The Sun. — London, England, 1852-03-19 00:00:00

fourtt ambition SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock. FP AN CE. It is stated by the friends and political supporters of General Cavaignac and M. Carnot, that neither of these newly-elected deputies will present himself to take the oaths prescribed, or will appear in the Legis lative Chamber at all. If the intention be persevered in, as is very probable, two new elections will have to take place again for Paris ; and it seems to be the determination of constituents to elect them as often as there occurs a vacancy. As this cannot go on for ever, it is anticipated that a measure will be proposed to the Assembly disqualifying persons who, having submitted to be elected, or, at all events, given a silent assent, refuse complying with the con ditions required, and that all votes given to such dis qualified candidates will not be taken into account. It is announced that the Government candidates at Brest, Mayenne, Dinan, and Arras, have been elected deputies to the Corps Legislatif. At Lille, M. Le grand, the Democratic candidate, has polled 13,508 votes, to 11,779 given to M. Richebe, the Government candidate. _ _ _ Three hundred political prisoners, condemned to transportation by the military commissions, were dispatched from Paris last night by a special train for Havre, whence they are to be shipped for Algeria. Rigal, President of the Fourth Chamber of the Court of Appeal of Paris, has addressed a letter to the First President, Troplong, requesting that the decree of the President of the Republic removing the judges from the bench after a certain age, may not be car ried into effect as respects Judge Gaschon, of the Court of Appeal. Measures of retaliation were intended by the Bel gian Government with reference to the increased postage on papers entering France from that country, but it appears that a negotiation has been opened be tween the two countries with the view of an arrange ment a raimable. The advantage to the State is not equal to the embarrassment occasioned by the execu tion of the measure. The funeral service for General Count d'An thouard, who died in Paris, on Monday last, aged 79, was performed yesterday in the church of the Made leine. A great number of General Officers were pre sent, and afterwards accompanied the body to the ceme tery. The deceased entered the service in 1789, and became General of Division in 1810. He was con sidered one of the beat officers of the empire. DENMARK. The First Danish Chamber resolved, on the 13th instant, by 35 against 8 votes, to adopt the address to the King, declaring its want of confidence in the Ministry, which has already passed the Second Cham ber. The Government has determined to prorogue the Legislature. On the 13th the President of the Second Chamber announced that it would probably be closed on the 17th. SWITZERLAND. The Post-ampt Gazette of Frankfort quotes a letter from Milan of the sth, stating that the relations between Austria and Switzerland have become much more friendly of late, and that the rigorous surveil lance exercised along the frontiers of the cantons of Ticino and the Grisons had been greatly relaxed. This is owing, the writer says, to the cantons having acceded to all the demands of Austria. The New Preussische Zeitung repeats, notwithstanding the offi cial denial of the Jrtenna Gazette, its statement, that after December 2, Austria did its best to encourage Louis Napoleon to invade Switzerland, Piedmont, and Belgium, and declares that it will give further and confirmatory particulars. T it RKE Y Several diplomatic changes are on the eve of taking place in connexion with Constantinople, according to accounts received from that city bearing date the 3d instant. _ _ _ The French Minister, M. LAVALETTE, with his family, is preparing to leave for Paris. It is doubted if ever he returns. His departure is announced for the 20th instant. The Russian Minister is also on the eve of quitting for Italy for change of air. The first secretary will remain with the direction of the embassy, As these are critical periods, the departure of M. TITOFF is looked to as an important event, and augurs well for the maintenance of friendly relations between the Court of St. Petersburgh and the Divan. Those who know the First Secretary say he is a clear-headed, thorough man of business, possessing all the tact and talent necessary for the Muscovite diplomatist ; and during the absence of M. TiTorF it is by no means likely that the interests of the liSirliltOß will suffer. The Ottoman Ambassador at Vienna has made ap plications to home. It is very probable that this request will be granted, in which case a successor must be appointed. It is announced that RIFAAT PACHA is likely to be appointed ; but he would pro bably prefer remaining a: Constantinople, where he is creeping again into favour. Turks in general do not go abroad when they can stay at home with advan tage, Even Franks who have long resided at Stam boul cannot be got away from it very easily, and out of a very few Englishmen there some have resided from 35 years to upwards of 40 years. A resident of 20 years is not reputed an old one. BANK OF ENGLAND. (From this night's Gazette.) An Account, pursuant to the Act 7th and Bth of Victoria, cap. 32 for the Week ending on Saturday, the 13th day of March, 1852. 18801 DEPARTMENT. Notes i55ued........ 33, fi7,740 Government debt .. 11,015,100 Other securities .. .. 2,984,300 Gold coin and bullion 19,114,365 Silver bullion .. . 33,375 ADMIRALTY, MARCH 13. Corps of Royal Marines—Second Lieutenant Robert Bland Hunt to be First Lieutenant, vice John Cree Giles, deceased. Commission by the Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire. William Ann Pochin, Esq., to be Deputy Lieutenant, Feb. 27. Commissions by the Lord-Lieutenant of Dorsetshire. William Bragge, Esq., to be Deputy Lieutenant; Henry Pickard Cambridge, Esq,, to be Deputy Lieutenant, March 16. Commission by the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire Regiment of Militia—John Cheney Ewart to be Lieutenant, vice the Hon. Thomas Edward Stonor, promoted, March 17. BANKRUPTS. William Green, builder, Coggeshall, Essex, to sur render March 30, at eleven, and April 29, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Bell, official assignee, Cole man-street-buildings; Nichols and Clarke, Cook's -court, Carey-street. Christian Klug, revalenta arabica manufacturer, New Bond-street, March 30, at one, and April 29, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Johnson., official assignee, Basinghall•stre©t; Sharpe, Field and Co., Bedford-row. John Branch, corn dealer, High-street, Camberwell, March 27, at eleven, and April 30, at, one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Carman, official as signee, Alderman bury; Wilson, Gresham -street. Robert Wood, upholsterer, War dour-street, Soho, March 30, and April 30, at one, at Ihe Court of Bank ruptcy. Graham, official assignee; Kinsey, Bloomsbury square. _ James Dormer, grocer, Charles-atm .t, St. John's Wood, March 22, at eleven, and May 1, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Pennell, official assignee, Basinghall street ; Cooke, Lincola's;lnn-fields. Benjamin Smith, salt manufacturer, Droitwich, March 31 and April 23, a t h a lf- past e l even, at t h e Bi rm i ng ham District Court. Christie, official assignee, Birmingham; Motteram, Knight, and Emmet, Birmingham. George Henney, victualler, Elmley Lovett, Worces tershire, March 31 and April 29, at h alf-past eleven, at the Birmin g h am Di s t r i c t C our t. Whitmore, official assignee, Birmingham; Smith, Birmil igham. John Greener, jun., ironmonger, Vigan, Lancashire, April 1 and 22, at eleven, at the Manchester District Court. Lee, official assignee, Manchester; Barrow, Wigan. PRICE OF SUGAR. t'he average price of Brown or Muec ovado Sugar, com puted from returns made in the we t ending March 16 1852, exclusive of Customs Duties paid . or payable thereon on the importation thereof into Great 23ritain : From the British possessions in America 19s. Ned. per cwt From the Mauritius ... 21s. 6id. „ From the East Indies 253. 4d. „ Average price of the three foregoing de scriptions of sugar, jointly, computed a s above, and exclusive of duty ... . 21s. 7d. ~ By authority of Ppwliament, HENRY BICKNELL, Clerk of the Grocers' Company Grocers'-hall, March 19. IMPERIAL PARL EAMENT. (THIS EVENING.) HOUSE OF LORD S: The LORD CHANCELLOR took his salt on the Woolsack at Five o'clock. PETITIONS. Lord MONTEAGLE presented a petition from the county of Limerick praying for the :re peal of the Eccle siastical Titles Act. The Earl of CARLISLE presented a petition from Edinburgh against the Regium DOlittill and the May nooth grant. The Earl of LANESBOROUH pr esented a petition from Cavan praying for relief to the ecricultural interest THE SUN, LONDON, per cent., which was at present imposed on common fire insurance policies. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER begged to say that it was his duty to take into consideration every possible claim that could be urged in favour of a reduction of taxation. He was sure the Hon. and Gal lant Member would not press him for a more definite reply at present. NATIONAL EDUCATION IN IRELAND. Mr. OSBORNE asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Ministers to propose the appointment of a Se lect Committee of Inquiry into the system of national education in Ireland, with a view of introducing any essential alteration in the principle of ❑nited education, on which that system was founded ; and whether it was intended to more for the appointment of such s Com mittee before Easter? Mr. WALPOLE said it was not intended to propose such a Committee this session, and when it was proposed it would not be for the purpose of altering the principle of the present system, but to render it more satisfactory to all parties in Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) GENERAL BOARD OF HEALTH BILL. In reply to Sir G. PECHELL, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it was intended to go cn with this Bill to-night if they reached it.