The Sun. — London, England, 1837-03-01 00:00:00

ESTIMATES OF ARMY SERVICES. The follotiving are a few of the results of a comparison be tween the Estimates of the Army Services for the year ending the 31st March, 1837, and the amounts provided, or to be pro viJed, for the year ending the 31st March, 1838 : • Under the head of " Effective Services" we have less officers by eight than in the preceding period. The number of horses is the same. The increase on Charge and on Amount to be provided is 32,428/. 16s. 2d. ; and the increase of Appropriation in Aid is 4,521. The amount to be provided after deducting Appro priations in Aid is 27,876/. 16s. 2d. more than in 1836-7. The " Non effective Services" present a decrease of Charge and an increase of Appropriations, from which there results a decrease of 10,3051. Os. 9d. in amount to be provided. The charge of the troops raised for the temporary service of hill Majesty at the Cape of Good Hope is estimated at 40,000/. THE FUNDS.-(THIS DAY.) CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK We have received New York Papers this morning to the bth February, by the London Packet-ship, Gladiator. We extract the following : " BANK AND TREASURY ORDERS.—Some new and interesting facts have come into our possession, relative to the Banking Operations of our city, the effects of the Treasury Orders, &c., which we shall give on Monday next. " ARRIVAL OF SPECIE.—The brig Pantheon, arrived on Thursday at this port, from Valparaiso, and has on board 140,000 dollars in specie. The hark Ann, from Vera Cruz, has also arrived with a considerable quantity of specie ; so that the amount shipped this week is already more than replaced. " PERU.— Letters received at Boston, from Pataya, state that accounts were received there from Valparaiso, of the sth October, setting forth that the Chilian Government were fitting Qui ten vessels to blockade the ports of Peru." MARKETS 1$ CANADA.—The last Kingston Upper Ca nada Spectator says—" We have every appearance of dread ful times for the poor and labouring classes in both Canadas. We had plenty of bread and stuff, but the speculators on the other side have so reduced our stock, that legislative measures are actually necessary to prevent a further drain. "TRADE AND COMMERCE.—Stocks receded again to-day. The small shipment of 150,000 dollars to England appears to have bad considerable influence in money matters. For two years there has been a steady and uniform stream of specie flowing into the country. A sum so trifling exported ought not to have the slightest influence. The week has closed without much spirit in trade ; shut up as our city is by the Closing of the various rivers, we cannot expect any considera ble alteration until the Delaware shall become navigable. The ice has wholly disappeared from the lower Bay. Vessels arrive and depart without the slightest difficulty. There are above a dozen steam boats employed in towing vessels up and down ; nearly all the vessels inward bound are towed up to the city. Shares, 119; Exchange, 10 dis." Letters received this morning from Madrid continue to speak of the distress of the Treasury there, and that Mendi- Zabal had proposed to the Bank a loan, but the Directors had refused to comply with his request ; upon which, it was his into ration to retire at the end of the month. The letters from Madrid of the 18th ult. state that Cabrera was at Oragna with 8 ,000 men, and 700 cavalry, which were manoeuvring to form 'junction with the Carlists of La Mancha, under the order of Palillos. Great fear was entertained for serious troubles in the capital. THE FUNDS. Yesterday the manufacturers of unfavourable reports re specting commercial affairs were again at work, but they had no material effect on the funds. Consols, after receding about per cent., again rallied, and closed at 90 to 4 ; Money 89.'1 a ; (jiperied this morning at same prices. Little doing as yet. -Exchequer Bills, 27 29; India Bonds, 24 2 6; Ba nk Stock, 207 2074; India Stock, 2571. In the Foreign Market the holders of Spanish Securities are bewildered, as they have been waiting day after day to ascertain the result of the combined attack on the Carlists, and as often disapFointd. Tile Spanish prices coming lower from Paris also intimidated them in their speculations. Spanish Active has receded this morning 1 per cent. ; closed at 26+ f, opened at 251 I, at present 251 26 ; Portuguese, 48 i 49. HALF-PAST ONE O'CLOCK. The New York Journal du Commerce says : —lt is ru- Mourt d that some large amounts of specie had been shipped on board the packet of the Ist of February. On inquiry we learn that for particular reasons ten thousand five-franc pieces have been shipped, and a parcel of about 15,000 Mexican dollars just arrived from Mexico, to pay a debt in Europe had hem ordered forward, instead of being sold here, at ten Per cent. premium. From accounts received from Canton, 16th October, busi ness is very dull there. To the present hour there is not a feature in either of the Markets worth notice; and Consols have been, during the morning, 90+ to 90+ for the Account, and Money 894. Ex clietiuer Bills, 28 prern. ; India Bonds, 25; Bank Stock, 207. In the F ore i gn Market Spanish Active, which was very hell‘y in the early part of the morning at 254, has since im proved to 254 ; Coupons, 45 ; Portuguese, 491 ; Three per Cents., 32 ; Brazil, 86 ; Chilian, 36 ; Belgian, 102+ ; Dutch Twc ..and-a-Half, 53+ ; Spanish Active, 79 i 1-; Deferred, 11K I. THREE O'CLOCK. Consols for the Account, 90 A 1 to }. --- We are sorry to announce the loss of two more Irrivich vessels. On the 10th inst. the brig Enterprise, of 112 tons burden, the property of F. F. Seekamp, Esq., and others, was wrecked on Sherringliam Sands. Her crew n anaged to get her off, but she had received so much damage that as soon as she regained deep water she sank to the bottom. She was laden with a cargo of coals for the Ipswich Gas Company. The C4tain was part owner, and his was the ouly share insured. He had landed, and was come to Ipswich .to follow the remains of his wife to the grave on the same day on which the vessel sank. On the 11th inst. the schooner ! Aft, 80 tons burden, in coming out of Shields Harbour, coal laden, went to the bottom in deep water.—Suiji,lll Chronicle. On Wednesday. forenoon, as some labourers were diggin g in a field belonging to Samuel Forster, Esq., of Southend, near Lewisham, they discovered two old blue china jars, in which were about 850 gold coins of the reign of Charles 1., value about one thousand pounds, which they im iediatcly took to their master. The Lord of the Manor, the Earl of Dartmouth, it is supposed will lay claim to them. The Chester Courant of Tuesday, noticing a Pamphlet, says, " The volume is printed in a fine large type, on a handsome paper, and may almost be read by the blind." As regards this county, city, and boroughs, but little actual stir has beer made at present by either party in prepara tion for the day of contest, although we have reason to believe both are watchfully on the alert awaiting its coming, and Whenever it shall arrive, will not be found slumbering at their Posts. With respect to East Worcestershire, we can state, n, P"n authority, that Mr. Cookes retires, owing to his continued 111-health, and that Mr. J. H. H. Foley, the late Member for P r oitsvich, will c o me f o rward as a candidkte on the Liberal i ntc _,rest in conjunction with the present Member, Mr. Hol 4n°' At present all is speculation in other quarters.— Wor cester Herald. A deputation from the workmen of the Dock-yard "sited on the Lords of the Admiralty during the past week, to London, for the purpose of explaining to their Lordships t he evils resultires from the system of Classification in the oek-yards, and the privations endured by that most valuable t Z I Y of men. The subject of wages was fairly discussed, and difference which exists between the wages in the Dock- Yard and those of large merchant shipwrights' yards, clearly Pointed out the daily rate of pay in the latter being consider 41'1Y in advance of the King's yards. We are given to under 'tare] that t h e i r Lordships intend to give this matter their due coasideration. —.Devonport Independent. , On Frid a y a coroner ' s i nquest was h e ld at t h e 'White • public-house, Norwood, before W. Carter, Esq., the corone r for this division of Surrey, on the body of a fine young eighteen years of age, named William Brighton, who ;!estr o y e d himself on Tuesday t last, by nearly severing his head r i ° . . ra his bod. It appeared from the evidence that the de y with a razor. ceased was a footman, in the service of a gentle s:an nam e d A nderson, who resides at Norwood, and he had fl ly come into the service on Friday last. On Tuesday he 'went about his employmentone as usual, and in the course of the ne of the servants asked him to perform some trifling office for her, and he replied that he had got a job to do for himselft first, and then he would do it. He was then observed __o a fp i s n to his own apartment, and in consequence of his not 4 z ll l:d k t.bffe appearance for some time suspicion was excited, &yin • door of his room was forced open, and he was found g upon the floor before a looking-glass quite dead, and his throatdreadful nearly cut from ear to car. A razor, with which the 7 tr :eful act had been committed, was found lying close by ,_covered with blood. The jury returned a verdict—" That l_ e tle ro deceased destroye'd himself, being at the time in a state of norary derangement." -ROTTERDAM FL:I3. 