The Sun. — London, England, 1846-05-26 00:00:00

_!4' tie; lEbition SUN OFFICE, Ser. , ' o' Clock. EPSOM RACES. (THIS DAY-BY EXPRESS.) (Continued from our Afternoon Edition.) The Manor Stakes of 5 sous. each, with 40 added by the Lord of the Manor, for three yrs old, 6st 101 b ; four, Bst 71b ; fire,. Bst 121 b six and aged ; 9st lib, mares and geldings allowed 31b ; the winner to be sold for 300 soya ; the second to receive back his stake. Heats, the last mile and a quarter of the proposed New Derby Course. Sir Gilbert Hsathcote's ch f Campanile, 3 yrs 1 1 Mr. Ranisbottom's Pine Apple, 6 yrs Mr. J. Day's br (Mks Slick, 3 yrs .. . Several others started. QUEEN'S BENCH.---(THIS DA (Sittings in Banco.) LOWE V. PENN. The Court gave judgment in this case to-day. It was argued fully on Friday, and was one in which was involved the question of an alleged Infringement of a patent invention. for propelling steam vessels by means of an improvement upon the original Archimedian screw. The public are already familiar with the fats of the case, as they have already been published several times. The Court icranted a role for a new trial, and theta proceeded to try cases at Nisi Prins. They were all either undefended cases, or actions upon bills of ex chane of no interest to any but the parties concerned. 71- The Bail Court did not sit to-day. RAILWAY COMMITTEES. (THIS DAY.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. GROUP 11. CORNWALL This Committee met at the usual hoar, Viscount Morpeth, chairman. The first witness called was Mr; Pearson, the manager of the steam bridge over the itamouse. He stated that carriages were easily driven over it and with perfect safety. At one time Womb well's menagerie passed over. It had borne a weight of 210 tons, and it was calculated that it would bear upwards of 100 tons more than that. Mr. Brunel, C.E., was then examined by Mr. Sergeant KitiotAxE —The gradients were of a favourable nature, the steepest one being I in 60. The soil was particular:y favourable for the construction of railways. Thay proposed to cross the Ramouse by means of the exiting steam bridge, but if that were not found to be sufficiently strong they could wily build another. The trains would rim down an incline on to the bridge. There would be no difficulty in getting them up again. It might be done by simple mechanical means. It could be effected by means of an engine over a perpendicular shaft, such as that used for the purpose of lifting carriages from the Derby Railway on to the London and Birmingham Railway. Great care had been taken in the laying out of the line, and he considered it would prove highly remunerative. The Du l of St. Germans was called, who gave evidence in favour of the line and the accommodation which it would afford to the district. The Committee then adjourned. GROI:P IX. The members of this Committee resumed their labours at 12 O'clock this morning, Lord Worsley in the chair. All the members were present. The adjourned case of the CALEDONIAN (GLASGOW TERMINI AND BRANCHES). was resumed. • Mr. HOPE, on the part of the promoters of the Bill, reminded the Committee-that the object of their adjournment was to give time for an alteration in the plans, and for an application to Parliament to dispense with the standing orders. This had been accomplished ; the proposed alteraticu had been made, and the Standing Orders' Com mittee bad reported that the standing, orders ought to be dispensed with. Mr. Errington, the engineer to the line, explained the manner in which it was proposed to accomplish the deviation. The objection able gradient of one in eighty had been got rid of, and an incline of one in 100 substituted. Mr. Sergeant MraenT, who appeared to oppwe the line on the part of the General; Terminus Company, opposed the Bill on the ground that it interfered with part of their property, and would prevent them from fulfilling a contract they had entered into with the Kilmarnock. and .Ayr . Company, and for the carrying out of which this land would be required. Mr. Sergeant Mtraree pat in a copy of the agreement, and Mr. Rope consented to admit this document, Mr. Sergeant Murphy not being prepared to prove it.. Mr. C. D. Donald, Secretary to the General Terminus Company, was called to prove that the notice of the intention of the Company to introduce allnew clause was only received on Saturday, the 6th instant, and that the Bill went thresgh the Standing Orders' Com mittee on the following Tuesday; so that he had not time to oppose the Bill. In the course of this witness's evidence, it appeared that the land in question had been bought by the provisional committee upon their own responsibility before the passing of the Bill, and that there were no powers to buy any such land, in the Bill. The CHAIRMAN put several qpestions to the witnesses as to the manner in which the. Company had become possessed of this land, observing that though it had nothing to do with the 'point under con sideration and could not, therefore, be said to come directly before, the Committee, that it was certainly a matter for the consideration of Parliament. Ile suspected it was a very common thing for rail way companies to parchase, and make use of, land not included in the powers of their Bills. Sir T. Pnu.Lirs, on the part of the Glasgow and Ayr Railway Com pary, was about to make some observations, when Mr. HOPE objected, and said that his Learned Friend had no locus stanch. _ Sir T. PHILLIPS said that the Glasgow and Ayr was a part of the West of Scotland Junction, and that at the time the latter Bill was disposed of, power was reserved by the promoters to oppose this Bill. The Committee ordered the room to be cleared, and after a short time re-admitted the parties, in order to learn mote distinctly upon what grounds Sir T. Phillips claimed to appear. Sir T. FUELED'S said that he claimed to appear on the part of the Glasgow, Paisley, and Ayr, both as a part of the West of Scotland Junction, and as being one of two parties having a contract, fir the carrying out of which it was necessary that they should retain the land which it was proposed to take by the additional powers. The room was again cleared, but the door was hardly closed when the parties were called in again, and the Committee declared that Sir T. Phillips could not be heard. The CHAIRMAN then said that the Committee had decided upon inserting the additional power in the form of a clause, and that a clause should be inserted, to the effect that if any additional expense should be incurred by the General Terminus Company, in making their branch to the Glasgow and Ayr, in consequence of the introduc tion of the additional powers into this Bill, that such additional ex pense should be defrayed by the Caledonian Railway Company. A message was received from the Admiralty, to the effect that as the report of their Commissioner on the Clyde Bridge had not yet been received, they could not give any opinion as to whether they would be likely to assent to the crossing of the Clyde by this line. After a discussion of some length, it was determined that the Bill should be passed, with a clause that it the Admiralty rentsed their consent the Company should use the alternative line. Here a question arose es to the right of the counsel on the part of West of Scotland Junction to appear against the alternative line. The room was cleared on this point, and after a long discusion the Committee re-admitted the parties, and announced their decision, that althc ugh counsel for the West of Scotland Junction could not appear on the question of the adoption of the clause for additional powers, yet such counsel could appear against the alternative line. In the course of a desultory conversation which ensued, Mr. Ser geant Musette expressed his doubts of the power of the Committee to pass the additional clause, and intimated the intention of the Com pany to dispute its legality, if they should find it advisable to do so, after the passing of the Bill. The consideration of the manuscript clauses was, at the request of Mr. HOPE, adjourned until Thursday. The printed clauses were all disposed of. Mr. Hops said he presumed the Committee considered the preamble proved ? The Committee considered that it was, and gave their formal vote to that effect. The consideration of the alternative line stands over till Thursday. GLASGOW, PAISLEY, AND GREZNOCIC (POI.I.OCIL AND GOVAN nuaNcrs.). In this case Mr. Hope said that the parties had not succeeded in making any arrangement with the Canal Company as to the manner in which they should pass the canal. He bad therefore to propeee the introduction of a clause by which it should be provided that the line should not be carried over the canal without the consent of the Company. After some discussion this was assented to, and the Bill passed, with this clause inserted. GLASGOW SOUTHERN The CHAIRMAN proposed that this Bill (the last on the list) should now be taken. Mr. lion said thai the chief eounsel in that Bill was Mr. llild yard, and the Committee were no doubt aware of the position in which that gentleman "mai, placed. It would, he believed, be impos sible to go into the case to-day, but he had no doubt it would go on on Thursday. The Committee then adjorzned tin Thursday. GROUP X. - - The Committee met to-day at welve o'clock, In Room No. I (House of Commons), present Mr. Deedes (chairman), Mr Avkwright, Mr. Farnham, Mr. Stanley, and Mr. Vivian. They immediately called on the CALEDONIAN (DIINDYIT.AN BRANCH)• A BROAD HINT TO LEADERS. It was then intimated that the promoters did not mean to offer any further evidence, considering that their case was estalolLshed as against the Glasgow, Airdrie, and Monklands. Mr. Foal:slit requested that the Committee would grant a few minutes indulgence to Mr. Cockburn, ;Q.C., who, as leading counsel in this case, was prepared to sum up the evidence of the promoters, bat was unfortunately at that moment engaged in another room. The Committee, having waited for a considerable time, exprosse6 mpatience at the delay, and called on Mr. Forsyth to proceed with the case. Mr. Forsyth was most reluctant to do so, in the absence of Mr Cockburn, who had prepared himself for the task. The Learned Gentleman then, as it appeared, went out to hasten Mr. Cockburn. In his absence, The CHAIRMAN, addressing the agent, said that the C *rnmfttee did not think it was their dntyartt the Public or to the p g ly. suc h indulgence as was here required to a counsel who to aia no - atten ti o n whatever to the ease from the commencement. They would not wait any longer for Mr. Cockburn, nor could they see any reason why Mr. Forsyth, who hail diligently attended to the case from beginning to end, and had heard all the evidence, should not proceed with his statement. He was perfectly competent to do so, wastin g time in extending and- there was no r eason for sv .indulgence to a gentleman who had sot heard a Word of the eviden on the pe- At length, with great hesitation on his own parent remptory demand of the Committee,, w ho would wait so longer, it ee, being one o'clock, Mr. rourrn proceeded to make the statement for the promoters as made out in the evidence. After the conclusion of Mr. Forsyth's elaborate and able statement, Mr. Aynesws, Q.C., replied on be half of the Glasgow', sa t e le nd Monklands, dwelling most emphatically u p on the great advantaged which that line would confer upon the w hole community of Glasgow, by choosing the Mile-end district as the site of its terminal station, and upon the University, by giving a new set of buildings in a far superior situation. The room was then cleared for a division, and, on the readmission of strangers, The CILAIRMAN announced the decision- of the Committee to be, that the preamble of the Glasgow, Airdrie, and Monklands Junction Bill was proved ; and that the preamble of the Caledonian (Dundy van Branch) was not proved. The consideration of the clauses in the Bill, of which the preamble was passed, was postponed. CALEDONIAN (GLASGOW, GARNHIRX, AND COA.TBRIDGE RAILWAY JUNCTION. The preliminary evidence on this Bill (according to Mr. Dun combe's resolutions) was then taken, and the Committee adjourned till twelve o'clock on Thursday, the Chairman expressing a hope that the parties would be in readiness, so that the whole might be con cluded on Friday before the holidays. GROUP XIII. CALEXIONIAN (L.ANGBOLDI BRANCH). (Continued from uur Afternoon Editioi.) Mr. RICKARDS said it was against all the rules of evidence to recal witnesses after a case was dosed. If they did so, there would be no end to the inquiry. The Cnita;tA; said that it was not a matter of ranch moment, as It Wag but the opinion of the present witness against the positive de claration of the witnesses who had been called on the ether side. He did not consider there was any: necessity for calling back the wit nesses referred to. —, - Mr. RICKAIDS—But that opinten is the result of scientific investi gation, which is more important than the evidence of a preprietor or agent, who is interested in giving a favourable representation to the Case. Witness's examination continued—Me had been exclusively en gaged I n making immense surveys. He had been employed by the Duke of Buecleuch, the Marquis of Lothian, and Lord Judburgh. H e had himself been engaged in a coal-field near Dalkeith as large as th e Canobte field, and all they had been able to raise from it annually was 30,000 tons. The witness was then examined with the object of showing that the lime and other mineral traffic had been much exaggerated. He did Rot think the Canobie liras would go beyond Sextet. cross-examined by Mr. TALBOT—He thought the Berwick coal weela go up as far as Hawks. At preseat there was nut much Berwick coal consumed In Hawick. He went into the Ilawick district in November last at the instance of the Caledonian Company. He spent two days and a night at Hayek. inclnlxing into the coal consumption. He was told by the alsasufttums tU4 that inquiatly got Coal from BerlTlClif bilt 110 could not say how much of it was consumed. He could not name the manufacturers who gave him the information, as he had not his memoranda here. He had been one afternoon at Canobie, and examined the strata. _ _ . Mr. Nicholas Wood, mining engineer, of Newcastle, said he had visited many of the coal-fields in the south of Scotland. Ye agreed generally with the evidence of Mr. Williamson, that Hawick would be partly supplied from Berwick and partly from Canobie. He had looked over Mr. Williamson's tables, and concurred in them. Cross-examined:by Mr. LIDDELL—He did not think aB addition of . 