—(A laugh.) INCUMBERED ESTATES ACT. In reply to Sir JOHN ROMILLY, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, said it was proposed to continue this Act, which expires next July, for twelve months longer.—(Hear, hear.) PUBLIC-HOUSES SCOTLAND BILL. In reply to Mr. OSWALD, Mr. F. AIACKENZIE said, if he obtained an oppor tunity he should renew this Bill before Easter. DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT. MINISTERIAL EXPLANATIONS. Lord JOHN RUSSELL, whose appearance was the signal for silence throughout the House, rose and said—l wish to put a question of very great importance to the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, the Chancellor . of the Exchequer. The House will recollect that, on Monday last, in answer to a question, the Right Hon. Gentleman, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, stated to this House that he had intended to bring for ward a motion with regard to the distressing effects produced by the measures regulating the importation of sugar; but being conscious that the Government was in a minority in that House, he did not think it proper to take that course, but he would endeavour to attain his object by the means which he thought most expedient. He proceeded further to say that the opinion he en tertained with regard to the distressing effects of those measures was unchanged—that both with reference to the state of the colonies and the question of free trade, his opinions remained the same as they were formerly.—(Hear, hear.) He stated further, that ho received almost daily accounts from the West India colonies of the distress which existed there; but he went on to say, " without being at all indifferent to that distress he had determined that this question, and others of the same nature, ought to be kept for the consideration of a future Parliament." That answer with regard to the distress which existed in the West Indian colonies, in reference to the policy pur sued on the sugar duties, applies likewise to the policy which has been pursued with regard to the question of the corn-laws, and other questions of a similar nature. The House will see, therefore, that it is of the utmost importance that it should have some assurance on this subject.—(Cheers from the Opposition benches.) I need not refer to what took place:.on Monday night. Everybody has in his recollection the speeches which were made by the Right Hon. Gentleman the Member fur Ripon (Sir James Graham), the Member for the University of Oxford (Mr. Gledetone), and the Noble 1 Lord the Member f o r Tiverton (Lord Palmers ton). The question which was asked in the Government, by Sir Robert Peel , in 1841, when when I was in a minority in that House, as recorded by a vote of the House, I ask of the Right Honourable Gentleman, viz. whether her Majesty's Ministers were pro pared to advise the Crown to dissolve the present Parliament and summon a new Parliament with the least delay possible consistent with a due regard to the public interests in reference to those measures of great and urgent importance ? I trust the Right Hon. Gentleman will give an answer to that question.—(Loud cheers, and "Hear, hear," from the Opposition.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, the Noble Lord has addressed to her Majesty's Govern ment an uprecedented question.—(Loud cheers from the Government benches.) The Noble Lord has referred to the precedent of 1841 when he sat on the Treasury bench and was the leader of this House, but the Noble Lord will allow me to remind him that there is a con siderable difference between the position of those who sit on this bench and the Noble Lord at that period, because the Government had been then condemned by a vote of this House—(Continued cheers from the Ministerial b enches)—and all the pre cedents which Sir R. Peel re ferred to on that occasion, viz., the precedents of 'B7 told '3l were in a similar category.—(Hear, hear.) They were all with reference to a Ministry that had been condemned by the vote of the House of Commons.—(,`sear.) The Noble Lord therefore, ought to have descri bed his question not only as most important but as tesprecedented.—(Cheers.) But I shall give a reply to the Noble Lord.—(Hear, hear.) I think it highly unecmstitutional and most im politic that her Majesty's Government should pledge themselves to advise her Maje sty to dissolve Parliament at any stated and specific pi niod.—(Continued cheers from the same quarter.) TI to Noble Lord must feel that circumstances may eudilenly arise which would render a fulfilment of such a pledge not only most in jurious, but perhaps even meat impracticable. At the same time I have no hes station in saying that it is the intention of het Majesty's Government to advise her Majesty ,o dissolve this Parliament so soon as ; those neco.tsary measures have been passed —ao soon as those measures have boon passed rather—whi 'Oh are necessary for the service of her Majesty, and the security and good go vernment of her realms.—Cher eel.) I will even say fur ther that it is our wish and our intention to meet the new Parliament that will be Elected, so that the decision of the new Parliament may be taken on the ques tion of confidence in the present Administration, and on the measures i which they will feel it their duty under ti lose circumstances to propose, in the course of the present year.—(Loud cheers, principally from the Government side of the House.) Lord J. RUSSELL—I wi:th to ask the Right Hon. Gentleman whether he includes, in the words "Good government of the realm," the measures which have Leen referred to with regardl to reform in Chancery. The CHANCELLOR of tho , EXCHEQUER—I don't feel called upon to give atty further explanations. —(Laughter and Ministerial cl leers.) SHOOTING A SAILOR OFF CALIFORNIA. In reply to Mr. W. WILLI AMS, Mr. A. STAFFORD enterod into a lengthened ex , planation as to this occurrence.. It was true a man was shot at while in the sea, but i t was exceedingly doubt ful whether the shot hit the I nan. A body was found near to tha ship the shot was tired from the next morn ing, but as it must have been i , i the water some days, it could not havo been that of th.?, man shot at. THE OUTRAGE AT FLORENCE. In reply to a question, The CHANCELLOR of tho EXCHEQUER stated that the evidence in this case I tad reached the Foreign• office, and it appeared to afford no justification whatever for the outrage. A claim ha'3, therefore, been made upon the Tuscan Govergment for compensation, and it was hoped that the claim would be freely met. No demand had been made upon Austria, but the Foreign-office had reason to believe that Austria would be quite ready to support the claim that had been made in Tuscany. Mr. ANSTEY gave notice emit on Monday he should put another question to the Right Hon. Gentleman on this very subject, namely, whether it was the intention of Government to use their good offices to obtain the withdrawal of all the Austrian, troops from the Italian Stales.—(A laugh.) ADJOURNMENT OE' THE HOUSE. It was then agreed that tho I1:ouse at its rising should adjourn until Monday next. SUPPLY. The House then resolved itsialf into a Committee of Supply, Mr. BERNAL in the chs„ir. Major BERESFORD then rose to move the army estimates us they had hem). prepared by the late Government. The estimates were comprised in 17 votes, seven cf wbicn related 1 . .) the effective, and the remaining ten to the non effective service, and the Right Hon. Gentlemau went seriatim through all these items, bui so rapidly did he speak, and so much noise prevailed, that it 147 as impossible to catch h l i o s l, 7 3 :r m es e . n; He was understood, however, to say that exclusively of the troops in the East India Company's service, the land forces this year would consist of men. The tota l l a i g n t cr y e e a a se r itnhethveof vote w c t a i s ffv e s takenservice o f for this 9 yearB,7l4 would ha 112,6421.,, but in the non-effective sense there would b e a decline of :28,215/. The total sum e voted last year for the entire set vice was 5,929,541/., but this year the total vote would be - upwards of six millions, and present an increase over th.e vote of last year of 84,4291., which was mainly at tributable to the Kafir war. He had himself been in. active service, and he was alive to the importance o f keeping the army in an efficient footing, while he :1; as equally impressed of the necessity that existed for of ) serving a wise economy in voting these estimates.__(! I ear, hear.) The Com mitter, however, in pushing this principle too far, might fall into the error of beiati ; penny wise and pound foolish, and he therefore warm) d. Hon. Members to con sider well what they were about 'b efore theycansented to a reduction of these estimates.— ( Hear, hear.) He con cluded by moving a resolution t hat the land forces be rated at the figure he had alreadj r mentioned.—(Hear.) Mr. W. WILLIAMS objects ci to the proposed in- $33,147,740 I X 33,147,740 M. MARSHALL, Chief Cashion Dated the )Bth day of March, 1g52. BANKING DEPASTMEN T . Proprietors'capititi • • 14,553,000 Itest .......... 3,616,491 Public deposits (in ^leding Exchequer, Commissioners of Sational Debt,Say tugs-banks, and Dl vidend accoani.s)•• Other deposits ...... 12,558,967 Seven day stud other 11 I•• •• •• .... 1,052,927 L GOvernment securl- ties (including Dead Weight Annuity) .. 13,567 591 Other securities •• • • 11,751,508 Notes .. •••••• • • • • • • 12,912,410 Gold and silver coin • • 526,434 .f 38 57,945 .C 38,757,915 . MARSHALL, Chief Cashier. Dated te lath day of March, 1 COURSE OF Amstorcar.L., 11 19% ,:liree mo n th s , 12 hoiterdam „„ „ ,_ 1 Antwarp.