21.—This morn i ng at one o'cl oc k a dreadful fire broke ou t i n t h e h ouse o f adealer in linen and calic o . I t i s one of the highest houses in the city, '''uu is burnt to the ground. Two adjoining houses were also burnt, and five or si'x is, that there much injured ; but the most lamentable is but too much reason to believe that two .titaeueliters of the ages of 14 and 20, and a maid-servant of the age of SO, of the inhabitants of ne of the houses, have in the flames or been buried in the ruins. The "bill of this, disaster is not known, but it is supposed to be from an explosion of gas . PA It K-r and AVI N G.—. 11 the C omnussioners o f W oo d s downa F or ests would exten d their declared design, of putting pavement from the new Palace to George -street, still f_ar T tl . i e er,. by paving the way from Buckingham-gate to Spring iV t ub, they would do that for which the public would and u , eo li r to be thankful. For every person who goes towards to" go oge-street there are a hundred whose avocations lead them through the Park by way of Spring.gardens ' • and this latt er teterroute, for nin e mont h s out of the twelve, is either ancle pp in mire, or covered with a s carce l y l ess pleasant accumu ltion of loose, sharp shingle. Ott Monday, a very dreadful and fatal accident oc ourNd The poor a man, named Samuel Smi t h, on the Brixton road. e l , ?or fellow, who by his industry as a carrier, supported a t e g ar t a° , ily, was d r i v i ng hi s cart , w h en the horse took fright ; ;glued from his seat, and ran to the a n i ma l' s h ead, for the of missed the stopping its progress. In the attempt he unhappily aviiiseseelepthe reins, and fell ; before he could get up the near a lassed over the lower part of his body, crushing it in so re °il a manner that some of the intestines actually pee. truce The Cond ,„_ n _ wretched su ff erer was ta k en up i n an expiring „ flan a i;iod ‘,..;:lidcro,.nveyed t o th e nearest surgeon ' s, b ut a ll hue his last stiPe perfectly unavailing, the unfortunate man breath °illy after the catastrophe took place. IMPERIAL PARLWIENT. HOUSE OF . CO IL FKLUWARY 28 The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour. GRAND CONNECTION RAILWAY. Lord GEORGE LENNOX presented a petition from an individual in favour of the Grand Connection (Worcester and Wolverhampton) Railway. Col. LYGON presented a petition to the same effect from certain occupiers of land on the line of railway. Mr. VIL LI F.RS presented a similar petition from Wol. verhampton. Captain WINNINGTON presented a petition to the same e&ct, from certain occupiers of land in the county of Wor cester. CHELSEA WATER WORKS. On the motion of Mr. FINCH, the Chelsea Water Works Bill was read a first time. DUBLIN AND KILKENNY RAILWAY. Mr. lIA MiLTON presented a petition from the Dublin Canal Company against this Bill. TAMWORTH AND RUGELY RAILWAY. Sir E. WILMOT presented a petition from the Directors of the Tamworth and Rugely Railway, stating that, in conse quence of a misconception on their part they had not included in their plan a barn, which they thought they ought not to have included ;:the Standing Order Committee had reported that the Standing Orders had not been complied with. The object of the petition was, without at all impugning the deci sion of the Committee, to have the case referred back to the Standing Order Committee. Sir JHN WROTTESLEY said that two years had elapsed since the decision of the Committee had been pro nounced, and there had been no appeal from it ; but he thought the better way would be to move that the petition be printed with the Votes, and fix a future day for the consideration of the subject. Lord E BRING TON, having been Chairman of the Stand ing Order Committee on the occasion referred to in the peti tion, could not help expressing his hope that the Honourable Baionet would, in justice to the Members of that Com mittee, adopt the course which was recommended by his Hon. Friend (Sir John Wrottesley. ) Without going into the merits of the case, perhaps he would be allowed to state the decision which was come to by the Committee was adopted without petition, and no doubt was expressed at the time as to the propriety of that decision. Sir GEORGE STRICKLAND was one of the Mem bers of the Standing Order Committee who differed from the rest, though that difference was not so strong as to induce him to divide the Committee. He did not think it was necessary that the petition should be printed with the Votes. He saw many of the Members of that Committee in the House, and he thought they could discuss it then. The Report from the Sub-Committee was that the Standing Orders had not been complied with. His opinion then was, and it remained so, that strickly speaking the Standing Orders had been complied with, because the parties who had the conduct of the railroad, had declared it was not their intention to take the barn, and it was necessary that they should give an enlarged plan of it. The barn stood in a small field, part of which would be tra versed by the railway. Having considered the case very at. tentively, it was his opinion that the Standing Grders bad been complied with, and he was inclined to allow the Bill to go on. He thought, however, it would have been better, if the Com pany had been more candid, and had given him an enlarged plan, and he hoped the prayer of the petition would be com plied with. Sir T. FREMANTLE happened to be on the Commit tee when this question was disposed of. He did not approve of the course suggested by the Member for Yorkshire. He thought it would be better to have the petition printed, and taken into consideration on a future day. Hear, hear.) He did not mean to say that the Committee might not have come to a wrong decision, but he believed the better way would be to have the question disposed of by the House. After a few observations from Sir E. WiLmoT and the SPEAKER, which did not reach the gallery, the petition was ordered to be printed, and taken into consideration on Friday next. _ GRAND CONNECTION RAILWAY. Mr. COOKE S presented a petition in favour of the Grand Connection Railway. EAST LONDON GAS COMPANY. Mr. WILK S presented a petition signed by 2,000 inbabi tan: householders of the Eastern part of London, praying that the Eastern Gas Company Bill, upon which the Committee had reported that the Standing Orders had not been complied with, might be referred back to that Committee. There had been merely an informality in the posting of the notices, and he trusted that the House would not permit a great public im provement of that nature to be passed over for another year upon such slight grounds. Sir EDWARD K NATC II BULL thought the application a most extraordinary one. The petitioners appeared to be quite aware of the irregularity that had been committed, and yet they came l'efore the House to have the Bill referred back again. This was one of the cases in which the House should stand by its former decision, as unless some reasonable ground could be shown the House could net be asked to dispense with its Standing Orders. Lord G. SOMERSET said that the House should require some very strong and special reasons to induce it to depart from the rules which were always laid down upon such occa sions, and he for one should oppose the application. Sir JOHN WROTTESLEY did notihink that this was a case in which the House ought to grant any great indul gence. He hoped the House would not adopt the suggestion of referring this Bill back to a Committee who were unani mous in their opinion. If the House were to adopt a contrary opinion to that of the Committee, they would be acting in direct opposition to every decision of the last two years. Mr. R. PA L M ER, having been Chairman of the Com mittee, begged to inform the House that the parties promoting this Bill had neglected to give the regular notice on the Church doors, and that the first notice had been given on the last day of November. It was clear, that the Standing Orders had not been complied with. Mr. \VILKS did not say that the Standing Orders had been complied with—if they had, he need not have appealed to the liberality of the House. The course he meant to pur sue was to move that the petition be laid on the table. He had not heard a word to induce him to think that this was not an occasion in which great public convenience would result from liberality on the part of the House.