The Sun. — London, England, 1848-08-02 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. ROUSE OF LORDS, August 1. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool- sack at Five o'clock.- ADMINISTRATION-OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed. ECCLESIASTICAL DIVISIONS BILL. The Commons' amendments to this Bill were agreed to. SAVINGS' BANKS (IRELAND). Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from certain depositors in St. Peter's Savings' Bank, Dublin, which had failed for 74,0001. In 1831, a Mr. Dunne was in default and absconded with a large sum in his bands. There was a great fault in international law with regard to swindlers. He had given a judgment in favour of Dr. Hussey for 60,0001., the person had gone to France, and had died there with the money in his possession, and there was no redress for Dr. Hussey. In the same way Dunne had absconded, and the people were advised to go on in the hopes of making up the deficiency of Dunne. They went on until the year 1845 subscribing, when 233,0001. was drawn out, leaving only 30,0001. in the bank, and they then stated to the Chancellor of the Exchequer the gross mismanagement and the gross frauds which had taken place without being checked by the authori ties. They had received deposits from persons exceed ing the amount permitted, contrary to law, and they opened several accounts for the same individual, con trary to law. The Government of that day never ex pressed any disapprobation, nor did they take any step to express their disapprobation. They therefore thought that all was right, and went on depositing until 1847, when the savings'-bank proved insolvent, having only 87/. to pay 47,000/. There was no class of the commnnity more entitled to protection than the de positors in savings'-banks, inasmuch as giving encourage ment to them was discouraging those grovellers who depended upon the relief to pauperism. He trusted their Lordships would give these 1,500 depositors every relief in their power. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was understood to 'Say that the subject had been referred to Mr. Tidd Pratt, but the Noble Marquis was nearly inaudible in the gallery . After a few words from Lord MONTEA.GLE,.the subject dropped. PETITIONS. The Earl of MOUNTCASHEL presented a petition from the grand jury of Monaghan, complaining of the interference of the Poor-law Commissioners with regard to the quarter-acre clause. SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY'S (ACTS AMENDMENT) BILL. Earl GRANVILLE moved the adjourned debate on the amendment moved on the third reading of this Bill. The Committee to whom the subject was referred was presided over in the House of Commons by Sir R. Peel, and the Committee of their Lordships had for its chair man the Noble Earl on the cross benches (the Earl of St. Germans), facts which insured a most patient and careful inquiry. He thought the . power given by the Bill to the company of running steamers in connexion with their line would not in the end prove to be a mono poly; but, on the contrary, would be advantageous to the public. The period was limited to 14 years, and the maximum rate of fares was fixed. This railway company had an interest themselves in establishing the greatest amount of accommodation for the public, not only to feed the traffic of their own-line, .but also to enable them to compete with other lines of communication between Lon don and the continent. They offered great advantages to the public by the performance of the voyages with much greater rapidity and regularity than before—a voyage which formerly occupied 23 hours having been accom plished in nine. The Bill had been considered carefully in Committee, and the general principle had not been objected to on the second reading. He hoped, therefore, that their Lordships would allow it to pass this stage, or they might lose the general character which they pos sessed tor the regularity with which they conducted the private business of that House. Lord WHARNCLIFFE did not find fault with the decision of the Commit , ee, but thought, if it had been possible, that it would have been desirable to have re committed the Bill for a day or two, in order that the question then under discussion might be more fully considered. He should, however, support the third read ing of the Bill, believing that a strong case had been made out in favour of the company being allowed to es tablieh steamers in connexion with their line. The Earl of HARROWBY opposed the principle of allowing railway companies to establish steam-boats in connexion with their lines; and with reference to the South-Western Railway, he did not see that the com munication between Southampton and the Channel Islands and the coast of France was beyond the reach of private enterprise. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE considered that their Lordships, having appointed a tribunal to investi gate the merits of their private Bills, were bound to sup port its decision. He should vote foi the Bill apart from its merits, on the ground that the Committee of both Houses to which it had been referred had reported in its favour. He was as great an enemy to monopoly as the Noble Earl opposite, and it was because he was so that he objected to the principle being laid down t h a t in no case should a railway company have power to run steam-boats, , , but wished every question to be treated on its own merits. . The amendment was then put and negatived, and the Bill was read a third time and passed. Their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, August 1. FARMERS' ESTATE SOCIETY (IRELAND) BILL. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Mr. ROGUE said the great panacea required for Ireland was the investment of capital; but this would be altogether prevented if the support of the poor on land purchased was made a permanent charge upon a com pany like this. Mr. P. SCROPE wished to prevent the eviction of a large class of persons in Ireland, and he knew of no better mode of effecting this than by compelling the company to support those whom they evicted. He supported the amendment, and trusted the Government would agree to it. Mr. DIONSELL said if he considered the Bill calcu lated to evict the small cottiers of Ireland, that he should not give it his support. He supported it because it would tend to the improvement of the land and employ the idle poor. Mr. ALCOCK supported the amendment. Mr. P. HOWARD said the clause compelling the company to support persons whom they had evicted for five years would lead to those people remaining during the whole et that time in idleness, instead of striving to support themselves by honest labour. Colonel DUNNE said he would. net oppose the wish of the Government, and would consequently withdraw his amendment for the present, hoping at the same time that the Government would be prepared to pledge itself to support his amendment when the report was brought up. Sir G. GREY said it was not a Government measure, but he considered that the louse would support the Hon. and Gallant Member in his amendment when the report was brought up. After a lengthened discussion, in which Mr. Augustus Stafford, Sir G. Grey, Sir D. Norreys, Mr Reynolds, Mr. Henley, Mr. Roche, Mr. Alcock, Mr. P. Howard, and other Hon. Members took part, Colonel DUNNE withdrew the clause, and said that he should bring forward an amended one on the brieg ing up of the report. The other clauses were• then agreed to, as was also the preamble, and the report; was ordered to be brought up on Friday, at twelve o'clock. PAROCHIAL DEBT AND AUDIT BILL. The Committee on this Bill was postponed to Friday, at twelve o'clock. POOR-LAW UNION. The Committee on the Poor-Law Union Distrie Schools Bill waspostponedto Friday, at twelve o'clock, HIGHWAY RATES BILL. This Bill went through Committee, and was ordered to be reported to-morrow. COURT OF JUSTICIARY (SCOTLAND) BILL. The Committee on this Bill was postponed till to morrow, at tweivo o'clock. CALEDONIAN . CANAL BILL. This Bill vas read a third time F.nd passed. CONSTABULARY FORCE (IRELAND) BILL. This Bill W 3.3 read a third time and passed. LOAN SOCIETIES BILL. The Committee on this Will was postponed till Friday. FEES (COURT OF CHANCERY) BILL. The report on this Bill was brought up. TURNPIKE ACTS CONTINUANCE BILL. _ The second reading of the Bill was postponed ti Friday, at twelve o'clock. The House than adjourned until Five o'clock. -________ The SPEAKER resumed the Chair at Five o'clock. Sir B. lIALL presented a petition from the parish of St. Yancgss against the increased police rate. THE NATIONAL LAND SCHEME. Mr. HAYTER brought up the report of the Commit tee appointed to inquire into the state of Mr. Foargus O'Connor's National Land Scheme. On the motion of Mr. O'CONNOR, it was read by the Clerk at the table. The report, alter stating that the evidence taken before the Committee would be laid upon the table, proceeded to state that the Co mMittee had come_ to the following resolutions: — " I st. Th at b y this Is,i i. 9.t c prop o s e d to make additional provisions to the ;i ; eit i . 11 9 Societies Act, which is incorporated with the B . " 1 in question, and. to alter and amend the 9th and I , oth of Victoria for the amendment of the law relating to friendly societies, but the Bill does not include th e National Land Land Company. 2 d. That the general principle Company is nut consistent with the upon which friendly societies are founded. 3d. That the National Land Company, as at pres.qui constituted, is b an illegal scheme, and will not fulfil the expectations held out by the directors to the shareholders. 