• 5 Bra .4e1,, •• • • ....... r 5 5 55 framburgt. •• • •11.13. 13 11 Alt:ma •• Varis, 3 days'nght .• • • 35 40 Ditto, 3 months 25 45 7go.+4llles • • • • „2 557,, Bourdeati./.. • • Frltialtforten Maine.... 122 .NGE.-(THIS DAY.) Gibraltar .. gsLeghorn .....• •• •• •. • 3O r ienoa •••• •••.....•• 25 623. 2 Milan .. -• •• •• •• •• •• •• •••• 1 ° 11 31 Messina .• •• •• •• 122 53 1 i 53 % die Janeiro • •• •••• • •• iluenos Ayres • • • • • • " Kew York, 60 days'sight Philadelphia •• .• ?meta ei acTraaow, Pas ON. e'oreign Gold in b ars.. 4 3 17 9 l'ortui,al Gold Coin .. fi 0 0 SPanishl)oubloona .. 0 0 0 Dollars ••• 0 4 , ` -F luorin bar s ••• 10% 5 0 Eer!ln ••• • • • .. ••• • •• Vfenna, enc. flo •• • • 12 45 Tri.st3, aii.to.. •• •••• • • 12 45 Pat ars .argli, i1.101e.• •7 V , lrid • • ..•- -••• • • • • SO Cadiz •• • .., -• .• •••• • • 30S Ban:el:Asa • • •• •• • • n • • fi1avi110...... ~ THE LONDON GAZETTE. (THIS EVENING.) LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S OFFICE, MARCH 2, 1852 . Notice is hereby given that her Majesty will hold a levee at St. James's Palace ou Wednesday. 24: - h instarit, at two o'clock. LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S OFFICE, 51Ancu 2. Notice is hereby given, that her Majesty will hold a drawing-room, at St. James's Palace, OR Thursday, the Ist of April next, ut two o' e b it q c . FOREIGN-OFFICE, MARCH 17. The Qur-en has teen pl,ased to approve of Count Ga briel de Laoitivy as C nsui at Dahlia f r the French Republic WAROFHCE, MARCH 19. 2d Regiment of Life Guards—Cornet and Sub-Lic,u tenant Joseph Awty (Riding-master) to be Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Jaw. ,s Alexander George, Lord Loughborough, deceasei!, Dec. 29. to Magoon Guards—Captain Sir George De la Poer Berk-sford, Bart., from half-pay, Unattached, to be Cap tain, vice Chichester, appointed Paymaster; Lieutenant William Middleton to be Captain, by purchase, vice Sir George De la Poer B•9reslord, Bait. who retires; Cornet John William Wetherall to 111 Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Middleton; Captaiu Nugent Chichester to be Pay master, vice Liston, who retires upon half pay as a Cap • tain Unattached, March 19. Ist Regiment of Foot—Eusign Theobuld McKenna to he Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Webster, who retires, March 19. 38th Foot—Lientccuct Arthur Luyard to be Captain, uponwithout ilpui, v E ns i gn purchase, vice Breve i tlif ,.. ukr who retii es ;Frederick nelivicx to he Lieu tenant, without purchase, vice Layard, March 19. 50th Foot—Ensign Daniel Tupper to be Lieno-liant, without purchase, vice Baird, who retires, March 19, ____ , 85t h 1 (AA—Ensign John Armitage to he Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Peel, who ' , tires, March 19. Cape Mounted Riflemen—Ensign James Christopher Grant Kingsllr to be Lieutenant, with out purc h ase, v i ce M=cDonnell, promoted, Nov.ll, 115 1. CommissauiA.T. — Commisssriat Clerk Edward L. Ward to be a Deputy-Assistant Commissary General, Feb. 8, ILSI. H OSPITA L STAFF.-- Assistant Staff-S urgeon Melville Neale, M.D., to be Staff-burgeon of the Second Claes, March 19. BREVET.— raptiii Sir G . eorge De la Poer Beresford, Bart., of the 7th Drrigoon &maid., to be Major is the Army, Nov. 9, 1846. MiIKORANDIIM .. gn appointed " Annesley —The name of the. Ensign to 31st Foot, on 12th March, 18,02._!, purchase, on Cary," and not Anuesley Carey; tae Lieutenant pro moted to be a Captain, Unattached, without 12th March, 1852, is Lieutenant William Hardinge, from the 39th Foot. 'FREE TRADE. The Duke of NEWCAS I:LE rose to present the pe tition of which he had given notice, fnrrn the Commercial Association of Manchester, prayins; their Lordships that possible it Neva the country they would as speedily as from the state of anxiety and suspenos, prevailing as to the intentions of the Government wit'a respect to the re imposition of a duty on corn. He said that he should not have thought it necessary to aassompany this peti don with any remarks of his own had it not been for the merriment which the Noble locsrd at the head of the Government had indulged on a fcsrmer occasion at the expense of the petitioners who had signed that pe tition. At any rate the Noble Lord .sould not find fault at the humble and nninfluential positisaa of the present petitioners, for there was not a b cdy in the coun try who was more respectable or more influen tial in its position than that from wlich this petition emanated. He, himself, must beg to add his humble hope to that of the petitioners, that the present state of uncertainty, for it was not only our ow n country that was affected, but foreign Governments equally participated in these feelings of suspense and apprehenoion, and he had strong reason to believe that representations had been ad dressed to this country on the subject, at least he himself had seen communications in which the alarm or foreign countries, Austria and Prussia, in particular, were de scribed as being very great. He did net wish at present to enter into any discussions on the subject of the corn laws, though he still retained his own. opinion on the subject, and he should, therefore, conclude by putting a question to the Noble Lord, which he had communicated to him, en the subject of the present state of her Majesty's Government. One of the most important re sults of the repeal of the corn-laws had been the split ting up of parties, which rendered Parliamentary go vernment a thing of great difficulty; ho therefore urged upon the Noble Lord to use his high position and influ ence to put an end to this state of things as speedily as possible, and not to allow the elements of discord once more to be scattered around. He thought that an early dissolution was a measure of absolute necessity, because, by the present state of things, a great constitutional question had been raised, which he was sure would go on from day to day in creasing,in importance, and becoming more difficult of solution. If the Noble Lord persevered in his intention of carrying on the affairs of the country with an admitted minority in the other House, a course of action would follow on the part of those opposed to the Go vernment most unprecedented and unknown. There was no precedent to justify such a determination. Mr. Pitt's ease, when he struggled to pass the Mutiny Bill in the face of a miniority, was a tensity dissimilar one. The Noble Lord's position was anomalous, though it was no fault of his own that he had been called to fill it; but if the Noble Lord persisted in his present course of governing by a minority, he maintained that it would become un constitutional. For his own part he, and those with whom he acted, must confess themselves in opposition to Goveanment so long as they were unable to obtain from her Majesty's Ministers a total renunciation of any intention to reverse the free trade policy, and all those who were in opposition could only recognise two measures which it was of importance to pa is before a dissolution, and those were the votes in Supply and the Mutiny Bill, With regard to the Chance's) , reform, he had no doubt that the Government would gretstly endanger that measure if they persisted in bringing it on during the present session, The Earl of DERBY did not complain ssf the course pursued by the Noble Duke, or the spirit iss which it was pursued, but he trusted he would not be thought disre spectful to him or the petitioners if he. declined again entertaining this question, or re-entering upon a discus eon of free trade. lie justified the mustier in which he ref erred to the petition presented by Lord Beaumont on a former occasion, and as he on that occasion gave explanations of the course intended, to be pursued by Government; he would not repeat, them, and the less would ho do so because the date of this petition was earlier than the date of these explanations. These pe titioners, then, had the benefit isf those explanations. He denied that uacertainty prevailed in the country to the degree represented, and e.eitt convinced that upon a balance of inconveniences, a prdongation of the session of Parliament offsred the Last evil. Ho justified this position, which he occupied 'ia.l a Parliament with a mino rity in his favour, not by the precedent of Mr. Pitt in 1784, but by the ceurav pursued by Sir Robert Peel's Government in 1134. (LEFT SPEA KING.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly before Four PETITIONS. operesaacynlyzaLp,ient7 inquiry .were presented in favour df the Protesi.ant, Ivi. P'unY 'postage 4-14 . r. A. IiAST ' IE - presented a petition from Glasgow, into the cause of the expulsion of Mr. - ministers ma . ,, ,.___ from Pesth. prayi ng fo t-__w_ELL presented a petition fr( ) , o3 C avan , the Culi:-street Sa S v. presented a petition from some of Mr. It' e ,yl T ) Waion to . agriculture. mtglase them Bankfor dtehpeoirsitioorL,aiptrharyoiunggh theth e house to compensate failure of the bank. Ridinpresented two r,etitions from Mr. 0. DUNCeimB E one in favc c.r of the Baur ont petition, places in the West macy Bill, and the other a g ' hoo th grant. Mr, E WART presentcd ga a inst " lae J p ray ing that the prosliati:g a petition from franchise may be conferred doferred annuities in savino, banks purchasing for the ..,epepaeltitoifontthhfaerommalat u 4 "Ks above a certain amount. fa A L m o e r r d s J th O s kl a N frol ß k, U p S r S u E li L n L g against thet was tax. Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL presented a place in Kerry complaining of a forgiai petition presented last year from the same ph me clesiastic .1 Titles Bill, and praying• for inquiry, The Honourable Member gave notice that on Monday he should move that the petition be pri7 Ited in the votes, with the view of founding a motion ripen it. Sir JAMES GRAHAM presenters a petition from a parish in Suffolk, praying for the rt,deal of the malt tax. Mr. GROGAN presented a pail:Lion from Weather ley, in Yorkshire, against the Maymooth grant. NOTICES OF MOTION. Mr. REYNOLDS gene notice that next Thursday he should aak the Rigtit, Honourable Gentleman the Se cretary for thu 11/ A p e Department - what provision was made by the Stat e f or t h e re li g i ous i nstruc ti on of the Roman Catholic prisoners confined in the prisons of Scotland. Sir DE LACY EVANS gave roDtice that in going into Committee of Supply he should move a resolution on the subject of rifle-clubs. TREATY OF COMMERCE WITH BELGIUM. Alderman THOMPSON wished to ask the Right Hon. the President of We Poor-law :Board if the treaty of commerce bPtween this country aril' Belgium had been ratisfied, and if sr), when it would be ,laid on the table. Mr. HENLEY replied in the neßat - ive. POST-HORSE DUTY. Colonel SIBTHORP wished to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the complaints of the post-mas ter. 3 relative to the post horse duty would meet with an early consideration, and whether he intended to give any consideration to his proposal to reduce the duty of 200 FRIDAY crease of the army, and protested that there was no necessity for it. The fears which had re cently prevailed in the country about foreign invasion were groundless, and he hoped the Com mittee would hesitate before they sanctioned this in creased expense to the state.—(Hear.) The country had the benefit of an Efficient navy and marine service, including a fine body of constabulary and yeo manry cavalry force ; and these, added to the regular , army, made an aggregate force of upwards of 191,000 men. Surely, then, that price was amply sufficient to protect the country against the attacks of any invader, but he was sick and tired of talking about invasion; it was a complete bugbear; but at all events, should it ever turn out to have even the shadow of a foundation the force he had just de scribed would be found quite enough to go into the field with.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. B. OSBORNE objected to the estimate being voted as a matter of course. They had heard no explanation of the principles of her Majesty's present advisers, and he could not help feeling that the affairs of the country stood in a very unsatisfactory position.— (Hear, hear.) He was one of those who blamed the Noble Lord the Member for the city of London for having surrendered the reins of Government, but, above all, he found fault with him for having advised her Majesty to send for the Earl of Derby while there were so many more able men on the Liberal side ready to take office, and prepared to form an administration. He Earl of Derby, however, was in office, and he had now to deal with the state of things as he found them. Well, then, was it fair for her Majesty's present advisers to conceal the cloven foot of protection under the smock frock of official reserve—(A laugh)—and he would make another attempt to bring them out. What did they intend to do ? He had a right to ask that question, and unless they spoke out they should not have the estimates.—(Hear.) It required nonjuror io make a Prime Minister, and a chairman of :quarter-sessions was just as fit for the office as any other man, so long vs he had any fix princip le.—(Hear, hear.) He rejoiced to find the Right PHonne.i Gentleman the Member for Bucking hamshire elevated to office. Ho had fought an up hill game, and without any aristocratic influ ence he had made his way to the top of the tree. He had made the country party what it is, and they could have done no more than place him in a pro minent position hi the Cabinet. The Right Hon. Gen tleman told the late Sir R. Peel that no Government ought to be tolerated which had no fixed principles or no settled policy, an d h e now called upon him to carry out that view of a constitutional admi nistration. (Hear, hear.) It appeared to him that Ministers were game of thimble-ri gg i ng i n which Lord Derby would p res ide at the tabl e w i t h t h e p ea w hile his smock-frock as g to bamboozle the public with a f r i e nd stood b Noble Earl wanted t o r id e a wa iting race. The Noble Earl k ne w that his men were no t re markable for speed found of diet, g o i ng his n adviser. :It seemed to him that the b u t exceedingly a nd his policy was there fore was to allow the Opposition to make all the the run n i ng .—(A l aug h.) But he hoped the country wou ld not s t a nd this old Tory t r ick but make th em s h ow t h e i r m etal at once. They must be forced to speak out, or Protection would be smuggled back by a side wind, and the country would be taken in and done for.—(A laugh.) (LEFT SPEAKING.) MARKET INTELLIGENCE. (From the London New Price Current, March 19.) SUGAR.-To-d ay prev i ous t erm s were demanded for West India S ugar, on l y a limited quantity being on offer. The home trade demand was, however, small, and purchases were confined to 220 hhds, &c.. making for the week 906 , including at auction 75 hhds Demerara crys talized, which went at the full currency of 29s to 418 6d for good to fine, and at 38s to 378 for ord to mid yellow. REFINED.-To-day there was a large demand for the lower qualities of Refined Sugar for Home consumption, yet brown lumps were obtainable at 43s 6d to 44s per cwt. For Crashed there is a firm market at former times. MAuRITIus.-This afternoon there appeared to be rather more demand for Mauritius Sugar, and the pre vious value is supported. At auction 2,882 bags found buyers, low to mid yellow at 29s 6d to 31 s , an ord to fine brown 243 Gd to 295. EAST INDIA.-This afternoon the demand was better for Bengal Sugar, the previous value bei n g supported. At amnion 3,030 bags were nearly all disp os ed of; white Benares went at 32s to 33s 6d, good to fine 34 s to 365, damp and washed 31s to 355, mid grainy yellow 33 s 6d to 355, low soft 245, mid to fine like Mauritius 31a to 333, and ord 28s 6d to 29s 6d. Madras conti nues to be wanted, and 4,422 bags were all disposed of at full rates, soft yellow from 24s to 275, and brown ditto 22 s to 248. FOREIGN.-To-day previous rates were demanded for floating cargoes, and duty paid parcels of Foreign Sugar; here was limited pressing for any purpose. None was offered at public sale. COFFEE.-To-day importers of Coffee displayed firm ness, and none of any sort was submitted to public sale. Several parcels of Plantation Ceylon were disposed of privately at fully former rates, and bolory kinds are much wanted. Native Ceylon was in good request, and at 39s there are few sellers. Mocha continues to attract much attention, and stiff rates are paid. CoeoA.-The demand continues to fall off for British Plantation, and supply to increase. Of 373 brls and 150 bags Trinidad at auction a small part only sold; fine red went at 39s to 40e, mid to good 35a to 38a, ord 335 to 345, common to good grey 31s to 335, whilst 600 bags Grenada were taken in at 30s to 31s 6d. Cocoa is still cheaper than last season and there is a fair consumption. Foreign continues to attract little notice, and rates to gives way; at auction 1.0 bags Para were sold at 245, and 12 bags Bahis at 23s 6d per cwt. For Guayquil holders ask 29s to 30s; at present little business is doing, TEA.-Green has been operated in with reluctance for ail purposes. The rates taken for Hyson, of low to mid quality, are is to is 3d, good to fine Is 4d to 2s, ; • superior 2s 2d to 2 s 8 d; Yo ung Hyson, common 9d to 11d, mid to good is to is 6 d , fine is 8d to 2 s 2d; Imperial, , sort is to is 6d, good d , 3d; Caper 8d to Is 3d, and Hyson skin 7d to Is. Purch ases Congou have been p t to d n rditto' n Canton i Canton 87ddlO to d to l to d upon a small seale both for shi pping ti lld Hyso ? -e u yson kind Is to 2s Gun and home consump tion; supply exceed s that of last week,k, a 3 and the ten dency of prices is evidently downwards, especially for medium. There are sellers of low quality at lid, good ord 8d to 80, blackish leaf 9d to 10p, fine and Pekoe kinds lld to is sd. Oolong met with little notice, and is freely offered for sale ; good to fine at lldto is 3d, and other kinds 8d to 10d. In Souchong purchases are rather important, yet no advance has been produced by the same, fine end good at lld to Is 6d, and inferior ad to 10d. Pouchong is wanted at 4d to 6d ; at present few parcels on offer. A dull sale exists for scented Orange Pekoe, and there are willing sellers of ord at 8d to 10d, and mid to fine lld to is 7d. Flowery Pekoe has been dealt in with caution ; low to good at Is to is 6d, fine is 8d to 2s id. RICE.-TO -day East India Rice was offered upon rather lower terms; still operations are small by private treaty, and 10e 3d to 103 6d is the value of mid to good mid white. None was offered at public sale. SPICES.-With Pimento the market continues spar ingly supplied, and several transactions have waken place privately at 41d to 4P per lb. Pepper is held for stiff prices, and few parcels are on offer; privately, how ever, Less demand has been experienced; the small transactions have been at 3iel to 30 for Sumatra, and Malabar 3id to 4d. At auction 429 bags Ba tavia mostly taken in at 3 3 4. to 3-0 for fair. Prices keep .(ow for Cayenne, an d a public sale of 24 cases went at lid to 8d for common quality. Pod realized full term, and 125 cases went at 40s to 655 for common to fine. Nutmegs are in brisker request. The public sales of 27 cases went at from 2s to 2s 5d for ord to mid bro wn , an d on e lot fine at 3s 7d per lb. For Mace a good demand prevails, low to middling selling at is Id to is 3d, and good to fine 2s 4d to 2s 6d. Several parcels of Cloves have been disposed of privately, and rates range firm; Amboyne 7d to Operations in Cinnamon are to a fair extent, chiefly inferior, yet better rates are not obtained; Ceylon first sort being offered at from is 10d to 3s, second ditto is 4d to 2s 3d, thirds and fourths is to is 3d. Cassia Lignea has attracted little notice, still rates are not lower, and rule from 108 s to 118 s, fine 1191 to 1225. Of Cassia Buis there are none here, and former high prices would be paid. Gin ger is at present not much inquired for; at public sale 170 barrels Jamaica were sold from 40s to 803 for low to m id, but 121 cases Cochin were only in part disposed of at 32s to 38s for common to mid, and 800 bags African taken in at 24s 6d to 25s per cwt. Smarrs.