—( Hear.) It was his intention to move on a future day that the petition be printed, and he would then distinctly bring it under the consideration of the House.—The subject then dropped. ELLESMERE AND CHESTER CANAL. On the motion of the Earl of DARLINGTON, this Bill was read a second time. GRAND CONNECTION RAILWAY. Mr. ROBINSON presented a petition from Worcester in 7avour of this Bill. _ _ . Mr.• H. TRACY presented a similar petition. SMALL DEBTS BILL. Mr. BROTH ERTON presented petitions from Market Boswell and other places, praying to be included in the opera tion of the Small Debts Bill. On the motion of Lord FRANCIS EGERTON the South Union Railway Bill was referred to the Lancaster list. Mr. GREENE brought up the Report of the Committee:on the London and Greenwich Railway, reporting that the Stand ing Orders had not been complied with. LONDON AND BRIGHTON RAILWAY. Captain A LS AGER moved that a mtssage be sent to the Lords, requesting their Lordships would be pleased to coin munica',:e to the House a printed copy of the evidence taken before a Committee of their Lordships on the London and Brighton Railway. GLASGOW, PAISLEY, KILMARNOCK, AND AYR RAILWAYS. Mr. WA RBURTON said it was his intention pursuant to notice, to move for the revival of the Committees on the peti tions for the Bills of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayr Railway Company, and of the Edinburgh and Glas gow Railway Company. and fur the re-commitment of the petitions for the said Bills severally to the Committees. As to the course of proceeding the House would recollect that in case the list of forty-two had decided that the Standing Orders were not complied with, or in case the Committee on the Bill itself decided against it, there was an appeal to another tribunal, which, however, he was free to admit, was seldom resorted to. The case which he now brought before the House admitted only of an appeal to the decision of the House ; and it was upon this that he grounded the course he was now taking. The House would recollect that upon petitions presented against the Bills by the Earl of Blantyre and another, the Committee decided that the new Standing Orders passed by the House had not been complied with ; and that the old rules had been superseded by the general Standing Orders, which applied to private Bills. The House would recollect that the new Standing Orders respecting railroads, which required contracts, should be de livered in before the presentation of a petition, for the Bill did not fur the first time require that. Originally there was a sub scription list and contract required, but the contract was not to be delivered in before the 2d reading of the Bill. All that was done. The new regulation was that it required Cie subscription list and contract to be delivered in before the Bill was proceeded with. There was nothing in the new regulation that super seded the delivery in of the subscription list. The question was whetherthe general Standing Order respecting subscription lists had been superseded, and if not, whether that general Standing Order had been complied with. The allegations in the petitions lie had last night presented were that they had not been complied with, and upon these grounds he proposed that these two Bills be referred back to the Committees. _ Mr. SHAW LE FE VRE had the honour to be Chairman of the Sub-committee to which these Bills bad been referred. The House would recollect that previous to the last Session of Parliament, Standing Orders were prepared which would apply to Railway Bills only, and upon the report of a Com mittee which had been aprointed, the House came to the re solution that the Standing Orders relating to canals and navi gation should no longer apply to Railway Bills, and a series of Standing Orders for the regulation of Railway Bills was adopted. The parties had the opportunity of examining the subscription list, and of informing themselves of the solvency or responsi bility of the parties, and of their capability of carrying the measure into execution. It was also obvious that a person who signed a contract rendered himself more responsible than by signing the subscription list ; still it was possible' there migiit be fraud practised by persons signing the con tract, who were mere men of straw. It was therefore i:iePed ingly desirable that the public should have all the protection that could be thrown around them. He regretted to say he thought some doubt arose from the manner in which the the Standing Order had been framed, becauao the difficulty that had occurred in this case might occur again, and it was, therefore, expedient that all parties should distinctly know what na the intent of tile Rouse was. The mat e ri a l q ues tion for the House to consider was, wi he; th e y th oug h t t h ere s h ou ld b e a aa b scr i pt i on li s t as Well as a contiwt h awl if thq vim* 9f that opinion, Caen whether it %vould not be desirable that that opinion should receive the sanction of the whole House ? ( Hear, hear.) Mr. WARBURTON thought that every protection should be afforded to the public. Lord S A NDO N was understood to say he would have no objection to amend the Standing Orders, so as to meet such cases as that now under the consideration of the House. Mr. GIS BORNE observed that there was another point on which a good deal of misunderstanding appeared to exist out of doors, and that was with respect to the time at which pe titions against private Bills might be presented. Many per sons imagined that these petitions could be presented at any time previous to the second reading of the Bill, and parties were in this way disappointed, being told that their petitions were too late when not presented within seven days. lie hoped some regulation would be adopted to prevent misunder standing upon that point.—( Hear, hear.) The Committee, of which he had the honour to be Chairman considered that, by the Standing Orders relating to railroads, no such subscription list was required. They bad ascertained that in all the Standing Orders relating to other Private Bills, where a subscription list was required, there was appended to the Order a reference to the Standing Order, page 7, to which he had before referred ; but in Standing Orders relating to Railroads, where a subscription contract was required, there was no such reference to the general Standing Order No. 4. It appeared to the Committee, that in Bills relating to railroads, the House was anxious to impose upon parties the obligation of bringing documents more binding than the original subscription list, and that therefore a con tract was substituted in lieu of the subscription list. It cer tainly had happened that in the Standing Orders relating to Canal and Navigation Bills a subscriptiou list was required, containing the names and places of abode of • the parties, and a contract was also required, which were ordered to be deposited in the Private Bill Office at separate and distinct times. The Committee considered that if it were necessary to put in a subscription list as well as a contract, that this would have been included in the Standinc , Orders, which only made it necessary that a contract should be depo. sited in the Private Bill Office, before the petition should be presented. They considered that this gneral order was completely got rid of by the subsequent orders with reference to railways. The Committee, however, considered it right to look at the contract, and to ascertain whether it was such a document as would give satisfactory evidence that the parties were legally bound by the subscription contract to which they had attached their names, and also that they were sufficiently designated. The contract was in this form ; first, there was the name of the party subscribing, as, for instance, Hugh Millar ; then his place of re sidence, Ayr ; then his designation, a merchant ; and then the number of shares which he held, and the value thereof. This was given in five separate columns, and the Committee considered that this designation of the parties put the public and the House on their guard as to any fictitious names that could by any possibility be put upon the contract. The Committee upon the Standing Orders thought that in spirit those orders had been complied with, and that the contract which was laid before the Committee, and also in the Private Bili Office, was a sufficient contract, designating the persons subscribing, together with their names and places of abode. It was not his intention to offer any opposition to the motion, but to leave it in the hands of the House to deal with it as it might think fit. Lord JAMES STUART supported the Bill. Lord G. SOMERSET thought that before any further discussion took place it would be advisable to hear from the Chair its opinion upon the subject. The SPEAK ER said that he had no difficulty in stating that he remained of the same opinion as he had expressed before.