The Sun. — London, England, 1846-05-20 00:00:00

He (Earl Grey) had not ekange.d his views upon the subject since the time he first came into Parliament, and he was nsies, and ever had been, opposed to all protection, and all dutie s which were not levied for the purposes of protec tion. The country, he was glad to see, was hourly approaching to a state of free trade, and he for one felt that it would be the bri,;ntest day that had ever dawned upon this country, when t' opened its ports to every nation in the world. Lor a l ASHBURTON was s urprised at the sus:Jenne - inner in whi'ah this new free trade light had dawned upon the Ministry. Tl',ese measures-would be followed either by good or evil, but Nether by the one or the other, no one could doubt that this was a subject which called for the utmost attention at their hands.—( Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord who had last sat dawn had spoken with the straightforwardness which so pecu liarly characterised him. He did not, like the Noble Lord who addressed the House at an earlier period, view the question as one for protection, or for revenue, and just as it suited his pur poses, he took up the one or the other.—( Hear, hear, and laughter.) The Noble Earl hsd thrown this shuffling aside, and he argued upon the broad principle of free-trade in every thing.—( Hear, hear.) The Noble Earl desired no restriction either for the parent country or for the colonies. But if that were the system on which they were to legislate, of what use, be would ask, were their colonies at all ?—(Hear, hear.) The Germans had their Zolveretn, the French had their restric tions, and what would repay them for their risks of war, and the other risks which they incurred in maintaining their colo nies if these colonie s were not to have a preference in their markets. Her Majesty's subjects in the colonies viewed these questions in a purely mercantile light., and they asked themselves what advantages they gained by their connexion with this coun try. The people of Manchester said that the whole manufacturing interests in the country were in favour of the system of free trade, hut the peie t ile of Macclesfield, who were engaged in the silk trade, did not seem to fall into that view of the question. The people ot Manchester did not apprehend any tear, because they could supply their cottons cheaper than they could be got elsewhere_ They were something like the people of New • castle with regard to coal. Who ever heard of their sending from l 'efesseastle for that article ? He did not believe the corn- Peweation proposed was at a ll equa l t o th e i n j ury th a t wo uld b e In.dieted on the landed interests by the measure of the Govern "Suent.—( Hear, hear.) Lord NIONTEAGLE said, that in the distinction he made be followed the example of all great writers on the subject of revenue, namely, the distinction between duties levied for the sake of revenue, and those which were levied for the sake of protection. The Earl of DALHOUSIE objected to anything like a discussisn being taken on the Bill in its present stage. He could not let the present occasion pass without stating that a:rguinent on the part of the Government had been avoided solely upon the ground of the present stages of the Bill. When the 'roper time came he would be able to state the reasons why, *or the goad of the country, their Lordships should allow the hill to pass into a law. The Duke er RICILNIOND considered, that although the course pursured on the present occasion was unusual, their Lordships roust recollect that the Government in changing their opinion had also acted in a very unusual manner. He ceuld rie,t let the present moment pass without entering his solemn protest against the measure. The Earl of DALHOUSIE rose to explain. Lord ASHBURTON hoped that the papers which had been Moved for would be produced before the second reading of the Corn Bill was proposed. Earl DAL ROI./ SIE would take care that the papers should be ready if possitele. The Earl of HADDINGTON thought the Noble Duke on the cross benches had a right, with every other Peer, to pro test against the Bill. lie would not, like a Noble Lord, start a number of hares, each of which it would take a consider able time to run down. He "would, however, refer to one circumstance. The Noble Duke had stated that it was an in sult to their Lordship, because the Corn Bill was sent up from the ether House unaccompanied with the other measures of relief. proposed to be brought forward in connexion with that Fill. The blame of this did not rest with the Govern ment —the blame rested with those Members of the other Ho' Ise who had delayed the passing of the Bill in an almost un precedented manner. The Bill was then read a first time, and ordered to be read a 'Second time on Thursday, the 28th instant. WESTERN AUSTRALIA BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed. OFFENCES IN IRELAND. The Marquis of IN ORMANBY said he had been requested to postpone the motion of which he had given notice. The - motion was for a return of the murders, and attempts at -murder, committed in Ireland in each month since the Ist of January last, distinguishing the hour of the day or night at 'which such outrages were stated in the constabulary report to have been committed. He was willing to postpone it, but he hoped an opportunity would be given to him, on Friday, to Move for the return, when lie proposed to comment upon the conduct of the Governmr. f nt with respect to a Bill which had lately passed their Lord'Alips' Howse, but which, he was glad to say, had yet made r, c , progress in the other House of Par :Lament. He named Friday, because he believed Thursday, being Ascension-;jay, their Lordships would not sit, and he 'was desirous of going into the discussion before they got in volved in the r jorn Bill.--( Hear, bear.) The mot; an was accordingly postponed till Friday. INSOLVENT DEBTORS BILL. This 'Ain went through Committee, and was ordered to to report , id on Friday. Th eir Lordships then adjourned till Friday. HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 19. 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 WA TERWQRKS. On the motion of Mr. WALKER, this Bill was read a third time and passed. RTS. The repo r t s on the follo ßl:PO wing Bills were made and considered, the amendments agre e d to, and the Bills ordered to be en grossed : Scottish Central. 'Railway (Denny Branch). Scottish Cee.tral Railway (Perth Termini and Stations). Scottish Central Railway (Alloa Branch). Slamanwan Railway (Bath ;ate and Jawcraig Branches). Edinburgh and N orthern Railway (Dunfermline Branch). Dundee and Arbroath Railway Extensions. Dundee and Perth Railway Amendment. Rye and De,rwent Drainage. Northum'arrland Decks. Carshal',,on Rates. Wake t aeld, Pontefract, and Goole Railway (Methley, Askern, ar.d Oakeushaw Branches).- rot ';tl and Clyde Junction Railway. B f/cling and Dunfermline Branch Railway. Y alartlepool Gas and Waterworks. Dunblane, Doune, and Callender Railway. Gravesend and Milton Waterworks. Kilmarnock and Treen 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. BROAISGROVE IMPROVEMENT AND SMALL TENEMENT BILL. On the motion of Gener a l LYGON, thi s Bill was rea d a second time, an , ', ordered to be committed. KENDAA, UNION, GAS, AND WATER BILL. This Bi", was read a third time and passed. CHARING-CROSS BRIDGE COMPANY. On tl'. motion of Sir DE LACY EVANS, this Bill was read a. se'zoncl time, and ordered to be committed. WATERFORD HARBOUR. On the moti on o f Mr. WYSE, this Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed. Sir JAMES DUKE presented a petition in favour of the Religious Disabilities Bill. Mr. MUNTZ presented a petition from Birmingham, pray ing Cae House to reconsider the criminal law so far as it re latc'd 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. HINDLEY presented a petition against the Irish Great Western Railway Bill. Mr. BARRY BALDWIN presented petitions in favour of the Buckinghamshire Railways B ill. 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. POOR-LAWS. Capt. PECHELL prescnteda petition from a place in Sasses 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 fountling a motion upon it. BINGLEY POOR HOUSES. Mr. FE'(RAND said that he had been requested to post pone putt;.og the questions to the Right Hon. Baronet the First Lord of. the Treasury, of which he had given notice, respecting the PAngley poor houses. He begged therefore to postpone the qwestions 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 intention of the Honourable Member to ask the Bon. Member for Athlone whether he had lodged affidavits in the hands of the Secretary of State with regard to Sir Charles Taylor, aryft whether he intended to take further steps in the case, or to allow this ratter to rest as it was? LE AVE OF ABSENCE TO LORD CLEMENTS. Ce:ionel RANDOM rose to ask for Kaye of absence for fourteen days to Lord Clements. His Noble Friend was one is®t 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 people.—( Hear. )—Leave granted. PREVENTION OF SMOKE. Mr. M XCKINNON gave notice that he wouldon Tuesday, the 26th i nstant, bring in a Bill for the prevention of smoke. ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIEF BILL. Mr, B. ESCO I T presented several petitions from Oxford shire in favour of the Roman Catholic Relie f Bill . F REE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. Mr. FOX MAUL S presented 115 petitions, signed by 14 , 000 persons, from s parts of Scotland, praying the liouse to adopt some measure to enable the petitioners to oh worship. tain sites on which to build place Mr. Y. M. STEWART also psroesented petitions of a similar nature. Mr. FOX AI AULE then rose to move for leave t o i n t ro _ dace a Bill to enable Christian congreg at ions any st atements with obtain sites for budding places of worship, in S cot l and to i ny houses. He would not then ent er i nt t manses, and school reference to the Bill. Not seeing either the Lord-Ad vocate or the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department in their places, notwithstanding that they were aware of his intention to introduce the Bill tonight, he concludet that trey had no objection I t o ;the (introduc tion 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 portion 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 hIAULE 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 biro 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• dons 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 bad 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 authorised 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 1301 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 the Hon. Member, he believed in the year 1r1441, the question of agricultural statistics was broaght before the House by the Hon. Member for Manches ter, oho was supported by the Hon. Member for North Lin soln, 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 clay 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 ease, but received the answers from only 27 of them. It would he recollected that Sir John Sinclair, who was some years since at the head of the Board of Agricul ture, had endeavoured to obtain the same information also for the Government. Sir John Sinclair prided himself on the knowledge of the counties of Scotland, and had furnished in formation to the Beard of Trade on these points. He did not mean to say that the Board of Trade were in a condition to act at that time, but this much