50 per cent. a fair increase to be made in the tables. Chevlngton was the nearest coal-geld in Northumberland to Berwick. The best coal there was 6s. a ton, and the small coal was about 2s. Th e k best Canobie coal, at the pit's mouth, was ss. 4d., but he did no t thin k the small coal was so cheap in proportion to the Chevingt h o t nw, as s there was a greater demand for it. If the small coal at as cheap in proportion as the best coal, then. at Hawick, in former would be used for manufacturing laurtose s an eighteen miles nearer to Hawick than Chevington,asthe coal of the CanobieCane was preference to the latter. He did not think tp ted C go round by way a! Carlisle to be exP°aceount of the stopping coal being so dear c o il year at Carlisle was on o T b h i e e co r e a l a s h o u l o d f known from any pit in one year was loads. The largest outfit he had of the Bienkensop colliery. That also detained the ships from getting 50,000 tons. He thought 50,000 f uan th ti e tY. Carlisle tons from twelve coal-pits in the Mr. Steele, Mayor of Carlisle, an prop a rle sm tor o f Lothians, as stated by the previous widtness, Jou , deposed that he ha d paid great attention to the question of communication with Scotland. He had been examined last year on the Caledonian Railway. He was decidedly of opinion that only two through lines into Scotland could be supported—one on the east side, and another towards the west. He then supported the Caledonian line, in prefer ence to the Nithsdale line, as affording the best , general accom modation. If this line were passed, there would with the Nlthsdale line be two communications to both Edinburgh and Glasgow, which he did not think the traffic would support. The whole capital thus required would be to be raised by the bills, 5,160,0101. ; and sup posing one-third raised by loan, which was usually done, that would make a total of 6,880,0001. From i n f orma ti on d er i ve d f rom eng i neers, he calculated the working s c h emes per mile per annum at 6001., which on 367 miles of railway would be 220,0001. Now, that with an addition of 4 per ce n t. on the capital would make 233,2001. more, or a total of nearly h a lf a m i ll i on, that would have to be raised. He did not think mach stone would be brought by the railway, as it ekuld be got inlarge quantities not far from Carlisle. Besides, brick for building purposes was in the generality of instances preferred. The quantity of coal consumed in Carlisle and its neighbourhood was about 60,000 tons. It was got from various poinis in Cumberland. and brought by the Newcastle and Maryport Railways. The Cano bie coal was such that he would not use for household purposes. There was an extensive quantity exported. The best on board was Bs., the second 55., and the small 4s. The small coal was very well suited for manufacturing purposes. The Canobie coal would have to go on to the Newcastle line and go down to the canal by it for shipping. He thought it could not be shipped for less than 7s. 7d. a ton. It Would also have to compete with the Maryport line Cross-examined—He knew that a great number of the inhabitants of Carlisle had petitioned for the present line, but he could not state what their motives were. Perhaps they might expect supplies of coal by its He had given his individual opinion that this coal would not be much used in Carlisle. He could not speak as to the wants of the liawick district. Mr. William Pare, traffic-taker, examined—He took the traffic of the liawick and Carlisle turnpike road in 1844, and again in last autumn. He placed men at different points last year—he took the first fourteen days in October. He had prepared a table founded on those observations. lie calculated the probable amount of traffic for post-horses, gigs, and other private conveyances, to be 1,4091. 13s. 4d.; this was from Hawick to Carlisle. The North British estimated it at 3,6651. They had added 150 per cent. on that, instead of 100 per cent., as last year. He had assumed of those that were travelling, except by post-horses, that the half would take the railway. The general merchandise and agricultural produce he noted in a similar way ; the amount was 1,4811. 17s. 9d. He had excluded in his cal culation the fish and meat supposed, on the other side, to go from Dalkeith and Dunbar, and also the Hawick and Newcastle traffic, respecting which he could not make any comparison. The item he• named was to set against the 6,5191. in the table on the other side. Instead of 5,7621. for stone, wood, &c., taken credit for on the other side, he set down 3911. For small parcels he thought 3.0001. very much exaggerated. In the tables of the Caledonian line this year he estimated the through traffic from Carlisle to Edinburgh to be 20,9131., and to that extent the present line would be a competing line. Cross-examined—ln some cases he had known 15 per cent of in crease in traffic, and more. The most common rate was 100 per mu - . It was not common to double the merchandise. He had never known it doubled, but coal he had. His object in 1844, was to take the through traffic from Carlisle to Edinburgh from those tables. He did not assume any traffic between Carlisle, Langton, or Canobie, as the line was not proposed to touch them, and he had nothing to do with the through traffic. Not any of the local traffic was noted. In the laSt observation, he made the goods between Langholm and Hawick backwards and forwards to be 1,837 tone per annum. That was according to the observation of fourteen days. He did not speak us to the coal at all. He was not aware that large quantities of grain went from Roxburgh towards Dumfries. Mr. Collister, resident engineer of the Caledonian Railway, exa mined—He had made two surveys of the Hawick and Carlisle line. Me made the last observation about .a. month ago. He was ob greeted by the Duke of Buccleuch's gamekeepers but as far as he could do so he ran levels. The works were very heavy, the valleys being steep, and the hills very abrupt. The witness here put in a section of the works which he had drawn out in which some specifi cations were;made which did not appear in the . plans and sections of the promoters. The sections; of the latter dii not represent the whole of the works. Ths was in consequence of the shelving manner in which the line crossed the side of a steep hill. For thirty miles the line was taken through grawacke or whinstone rock, the cutting of which would be very expensive. The Teviot was crossed thirteen times in nine miles. The promoters of the Hawick gave the estimate of the ordinary earthwork at 111,4481.; he set it down at 151,5071. For whinstone— The CHAIRMAN suggested that the witness had better put in the details in the form of a table. Mr. RICKARDS said the table should be supplied to the Committee, as also to Counsel on the other side, and in the meantime a few minutes would suffice to ask all the questions necessary on the items. ifitness's examination continued—The whinstone and sandstone cuttings he set down at 519,374 cubic yards, at a cost of 78,7331., which they made 497,000 cubic yards at 70,3471. The tunnel he estimated at 15,0001., they made it 9,9001. The witness then went over the viaducts proposed to be made. all which were undervalued. For all the items he had referred to, he estimated 483,6951., instead of theirs, which was 328,3201. The permanent way, ballasting, Br.c., he set down at 225,8464 instead of 189,2911., their estimate. The value of the land and the two small branches Ise took at their estimate. The result of the whole was, that his total was . 820,601., instead of theirs, which was 660,0001. Ile had taken the works at the rates which the Caledonian were let at. One of the main thoroughfares in Carlisle was crossed on the level according to the deposited plans. They could not deviate so as to cross by a bridge, because they could - not according to the de posited plans, take sufficient width for the approaches. If Borough street was lowered as proposed, it would be below the natural drain age of the town. According to the agreement that had been entered into, the rails would have to be raised eight feet more than they were stated in the deposited plans. The Caledonian Langhohn branch was thirteen miles long. The severest gradient was one in 150. and the sharpest curve a radius of half a mile. The engineering pecu liarities were more favourable than those of the opposing line through the same tract. The estimate was 180,0001., this included works and land for a double line, but only a single line of rails was proposed to be laid down. The walls were generally favourable. There would be no difficulty in making a communication (ruin the line to the Candri coal fields.. The Cen►mittee then adjourned till Thursday at twelve o'clock, when the cross-examination will be taken. GROUP XIV. KENT ATMOSPHERIC SCHEME. % Cc u I n...ted from our Afternoon Edition.) On cross-examination, Mr. Sherrad stated that his estimates did not include the atmospheric pipe nor either the payment for the pa•ent right or the stationary engines. In laying out the line he had no specific mode of working in view, because his instruction from Mr. Cubitt, the consulting engineer of the line, was to procure a line with a ruling gradient of lin 80. The witness was cross-examined at considerable length with a view of showing that his comparison between the two lines, both as regarded gradients, tunnels, with stations and lengths, had been made upon an erroneous principle. The Committee then adjourned till Thursday, at twelYe o'clock. GROUP XVII. MANCHESTER. AND SOUTHAMPTON AND SOUTH WESTERN (ROMSEY AND REDBRIDGE BRANCH). The Committee met this morning at twelve o'clock. The Eton. F. Yorke in the chair. ROMSEY AND REDBRXDOB BRANCH. Mr. James Griffin, of the firm of Griffin and Co., was then called and examined by Mr. HATHERTON—Has a yard at Redbridge, and has supplied the Government with foreign and English timber. Receives a great quantity of timber from America and the Baltic. Sends a good deal of timber from Redbridge to Salisbury by land carriage, which he should send by this branch. The CHAIRMAN intimated that the Committee were satisfied that there was a good deal of traffic bgtween Redbridge and Salisbury. It would therefore be unnecessary to multiply evidence on this point, at the same time they would be glad to hear evidence as to the cost of transit and the saving which the line would effect. Examination continued —The cost of sending a ton of timber from Redbridge to Salisbury was 10s. a ton ; by the line it would be about half that amount. The London, Salisbury, and Yeovil line, if made, would be of considerable advantage, as it would promote the timber trade with the west of England and take inland goods for exportation and bring foreign goods back. Cross-examined by Mr. R. Gr N XY. —Timber landed at Southamp ton was floated up to Redbridge, and the expen se of floating up 50 loads, which would require the assistance of two men, would be 10s. Small quantities were not floated, but conveyed by land cgrrtage. Now pays Is. per load per mile for the conveyance of English timber. 'the railway charge is 4d. The expense of floating a load up to Meebridge was 4.1. or Cal. a load. The drafting was not more than Id. a load. Was not aware that the Manchester and Southampton sought powers in their Bill to charge no more than I rid. a load. If they did this, the only additional charge would be 6d. Do you think you could sell It cheaper by floating it than the merchant at Southampton?—We should be able to do so at Red bridge, but not at Salisbury. Could not name any other place where he could sell it cheaper. . . . . By Mr. SAUNDERS—The South Western terminus is about a quar ter of a mile irom the docks, by water more titan half a mile. The Manchester and Southampton terminus is near the public quay?. The witness, in reply to Mr. DAVIS, sail timber could not be floated up to Redbridge during the ebb and flow of the tide, or during the prevalence of heavy gales, except a south-east wind. By the CHAIRMAN —A line from Redbridge to Romsey would be of infinite advantage. If he had a large quantity of timber at South ampton he should float it up to Redbr id ge a s n ow; perhaps he should send small quantities by the railway. The CHAIRMAN said—Perhaps the promoters of the line were de sirous to know the opinion of the Committee with respect to their project. It was quite clear that somebody must construct it, be cause such a, line would be of particular benefit to inland traders, and to traders at Eling ; but the promoters had only proved this fact by evidedce from the two extremities of thr line, Romsey and Rebrid; e; but Eling and Redbridge are situated on an estuary, to reach which various expenses had to be incurred—river dues, pilotage, and various things,which of course iucreased the cost of transit. The Committee bad, however, to look not simply to the public or local advantage, but to the greatest public advantage which it would afford. Now, as he had said, they had only proved this by those locally interested. They wanted more general arid extended evidence than that which hal up to that time been exhibited to them. After the examination of several other witnesses, the Committee gul __Jourd.llll.Titurclay. find on Friday they will adjourn to the Thursday !allowing. The Committee met thle C trorning l 7 . XV . B. lii r‘—._____..