—( Hear, hear.) In the present case there was not only a subscription list, but before the second reading of the Bill there was a contract. If that contract were substituted in lieu of the subscription list, there was in fact less security to the public than there was before, and he could scarcely think it could be the intention of the Committee to have given less security than there was before. The question was, was there, or was there not, any security by having a subscription list ? Mr. WA RBURTON said that since he last addressed the House he had received a description of the parties to a contract from which it appeared that thirteen hundred shares were held by persons at Manchester and Liverpool, who were merely described as gentlemen and gentlewomen—some of them were even signed for by their attorneys. Many of the parties had no designation at all, and others were described as residing in the United States of America, or some of the British colonies. It would he a monstrous inse curity to the public if that House were to adopt the interpre tation laid down by the Noble Lord with regard to the Stand ing Orders. He had no objection to a liberal interpretation of the Standing Orders, provided it was consistent with the se curity of the public. After a few words from Mr. S. LEFEVERE and the SPEAKER, the subject was, as we understood, withdrawn, 'SEPTENNIAL ACT. Mr. D'EYNCOU wr, in answer to a question of the Chan cellor of the Exchequer, said he would postpone his motion for the repeal of the Septennial Act until the 18th of April. The subject had been protracted for two years, but it was his determination to take the sense of the House on it this Session. IRISH POOR-LAW BILL. Sir ROBERT I'EEL had understood that it w.ss the intention of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to move the second reading of the Irish Poor-law Bill this evening. He did not know at what hour it was intended to bring the matter on. He was prepared to vote for the second reading, hut lie was afraid sufficient notification had not been given to Gentle men who might wish to state their opinions. Mr. O'CONNELL said, that although he could not com plain of want of notice, still he believed there were many gentlemen not then present who wiAted to state their senti ments to the House before it went into Committee on the Bill. It was a subject which ought to be approached with the greatest care and caution, and he hoped if they could not dis cuss it at an early hour, the second reading would be postponed. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said there were several notices on the books which it was con sidered would not take long, and if they were disposed of by nine o'clock, he had intended to move the second reading, but if that was considered inconvenient, he would on the suggestion of any Hon. Member postpone it at once for a future day. Sir R. PEEL considered that of all questions that came before the House, this was one which they ought to address themselves to with the greatest dispatch, and with the most sincere desire to bring it to a practical conclusion.--( Hear, hear.) The observations he had made applied not so much to the lateness of the hour as to sufficient time not having been given to gentlemen to enable them to collect their ideas and refer to documents which they might wish to state to the House. MARINE - POLICIES. Mr. ROBINSON gave notice that he should, on Thurs day next, present a petition from the merchants of the City of London, praying for a reduction of the duty on Marine Policies. The lion. Member also gave notice that he should on that day move a resolution relating to that duty. RAILWAYS. Mr. PEASE rose to move for a Select Committee to in quire and consider how far it might be expedient to take mea sures for securing that all public lines of railway be laid, and hereafter maintained, at one and the same standard ; and to report thereon to the House. Sir H. VERNE Y moved as an amendment, that an address be presented to his Majesty, that be would be graciously pleased to appoint a Royal Commission to consider and report on all proposals for railroads or canals which might be submitted to that House. He complained that that House was often called on to adopt a line of railway without having had sufficient opportunity a ascertaining which line would be most advantageous to the public generally. When the enormous expenses of these rail ways were censidered; the house ought to adopt some efficient moans of protecting the public by soliciting the best line. He would not refuse his assent to the motion of his lion. Friend (Mr. Pease) but in his opinion die object they had both in view would be best attained by adopting his amendment. He Lad no wish that that Hou3e should delegate its power, I,ut, at the same time, he thought that it was the boun den duty of the House to attain every information in their power that could possibly be advantageous to the public. Mr. WA RBURTON did not think that the Committee moved for by the Hon. Member for Durham (Mr. Pease) could attain the object he had in view, lie would oppose both the original motion and the Amendment. Mr. GIL LON would support the amendment. Sir J. STRIC KLA ND was opposed to the appointment of any Royal Commission which should ride over the specula tions of private individuals in the management of their own concerns. Mr. P. THOMSON was very sorry to say that he could not agree with either proposition.—( Hear, hear.) With re gard to the amendment which had been supported by the Honourable Member for Falkirk, he must say that he thought that that Hon. Member could not have read the Report of the Railroad Committee of last year, or at least have attached very little importance to that Report. It was well known that the subject of a general survey by a Royal Commission was very closely investigated by that Committee. He owned that he himself went into that Committee with a very strong desire to see if it were not possible to introduce something of the kind ; but the examination of several engineers, who were acquainted with the subject, and the discussions which had taken place, convinced him that it was utterly im possible, with benefit, to introduce such a plan, and he con sented with very great pleasure to the report of that Committee, a part of which, instead of a speech, he would take the liberty of reading to the House. The Right Hon. Gen tleman then read an extract from the Report of the Committee, in which they stated that they had been led to inquire into the subject of a survey by a Royal Commission, for the purpose of binding the judgment of Committees on the merits of coin peting lines of Railway, and a close examination convinced them that it would be attended with no practical good, and they were decidedly of opinion that railways, like other undertakings, should be left to the judgment of those who were willing to advance their capital. In every word of that Report he concurred, and he believed that every member of that Committee concurred in that recommendation, and he sincerely hoped that the House, upon this occasion, would set the seal of their approbation upon that Report by rejecting both the motion and the amendment. Mr. HUME wishett.to know whether any advances had re cently been made by the exchequer bill commissioners. If 'there had, it was, in his opinion, only adding to the mischief that bad been already done, by encouraging speculations that were ruinous to parties, The CHANCELLOR of the EX.OHEQU4lireplied that except in cases where they had been already engaged by con tract, he doubted that any other engagements had been entered i n t o , hi thp early part of this session he had intimated that parties concerned in railways eugi►t not to re►y on► any such advances. lie wished to leave such speculations to the pri. vate capital of the parties interested in them. Captain 1304144ci remarked that the 1 - louse ought to be extremely careful is their sanction to any such pro positions. Mr. M. PHILIPS opposed the motion and amendment. Mr. E WART thought that the Committee by whom such matters were determined ought to be appointed by the Speaker. After a few words from Mr. PEASE, the motion and amend ment were severally put and negatived. THE ROYAL MIND. Mr. I. Al3o UCHERE stated that his• principal object was to endeavour• to have an inquiry instituted into the establish ment ►with which he was connected, through the medium of a Select Committee. In preparing a Bill upon this subject it would be found that he was not prejudging- any of the ques tions which the Committee would have to determine, but ra ther that he had smoothed the way for them. One branch of the subject was the manner in which the expenses of the Mint were defrayed. What he proposed to do upon this point he had put together in a Bill which he meant to ask leave to introduce that night. The average expenditure of the Mint, including costs for prosecutions, was 52,000/. a year. His wish, then, was to submit to Parliament the estimates altogether which were in any way connected with the Mint, instead only of a small part of its expenditure. He considered the latter a very inconvenient mode. He pro posed in his Bill to put a stop to this practice. He wished to put together all the sources from which the Mint was supplied, and to substitute one single estimate. This was certainly the most constitutional mode of proceedin g . It was of the greatest advantage to the publi c serv i ce ; and this he wished to have done—namely, that the amount of the vote for the Mint—that the whole of the items for the one service should annually be submitted to that House.