4th. That it appears to the Committee, of and by the evidence several witnesses, that the whole system of proceedingaceonitts i the National Land Com pany, as well as the been most imper• f ec tiy kept ; that the origival' have balance-sheets signed by the auditors hav e been destroyed and h that only three of these balance - sheets , n amely , for t the 29th Sept ember, the 25th December, ia‘o 1847, and the 25th March, I S 4B, respectively, b quarters ending' i gone abroad hi s pro duced ; but Mr. O'Connor havingz::) e having ' been opinion that a n im p ression had road that the moneys subscribed by the National Land Company had been applie d to his own benefit. this Committee are clearly of opinion that, although the accounts have not been. kept with strict r e g ularity, yet that irregularit y has been against Mr. O'Connor 's evidenceisad of i . his favour; for it appear s by the of Mr. Gray that there is due to Mr. O'Connor the sum of 3,2981. ss. 3id., and by Mr. Finlaison's account the sum of 3,4001. sth.. That considering the great number of persons interested in the scheme, and the bona fides with which it appears to have been carried on, it is the opi nion a this Committee that power might be granted to • • ,* THE SUN, the parties concerned, if they should so desire it, to wind up the undertaking and relieve them from the penalties to which they may haya subjected themselves. In submitting these resolutions, it is the opinion of the Committee that it ought to be left entirely open to the parties concerned to propose to Parliament any new measure for carrying out the expectations and objects of the promoters of the company." Mr. O'CONNOR said, with regard to the financial statement of the report, he begged to state that although the balance sheets were not produced, the book from which these balance-sheets were made were laid before the Committee. The resolutions were exceedingly favour able to him, but he could not allow an impression to go abroad, that those workmen who had been managing this company under his direction were liable to any odium for the irregularities complained of. Having stated thus much, and that the resolutions were unani mously come to, he had only to appeal to the Chairman and the other Members of the Committee, to say whether every facility was not afforded to them to investigate the accounts and the affairs of the company. Mr. HAYTER bore his willing testimony to the truth of the statement made by the Hon. and Learned Gentle man. Every facility was given to the Committee to in vestigate the accounts, and the other matters relating to the accounts. Every officer that was called for was produced, and • the accounts were regularly investigated by an accountant appointed by the Committee, and the result had been such as stated in the resolutions. With regard to the general question, he should be quite ready to go into that when the evidence was in the hands of Hon. Members, and it only remained for him to confirm the statement of the Hon. and Learned Gentleman that the resolutions were unanimously agreed to by the Com mittee. Sir B. HALL wished to say a few words with regard to the observations which had fallen from the Hon. and Learned Gentleman. He perfectly agreed with him that every facility was given to the Members of the Committee to investigate the affairs of the company ; but at the same time he could not conceal from himself the fact that the whole of the original accounts stated to have been audited by Mr. Cuffay and Mr. Knight, with the exception of the accounts ending for the quarters of September, December, 1847, and March, 1848, had been destroyed.— (Hear ; hear.) He wished to ask the Honouralele Gentleman what course he intended to take in order to effect the complete registra tion of the company ; and he also wished to know whether he proposed to make over the estates vested in his name to those persons who, under the rules and regulations of:the society, were entitled to them. Mr. O'CONNOR thought the course that had been pursued by the Hon. Baronet was rather uncandid and unfair to him (Mr. O'Connor), for he had sought upon the bringing up of the report to cast imputations upon his motives. With respect to the question that had been put to him, the only answer he could give was that it was left by the report of the Committee to the propounders and promoters of the society to say whether, they would wind up the society, or apply to Parliament for power to carry it on. With respect to the second question, he had offered to the Committee to apply to the House to give him power to hand over the property to the parties who had agreed to purchase it. The report was then ordered to be received. On the question that it be printed, Mr. O'CONNOR said that the Hon. Baronet had attempted to confuse the accounts of the financial secretary with his (Mr. F. O'Connor's) accounts. Mr. HAYTER, in answer to a question from Mr. Bouverie, said that according to the calculations of the accountant, it would be from 150 to 230 years before parties could obtain the benefits that had been held out to them by this society.—(A laugh.) Mr. G. THOMPSON bore his testimony to the entire exoneration of the Hon. Member for Nottingham from the charge made against him, that in the prosecution of this scheme he only considered his own benefit, and not that of the working classes. The report was then ordered to be printed. DISEASE AMONG CATTLE. Mr. LABOUCHERE (in answer to a question) said he hoped in a few days t 6 introduce two Bills on this subject, one for prohibiting the importation of foreign cattle when suspected to be diseased, the other to enable the Government to take measures for checking the spread of disease. HORSHAM ELECTION. Mr. S. WORTLEY called the attention of the House to the petition of W. R. S. Fitzgerald, Esq., a Member of the House, complaining of the recognizances entered into in respect of the petition against his return, and moved that the consideration of all election petitions be postponed till next session. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL thought that the ob jections raised against the recognizances were really fri volous, and ought not to be permitted to nullify the peti tion, particularly as those recognizances were only mat ters of form, and that the errors complained of would be rectified by the certificate of the examiner. He could only regard tue objection as a technical quibble, and was quite sure that his Hon. Friend only made the present motion to enable him (the Solicitor-General) to state his opinion on the subject. Mr. S. WORTLEY nodded assent, and expressed his intention of withdrawing the motion. Mr. M. MILNES hoped the motion would not be withdrawn. Ho thought it absurd to appoint an Election Committee and they so close upon the 12th of August.— (A laugh.) Sir W. HEATUCOTE did not see why the conside ration of the subject should not be proceeded with dur ing the present session. Mr. S. WORTLEY said, that as it was not his wish originally to press his motion unless it had the concur rence of the House, he would withdraw it. The motion was accordingly withdrawn. THE LAW OF MARRIAGES. In answer to Sir It H. INGLIS, Mr. S. WORTLEY said that he was in hopes that he would be enabled to bring in his Bill on this subject at an early hour to-morrow (this day). Mr. GOULBURN made an observation, after which Mr. S. WORTLEY said that he thought it very de sirable that the people of this country should be in session of the fact that there was an intention to propose an alteration in the law respecting marriages which would have a retrospective as well as a prospective effect. CHURCH TEMPORALITIES. Mr. HORSMAN, in moving " That a humble address be epresented to her Majesty, praying that she will be pleased to take into her consideration the whole condi tion of the Established Church as regards its temporali ties; that she will direct an inquiry to be made into the full value of all Church property under lease, and cause such measures to be prepared as may make the revenues of the Church more conducive to the religious teaching of the people," observed that legislation on ecclesiastical matters had been most difficult and ineffective, inasmuch as there were no clear rules laid down for the adminis tration of ecclesiastical affairs. For instance, some people thought that the Church was intended to main tain the dignity of the Crown r and others supposed that it was merely instituted for the purpose of benefiting the clergy belonging to it, and a third class imagined that it was a system which was adopted on account of the immense patronage which it afforded. The Church was then looked upon as a vast corporate body, and they could not proceed to legislate on it without exposing all the evils which had existed for some time. They must, in the first place, ascertain how far, according to the first principles on which the Esta blishment was originally founded, the intentions of its founders were carried out. Now they would find that it was for the instruction of the people that the parochial system was instituted, that cathedrals and churches were erected, that prelates were ordained, and that en dowments were granted. All that tended to carry out that intention ought to be confirmed and strengthened by them, and all obstacles in its way should be removed. He confined his motion to the temporalities of the Church, as it was a branch of the subject with which Parliament could most easily deal. To show how far the original intention of the founders of the Caurch Establishment was carried out, he would state his conviction that there was no country in the world in which there existed so much wealth and poverty, so much learning and ignorance, so much zeal and indifference, so much piety and absolute heathenism, as in this country—in no country where Christianity-was known, was there so large a proportion of the populetiou so totally uninformed, and so totally removed from all the influences of Christianity as abso lutely to ignore its very name. That fact was univer sally acknowledged, and it was their duty to provide a remedy. He was ready to admit that a good deal had been done to remedy that evil, and that during the last few years Acts had been passed by which the Church was raised in the scale of popularity much higher than in former years ; and that much had been done by the activity and zeal of benevolent societies ; but they could not root out the evils entirely, unless they removed the defects- which existed in the machinery. Tke pre sent system was one which was fraught with wasteful