from a society of Odd Fellows— Langhter)—Ancient Foresters, Old Friends, and others, near Stratford, to the same effect. They petitioned against the Bill which had for its object the prevention of the mismanage ment of their own trusts—(Laugltter)—and it was very natu ral they should do so. Petitions were presented against the Charitable Trusts Bill by Lord Stanley, from Manchester; the Earl of Fortescue and Lord Wharncliffe, from Sheffield ; the Earl of Eldon and the Marquis of Normanby. Lord CAMPBELL in preventing a similar said that hitherto 258 petitions had beets ts presented against against the Bill, and only one was from the town of ScarboroughulieaeenirdotTpienoiotinhgerbyfrostmattinghe Corporation of Hull, {NIIO summe d .1 ) .0. wacinutitm. that thy In! ! /4"114 -= Die itrltnrivi) tp FREE CHURCH. The 4arl of ZETL AND presented several petitions fry the inhabitants of Scotland, complaining of the difficult , ' which members of the Free Church experienced in obtaining sites for their churche s . r 'r e — ad i me L a o su rd re ß w E h A ie U h A w l . o as N Lincolnshire. CHARITABLE TR' abeg:.;rtsot thisp ti r m es e ent a p n e ig ti h t t io , n fr a o g m ain N st o t r h th e rSTS BILL. The LORD CHANCELLOR s s 'id, that in rising felt move the second readin g o f th e Ch ar i ta iele Trusts Bill , H had that he had not a very agreea bl e t as k t o perform' had an opportunity of explaining in detail the nature of the measure, the principles o n awhich it was foundesi. and the evils which it was i n te n d e d t o reme d y , an d h e co nfeesed it was no pleasing task t o hi m t o go over aga i n the same ground, and he fe are d th a t i t wou ld b e a st ill l ess plea:slog task to their L or d s hi ps . Thi s was hi s on l y groun d o f discourage ment. In consequence o f t h e extens i ve com b inat i on through out the count r y aga i ns t t hi s Bill, h e felt a strong impression against it had been made upon the minds of malty of their Lordships. He recollected upon one occasion, in the House of Commons, Mr. FA quoted the saying of a learneel individual " Nunquaur magis libenter loquor, Quam quiem quod loquor, Auditoribus displacet." He (the Lord Chancellor) need not make so pugnatiotes a com pliment to the individual to whom he ref e r : ed, an d he Oh old feel greatly discouraged if, upon this occasion, he had steeted eany thing which would not h ave the, effect of gaining over their Lordships in its favour. He would not trouble their Lorelsh;l4 ti nd er which going into d e t a il with respect to the circumstance , which this Bill was framed. Their Lordships, no do tro ' all recollected the C omm i ss i on w hi c h was issued at the hn s stance of his N o bl e an d L earne d F r i en d . Th a t C o mmission sat for a l o n g p er i o d o f t i me, an d ma d e various e reports with respect to the charities of this country , and they concluded their reports by recommenti.'ng some efinB lative measure, for the purpose of more effectually eontrot 0 the ad m i n i strat i on of charitable trusts. Before the reP".'tte, rather before th e l ast report had b een finally i ssue d , a Commit' of the H ouse o f Commons was appointed, which was ceeoP °s e j o f of some o f th e m ost able, active, and intelligent Metobers. that House, f or t h e purpose of considering that report W h i ch had been given, and for the purpose of coming to some c o ul elusion, and giving some advxe upon the subject. That considers' mittee finally reported, after much inquiry and touch cOnsidsi:o tion, that it was necessary to appoint a permaneeit tonne? tat charitable the purpose of superintendino the administrators ' I°o to re trusts of the empire, and they recommenced a' s erS that Commission should be clothed with authorities aieel Plot similar or a na l agons to t h ose conta i ned i n t h e preset.t rioro , His Right Hon. F r i en d, t h e Secretary of State for the . 1-1 0 1 Department, acce d e d to t h e des i re so genera lly expressed!, es , requested him to prepare a Bill for the regulation of charities. He undertook the task, and introduced a. Bill for this purpose the session before last. At the request 0 ",,, Noble F r i en d o f hi s an d of other Noble Lords he eense nted allow the Bill to stan d over t i ll the next session. Ample ° P o i e portunity was by this means afforded for the considerate)n the question in . all its details. It was read accor dingly second time la s t sess i on , w i t h t h e understanding that it sh„,co be referred to a Committee for their consideration. a l Committee w as compose d o f several R i ght Rev, Pre l a tesa other Noble and L earne d L or d s, well qua lifi ed to exam ine . tio all its bearings. The measure was canvassed day after Ittes a length of tim e , an d alter a long deliberation that Conon ad it made its rep or t. Th e Bill was then read a third ti me passed, though some oppos i t i on was murmure d against mit his Noble Friend. It then went down to the other Houser: n a in consequence of th e pressure o f business there it " s c fo oot impossible to give it d ue cons id erat i on. Af ter s uch sa° roe, ula after such a concur rence o f op i n i on, h e was at a l o ss to under' stand the c au se o f th e present oppos i t i on. Wh a t, he wo w het ask, were the grievances which were comp l a ined of an" w i t h were the remedi es propose d? H e would, now the permission o f th e i r