—( Hear.) He had stated that 52,000/. were defrayed for the expenses of the Mint. There were four sources from which that money was supplied to the Mint. The first of them was the manner in which the Master of the Mint was paid; and he could con ceive that nothing could be more objectionable. The Treasury allowed the Master of the Mint for every pound weight of gold employed the sum of 6s. 81c1., out_ of which he paid the expense of the coinage, and the Master's fees of Is. 10d. a pound, the surplus being carried'to the account of the general expenses. This was the system still acted upon, and the ls. 10d. upon every pound was said to constitute the Master's emolu ments. It amounted to a very large sum ; in some years of a large coinage it amounted to as much as 12,0001. Some years ago a Bill was passed for regulating the salary of the Master, but whilst it left all the old machinery, it merely enacted that the fees should continue to be paid to the Master of the Mint by the Treasury ; that he should take out of them his regulated salary of 2,0001. , with the one hand, whilst he should pay back with the other hand to the Treasury the surplus, amounting to 8,000/. Such a system as this produced a great confusion of accountsit was useless ; and he thought that a word could not be said in its favour.—( Hear.) But, besides producing a great confusion of accounts, it had the effect of causing great mistakes as to what was supposed to be the expenses of the coinage ; it led to considerable public mistake in this respect. He understood that since 1816 the repayment to the Treasury had not been less than 8,0001. He proposed entirely to abolish this system..--( Hear.) He proposed that the salaries of the Master and other officers of the Mint should be submitted to the scrutiny of a Committee of that House, and that they should entirely do away with the present cumbrous and useless machinery.—( Hear.) The next source from which the ex penses of the Mint were defrayed was derived from the Conso lidated Fund, to the amount of 13,800/. yearly. This grant rested upon an Act of Parliament of the 18th of Charles the Second, and was applicable to the general purposes of the Mint. Wishing, as he stated before, th a t th e w h o l e o f th e ex penses sh o uld be expressly defrayed in one simple manner, he proposed to do away with the grant altogether, and that it should no longer be paid out of the Consolidated Fund. He now came to the third source from which the Mint expenses were defrayed, and it appeared to him to be infinitely more objection able than any of the other sources. What he alluded to was the manner in which the profits of the silver and copper coinage were applied to the general purposes of the Mint. The pro fits of the coinage had amounted since the year 1816 to not less than 1,500,000/. of ntoney. The application of these sums, according to the presetit system, never came under the scrutiny of that House.—( Iltsar.) It was completely veiled from the observation of the public. All that was known was, that it was supposed to he appropriated for the general pur poses of the Mint. He must say that the system was not only objectionable in this respect, but also inasmuch as a discretion was left to the Master of the Mint, without the control of the Treasury, to apply this money in any manner that should ap pear to him to be in any way connected with the Mint. This appeared to him to be exceedingly objectionable.—( Hear, hear.) It was proposed to repeal this Act, and that in future the Mager of the Mint should pay the whole of the profits de rived from the coinage into the Consolidated Fund. The fourth source from which the expenses were derived was from the vote Of a Committee of the House. It varied very much, as it of course depended upon circumstances. Last year it amounted to 16,0001., and the year before it only amounted to 3,0001: As he' before stated, he proposed to substitute this one mode for all the modes that had hitherto been adopted, and he would therefore have to propose a vote for the pur pose in the present year, amounting to the entire of the expenses, namely, 52,0001 —( Hear, hear.) . There was only one more point connected with this part of the subject to which he felt it necessary to call the attention of the House. Any gentleman who at all considered the nature of the Mint transactions would perceive that it was obviously necessary that the Master of the Mint should be, to a certain degree, a trader in bullion—( Icm-, hear)—that he must have in his hands a certain fund with which he might go into the market and purchase silver.—( Hear, hear.) The manner in which this operation had been hitherto performed was by the Master of the Mint detaining, in rather an arbitrary manner, any sum of money that remained out of the profits on the silver and copper coinage, and using it in the purchase of bullion. He knew, as Master of the Mint, that there was at that moment in his hands the sum of 80,0001„ which was actually being applied in this manner. As it was proposed by the Bill which he wished to introduce to oblige the Master, instead of detaining this Money, to pay it into the consolidated fund, in order to supply the Master with the necessary means of carrying on the services of the Mint, he intended to propose a clause to this effect : " It shall and may be lawful for the Lords of the Treasury to make advances of money to the Mint from time to time for this purpose ; it being compulsory on them, at the begin ning of every session, to lay upon the table of the House an account of the whole of the money thus advanced, and the purposes to which applied." This, in his opinion, was the most expedient, the most constitutional, and the most re gular mode of carrying on the necessary operation of the public services of the Mini—( Cries of Hear, hear.) , With regard to the details of the Bill, he proposed to introduce, he would not at that stage trouble the House with any further observations. He thouslit that the course of policy and pro priety was to propose the Bill at once, rather than delay it by referring it to a Select Committee. He was also unwill ing that another year should pass over without having in some degree settled this measure.—( Hesr, hear.) So much for the Bill. It might save the time of the House the more sa tisfactorily, if, having stated what the Bill was, he proceeded to state the grounds on which he ventured to recommend the House to grant a Select Committee to consider this subject. _(llear, hear.) • He felt bound to say, that having had the honour of filling the situation of Master of the Mint for nearly two years, he did not think that he would be doing his public duty, if he did not ask the House to institute an inquiry into the manner in which the business of the Mint was transacted. He trusted that in saying this he should not be understood as expressing any opinion reflecting on the general nature of the system that had been hitherto pursued. On the contrary, be felt satisfied that many parts of that system were extremely good, and he knew that foreign countries had lately adopted many suggestions from the system they found in ope ration in this country. Still less did he hope that the House would understand him as saying any thing in disparagement of the professional character of tha Mint ; on the contrary, he di I not believe that any political department possessed servants of higher personal anl political honour than was possessed by the officers of the Mint.—( Hear, bear.) But, looking into the whole system, be felt bound to say that it required full and grave inquiry.—( Hear, hear.) The words of his motion were, That a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the department of the Royal Mint, and the system on which the fabrication - and delivery of the coinage was conducted." He did not call for any thing like a Currency Committee.