-The rates asked for Leeward Island Rnm are Is 5d to is 6d proof, but the business concluded has been of little moment: at present supply is limited. East India met with little notice, and is more freely offered at Is 4d proof. Although Demerara remaius in good request, yet sellers willingly accept 2s to 2s 3d for 30 to 40 over I)• roof With Jamaica the market continues to be freely supplied. Prices for choice mark 35 to 38 over proof rule at 3s 6d to 43, fine 33 to 3s sd, good mid to good 32 to 35 over 2s 5d to 2s 10d. mid 2s 2d to 2s 4d, and low 26 to 30 over 2s to 2s Id per gallon. Operations in Brandy have been of little consequence; Cognac best Brands of the vintage of 1851 at 4s Id to 4s 3d, 1850 do 4s 4d to 4s 6d, 1849 do 4s 9d to 4s Ild, 1848 do 5s 3d to as sd, older 5s 6d to 6s 6d, low to mid 2s 4d to 4s, and Bordeaux is ltd to 2s 2d. The British Spirit trade is dull, and more desire is evinced to sell at 93 lld to lOs net cash; Gin 22 under 8s 6d, and 17 ditto 9s per gal lon. Several parcels of Geneva have been sold at Is 9d to is I Od, and fine 2s to 2s 3d per gallon. SALTPETRE. -- To-day Saltpetre met with ready buyers, and the former value was well sustained. At auction 1,900 bgs realised 25s 6d to 26s 6d fur 121 to 131 per cent refraction. COCHINEAL. -To-day Cochineal being held for a far ther advance of Id per lb, operated against business. At auction 100 bgs Honduras offered, blacks 4s 6d to 4s 9d for good and fine, but silvers were mostly taken in at 3s 7d to 33 10d for ord to fine. INDIGO. - A brisk demand continues to prevail for East India from exporters and home dealers; rates keep on the advance, and rule 3d per lb. above last quarterly sale. Opinion is also favourable as to the future position of the market, deliveries already being 3,000 chts more than last season, and stock 800 chts smaller. Spanish sells freely, and the rise within a month is 3d to 6d. At auc tion 770 serons of Guatimala were all sold. Floras at 55 to 5s sd; Sobres 4s 3d to 4 s I Id; Cortes, good to tine 3s lld to 4s 3d, mid 3s 6d to 3s 10J, low to ord 2s 8d to 3s 3d per lb. Exporters were the leading operators, ord and mid qualities being most in demand. OILS,--To - day at auction 40 tons Sperm Oil solds ut 83110 a to 85., and 67 cs refined Spermiciti is 7d. TALLOW -This afternoon closed quietly, and 36s to 368 3d is the value of fine new Y. C. on the spot; at auction 1146 pkgs South American partts 6 sold 32s to 365, and 95 cks Australian beef " 34s 6d. O F F FALMOUTTI, MARCH 17. — Seri n gapatara, China ; Sir Isaac Newton, New York. EVENING, Naples* • . •• •• N I Papal States* Peninsular.. .. Peru bet Tuscany* .. West Indies West Indies (except Uavanna & Nassau) M a. The mails to those c French packet ♦ia Marsei C kLIFORNIA.—Ma US to aro now despatched and !2d of the month ._ ountrias thus mar: and from California Me by every Amerii IMPERIAL PARLIAME: HEALTIIOF LONDON DURING THE WEEK. (From the Registrar-General's Report.) The following is from the official statement :—The deaths registered in LDndon in the week ending last Saturday exhibit a great increase on previous weeks, In the last week of February they were 1,069, in the first week of March 1,128 and last week they rose to 1,232. That the unusual coldness of the weather has principally produced this result may be inferred from the excess of deaths at advanced ages, and from the increased number caused by diseases of the organs of respiration. The mean temperature in the first week in March fell to 36 deg., and in the following week was 40 deg., which is still below the average. The mean daily temperature was, with two exceptions, below the average from lath February to the end of last week. In the ten weeks corresponding to last week of the years 1842-51, the average number of deaths was 1,034, which if raised in proportion to increase of population, becomes 1,137. The present return therefore shows an amount greater than the corrected average by 95, Twenty-four children and 6 adults died from small pox; in four cases it is stated that the patients had been previously vaccinated. The following ease of cholera occurred:—At 55, Marchmont-street, Bloomsbury, on 6th March, the daughter of a journeyman house painter. aged 1 year, died of " English cholera (20 hours)." The medical attendant did not see the child till within three hours of its death. The following letter has been addressed to the Regis trer-General by Mr. Murray, the registrar:— Sub-district of Hackney-road, Bethnal-green : " Though no death has occurred which can be clearly traced to the pestiferous exhalations arising from Bunker's Pond, I am induced to call your attention to the pre sent state of that neighbourhood. The pond is nearly surrounded by houses, thickly populated; for some years it received the contents of a sewer, now diverted, and has been for a long period the receptacle of all kinds of filth. This has accumulated in masses, become putrid, and presents a broad, shallow, and stag neat surface to the action of the atmosphere. The consequenee is that a most oppressive and offensive smell taints the air, and extends beyond the Hackney road, a distance of more than a hundred yards, and is perceptible to persons passing by. The noisome smell pervades the houses of all who aro obliged to reside within its reach, and must be highly in jurious to health. I am informed by a medical prac titioner of high standing that five persons in one family have within the last few days been ill with typhoid fever, attributable to this cause, and some of them are still in danger; that three cases of fever, in the imme diate vicinity of the pond, are borne on the books of the Adelaide Dispensary, and the approaching warm weather will sensibly aggravate its morbid influence, unless some remedial measures are adopted." The following four deaths were registered in the Small-pox Hospital:—On the Bth of March, a female servant, aged 28 years, from Lamb's-passage, Chiswell street, " small-pox, confluent, unprotected (fifteen days)." On 9th March a coppersmith, aged 22 years, " small-pox, confluent, unmodified." Said to have been vaccinated in infancy at Lougton, Essex; no cicatrix. On 13th March a sailor, aged 17 years, from Shetland, " small-pox, con fluent, unprotected (14 days)." On 13th March a boy, aged 2 years, from the workhouse, Whitechapel, " small pox, confluent, unprotected (11 days)." In Islington, at 5, Greenman's-lane, on 9th March, the son of a dyer, aged 4 years, died of " small-pox (12 days)." Mr. Butterfield states that " this child had three well-defined cicatrices on one arm, and four on the other, having been vaccinated when young." At 13, Eagle-street, Red-lion-square, on 6th March, the son of a gunmaker, aged 9 years, "confluent small-pox (10 days), not vaccinated." Mr. Goodhugh states that " the reason assigned by the mother for not having vaccinated the child was that her former child had been vaccinated, but died of small pox. She had no faith in vaccination." At Great Or mond-street, Queen-square, on 7th March, the widow of a gentleman, aged 60 years, died of " variola (11 days), nervous fever (7 days), abscesses (20 days), atrophy, de lirium (40 days), vaccinated." This lady took small pox from nursing her daughter. In Camberwell, at 3, George-street, on Bth March, a glass-cutter, aged 35 years, died. of "small-pox (12 days)." He had been vaccinated in infancy. In Marylebone, at 20, Great Barlow-street, on 11th March, a woman died at the great age of 101 years from " decay of nature." Mr. Joseph mentions that " this old woman was for forty years the keeper of an apple stall in Great Marylebone-street, an occupation which exposed her to all weathers, and which she quitted only ten months ago, she lived for nearly the same period in a small room in one of the unhealthiest parts of this district." The widow of a confectioner died in the Portuguese Jews' Hospital, Mile-end, at the age of 85 years, after 16 years' residence as an inmate of that asylum. Last week the deaths of 39 men and 66 women were registered at the age of 70 years and under 80; of 14 man and 28 women at the age of 80 years and under 90; and those of 2 men and 5 women at 90 and upwards. In Camden-town, the son of a mercantile clerk died 23e hours after birth; he was born prematurely between fifth and sixth month; weight, llb. Sioz. It is added that " the case is singular; the child was of perfect de velopment, and performed all the functions of nature during its short existence." STATE OF THE WEATHER DURING THE PAST WEEK. SUNDAY.—The sky was cloudless throughout the day. Electricity—Nothing was shown during the first three days of the week. MoNDAY.—The aky was covered with cloud until noon clear from this time till 6h. P.M., and generally overcast after- wards ; cirrostratus. TUESDAY.—The sky was overcast till near noon, and clear during the remainder of the day; cirrostratus. WEDNIESDAY.—The sky was covered with cloud till Oh. 30m. P.M., generally clear till 7h. r.m., and overcast after wards; cirrostratus. Fog prevailed during the evening. Electricity—Positive, and tension moderate in the afternoon. THURSDAY.—The sky was overcast throughout the day ; cirrostratus. Fog prevailed during the morning. Electricity —Positive, and tension moderate throughout the day. FRIDAY.—The sky for the most part was covered with cloud till near noon, the amount of cloud was variable during the afternoon, and in the evening the sky was clear; cumuli, cumulostrati, and cirrostrati. E lectricity—Positive, and tension moderate in the afternoon. SATunnAr.