ness and improvidence, and by which the Church Establishment lost materially. A Committee set some sessions ago to make inquiries into the subject, and they got information from some which was refuted by others. The present Archbishop of Canterbury, who was then the Bishop of Chester, stated his income to be 3,900/. a year, while his rental was said to be 16,2361. a year, making a difference of 25 per cent. The late Archbishop stated his income to be 22,0001. a year, while the rental was stated to be 52,0001. a year, making a loss of 30,000 1 . per annum. The Archbishop of York gave his income at 13,000/. a year, but the rental was no less than 41,0001., being a loss of 28,000/. The Eon. Gen tleman brought forward the evidence of Mr. k keilaise t , the Government actuar y , to show what loss the,Churcl; sustained under the present system, and compained of i we a r l obliged e . thepresteon attendt state toof ttehminpgosrualnmdearttwerhsicihosttheeadproef tu l that the system of fines should e Mr. Finlaison's scheme for the remedy he abo s f h t ehdi this Evil n i i d w e a n s ohothseorldprefoprowshalatwiats,wothoaidt fetch, the Cahnudr ethhatptrhoepeirntcymnsheosuoldf ef is r 3 e s fu h r a n c s i which h ler h e tt y d s b h e o e u n ld m b ad e e in h c o re f a o s u e o d d th th e a r e t b t a h ' e not been very effective in attaining the objects for A B c y t ot Cho which it was passed. Those returns stated that 2,553 clergymen were non-resident at their benefices by license and gave of their bishops, and that 900 clergymen were non-resident without any license or dispensation for being absent, which facts showed that the law.wits not enforced as it ought to be. Having thus stated the ge neral circumstances of the case—having shown that there was an available surplus of 800,0001. which might be applied to the purposes of the Church, the hat ques tion to be considered was in what way to appropriate this surplus fund; He had shown that there were 6,8)0 living with endo wmen t s o f l e ss than 3001. a year to each. The fact itself wa s a sca ndal to the Church, nrr would he rest until he had made every effort to remove it.— (Hear, h ear .) , Of the 6,800 underpaid livings, one half were in the gift of the Crownor of the pablic, and to raise them to 3001., a year each would reqaire the sam of 435,0001. To endow the remaining underpaid livhigs in the gift of private individuals would absorb 265,0001. So that with 700,0001. the whole of these 6,800 livings would be raised to a proper and adequate stipend. By this means a resident clergy would be attained, to the great advantage of the population, and if in conjunction with these steps it was provided that large districts should be divided the whole of the present evils would, in a great degree, be removed. The inquiry which he now pro posed to institute was of the same nature as that which was entrusted by the Noble Lord (Lord John Russell) to a Committee of the House some years ago. The mode of appropriating the surplus revenues of the Church now proposed by him was the same that had been approved of by the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. Goulburn), and adopted by the Right Hon. Baronet (Sir R. Peel) and his party ; and under these circum stances he felt that he had some right to expect his motion would not be opposed. There never was a time when the Church had more friends than it now possessed, nor was there ever a period when there existed less of party jealousy than at the present moment. The most eff,c tual mode of averting danger from the Church was by strengthening its hold upon the attachment of the peo ple. He trusted, therefore, that it would not be thought necessary to delay the inquiry which he proposed. He was certain that the time was come at which it ought to be instituted, and with these views he called upon the House to support the motion which he was about to make. The Hon. Member concluded his speeds amidst loud cheers, by moving for an address in the terms al ' ready stated at the commencement of his speech. Sir E. N. BUXTON rose to second the motion. He rejoiced that his Hon. Friend had brought forward his proposal, and that he had done so in such a manner as that no one could accuse him of being actuated by a hos tile spirit to the Church.—(Cries of " llear, hear.") If the suggestions made by him were acted on, they would confer a real blessing on the people of England, and greatly strengthen the hands of the Church. He would not go over the same ground that his lion. Friend had recently traversed. The facts of the case were very plain. In the year 1836 the Noble Lord now at the head of the Government had admitted the surplus fund to exist, but no step had been taken to apply it to the purposes now suggested. Even the Right Hon. Baronet and the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite agreed in saying that the ecclesiastical surplus funds ought to be applied to render the Church more efficient. If some portion of those surplus funds were to be supplied to the purposes of the City Missions, they would be most ad vantageously appropriated in so far as religion and mo rality were concerned. It was of the greatest moment that there should be adequate stipends provided for the clergy and for those engaged in the City Missions. The motion being put from the Chair, Lord J. RUSSELL said he had heard the speech of the Hon. Member with great satisfaction, for it was one which every one interested in the welfare of the Church would approve of, and no objectionable topics had been introduced into it. The proposal made by the Hon. Mem ber was worthy of serious consideration; at the seine time the whole subject was, he felt, encompassed with practical difficulties. The property of the Church had been truly represented by the Hon. Member as being of far greater value than the amount received by the bishops and other clergy. There was now an in quiry making by a Committee on the subject of Church leases. But he could not say that he would give his ap proval to any scheme for dealing with that class of pro perty until he had seen the report of that Committee. It was, however, obvious that if the scheme based, on Mr. Finlaison s calculations was to be carried into execution a very long time must elapse before any benefit cauld be derived from the Church property, and in the interval the incomes of the clergy must be augmented from some other source. If, on the other hand, the scheme of selling the leases was at once adopted, the danger of losing all the prospective increase of income would be ob vious, and the Church 40 years hence would be greatly impoverished when the increasing population would re quire greater efficiency than now on the part of the clergy. Such were the difficulties which, in his estimation, sur rounded the question. At the same time he had no hesita tion in saying that the main proposition of the Hon. Member was well founded, and that he was justified in looking to the increased value of Church p ro p ert y as the source for increasing the incomes of the working clergy. lie did riot, however, feel quite sure that he agreed in the Hon. Member's opinion as to the importance of increasing the stipend of every clergyman up to a certain amount, whilst other important objects were yet to be achieved. There were parishes with small congregations which might be advantageously consolidated. But there were difficulties in the shape of advowsons which prevented those cases from being dealt with as if the parishes were within the gift of the Crown, or were public patronage, when such consolidation might easily be effected. For his own part, he did not think it advisable to address the Crown to issue a commission for the purpose of request ing bishops and clergymen to state the amounts of their incomes and the full value of the leases granted by them. He owned he should be very willing to get this information, but not by means of a commission nominated by the Crown, which would in some degree be compulsory. The Hon. Mem ber had truly stated that the bishops formerly refused to give any information or to make any such return of the value of the leases held under them. It was not becom ing in the House to place the Crown in the position of being subjected to such a refusal. The question of making such returns compulsory on the bishops and the clergy was not before the House, and he hoped it would satisfy the - Hon. Member if he (Lord J. Russell) declared, which he was prepared to do, that he was willing to treat the present subject as he had done a former motion of a similar description, and promise to consider how best to attain the object had in view, that, namely, of getting a knowledge of the value of Church property under leases. The present system was a wasteful one, and that arose from the bishops not having more than a life interest in the property sander their charge. With respect to the rights of the lessees, if the property of the Church was ample enough to provide for all the purposes required, he should not have been disposed to construe them too strictly ; but as the reverse was noto riously, the case, as the wants of the people were far beyond the existing means of the Church, and as there were daily rising into notice large districts calling for spiritual care, all considerations for the lessees vanished, and the absolute duty of making the most of the Church property became obviouS and paramount. The Hon. Member was, however, hardly justified in saying that the Act of IE3B, respecting pluralities and abseentees, was a failure, for it was not intended to apply to the then ex isting generation of beneficed clergymen, but to their successors, and it had already produced the most marked and beneficial results. Having made these few remarks, he should not oppose the motion of the Hon. Member ; but he could only repeat his hope, that he would not, by persevering in it, place the Crown in the position of being liable to sustain a refusal to obeyits precepts on the part of any bishop or clergyman. Sir R. INGLIS said that the Hon. Member had repeatedly triumphed, without being