— ( Hear.) He had expressly stated the objects that would be opened by the proposed inquiry, and he hoped that the Corn inittee would act upon these intentions; but while he said his he, on the ;Alter hand, did not wish to exclude 'rom the inquiry- any subject whatever that related ,o the Royal Mint which did not effect , the stan- (lard of value. He wished expressly to state thaiTe did not intend to propose that the Committee should enter tain any such inquiry, and he trusted that the shape of his motion would expressly exclude such subjects from the con sideration of the Committee. He would not trouble the House at greater length. 11,1 would only add, that the con stitution of the Mint had remained unaltered in its essential points since the time of Charles the Second. It was true, that in tBl6 it had been regulated in some respects, and many • most excellent improvements had been introduced by Lord Maryborough, but none of the main principles of the original constitution of the Mint were in any way affected. The present' system consisted partly "of establishment and partly of profit, and the impression was that the establish ment was rather too large, and the officers, with regard to salary, were overpaid. , He must say that the sources from which the emoluments were derived were of a nature that was liable to great objection. It was a mixture of a public and private character which required consideration. The great point on which the system hinged, and which mainly called for the attention of the com mittee, was the system, an extremely ancient one, of contracts, by which the Master of the Mint contracter r i with the Company of Moneyer s f o r the making and fabricating the coin. Th e p resen t was rather an expensive operation, and it would by for the Committee to consider whether means might not be adopted, without in any way impairing the effi ciency of' the Establishment, of introducing a little economy. —( Hear.) In speaking of economy he begged to be under stood as disclaiming that false species of economy which would in any degree cripple the efficiency of such an Establishment as the Mint, or which would in any way diminish the security which the public had for the safe custody of the money, for the purity of' the standard, and for the business-like manner. in which the Estal;listuneric Iy4s PoP4iigt4—( Hear.) He 141 permitted tq Say 614 in the two countries in which insfitutions of this kind were supposed to be regul a t e d, namely France and th e United States of America, wt opposite gYS, tern prevailed and tyltily ill France 1119 Wi11 7 ,4 141,9rness Of (lie Mint 4stiNiqhme; l t vp s octriducted by contract, in the United , States, on the contrary, the whole business was done by Es tablishment, and no part of it by contract. This difference was greatly calculated to perplex the inquiry on the solies., f.!q bad endeavour t? t!r/ 400r i mic . tb§t c91,0100W ' light on this subject generally, and he would take care that they should be laid before the Committee. Mr. HUMS rose to second the motion, and expressed the greatest satisfaction at the man icr in which the subject had been brought forward.—(Hear, hear.) This was a subject to which he had long paid attention, and it had been his inten tion in the last Session to move for a Committee on the sub ject. He was glad now that he had not done so, as he con sidered that all inquiries of this kind were much better in the hands of Government ; and when he found any department willing to undertake inquiry he was always anxious to push them on. He was sure that the public interests would be better attended to by adopting Ells course. There was one great principle which be hoped would be better attended to in the course of this inquiry, nlmely, that every public ser vant should have a fixed salary, and should not profit, directly or indirectly, by fees or by the mode in which the business was conducted.—( Hear.) He h sped to see the day when this principle should be acted upon by every department of the State.—( Hear. ) Mr. CLAY was sure that there could be but one feeling, viz., that of general satisfaction at the measure proposed by the Hon. Gentleman.—( Hear.) He merely rose to ask whe ther it was intended at once to suspend the remuneration of the money ers ? Mr. LABOUCHERE said that the sole effect of the Bill would be to obtain the necessary sum to defray the expenses from Parliament, instead of other sources. It would not alter the payments made by the Master of the Mint to the several officers. It was his intention that everything con nected with the establishment should be laid before the Corn mittee.—( Hear, hear.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that it was necessary that his Majesty's recommendation and sanc tion should be given for the introduction of this Bill, and in giving them be would take that opportunity of saying that his Majesty's Government had been anxious to introduce this sub ject to the attention of Parliament during the last Session. It had been withheld on the best possible grounds, and in the meantime his Right Hon. Friend had paid the greatest at tention to the subject, and the Committee would be the bet ter prepared to discuss the Bill at present. The subject was one of extreme importance. and involved many material prin ciples of Government. He hoped it would meet with all the attention it deserved. It was strictly intended to confine the Committee within the limits assigned to it in the speech of his Right Hon. Friend. 'lt was intended that the Committee should consider the subject simply as a matter of administra tion, having no more concernment with the standard of value than if it had been an inquiry into the Admiralty, the army, or any other branch of the public department. Leave was then given to bring in the Bill, which was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Monday next. Mr. LAB OUC HE RE then moved the appointment of the Select Committee, which was agreed to, and the Committee nominated. MORTGAGES ON SHIPS AND VESSELS. Mr. G. F. YOUNG moved for leave to bring in a Bill to alter and amend the law relating to mortgages on ships and vessels. The present system gave rise to frauds of the most extensive deseriptTon in the outfitting of ships. Many"men of reckless character were enabled to effect mortgages on ships, in which they did not possess the slightest real interest. This had caused great - difficulty in the way of obtaining advances of money on the security of ships which were the bona fide pro-. perty of the owners, and to whom, under circumstances of temporary embarrassment, such advances would be a great re lief. It was intended by the measure which be sought to in troduce, to facilitate the means of obtaining an advance of money upon mortgage of ships by the real owner, and to pre vent others from hypothecating that which was not their own property. Mr. P. THOMSON did not rise to ofFer any opposition to the introduction of this measure. Some measure was neces sary on this subject. Leave was then given to bring in the Bill, which was ac cordingly read a first time. Mr. HALL tnrwed'for . a return of all sums of money paid into the Exchequer/out of the annuity granted to his Royal Highness Prince Leopold ; now King of the Belgians, in con tinuation of the return presented to Parliament in 1834. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that in point of fact this return was contained in the annual finance account. He had no objection to the return. The return was accordingly ordered. HIOIIWAYS. Mr: BARNEBY moved for leave to bring in a Bill to re move from counties the expense and liability of repairing the highways over bridges, and the three hundred feet next adjoining to any ends of the same. After a few observations from Mr. HL ME and Mr. POT TER, leave was given to bring in the Bill. PENITENTIARY AT MII LBANK. Mr. FOX MAULE moved for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Acts forthe'regulation of the Penitentiary at Mill bank. Mr. HAWES took this opportunity of alluding to the sub ject of the expense of keeping prisoners, which varied mate rially in different prisons. He hoped a Committee would one day be appointed with a view of obtaining uniformity in this particular. He hoped also that something would be done on the subject of juvenile offenders, and for the improvement of the state of Newgate. He wished to know whether any thing, and what, had been done in these two particulars in ac cordance with the recommendations of the prison magistrates. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in the ab sence of his Noble Friend the Home Secretary, said with re, sheet to juvenile offenders, that was a subject which had not escaped the attention of Government—it was now-under the consideration of his . Noble Friend, who had before him a scheme, which he-hoped one day to be able to bring forward, for the attainment of the desirable objects in this particular. With respect to the gaol of Newgate, he was ready to admit, with all who knew anything of the subject, that it was in a state which called loudly for a remedy ; this, however, was one of the objects of the present Bill, by which it was confidently expected to be able to carry into effect all the recommendations of the prison inspectors on this 'subject... He would take this opportunity of directing the Hon. Member for Lambeth's at tention to a very important notice which stood on the hooks on the part of his Noble Friend, embracing the whole subjects of the criminal law, which showed at least that Government was not disposed to be idle on these subjects. —( Hear.) Alderman WOOD said the Court of Aldermen were ready to do all in their power to second the recommendations of the Secretary of State, with a view to the amelioration of the state of Newgate. But when it was required of the Court of Aldermen that they should lay out some 100,0001. in build ing anew g aol, with which the city of London had little or nothing to do, not one in ten prisoners which it contained ,being sent there from the city, this was what they could not consent to. He had visited the prison that morning, when he found a vast accession of juvenile offenders, the major part of whom, he believed, had been sent there by their parents, or friends, for trifling thefts upon their fathers or their grandmo thers, and who thought it a very convenient way of getting rid of them. This was an evil increasing daily, which con firmed him- in the conviction that some system of summary ju risdiction was absolutely necessary to carry on the criminal proceedings of the country. About three or four of the chil dren he referred to he found had been' in prison before, and could not read nor write.—( Hear, hear.) Anolher point to which he would refer as tending. unnecessarily to crowd the gaol of Newgate, was the dilatory proceeding of reporting all the capital convictions to the King in council. He could see no reason why the system of recording death, as in the Se - s'ons throughout the" country, might not be applied to the trials at the Central Criminal Court. Ile was sorry to learn that it was the intention - of Government to abandon the notion of rendering Dart Moor prison available.. After a few observations from Mr. Clay, Mr. F. -Mardi", Mr. Potter, and Mr. Pease, leare"was given to bring in the Bill. RECORDERS UNDER 6 WILL. IV., c. 76. Mr. NVA K-LEY, in the absence of Mr. Leader, moved for a return of the names of barristers appointed by the Crown to the office of Recorder since the passing of the Act 6 Wil liam IV., cap. 76, stating the year in which every such bar rister was called to the bar; the city, borough, or town in which the appointment has been made ; the annual payment agreed to be made to each Recorder; the resignations of per sons so appointed and the names of the persons recommended to the Crown by triwn councils to be appointed to the ,office of Recorder. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had no ob jection to all the early part of the return, but ho ojected to the last part of it. He thought they had no right to publish the names of parties who had been recomrAended as Recorders, but whose names had been set aside. Mr. WAK LE Y agreed to omit the last portion of the re turn ; and the motion, so amended, was agreed to., - The ct!7er z Orders of the Day were then disposed of t and the !louse al;7,urned a few minutes after Eight. HOUSE OF LORDS, Fiocituvtr 23. ENGLISH CORPORATION ACT. The Attorney-General and several Members of .the House of Commons brought up the English Corporation Amend ment Act. CHURCH RATES. Lord SHAFTESBURk presented petitions from the in habitants of Broadway and Stockdale, against the abolition of Church-rates. The Duke of WELLINGTON presented a petition from the inhabitants of Puole, from several parishes in Devon, from Bradford in the county of Somerset, from Weimer, and se veral parishes in Kent, against the abolition of Church -rates. The Noble Duke also presented a petition from the guardians of the poor of the Union of the Island of Thanet, against any alteration of the Poor Law. Lord L YNDII UR ST presented a petition from the Mayor, Aldermen, and Council of the borough of Poole, praying that their Lordships would maintain the Church as by law esta blished, and also that they would maintain the privileges of thcir Lordships' House. The Bishop of LONDON presented petitions from 90 parishes in favour of Church-rates ; in ono of those parishes the total assessment was 1,9421,, and of this the signatures of payers to the amount of 1,5231. were attached to the petition, praying that they might be allowed to continue the payment of these rates. Tlic petitions were from parishes in Essex, Hertford, Surrey, Gloucester, Wilts, and one from Suffolk ; almost every parish in had petitioned to this effect, and twenty of thoto were from Gloucestershire. Loki STR A FFO RD presented petitions from East Lear mouth and Great Yarmouth, for the abolition of Church-rates. Lord ALBE M A 10414 presented a petition from Bury St. Edmund's, against Church-rates. A Nout.E Loan presented petitions from Danbury and Great Wiekford, in favour of Church -rates. The Marquis of SALISBURY presented potitlon from East Barnet and Chipping Ba t rv t et zittainst the abolition of Church-ratm I'4 Pisi t op of LINCOLN presented petitions from various pactOics in the count of Lincoln to the same effect. Lord BROUG H AM presented a petition signed 'ay t 4, iv ara of 19,000 of the inhabitant rate-payers of Birmingham, praying that their Lordships would give their support to some measure for the total abolition of Church-rate's as speedily as possible. Not only was this petition respectable in point of number, and in point of property, but the Noble Lord would- venture to say that he was quite sure it represented the sense of the great majority of the inhabitants of that town. At the last vestry, at which the question of a Church-rate.was brought into cor,_ sideration, th e re was a poll taken, by which it appeared, all the various classes of voters having voted, that was to say, those having one, two, three, four, five, and six votes under the Vestry Act, the only classes not in the majority against the rate were classes five and six; and their majority was very small—the total votes being somewhere about 1,100, and those in the majority amounting to upwards 011,000. The Noble and Learned Lord then presented petitions from Bridport, Bridgewater, Plymouth, Devonport, and several pa. rishes in the county of Somerset, to the same effect. ECCLESIASTICAL REPORT, Earl RIPON wished to ask the Noble Lord at the head of his Msjesty's Government if the last report of the Ecclesiasti cal Commissioners of Ireland had been received from the Lord Lieutenant ? If it had, as he apprehended it ought, he certainly expected it would have been laid on the table ere now. Lord ME LB 0 URNE said it had been received, and should be forthwith laid on the table. The Marquis of SALISBURY postponed his motion with respect to the Standing Orders till Monday, amid cries of " Order of the day." The Earl of W ICK LOW said, before the House proceeded to the Order of the Day, he wished to present a petition of some importance relative to the subject to be discussed that night. It was a petition from a vast number of the clergy of the united Diocese of Derry and Raphoe. The fleeting at which the pe tition was got up was most numerous, and all were unanimous in agreeing to it. The petition was signed by the Bishop of the Diocese on behalf of the petitioners, and the prayer of it tsas that the House would do what he trusted it was their in t.tntion to do on the motion of the Noble Viscount opposite, viz :—appoint a Committee for the purpose of investi gating the mode in which the syste m of education in Ireland was carried on ; and that such a system of educa tion would be provided as would be agreeable to t}te views of all persuasions. —( Hear, hear.) A correspon , !ence bad been carried on with some of the petitioners anss the clergy of Ire land, and the petitioners set forth a Valuable address to the clergy of Ireland for that purpose. Whether the proposal they made in the petition should be favourably received by the House or not—whatever might be the impression on the minds of others, he was sure the petitioners deserved the sincere thanks of the people of Ireland for the anxious endeavours they had made to smooth the way to so desirable an object. He would not now occupy the House further upon the sub ject, as he should no doubt have an opportunity, in the course of the discussion, of more fully entering into it. The petition was then read and laid on' the table. The petition having been read at length, The Bishop of E XETER said it was . his misfortune to have tc present a petition of a directly opposite nature, from many of the clergy of the united dioceses of Derry and Raphoe, who did not agree in the petition just laid on the table. He regretted that the petition presented by the Noble Earl (Wicklow) was in that form that it could not be received in any other light than as that of the Bishop only by whom it was signed, He lamented that the Right Rev. Prelate had. adopted such a cotulse, for lie had hoped his Lordship's acquaint ance with the forms of the House would enable him to know that it could not be received as the petition of the clergy on a hose be half it was stated to be signed. Th..) petition which was in his (the Bishop of Exeter's) ha n ds, was s i gne d b y t h e D ean of Derry, by th e Archdeacon, by the Vicar-General, and by 40 or 50 clergymen of the united dioceses, a larger body than those who coneerred huhu of an opposite tendency. The peti tioners did not address any violent remonstrance to that House— they simply prayed their Lordships to give to the case their earnest and best attention, and to found a system of education for the peoplesbated on the Word of God.