„ . chair m an.. ZWEIG, YEOVIL, AMIN now EiL ,,,,,.... 3iLILIZAWAY, MOND ON, S A.MISSVILY, 0-irx 36 --. The Clearantere announced, that he had received two letters' which had been very - improperly addressed to him, as chairman of this Committee. Ile would hand them over to the Committee's clerk, and hoped that the publicity which would be given to this transac tion, would.prevent a repetition for the future, of any such improper conduct. It was decided by the Committee, that they would only hear two engineers on each side of the line, a Committee hating tb e el im p o r i o ttee eeed y ed este i l it a h y ,.but In recommended that course he would adopt their recommendation. new features on the gu to leesm re wb4see t:e d consequence of the previous instruction of the Committee was not The examination of Mr. VI t e e n r g , t g h i , ve a n n u d e Lord Morley and Lord Vivian were then called, wile gave evidence evidence de of to r a . ni es l f Affordingline, as bei a more clirect and shor route to in favour and o eater ng accommodation to Sr the tar e irmediate London, ei en by the existing lines. di s t r icts than was es and archlct, was then called, who proved land surveyor Mr. Tate, the quantity of land required for the construction of the railway. Secretaryat War, M.P. for South Wiltshire, proved Mr. S Herbert, accommodation in the districts through ity of railway He considered, both in his the great necessity d to pass. which the railway- propuse it was advisable that there should pri vate and official character, that the coast. He knew that the line of railway along . t nce to having a line be a continuous great importance a the military authorities attached Portsmouth, Southampton, Dover, which would connect Falmouth , of troops. A break of gauge and Sheerness, for the conveyance . consequence of hav urpose, in would be very inconvenient for this p vhich with large bodies of ing to unload and repack the luggage, 1 troops was very considerable. Mr. Locke was then examined wit h reference to the alternative • h leaves the main line at the line between Yeovil and Exeter, wine 58th mile and joins it at the 74th. Mr. Cocanuax then put in the agreement between the two com panies and the South-ii esters Railway and the Cornwall and Devon Central. The returns in accordance with the b unc ombe resolutions were then handed in for that portion of the line between Basingstoke and This formal proceeding closed the case on behalf of the Salisbury. promoters. At the request of Mr. Talbot and Mr. Butt, the Committee ad journed till twelve on Thursday. :GROUP T.Y. LONDON, HOUNSLOW, AND WESTE&N• (Continued from eur Afternoon Edition.) Evidence having been called as to the value of the property that would be required for the purposes of the line, the case of the pro moters was closed. The Committee adjourned till Thursday at twelve o'clock, when the case for the opponents will be gene into. Company to construct a short line of nine miles' length between theirs and the Fleetwood line. The CHIIIMAN would not consent to consider anything which was not properly before the Committee. The clauses of the Fleetwood Bill were then read and agreed to. The. Committee then adjourned to twelve on Thursday next. GROUP LII. Thls•Commlttee met to -day at the usual hour ; Mr. P. Miles chairman. GRAND JUNCTION (HUTTON AND 17.7.AR— RINGTON lIRA.NCIE) ; AND ST. HELEN'S CANAL AND RAILWAY. IMPORTANT DECISION. Mr. TALBOT opened the case of the Huyton and Warrington Branch, on behalf of the Grand Junction Company. Captain Huish, of the Grand Junction Railway, and Mr. Locke, civil engineer, were then examined on behalf of the promoters. Mr. Sinclair was examined by Sergeant WBANGLIA3I on behalf of the St. Helen's Canal Railway Company. The room wac then cleared, and on re-admission The CHAIRMAN announced that the preamble of the Grand Junc tion (Huyton to Warrington) Railway was proved, and that the preamble of the St. Helen's Canal and Railway Company was proved only as far as Garston. The Committee then adjourned till three o'clock on Thursday next GROUP LIII. This Committee re-assembled at twelve o'clock • this morning, in Room 26. (new Houses of Parliament). Present, Hon. E. Lascelles (in the chair), the Earl of Arundel and Surrey, Mr. Hildyard, Capt. Dalrymple, and Mr. IL Clayton. SHILOPSIIME UNION lIND CANAL (C=ES- ann. TO WOMMMItHAMPTON.) The evidence in I his case was "resumed Mr. Thomas Baldwin, carrying agent to the Chester and Aylesbury Canal Company, being the first witness, he was called to show the superiority of a railway over a canal, in the carriage of passengers and traffic, and the desirableness of having a direct line of railway comm,i nicati n between Wolverhampton and Biikenheaci. Mr. James Boyclon, an extensive iron master, was next called, to show the great advantage that. would be conferred on the iron masters in the neighbourhood of Wolverhampton by the construction of this railway. Mr. Alexat , der Easton, resident engineer to the Birmingham and Liverpool Canal Company, was the next witness. He proved that that Company experienced great difficulties in procuring a proper supply of water, particularly in the summer months. Mr. Edward Cresewell, of the firm of Hayward, .Cresswell, and Sons, ironmasters, Dudley, was next called to show the benefit which the construction of this railway would confe: on the ironntasters of Dudley and the neighbourhood. The remainder of the day was occupied with the hearing of similar evidence, and the Committee adjourned at four o'clock till twelve on Thursday next. Gitour LIV. COVENTRY, NLYNE.O.TON, nipayixNGHAin AND LEICESTER. Tke Committee met at twelve preciselythis morning, and were oc cupied for some time in deciding on the order in which they should proceed with the numerous Bills comprised in their group. The Committee decided eventually to proceed with the Coventry, Nun eaton, Birmingham and Leicester Railway. The 11111 was opposed by the Leicester and Birmingham Company, and by the Birmingham and Leicester Direct Company. _ _ From the evidence It appeared that the length of the line from Coventry to Nuneaton was twenty-six miles, and from Leicester to to Birmingham about eighty-flyemiles._ The estimates were fully sufficient to carry out the works. There were no peculiar engineering difficu,ties to be contended against. Tht population was numerous in the vicinity of the line, and the general mineral and other produc tions would ensure a ready and remunerative traffic. The Committee were engaged all day with evidence of a general nature, and adjourned at four o'clock. GROUP LVI. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition.) LONDON AND DLACILIXTAIM. The next case gone into was that of the London and Blackwell , 1 Railway Company, who, according to Mr. Hill, their counsel, wished to widen their line from Stepney to the station near Fenchurch street, a distance of about a mile. The main line, it would seem, had cost 1,100,0001. ; but the returns had disappointed the promoters, although the public had reaped considerable advantage from it. It was calculated originally that two mill:ons and a half of passengers would pass over the line at much higher fares than were at present charged ; but the results had gone beyond that point, so far as the number of passengers was concerned, but not with respect to fares. The number of passengers which passed over the line last year was 30,182,000, and it was clear from this fact although the undertaking had not proved , so profitable to the pro moters as it was at first anticipated, it had been of incalculable be nefit and advantage to the public. Last year Parliament granted an extension from Stepney to Bow, where it formed a junction on the one hand with the Northern and Eastern Railway, and on the other with the Eastern Counties, the first line running to Norwich and Ysrmoitth, and the second to Colchester and Ipswieh ; and the pre sent Bill was for giving powers to widen the Blackwell Railway from Stepney to Fenchurch, with the view of accommodating, and bring the traffic of those two great railways up into the very heart of the City of London. The Bill was opposed by the Corporation of London, the East and West India Docks Coml..any, and the proprietors of different build 'in. a on the route. Mr. Tite, the architect, was the firpt witness called, also gave very positive evidence in favour of the Bill. He said the traffic on the Northern and Eastern, and Eastern Counties lines, amounted to a million of passengers, and he had no doubt most of them would make use of the proposed extension in the event of its being conceded by the Legislature. The traffic would also be considerably increased by a proposed extension to Epping, which the Eastern Counties Company were promoting in the present session. The value of the land and buildings to be taken by the proposed extension, he estimated at 179,000/. The witness was cross-examined by the various counsel, also appealed against the Bill, with the view of showing that the necessity for the line was not sufficient to justify the destruction of property itmould occasion. Mr. Joseph Lock, the engineer of the Rlackwall Company stated, n th o a w t i b t e rs re in th t e e Vo nde m d intouttineeitweitthheioeßoewmoEtixvteenesnlogiiinaesn.d he. now extension was to enable the Blackwell traffic, which was worked by • stationary power to remain uninterrupted as it was at present. The length of it would be about a mile and a half, and he estimated its cast at 229,3961. The gradients and engineering features of the line were exceedingly favourable. The Committee adjourned, at four till twelve o'clock on Thursday. STANDING ORDERS' COMMITTEES. HOUSE OF LORDS. This Committee met to-day at two o'clock, when the Standing Orders in the cases of the following railway projects were declared to have been complied with. EAST LINCOLNSHIRE RAILWAY. Agents, Messrs. Dyson and Co. MALT ON AND DRIF FIELD JUNCTION RAILWAY. Agents, Messrs. Williamson and Co. NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY. Agents, Messrs. Burke, Pritt and Co. NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY (lIAWICK BRANCHES). Agents, Messrs. Burke, Plitt and Co. EXETER AND EXMOUTH RAILWAY. Agents, Messrs. Dorrington and Co. The Committee then adjourned. 'HIE LONDON GAZETTE. (THIS EVENING.) At the Council Chamber, Whitehall, the 25th day of May, 1846, by the Lords of her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council.—lt is this day ordered by their Lordships, that his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury do prepere a Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving to Al mighty God for her Majesty's safe delivery of a Princess; and that such Form of Prayer and Thanksgiving be used in 01l churches and chapels in England and Wales, and In the town of Berwick upon-Tweed, upon Sunda;', the 31st day of May instant, or the Sun day after the respective ministers of such churches and chapels shall receive the same. And it is hereby further ordered, that her Ma jesty's printer do forthwith print a competent number of copies of the said Form.of Prayer and Thanksgiving, that the same may be forth with sent round and read in the several churches and chapels of England and Wales, and of the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed. WM. L. BATHURST. At the Council-chamber, Whitehall, the 25th day of May, 1846, by the Lords of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council—lt is every minister and preacher, t I h s well day el? called Scotland as those of the Ep i scopal Communion, protected of t ordered he bytheir Established c Lordships, hurch Thatin that part of Great Britain e and allowed by an Act, passed in the tenth year of her Majesty Queen Anne, chapter 7, intituled "An Act to pre vent the disturbing those of the Episcopal Communion in that part of Great. Britain called Scotland, in the exercise of their religious worship, . and in the use of the Liturgy of the Church of England; and for repealing the Act, passed in the Parliament of Scotland, intituled • An Act against irregular Baptisms and Mar riages,' do, at some time during the exercise of Divine Service in their churches, congregations, or assemblies, on Sunday, the 31st day of May instant, or on the Sunday after the ministers or preachers of such ell urehes, congregations, or assemblies, respec tively, shall be enabled so to do, put up prayers and thanks givings to Almighty God for Her Majesty's safe delivery of a Princess. WM. L. BATHURST. LORD CHAMBERLAIN' , I . OFFICE, MAY 18. Notice is hereby given, that Her Majesty's birth-day will be cele brated on Tuesday the 9th of June next. WHITEHALL, MAI 23, 1846. _ The Queen has been pleased to grant unto the Hon. and Rev. George Neville Gren ille, Master of Arts, the