obliged to fight any battle, on occasions like ithe present. The virtual con cession of the Prime Minister was sufficient to satisfy a more ambitious mind than that of the Hon. Member. It had been asserted by him that the Church property amounted to three, four, or five millions. Now the re turns of that property told him that its annual value was 'not greater than 2,300,0001., and the remainder of the 4,000,0001. must be made up by computing the value of Church property which was entirely absorbed by laymen. He begged also to recall the fact to mind, in respect to the proposed method of dealing with Church leases, that the holders of those leases were considered to be as much entitled to them as any Hon. Member was to possess his freehold estate. He entirely agreed with the Hon. Baronet (Sir E. N. Buxton) as to the spiritual destitution of the metropolis ; but he did not think that the Church property ought to be appropriated to the purposeseof the City Mission, as proposed by him. He was glad to find that the Noble Lord did not approve of an address to the Crown, though, practically speaking, n j t u h s e ti li ce " joinM e m i b n e r t h h a e d gained e h n i t s o e le t j e c t t n , yeem dispo sitionuLlsi t no r i n not be i. e i t is party e au bny d N f o h at b e hn d respecting; tn woundthe f fairness r i n n e d s i s v i a d n u d a entirels displayed o sh ti o o ui n d Me iA m ir b . e \ r v i . n p b . ri vv ng o in o g p fo s r a w id ar t d h h at is h m e to urge his Hon. Friend to insist upon pressing mo tion after the statement which had been made by the Noble Lord. No one could deny that the Church pro perty had been very much :mismanaged. He did not participate in the fears of the Noble Lord, that informs,- tiou us to the value of Church leases would be refused by the present life proprietors. The Church property must be considered to be in a great degree upon the same footing as corporate property ; and a Royal Commission having successfully inquired into the value of corporate property, so a similar inquiry into ecclesiastical pro perty would be attended with success. He did not be lieve that the bishops, deans, and other, clergy would deem it either consistent with their duty or their respect to the Crown to refuse any information respecting their leases. He hoped, however, the necessary information would be otherwise obtained. The Church property ought to be so managed as to produce the greatest amount of rental ;' whereas the reverse was the fact. A remarkable case had occurred subsequent to the fire in York Minster. The dean and chapter had not the funds necessary for repairs, but they had an estate in Ser geant's-inn, Fleet-street, and, at their suggestion,:an Act was passed for its sale. The property sold for 11,4651.; the law costs were 1,400/.—(Hear, hear.) The dean and chapter for their individual claims took 6,7001., and the consequence was that there remained but 1,6691. for the repairs, and 1,6461. to be invested for the use of the church. Such was the working of church leases. — (Hear, hear.) He bad had some experience in these matters in London and Westminster, and his belief was that during the last fifty years from forty to sixty thousand pounds had been lost to the Church by the mode of working the leases. His Honourable and Learned Friend the Member for Cockermouth had been taken to task for his estimate of the income of the Church. Now he (Mr. Wood) thought it not at all over stated. It would be found that the commuted tithes amounted to three millions in round numbers, and the uncommuted were • rated at one-sixth of that amount. Then the general income of the clergy, independent of tithes, amounted to making 860,0001., • ng an aggregate not very different from that whi c h hi s Hon. and Learned Friend had taken.—(Hear, hear.) There was this to be remembered, their property which had been valued to the Church Commissioners at 120,0001. had since it had come under their management, produced 300,0001., so that the probability was , that if the Church income had been returned as worth 4,600,000/, its real value was not far short of fi v e millio ns. — (Hear, hear.) ear, His Hon. and Learned Friend had not said, nor did he, that this was too much for the legitimate purposes of the Church ; but he trusted that the time was not far off when it would be distributed snore equally than was the case at present.—(Hear.) Mr. GOULBURN was desirous of expressing his sa tisfaction at the tone and temper with which the Hon. and Learned Member for Cockermouth had introduced the subject; and as he (Mr. Goulburn) had had the misfortune to differ from the Hon. and Learned Member on a former occasion, be could assure him on the pre- LONDON, WEDNESDAY sent that in the tone and tenor of his observations he ! house. In a minute or two he came out, bringing with entirely concurred.--(Hear, hear.) He believed that 'elm a poker, with which he ran at. the prosecutor, the bishops and clergy would have no hesitation in and struck him a blow over the left eye. The injury making returns of their incomes should such returns be inflicted was very severe; it being the opinion of the sur deemed necessary for the public good; and, indeed, a goon that probably the sight was entirely destroyed. proof of their promptitude had been given in 1833, For the prisoner a witness was called, who stated that when a requisition of that nature was at once complied the prosecutor, when he first went to the prisoner's, at with. But in this case it was not the incomes of the tacked him and threw him down; and when he came the bishops and clergy which alone were required.—(Hear, second time with the other men he endeavoured to force near.) The lessees would be called upon to state the his way into the prisoner's house, and that the injury incomes they derived from Church property, and then was inflicted in the course of a scuffle which then took they would find a difficulty which must be treated place. with all delicacy and caution.—(Hear, hear.) The The jury found the prisoner Guilty, under circum- Honourable and Learned Member for Cockermouth had stances of strong provocation; and spoken of the miserable incomes of some of the clergy, The Learned JUDGE sentenced him to six months' and had given it as his opinion that no clergyman should imprisonment with hard labour. have less than 3001. a year. He (Mr. Goulburn) did (Before Mr. Justice PATTESON.) not consider the state of existing benefices of so much Joseph North, Thomas Innocent ; Thomas Dunnicliffe, importance as the means of providing new ones, so as to and William Newham, were indicted for a riot, on the meet the wants of a rapidly increasing population. He 30th of June last, at Melton Mowbray. The first and admitted with the lion. and Learned Member that non- third counts charged them with riotously playing at foot residence was an evil, but it was one which had been ball, and the second with riotously assembling together greatly abated during the last few years. From returns and committing a breach of the public peace. furnished in 1835, it appeared th a t out of 10,571 benefices, Mr. Mellor and Mr. Vaughan conducted the prosecii the number then existing in England, 6,792 were resident, Lion a Mr. Macaulay defended Newham, and Mr. Flood and 3,779 non-resident. The latest return was that of the other three. 1844, which showed that while the number of benefices The occurrence happened in a field called the Play bad increased to 11,127, the number of non-residents Close, the property of Lord Melbourne, across which was only 2,800. Since that time, from the steps which had there was a public footway, and wherein the people had been taken by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners toprovide immemorially been accustomed to play games and enjoy residences, it might fairly be presumed that the number other recreation. It seemed that on one side of this of non-residents had further diminished. But he had no close some cottages and outhouses had been built, which wish to confine their exertions to what had already been the prisoner and others had deemed to be an infringe done, and therefore should cheerfully concur in any ment of their rights, and on •the 30th of June they as'. measure calculated to increase the efficiency of the sembled to the number of two hundred, made a great up- Church, and he trusted it would be done in a manner roar, and began playing at football, as alleged, merely as calculated to carry with it the co-operation of the reli- a pretence for creating the riot in question. Newham gious portion of the community. That the Church pro- kicked the football into a certain place of convenience, perty had not been managed in the best possible manner and he and the three other defendants followed it, and was a fact that could not be denied, but still that was a amid the shouting and cheering of the mob pulled fate which it only shared in common with property down the place and damaged the wall of one of the managed by lay incorporations. He believed that even cottages. without the interference of Parliament great exertions The jury, after some deliberation, returned a verdict would be made by those interested in the religious in- of Not Guilty. struction of the people to put it on a better footing; and, The trial excited a good deal of interest, the distur moreover, that any reasonable proposition would meet bances at the place in question having been frequent, and with universal concurrence amongst the bishops and threatening letters received. clergy of the Established Church. Elizabeth Chaplin, aged 30, pleaded guilty to an in- Lord J.RUSSELL asked whether the Honourable and dictment charging her with having on the 2d of May Learned Member for Cockermouth would not withdraw last, at Kegworth, endeavoured to conceal the birth of his motion. a bastard child, and was sentenced to be imprisoned and Mr. HORSMAN was quite in the hands of the House- kept to hard labour for six calendar months. He was quite prepared to place full reliance on the as- This concluded the business of these assizes, at half surance of the Noble Lord, but at the same time he past six o'clock. thought it right to state that he had brought the subject forward on various occasions, and had always been met with the same answer, namely, that there was some dif ficulty in the way, hut that the subject would be taken into consideration. He felt the question to be so important that he could not express too forcibly his hope that during the recess no opportunity would be lost of en forcing upon those interested the necessity of obeying the general opinion of that House and of the country.