—The sky was generally clear during the afternoon, at other times the amount of cloud was variable ; cumuli, cumulostrati, and cirrostrati. Electricity—Positive, and tension moderate during the afternoon. The mean reading of a thermometer placed on the main mast, and read each day at 9h. A.m. was 41.0° ; and the mean reading at 9h. P.M. was 37 ; the mean readings at the Royal Observatory for the same times were 40-14 and 36.7° respectively. The reading of the barometer decreased from 30.62 in. at the beginning of the week to 30.09 in. by 3h. P.m. on the 11th, and increased to 30.32 in. by the end of the week. SEABORNE MAILS. [N signifies that the mails are sent front the General Post-office by the night—and M by the morning —dispatch.] When ma4;l;iTa IFrom what PLACES. GeneralPost-offlcel port dis- When London. patched. due. America (by Brit. pkt.)N,March 19 .. .. Li verpoo l .. March 22 America (by U.S. pkt.) N i llarch 23 —lLiverpool March 17 America (by ILS.Pht.) M March 31 .. Southampt. Africa (West coast)• • N 14th of th e mon t h Plymouth Iprili3 ieiandriaii N 19th & 30th of mo. Dover .. March 28 Belgium • ° •• •• N Daily • • . • .. Dover • . Daily Brazil ,„ s • .. M 9th of the month Southampt. April 16 Buenos Agree9th of the month S outhampt. April 16 Callfontia.(viaChagree) 31 2d & 17th of month Southampt. Arrived Cape of Good Hope N 14th of month Pl ymouth.. April 3 Constantinople* .. •• N 7th 17th 27th of mo Dover .. March 20 Central America M2d & 17th of mon. Southampt. Arrived Channel Isles • • • • N Mon., Wed., & Fri. Soutkampt. Tn. Th. Sat Chill • • • • • • • 31117th of the month Southampt. March 20 France • • ••31 & N Twice daily .. Dover • . Twi ce d a i ly Greece* • • • • • • N r 7th 17th 27th of mo Dover .. March 20 Hamburgh .. N, Tuesday & Friday London .. Tues. Sat. Holland .. .. Wednea. & Satur. London Mee.Thur Honduras . Nll7th of the mouth Southampt. March 20 Ireland •M & N Twice daily .. Holyhead .• Twicedaily India (via Southamp.) M2oth of the month Southampt. March 21 india(viaMarseilles) N,Bth& 24th efmonth Dover • • April 2 Mediterranean (via Southarenfon) •• M 20th of the month Southampt. March 21 Medi ten dnean (via Marseilles) •• N Bth& 24th ofmonth Dover • . April 2 Mexico •• .. M2d of the month.. Southampt. Arrived Madeira • • • • .. M 9th of the month Southampt. April 16 Malta* f 7th,17th,19th,27th / 1 & 30th of month D over March 20 Naples* • • • • • • N sth 15th 25th ofme Dover .- March 22 Papal Statos* N 5 th 15th 25th ef mo Dover .. March 22 Peninsular.. • • .. 317th 17th 27th of mo Southa m pt. A pr i l 16 Pena • • • • • • • • Mll7th of the month Southampt. March 20 Tuscany* N sth 15th 25th of mo Dover • • March 22 West Indies M 17th of the month Southampt. March 20 West Indies (except Havanna & Nassau) M 2d of the month .. Southampt. Arrived ISouthanipt. !Arrived ked (*) aro conveyed by la, via the United States lean puke* SUICIDE OF A SOLDER.---011 Saturday afternoon J. Boyd, private of the 87th depot at Chatham garrison, threw himself into the Medway, from the steps abutting Rochester-bridge. The soldier was seen to throw himself in by a boy, who immediately gave an alarm, but owing to the rapidity of the tide, and it being high water, the body was drifted away, and has not been found. It appears that the deceased was sent home from India on account of his being insane at the end of the summer.—South-Eastern Gazette. .UNIVERSAL GAS COMPANY.—Some ad ditional claimss were yesterday brought before the Bl aster in this matter by Mr. Harding, the official manager, who an nounces that a call of 61. per share will b e required to dis charge the liabilities. HOUSE OF LORDS, March 18. RIFLE CORPS. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH put a question:to her Majesty's Government, whether they intended to adhere to the resolution of the late Governmen n t n give aid to any volunteer corps? For his ov hadtheme t o n theo t fullest consi deration, pert t ho to s h ou ld look upon su ch a decision wi th great regret. The Earl of DE RBY said th at , upon o her M a j est y 's Go vernment conc lusion that the decision of the late Government c , 0 g i ve aid to volunteer rifle corps was just and wise, and d i e t. cisi T o i n e , should not they intended, therefore, to adhetrhoatto at present give any reason for the Militia Bill came un d er discussion their Lbuortdwshhiepns would see that it bad not been arrived at without good foundation. CRIMINAL LUNATICS. The Earl of SHAFTESBURY after presenting a petition from the county of Leicester on this subject, rode to move that a humble address be presented to her Majesty praying that her Majesty will be graciously pleased to take into her consideration the expediency of the establishment of a state asylum for the care and custody of those who are denominated " criminal luna tics." The Noble Earl proceeded to say that the sub jsct he was about to introduce could not be novel to their Lordships. The care and custody of criminal lunatics had been a matter of great interest, and con sithaable care and attention had been bestowed by ma gistrates in various parts of the country to the improve- MARCH 19, 1852. ment of their asylums. Their attention had been drawn to the fact that the presence of cilllllll3l lunatics was a very great bar to the improvement of asylums. The grievance had become intolerable; and he had been requested to bring the subject before their Lordships. He must, in the first place, exonerate the magis trates, because they had protested repeatedly against this practice. He must also exonerate the Com missioners of Lunacy, because they had reported at great length to the Lord Chancellor on the subject, and proposed a remedy for the evil. More over, they had corresponded with the Secretary of State, pointing out the great evils that had arisen from the present system. The term " criminal luna tics" perhaps seemed to involve something of a con tradiction; but it was the ordinary and received term, and it embraced every class and description of persons and crime from the miserable idiot who had perpetrated some enormous act of violence up to the case of the per sons who approached insanity, who simulated insanity, and were perhaps in possession of their senses at the time they committed the offence with which they had been charged. The criminal lunatics might be divided into four classes: the first consisted of those who had actually become lunatic, at the time fixed for their trial. The second class was composed of those who, being sane at the time of their trial, were, by a special verdict, found to be insane at the time of committing the offence. The third class were persons who had become lunatic after sentence had been passed upon them. Now, there was a fourth class of persons who were confined under summary conviction—vagrants, and persons convicted for want of sureties, and who had become insane. The laws whereby these parties were dealt with and their detention fixed, were contained in three statutes, viz., the 39th and 40th Geo. 111., the Ist and 2d of Vie., and the 3d and 4th of Vic. The Noble Earl ex plained the nature of those statutes, and proceeded to say that there was another class of lunatics, which consisted of persons who might be in danger of committing some offence. Formerly any magis trate might commit them to a gaol or a place of custody; bat by a late Act it required that two justices staould commit such person, and that he should be committed, not to a gaol, but sent to a lunatic asylum or a place of safe custody. None of these parties, except those com mitted by the magistrates, could be liberated without the authority of the Secretary of State. Now, he would state the number of criminal lunatics. The total number of criminal lunatics in England and Wales was 439,360 males, and 79 females. But their Lordships must observe, that when they came to look at the num bers, and examined the offences with which the lunatics were charged, they would find that the offences were against life, and under that head they included, not only simple assaults, but everything that was directed at life—shooting, cutting, and maiming—their Lordships would find that, for those offences, the number was 138; for offences against property and against the person, some of the latter being of the grossest description, the num ber was 188, 163 males and 25 females. The number of persons convicted of misdemenour was 48; and of those committed for want of sureties, and who had otherwise become insane, 43. Their Lordships must not suppose that although those persons were committed for want of sureties, they were not dangerous persons, as he should show that many of them were most dangerous. Now, these criminal lunatics were distri buted in various asylums, and were maintained by the Government. In Bethlem Hospital there were main tained at the Government expense 103 criminal lunatics. At an asylum near Salisbury there were 57. The ge neral treatment of these patients he would next refer to. The House might judge, in some measure, the evil effect produced by the presence of these patients among the other lunatics. Let their Lordships consider the former life and habits of these parties, who were desig nated criminal lunatics. They had pursued a long course of evil and profligacy, of theft and murder; and the House must recollect that the lunacy under which they laboured was often the effect of their own excesses; and their Lordships would imagine such patients being in troduced among the quiet, orderly, timid, and sensitive lunatics in an asylum, because many of the lunatics were well-conducted patients—very timid and sensitive, and the predominant feeling in all their minds was, that the place they were confined in was a prison, and that they were sent there for punishment. Upon being associated with notorious persons, who bad committed crimes of that description, such