he would say, that when the ques tion had been proposed of a change in our system, that the clergy had expressed a readiness to acquiesce in the change, at the time this change was most advisable, and not as row, when it was likely to prove most disadvantagedus. He trusted, therefore, that this House would not consider th a t th e agriculturists IL:1 no inten tion to secure a protection for themselves. Looking at these things, he felt himself not only called upon to express his regret, hut also to say that he felt he had a right to complain that the Government had not taken up this subject. He believed that when these discussions were originally before the House they might have obtained the information which would have been of essential service. He believed that he and those with with whom he acted had made out a strong case, and that this was not the time for legislation. Instead of taking the subject at the best stage, they had taken it up at the worst, and the clergy and the agri culturists expressed alarm at the changes now contemplated. He would say, that if the farmers of this country were at all aware, or in any way acquainted with the great value and im portance of such statistics, they would have taken care to have demanded them of the Government with so much perse verance that care would be taken always to have them ready. He would say that, since the year 1770, when so great a change too's place in the value of agricultural produce, a greater boon could not be conferred on the agriculturists of this country. The reason why he had brought forward this measure now in its present form was to prevent the possibility of having technical difficulties and objections thrown in its way. But there was another reason, and a more important one, which in duced him to bring this Bill forward; and when he stated it, he was not without the hope it would be deemed one of import ance by this House. A Bill of a similar nature was brought before Parliament some time ago, but he would not take up the time of the House by speaking of that measure, but this he would say. that though there might be some scepticism raised to his measure, he would still persevere with it, and would bring it on again and again, if the session should be permitted to advance much later without the Government taking any step on the subject. He could not repeat too often that this was a measure upon the necessity of which the House was unanimous, and upon the importance of which they were all a g reed, and the best proof he could give of its importance was the fact, that in all the debates upon the subject of agriculture that had taken place in that House, the statistics of the agriculture of foreign countries were continually referred to and easily had. He beseeched the Go vernment, as he had always sat in his place in that House for the interest of the farmer, not to put him off again as they did the lion. Member for Manchester two years ago—merely with a letter from the Poor-law Commissioners of Somerset-house— but to take into consideration the question whether an inquiry might not at once be made with reference to these statistics, and to the Highway Act. Sir GEORGE CLERK said, as it had been understood that no debate should take place on this subject, he trusted that the lion. Member would excuse him if he did not follow him through all his arguments on this subject, but rather confine himself to the questions put by the Hon. Member. He was very happy to inform the Hon. Member that the Go vernment had anticipated his wishes in this respect, and had fulfilled his desire that they should proceed very cautiously in this matter in the first instance, in 0: der to avoid exciting any jealousy on the part of the farmers. He was anxious to ascer tain whether he could obtain any satisfactory information, by means of the existing machinery, of the occupiers of land., rather than by resorting to new and expensive machinery. He could state that an experiment on a small scale had been tried. A portion of a county in Scotland had been selected, and also a portion of a county In Ireland, from which they endea voured to obtain information. They selected the northern division of the cour ty of Hampshire, and also the northern di vision of the county of Cavan. The information was collected by the labour of an intelligent and experienced person. In the county of Cavan, in some parts, these inquiries were more difficult, in consequence of the great subdivision of lands, than they were in other parts of the country, where the farms were larger. The requisite information had been received with re ference to a union, which only extended over 6,000 acres. In Scotland they endeavoured to obtain the information through the means of the parochial schoolmasters, who had printed forms sent round to them—which forms they sent to every occupier of land, who, in their turn, were to fill them up with statements of their stock on their lands. He was happy to say, that from that county in Scotland the information had been obtained. The returns were filled upon a tabular form. With regard toampshire, he was sorry to .ay, that they h a d endeavoured tg ali obtain the information, but had not completely succeeded. Forms were prepared, and ordered to be left with each occupier of land, and a feeling of jealousy had interfered ; but many of the farmers and land occupiers had given all the information in their power. He believed, if the information was voluntarily obtained, it would be more accurate than otherwise. He trusted he had satis fied the Hon. Member, that the Government had exerted themselves to procure the information referred to, and he trusted that they would succeed in procuring it from every county in England. Sir ROBERT INGLIS had no doubt that, if the clergy were applied to, they would be as desirous to furnish such information as they had done thirty years ago. Mr. STAFFORD O'BRIEN considered that the clergy were better adapted to give statistical information than the poor-law guardians. Lord G. BENTINCK said, as the House was upon the sub ject of statistical information, he would ask, whether there were means of procuring accurate statistical information with reference to manufactures. It had been stated that the home consumption manufactured was 18th the whole production, whereas he thought it might be shown that it amounted to 2-3rds. Mr. BRIGHT considered, from the speeches of the Noble Lord, the Member for Lynn, that he was well acquainted with the returns of the quantities of raw material imported into this country, and the amount of manufactured goods imported. If the Noble Lord would take 500,000,0001. or 600,000,0001, as the amount of the raw material imported, into this country in one year, and then ascertain the quantity exported in the same year, he would then, by th e s i m pl e ru l e of subtraction, be abl e t o find out the quantity left at home for home consumption.—(Laughter.) There might, perhaps, be some difficulty in obtaining the exact amount, as the returns of some of the goods imported were taken by weight, whereas the accounts of the exports were taken in various forms. He was convinced that the manufacturers would do their utmost to furnish any useful information to the country with reference to their manufactures. When it was proposed by the Hon. Member for Manchester to obtain agricultural statistics, it was with the intention of benefiting the farmer, and not from any wish to inquire as to what agriculturists were doing. If the Noble Lord could show any means by which anything could be done by th e manu f acturers to b eneht the country, he was sure they would do it. He thought, the more they knew, the better would it be for all classes of the community. After a few words from Mr. MILES, the Bill was read a third time and passed. QUARAN TIN E LAW S. Dr. BOWRING rose to submit the following . motion, that an humble address be presented to her Majesty, that she will be graciously pleased to direct such correspondence or extracts on the subject of the Quarantine Laws as has taken place with foreign Governments since the last returns to Parliament, to be laid on the table of this House ; and that this House will see with pleasure such relaxations in the existing system as may be compatible with a due regard to the public health, and jthe general interests of the nation. This was a sub ect, he said, which was of great interest and importance, espe cially with reference to our commercial and maritime concerns. Since the last time this matter had been before the House, many circumstances had occurred tustify au inq u i ry i n t o t h e system, and h e was t h e more induce to urge it, from the cir cumstance that the able and distinguished individual who had done so much to disabuse the public of the impression that pestilence was so easily spread, had expressly declared his opi. nion that the plague could not be communicated by contagion. The circumstances to which he had alluded materially con firmed that impression. He must acknowledge at the same time, that he had little hope of any assistance from the Go vernment in doing away with the inconvenience, and altering the system of our quarantine laws. It would be recollected that the Eclair steamer arrived last year with an alarming fever on board from the coast of Africa, and that all sorts of communication with the vessel was prevented. He believed that she arrived on the 30th of September, with the yellow flag flying with the black ball in the centre, intimating that there was death on board from fever. On inquiry, it was as certained that there were thirty-two already dead, vet no communication was allowed. It was immaterial whe ther it was the yellow or the black fever, neither of them could have been detrimental to the public. Fresh provisions were sent to the vessel, yet no medical aid was rendered, and the vessel itself was ordered for a cruise in the North Sea. Boats were ordered to row round her to prevent next morning it was signalled the ship. The any communication from shore, and to hinder . any one from escaping from that w t e h d r , e a e n m d o s r o e i m t e e o n n had t inu died, ed b for oit two n o o r thres communicate;;, w nays. Thisa s waset owing to the absurdities of our quaran!..ine laws. He believed that there were always medical 'Lien—heroic men— to be found who given ani the. assistance that those individuals re quired,valuable lives m i g ht have been saved. What was the opinion given by Dr. M'William, who published a report on this disease ? He said, that i n th e Ni ger expedi tion would aii havethus 230 were attacked with fever, and two out o f th e f our medical men who attended on the sick were the last a tt a ck e d. well This proved that the disease was communicative from one to be termed a contagious one. Th e another, and it might into the character of this had issued a commission toinquire Right Hon Baronet was aware that the Russian Governm en t disease, and he (Mr. Bowring) wished that that inquiry had Grand C a i ro th e c l o th es o f p e rsons who had died of fever been fully carried out. It was well known that in the bazaars at were exposed for sa l e , an d th e y were charged for at the same ra t e as any ot h er garments.