Lordships, direct their attention leutotet state of the qu es ti on . Every one knew that d e e only trii6ourt before which suc h comp l a i nts cou ld b e b roug h t W as the enee of Chanc er y ; no ot h er tr ib unal existed that too k eogn'-,",,,as directed. Th e sys t em o f the Court of Chancery was of tho se i rregu l ar i t i es against w hich the present mssas ure adapted for these purposes. It had been presides/ ov er b y series of men eminent for wisdom and learning—( Hear, fees_ e —and were it not for one circumstance, he never should lea; introduced a Bill of the present description. Unfortunat e l there were few charities over which the Court of Chancery 11.3 . control. No man of sane intellect would recommend for e ,' moment that a small charity should make any application ' 1 ; the Court of Chancery for interference. Sir Samieel endeavoured to remedy the evil, and he brought in a B ilf to alter the law—but the alteration produced but a very s'it i e mitigation of the evil. Their Lordships might consider ,t_ o , the evil was not very extensive, but he would inform that there were 15,000 charitable trusts not e xceediag o. a.i ni. , &Societe; ;sear, .There were 18,000 charitable trusts ,'tot eaceedinr. and there were 24,000 not exceeding 20/..- -( Hear, , hea r e r atoo When he mentioned that to their Lordships, the; would when see the necessity of adopting some remedy for the ewal• o ake he stated this case in general terms it was not possible s so strong an impression on their Lordships as he adverting to two or three instances—instances taken fro ff. t it reports of the Commissioners. He would take the case o n; had been before mentioned, the case of Ashley, i n the c of Lincolnshire. That was a rent charge of 301., per ro w s , a charity of no inconsiderable value, and whicarit; something beyond the generality of these eb ro ts. The trustees died without assigning the the The charity was founded as far back as the 16th century ; ert y , rent charge was paid up to a certain time, and the Prt i ge was sold, and the person who purchased it paid the rent c hon e should ra do ,, is e for one or two years, until he applied to his solicitor, by vi es eon he was warned that he could no longer pay it with safety , ' l O . O person could give him a proper discharge. The consolt' s ,oo was, that no rent was paid, and the arrears ran on for , sonic time, until at length somebody recommended that an . informs tion should be filed. The cause was brought on in Clbent i l and a decision was given for the payment of the arrears, w",., - 0 amounted to 3751. The decree was made, and the cos amounted to 4001. The costs amounted to more than e funds they sought to recover. Was this a state of things t " - : their Lordships would allow to continue, without applynig remedy ? He would s tat e ano th er i nstance i n w hi c h the Ve:l tion was as to the administration of a charity, and in which the parties were desirous of having the object promoted. Tor was the case of B a ttl e, i n S ussex, in which ern old houseo% mansion, which was left and nose falling into ru;n ' %O'er, and the trustees undertook t o se ll, and to invest the pro duce inP: r , chasing in th e s t oc k s . Th e appl i cat i on was made c o to the The r of Chancery, and the Master decided in favour of the Foie' di , o f produce w as 1,350/., an d t h e costs amounted to trloOrtion, 3,50'. That undefended suit, to which there was no oPP"iele cost exactly one• third of th e amount o f t h e w h o l e c harity, " % O third was sp en t i n p rocee di ngs to secure the purchese moor or of the pr o p er ty, a n d t o w hi c h proceedings there was m 'oes position. The inst ance w hi c h h e should further describe ~ leas ~e e one attended with a simil ar resu l t. I t was a cas e of Isr• granted to certain tru s t ees , a t a p l ace called Lan f or d, in so d it The property was l e t t o th e trustees, at a rental of 6(11 " oo dere was suggested by acme person that the property wa,,' rated, and an information was filed in the Court of .-/.7 1 f o r to investigate the transaction. The proceedings wan t ;°, and a considerable time until both parties became tired Of agreed to stay further proceedings, and each party to ale/ 6 501. own costs. The costs of th ose proceedings amounted ti' in' Was it necessary that he should proceed further to ate t e l,6esi stances, for he thought that those given had already sat",, their Lordships that the administration of justice, however p e on it might be adapted in its machinery to these trusts, g'"' a els calculated to do justice in the case of smaller charities, si ti ot• less in charities of a still smaller character—to the ii ' ll e ° ol3 l perhaps of 51., 10/. or 20/. per annum, making a total aei jo si value of 24,000/. He could multiply instances of th at My which could be quoted almost out of number' o rs , referring to the volum es o f the report of the Commission br It was not necessary for hi m to rely on general reason ie g'wei would refer to the report - of the Commission. When he tit 9 theue that the Oommissioti recommended informations w-is extent of 385 as the result of their inquiry even in the I _`. t of larger charities, their Lordship could understand the extel4 of the abuses which exists din the s maller charities. H e e vo . _ o o.. ' rifles to which he referred were those of Lord Kenyon E a :, of which no differon.., call their Lordships