deanery of her Ma jesty's Chapel Royal in the Castle of Windsor, with the Registry of the Knights of the Most Noble Order of the Garter thereunto an nexed, the same being void by the death of the lion. Dr. Henry Lewis Hobart, late Dean thereof. FOREIGN-OFFICE, MAY 23. The Queen has been graciously pleased to app,?int Sir George Baillie Hamilton, K now Secretary to her Majesty's Legation at Berlin, to be her Majesty's Minister Plenipotentiary to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. The Queen has also been graciously pleased to appoint Henry Francis Howard, Esq., now Secretary to her Majesty's Legation at the Hague, to be Secretary to her Majesty's Legation at Berlin, The Queen Las also been graciously pleased to appoint the Hon. Henry George Howard, now First Paid Attache to her Majesty's Embassy at Paris, to be Secretary to her Majesty's Legation at the Hague. THE SUN, LOYDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 26, 1846 GROUP XXII. -- - - This Committee met this - morning at the usual hour. Sir George Grey in the chair. IPSWICH, NOUWICE, AND Ina.ra.mouTz. Evidence on traffic resumed. Mr. Capon, a farmer at Denuingten, corrobated the evidence already giTen ke to the tattle anticipated on this line. This witness was subjected to a long cross•examinatiOn by the opposing counsel, bat nothing material was elicited. Mr. 0. Colman, Sheriff of Norwich, gave evidence as to the advan tages which the line would confer by increasing the facilities of transit for corn. Mr. Wilde, Coroner of Norwich, and Mr. Prior, a maltster, gave evidence as to the great want of rrilway communication at present, and the necessity for constructing the proposed line for the accom modation of the wants of the district. GROUP =I. (Continued from our Afternoon Editlea.) Mr. H. Edwards, a general merchant at Woodbridge, detailed the quality of exports and imports at Woodbridge, which he considered would be greatly increased if the proposed line were constructed. Mr. W. Ruston, of Mark•lane, pointed out the increase which might be anticipated on the coasting trade by the proposed line. Mr. Thomas Crisp, farmer, near Orford, and other', reiterated the above evidence, and the Committee adjourned till twelve o'clock to morrow. GROUP XXVI. SOUTH ESSEX. The Committee, Mr. M. O'Connell in the chair, assembled at twelve o'clock, but having some point to discuss the room was cleared for the discussion ofsome point as to their private regulation, and on the re-admission of strangers; Mr. COcaBURN addressed the Committee on behalf of the South Essex Company, and went through' the several points afforded by the evidence which had been adduced, resting chiefly on the principal object, which the Company had stated, of affording rail way accommodation to the whole county of Essex. In the course of his observations the Learned Counsel contrasted tqe respective advantagos of the line which he advocated, and those of the North Gravesend line. The branch to Tilbury had this only advantage to recommend it—it is a branch of a main line, which can be worked at a small and comparatively insignificant expense ; and thus it might be made to pay, and, taken in a subsidiary point of view, it might be worth the while of the Company to workit. After alluding to the case of the town of Barking, where the North Graves end Railway crossed the place on the level, the Learned .2ounsel entered upon the general merits of the line of the South Essex Company, including the carriage of manure, flour, and tisk. objection had been made to the carriage of cattle and sheep, and the only subject • then for consi deration was 'the conveyance of coals. In looking at the general merits of the' line, the first consideration was the existence of the river Crouch, which; nearly at the mouth of the Thames, had a naturally formed harbour, accessible in al states of the tide, and yet perfectly secure in every state of the weather. This harbour mutt become the - receptacle for a great portion of that trade which now infected the river Thames, and blocked up the port of London. The consumption of London, is at the present time, 3,000,000 tons, and may possibly rise to the extent of 5.000,000. The Corn pany took credit for the landing and carriage of 250.000 tons. This I , would afford so small a relief to the river, that it was not unreason able to suppose that a much larger quantity would be carried by the railway than that which is at present estimated. This, in addition to the fact of the ability to reach Gravesend with equal facility to that which was offered by the opposing line, Taking all the circumstances into consideration, the South Essex line was the one the most worthy of consideration, and the only one which ought to be granted. Mr. Janos replied on behalf of the North Gravesend Company, when, The Cuatituart inquired whether this was the subject of sub scription contract ; to which the Counsel replied, that it was a project emanating from certain parties connected with the Eastern Couuties Company, although not the project of that Company itself. But this much he might say, that having got their North Woolwieh line, and their Thames Junction line, the Eastern Counties Com pany felt that being an established company they could afford Lreater accommodation to the public in 'an access to Gravesend. The grand difficulty of the opposing line was, that they had no ter minus whatever worthy of the slightest notice. If at Stepney, there were the docks to compete with j if at the Minories, they were in the midst of a neighbourhood which clearly was too well occupied already ; for in Fenchurch-street the depot was clearly quite inap plicable for coal, on which so much reliance was to be placed, and he would venture ro say that it wasequally unfitted for corn. Through out the whole case it was evident that the only saving upon coals was ninepence, and as the North Gravesend Com pany contenhed only .threepence. That colliers he insisted, would rever be discharged in any amount at at Crouch, and he believed that the granting of this line would amount to a parliamentary tax of don all the coal brought by means of this railway. Ile would venture to assert that, even if this line were r made, the greatest quantity of coal would be sent into the interior of the country from the depot of the Blackwell Railway, and it was in evideute that the residents of Rocheford are now getting their coals as- low as 20s. a ton. The case of the corn trade was equally plain. Then, as regards the passenger traffic of 374,0001., although the whole population of the county was only 340,000, so that it would be necessary to have every individual in the county, men, women and' children, to et eate this traffic, and even then it would be short of the amount. The line, in fact, did not pass through any place with more than 2,000 inhabitants, so that, through one means or other, a great part of the income would be done away with, and he did not believe that any Committee would sanction the carrying out of a line which was to extend the deficiencies of the Blackwell Railway. In fact, the only argument that could be used for widening the Blackwall Railway under the assumption of bring ing a large traffic upon it from extraneous sources. Now, the North Gravesend . Company had the right to take the population round their terminus just as much as the North Kent Company had the right to carry these who went from Southwark and other places, on the south side of the water. The South Essex scheme was one hot rife for Parliament, tha the assertions had not been made out, and that there was no definite terminus. With respect to the other line, it is one projected by an established company, whose experience enabled them better than other parties to judgedt the probabilities of success. The North Graves end line wou d cost only ab0ut250,0001., and its only opponent among the landholders was a gentleman of-the name of Thompson, but except ing him there was no opposition whatever on the- part of the local ressidents, and the 'Learned Counsel trusted that the Committee would give equal and fair chance of competition to both companies. The room was then c leared.. - On ti.e re admission of the parties, the CastamAN stated hat the Committee, after much patient investigation, had come to the con clusion that the preamble had not been proved in either of the cases. GROUP XXVIII The Committee re-assembled to-day at twelve o'clock, in Room 33 of the New Houses of Parliament. There were present Lord Dal meny (chairman) and the other members. LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM (ST. ALBANS AND LUTON BEAN cw. The evidence in support of this Bill was resumed. _ . __. Mr. John Walton examined—Lived at Flamstead, on the line. Their two nearest market towns were Luton and Hemel Hematead. The want of a railway communication with St. Albans was sensibly felt. ' This witness was cros-examined at great length, but nothing ma terial was elicited. Mr. William Elliot examined—Lived at Dunstable. There was considerable tragic in straw plait manufacture from Dunstable to London. By the railway proposed they would have accommoda tion two ways, while by the London and York line only one would be atlorded. Cross-examined by Mr. .Wsu.s, on the put of the petitioners against tha Bill.—ltedhourne had suffered very severely by the withdrawal of the traffic from that plate. He would be as well satisfied with a line that should he three miles longer to London, for he considered it would be equally beneficial to Dunstable. After hearing some further evidence, The Committee adjourned at four o'clock till Thursday. GROUP XXXI. SOUTH WALES.—(No. TX.) The Committee assembled this morning, at the usual hour, when, The CHAiastAze inquired what proposition the supporters of the Bill had to make to the Committee, a portion of their preamble had having been struck out. Mr. AUSTIN, for the promoters, said, that they proposed to carry the line from Chepstow to Bumspill, on the river Severn, and to a point of junction with the Forest of Dean Railway. This railway would fill up the lacuna caused by striking out part of the preamble, and enable the trunk line of the South Wales Company to be carried on without break or interruption. Again, if the preamble were so altered as to allow a junction of the South Wales Railway with the Monmouth and Hereford, a continued communication might be obtained with the city of Gloucester. The clauses of the Bill were then proceeded with and arranged, Several new clauses, having respect to the junction of the South Wales. Railway with existing lines, and for the regulation of the tolls were introduced Into the Bill, and the Committee adjourned. CIXOUP XXXII. The Committee met this morning at twelve, Mr. J. E. Denison in the chair. lITICHINGHADZSHIRE (TRXNG TO BANBURY). The preamble of the Bill for this project was declared proved yes terday, and the clauses were partly read and agreed to ; but the matter was re-opened by Mr. Cociumax, who appeared for the Great Western, and stated that It had come to his knowledge, and that of his clients, that what mainly influenced the Cosnmitee to pass the Bill—namely, the forming of a junction with the Oxford and Rugby line—could not be effected, owing to there being a difference of 25 feet in the levels of the two railways, Mr. STEPHENSON said that it was quite an easy matter to form a Junction between the two railways by a siding on the slope of the proposed line, and join the Oxford and Rugby line viithin the line of deviation. Mr. COCKBURN said he perfectly understood the question now. The promoters intended to make a line which was not laid down in the sections deposited, and therefore it could not be done. The CHAIRMAN said the question had arisen at the winding up of the Bill yesterday, and after the opposing parties had left the room the Committee thought that the opponents of the Bill had neglected the most important point ; but having done so, they had now nu locus slandi before the Committee, and the Committee must investi gate the question for themselves. Mr. Stephenson and Mr. Carter stated that it was not necessary to lay down sidings on the plans deposited, or to apply to Parliament for powers to make these tidings, as they did not ask for power to compel the Great Western to allow the junction. The same means had been used in forming a junction between the, London and Bir mingham and the G ran d J unc ti on , an d no application had been made to Parliament for powers. The Committee;afteiConsideration, said that their decision of yes terday would not be affected by the paint which had been raised, and' proceeded to read the rest of the clauses. Sir T. PHILLIPS applied to have five clauses admitted into the Bill as a security to the Oxford and Rugby line, and wished to be heard, on them. He stated that two of them had been serve,l on the solici tor for the Bill last night, and three this morning, but it had been re turned for answer that they would not read them. The CHAIRMAN thought the answer was very proper, inasmuch as they had neglected the main grounds of vpposition to the Bill when ample opportunity was furnished for securing their own interests, and ncw, after conshlerable delay had been caused, they made appli cation when the case was about being wound up. The Committee refused to hear counsel upon the clauses, but or dered them to be given in. Two of the clauses were admitted into the Bill and this closed the case. OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVER- HAMPTON. Mr. Cockburn, Q.C., 31r. Talbot, Q.C., and Mr. Whitmore, appeared fqr