The Sun. — London, England, 1848-08-15 00:00:00

THE CURRENCY. We have already adverted to the strong opinion ex pressed by the Committee of the House of Lords on the affitirs of the currency in favour of th e " convertibi lity" of bank-notes. The Committee —if its collective opinion be rightly expressed in the report—have no doubt at all that, at all times, and under all circum stances, Bank of England notes should be exchange able for a fixed amount of gold, and that the law should be so framed a s to support this principle. We can never mention this principle—no matter how high the authority may be which supports !t—with out, on our part, expressing .our utter disbelief in its soundness. Our conviction as, that the monetary and mercantile circumstances and transactions of this country must either be contracted within a very narrow limit, or must be subject to most disastrous fluctuations and vicissitudes, so long as we attempt to go on with a bank-note currency, convertible at all times and under all circumstances, into a fixed amount of gold. Our present purpose is not, however, to carry on that controversy, but to impress upon the minds of our readers that, be the policy of convertibility good or bad, the danger to which the country has for many years been subject, in consequence of the existing monetary laws, has been greatly aggravated by the law of 1844. To the danger which always existed from promises to pay in gold far beyond the amount held by those who issued those promises—to the danger which always existed from the currency of the coury. being liable to be exported as merchandise, is added the very great danger of rendering the bank ing department of the Bank of England, at critical and difficult times, unable to meet its engagements. " If," say the Lords, " if the Committee considered that the Act of 1844, which they desire to see amended, so far as its restrictive clauses are concerned, was essential to the practical convertibility of the bank note, they would hesitate in recommending any change." But, say they, in addition, "it should never be forgotten that the liability of the Bank consists in its deposits as well as in its pro missory notes. The legal obligation to discharge both is the same; the failure of either would be equally fatal. The protection given by the Act of 184 , 1 is mainly given to the bank-notes, and in some degree at the risk of the deposits. This appears undeniable on comparing the reserve in the third week of October with the amount of private deposits. Had any unfortunate circumstance interfered with the power of meeting the latter engagements, or had not the Treasury letter (of the 25th October) been written, there seems little doubt of the fatal consequences which must have ensued. had it been impossible to pay the deposits, a dis credit of the bank-note must have been the con sequence. Nor can it be rationally questioned but that a misfortune might have exposed to risk the con vertibility of the bank-notes." Thus, then, we find the Committee of the Lords, who have examined evidence, and who have judged after the event, come to just the same conclusion which we and some others came to when reasoning upon the probable tendency of the law, before the Treasury letter was issued. We then pointed out the probability that, owing to the pressure of the law of 11144, the Bank of England might break at one end (namely, the Banki n g De p artment) while at the other end (the Issue Department) it was loaded with millions in gold, for which, at the time, there was no particular demand. What the public wanted was, not gold for their bank-notes, but bank-notes for their bills, bonds, and all the sundry inventions whereby the great credit system is carried on. A party in this country, of which Sir R. Peel is the chief, have a very great interest in supporting the high exchangeable value of money. That party had so great an interest in limit ing the quantity of money, and making paper money con vertible into a fixed amount of gold, that, in procuring such arrangements of the Legislature as seem most favourable to these ends, all other interests are either overlooked or deliberately abandoned. Thus it happened that the men, by whose influence the law of 1844 was made, gave protection to the convertibility of bank notes at the risk of all the individuals, all the companies, and all the institutions of this country who have deposits in the Bank of England. The Lords' Committee de clare, as wo have seen, that if the law of 1844 had not been broken through, and the violation of it authorised by the Government in the Treasury letter of the 25th of October, 1847, there seems little doubt but that the Bank of England would have had to declare itself unable to pay its deposits. And yet that law continues unrepealed, unamended, and, were the circumstances of October, 11147, to recur in October, 1448, the Government would again have to authorise a violation of the law in order to save the banking department of the Bank of England from in solvency, and the country from all the discredit and the ruin which such en event would inevitably occasion. What, then, is the real state