to authorities on this subject. The auto j Lord Eldon, with respect to the weight could be entertained. LEoriddonK, eninyonlikseaidm, a t n h n a e t r, wh sa c i e d : r i j os ' : amined the state of the grammar schools in the king d° e ra wou see th lamentable condition to which mast ,of tb wore c reduced arit ies o f Lord kingdom were grossly Inisma%list? Would their Lordships kingdom were state of things to Neil Now, how were these trusts managed ?be h A charity Inig7bet nesotapboliwsheredwbays ganiveinndfiovriduraelnetwoing trustees died, therefore, there wa them, and that was by an applicatioeninti pense that it was rarely followed ti existed upon rent .charges, the trustees. when oadn thea g managed Courtby r t oe r fa ti cl s t hp e ar e n e :e s s he t; thus escaped from meetings on y one mode of renewing This proceeding, however, was attended with so m ucl o i n ertl trusts oper c arges, the party holding the p r o stn' the liabilities pan washitchesehasl bee ... . or ; posed upon him. Again, i n many instances when the trustees died, there being " t he sponsihle parties to fund o.,ertyt whom to transfer the pr/ had funds themselves became forfeited. The Commissioners sol e com plained over and over again of this evil, while at t he s t of time they p o i nte d out the costly machinery of the Courrbed Chancery, an application to which tribunal invariably , sbrnore the wh o l e of the funds. Now, what was the remedy' he se , proposed ? Wh at was t h e pr i nciple of the Bill ? iv , s , re' tisfied th a t no ot h er course could be pursued, so far enis lated t o th e pr i nc i p l e of the Bill, than that which b e „ a l, adopting. They - must establish a n i n d e pendent tr - S i b u vr " it h applicable to the a d m i n i strat i on of those trusts, " n ' on power to act an d d ea l summarily with them. There v; o other method of meeti ng the evil, except by establishing independent t r ib una l, act i ng summarily, and doing l eeir where justice was due. In respect of small debts, the . -7 0 , lature had already established courts of request actingbsekte marily, and deciding upon the matters which cam e du o them without resorting to the usual forms of legal prone stes , and he now asked their Lordships to apply the same a l to charitable trusts. By this Bill he proposed. therefore? ),, three individuals should be appointed as the Charitable Ruf f , Commissioneis, whose tenure of office should be the same that of the judg es o f th e l an d , an d w h o s hould havesoul,, mary jurisdicti on i nves t e d i n t h em, an d w be h e appointme;i e should be at the disposal of the Lord Chance llor. proposed that periodi ca l returns of the receipts and disbars ments should be made to the Commissioner, for he was sat that if such ret urn was ma d e f rom year to year, it was the security they could h ave aga i ns t fraud or deception. Ii n last session the Bill was thrown out in the other House, b e d cause it did not make certai n excep ti ons t o this provision ; Ist, as he now felt quite certain th a t, w i t h ou t s ome of these excel', tions were made, he had prep are d a sc h e dule for that pursos!: which would be submitted to their Lordships in Commite°, l He was still, however, of opinion that these exceptious we!, reduce the efficacy of the measure.; -but as he was most arudon Or it to Pitni he was roluotautiy ocospoilld to admit thomie i ~ tional, and despotic.—( Cheers and laughter.) Whilst he was on his legs, he might state that lie had a notice on the books for to night, with respect tc crime in Ireland. Ile was in the hands of the House, with respect to that notice, but as they had had previous discussion on the subject, and as their Lord ships had met for another purpose, and as he wished to make a few observations on parts of the Bill (the Charitable Trusts Bill) which appeared to him of extreme importance, be thought he should bast consult the wi►hes of the House by postponing that motion until to-morrow. PORTS OF IRELAND. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY rose, whilst a Noble Lord was about to present a petition to the House, not having observed the Noble Lord, to put a question to the First Lord of the Admiralty, amidst loud cries of t , Order, order." The Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack exclaimed in a loud tone twice or thrice, " The Noble Marquis is out of order," but owing to the unfortunate infirmity of the Nohle Alarquis with respect to hearing, he continued to address the House, seem ingly unconscious of the cries of order with which he was as sailed. He at length gave way, and the Noble Lord pre sented the petition. The Noble Marquis then proceeded to put the question. He NI ished to know the state of the bar hours of Down Patrick and Donaghadee. But with respect to the interruption of the Noble and Learned Lord on the Woolsack, he wished to state that he did not consider tha t he was out of order in asking this question, and that, there fore, the Noble Lord had no right to interrupt him. The LORD CHANCELLOR said that it was quite com petent for the Noble Marquis to have given notice of a me' tion when the petitions were being received; he ,considered the Noble Marquis was quite out of order, other'w'ise , he would not have f e lt i t hi s d uty to h ave ca ll e d hi m f r om tae Woolsack. Earl GREY presented several petitions against the Chafita ble Trusts Bill.