—(Hear. ) which the C omm i ssion of the Academy of Medicine of P ar What were th e conc l us i ons, the unan i mous conc l us i ons , to had come to with reference to the plague ? The first Was, that it was endemic in Egypt, Syria, and Turkey; he believed it constantly prevailed in those countries to a greater or a less ex tent, and its presence was almost invariably to be found in a certain period o f the year. They cam e t o a secon d reso l ut i on , in which they stated that it was their belief that the plage was to be attributed to spontaneous action, and local, atmospheric causes, and not t o i mportations from distant countries. ' But it was evieent that the plague was in a gr i e n at measure removed by promote Tusean y the e e p h o e n a ti l n th e the attempts which had been made Ifartshhees wpeeorpelei;ein2te ff ailm e t r hp en roof t v countries thl to e At this moment, in injurious effects which they had on the were being gradually removed. The fourth resolution ?eop e which they arrived was, that the disease was ede. to fifthly, that the plague was propogated by atmosprieericmle in fluence, and not by contagion. Sixthly, that it was not con veyed by goods or merchandise. It was, therefore, an ab surdity to keep up these obnoxious quarantine laws. He believed in his conscience that there was ne more evidence of the security given against the introduction of plague by our sanatory regulation —no more evidence in favour of that sys tem, than was to be given of the existence of witches and ghosts. The quarantine laws were most oppressive, and at the same time m os t unequa l i n t h e i r operation. A: steam vessel, arriving from the plague countries in sixteen or seven teen d a y s t Tras allowed to pas; i( any jam. THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY__ MORNING, MAY 2O, 1846. tial person was on board, but if a sailing vessel arrived, after a three mouths' voyage, when all danger must have passed, she was subjected to a most tedious course of quarantine. He hoped he had now said enough to induce the House to grant copies of the correspondence he had moved for on ti e subject of the quarantine system, and be begged to thank the House for the patient hearing he had received. He trusted that what he had said would induce the Government to abate the present exclusive system, and that it might induce them to take advantage of the Neling at the present moment, and lead to the removal altogether of the nuisance of the quarantine laws. _ _ _ Mr. HUME would say but a very few words, for he thought that the time was now an ived when this question should be taken up by the Government, not only because his Hon. Friend had three or four times brought forward this subject before the House, during which he had shown that the system itself was a bad one, but also because he was aware that the impressions of people generally were declining upon this subject.—( Hear, hear.) They now felt less alarm respecting the communication of plague. Again, he was anxious that this matter should be taken up by the Government, because he believed it would greatly promote the cause of free trade.—( A laugh.) If Hon. Members knew how much com merce was impeded between diff , rent countries, and how dila tory and expensive the unloading of cargoes of vessels from infected countries was, they would agree with him that this was a legitimate reason for the removal of tile quarantine laws. There was a third ground for their removal arising out of the large expenses which were occasioned. He believed that it cost the country 120,000/. per year to carry out these restric tive measures, and he trusted that the Right Hon. Baronet, Sir R. Peel, would find leisure to provide some means for ob viating both the expense and the inconvenience, and fully set the subject at rest. Sir G. CLERK was quite ready to produce the papers for which the Hon. Member had moved, and he thought a great advantage would arise from their publication, not only to this country, but also to the continental Governments of Europe. He was aware that the alarm existing on a communication, of plague was much declining in this country, and it was desir able that other nations should also enjoy the benefit of the information which this correspondence contained. Not only did it comprise the reports of the Medical Board at Paris, and the communications from Egypt, but also the report of the Commissioners sent into Egypt by the Russian Government, with a view to make experiments to ascertain the contagious qualities of plague. It would appear indeed that the Egyptian authorities wished to have gone much further in these experi ments than they had done. The experiment which they had made was this, that the garments of the persons who had died from plague were subjected to a process of fumigation, and some of the persons who had been employed by the Russian commission fell victims to the disease, and the clothes when taken from them were exposod for forty-eight hours only to a heat not quite 120 Fahr. Now, the persons who wore these clothes after such experiments, were not affected with the plague, and under these circumstances, he did trust that such an experiment would have the effect of doing away with those prejedices which existed against these lows. Mr. MACKINNON said that the evidence which he had the means of collecting regarding this disease, was when the thermometer rose as high as eighty the plague was extin guished, and the black fever set in. Ho believed most con scientiously the Government quarantine laws were not only very expensive, but were also injurious to human life. He should second the motion of his Hon. Friend with great pleasure. Captain FITZ MAURICE was of opinion that the commer cial interests suffered very much from the operation of the quarantine laws in foreign ports. He thought, if foreign countries would in general assimulate their quarantine-laws, it would be better for vessels going to and from different plaess. Sir ROBERT INGLIS would ask his Hon. Friend who had seconded the motion whether he could rely upon the climate of so variable a nature as was the climate of England to regulate the operation of the quarantine-laws. He was quite willing to admit that the most commercial nation of Europe had no quarantine laws. He still believed in the doctrine that certain diseases were contagious, and he was strongly of opinion that regulations were necessary to prevent their spreading. The motion was then agreed to. Mr. CHRISTIE withdrew his motion with respect to sup plying clothes to new-born children in workhouses. BREACH OF PRIVILEGE (BRIDPORT ELECTION). Mr. BANKES called the attention of the House to what he considered was a breach of the privileges of the House. It was a question regarding the vote of an elector, and in that was inv slved the right of voting of every individual member of the constituency. If he was right in his position, there was an Hon. Gentleman in that House who, he believed, had no right to a seat in that House; and that Hon. Gentle man voted on the third reading of the important measure which had recently been passed ; and added one to the majo rity on that occasion. He was inclined to think that, Mr. Cochrane, the Member for Bridport, might have retained his seat ; but he acted on broad and honourable principles, and was unwilling to avail himself of any unfair advantage. If he recol lected aright, the oath that the Members of the Bridport committee took when they met was, well and truly to try the mat ters contained in the petition. Had they done so ? When ho heard the decision of the Committee, that the election merely turned on the misplacing of one vote, he felt that the subject had not been mentioned in the petition. It was an im portant matter that the subjects to be decided on by the Committee should be specially mentioned in the petition. The Hon. Gentleman then alluded to two cases of Members, where the petitions against their return were dismissed, be cause they did not specify precisely the chargea against the return. If the Committee were sworn to deal only with the matter of the petition, and they did not do so, where was the use of having a petition at all? The elector, whose vote controlled the return of the Member, had no notice of the sitting of the Committee, and the first time that he became aware of the fact of a Committee having sot was when he saw the report of the meeting in the newspapers.—( Hear, hear.) He (Mr. Bankes) had received a letter, dated the 17th instant, from William Rockett, the voter alluded to, praying him to present a petition from him, praying to be allowed to make his statements, with respect to his vote at the last election, at the bar of the House. He (Mr. Bankes) then wrote to the Mayor of Bridport in reference to this ques tion, and received from him a reply; to the effect that Rockett had voted for Mr. Cochrane distinctly, and he never men tioned Mr. Romilly's name. If there was a wrong the He use was obliged to provide a remedy, which it did not devolve upon him to point out. He would persist in the motion of which he had given notice.—( Hear, hear.) The motion having been put, The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he had anticipated that the Hon. Member who had just sat down would, in making his motion, have restricted himself to the question ' whether or not an injury had been done to W m . R oc k e tt, but the Hon. Member had taken the opportunity of going into a discussion with regard to the conduct of the Committee who sat to in quire into the allegations of the petition presented against the return of Mr. Cochrane, and had made very serious charges against them. Now, in his opinion, the Hon. Member ought to have been more careful in addressing the House in support of his motion. Notwithstanding what had fallen from the Hon. Member, he (the Attorney-General) was certainly of opinion that with regard to the question of scrutiny, as the law at pre sent stood, there was no necessity whatever that the petition should contain any allegation as to any vote having been im properly given or recorded for a candidate ; and, moreover, that if it had been introduced in the petition, it would not have had the slightest effect. As the petition prayed for the seat on behalf of Mr. Romilly, and there being no necessity for the allegation alluded to, it was quite sufficient to give the Committee jurisdiction over the matter—it was a petition they d w e e c r i e de. sworn w t i to With inquire regard thei mpr w o p h e ih they were rcciostn closing of bun f the eel poll,to that complaint was not made in the petition, and the Commit tee had therefore no right to enter upon that question. The power of the Committee was defined and ascertained, and was given by the Legislature, who declared that their decision should be final. He did, therefore, wonder how the Hon. Member for Dorsetshire could bring forward his motion. He believed that the Hon. Gentleman that at present occupied a seat in that House for the borough of Bridport, held that seat as fairly as any Hon. Member in the House. He had, however, no objection to the object of the motion, but he had to the form of it. They could not refuse an inquiry of the sort asked for. —(Hear, hear.) But he suggested that it would be much more convenient to have that inquiry conducted before a Select Committee, rather than that Rockett should be examined at the bar of the House. The lion. Member for Weymouth (Mr. Christie) had an amendment on the papers to that effect, and he hoped that the House would agree to it in preference to the motion of the lion. Member for Dorsetehire.