the promoters of the line, which is opposed by Mr. Selfe and air. t S r p i c o t o n o e p r p 0 , o s n i n s t h , e a n p d a r t b y o f t th e e s o i r h o e n i t m o r a s t t o e r s the a n L d 0 l n a d n o d n o w a n n e d rs m i r n m i the h d a i m s - Railway. fru 3 m lr. t T he .tx m n a o i T n o l p h e ie n , ed wh b i r e l h efl h y sa th he e e m n e s r an its ot o io f n t ed he h b y ra p ne a h rl es tam p e r n op t o l s a e s d t year. The objects of timßilwl,ashe four tulles m w i e l r e e s fourfold- t - h to fo tru rm nk a branch to Witney, which line; and the branch to Strafford on Avon; another to join the to take powers to purchase the Stratford-on-Avon Canal and the southward communication co Stokemm unica bran tionto ch neoafr last te year, g town of Droitwich a f i Droltsvlcsoh Canal.wStottdolurbrioodngfeerExgrteensatiobnenenton a The branch with a ranehto t p h o epuration of 6,0c0 town of Witney : in which were considerable wool and glove manufactories, where as many aa 1,200 tons of coals were consumed annually, and 1,000 tons more in domestic purposee, at a price of 30s to 335. a ten. That price would certainly be greatly reduced, and the price of timber from Gloucester, which came by a very circuitous route, would also be affected. The Stratford branch was nine miles long, running through the parish of Weston,in Gloucester, through Mickle ton up to the borough of Old Stratford, There existed, he said, at present a tramway from Stratford to Morton-in-the -Marsh, and in the contest of last year much stress was laid upon this tramway, which the Company, it was understood, would keep open and improve. But that tramway was circuitous and inconvenient for locomotive purposes. The present branch was therefore proposed, but yet the tramway would be kept open. The communication to Stratford at present was by the Avon and the canal to Birmingham. Coals were prin cipally brought from Staffordshire, between Kidderminster and Dudley, and there was great traffic in corn. There was consider able traffic with Esham, with Chipping-Camden, where there were silk mills, and with Chipping-Norton, where wool manufac tures were carried on. The Droitwich Branch was intended to open c sa omrnunication with the Stoke works. The Stratford branch, he had As . w hc a h a ul l 7 se a d nd n b g ee t n he P caster. But last year they had o boyn, another e t h t e x. a m Committee,Londone, tig tliandra: oneo.ln eftrhof ßirmingham ermominnais mwn C ep e e tmdo line,onp ; a l a n nt n y ; dA , w ornwdohewrno irassiaedsthyeeenxr g t ai l n i s n t e al h lo a w d I yo c p t s e pa d re t te h in a otn t sed P t ar o. t li s a k me a n w t a w y o t u h l d e hrs w ou e g re h c w al h l i ed oh 7 r d an e e ta m m a in re ed pr o o n vo th se e d. traffi e of the t sd r the i iea c et" o a f the line which had been already eurtaldiwstirttnuessts through Mr. Brunel, engineer for the line, stated that the length of the branch to Witney was 43 miles ; to Stratford, 8 miles, 6 furlongs ; and 0 Stoke, about 1 mile. There was no engineering difficulties on them, a different and the steepest gradient on them was one in 74, for a distance of 20 chains. The estimate for the Witney branch was 68,0001., for the Stratford, tford 114,0(101., and for the Stok e b ranch, 12,0001., but the g ross estimate was 220,0001. Ile stated that on th e main line th the broad and narrow gaug e f th ey we re laying down rom Abbotsford to W or cester and Wolverhampton, by order of the B oard of Trade. He w h a t gauge would be adopted on th e O xford to Ban did not know see any difficulty of communicatio n He did not bury line. broad to the narrow gaugeg• adjourned to Thursday next, at t we l ve. Th e Committee then .1 GROUP XLIV. PLZETV/02,0x0DDiNPGRETITNST:TNioN.AN D WEST (Continued from our Afternoon Zdition.) The Committee proceeded to read the clauses of this Bill, but Mr. ALEXANDER applied for leave to enter first upon the merits ef the Preston and Wyre Railway — of the Committee of Classification, had not been referred to this group till lately. The CDAMMAN refused to enter upon the consideration of this new project, which, in coniSrmity with the rules of the Louse, must be postponed to the sth of June next. Mr. ALEXANDER applied to have a clause introduced into the Bill then before the Committee, giving powers to the Freston and Wyre DOWNING-STREET, MAT 25. 'The Queen has been pleased to appoint George Karney, Esq., late a Lietitenant-Colonel in the Coaps of Royal Engineers, to be Lieu tenant-Gover of North Australia, and to administer the Government of that colony, under the style and title of Supet intendant thereof. Her Majesty has also been pleased to appoint J. S. Hampton, Esq., Surgeon in the Navy, to be Comptroller-General of Convicts for the island of Van Diemen,s Land. ADMIRALTY, MAY, 21. _ . _ Corps of Royal Marines—Second Lieutenant IL B. Leonard to be First Lieutenant, vice Philips, deceased. Commission by the Lord Lieutenant of the county of Wilts. Royal Wiltshire Regiment of Militia—W. Tucker, Esq., M.D., t• be surgeon, vice Manic, deceased, Mar-18. Oommisaions by the Lord Lieutenant of the East Riding of the county of York, and of the town and county of the town of Kingston-upon- Hull. East York Militia—J. J. Hopkinson, to be Captain, May 12 ; T. B. Locke, Esq., to be Captain, May 14 ; F. Uppleby, Esq., to be Captain, May 15 ; C. W. Clubley, Esq., to be Captain, May 16 ; C. N. Hopkinson, Gent., to be Lieutenant, May 18 ; J. T. Buckle, Gent., to be Lieutenant, May 20. Commissions by the Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Hnssar Regiment of Yorkshire (West Riding) Yeomanry Cavalry —The lion. H. T. Lascelles, to be Lieutenant ; J. D. Dent, Gent., to be Cornet, May 15. • Commissions by the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. Second Regiment of Royal Bucks Yeott anry Cavalry—Lieut. R. Rose to be Captain, vice Perkins, resigned, May 15 ; F. Northey, Gent., to be Cornet. April 27. EllitATA.--The following commissions, signed by the Lord Lieu tenant of the county of Peebles, should have been in the Berwick shire, Haddingtonshire, Linlithgowehire, and Peebleshire Regiment of Militia, and not in the Local Militia, as stated in former Ga zettes ;—J. W. Murray, Gent , to be Lieutenant, vice Pierce, de ceased, Feb. 11 ; J.- Salton, Gent., to be Ensign, vice Morrison, dc ceased, April 23. BY THE QUEEN.—A PROCLAMATION. VICTORIA, R. Whereas by our order in Council of this day's date, we were graciously pleased, for the reasons therein contained, to annul the royal proclamation of his late Majesty King William the Fourth, of the third day of February, one thousand eight hundred and thirty six, directing that distribution should be made of the net proceeds of prizes captured from the enemy, of captures and seizures under the several Acts passed relating to the revenues of customs, and to trade and navigation, for the abolition of the slave trade, and for the capture and destruction of piratical vessels, and of the rewards conferred for the some, according to the scheme therein set forth ; and it is expedient that provision should be made by us for the future distribution of such proceeds or rewards ; we do make known to all our loving subjects, and all others whoni it may concern, by this our Proclamation, by and with the advice and consent of our Privy Council, that our royal will and pleasure is, and we do hereby direct, that the distribution of such proceeds and rewards shall be Th t a a t in ft s ag of o t fil h c e er ti s c o e r t, officer,made iu the followin g ma n ner , z i z . o of s rdtt t hi e sce c for l o a s nialmen t , lanp aforesaid,nrdi o d oc se c t ah a e dve p ers - have m o o ne r sixteenth e made tu fro s eaartpsingcaptures,r y sf o t sm h e e i zp s er h i si p e s hs aec h e a d d i) reosensdee moneys n g , d r a e t r n h telsi,el his or enemy, and h and except in the cases herein-after submitted. That when two flag officers shall be serving together, the chief shall have two-thirds of the said one sixteenth, and the other officer shall have the remaining third part. That when there be more than two flag officers, the chief shall re ceive one half of the said one-sixteenth, and the remaining half shall be divided equally amongst the junior flag officers, com modores of the first class, and captains of the fleet. That no flag officer, or commodore, of the first class, or captain of the fleet, not actually prsent at the capture or destruction of any pi ratical vessel or privateers belonging to the enemy, shall be enti tled to share in the distribution of dny head money or bounty granted in respect of the crews of such piratical ships, vessels, or boats. That no flag officer 1 any remuneration or as aforesaid shall share n or reward c on f erred or awarded as salvage, unless he shall have been actually on board the ship or vessel to w hich the award shall be be made, or have Personally aided or assisted in the transaction at the time the service was rendered. That no flag °nl ee r --rare finding in the ports uf the United Kingdom shall share in the proceeds o f ' r i zes captured from the ene m y , nor in other captures or seizures as p a foresaid, made by ships or vessels whtch may mil from Duch ports by order of the Lord High Ad- miral, or the Commissioner for executing the office of Lord High Admiral, nor in the rewards, &c. conferred for the same. That when ships or vessels under the command of several flag officers which belong to separate stations shall happen to be joint captors, each flag officer, under whose whose orders eachship or ves sel maybe, shall receive a portion of the flag shape of one sixteenth of the net proceeds in proportion to the number of officers and men present under the command of each such flag-officer ; and the same regulations as to the apportionment of the flag share is to be ob served when ships or vesiels under orders from the Lord lligh-Ad miral, or the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord 'Ugh- Admiral, shall be joint captors with ships or vessels under a fl ,g or flags. And we do hereby further direct, that the following regulations be observed in respect to the distribution of the containing portion of the net proceeds of prizes, captures, seizures, and rewards before mentioned (after the deduction of the flag share of one-sixteenth), or of the whole amount of such net proceeds in the cases herein-before provided, where no flag-officer shall be entitled to share. First, that the officers and men composing the complements of our ships and vesse!s be distributed into thirteen classes, and that each officer and man and 'boy who shall have been actually on boord at the time of any such capture, seizi , re, Scc. as aforesaid, shall receiv, such number of portion of shares as are expressed to each class re spectively in the following table : First class—Commodores of the second class, captains, field officers of marines or land threes above the rank of major, when doing duty as tleld officers above the rank of major, one hundred shares. . Second class—. Commanders, medical inspectors of hospitals and fleets, field officers of marines or land forces of the rank of major, when doing duty as such, fifty shares. Third class—Secretaries to flag officers commanding in chief, deputy medical inspectors of hospitals and fleets, tsea Leutenants, tinasters, captaind of marines or of marine artillery, or of land forces, when doing duty as snob, whether having higher brevet rank or net, ten shai 03 each. Fourth class—Chapiains, secretaries to junior flag officers and com modores of the first class, surgeons, paymasters and pursers, naval hist rnctors, mat, s, lieutenants of marines, of marine artillery, or of land forces when doing duty as such, second masters, assistant .. surgeons, five shares each. Fifth Class—Gunners, boatswains, camerae; e, first engineers, clerks in cha,ge, clerks, (parsed), four and a half shares each. Sixth Class—Midthipmen, mastca's assistants, second and third class engineers, clerks, naval cadets, clerks assistant, three shares each. Seventh class - Ship's coo r, adinh al's coxswains, leading stoke rs, masters at arms, seaman's s,•h. , olmaster, sailrnaker,', ro einakers. gcntier's mates, boatswain's mates, carpenter's mates, eaulkerS, blacksmiths, sergeants of marines, sergeants of marine artillery, sergeants of land lorces when doing duty as such, two and a hall shares each. Eighth class—Ship's corporals, captain's coxswains, quarter-masters, captains of the forecastle, captains of the main top, captains of the fore top, captains of tis hold, coxswains of the launch, corporals of marines, and of land forces when doing duty as such, corporals and bombardiers of marine artillery, head krooinen, pilots, two shores each. Ninth class—Sailmaker's mates. coopers, armourers, cau:ker's mates, captains of the mast, captains of :the rfter-guard, captains of the mizcn top, yeoman of signals, coxswain of pinnace, second head kroemen, paymaster and purser's steward, one and a half shurvs each. _ _ . . Tenth class Able seamen, musicians, stokers and coal trimmers, carpenter's crew, sailmaker's crew, cooper's crew, painters, yeoluan of store rooms, flag officer's stewards, Slag officer's cooks, flag offs - ccr's domestics, captain's steward, captain's cook, subordinate officer's stcwai d, subordinate officer's cook, sick berth attendant, privates and fifers of marines and land forces when doing duty as such, gunners of marine artillery, ordinary seamen, one share each. Eleventh Cass—Paymaster and purser's steward's mates, cook's