of the case as laid before the public by the House of Lords ? It is this, that upon occasions of monetary pressure, such as hap pened last autumn, either the law must give way or the Bank must give way. If the low does not break, the Bank must break. If the law be not violated by the. Government, the Bank must violate its en gagements with the public. This is the view-which' the Committee of the Lords give us of the state of things". brought about by the monetary policy of Sir R.' Peel. This is the state of things which the Cutantlittee of •the House of Commons would have condemneckes well as the Committee of the House of Lords, but that Sir R. Peel and his colleagues presumed to act as judges upon the trial of the working of their own measure. The Commons would have joined with the Lords in the condemnation of the law had not its authors possessed the unparalleled effrontery to vote as judges in the cause to which they were parties, and the country been the victim of such unparalleled fatuity as to submit quietly to the gross in justice of that proceeding.—Post. BANK OF FRANCE. The following was the situation of the think on Thurs day mming, Aug. 10, 1848: A SSETS. Cash in coin and ingots Ditto in branch banks Bills past due ... ... Bills becoming due in Paris Bills in the branch banks ~. Advances on coins and ingots... Ditto on French public securities Ditto by branch banks... ... Ditto to the State on Bons du Tresor... Advance to the State on the lean of 50,000,000 f. Reserve Rentes ••• ... ... Rentes, disposable funds ... Investments of the new branch hanks in the public funds ... Hotel and furniture of the bank ... Real property and branch banks ... Interest in the branch bank at Algiers... Interest in National Discount Bank Ditto branch banks „. Bills Protested in the Bank ... Ditto in the branches ... Expenses of administration of the bank Ditt - o at branches Miscellaneous ... f• .101,791,717 00 ... 80,537,856 00 949,093 71 ...• 93,441,026 08 ... 132,055,222 59 ... 15,976,217 10 ... 37,778,296 65 1,395,535 90 50,000,000 00 25,000,000 00 10,000,000 00 13,213,208 51 12,806,741 39 4,000,000 00 2,523,241 00 1,000,000 00 200,000 00 230,000 00 20,691,549 53 10,973,123 00 136,111 58 117,946 00 1,156,924 14 iG15,973,812 18 FRANCE. [The following appeared in our Third Edition of last night]:— From the latest accounts received from the French capital it would appear that two good signs are already visible—signs which augur well for the stability of the Republican Government. First, the revival of trade from the stagnation into which it had been thrown by the revolution of February ; and second, the increasing number of foreigners resorting to this once gay and animated city. The harvest promises admirably throughout France. The Paris and Strasburg Railway directors have given notice that, in consequence of their hav ing 15,071,447 francs of the funds of the com pany in Bons du Tresor, which the Govern ment offers to pay off in Three per Cent. Rentes, at the rate of fifty-five per cent., while the market price is 43, a sacrifice which they do not con sider it prudent to make, the Council of Administra tion has come to the resolution of making a call upon the shareholders of 50f. per share, of which one-half will be payable on the 20th October next, and the other half on the 20th February, 1849. From the second payment four francs per share are to be de ducted as interest for the last half-year of 1848, and the definitive titles will then be delivered. The Moniteur announces that subscriptions have been received for 13,095,250 francs Rentes towards the loan of 13,131,500 francs Rentes, five per cent., autho rised to be contracted by a decree of the National Assembly of the 24th July, 1848. The Rgfortne states that the distress amongst the operative classes at Paris is every day becoming more intense. Crowds of famished women, children, and old men are constantly to be seen waiting at the gate of the Luxembourg for the hour of the soldiers' meal, in expectation of receiving a portion of it. Serious apprehensions are entertained for the Sap proaching winter. A sentence pronounced by court-martial was, for the first time since the revolution of February, car ried into effect in Paris on Saturday last. A soldier condemned for forgery was degraded from his mili tary rank previous to being placed in solitary con finement. SPAIN. The Madrid papers of the Bth instant had not arrived in Paris on Sunday. POLAND. The Breslau Gazette gives the following accounts, dated Warsaw, 4th inst:— " The first detachment of the Russian army is only two miles distant from the Prussian frontier. The soldiers are divided between the town and villages. The vanguard is formed of the light cavalry. Forty thousand men are encamped round Warsaw. In the whole of the kingdom of Poland there are two corps of army 50,000 strong. A third was expected, but a part only arrived; the other portion repaired to Luck, because the cholera had broken out among the troops. Thera is also another corps of army near Radziwill." On the 4th instant the Emperor of Russia. had been expected at Warsaw, but his MAJESTY'S arrival was postponed on account of the ravages of the cholera at St. Petersburgh. LIABILITIES. ... • • ••• 67,900,000 00 Ditto of the new Branch Banks ... 