—(Hear.) Mr. CHRISTIE said that he considered that whether the investigation had been pursued or not, Mr. Cochrane would have lost his seat, for he believed the state of facts was this, that the decision should be taken on Rockett's vote, in order to avoid the disclosure of bribery and corruption, which other wise would have been made. Now, there had been three hundred and seventy-two votes objected to on account of bribery, and there were six others also objected to for having bribed, and being therefore consequently disqualified. It was also an undoubted fact, that an agent of the Government offered a compromise to the petitioners, that if they would discontinue their opposition Mr. Cochrane should never sit for Bridport again. The Government had, in 1842, granted a Committee to inquire' into the subject of compromises upon the allegation of the Member for Bath, that such were in the habit of taking place; upon that precedent he would, therefore, move the following amendment :—That the petition of William Rockett be referred to a Select Committee, which should be appointed, to inquire into all the circumstances under which Joseph Welch gave :evidence before the Select Com mittee on the Bridport election petition that William Rockett voted for Mr. Romilly, and whether any compromise or ar rangement was entered into by the parties to the loetition ; their counsel, or ag e nts, t o p revent t h e di sc l osure of bribery or treating ; and also, whether and to what extent bribery and treating were practised at the loot election for the borough of Bridport.—( Hear: hear, ) Lord UEORUE BENTINCK considered that a grave charge was brought against the Members df the Committee. They were sworn to tei one charge, and they investigated an other. 140 therefore considered his Hon. Friend below him had done most wisely in bringing .flrWard his itidtion: The ATTORNEY-GM% ERA', said that the si;eacli tip tu+t Noble Lord was in perfect violation of the spirit upon which these institutions were founded, for it contained nothing more or less than an investigation of, the. ghlunds . Iron which the Committee had Coma to their decisions—decisions which the Legislature contemplated shotild be final and decisive: The House, after granting a incittiry hi 1842, saw the incon venience . of the course pursued, and the Noble Lord the Alia ber for the city of London introduced a Bill to meet such cases. The sth and 6th Viet. c. 102, was. accordingly passed, and power was acootdidkly given td tfie Electidn Committees to investigate luck petitions, and to report the result to the Reuse. If the Committee reported that a further iypuiry.Was necessary, the Spte.lef might then appoint another Uommittee to examine the matter fully. But if the Committee reported that no further inquiry was nedetsatyt. tills did not deprive parties having complaints front getting them investigated. Uri the presentation of a petition, three months after the electiola, another body was appointed by that Bill, who hod the power to take cognisance of the whole circumstances. There was a distinct Act cif Parliament to meet the ease. The Legislature had provided efficient mean to meet it, and there was that difference between Committees such as that asked for; OA the tribunal appointed by the House, that the latter had the power to examine without being , upon oath. He hoped he had stated sufficient to convince his Hon. Friend the Member for Maynootb, that there was a t H r i i b s u H n a o l n .atFpresents a e i x d h t i o n w g e w v e e a t d h a a p t t t e h d e t t r o oe chwoanavdseuabc list been tn h e bo i fr n i q bv ueo bribed r e y ar . st containing 37 names, ence in Election Committees a s he ( the was more common than to I the Bridport election. whlloadwehries alleged Hon b t ab whichro b i see s rr y o v m aast e tai thing very sus picious, F A ri t e t n or d ne a y s - m G u en ch era e l x ) P h e a r d i he would have known that not hin g , ot e n l e .f c o t r i onr,risos. daysfohne:H m F G r ar i wouldek e a n et d s Dub s c a :l w albr , ic oo h nlnu o t ‘ Ep v r e tl eeh v hc e e et r n , ao es t ni h el a eCr t ac' t h lmya e ri r ol'g e fiet m stt eho u eif s s' experienceinto the h i n e q c t a uo u i i s hy e i sa t h na e idd p t ho e e t p i r t re i oo also,vn e e r the i s i said wl eo t gu h al a dt onhse. have w seenHa s a d r n e b a o e d t h y bi rn t og o u ug g hn o -t common in such allegation, for there was no Election Committee at which they were not made. These were the grounds on which his Hon. Friend asked for a Select Committee. He denied that they were sufficient get:lands. lie said that there was a tribunal for such investigation—a competent tribunal, and the mode of meeting the case proposeil by the Hon., Member was not one which ceuld serve his pucpose. He himself (the Attorney-General) was for a full investigation of the c i rcumstances, but he could not see why that could not be don e b y the tribunal which had been specially con s tituted for su c h cases; and, on these ground- he would resist the ' motion. Mr. GISBORNE thought it eatemely inconvenient that the House should go into the questionat all; but now that it had done so, he was very glad that tie Committee was likely to be granted. He did so upon principle, for there were many analogous cases, and he considered that such a state of things was unsatisfactory. By bringing the iuestion prominently be fore the House, it would lead to suchamendmetits in the law relating to elections as would put an sod to these abuses. He dial not mean to go into the case of Mr. Rockett, as lie did not know all the particulars connected witi the Bridport election ; but he thought the Committee might to granted. Sir R. INGLIS differed with the lion. Member for Dorset en vatious grounds, but principally beeatue the result of the decis,on of the Committee in this cage, had the effect of adding one to that triumph which her Majesty's Government had lately achieved, and which was already too large.---( Great laughter.) When the House declared that certain minutes of an Election Committee should be laid before it, he could not see why they should be treated as mere waste paper. He might be allowed to say, that there was a wide suspicion of a compromise of bribery.—( Hear.) He did not wish to be un derstood to impute anything like a suspicion against the con duct of any Hon. Member in that House, but h e thought it had appeared that there were proceedings which bore a very curious aspect, at the late Bridport election. He considered the subject ought now to remain as it was. Mr. WAKLEY said that a man named Walsh was called before the Committee, who stated that he had heard Rockett vote for Romilly, and accordingly the vote was struck off, and legalplaced andto t h i o e rJ o i t t i h m e r a t sei rig. h H t e o fb the e v v e r d e s t e h o a t t n H o o o n n . e would Member denythe who sat in that House for Bridport, and, therefore, he could not suffer by the issue of an inquiry. But the House owed it to itself and to future legislation to set such matters at rest. The Hon. Gentleman the Attorney-General had said that to allow such a Committee world be to do that which could not be done so well as by the present power, but he (Mr. Wakley) thought they would not discharge their duty to themselves, nor to the satisfaction of th eeLaorf e reontlraaie p acirnmn u pte b red l on ie lte , F,As unless they allowed this inquiry to take place. Th e CHANCELLOR of th e EXCHEQUER s aid that what fa i o e sr n t i hi net i s p a a i ri d or yp proper ro t a p s s 0 , 0 so h t e l : c a m : so e bs P ,e a a r aa l ridapml thate e d n . t transferred ah s o d neh s l cfa a ll eo i ar s o m i r n Ae d p . dole complaint nro n n oft d mbp e he 'louse on h o w h a s h t e h o a t o g o h n t e tvoo have e a r ", oh stood, been to another. The question for the House to consider was whether there was not a regular course for judging of the matter, without a Committ ee of that House being appointed. He was of opinion that the inqui;;lnierthe circumstances, was wholly uncalled for. Mr. ROMILLY said that when this election had concluded, he felt so totally indifferent to it, from the manner in which it hid boon cenducted, .h.t he had not resolved to petition against the return of the successful candidate. If, however, the Com mittee were appointed, he would give every assistance in his power for the fullest investigation.—(Hear, hear.) It should be remembered that the Act of the Noble Lord (John Russell) made the expense of the inquiry fall upon the parties interested, and not upon the public; and that alone would be a sufficient cause to prevent anything like a wish to prosecute such an in quiry. Mr. AGLIONBY said he would only trouble the House with a few remarks upon th 3 question before it, which he considered a very proper one. He did not think there was any other mode for making this in quiry more effectual than the present constitutional one, and that was the power conferred by 1. Victoria, by which he con sidered the public were sufficiently protected. But the Com mittee might have thought it was not incumbent on them to have pursued the inquiry further than they had done, and that therefore they did not deem it necessary to have made a special report. He (Mr. Aglionby) assumed that the Committee had had no evidence before them to the effect that any bribery had taken place, because no statement to the contrary had been made. But this House still had the power to grant this motion, and if a prima ,facia case should be made out, the public at large should bear the expense of it. However, the party petitioning, who must be a voter, could have no object, for he could not either seat or unseat a Member. He would concluded by saying he would vote for the Committee. Mr. C. WOOD said that there must have been some mis statements on the subject, and entered into a long statement of the nature of the duties of an Election Committee. The only object of the inquiry was to ascertain whether bribery had existed. The petition stated that they had. sufficient reason to think that bribery tad existed, and if any compromise were to be made in case of any subsequent objecti'n, the inquiry should be made as to that compromise, but not as to the bribery. If they were satisfied that the compromise took place for the pur pose of screening bribery; if it was established in their minds , that bribery really did exist, any Committee, under those cir stances, might order an inquiry to . be made, and enter into a fu. ther scrutiny. If it was the opinion of the House that pro. ceedings should be instituted with regard to the bribery, it seemed to him to be useless to institute a second inquiry as to the comprornis3. Mr. B. ESCOTT said that the inconvenience which had arisen was, that in the desire to condemn the proceeding of the tribunal, the Noble Lord made accusations against it without any information with regard to the facts which he stated. Had the Noble Lord spoken from information, the House would have been primed with some of those long harangues with which it had been favoured during the last two months. How could those who were not present, and who did not know what evi dence was given before the Committee, or what admissions were made by counsel, who could only speak from the informa tion which they obtained from printed papers, venture to im pugn the proceedings which had taken place. In consequence of the attack which had been made, he wished to say one thing. It was quite clear that the present Hon. Member for Bridport was justly and fairly the Member for the town which he represented, a , was insinuated and that in h Mr. Btarle p e l Cochraneseech of the Hon. h had no claimt o that a