mates, barbers, lan , smen, kroomen, three-iourfhs of a share each. Twelfth class - Ileys of first class, halla share each. Thirteenth class—Boys of second class. three-eighths of a share each Seamen goon ., rs to share in all captures, rewards, &c., as afore said, in the class immediately above that of the class in which their rating is mentioned. . _ That in all cases in which supernumeraries, whether officers or men, shall be ordered to do duty on board any of our ships by the Lord High Admiral, or by our Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral, or by othe proper authority (the orders of the crptain or commander, if no senior be present, to be deemed sufficient authority), they shall share according to the class 01 the ranks or ratings which they hold in the service, if not ordered to do duty in a higher capacity. All persons borne on board our ships merely as passengers, whether officers or others, and who may be present and not decline to render general assistonce in any action that may occur in making any capture of seizure, shall be entitled to share in the eleventh class if above the age of twenty, and in the thirteenth if below that age. . . And that in the event of any difficulty arising in respect to the re. gulations hereby proposed, or any case should occur not herein pro- ylded for, or not sufficiently provided for, we are pleased to authorize the Lord high Admiral, or our Commissioners for executing the Office of Lord High Admiral for the time being, to issue such directions thereupon as may appear just and expedient ; and that such direc tions shall be considered final, and have the same force and effect as if specially provided for in our Itoyal:Proclamation. Provided always, that the distribution hereinbefore proposed to be made, or directed to be made, shall not be construed to affect any captures, Re , made within three calendar months from the day of our Royal Proclrmation, nor any captures, seizures, Re. which shall be made after that day, and which shall be con demned or adjudged in any of our Courts of Vice-Admiralty, or any Court of Mfxed Commission, before notice of our Royal Proclamation snail have been received by the Vice Admiralty Court, or Court of Mixed Commission, in which such condemna tion or adjudication shall pass ; and we do hereby further direct, that the proceeds of all such captures, seizures, &c. made within three months from the day of the date of this our Roya . . Proclamation, or which shall be male atter the date of this oar Royal Proclamation, and which shall be condemned or ad judged in any of our Courts of Vice Admiralty, or any Court of Mixed Commission, antecedent to the notice of thb our Royal Proclamation havin; been received in such Courts. together with all rewards aforesaid, shall co ,, tinue to be distri buted in the proportions and manner directed in and by his said late Majesty's said Royal Proclamation, dated the third day 01 February. one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six. Given at our Court, at Buckingham Palace, this r:neteeritb day of May, In the year of our Lord, One thous and eight hun dred and torty-six, and in the ninth year of our reign. GOD save the QUEEN. But when a commander is not in company with a captain he is to receive seventy-five shares. t But licutenonts or masters in commend of vessels of war, and masters of the fleet, are to receive twenty shares each, instead of ten. • BANKRUPTS. George Gordon Cunlngham, teabroaker, America-square, Minories Joel Rudman, oilman, Bath. John Douglas Herrick, g , ocer, Colchester. Edward Harwood Brace and James Allen, warehousemen, Mitre. court, Milkstreet, Cheapside. Robert Nelson, hotel keeper, Great Portland-street. Jonathon Clarkson, grocer, King's-road, Chelsea. William Cooper, hardwareman, ilury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. Joseph Goldthorp, grocer, Manchester. John Tempest and William 'tempest, share brokers, Leeds. Thomas Bointon, money scrivenor, Pickering, Yorkshire. Richard Carlile Capleton, tea dealer, Cheltenham. William Watts, carpenter, Cheltenham. William Danson, builder, Birkenhead. Stephen Hey, cotton manufacturer, Colne, Lancashire. James Wilkinson, grocer, Manchester. William Mallett, milliner, Manchester. Joseph Avery, dealer in plate and jewellery, Manchester-streel Blanchester-square. John Bruton, tailor, Upper-street, Islington. Joseph Davis, dentist, Pall-mall. Arthur Burton, coal merchant, Pimlic o. IMPERIAL PARLIA3IENT, (THIS EVENING.) HOUSE OF LORDS Their Lordships met at ten minutes to Five o'clock. CORN-LAWS. Several Peers presented a great number of petitions for and against the repeal of the corn-laws. The Duke of RICHMOND said he had a petition to present to their Lordships on this subject, on which he wished to make a few observations, although he did not intend to make another speech upon the corn-laws. 'I he petition was signed by 1,390 of the tenant-farmers, who had assembled inWillis's Rooms, a few days ago, and who had come to London, from the different counties of England, for the purpose of showing that those who had reported them to have changed their opinions with respect to the corn-laws had stated what was untrue. It appeared to him that the tenantry of this country had not been fairly dealt with by the advocates of free trade. Their Lordship? table had been crowded, night after night, by petitions from the tenant-farmers of England, all of which were in favour of the present system of protection, and yet they had been repre sented to have changed their opinions on the corn-law queston. His Grace then read the petition. The Duke of RUTLAND presented a petition from the occupiers of land in the county of Kent in favour of the repeal of the corn-laws. Earl FITZ WILLIAM presented a petitition to a similar effect. NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY. A NOBLE LORD presented a petition in favour of this undertaking. Lord BEAUMONT presented two petitions, signed by 460 and 354 of the tenant farmers in Essex, against the Corn Bill now pending before their Lordships. Lord ASHBURTON presented a petition, with 900 signa tures attach-d, the prayer of which was to a similar effect. CORN LAWS.—ADJOURNED DEBATE. The order of the day for the adjourned debate being read, The Earl of WILTON rose and said that he would occupy their Lordships' attention only for a short period, and as the observations which he thought it his duty to make were of a general nature, he felt that he should have little difficulty in keeping his promise. But upon an occasion like the present, when interests of such magnitude were in volved—interests • involving, in the opinion of many. wise, cool, judging, and dispassionate minds, no less considera tions than those of a social revoution—he thought it would best become a humble individual like himself to come forward honestly and frankly to state the course he was about to pursue —(Hear, hear)—and the reasons upon which he grounded the vote he intended to give on the present occasion. He had many years supported those principles which had influenced the counsels of her Majesty's present advisers, and their Lordships would believe that it was with feelings of no common regret that be found himself in the honest discharge of his public duties compelled to oppose the present measure, and it was with feelings of regret that he found himself opposed to the present - Government. How much more painful, how much more poignant must be his feel ings when be found himselt opposed for the first time, and he sincerely hoped the last time in his life, to vote against the Noble and Illustrious Duke. By his counself and opi nions, he was not ashamed to say that he had been actuated during the whole of his life Their Lordships would give him full credit for the assurance that it was with the deepest anxiety that he came to a considera- Con. He did not intend to go into a detail of the measure ; he would not trouble their Lordships with a long detail of facts and figures. They had been so fully stated by his Noble friend on his eloquent and statesman- like speech, but any. thing he could say would but weaken the effect which it had produced on their Lordships' House, and he would confine himself to the two grounds which had been urged in favour of the measure. One of them was the operation of the tariff of 1842, and even if beneficial effects attended that measure he contended that there should be a limit put to relaxation when it was in favour of free trade. Under the operation of the law of 1842 they had seen com merce, trade, manufactures, and agriculture flourish in the country. There had been a vast application of capital to agricultural purposes ; but, more than all this, they had seen a more kindly feeling spring up between the hitherto antagonistic classes of society.—( Hear, hear.) Under the operation of that Bill the country had arrived at a degree of prosperity unexampled. Why, then, quarrel with this state of things, saying aside the great ex perience they had had, and breaking up a great and powerful party ? No satisfactory reason had been given for this pro posed departure from the principle of the Bill of 1812. But the only reason he could conceive for proposing it was the destitution and scarcity that prevailed in Ireland. They were told by her Majesty's Government that there was a great scarcity, and that the month of May would phew the real state of things; but May had arrived, and where was the evi dence promised ;—echo answered where—certain he was that no sufficient reason had been given why they should seek to change the commercial system of the c ountry. tio He could not bring himself to believe that under t i h n e t ogra sain n e of this Bill the price of wheat would be lo s wered Now if that were proportion as the wages of the labour r e o r the case—if the means of purchasing the the emeasurepart of those who would be principally their Lordships to affectedvis p rovisions o were (decreased —he would implore ed further with it. pause before they He was unwilling to tres pass to o t h the er manner Hoose . ro p ee on their Lordships' time on so trite a subject ; but he must b a u e rr a ie ll d ow th ed ro t u o g r h ef t e h r e in which the measure wasc It was carried through th e House of Commons by a compact entered into between those parties who entertained the most extreme and dangerous opinions; by the Whigs, who had ch ange d from a fixed duty to no duty at all ; and that third p arty, who had made a change even more start l . ing.—(Hea r , h ear.) He wished to address a few words to those Noble Lords who had, like himself, supported the present Government for many years, but who now, not like himself, proposed to continue that support. If they were satisfied this measure was right and just— if they considered favourable results would follow the pa.sint., fix's ;14. , 4,urc. —llthy) i i,,ird L' • were not giving a stimulus to an agitation for lowering the position of the aristocracy, then by all means let them vote for it. But if they considered with him that he was • right in the view he had taken, then let them, without fear of clamour from without, and w ith ou t f ear o f t h e imputation of being actuated by selfish motives, vote against the second reading of this Bill, and make use of that le g itimate power which the Constitution had invested in th em for the preservation of the monarchy. He had now made the few observations he felt it to be his duty to address to their Lord ships on this important occasion, and it now only remained for him to thank the Iloute for the indulgence they had shown hiro.—( Hear, hear ) The Duke of CAMBRIDGE felt it to de a duty to himself and to his own character to state in a few words the views he entertained, and the line of conduct he felt it to be his duty to take upon this very important occasion. —( Hear, hear.) He believed he was the oldest Member in that House having occupied his sett for forty-five years ; but he had never voted in opposition to the present Government, for where he could not conscientiously vote for them, he had always abstained from voting at all. ( dear, hear.) He was too old to change his sentiments—(Protec tionists cheers)—and now having stated what were his convictiens, they would easily see that he did not intend to vote upon this tiestion.—( Hear, hear.) He had stated it frankly and painfully what were his opinions. He could not vote upon this question, because he felt. that his character was at stake.—(Loud cheers and laughter.) If he did not state frankly what he felt, he should be surpo,ed to be lukewarm as to this question, which he considered to be the most impor tant that had ever been brought before the country since he had the honour of a seat in that House. —( Ilear, hear.) He went to the House of Commons to ascertain the opin:ons of the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of her Majesty's Guvernine nt HOUSE "F CO Ni MONS. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. MORA YSIIIRE RAILWAY. The report on this Bill ixa, brought up and agreed to, and :he Ilia ordered to he engrossed. GREAT NORTH ' OF SCOTLAND RAILWAY. . The reivrt on this Bill including the Eastern Extension. was brought up and agreed to, and the Bill ordered to be engro,sed. EDINBURGH AND NORTHERN RAILWAY. The report on this Bill (Branches from the Dundee and Arbroath Railway and Tay Ferry Improvement) was brought up, and the Bill ordered to be cni,7rosseil. NORTH KENT RAILWAY. Mr. RICE, on the further consideration of the report of the South Eastern Railway (Greenwich Railway to' Chilhain, near Canterbury with branches, No. 2,) Bill, moved that the Bill, together with the North Kent Railway Bill, be re-com mitted to the Lull Committee as ori:sinally constructed. The North Kent Railway had been condemned before its merits had been thoroughly investigated by the Committee ; and the South Eastern Company, which was the only company that could properly carry out the line, would be perfectly justified, under the present circumstances, in studying their own in terests in preference to the convenience of the public, by not carrying out the contemplated extension of their line. Mr. PROT H E ROE defended the decision of the Committee, of which he was chairman, on the North Kent Railway. As chairman, he had felt it his painful duty to give a casting vote against the further progress of the Bill, as it contemplated the construction of a railway through part of Greenwich Park. Upm this instance, as upon many others, he found the benefit of the reports of the Board of Trade ; and the Committee considered that the South-Eastern line was far preferable to the North Kent. The Committee had been sitting from the middle of illarch to the middle of May, and they had given the whole scheme their utmost attention ; and he deprecated the investigation of such fuljws in the House, as it would ;end very much to weaken the authority of the Committee. Mr. BAILLIE supported the motion. The Committee had passed a Bill which gave power to the Admiralty to stop the progress of the railway at whatever point they chose. He did not know what the shareholders would say to such a Bill. Sir ROBERT INGLIS said he was aware of the inconve nience which would arise from a scrutiny of the decisicns of Committees, but unless: it could be proved that Committees were immaculate, he considered that the House was the last tribunal of appeal. He believed that a disturbance sufficient to destroy the accuracy of an astronomical observation would be produced by the passing of railway trains. He thought the Bill, if recommitted, should be referred to another Committee. He grounded his objections against the Bill, not because it did not afford a direct communication to the coast, but the in jury it would cause to science in passing so close to the Obser vatory. Sir: JOHN RAE REID presented a petition from Dover, signed by the mayor and burgesses, in favour of the line. After a short discussion, the further consideration of the subject was deferred fur a fortnight.___ NORTH KENT. Mr. REID presented a petition from Dover, in favour 01 this railway. _ _ _ Several - Reports of Railway Committees were brought up. (LEFT SITTING.) IMPERJ AL r liL LA VIENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, May 25. CORN lIIPORTATION BILL. The Earl of RIPON en continuation from our Third Edition)—l believe that you will find in the publications of he time of sir Robert Walpcee, pamphlets which describe the agricultural interest as totally ruined. The landlord is de scribed as incapable of obtaining his rents, and the tenant as incapable of obtaining a due profit on his capital, and ruin was pourtrayed in its most gloomy character. The result, how ever, was that no such ruin ensued, and the agriculture of the country went on increasing in extent, and meeting more and more the wants of the country. The first system to which I ,hall direct the attention of your Lordships does not go se far back as the one that I have before spoken of. I allude to the corn-law of 1791. That law was very re strictive in its nature, and so were those which followed after wards, of a similarly restrictive tendency. The import du-y was very high, and the duty on corn—at certain prices 50s.— was very high • but they imposed when it got to 54 5 ., a com paratively small duty, and when it got to 565. the duty fell to tis. That system went on for two or three years, but was at length objected to, as being more restrictive than was auvis able, but it went on until it was totahy overturned by the serious rise of prices. It was very well known in 1795, 1796, and during the subsequent years, that during the greater part of that century the prices were so enormously high that the protective portion of the duty had no operation at all as the prices admitted only of the duty of 6s. being paid. Now, during the season th,tt followed, the pressure tor food was so severe that Parliament, in order to induce par ies bring additional supplies from foreign countries, gave bounties, amounting from one million and a half to two mil lions of money. This was done that sufficient supplies of corn might be brought from various parts of the world. The oppression, however, continued so tremendous, that at last, at the termination of the war, in 1804, it was found that the Act of 1791, which at the time was thought to be a perfect specimen of protective legislation, was of no value at all, as in 181)3. That Act permitted corn to be introduced without being sub ject to the duty, on accouse of the high rate of prices that ranged. It was, therefore, found that the Act of 1791 was not sufficiently stringent, and a new Act was introduces, fixing a high rate of duty until the price of wheat realised 635. when it was reduced to a small amount. It had to reach the high price of 635. per quarter before the high duty was reduced. This proposition was not brought forward by the Government, but it was supported by them, and it was submitted as a mea sure necessary for the increase and extension of agriculture, and to facilitate the production of supplies of food. But this Act, during a great part of its time was imperative, on account of the limited supplies in the years succeeding its enactment, and the consequent high prices that existed. The pressure on the poorer classes during this period was very great. At last, at the termination of the war, it was found that the Act of 1804, which was more stringent than the Act of 1791, was net sufficiently so to protect the landed in terest, and accordingly another scheme was devised—the schemes of 1791, and the extended scheme of 1804 having been found worth nothing, instead of the previous law, a new scheme was devised and adopted in 1815—a scheme which was not, certainly, popular at the time nor afterwards. Respecting the events that transpired a short time after the law of 1815 came into operation, I need not trouble your Lordships be yond this. But I recollect that that was a subject of much complaint ; and this complaint, my Lords, did not proceed from those who originally objetted to it, but proceeded entirely from those who had before been so anxious to pass it. In the year 1820 it was held to be utterly inefficient for the pur poses for which it had been passed. It was not a good law for its intended purpose, I admit, but the first persons who com plained of it were tee very persons who had in the first place been so very anxious for its passing. Accord ingly a question waa brought forward, in 1820, in the House of Commons, for the purpose of rendering this law, which your Lordshipi will allow was stringent enough, still more stringent. I Opposed it in that House. I opposed in 1820 a motion for the formation of a Committee to consider this question. I was beaten, and the Committee was carried; but afterwards their labours were restricted to the consideration of minor points. But in a year or two after that Committee was appointed the subject was thoroughly investigated. The Com mittee could not agree upon their report, and Mr. Huskisson was requested to draw up a report which in his view would embody the points of the evidence. A report was drawn up by Mr. Huskiseon—a very elaborate report it was—containing a considerable amount of information and of good reasoning. That report became the foundation of every alteration in the law of 1815 ; its object being by degrees to relax that law in favour of the admission of foreign corn at an earlier period than under the original provisions it could have been ad mitted. A law was in consequence brought in in 1822, which was very much objected to by persons connected with the agricultural interest . ; but the fact was, it had never come into operation, because it depended entirely on the principle of corn reaching a certain price, which price it had never reached. But its inconvenience was held to lie so exceedingly great, that it became necessary to call upon Parliament to interfere by an Act suspending its ope ration. Now, I cannot say much for principles which require to be relaxed in a moment of real pressure. I cannot say much for the principle of suspension. Iu 1827 another altera tion was made, for in 1826 and the previous years it was neces sary, once by an Act of Parliament, and once by the Execu tive Government, to suspend the law. The new plan was devised for the purpose of abolishing all the difficulties expe rienced in the antecedent periods, and so as to arrange the na ture of protection that the law should be allowed to execute itself, by having the power of meeting every case, and so cor recting the former evils. That was the law which was finally passed in 1828. It was introduced into Parliament by Mr. Cannin g in 1827. It came into the H ouse o f L or d s in the course of that same summer, but in consequence of certain alterations effected in it, it did not pass that year into . a law. There were, however, many circumstances in the details and practical working of that law which were object t s of weight, the and objection. These were objections of t: scale that was established. the duly, and the sort of jumping N ow , my Lords, I have principal of which was the sudden fluctuationg i e :the amount of Finally the law was changed in thelB44. purpose of showing that if and so interwoven with ment ioned this system grea m tly . essential,itce-tainly has been the least ever been invented for the purpose of stable system that I o h n a e s b on een most so a perm a nentasseeinsgtate of things. Therefore it is that all the interests btheeosne of f cthh t h h aan e t gises °r country, that, notwithstanding all these i of c of apital t c a o l u t n o t t r b y e h l a a s n d g Lords, moreover, that notvvithstandin all extensively increased—seeing that gcirg on at this very mo. ne conferar p i f n r e o te ayt im perfections, t yt h hL e eors application agriculture s nent—seeing , my the feelings which have been excited in the country—nott,fi h standing all the apprehensions which have been proclaimed in Parliament and elsewhere—seeing that that is still going on, and that there is no particular symptom of a decline of agri cultare—no symptom that I know of, at least, and I know contrary—no o t s b y a m t Pltocrnannooftlabnrd bingeminygsetlhfrotownthionukt of m a c n u y l ttio h v a t ti oen that the system at present in existence • is essential for the effec tual and perf ec t cu l t i vation of the soil of this country. Th en , my Lords, if we l oo k at this matter as bearing a character for permanence, the question becomes narrowed to one of time. As t.) time, we • • may very reasonably differ. But th e principle is gone.—(lronical cheers.) And anylt to I do not thi n k th at i t i s a reproach to man say that in his opinion the ti me f or a b o l ition is come. is as a question of time that we are bound to consider it. Now, my Lords, there are, however, some circumstances that have a particular bearing upon the question of time. First of all, my Lords, I will allude to that which I consider to be the most important argument at the bottom of this question, namely, the great, the rapid. 01 , 3 tincontroilPd, and 01.^, unecaitroilabl3 in the population of this country. That, my Lords, is a se rious matter. It is perfectly well known that the tendency in the increase of population it to decrease the means of subsistence. That, my Lords, I believe to be a maxim which no one will deny, for it has been established by the soundest reasoning te• be an indisputable fact that the increase of the population of; this country is not upon a geometrical or arithmetical ratio• with the increase in the produce of the land. Nothing can be more clear than this, and the population has so increased as to. render it impossible for the land of this country to meet the demand fur food. The increase in the population is admitte& to be from three to four hundred thousand a year, and the ratio , of that inereae, I may say, increases every year.—(HeaT.) Although the application of capital to land—although the in creased skill of the farmer—skill which he applies admirably— although these things have tended greatly to increase the quantity of corn produced in this country, so far as to meet in; a certain degree the increase in the population, it is a remark able circumstance, that during the last few years, although prices have not been,high there has been a regular importation . for consumption of a great amount of foreign corn. Now I want to know, if that corn was not wanted, how came it to be sold ? Flow came people to go on year after year importing large quanties of corn, if they did not think there was a. chance i the market for brieging it into consumption? The consumption then, year tiler year, of this corn clearly proves that the population has outstepped the means of production so this country.