— (Ilear, hear.) When the House met next year, his first duty on the first night of the session would be to ask the Noble Lord what they were to expect as the results of the recess. He trusted that the result would be a mea sure as comprehensive as the occasion required, and he telt that in passing it the Noble Lord would have the full concurrence of the House.—(Hear, hear.) He must say that he had not been convinced by the reasoning of the Noble Lord. He could not believe that any bishop would refuse his consent to the inquiry proposed, the more especially as at present they required it from the lessees on their application to renew their leases. The lion. and Learned Member in conclusion consented to withdraw his motion. Mr. FREWEN had remained in the House for the purpose of recording his vote in favour of the motion of the Hon. and Learned Member for Cockermouth. With respect to pluralities, of which a great deal had been said, he could not help wishing that the Archbishop of Canterbury would take the course which some years since had been adopted by the Primate of Ireland, namely, that of refusing to grant to any clergyman a dispensation to hold more than one benefice. Motion by leave withdrawn. CASE OF THE SHRAPNELL FAMILY. Mr. URQUHART being called on, said that, in the absence of the Secretary to the Board of Ordnance, he would postpone his motion relative to the claims of the above family on account of the invention of the late General Shrapnel' until the next supply night. Lord JOHN RUSSELL hoped, looking at the state of public business, that the lion. Member would fix his motion for a notice night. Mr. URQUHART could have disposed of his motion in five minutes had the Secretary of the Board of Ord nance been present. He must persist in fixing it for he Committee of Supply. Motion postponed until the first supply night. The House adjourned at a Quarter to Nine o'clock. WESTERN CIRCUIT. 7 -Bodmin, July 31. The Devon , assizes terminated on Friday afternoon. The last cause was an action brought by the assignees of the Honiton Bank against one of the customers of that bank for balanee of an account. The matter ex tended over a period of many years, and to the extent of upwards of 100,000/. Mr. Butt, in opening the plain tiff's case to the jury, stated that, in general, juries were told that a case would last some hours, but in the pre sent instance he was sorry to inform them they would be detained at least ten days, and then they would be paid Bd. for their attendance. The instantaneous effect pro-. duced on the jury by this announcement was perfectly ludicrous. One of them jumped up and stated that he had come into the box, understanding that the cause was a short one, but that he was exceedingly unwell, and he entreated the Court to excuse him. After some time the counsel consented to try the case with eleven jurors, and that fortunate man was permitted to leave the box. The jury were then told that they must take pen, ink. and paper, and put down the different cheques that would be produced in evidence, most of which were under 201., and when the cause was over they must add them up, and then go into a minute calculation of interest. This seemed completely to upset the jury. The foreman rose, and, amidst roars of laughter, by his gestures appeared to be imploring the judge to allow him to retire. The judge was almost convulsed. At length, when silence was in some degree restored, the foreman begged to go home. This, however, he was told was impossible, and the cause proceeded till three o'clock, when the parties came to an arrangement, and the jury were told that they were dis charged, and that the country was indebted to them for their services. We may here state that upon one occa sion during the assizes, a juryman observed to the judge that he and some of his fellows had been serving for some days, and he hoped they might be allowed to go home. Mr. Justi2e COLERIDGE replied, that he wished he could grant the request, but it was impossible; he knew how hard it was upon the jurors. In his opinion the jury should be selected from a different class of men. It was a mistake to suppose that because persons had been summoned as special jurymen they were therefore exempt from serving on common juries. He was glad to find that in Devonshire the juries had now been se lected from a superior class of persons. The Learned Judge had given a similar opinion on a former occasion. It appears to be the practice to sum mon persons of what may be termed " low degree " as jurymen, while the rich and well educated are scarcely ever troubled, and then they receive a guinea tor per forming a duty for which the other men get only eight-pence in the Nisi Prius Court, and nothing in the Crown. PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS HOUSE OF LORDS, JULY 31. INCUMBERED ESTATES (IRELAND) BILL. THE COMMONS' AMENDMENTS. CONTENE MAJORITY PRESENT, 28. Wicklow Beaumont Strafford Saye and Sele Devon Campbell Morley Camoyc Spencer Cotteuham Forteseua . Foley Miuto Elphinstone Shaftesbury Langdale Waldegrave Sudeley Wrotteeley Eddisbury The commission was opened on Saturday at Bodmin. The High Sheriff met the Judges at. the entrance of the town; but he did not pay them the respect to which they are accustomed. Instead of four horses to his carriage DuKk. Norfolk Disaguxsits. Lansdowne Ileadiort Clanricarde he had but a pair of very small ones, put to an immensely Mite carriage, cutting a most miserable appearance. The . . calendar for this county is heavy in p6iiit of number, there being 45 prisoners for trial; the offences, however, EARLI. Auckland Granville Grey are light. There are 10 cases in the cause list. The BARONS. Byron Judges attended Divine service yesterday. This morn ing Mr. Justice Coleridge took his seat in the Crown Court, and Mr. Justice Williams sat at Nisi Prius. NON-CONTENT. MINORITY PRESENT, 10. ➢Lountcashell BARONS. Glengall Stanley NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—Durham, July 31. EARLS. Warwick The assizes for this county commenced this morning, Mr. Justice Erie presiding at Nisi Prius, and Mr. Justice Cresswell in the Crown Court. The cause list contains 17 causes, of which two are special juries —viz., " Nicholson v. Attwood" and " Hodg son v. Smith." ... _ Malmesbory Redesaale Ellenborough VISCOUNT. Monteagle Egllnton Ilawarden PAIRS. Earl of CamperdoWn Earl of Sefton Lord Poltimore Earl of Zetland Lord Cremorne Earl of Scarborough Earl Fitzhardinge Earl of Effingham Lord Liltord Lord Bateman Viscount Clifden Earl of Charlemont Lord Stafford Bishop of Norwich Earl Veralam Earl Radnor Lord Ilatherton Bishop of Manchester Bishop of Hef eford Bishop of Durham Lord Colborne Lord Milford Earl of Orkney Lord Feversham Lord Bolton Duke of Richmond Lord De Ros Lord De Freyno Earl of Munster Earl of Cardigan Lord Wynford Earl Poulett Lord Forester Viscount Canterbury Marquis of Ely Earl Digby Earl of Harrowby Lord Downes Lord Ternplemore Lord Colchester Lord Sondes Lord Doneraile Marquis of Salisbury Duke of Cleveland The Crown calendar is somewhat heavy, and contains the names of 54 persons to be tried. Some of these are for ordinary larcenies; but there is one for murder, two for manslaughter, one for rape, one for an attempt to commit same offence, one for concealing the birth of a child, two for offences against the coin of the realm, 13 foriburglary, five for felonioUsly wounding, one for arson, , one for bigamy, four for stealing from the person, and one for sheep-stealing. CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice CRESSwELL.) Joseph Beaney, aged 22, was charged with having, on the 26th instant, at Chester-le-street, feloniously killed and slain John Burn. Mr. Fenwiek appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Matthews for the prisoner. _ _ It appeared that the prisoner and deceased, together with three or four other men, were assembled together at a public-house called the Mill•house, on Black Fell. One of the party, named Thornton, had been married the day before, and was giving them a treat. Words arose between deceased and the prisoner, in consequence of the former having uttered an expression against the charac ter of the' mother of the latter, and those words led to a fight between the two men, in which four rounds tools place, and which resulted in the death of Burn, who was severely struck and cut about the head and face, and who expired almost immediately at the close of the fourth round. The men had gone out for the purpose of fight ing, but the Learned Counsel for the prosecution stated that it was a fair stand-up fight, no foul play having been resorted to by the prisoner. Mr. Robert Davis, the surgeon called in, gave his opinion that Burn had died of concussion of the brain, and that that had been produced by the blows observ able, and received in the fight.' Under these circumstances, as the cause of death could not be disputed, and that it evidently arose in the con test above described, Mr. Matthews declined addressing the jury,' who were directed by the Learned Judge that if they credited the evidence, there could be no doubt as to the offence charged having been committed. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. NORFOLK ClRCUlT.