23,350,000 00 Reserve fund ••• 10,000,000 00 Ditto of the branch banks ..• 2,980,650 14 Reserve- immobiliZYre ... • . ... 4,000,000 00 Notes to bearer, in circulation ... 302,781,100 00 Ditto of the branch banks ••• ... 64,119,175 00 Ditto to order (post-bills) ..• ••• 689,512 55 A cc ount-current with Treasury 18,725,583 21 Various accounts current ... 82,594,076 64 Ditto in branches „. ... 23,104,479 05 Bills payable at sight ... ••• ... 2,252,000 00 Ditto at branches 1,586,211 00 Bills -of the branch banks payable by the-Bank - ..• 4,795,187 05 Ditto of the- Bank - payable by branches . 1,763,068 00 Dividends payable . . 1,024,363 78 Branch Bank of Algiers, sum not yet employed in Trea . sury Bonds Discounts, diverse interests, &c. Ditto branch bank ... Re discounts of the last six months ... Ditto in branch banks. .. Miscellaneous ..• ... 1,105,988 19 821,369 34 991,558 00 422,932 27 642,105 00 324,452 99 615,973,812 18 Certificate confirmed, The Governor of the Bank, D'ARGOUT. SAGACITY OF THE BUFFALO. — The following in stance of courage, sagacity, and attachment in the buf falo rivals what we read in the pages which Mr. Jesse,- Captain Brown, and other enthusiastic natu ralists, devote to holding up the canine species to our admiration : —ln the month of March an occurrence took place in the division Mocijokerto -(residence of Sourabaya) which deserves to be brought to general notice,. as a new and striking proof of the at tachment of animals towards their purveyors. The local authorities of the division have inquired into the .truth of the facts mentioned below; there cannot, therefore, be the least doubt about the matter. On the 14th of March a boy eight years of age, in the Dosses Gilang, was herding some buffaloes in a wood not very distant from the village, when he was unex pectedly seized a nd d ragg ed away by a tiger. At the cries of anguish e utt ere d b y t h e b o y t wo b u ff a l oes i m mediately oam with running up, one of which attacked the tiger suchsucces s that he released the boy and seized the buffalo above the knee joint ; on which a short fight ensued between the buffalo and the tiger, which ended in the flight of t l he ed lattr. In the meantime the other buffalo had of the boy, which wasp placed himself above the body on d the ground, in such a way as to cover it entirely and to protect it against n second attack of the tiger. The people of the neigh -bouring . Dossa had in meantime the armed them selves and pursued and killed tiger. r . wounded, The by . the boy, although he was sever t e b t is not yet the tiger on the right thigh despaired of. Thu peculiar attachmen o t ne 'hic h h the two buffaloes in this case showed towards theirw mosterd is ex plained by the circumstance that for the part the younw natives , w ho take care of the pasturage of these animals, bestow extraor dinar y attenti on on one or m of their flock, that they g enerall y re main in their o v r i e cinity, and sometimes pass a large portion of the day on their backs. —Singapore Free Press, April 13. The last accounts fvom the island of St. Thomas mention, that the newly emancipated negro population have continued to behave in the most peaceable m an . nor. During the outbreak at the sister island of St. Croix serious apprehensions of some violent ebuli tion were entertained in St. Thomas, but all danger was now considered at an end. Great satisfaction was felt by the British residents at the conduct of Captain Edward Barnett, of, her Majesty's ship Thunder, who delayed his departure from the island fee the purpose of affording them protection so long as thero existed the slighte3 Catl6o of apprehension. WALLACHIA AND MOLDAVIA The Borsenhalle gives the following accounts, dated Bucharest, 28th July : " The Russian force in 'Wallachia has completely ceased to advance. The Porte claims a right to inter vene alone, and has acknowledged the revolution of Bucharest." Letters from Jassy announce that General Du na.istEL is preparing to quit Moldavia. AUSTRIA. The Breslau Gazette, of the .9th instant, states that the victory gained by the Austrian army was celebrated at Vienna, on the 7th, by the garrison and the National Guard. -..- v.._ Advices from Milan to the 7th . have arrived. The pillaging of the city by the Austrians had somewhat abated. The Prince of SCHWARTZENBURG had been formally appointed Governor. Cannon were pointed against the city, which was declared in a state of siege. Among the minor occurrences worthy of mention, we may observe that a reduction of the duty on salt had been conceded. MURDER OF A WOMAN. COLLINGBCRN, S4TURDAY AFTERNOON.