Member for Dorset. When the counsel for the petition against the sitting Member threw up his brief, it was sufficient ground for any Committee to act upon. With respect .to any future inquiry in that House, the vote of every Member would be to the fullest extent in favour of the present Member, and if they were to divide on the subject he should vote that, if any inquiry was made, it should be a full and searching one. When the Noble Lord the Member for Lynn made accusations against the conduct of Members of that House who were as honourable as the Noble Lord was, he wished lie would recollect that, under the circumstances, it was the duty of the Committee, as he himself had said, to de cide on the evidence laid before them, and to do justice. They did decide on the evidence, and they did do justice to the Hon. Member for Bridport. Mr. BANKES said that his Right Hon. Friend the Chan cellor of the Exchequer, in the definition which he had given of the question of privilege then before the House, admitted at the time of his speech that the subject must be put to the House as a question of privilege. He would not deny that the Hon. Member now sitting for Bridport was de facto the real Member for the borough, and his seat could not be taken from him, but he would say that the Hon. Member was sitting there against the will of his constituents, and he put it to the House whether inquiry ought not to be made with a view of finding a remedy for the evil. He (Mr. Bankes) had discharged his duty to the House, and had limited that duty within the bounds which he considered necessary. It was his wish that the House should be able to satisfy itself that this was a genuine petition, and the best mode of ascertaining that was by bringing it to the bar of the House. The Hon. Member for Weymouth had substituted an amendment to the original motion, to which he was perfectly willing to agree. The Hon. Member had proposed that he (Mr. Bankes) should sit on the Committee, but he had already two Committees of great importance to attend to, besides a grouper seven railway Bills, and that he thought quite sufficient to keep his time occupied. He would allow that a vote was polled upon one side that ought to have been given to the other, and therefore the prayer of the petition was " that the House would take the premises of that petition into consideration, and take such measures as should seem fit to the House. " His Friend the Solicitor-General had said that there need not be any specific allegation in the petition. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL—No. Mr. BANKES—Then he went the whole length of stating that there should be no allegation, and that the petition should merely state that the sitting Member ou g ht not to be allosied to take his seat. To proce e d un d er th e Bill of Lord John Russell would have been the most convenient mode in this case, but he (Mr. Bankes) had not done so, because it was difficult for him to avail himself of a measure which was not much in use. The original petition in this case was disposed of, and for any further proceedings another petition was required, and who would be the petitioner? It would not be easy to find a petitioner in a case which promised no result, and in which there was no object to be gained by the electors of the borough. If the object was to disfranchise the borough they would be the last people who would come forward as the petitioners. He apprehended that the passing of the statute did not pre clude them from adopting any other course which might appear desir able to them. With regard to the Act of Lord John Russell, it was difficult to avail themselves of it; and he did not see why they should attempt to proceed by it when it would be rather an obstruction. Sir R. PEEL said that the attention of the House had been called to the motion of his Hon. Friend, who had just concluded his address to the House, and who had stated a fact which ap peared to him to deserve the consideration of the House— namely, that when the voter before the Committee declared that his vote was given to a candidate that he did not vote for, and that his character was injured by that informal vote, the Committee had declared that that vote was to be transferred to the opposite candidate. The consequence of that was, that a majority of one was decided in favour of the other, and that by the statute law of this country, as far as his seat was con cerned the decision could not be questioned, and the present Member for Bridport (Mr. Romilly) was entitled to his seat as a statutcable right ; and no decision on the part of that House, no poWer or authority but an Act of Parliament could deprive him of a right to which he was entitled by the law of the coun try, and the reverse of any decision would not be effected in thet manner, The House ought to consider whether, on the allegation which had been made, an inquiry ought to be made into the affair. If there was no mf conducting the inquiry, die ehould vote for the original moti ode o on of his lion. Friend that the party should be called on to appear at the bar of the House ; but as that means had not been acceded to, he thought that flOt inquiry should be conducted by means of a Select Committee, Wile should, examine t h ev t id s encee lec , and thus render their investigation complete. I a t Committee were instituted, the original object contemplated would be entirely ar's-vcred. lie thought they could adhere to the Act of the Noble Ldrd, and not institute inquiries except under the gene ral provisions of that measure. There was a constant tendency in that House to interfere with those functions which, far a wise and beneficial purpose, were remitted to Select Commit tees. What was the use of the provision of the Noble Lord? Why, to defeat concealment of improper practices by compromise, and to defeat not only compromise, but to institute inquiries into bribery. That Act gave the Committee appointed the powui ci' adjudicating, and the right to make a epecial report, setting forth w hether there was any reasonable apprehension that an inquiry into bribery was necessary. In making that si l e eial report, the House was l e f t a t liberty to take what course If there had been sufficient ground i n th e pre it thought ;'l , chargo of comp rom i se aga i ns t sent instance to st; ;Tort the . L' the Right Honourable Gentle the Committee over whit-• t :at charge would have been man presided, there was no doubt t... ` , t Committee ; and made. Evidence had been taken before a special report if the facts developed before them had rendere2 his inquiry necessary, there would have been some ground for : into a compromise ; but as that had not been made, he ,70 u u ir 1 y c not advise the House to proceed. The Noble Lord's Act was such that an inquiry in compromise or bribery did not depend on a petition being presented within foarteen days after the election, for it provides, " That in any case, where one person, who was entitled to vete, shall petition the House on the grounds of any reasonable allega tions of compromise to them, any time within three months, they could institutue an inquiry. It was not necessary li that y. A they should prove extensive and general briber that he had to do was simply to declare his belief in extensive he and general bribery in the particular borough of whi c h voter, and to enter into his rccognizances that such he w b a o s ni a i fide believed to the best of his knowledge to be the case. If he made this declaration , and entered into his recognizanes' then a provision was m ade for th e appointment of a eCom mittee of Inquiry, which Committee had all the functio ns o f an Election Committee. All this could be called into action by the petition of one single voter alleging his belief that bribery existed. But did the Act impose expense on the petitioner ? No ; for if the Committee reported that there was reasonable ground for the allegation, they would order the expenses of the petitioner to be borne as in any other public matter. If they were dissatisfied with the law let them alte r it , though he be lieved that as it stood it admitted extensive and searching in quiry. Great inconvenience had arisen from the old system of appointing Committees for every individual case, and the Noble Lord had therefore brought forward this remedy, Th ese were were e p n o o l policy the provisions of the l a w, and he sa w no reason to question but whil e it rema i ne d i n f orce h e did not f ee l di spose d ito n ysuorffiethieentj, f terfere in an y i n di v id ua l ease. S ee i ng h ow t h e inquiries had u i s t t i vi c , e a s o !. 0 i n t l . p e t l e f n t th f e o y r t thought a Ittl-e.er tphoewlaw r s ; been conducted in former times by party decisions in the Com mittees of Parliament, and seeing the tendency that political exctement had to interfere with the decisions of such Com mittees, he fur one would resist any further inquiry, except that sanctioned under the law of the Noble Lord, and such as would have the obj ec t o f rescu i ng the character of an individual from theinjury to which it has been subjected.—( Hear.) in quirettilrn3A ue l fs. r te. l i to act l ao a r4h e l jdftietilhiel,ne ae d sedsc oiatttfifsoherexplanation. 0 whether Committee appeared msce momoi tfrst thatsuch thecompromise rsif from eksmaovei should the cl r dd: t ibm h brre e .pop rura H loeigymis o hoe u s :win : :t e e de wpfwaoatasrisosen thatt pre paredthehe alleged did take place. re ference to the sanction of the Committee that had sat on the case, E f. waaF a :oc n s o rtatpydhi Mr. CHRISTIE said he was willing to fall into th e sug gestion of the Right lion. Gentl eman ( Sir R. Inglis), and he would, therefore, strike out the latter part of his motion. It would then stand . a motion for a simple inquiry as to whether ought to inquire f into . the real idledreaadw the , evidence e n it e b t y a k t e h r e , suc i‘ l f i r a . c u m u n N pr c om o i A s f e u re u al s l a y id ha t p h p e lned. question Rightiloonf .co n m ar p o r n o e m t. ise, N a o nd one not eo b u e before the Committee without being persuaded mise did take place. The f ac t was , t h e Committee a h c ar fe r e () ; completely bamboozled. The Hon. Member then read at some length the evidence of witnesses. This was the evidence sent forth to the public, and could it be expected that it should satisfy the House ? He trusted the House would proceed with its inquiry into the alleged compromise which had taken place, so that justice might be rendered to all parties. Mr. LABOUCHERE said that it was due to the justice and character of the House that a Committee should be appointed to ascertain whether a system of extensive bribery had existed at Bridport ; but he did not think that that Com mittee should prosecute its inquiry as to whether a compromise had been come to. A compromise was, in itself, no offence, and it would be only a waste of public time and money to ex tend the inquiry so far. He thought that this course—that he meant of extending their investigation into the matter of compromise—would only revive those party feelings and party prejudices which had in former times brought such disgrace upon the privileges of the House.—( Hear, hear. ) Mr. lIEN LEY thought that the election inquiries before Committees of the House, as at present conducted, were little better than a farce.