—lpswich, August 1 The commission for this county, the last on the cir cuit, was opened yesterday afternoon, and their Lord ships took their seats to-day at twelve o'clock. The cause list presented an unusually heavy entry, embrac ing 22 causes, of which nine are for trial by special juries. It is stated that in some of these a " special counsel" is retained, but the name of the " illustrious stranger" has not yet been accurately ascertained. The calendar contains the names of 37 prisoners, one of whom is charged with murder, by poisoning her illegi timate child. Beyond this case, and two charges of arson, there is not any of particular interest, except the follow ing, which, from the magnitude of the booty, may be deemed worthy of notice. Samuel Layton, aged 22, and John Layton, aged 28, were charged with stealing forty sheep and three lambs, the property of Joseph Eaton Hall, of Hawkedon. Mr. PRENDERGAST conducted the case for the prose cution, and proved that the prisoners, being brothers, and living at Bury St. Edmund's, were seen, on the night of the 18th of last month, " striding" along the road towards the field in which the prosecutor had folded a very large fleck of sheep and lambs. In the course of the same night the prisoners were seen re turning towards Ipswich, driving a flock of sheep along the road, and on the following day the prosecutor counted his flock, and missed no fewer than forty sheep and three lambs, and information having been given of the pro ceedings of the prisoners, they and their flock, excepting one sheep and three lambs, were traced to the East Isham fair, where they sold 39 sheep, one of which was clearly identified as the property of the prosecutor. As to the one sheep and three lambs, they were discovered to have been sold by the prisoners and taken to Bury, but neither of that number was identified. The prisoners, when called on for their defence, stated that they had been employed to drive them for a man; but that story did not gain much credit with the jury, who at once found them both Guilty. His LORDSHIP, having enlarged on the effrontery of their conduct, sentenced both the prisoners to be trans ported for ten years. Verdict—Guilty. - His LORDSHIP, in passing sentence, told the prisoner that, although the J aw would make allowances for the weakness of a man's nature, and there appeared to have been some provocation in the language used hy deceased, still it was unlawful for two men thus to engage in a deliberate fight; and although ho (the prisoner) had acted upon this occasion without malice, his act was wilful and criminal. His Lordship trusted the punish ment ho should award would be sufficient as a warning to the prisoner himself for his future conduct, and that there might, under the extenuating circumstances, be a sufficient example made by the sentence of fourteen days' imprisonment, with hard labour. William Gilroy, aged 17, was indicted for having, at Dalton-le-Dale, on the sth of April last, feloniously killed and slain VV. Graham. Mr. WARREN, counsel for the prosecution, stated that this was a case very similar in its natur e to the one above repo r ted. The prisoner and deceas e d were both pitmen at M er t o n Colliery, and it appeared that deceased having repeatedly challenged prisoner to fight him, a combat at length took place on the evening of the day mentioned, in a field ne ar the p it. The death, as stated by Mr. A. WG re gor, surgeon, was occ as i one d b y blows received in t h a t fight, they having produced e ff usion of b lood on the brain. : _ _ c MlDLAND o d ‘ o v f N hcao c ypi COUßT—(Before haring, Ro TCn person_i CIRCUIT. — Le icester, (h ? B C e oe U 2ffo6 / r t 7 l eh oi frL educatio n, je Justicez ' u c n s ae f g e l e r a , ds pt J 2 : /y 31. v Geo r ge ßt e uttered and put off to one John Kirk a forgAe7;lTwooErandssi:ecrmuos'on)lyn reques.t for the delivery of 21b. weight of quicksilver , with intent to defraud one Jonathan Hodgson and another. A previous conviction for felony against him was read, and there were two other indictments for utter ing other forged orders for the delivery of goods in the same name within two days of the uttering for which . he was tried. He was sentenced to be transported for the term of twelve years. Charlotte Needham pleaded guilty to a charge of steal ing a halt-crown, the property of Ann Batson, and was sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for two calendar months. (Before Lord Chief-Justice DpufAx.) John Clarke was indicted for maliciously wounding John Smith, with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. Mr. Simpson prosecuted, and Mr. Bittleston defended the prisoner. On the part of the prosecution, it was roved that on the evening. of the 12th of June the prisoner and the prosecutor, with several other persons, were assembled at a public-house at Syston, and that a quarrel arose between the prisoner and the prosecutor, in the course of 4 whieh the prosecutor having pushed the prisoner aside received from him a blow over the left e y e . The prisoner then ran away to his own house, which was a few yards off, and the prosecutor almost im mediately followed him. On 'reaching the prisoner's house, the prosecutor stated that the priso ner pre sented a gun at him, and that being aireid th a t t h e prisoner intended to shoot him, he went beck to the public-house and got two other men to accom pany him to the prisoners. On their return they !ftw the prisoner in his own yard with a crutc h , his hand, which he immediately took into the MATTHEWS, for the prisoner, left the case in the hands of the Court. - The prisoner was found Guilty, and sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment, with hard labour. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. BEGGING -PETITION IMPOSTORS.-- Charles Smith, alias Standen. alias Williams, alias Mackenzie, alias Anderson, Henry Baker, aliaS Dublin Barry, alias Jennings, and William Jolorson, alias Beeton, alias Dean, were brought before Mr. Bingham, charged with having obtained, or attempted to obtain, by various false and fraudulent pre tences, charitable subscriptions from tho benevolent. The apprehension of the three prisoners occurred in consequence of a cortimunication made last week to the Mendicity Society's Office by Sir H. Meux, that he had been defrauded of 10/. by a person who had subsequently turned Out to be an' impostor. Charles Smith was first placed at the bar. William Horsford . said, in consequence of Sir H. Menx's communication, he saw Sir Henry on Sunday, at his residence in Brook-street, and yesterday he went to Sir Henry's house, and waited according to arrangement. He was sent for into the drawing-room, and there he found Smith, who was an old acquaintance, and he took him into custody: 'Sir Henry Meux said the prisoner called at his house in Brook-street that morning, and mentioned the name of Latimer, stating that he called for 'one guinea, his (Sir Henry Meux's) yearly subscription to the National School. He told the prisoner it was no use calling on turn for the money, 'sale believed he had already paid ..J~~ r.. - . ING, ___ AUGUST 2, 1848. it. He also thought he recollected the prisoner's face, and also that he had succeeded in obtaiuing a guinea, from him the previous year by a similar story. The pri soner then pulled out a paper, and begged he would look over it. The paper was as follows: " Mr. Henry Anderson hus been examined before the Committee of the National Schools, and is found com petent to be admitted as a master. (Signed) " W. J. KENNEDY, M.A. " Mr. Henry Anderson is a person highly respectable, and having been reduced from a sphere of, comfort to pe cuniary difficulties, I earnestly recommend him to e few friends. (Signed) " W. ROBINSON." Various - subscriptions, from 10s. to 21. 25., were ap pended to this paper. Hs' asked the prisoner whose name was on the paper? The prisoner mentioned the name of Andrews. He told the prisoner that as he did not even know the name on the paper, which was An derson and not Andrews, he should refer him to a con stable named Horsford, who was waiting below, with whom he probably had an acquaintance. The defence of the prisoner was that he did not ask Sir Henry Meux for his subscription. He merely said that he understood Sir Henry Meux was a subscriber to the National Schools, and he then requested him to look at a paper which a person, who was then waiting outside, had requested him to show to Sir Henry Meux. Horsford said the prisoner had been convicted before for obtaining money under false pretences. On the pri soner was a paper, with the names of noblemen and ladies, from whom the prisoner had, no doubt, obtained money. He wished, therefore, that the prisoner should be remanded until the authenticity of the signatures could be inquired into. Henry Baker was next put to the bar. Horsford said while he was waiting at Sir Henry Meux's, he was told that another person had just sent in a note, sad had obtained an interview with Sir Henry Meux. Suspecting that this might be another of the gang, he gave a message to the valet to deliver pri vately to Sir Henry Meux. The prisoner, however, most probably suspected something, and terminated the in terview abruptly. As he was goimg out witness came forward and recognised him as Dublin Harry, one of the most incorrigible begging-petition impostors in London. The prisoner's business with Sir Illenry Meux might be inferred from the following note v.vhich he sent in to Sir Henry:— " Mr. Jennings, of Bishop's Sto rtford, begs the favour of a few minutes' interview with l3ir Henry Meux on a little business of a pressing and important nature." Horsford added, that as the prhZner had been put on his guard, he could not bring any e vidence beyond what he had produced. Mr. BINGItAM said the evidence was not complete, and therefore he must discharge the p rigour. The prisoner declared he would bring an action against the constable for false imprisonnitnat. Horsford said the prisoner had 1 seen convicted over and over again for obtaining money by false pretences. William Johnson was next plac ed at the bar. Sir Henry Meux said the prism ler called on him last week with a petition very full of miseries, and seeing several signatures attached to it so admirably executed for subscriptions, he believed the case was one of real distress, and he therefore ordered_ 'his cashier to pay him 101. Witness afterwards had some conversation with parties