--( Hear, hear.) Wtll, there is another circum stance applied to this question, upon which considerable dif ference depletion exists—it is the circumstances in which Ire land hrs be. n placed ; but I for one do not wish to lay particu lar stress upon the distress in Ireland. The Duke of RICHMOND —Then you throw everything over ? The Earl of RIPON—No. My arguments may be wrong, but you will observe, my Lords, that I do not rest the ques tion upon one state of things, or upon one argument alone. It is sufficient if I show, wi'hout pledging myself to support all the opinions of Sir Robert Peel, that the distress in Ireland is not the particular thing on: which I lay the greatest stress, but at the same time, I do think it has a very great bearing on this question, aid a very serious one too. My Lords, the de ficiency of food in Ireland is not exactly the same thing as the , deficiency of food in this country ; as a deficiency of that par tienlar food, on which so great a mass of the Irish people live, must involve indescribable misery and wretchedness, a wretched ness and misery which would not apply here. Why is this? In Ireland those who suffer by the failure of that crap—l may say ninety-nice out of every hundred of those who live upon it— are persons who have not the resources and the good wages which the labouring classes here enjoy. The wages in Ireland are comparatively low, and there are hundreds of thousands who. do not depend upon the wages of their labour for their sup port, but on that which they may obtain from the small portion of land they cultivate ; and that is one of the reasons why there is so gr ea t a d eman d f or l an d, an d w h y so man y evils arise in a season of scarcity, because those who depend almost solely tor a subsistence are the poorer chaser. The evils that flow from this system are enormous, for they have nothing to fall bark upon but charity—for they are charitable to one an other, so long as they have the means of doing so. But when large mass( a of the population, living in the same way, and sup porting each other by the same means, are overtaken by s. season of scarcity, they virtually have no means of subsistence. It is stated that there is no famine in Ireland, as there is no de ficiency of oats and beef; and that thousands of tons of quarters of corn are coming to this country, while the people of Ireland are stated to be starving. But why do they send them to this country ? Because there is a market here where they can sell them, for they have neither employment nor money te pur chase them for their own use.—(Cheers.) If they have no money nor employment which will furnish them with food, when purchasers cannot be obtained for it in their own mar kets, it cannot fail lo come to this country, though under better auspices it would remain in their own. But that does not make their wretchedness less. I say the existence of such a state of things in Ireland raises the question, whether it would be fit for the Government to exercise the power which they might have exercised to violate the prin ciple of the law, and to have sanctioned the importation of foreign corn to feed the people. Such a course should not be adopted unless it could be justified to the mind of every reason able man. My Lords, when this subject was discussed about opening the ports for a limited time to meet this particular distress, those who are opposed to the repeal of the corn-laws said—" We are not disposed to object to that." But, my' Lords, I wonder that those who are prepared to take that course would agree to that suspension of the operation of the corn-laws, for the principle of the existing corn-law is that it will meet all cases, because the duty would fall in proportion as the prices rise. And if we had acted exactly in that way, there is no doubt what would have been the consequences that would have followed. But when you agree to suspend the operation of the corn-law you condemn its principle, because you could not b u t a d m i t th a t it wou ld b e i mposs ibl e or you to revert to the o:d system, which was proved to be incapable of maintaining itself. Now, my Lords, I contend that the only ground upon which this measure for the removal of the restric tions upon the importation of foreign corn can be opposed is that of the risk of throwing land out of cultivation.—(Hear, hear, and a cry of " That is only one of them.") Now that, says a Noble Friend near me, is only one of the arguments. No doubt in his view, and those who concur with him, it is only one of the general objections which exist against any alteration whatever, but in my view it is the only one—( Hear, hear) — the only one which I have ever relied upon, and, therefore, the only question which appears to me to be of any importance is this argument. Now, I cannot—l never have been able—to ascertain upon what grounds it rests, and to what extent it is likely to go—what species of land is likely to be thrown out of cultivation. I never have been able to ascertain this yet, but I know that it has been stated that very large tracts of country would cease to be cultivated ; and that has been illustrated by reference to particular districts. Now, of one particular district that has been alluded to as likely to fall back into its original bat renness, and capacity of producing nothing but rabbits, I wish to say a few words. Now that part is as much indebted as any portion of the United King dom to the spirit and energy of the tenants, and there can be no doubt that it is a most pleasing spectacle to any person who traverses that country to see what a difference there now is in that district. There is an account of it written by the Ron. Member for Berkshire, in the Royal Agricultural Journal, in which he describes very beautifully what it theta was and what it is now ; and points it out as reflecting honour equaliy on those to whom the land belongs and those who rent it. But it is not stated by the Hon. Member that, in his opinion, this land will be thrown out of cultivation by repealing the present corn-laws. It has been referred to as a proof to what extent cultivation has been carried on • but an inference may be sought to be drawn that, if the corn-laws are repealed, this land will relapse into its original sterility. Ido not think any result of the kind w:11 take place. All the land that I possess in that county was either upon a mere heath or a. fen. It has generally been let to small farmers, it is much to the advantage of those who may have the good fortune to possess any portion of this estate that this land has been so effectually cleansed and cultivated. I know the persons who rented the soil in the years 1809, 1810, 1811, and 1812, when thin great change took place, applied their capital liberally towards the cultivation of these lands, and it has gone on with the same spirit until it has now become one of the most beautifully farmed districts in the whole county. I certainly have heard nothing of any apprehension on the part of the occupants in that part of the country, that this law is to deprive them of the means of making a fair return on the capi tal invested by them. I have heard no complaints of that kind. I have heard of no desire on their part to give up farms on this account; but so far from that it does happen, that a certain portion of the estate which belongs to me had during the last six months become vacant, and in the midst of all these discussions, in the midst of all these alarms, and all the difficulties which are said necessarily to follow on the carrying out of these measures proposed by Government, it has been my lot to be able to let a considerable portion of that land, not at a reduced rent, but positively at a considerably increased rent. What stronger proof can there be that these parties do not an ticipate these alarming results from the passingof these measures. I do not see any proof that this apprehension is well founded. The people must be fed ; and it did not follow because foreign nations sent in their corn, that there would not be an increased spirit and energy in the production of it in this country, when the demand for it must he so extensive. 1 do not know whether it is necessary for me to enter into any details respecting this measure. It is perfectly well known to you what its provisions are; and there is. I believe, only one part of it upon which any division of opinion exists, and that it is whether the deter mination be immediate or not. The law as it at present stands rives a modified protection. Indeed, I do not know whether I should be apprehensive if it should pass immediately. Yet, at the same time. I think it is wise that it should be as it is; and whether or no, the advantage which should be gained by its immediate operation, would not be sufficient to counter balance those which will accrue by its continuance for the spe cified time. And now my Lord, I feel—painfully feel—the imperfect manner in which I have attempted to argue this question. I cannot suppose for an instant that any of the observations which I may have made to you would produce anything like a conviction that it was wise to adopt this mea sure, or produce a change in those opinions which, after full consideration, you entertain. But I will say this, that 1 do not, nor can I admit, that I ought to feel any shame for having taken on myself to support and introduce this measure to your Lord. ships ; and though I know it is inconsistent with what 1 have formerly done, and it may be said it is inconsistent with opinions which I have formerly uttered, I take no shame to myself, because the only shame that can be felt for a change of opinion is when it proceeds from a bad motive. I can only say that I am not conscious of being influenced by any bad motive in making these statements. I de so from a solemn conviction founded on much and deep reflection—reflection stimulated by the necessity of taking into consideration the solemn convic tion that I am not proposing to your Lordships to adopt any measure calculated to injure any of the interests of this country, but a measure calculated to do good to them all. I may have in the forfeited the good opinion of many who have thought well of me. I may be supposed to have abandoned unnecessarily a an ri d se cause I have always supported, and which many friends of mine have honoured me by saying that I supported well. because my conscientious conviction went ed this Bill When I supported it, I did it because I t o l l7, o i u .t g hh h ii t ct4 it l r e i a t c h dt t e , wd z d n ei i might stand fair I came to the conclusion that the reas m ons d not now exist, at least I hoped that I recommended interested. as one in eyes of your Lordships when I the welfare of which you are all era Lords, I • time . day six to move this months, D Br s i a ti la sh , amgyricultursas I that this Bill be read a s econd ' • ce that a measure whichis more liely to feel in my conscience The Duke of RICHMOND therefore - effect the total overthrow which will be a measure, the effect ofmost dangerous to the ever be L greatness, as n en proposed before in your ' House.— Hear, hear Lordship? ( ) Nly Lords, I think that we have just cause of complaint against my Noble Friend, who has just sat down—that he has not told your Lordship what in his opinion the average price of corn will be—( Hear, hear)—if this measure shall ever come, unfortunately, to pass into a law. ltly Lords, rash and blameabl e as 1 think 111 inisters are, I cann o t t hi n k , or believe them to have been so effect they reckless as not to have f ormed some estimate as to the possible of their ow n p roposal. If have P done so, I ask them why do they withhold from this House that information se necessary for th e b etter deliberation and consideration of this question ? It is most difficult for me to account in any way for the cond uc t an d proceedings of her Majesty's Ministers since last session of Parliament, and more particularly in the me morable month of November last. The only surmise I can make is, that the calculations on this measure were not sub mitted to the Cabinet until it was pledged by her Majesty's speech from the throne. The Noble Lord has not laid on the table of the House a calculation, the effect this measure will produce in the price of wheat, and it is the first time that a Minister of the Crown has proposed such a great ,. change without making such a calculation as that , I have referred to.—( Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord to the course of his address has not made the slightes t reference to this point. lie has gone back as far as the a lter . a•• • tion in the law of 1821, but he said not a single word as to the measure of 1842—(Hear, hear, and cheers)—yet that is the Bill which the Government now propose to change.—( Hear, hear.) They do not propose to alter the law of 1021, but to repeal the Act of 1842 ; yet, respecting that Act, the Noble Lord has not spoken a single syllable.—( Hear, hear.) But a former occasion—and I do not mean to make a personal at tack— he expressed himself in a different manner to what he has u se a done to night. I hope the Noble Lord will excuse me if I n ex. speech of his couched in language much better than a I c N o ble press. I recollect the first speech, in 1815, made by th e Lord when a Member of the House of Commons in s u pp ort °f • the met the measure then proposed. He said, in proposing affairs of sure, that, looking at the principles upan which the erg __ the country had been conducted, they were not then to e! for the first time whether restriction or not should prevail, 3, r r. of r,:,1. ,,,, , r.3. , ;e in cunt, 1,u',.. i..il toe oilier great bratleh.e : this trade had been conducted from time immemorial on thi s re strictive system.—( Cries of " Hear, hear.") That, t grit time I they were not discussin g . first principles, or for the . t. ., swung whotbar rootrictms4 should or 4191114 110 t flint 0 W". 4