—( Hear, hear.) There were two ques tions in this inquiry, the one of bribery and the other of a compromise ; but an inquiry under the Act of the Noble Lerd the Ale:ldler for London was, in fact, no inquiry at all. The electors of Brid2ort did not choose that their borough should be disfranchised, and as respected them, therefore, the inquiry into bribery would only be, as he had already stated, a solemn farce. Mr. BANKES then withdrew his amendment, and Mr. Christie's amendment was put as a substantive motion. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved, as an amendment, that all the words after "Romilly" be left out. Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, when there appeared — For the motion 47 Against it 47 The SPEAKER gave his vote in favour of the amendment of the Attorney-General, which was consequently carried. The motion of Mr. Christie was about to be disposed of, when Mr. HUME moved that the debate be adjourned to Thurs day, as Mr. Christie and several other Hon. Members had left the House.—The motion was agreed te. RAILWAY COMPANIES DISSOLUTION BILL. The House then went into Committee on this Bill. After a short discussion the whole of the clauses, with some iew verbal amendments, were agreed to. The House having resumed, the CHAIRMAN reported ac , cordingly, and the report was ordered to be brought up on Thursday next. VISCOUNT HARDINGE'S ANNUITY BILL. This Bill went through Committee. The reports on Viscount Hardinge's and Lord Gough's Annuity Bills were brought up and agreed to. The report on the Explosive Substances' Bill was brought up and agreed to. On the motion of Sir JAMES GRAHAM, the following clauses were introduced into the Bill:- 1. To enable justices to grant warrants to search for explo sive and destructive substances in cases of sworn informations that an offence under this Act is intended. 2. To enable constables without warrant to stop and search persons whom they shall find abroad at night, under circum stances of reasonable suspicion, that an offence under this Act is intended. The Bill was then ordered to be read a third time this day. The other orders of the day si ere then disposed of, and On the motion of Mr. CARDWELL, The House adjourned at Twelve o'clock. GREAT MUNSTER RAILWAY. SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting of the proprietors, shareholders, and scripholders of this Company, took place yesterday at the offices of the Company, 29, Parliament-street, in pursuance with the sessional 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, they would hare no disposable fund of which to avail them selves for any contingent expenses. The CAUIIMAN 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 pf that alteration, and therefore when they came to make thoce.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,soo;.—(Hear, hear) —before they were in a position to enter Parliament. How ever, by this effort they were enabled to go before the House of Lords, and he need scarcely tell them the Company had two severe struggles before that tribunal ; they were, however, in the end so successful, that the Chairman of the Commit tee stated the Bill had passed unanimously, and that it was considered as a national undertaking. The accounts would 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 Brokerage commission Deputation to Ireland Engineers' expenses Solicitors' 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. Atter several speeches from Daniel Whittle Harvey, Esq., 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. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. DEAR Stn,—l will feel greatly obliged if you will please to insert in your valuable paper the following :—I was a pas senger in the Boulogne boat to London of last Sunday, and I am happy to say that when I went on Monday for my lug gage I never met with such politeness, nor such gentleman like officers as those employed at the Customs' luggage room. It would be a great credit to my country if they had such gentlemen employed, as they boast it is the country of politeness ; travellers w ould suppose they arrive dans an pays de barbara when...they land at Boulogne s 'or any French port. I hope, Sir, you will find I have not intruded. May 18, 1846. A FRENCHMAN. EIIILIA WYNDHAM.—Let no one (says the John Bull) who wishes to read a work of fiction with the stamp of genius upon it, hesitate in procuring , Emilia Wyndham. The author's " Two Old Men's Tales,' and " Mount Sorel," have won for him no mean reputation—a reputation which " Emilia Wyndham " will deservedly expand. This novel has the peculiar merit of rivetting the attention, rousing the feelings, and creating an interest that never flags, with out having recourse to any of the ordinary devices by which novel writers attain these ends. It is a tale of domestic life; all the characters aro characters of home ; and yet, from the trials which are prepared for the latter, and the moral virtues they are called upon to exercise in passing through them, the reader feels precisely that sort of deep interest which he would do if he were the intimate friend of the parties. Mr. Danby, Lisa, Colonel Lenox, Emilia Wyndham, her father, Jonny Wilcox, Mr. Danby's mo titer, the faithful, plain-spoken Susan; form a living group in a l ldye sthe whole story, which is enforced by a style at once powerful, the memory long after the thi r d vo l ume h a s b ee n closed. The author has considerable humour, approaching that of moral 111 dra matic,ol er e a no ffull Addison;ef vigour. whi A lofty while his dialogue is ton es e se p n e t r i ; rapid, and graceful. THE TRAVELS OF LADY lIESTER STANHOPE, just published, exceed, if possible, in interest, the " Memoirs" of this extraordinary personage, which created, last year, so great a sensation—for, independently of the valuable infor mation the volumes contain respecting the countries visited by her Ladyship, comprising Turkey, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, add the Desert, with the curious characteristics pre served of the different races of the human family there to be met with, more particularly of the Bedouins, Druses, Jews, -rid Christians, the narrative abound s w ith remarkable inci of personal adventure in which her Ladyship was the one place she is seen enduring the horrors of fears of plague—in another, enjoying the Palmyra, conferred upon her by the -11 tribes, as she marched at their *—further on, directing the —Wens for buried trea '4lr to the harems exhibiting and dents heroine. shipwreck or tia, dignity of Queen m - most intractable of the Are._ head through the Lurning begin. Turkish authorities in making exca._ si!re— . elsewhere, equally honoured as a Thu._ of tne most powerful of the nobles ; and alwayb to the astonished people extraordinary courage, wisdo., benevolence. THE CELLAR MARTYR.- - The following is a copy "of the warrant under which William Smith O'Brien, Egg , . was corn milted to the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms :" . die ---" Jovls, 30 Aprilis, 1846. Whereas the House of Commons has this day resolved that William Smith O'Brien, Esq., a Member a the said Howse, having been guilty of a contempt of the said House, be far his said offence committed to the custody of the Sergeant-at-Arms attending the s lid House, during the pleasure of the said House--these are therefore to require you forthwith to take into your custody the said William Smith O'Brien, and him safely to keep during the pleasure co the said House. And all mayors, sheriffs, under-sheriffs, bailiffs, constables, headboroughs, and officers of the said House are required to be aiding and assisting to you in the execution hereof. For which this shall be your sufficient warrant. Given under my hand, this 30th day of April, 1846, Charles Shaw Lefevre, Speaker. To the Bergeaut-at-Arno attending tug 119 lat Of COUPapias, or his deputy.", RAILWAY COMNIMEES. (YESTERDAY.) HOUSE OF LORDS. GROUP I. MOD:MON AND TORE. The Committee met this day at eleven o'clock, the Earl of Love lace chairman. The first witness called was a Mr. Baclley, cattle dealer, of Tork, who was examined by Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE—The grazing of cat- ~..., . tie was carried on to a very great extent at Lincolnshire. Le - an cattle were brought to that place and then fattened and sent to Rotherham ant other places to be disposed of. 'They were driven to those places, and that had a deteriorating effect. The want of railway communica tion was much felt with regard to cattle. There would be a traffic of 54,000 lean cattle alone brought by the railway from Lincolnshire is the year. There was that amount at present, but when the rail way was constructed the numbers would considerably increase. Spalding was a very rich grazing district, and would afford a very large cattle traffic for a line of railway. Had made out a table of the cattle traffic from information which he had collected from various sources. Mr. llmnrstan said he had to object to such tables: he did not °Wet upon any other principle than that of guarding himself against a similar objection on the part of his Learned Friend at another stage of the inquiry. It was held to be the same in a Committee of their Lordships as in a court of law, with "respect to evidence, namely, that the witness should only depose to that which came under his knowledge. The NOBLE Cnarawasr—Exactly so. Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE said that the tables which he put in could be taken for what they were worth. With respect to objecting to his Learned Friend under a similar position, he could assure him that uo such objection should be made. The examination was then resumed—The cattle from Lincolnshire, wasret, e r y b e o r r y o üb, ttnd other parts, had been driven to London. This tedious, and occupied from six to seven days. They were driven from one market to another on the way, and those which were not disposed of reacheclvihihue London market. The NOBLE CHAI RMAN travel in the day? t Is the num b er o f m il es w hi c h cattle The witness—That depended on the condition of the cattle; fat cattle were not able to traveulat o such a rate as the lean ; the former travelled at an aver age f ys. ten abo Turhte 2 twlve miles a day, but the mile others at the rate of twenty income froin cattle traffic alone would bring to the rallera ,esattsul;greatestlaGdst..a2ndte. advantage Itead theno doubt that the railway would be of the greatest cattle-dealers. The witness was cross-examined by Mr. ITILDTAR D great length was already a for the purpose of showing that much of the traffi c pro vided for by a line about to be made. The witness acknowledged that his tables were prepared from the traffic which existed Mr. Hadley was re-examined by Mr. Sergeant TE 1e 'INGLAKE 18 T . London and York Railway was the nearest line to the cattle deal€rs. of Lincolnshire, St. Ives, and other large grazing districts and irkarket 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 Smithlleld 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 %rest, in stead of, as at present, coming in on the evening. Charles Chaplin, Esq., examined by Mr. Densa—Was one of the Commissioners for the drainage of the Witham. Was - a.lSo 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 ti".