whose names were affixed to the petition, and be then ascertained he had been imposed upon. Horaford said as soon as he he and the prisoner's de scription he knew . who he was, wad where to find him. He went to Westminster and foul id the prisoner. When he took the prisoner into custody he said to him, " 1 wonder what you men do with :01 the money you get. you had 171. among you last week from Sir Henry Meux only." Ths prisoner said he had just come out of pri son, and had a few debts to pay. Horiford said he found a paper on Smith with the names of Lady Rolle, Lady Webster, Lady Munro, Sir J. Kempt, Lord Ward, Lady Louisa Cator, Lad) Ellerton, Lord Eglinton, Mr. Newdegate, and Mr. Rice, on it. He had no doubt that when the case was pub lisheel he should get plenty of farther evidence, if the prisoners were remanded. They were remanded till Saturday next. WESTMINSTER. Yesterday, John Hawkins, Thomas Hugginson, and Denis Wilson, threo young men, were finally examined, charged with burglariously entering the dwelling•house of Mr. W. Wollop, 23, Rutland-gate, and stealing a large quantity of jewellery and some money. The particulars of the case have already appeared ; the accused, having effected an entrance, were disturbed in the course of their operations by the presence of mind of a young lady in the house, who, although they had locked her in her bed-room, contrived to raise an alarm, and to procure the attendance of the police. The MAGISTRATE considered the evidence adduced sufficient to implicate all the prisoners, and committed them for trial. SANITARY REFORM. Last night, in pursuance of a requisition addressed to the churchwardens and overseers of St. George the Mar tyr's, Southwark, a meeting was held at the Parochial School House, Borough-road. On the motion of Mr. J. Lee Stevens, Mr. Robert Archer, one of the church wardens, was voted into the chair. The requisition, which was signed by 26 persons, the majority of whom were connected with the medical profession, was couched in the following terms : " We, the undersigned, inhabitants of the above parish, fully impressed with the importance of a strict observ ance being maintained of the principles that influence th( Legislature of this kingdom iu granting sanitary reform. and which are so forcibly expressed by Mr. Chadwick, one of the members of the Metropolitan Sewers Commis sion, That all smell from sewers, if it be intense, is at tended with immediate acute disease ; and that eventu ally, by depressing the system and rendering it sus ceptible to the action of other causes, all smell is disease; and having observed, therefore, with concern and dismay, the system that is now being pur sued of allowing the noxious compounds of putrefaction generated in the sewers of this vast metropolis freely to mix with the atmosphere we breathe—request you will take the necessary steps to convene a public meetin; in this parish, in order to consider what measures should be adopted to put a stop to a nuisance in every respect calculated to engender an unusual amount of sickness and disease." The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said that the matter they had to discuss was the complaint which was made of the opening of -the sewers into the public road.. The evils which arose from the traps no one could doubt; and he had often asked himself whether the Commissioners of Sewers could have any regard for the public health, in the system which they pursued. The cases of danger to the public health from the efflu vium arising from the sewers abounded so, that they needed no further evidence of the evil. The question of the sewers was one which they had to discuss, and he hoped gentlemen would confine themselves to the ques tion, whether these apertures lately made by the Com missioneis had not produced alarming consequences, and whether they were not highly prejudicial to the public health. Mr. SOLLY (chemist) said that the first time his at tention had been called to those foul-air escapes was passing over one of them, near the Elephant and Castle, lately ; the effect produced upon him was sickness, fol lowed by a severo headache, which lasted for several days. When he found that the Commissioners were about to put down one of the noxious gas escapes near him he became alarmed, and ho found the result was but too severe with one member of his family. He found there was a continuance of disease in his family as long as there was an east wind prevailing, because then the noxious effluvium was thrown into his dwelling, and when the wind shifted to the westward then his family got rather better. But the whole neighbourhood wr:s deluged with fever, and the medical men were worn off their legs. The speaker here read a letter from W. Mutre Farebrother, surgeon, of the London-road, bear ing his testimony to the propriety of the object for which the meeting had been convened, and condemning the opening of the gratings of the metropolitan drains, by which a vast amount of sickness was produced from the pestilential miasma thus raised. Now he (Mr. Sony) must observe that the only question was whether wo were to be visited by the cholera at the end of this year, or the beginning of the next ? It there. fore behoved all men to put their shoulder to the wheel to keep it away, if possible. He held in his hand a letter from Dr. Barlow, of Union-street, who expressed a strong opinion against the present system of ventilating drains. That plan could not fail to produce a quantity of noxious gases, which, when evolved, must have the most prejudicial effect on those who were exposed to them. Ho quoted several passages from the Lances bearing on the subject, and concluded by moving the first resolution, which was to the following effect:— " That, fully concurring in the opinions expressed by Mr. Edwin Chadwick (now one of the Commissioners of Sewers for the Metropolis), in his evidence before the Select Committee of the House of Commons on the Metropolitan Sewage Manure Company's Bill, viz.:— That all smell from sewers, if it be intense, is attended . . with immediate acute disease; and that eventually by depressing the system and renderidg it susceptible to the action of other causes, all smell is disease;' this meeting views with alarm the plan adopted by the Me tropolitan Commissioners of Sewers for the ventilation of sewers, by which the noxious gases formed in the pro cess of putrefaction in those receptacles of nightsoil and other animal and vegetable matter are emitted in a con centrated form, and mix with the atmosphere in danger ous proximity both to residents and passengers." Mr. RENDLE (parish surgeon) rose to second the reso lution. It might be thought, perhaps, invidious that the requisition should have been signed by so many medical men. It certainly was signed by medical men, who con sidered it a part of their duty not only to cure, but to prevent disease, and their studies led them to investigate the causes of disease. There could be no question that the diffusion of noxious gases was a prevailing cause of dis ease. That fact unhappily need not be left to his testi mony alone, because he had the power to show from the testimony of those persons who lived near or over those sewers, what were the effects produced. Such an in quiry as they were entered upon was necessary, and more necessary as the population increased. The effect of knowing the causes of diseases aided them in removing those causes of mischief and evil. The part of the reso lution which more decidedly bore on the question which they had to discuss, was the opinion pronounced by Mr. Chadwick, " that all smell from sewers, if it be intense, is attended with immediate acute dis eases, and that eventually, by depressing the system and rendering it susceptible to the action of other eases, all smell is disease." Now he believed that under the new arrangements of the commissioners all water-closets must be emptied into the sewer through the drains. This admitted the offensive material into the sewers, and it was requisite that better means than were used formerly should be a.?opted to keep those noxious vapours arising from decomposed matter from spreading among the people. Formerly, when the de posit was lodged is cesspools, every individual had to look after his own.comfort; but now the noxious matter was carried into the ..public streets. The .speaker pro- seeded to quote from a publication of the Health - of Towns Assiciation, and other documents, to show the fatal effects of inhaling these noxious gases from sewers, &c. Fevers had been known in Liverpool and else where, as shown by Mr. Grainger. in his lectures, and ' by Dr. Southwood Smith, from parties being lo cated opposite gully•holes. Typhus fever had appeared in these cases. He knew a house in Tottenham court-road, where fever had broken out from a want of proper ventilation of the drains. In his own practice in connexion with the parish he had ' had occasion to witness some of those cases of fever .. (which he detailed with great force), in one of which three children had died within seventy-two hours of scarlet fever. In this case he besought the father, who was a carpenter, to take up the flooring, and look under the floor of his room. It appeared that the soil from the privy had escaped, and had formed a complete layer of decomposed matter immediately under the floor. • In Liverpool a case bad occurred in which the men on board one vessel had been attacked with fever, and one or more of them died. An inquiry was made into the catist, of this mortality, and it was found to have been caused from the vessel having been moored exactly op posite one of the outlets of the sewers. The diseases produced from these causes were abscesses, scrofula, and bowel complaints. This was especially the case about the Mint, and other narrow streets in the parish. While the opening of the sewers was permitted, the worst . possible gases were evolved. Having mentioned a va riety of cases of sickness produced from the causes re ferred to, the speaker concluded by saying that he could not undertake to suggest what might be the best means to adopt in the matter; but one thing he was sure was indispensably necessary, and that was en immensely in creased supply of water.