a feeling was strengthened; their minds were worked upon; and the impression which was thus produced upon them alone tended to retard their recovery. But, that their Lordships might form some estimate of the characters of these persons who were confined in such places, he would state some of the offences which they had committed. In the asy lum at Manchester there was a violent man who had committed a murder. The next case was for an assault —an attempt to shoot a clergyman; the next was a case of stabbing; and another party was described as treache rous, malignant, and revengeful; another had stabbed his brother, and so on. Their Lor dships would not, then, wonder at the stro n g lan g ua ge of the medical su perintendents against the further detention of these cri minal lunatics along with other patients in ordinary asy l ums . He had an extract of the opinions of the medical superintendents of every public asylum, and a great many of those of private asylums, and they were the opinions of eminent and experienced men. Now, they said it was unjust to associate persons branded with offences with other lunatics; that the conduct of criminal lunatics was frequently very violent; that their habits, from their farmer course of life, were injurious and pernicious to the other patients; that it was neces sary, in consequence of their presence, to exercise greater vigilance and firmness; and that the whole disclipine and order of the asylum was interfered with They said the effect was to expose the lunatics them selves to taunts, and that they were irritated when they saw other persons liberated and they themselves de tained; that they endeavoured to escape, and to induce others to assist them; and that these patients monopo lised an undue share of care. But they added this ex planatory sentence, which completely destroyed the other parts of the evidence—" We have always taken care to conceal from the other patients the fact that the persons they were confined with were criminal lunatics." Then, in the report of that admirable institution, the Han well asylum, it was stated that the prisoner in the gam knew he could not escape, but the criminal lunatic thought he might escape from the asylum; and he, therefore, simulated insanity in order to get into the asylum. There was this peculiarity about insane per sons, that they were wholly unable to combine, but they would follow others. Now the remedy that he proposed for this state of things was that there s h ou ld be a state asylum for the separate care and custody of those persons called criminal lunatics. This remedy, he thought, was uni versally recommended by the medical superintendents There were many questions which it would be necessary to discuss before such a measure could be brought before their Lordships. In the first place, they would have to consider whether it should be maintained by the state or by local rates, and whether some discretionary power should not be given to the Secretary of State as to the liberation of the prisoners. The law said, that no party confined as a criminal lunatic could be liberated unless two medical men would certify that such party was of sound mind. Now, there were many persons whom they could certify m ight be liberated with perfect safety, b u t whom they could not certify to be of sound mind. They would have therefore to consider whether such persons should ho liberated. And, moreover, they would have to consider, sooner or later, how far the plea of insanity was to be admitted. There could be no doubt there was in the present day a great tendency, both with judges and juries, to admit that plea. There were, he believed, persons who openly avowed that they could do what they pleased. They felt that whatever offence they might commit, they had the plea of previous in sanity to save them from the consequences, and that all they had to fear was confinement for life. The Noble Lord concluded by moving the resolution, that a humble address be presented to her Majesty, to cause inquiries to be made as to the expediency of esta blishing a state asylum for the confinement of lunatic prisoners. Lord BERNERS said, reluctant as he was to trespass on their Lordships' time, he felt it his duty, as one of the chairmen of quarter sessions, in the county (?t . Leicester, to state that the petition was agre ed to unen.ln mously, by one of the fullest benches he had ever seen the county. o ne cessity fur introduced this subject could hav e e n their Lordships' a f tten- The Earl of DERBY said the N oble Earl who ha making any apology for directing andth deep importance , tion to a matter of considerable had devoted hi s unremittin g because for a long period he of s we o f ameliorating the condition repul sive character,/with a view N o r did he suppose that any attention to matters, o t h e m of the most of his fellow - creatu res. of their Lordship s would be disposed for a moment immense improvements which undervalue the imnle had to unintroduced been in the system of of late years He believed there had b treating lunatics. He the last few years been no greater improvement w it hin lleviating the In any science than in that of a condition of insane the per- SOBS. He believed that sufferings of seen persons ' had been greatly diminished, and that there had been a g reat gain in the proportion recovered, and therefore he was quite sure that neither on his part nor on that of their Lordships, could there be any desire to interfere in the slightest degree with the humane system of treating lunatics. But he confessed be was at a lose see the connexion which hi s N o bl e Friend appeared toto find tbe tween the existence of followed that treatment, which was gene rally in lunatic asylums in this country, with the peculiar question that he had brought under the con sideration of the House. His Noble Friend adverted to that which was undoubtedly an anomaly; an expression which be m i g h t a l most say was a contradiction in terms. To say that a man was a criminal, was to say that he Was responsible for his actions; and to say that he was a lunatic, was to say that be was irresponsible; and, therefore, he saw some difficulty in drawing a line which his Noble Friend seemed inclined to draw between criminal lunatics and other lunatics. li e thought it would be necessary to apply the Came prin ciple that he applied to criminal lunatics to all those who were violent and dangerous, for the only difference was, that one of them had committed that which, if he had been in a sane state of mind, would have made him liable to punishment, and another was in the Same condition of mind, but had not had the opportunity of doing that which would m a e. hi m liable to punishment. He was at a loss to understand en what principle the law had been regulated as to the two classes—those who were dealt with by the 39th and 40th George 111., namely, persons who had been found not guilty of the offences on which they were charged on the ground of insanity, and those who, under similar circumstances, had been similarly dealt with under the Act of the 3d and 4th of t h e Queen, and persons who before trial had been found in fact to be lunatic, and thereupon, without being treed and without the necessity at the verdict of a jury, had been, by the authority of two magistrates, and with the sanction of two medical men, transferred "to a lunatic asylum. He was unable to account for the distinction with which these two Classes of persons were treated. There were betwtten 450 and 470 of all descriptions of cri- mine! Inertliee. and of these shoat 101 were mein`-tined 211 tae two wines 01 BAbi-'') iliit , f , t wer o • built specially for the emit:: of c:imieel lunatics, at the expense of the country, aeni these lunatics emit-hied there were maintained at the expense of tee country, and there were a number maintained also at the expense of the Government at au asylum at Fisherham (as tvo understood), near Salisbury. There were others chat were distributed in other asylums throughout the country, who were maintained by the respective coun ties iu which the asylum was, or by the parishes to which they belonged; There could be. no ground for this distinction. He was clearly of opinion that the charge of criminal lunatics cught not to full on the county or the parish, but ought to fall on the country generally. Therefore, he did not pretend to say that he thought the existing law was in a satisfactory condition, or that it did not stand in need of some amendment. He thought the maintenance of these criminals was an ex pense that might justly and rightly fall on the public funds. But when they came to that point they ought also to consider how difficult it was to stop there' and how they could draw the line between criminal lunatics and violent and dangerous lunatics. His Noble Friend said that the presence of these criminal lunatics among those who were merely la bouring under harmless delusions was injurious to both parties. He agreed with him—but where was the county lunatic asylum in which they were so mixed together ? If they were, it was against all the rules governing lunatic asylums. The Noble Lord moved for an ad dress, because if he brought a Bill in that House it would be an infringement of the privileges of the House of Commons, inasmuch as it would involve the application of a sum of money for the maintenance of these este' blishnaents. Surely, if that were the case, an address to the Crown recommending such establishments was equally open to objection. The Earl of SHAFTESBURY—No; for an inquire' to consider the expediency. The Earl of DERBY proceeded. Going no further on that subject, he said that until they had fully consi dered all the consequences, all the difficulty of drawing the distinction between the two cl asses , while be quite agreed with the Noble Earl that it might be expedient and desirable to inquire into the laW relating