* small landowners, such as those who held about ten acres; it would Interfere with the drainage of their land to some extent. The witness was not cross-examined. Mr. Pitman, traffic-taker, was examined as to the correctness of the tables showing the amount of traffic. The *lncas wt briefly cross-cxfunir.ed by 14&. TALBOT, and this concluddi the traffic evidence. Mr. Cubitt, civil engineer, was then called and examined by Mr. DENisox—ls engineer for the London and York Railway. The length of the line from London to York, without branches, is 185 miles, 78 chains. The loop line goes from the main line 2 miles beyond Pe terborough round by Byston and Lincoln ; its length is 86 miles 10 chains. from Bedford it is 7 miles 72 ehains. There was a branch intended to be made, called the Stamford branch, but it is not now deemed expedient to construct it, in consequence of the difficulty of crossing other proposed lines. That branch was to have been the length of 4 miles 75 chains. There was also to have been a branch from Doncaster to Leeds, but it is not now 111 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 chains. 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 not affect the ruling gradients. The Birmingham station at Euston square had a gradient considerably under I 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 speed the gradients will Rot effect them. The Bedford branch is a dead level. The most difficult part of the line is for about 20 miles going out of London, the remainder is all:very favourable, with a slight exception coming up to Grantham. There are tunnels along the main line to the number of fourteen, and the longest is 1,352 yards; there is another of 1,312, and another near Grantham of 1,047. At Islington there is one 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 which is another of 220, and at St. Nath's one of 1,112, at Digswell one of 1,047, Sandy one of 187, Little Sandy one of 198, at Great Penton, one of 352, Little Ponton, one of 322, Ponton again, one of 305, and at Guyd, one ef 968, making a total of 8,266 yards of tunnelling, at a cost of 603,3651. This is less than five miles in length. On the loop line there Li r.o tunnelling. The total estimate of the main line is 4,149,9081. The estimate of the loop is 149,4081. The cost of the Bedford Branch is estimated at 86,9041., tusking a total of 5,286,4441. The banks of the Witham are well adapted for 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. After some more general information as to the engineering merits of the line, the Committee adjourned till eleven o'clock to-morrow. HOUSE OF COMMONS. GROUP X. The Committee met againto.7dayaiiwelve o'clock, in Room No. 1 (Rouse of Commons) ; present, Mr. Deedes, chairman ; Mr. Ark wright, Mr. Farnham, Mr. Vivian, and Mr. Stanley. The Cnatardan having inquired if the parties had come to terms on the subject of satistitction to Messrs. Baird, the opposing peti tioners, in the case of the IYIONKLAND AND ILIKIUNTILLOCH (CHAPEL-HALL BRANCH), a conversation, or rather discussion between the counsel on both sides took place, from which it appeared that the parties had not yet agreed. The Committee ultimately adjourned the case to Thursday. The Committee then proceeded to take the usual evidence, accord ing to Mr. Duncombe's resolutions, respecting the LESMARAGOVI, DALSERP, AND COAT-, BRIDGE JUNCTION. Mr. ANDREWS stated that the objects of theßill are to form a com munication across the Clyde, joining the Wishaw and Coitness Rail way, and connecting the extensive fields of coal and ironstone on the south bank of the Clyde with the ironworks on the north bank, and with the markets of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and the shipping ports on the rivers Forth and Clyde. The length of the line will be two miles and three furlongs. The expense is estimated at 50,0001. By this railway a large and valuable field of coal and iron stone would be rendered available, which the owners have hitherto been unable to work for want of a cheap means of commu nication to enable them to compete with the other mineral districts having the benefit of railway accommodation. The coal and iron• atone in the neighbourhcod of the great iron works of the Monklands are becoming exhausted, and as a large amount of capital has been I expended on these works, it is very important that means should be provided for bringing supplies from the more distant fields. The present means of conveyance from the mineral fields to the iron works and places of consumption is by cartage, and in consequence of the heavy tolls and the general steepness of tho roads, the traffic is necessarily very limited and very expensive. So great is the value attached to the, contemplated line by the capitalists and ironmasters in the district, that as soon as the intention to form the railway was generally known, arrangements were made to a great extent for working the minerals in the parishes of Dalserf and Lesmahagow. lie wished the Com- mittee to observe, that the line would be constructed entirely for mineral traffic, there being, in fact, no passenger traffic in the dis trict. It was important to keep this in view, as it removed all ob jections to the steepness of the gradients. This steepness was un avoidable, from the nature of the country, without an enormous expense. But the gradients were perfectly practicable and safe, and were the best the locality would admit of. The line would be worked by fixed engines. The Learned Gentleman concluded by observing, that the line would not materially affect any of the property through which it would pass, and none of the petitions against the Bill in any way affected the preamble, but they involved altogether questions only of compensation. Mr. M`Nzia., Counsel for the promoters (with Mr. Andrews) called evidence to bear out the leading statements of the latter. Mr. Ady, tho engineer of the line, and manager of several of the existing or projected railways with which it is proposed to connect this branch, was examined on the engineering merits. His evidence referred to no important particulars which had not been referred to in the opening statement of Counsel. The gradients were practicable for passengers if necessary. Mr. Goßoorr 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 influence of established main lines and new branch tines, 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 Cutramew 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'Neu. (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. GORDON 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. 31'31Eia elicited from 3f r. Baird (a witness for the opponents) that there was really no comparison between the cheap tiailicrerese and the present in point of working. [The details of evidence too minute for a report.) Mr. 31•Nexx having replied, The Committee decided that the preamb le was Prold• The clauses were then gone through and agre ed t ' and the Bill passed. The Committee adjourned till We've o'docl to-morrow. GROLTP XIII. The Committee met to-day at the usual hoar, Sir WiMani Clay in the chair. The other Members present were, Earl Jerrayn, Mr. P. Ainsworth, and Mr. Curteis. CALEDONIAN RAILWAY AND BRANCHES. Mr. Sergeant WRANGUAId made an application on behalf of the above company, in reference to the vote which the Committee had come to yesterday. It had relation to a point which he was sure had escaped the Members, and therefore he had hoped there would be a reconsideration of the decision. The Committee, in deciding the preamble of the Dumfries Bill to be proved, had prejudged the case of the Caledonian Extension and the Langholm branch. In the pre amble agreed to, it was stated, that a branch from the Dumfries line at Sanquhar, or that which was called the Crawick branch, would be of great public advantage. Now that line was for five miles identical with the Caledonion Extension. In the same preamble it was also stated that it would be of great public advantage to make a line from a point near Springfield to the proposed branch from Hawick to Car lisle Church. Now this, along with the North British Extension, would make thirteen miles identical with the Langholm branch of the Caledonian scheme. It was clear, then, that the case of the Caledonian was prejudged by the decision that had been come to. Originally, the Hawick branch to Carlisle was grouped in another Committee, but in order that the whole might be considered it had been referred to the present Committee, so that the whole case of competing railways might be gone into before any decision Was given. The decision that had been come to by the Committee had prejudged the case, without hearing evidence for the Caledonian Extension, or the Caledonian Langholm Branch. He was quite sure that, under such circumstances, the passing of the preamble was accidental, and that the Committee, in doing so, had been led away from the consideration of these branches by the larger features of the case —the main line from Ayrshire to Carlisle.t Ills task was now done ; he called the attention of the Committee to the matter, in order that some step might be takirt to bring t rotnith h merits of both branches before them, and in order t a be a reconsideration of that part of the preamble to which he had (erred. The Cuemasti said the Committee had decided that the preamble of the Bill for the main line was proved, because he conceived the public wants of the district required it. They had also decided that the Dumfries Company should have the Canonbie branch. Still they were willing to go fully into the case of the Caledodian (Langholm) branch, and if they saw good grounds for proving it they would so arrange the two preambles by clauses that they would not interfere with each other. Mr. Sergeant WaANOnast thought such a course irregular. There was only room for one branch in each of the districts referred to, and he could not see how Bills could be granted for two. He thought there ought to be a re-consideration of the preamble passed, so as to reserve the decision on these branches till the Caledonian Extension and the Langholm Branch were gone into, and evidence called. Mr. CoclOurn, a few days ago, had made an application that no decision should be come to till the whole was goco into, but it was re- fused. .;',e CHAVYALLIZ refused to re-consider the preamble, but would be willing w wear any application when the clauses of the Dumfries Bill was titian consideration at three o'clock. Should the Commit- Ctaledonian(Langhelm) branch ought to be granted„they go that the two preambles should not clash. tfotitbl,flatrcktiratic:wh: Mr. serge., tit WHANOHAM then sat down, expressing strong h the course of the Committee, which he declared to d',l - altogether un.nreccdented—deciding on a disputed case without (CAISIASME AND GRETN hearing the whole o: its merits. proofs In agremei,t with Mr. DMICOMbe' A. NOILTIZ 81Z1T1..." a I;.:R.ANCHES). This Bill was then proce.da: with. s resolutions weTlirleire.Prs'erringeal'awnthßenmssis opened the Case for the promoters. The i Qi4eq 0 tile point =AS O, 119 laid, TrAii t 9 C 9111104 EyTiCit and Carlisle together, by an extension froin the Edinburgh and Hawick branch of the North British Railway, which had received the sanc tion of the Legislature last year, with a branch to Gretna, so as to form a complete connexion wick the east of Scotland and Carlisle and Cumberland. The Learned Gentleman then went into a descrip tion of the country that would he accommodated by the line—the principal towns in it being Langhohn, Melrose, Galashields, Hawick,. Canonbie, and Carlisle, and having gone g. nerally over its engineer ing character, he proceeded to call his witnesses. 