—(Hear, hear.) He had great - pleasure in seconding the resolution. Mr. BAKER said he could not forbear from mentioning an incident which had occurred in his own case. Some ,1 months since he had been greatly annoyed at a very . unusual smell on the premises. He discovered in - his garden a small hole, which it appeared communicated with the sewer or cesspool. He stopped it up very effec tually, and the smell vanished. He mentioned this to show that the commissioners of sewers adopted a wrong principle in allowing the air to rush into these drains. Mr. J. L. STEVENS took this opportunity, as an indi vidual, to return his grateful thanks to the medical gen tlemen, who had truly proved that they were members of a liberal profession, who had come there to sympathise with them, and to ask them to cut away the earnings of their profession. Those gentlemen said, if they were to profit by their skill they would only do so under sound, lair, and reasonable circumstances. He hoped they would go on with this movement, and that they would not be satisfied with the expression of their opinions, but that that they would go still further. He happened to live near an open ditch; and three years since he had fre quently serious fits of illness in his own family—among other cases, one of typhus fever in consequence of the litch. He endeavoured to get the evil remedied—he fancied it could be easily done; but certainly he never was more discouraged than in the attempt he then made. I'hey were subjected at the time to what was called the annual cleaning of the sewers. The system was to re move the soil from the bottom, to throw it to the side, and then subject it to a new decomposition by the action of the atmosphere; which matter ought to have been car ried off. But he preferred latterly the open ditch, when left alone, to the stink-holes in the streets. His son had suffered severely from the effects of the effiuvium of those sewer traps in the Blackfriars-road. Mr. GILL, of Friar-street, said that one of these gully holes had been opened opposite to his dwelling, from the effluvium of which he and his family sufferedimeat se- , verely. The stench, as was well known to many present, was intolerable. He wrote a letter to Lord - Morpeth, complaining of the nuisance, on the 21st of March last. On the 23d ho received an answer from the office of Woods and Forests, stating that his complaint should be Immediately attended to and placed before the Commis ,ioners. On the 24th March, a gentleman fom the Com missioners of Sewers called and investigated the case, ►nd promised it should be laid before the Commissioners, and that he had no doubt that something would be done to abate the nuisance; but he said he was doubtful whether they could give him any relief at all, because it was the duty of the parish to remedy the evil of which ce complained. It appeared, however, that the poor-law auditor had refused to sanction a charge of a similar , character. Thus he was sent from one to the other, md the nuisance remained. His wife was in delicate health, and his medical attendant told him that he and his family were daily inhaling slow poison. —(Shame.) The resolution, on being put, was carried, with one dissentient—a young gentleman who was present. The CHAIRMAN called on Mr. FRANKLIN COXWORTHY, who, at some length, detailed his plans, the principal of which was to erect high columns on each side of the streets, being carried up above the chimney, and inserting through it an iron rod as a lightning-conductor, and for the purpose of aide ing in the electric condensation of the gases. Another plan was, to raise a column, and he did not see why, as they were raised for monuments, they should not be erected for useful purposes, with shafts from the two sewers on either side of the street, under ground, with the same chain for the same purposes.—[We Cannot attempt to give other minute and scientific details into which Mr. Coxworthy entered ; his pamphlet on the " Pollution of the Atmosphere" is well worth perusal]. Mr. G. LEE STEVENS moved the second resolution:— " That it is the opinion of this meeting that, unless the openings in the sewers recently made by order of the metropolitan commissioners of sewers be closed, and some simple and efficient plan of ventilating the sewers be adopted, such, for instance, as that which Mr. Franklin Coxworthy has explained to this meeting, the most ap palling consequences must inevitably follow in the ge neral deterioration of the health of the inhabitants and the increased destruction of life." Mr:EVANS (a medical officer) seconded this resolu tion, inasmuch as it was a step in the right direction, though he did not exactly approve of Mr. Coxworthy's plan. He could bear witness to the deleterious and fatal effects of the opening the sewers. He had lost a medical friend, who, while standing in Regent•street waiting for an omnibus, while one of these traps was open, was affected by the effluvia which arose, went home and died shortly after of typhus fever. In one case, where a trap was opened opposite his house, he had threatened to diet, and the nuisance was put down. He doubted the efficacy of Mr. Coxworthy's plan, because he feared the noxious gases would only be blown again through the chimneys below. As a step to improvement, he would nevertheless second the resolution. e da: men—reiteratedtalmTrn, h hsbr c teree s uods LiAoot Ll i ogu ss i Ntt i n s iheso a edon s: sc wo; s hmu t ae a csse t eh e pcoa d oaufi snrtttsm, conduct g e uaaoe enun d v ttl assigned ahnd a oomacg t f:ta h e s last week were 1,096, being 133 above the usual average. trnhotrtt hiehfaee M bedt mlheiußigmrrcn.ohda cases r t Gdnre ideii n scml aowolot which t idgc h uyeh i n a .uhri : d street, t, r e a f n e d rr c e o d nc t o lu , expressly dedby m " That the officers of this parish be requested sli t o o liun f ti o rt iw ni a :l-- ; copies of the resolutions passed this day to the Metrope" m o p n pr e lo r ap s irn o iee f dt Sewers, and respectfully to urge rind l u i p t a o nn danger C th o e m m n the s c s o i lthe remedied, nuisance y of of to t h h e ei i r m e m a e u d s i i a n te g either by the adoption of Mr. Franklin Coxworthy'e plan, or some other equally or more efficient mode; and that, the officers of this parish be also requested to coin' municate these proceedings to the parochial officers of the metropolitan districts, in hope of their general co. operation." Mr. COPE seconded the resolution, and thought that the mode of curing the evil was not what they had to deal with, that must be left to scientific men. Carried unanimously. On the motion of Mr. Connistsote, thanks were voted to the churchwardens and overseers for the use of the school-room. Mr. ARCHER returned thanks, and the meeting so' rated. RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. LIVERPOOL, AUG. 1. STOCK EXCHANGII.—We have had a fair demand. for stock generally, and the market is firm. The sales are—Cale' (lonian, 1-'reference, p.—Great Northern, 9 c. das.—Lair cashire and Yorkshire, Quarters, 1 dis.—Ditto, HaJ.ves Huddersfield and Sheffield), 13 dis.—London smut North' Western, Quarters, 1 5 / B —Manchester, Sheffield, said colnshire. 101. Preference, 10!; i —Midland Stock, 1.114--Dittot New Halves, 5 3 4 dis.—Newcastle and Carlisle, 108%' North Staffordshire, 2 5 / 8 dis.—South-Eastern anal Dove 24%—Ditto, No. 4, Thirds, 2% dis.—York, Newt wale, aa g Berwick (G. N. E. Purchase), 1% p. MANCHESTER, - A - ua. 1. STOCK EXCITANGE.—The sales are—East Lancashire/ Preference Quarters, 5-16 p.—Kendal and Windermere, 44 Lancashire and Yorkshire (West Riding UniOn), 13-16 0 —Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, . Preference, VA, —North Staffordshire, 2% dis : aad Dove" No. 4, 2 13-16 dis. oleti On the 27th ult., at Burton-upon-Trent, Mrs. Z...AllsoPP of a son. At Hitchen, Herts, on the 28th ult., Mrs. H. Bentlel, of a . daughter . _ On the 29th ult., at the Grove, Clapham-com.naon, bi rs. Franks, of a son. • At Hornchurch, Essex, on the 30th ult., Mit.. J. J. Gutch, of a daughter. to On the 30th ult., a t B uc k s h aw, Dorsetshire, t hie w ife John du Boulay, Esq., of a daughter. of On the 31st ult., at Somers-place, Hyde-park, t the wife W. Gill, Esq., of a son. vor On the 26th u lt., at Wilton-place, the wile of R. Ti esto macott, Esq., of a daughter. On the '27th ult., at Streatham-hill, the wife of V. C'. l ' mael, Esq., of a son. MARRIED. On the 26th ult., at Colwell, Herefordshire, tl i e Rev- 6 , H. Sumner, M.A., f our th son o f th e Bishop of M r inche ste " to Mary Elizabeth, y ounges t d aug ht er o f T. Hera 43ocif of Hope-end. WO On the 28th ult.. at .St. George's, Hanover-8g vtere , Elizabeth Phoebe, daughter of Mr. King, late ttl RuP — o f street, Coventry-street. to Sir H. C. Oxenden, 130 "" Broom-park, Canterbury. 4 EVEN DIED. e d On the 25th ult., at Westbourne-grove, Baysw a ter ag o 77, Francois Cramer, Esq., late Master of her Maje wcy's S e ts o Band. and for upwards of 50 years th e highly -Fes r F esl ) iv leader of the Ancient Concerts, Provincial Mu s ical, est Philharmonic, &c. ned On the 25th ult., at Speenhamland, near New bury , 64, J. M. Bunny, Esq., M.D., formerly of the 76th Regim e et On the 27th ult., Miss Fanny E. Dickenson,, of W Y Eaton-street, Grosvenor-place. At Tredegar-square, on the 28th ult., aged 60, Elizsbetil? relict of Captain James Stranack. MO' On the 29th ult., at Fonthill-place, Clapham -rise , „be Ann Cox, widow, for more than 30 years matron 0 ' Westminster Hospital. On the 30th ult., at Palace-gate, Exeter, Miss Elizabeth ; Lewis, sister of the late James L ew i s , E s q., form erly 61 ) e al ' e of the House of Assembly of Jamaica, aged 63 t' ? On the 30th ult., Elizabeth, the wire of Laria Esq., of the Insolvent Debtors' Court. London: Printed and Published by MU KIX Y 01.1 Nth i t No. 112, Strand, Print er , at The Sun (.) N°' 1 4 ,1 Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in, the county Wednesday, August 2, 1248.