to the custody of lunatics, he thought it would be exceedingly undesirable to pledge their Lordships with regard an t e one portion, and not th e most mater i al p or tion of alteration in the law. Th e expense of building the tw ° the wings at Bethlehem mus t h ave b een cons id era ble; cost of the maintenance of the lunatics there was 341 ,1 103. a head per annum; at Fisherham it was 301.; see in other institutions, he believed it was about 261. addition to the increased expenditure of maintenance' which would, in all probabilit, be the of such consequencethe a buildi e e as his Noble Friend contemplated would probably h e more than 50,000/., and might be near 100,0001.; tepe es . ° did not see why, in well regulated county a s ylums, tu`e might not effect the object by classifying c r iminal hl e e ., tics, as well as they could effect it in an y s t a te asylo' The subject had been considered by a former Govern' went, and would be considered by :he present, and he hoped that his Noble Friend would b e sa t is fi e d with th assurance, on the part of the Government, that this sub: ject should not be lost sight of, end that he would not think it necessary to call on their Lordships to Ple d g e the House on the subject. Lord ORAN WOR DI said he hoped, after the eas e. ranee of the Noble Earl who hid just sat down, that his Noble Friend would not object to withdraw the motion. ol His Noble Friend st a t e d some d ou b ts whether the gether on an unsa ti s f actory f oot i ng. Hi s N o bl e Friel said it was th e h a bi t , b ot h o f j udges and j ur i es , to av° l O , responsibility by a ll ow i ng t hi s plea. Perhaps, as having had the honour, f or a l ong num b er of years, o f fillteg, the station of o no o f th e j u d ges administering criraiii justice, he (Lord C ranwort h) m i ght be suppose d to speak with some prejudice ; b u t h e must conscientiously 511 11 that he thought his N o bl e F r i end was quite w rong ' supposing that there wa s th e l east bi as of t h e kind re• ferred to in the minds of th e j u d ges , O n t h e c ontrail , it was the feeling of th e j u d ges t h at t h ey w ere bound ic) f law on the subject of th e pl ea o f i nsan i ty was n ot a ltoe : stand as a sort of obstacle to th e frequent tendency e e juries to shirk th e i r respons ibili t i es .—(H ea r, bear . .! He had found this i n hi s own pract i ce , an d he wets that that was the universal feeling of his brethren on the bench. As the question now raised viD, s . about to be taken into full consideration, it might be worse than idle to hazard an opinion se to what the character of the alteration of the law ought to be; but, having studied the subject, he did not hest- .- tate to express his decided opinion that the question of lunacy ought not to be trusted to the decision of the juries.—(Hear, hear.) The evils arising from leaving the question of the lunacy of a person being tried to be mixed up with the simple question of guilty or not guilty were very great; and, as their Lordships knew , it frequently happened that a jury would com promise, their difficulty by acquitting a prisoner on the groun d insanity. And this happened in numberless instances in which, as he (Lord ,Cranworth) believed, there Wa s no ground whatever for the conclusion as to the ier, sanity.—(Hear, hear.) His proposal to remedy this eel; was this: Cases in the criminal courts should be tried distinctly in reference to the fact, guilty or not guilty, of the offence; and, the right being permitted to the jury, on finding a man guilty, to observe upon their De . lief of the insanity ; this question would afterward s P r° l perly come to be inquired into before another tribuiee: which should be free from the prejudices which 0 al de: 3 n did operate upon ordinary juries. What this c rib . e boa. should be—whether compo se d o f th e S ecre tary ° „ti c s' and some other high functionary, or of was men—he would not now say, but that tribunal , ° f e u convinced, ought not to be an ordinary perm'ede hear) At present, because juries were itted te e a tide on the lunacy of a crim i nal, th e r e were contis'ior violations of oaths. And this ought to be stopped' b e d it defeated the ends of justice.—(H e ar, hear.) What been stated by his N o bl e F r i en d conv i n ced him nothing could be more mischievous than to mix c rienin _ lunatics with other lunatics. There was not, perhell s r distinction in genus b etween cr i m i na l l unat i cs and ~t t ier ,unatice, except in this : th a t, l unac y b e i ng pre.eraie e ;, e a a malady of the mind an d o f t h e i mag i nat i on , them I Z, - tog of a lunatic who h a d comm it te d no cr ime with E; sons guilty of crimes h a d a ten d ency to retard rec ove r y The Noble Lord opposite had said that there was a °No fusion in terms in speaking of " criminal lunatics• else doubt there was; but h e (L or d C ranwort h) should u" d to kno w, in those clas ses , h ow many were criminals an howm ow an , y were lunatice.---(Hear, hear, and laug hter ' ), The error of expression was in using the word "lunatic' The Earl of SHAFTESBURY replied, his satisfaction with the s p eec h es o f Lords Derby an Cranworth, and consentin g t o w i t hd r aw the motion . The motion was accordi ng ly w ithdrawn, and their Lordships adjourned. eXpressingd HOUSE OF COMMONS, March 18. IRISH SAVINGS BANKS. Mr. REYNOLDS then rose to move that this HOUSE) do, on Tuesday, the 23d day of March, resolve itself into is Committee, to consider of the losses sustained by the suf ferers in the late Cuffe-street Savings Bank, Dublin, and to move that an humble address be presented to h, r Most Gracious Majesty, praying that her Majesty may be pleased to take into her Royal co nsideration, and to grant them a comp ensa tion for their losses, a nd to as sure her Majesty that this House will make good the same. In a former session he had the honour of twice defeating her Majesty's Ministers ona u but the defeat was not followed by, tr : l :t r r uul and jher Majesty that ho should forma °l'niat laugh.) He might as well confess at once that the objecta of this motion was to recover the balance of 30,0001. which was due to 1,971 depositors of the Cuffe-street Bank, and he made the de tan n as an act of charity, but as a matter of right. The Gnment of the day were a.vare of the insolvency of the b an k l ong b e f or e the crisis b u t it waskept from the depositor , through motives of public policy. w M r. oa , , gnam made t h at s tatement be fore the Committee which sat is 1848, 1849, and 1850; and when he was asked w hat be mean t b y theterm „ er pubi . c policy," ho said, if the insolvency had been disclosed to the deposi tors it might have produced a panic and a run upon _, the savings-banks in the kingdom. The case h e law tasks to one; the bank failed through e out was a plain of • the fraudulent negligence the managers, and the Chan cellor of the Exchequer legally liable fur the time being b a d become o f t e h r a f lawyers and laymen had given it as their opiniP_ that th e d epos i tors ought to be paid out of the pu blic exchequer and an instalment of 30,0001. had in fact beta paid to tbem,—(ifear, hear.) There could be BO doubt then of the justice of this case, and he contende d that the time had arrived when the other 30,000/. ought to be made good by the State.— Bear, b ear.) At this bank the deficiency in the amount of deposits was 56,2291. 16s. 4d. The number which received a di vidend of 10s. in the pound was 1,927, and the mis er Y which was occasioned by the insolvency of the bank would be understood when he stated that two thirds of the depositors were females, who, by depositing small sums of money in the institution, thought they we re preparing for a rainy day. However, by the wink in g. ° f the authorities on this side of the Channel and tne frauds committed on the other side, the insolvency of the bank was suppressed, and the poor people found themselves victimized in 1848. It bad been admitted that the insolvency of the bank was known from 1833, and that the fact had been suppressed by the Commissioners on the grounds of public poli c Y n ' as they fared if it got into circulation then would be a run upon all similar ban ks in Ireland. H e had always treated the 30,0001. g iven t° the unfortunate depositors by the House as an instal ment, not as a final set'lenteut of their claims NV ber c i l the Commissioners sacrificed their money , t h e groun_ of public policy the House ought in justice to 1 1 °7 given ample compensettion. The House could 1):" act on the princip!e of charity. The peoPi e d were either entitled to the whole or they w ere not, a., 11 ..ed it not entitled to the whole, the House w as not jes""' bt* in voting them a single shiliiag. The Hon. Mom concluded by moving the resolutioti. Tee CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said' this was one of those distressing cases with which ell: M.ember sympathised. No doubt, a considerable portl°, of her Majesty'd subjects belonging to the poorer classes had suffered vary much by the failure of the Cutfe str h ' e r Bank. He was surprised that when the Host. Alt r a was so irsc3gnnnt with branches of the Administration_,e Ireland, be had spared the =nage rs and trustee s of :_°,l bank, whose conduct was cal timely as liagraut infamous us could well be imagined.— (Hear, hear.) rho did net think a one coule coet , nd that it vvs"' :ant duty of the G-overnmeut to coma torward a nd :ant amends for the wart of ability of :tut i o es of faith of the managers of these ins,crieg The only ground the House could have for Wier. in the Cutr—strcet Bank aas the pt culiar circum3t•ost'a'ea which distinguished it from other cases. Ther vote 30,0001. W W - 3 brought forward by the Govlsettle and accepted by the majority as a s us &abbe ment of - the question. He had serious 11 0' G Y ti I I ( bi ti ( gt I, it CE e a 1 I l 1 A'