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 Hayrick, besides accommodating the important agri cultural county of Roxburgh. He had thought this would be a 809 4 line sinceihe autumn of 1844. Hawick Was at present supplied with coals from the east, and from the neighbourhood of Berwick, also from his collieries at Berwick. To Mr. CIIATF.I.,. ^—!de could not say whether all the three through lines would pay, as he had not paid attention to the question. Be thought, however, the Hawick traffic would not much interfere with that of the Caledonian. Examination continued—He thought the North British, from Langhoim to Cannobie, preferable to the branch of the Caledonian proposed between these two points. He had himself suggested the former as not so likely to interfere with the scenery as the latter. Cross-examined —He 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 from Cannobie to Crowick. He believed one great reason of passing the Edinburgh and Crowick line last year was to accommodate coals coming from Dalkeith to Crowick. He could not speak of the through traffic, or 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 mation. 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. Re 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 af produce went that way, and also to the north. examined—The Air. Wilson, Wilson, a manufacturer ef nawick , engage i el c in i mannflactnr tion of the town and the suburbs w: l 3 8,0 00 , ing tweeds, shawls, and blankets. 'l l le7 re re hi p e r h n wn p uid y e s o u g e li by wiih wool from England, a great quantity f w this railway. The same, he believed, present the foreign and English wool came ma. __ nly from London to aohnlied to Galashiels. At get the proposed Berwick, from whence it was carted to Hawick. Oh cal scouring and dye -stuffs principally came the same way. He though. . e ,,_ extension to Carlisle would be of great advantage to the ti. q.M of the district. The sale of goods manufactured at Hawick he set L.:WU a t r 270,0001., and with the railway he thought it wo uld ver y much incrafie Cress-examined by Mr. COCKBURN—The population of 6,000 Jr,- habitants included a portion of an adjoining parish. At present thee principal portion of their goods went to Edinburgh and the north. Ire was examined last year, and then stated that the bulk of the trade wont to Edinburgh. He also stated that they consumed at 1 Ynwiek upwards of 700 tons of wool, both home and fore i g n : but on the proportions of the foreign to the home wool had altered last y eaf account of orthe growth of the fancy trade. The wool cons umed last in foreign wooL s about 850 tons. The increase was mainly He had derived his information respecting the wool fro m the to the best of the ?anufacturers of the town, who bad stated , to did not give the real figures what tire amount was, but they The wool came from London,t7, " used at Hawick came principanyT r ool some came from either Carlisle or Air e : fl an of the quantity received , and Yorkshire. The timber LeLtll , , though he believed 1 m 7.11, He was nokaWare that no American timber be could r not say how was imported at Ann an. Further evii.:Z2ee on behalf of this Bill was adjourned tit!to_ morrow. GLis.SGOW, DITNtraSTES, C.A.Era i xsz ac . The clauses of this Bill were proceeded Witte a little after thre e o'clock. On the application of Mr. CommtitN, the clauses PI this Bill ich that related to the portions of the exten sion and branci: , ,s_wh the Caledonian proposed, and on which th e ar g ument tooi:. Place this morning, were postponed till the case on behalf of the extension Ana branches was gone into, and the decision of the Committee knov, - n. Several of the unopposed clauses of the Dill were read ttiacf agreed to. The further consideration of the clauses was put off till to-morrow at twelve 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 Bill* comprised in this group re-assembled this morniig, and proceeded with their labours ; 3,tr. Protheroe in the chair. SOUTH-EASTBUN (MID KENT). l— —-- --- --- The next line taken by the Committee was the South-Eastern (Mid Kent) 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 before going into the case the Committee decided that the lattekcould not be heard. A witness having been called to prove that the resolutions of Mr. Duncombe, so far as they applied to this line, bad been complied with, Mr. Coexaunri opened the case for the promoters. The object of the line was to afford railway accommodation to the midland dis tricts of Kent, to shorten the route between the metropolis and Dover, and to shorten the distance between Hastings and London. The lines would shorten the distance between London and F'olkstone and Dover by thirteen miles, and fifteen between London and Hastings, while the distance to Maidstone would be shortened by twenty miles, and Tunbridge by eighteen miles. ' The line commenced at a point on the Greenwich line, passed through Bromley by Maidstone and on to Chard, where it jollied the existing line. Another line branched off at Riverhead, crosses , " the existing main line at Tunbridge, where it joined a line running through Tun bridge Wells, and so on to Reigate and Hastings, which had already 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 mach 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 he 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 1,500,0001. Colonel Middleton was the first witness called, commandant of the military deptit at Maidstone. He 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 Filmer, M.P. for West its.ut, Lord Camden, Mr. W. Stone, M.P. for Rochester, Mr. Turner Baldwin, Mr. Wilds, soli ' eitor, of Maidstone, Mr. W. Hone, the Rev. Mr. Cobb, rector of iHythan ; Mr. John Carter, of Rotham ; and Mr. Charles Ellis, of Maidstone, gave evidence in favour of the South-lantern scheme. The Committee adjourned at four o'clock. GROUP XVIII. EXETER, YEOVIL, AND DORCHESTER, LONDON, SALISBURY, AND YEOVIL. This Committee met at the usual hour ; Mr. B. Denison (chairman); The first Witness called on the part of the promoters was Mr. Seymer, M.P. for Dorsetshire—He considered that a connexion between Exeter, Portsmouth, and Southampton, was very desirable. The difficulty of proceeding eastward from Dorsetshire was very great at present. The preseut line would remove that difficulty. Its also considered that there was a very strong feeling in Exeter its favour of the carrying out the whole line between Salisbury and Lon don, and also that it should be a direct and Independent line. He did not consider that the small portion of the Wilts. Somerset, and Wey mouth Railway between Milton and Dorchester, which was a broad gauge line, would be any serious obstruction to the formation of the proposed line. Ile thought the proposed terminus at Hungerford bridge would be more convenient than the Great Western terminus at Paddington.. Cross-examined by Mr. DENISON—ne did not speak of the advan tages of the London terminus in consequence of any mercantile knowledge. Mr. W. Lee, innkeeper, of Honiton, stated that Honiton had suf fered considerably in consequence of the diversion of the traffic. They had now but one coach, whereas they had before eighteen. This inconvenience was severely felt by himself and the inhabitants of the town, and there was, in consequence, a very strong feeling in favour of the communication proposed to be opened up by the Exeter, Yeovil, and Salisbury lines. Mr. Wilson, a large timber grovier, residing in the neighbourhood of Exeter, considered the proposed line would be of great advantage to him in the conveyance of his timber. At present he had to send it to Southampton and Portsmouth, at au expense of is. per foot. It was also very inconvenient for him to get to London by the present mode of communication—he 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 today, and the Committee then adjourned till twelve o'clock to-morrow. GROUP XX. The Committee on this group of Bills re-assembled this morning ; Mr. Sotheron in the chair. WINDSOR, SLOUGH, AND STAINES ATMOSPHERIC. Mr. WARREN, on the part of the authorities of Eton College, re sumed 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. Exowbr.s, as to the extent of the boundary which could be claimed by the Eton Corporation. A tedious discussion arose as to the propriety of admitting certain 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 re-admitted, The CUAIRMAN announced that the Committee would not receive the farther evidence of Mr. Pemberton, because the Crown could in any stage assert its own rights ; and they farther 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 decisio . ca n to . that portion of the scheme which was really oh oho' or ttatt An to defer the confirming of the whole resolution until b ha d opportunity of conferring with his clients. slaJ _.ourned. The Committee assent!d to this proposition, a n d GRO tTr I: XII. pinoo r: N ng: l t i t_h i e t n o su . al m hour, r. Sir lissnAllbie i d i p ih thi e S a s ring local evidence as to which The ee morning Tono, Committee iiwiv a szr consumed ec.. Nor of George tewOrsetay,ttlinsTintha'ene 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, of railway accommodation. The Committee then rose, it having been announced that the Speaker WASS at prayers. GROUP XXVI. SOUTH ESSEX AND GRAVESEND. The Committee on this line assembled at twelve o'elock, Mr. K. O'Connell in the chair. Captain Bullock, R.N., Admiralty Surveyor, testified to the ad vantage which would be derived from forming an anchoring ground in the river Crouch, and the facilities that would be obtained by the proposed line fofthe public interests, in the way of defence Or our mercantile marine. Captain riallowell 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 that there would be a saving of sinepenee 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 Illtchin in the north, and extended to the Leicester and Swannington Railway in the south. It was 63% miles in length. After describing the course of the line, he said 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, generally favourable, as was also the nature Of C ro ss - ex amined—Was not aware that the Leicester a n d B e df ord the soil traversed by t he line. The estimated cost of the works was 1,5 c 0 r 0 0 , 0001. line would cost 110,0001. more than the South Midland. The Committee adjourned at four o'clock. GROUP XXXI. SOUTH 'WALES. The Committee met this morning at the usual hour ; Mr. Round in the r. chair. Partridge, Mr. a manufactur er i n St roud, was examined at great m length with respect to th e p resent and proposed means of communi cation to and from that town. He considered that his avocation would be greatly enhanced by the proposed railway ; that the price of coals would be reduced, being brought in greater quantities and at a cheaper rate from the Forest of Dean and other colliery districts. Mr. Markland, a fine cloth manufacturer in Stroud, gave similar evidence. WoMuird. yield and d th es e c co rib:d rse t i h t e w q o ul d ni ta ity re, of ii t a r m affi ely o , w b h y ich th t e he pr d o i po s t r s i ed ct line. He took the traffic two years ago, and subsequent experience had confirmed the correctness of the estimates which he had then Mr. Brunel, the engineer, was then examined by Sir T. PHILLIPS, e b n u c t e as w h a e s w th as ken un w d i e t r h res exa p ir t a to tion th in e Mr. Maylins, an iron manufacturer in Llynvi Valley, examined by another ma M rge m ß C ni d o e n ro y e i ra l a w t i l tr i c , e . , then some m called , e Sir Moues Pinuips—The main road was so steep that the convey. we or emu t 9 it.c9lt AA R l9Oll 14 Qv. WWI, exPouit tries -• • ~.