—The petition was ordered to lie on the table. The Right Rev. PRELATE next presented petitions, with a similar prayer, from the Bishop of Down and Conner, from the Bishop and Clergy of the diocese of Meath, from tine Bishop and Clergy of the united dioceses of Cashel and Ernly, of Waterford arid Lismore, and of Cloyne and Ross. He wished to remark, that many of the Clergy who signed the petitions had, at the first establishment of the New Board, ap plied for its assistance in founding schools, mid he now ad duced the fact, not from any wish to throw discredit upon them for having done so, but to show that men eager and anxious to avail themselves of the assistance of the Board, were now, after an experience of its working, desirous to withdraw from all connection with it. The petitions also prayed that the grant to the National Board of Education should in future be discontinued. IRISH EDUCATION. Viscount F,LBOUItNE rose and - said—My Lords, in rising to submit to your Lordships the motion of which I had given notice, in urging the propriety of the appointment of a ComMittee to consider the plan of education which has been established fur some years in Ireland—in urging an inquiry into the whole proceedinga of that system of education—into the whole manner in which the expenditure connected with it --thee whole mode of education presented by the Com mi.tsioners—the manner in u hich they have acted, and the effects which may be expected to result from it—l apprehend that it will not be necessary for me to enter into any very lengthened detail or very extended arguments, as I consider that on the present occasion it will be better to ab. stain from all topics calculated to excite political dis cussion, and to avoid all matters which .might produce that warmth of debate which on former occasions characterised the discussions both here and in the other House on this sub ject. —( Hear.)_ My Lords, as I shall go into a full, fair, calm, and dispassionate inquiry into the operation of' this system of education, I think it better in doing so to avoid whatever may be calculated to promote that eagerness of debate, or to in flame those passions which are so easily excited.—(llear„ hear.) In respect to the question i:self, your Lordships are perfectly well acquainted with its merits; your Lordships are aware that at the commencement of the present Ses sion the attention of Parliament was called to the state of Ireland, and particularly to the expediency, the necessity, anti the great desirableness of extending ta that country the be•ase tits of education, which arc the source of all morality, the source of all religion, the source of all order—of good order and peace ; and vour Lordships know that they have produced such effects in other parts of his Majesty's dominions. Your Lordships arc also aware that Commissioners bad been ap pointed to inquire into this subject, and they recommend what I am glad to see has been recommended in the petition pre• sented by the Noble Lord on the subject ; and your Lord. ships are also aware that Government, irl pursuing the regula tions recommended by those Commissioners, whether they were right or wrong, made a grant to a Society which j our Lordships know then existed m Ireland—th e hildare-pace, Society. —( Hear, hear.) Of their proceedings, the number of their schools, and the number of children connected with them, your Lordships are aware, and also of the discontent whit the proceedings of that society. Into the causes of this, how ever, I shall not enter upon this occasiun—( Hear)—but the discontent to which I have alluded was created, and existed to a great extent in the public mind as to the proceedings of the S e'ety, and the manner in which their schools were conducted and in consequence the Government, shortly after it came into power, proposed to Parliament the present system of eda,- cation which is to-night to be the subject of consideration. That system was proposed in the month of November, 1831 ; it was carried by the Parliament, and a Board of Commis sionet s were appointed ; who proceeded to carry it into 'effect, under the directions contained in a letter written by my Huh. Friend ( Lord Stanley), at ,that time Chief Secretary to the Beard. In the month of March following the Noble earl opposite brought the matter under the consideration of this House, by moving a series of resolutions inculpatory and condemnatory of that system, but these Resolutions were not acceded to by the House. It was afterwards made the subject of repeated discussions, hut no direct motion was made on the subject until within the last Session, when the Right Rev. Prelate, who has ju now presented these petitions to the House, made a motion for 'a Select Committee to en . quire into the subject, at the same time stating that it was not his intention to overthrow or destroy that system, and if such a motion were entertained by his Majesty's Government, ho should not persevere in it, and that motion w:-.s subsequently withdrawn. My Lords, I think, considering the time this system has been in progress, ,now inure than six years—considering the progress it has made_l think it is prudet and wise in your Lordships to institute an inquiry into the m linter in which it has been carried on, and the mode is which it has operated. -( Hear ' hear.) There ar e severa l reasons for this, and although I do net wish to countenance the attacks made upon the Commissioners or the system—although I do not mean to give any countenance to talem:-.-yet the diff.!renee opinion that still continues to prevail, and the various complaints that have been made, and the quarters from vrhence they come, call upon your Lordships to give it your serious consideration. My Lords, I thought it right in the course of the last Session of Parliament—on the occasion when the Right Rev.. Prelate stated his intention to renew his motion—l then ventured to hope that when the Right Rev. Prelate brought it forward, that he would state distinctly, and give us some notice before hand, in order that we might be prepared to answer the specific cases brought forward, and to know what these cases were. because, considering what their nature was, it was perfectly impossible for us to be prepared for them at the moment. The Noble Duke opposite objected to the course I took on that occasion. Ho said it was not Parliamentary, but it was a breach of tie privileges of Members of Parliament to ask a Noble Lord to state the grounds beforehand on which he meant to found a motion. Parliamentarily speaking; the Noble Duke was unquestionably right in that respect; therefore, considering the nature of what the charges were which were brought against this system—considering their minute character, and the local character of the part of the Country to which they referred —in my opinion it is far better that the investigation of them should be referred to a Select Commit tee, than that they should be discussed in this House, which. would only lead to an expression of opposite opinions, and to the bringing forward of conflicting authorities. This Board of Commissioners have made three Reports, which are before your Lordships, in which they have stated the progress they have made, the number of schools they have insti tuted, the number of schools they have given assistance to, the course they mean to pursue in future ; and, above all, the extension which they think it is expedient your Lordships ought to gi':e to this system. My Lords, I do - not mean to uledge myself to the accuracy of the second report; but, seeing that this system is working well for the country, I think that is another reason, and a strong reason, if any additional reason were wanted, to show it that 'the system. should be gone on with.—( Hear, hear, hear.) These are. the grounds, my Lords, on which I found the motion I . have the honour of submitting to your Lordships: over, if it were necessary, there is yet one ground stronger THI4: SUN, L,ONDON, WEDNESDA V, MARCH 1, 1837.