—A great sensation has been created in this part of the county of Wilts, by a tregical oecurrence s not unmingled with mys tery, which bas taken place in the neighbourhood of this village. On Wednesday afternoon a woman, about 31 yearn of age, well known in the country, was found lying on Shaw-hill-common, quite insensible and covered with bruises. Her face was black from the violence to which she had been subjected . , and on examination it was found that she had been stabbed with some sharp weapon in the neck. The unfortunate female, who was a single woman, was found by a gentleman who had been passing the place, and with the assistance of some 4,r the peasantry not far distant, she was conveyed to this village, where she remained till yesterday, when she died, without ever having opened her eyes or spoken a word since she was found on the common. No con jecture was in the first instance formed as to how or by whom the unfOrtnnate woman had come by the mal treatment to which she had been subjected, until it was recollected by a neighbouring farmer that a young man with a fustian coat and trousers had been speak ing' to her an hour or two before she was found, but the farmer, knowing nothing of the young man, could give no information which could afford a clue to him. In three or four hours after the woman was found, a young man, seemingly about twenty years of age, called without a coat at the rectory of the Rev. Mr. Haddo, of Everleigh, some few miles distant from Shewhill-common. Ile represented him self as being in want, and asked relief. The Rev. Gentleman refused to give him anything, observing that he was a young athletic man, and ought to earn a liveli hood by working instead of begging. No sooner had Mr. Iladdo made this remark than the ruffian, putting his hands into his pockets, pulled out several stones, and with one of them hit the Rev. Gentleman on the arm. The Rev. Gentleman, with great presence of mind, slammed the door in his face, just as he was in the act of throwing another large stone at him, and which had it struck him might have been attended with serious consequences. Eventually the assailant of Mr. Haddo was taken into custody by some persons who wit nessed the assault, and on being brought before the magistrate, so far from denying the fe rocious attack, he expressed his regret that he had not succeeded in murdering the rev, gentleman, ad ding, that he had already murdered one person that day, of which they would afterwards hear, lie was committed to prison for the assault, on the rev. gentleman, and soon afterwards the idea occurred to the magistrate that he might be the person who had committed the attack on the dying woman. The coat which was found near the body of the woman was ascertained to belong to the prisoner. It was made of the same material as the trousers. It it right to add, that, without saying whether it was his or not, he at once put it on, and has since worn it. The prisoner give his name as James Smith, and represents himself as a moulder by trade, but his statement is not credited. He is a perfect stranger in the neighbourhood, no one ever having seen him before. Nothing has transpired which would lead to a conjecture as to the motives by which he was influenced in murdering the unfortunate female. Some have sup posed that one of the objects he had in view was to rob her, but this is very improbable, as, in the first instance, her appearance would not have led him to suppose that she had any considerable sum of money about her person ; and, in the second place, had that been the prompting motive, a young man of his athletic propor tions and determined appearance could easily have taken the money of a helpless female, in so secluded a place, without resorting to an attempt on her life. Five shil lings and some odd pence were found in his pocket, a cir cumstance which renders his application to the Rev. Mr. Iladdo for relief more remarkable. He was this day sent, securely chained, to Devizes, with the intention of his being tried before Mr. Justice Coleridge at the present assizes for assaulting Mr. Haddo, .but on consultation with the proper authorities it was deemed better to defer the trial until it shall be seen whether the coroner's jury, who are to sit on Monday on the body of the unfortu nate woman, return a verdict of wilful murder against him; in which case he will be tried on the capital charge. Ile maintains a sullen silence, and refuses to answer any questions put to him; but in' reply to an incidental observation from one of the policesconstables, that he would iu all probability suffer, for his crime, he re marked that he did not care, for that he was quite tired of life. DIE ORLEANS FAMILY.—Some arrivals have re cently taken place from France of private property and effects of the ex-royal family of France. A quantity of saddlery arrived by a steamer from Boulogne a few days since for the ex-King of the French, and there have also been other arrivals for the ex-Queen and younger branches of the family, which on arrival have been dis patched to Claremont in due course. THE ROYAL SAPPERS AND MINERS.—The follow ing has been definitively settled as the augmentation which the corps of Royal Sappers and Miners is to re ceive. Four companies will be added to the existing strength of the corps, making 23 companies in all. The strength of each company is 100 rank and file, and is thus made up:—One colour-sergeant, four sergeants, five corporals, five second corporals, two buglers, and 83 privates. The whole strength of the corps will, there-. fore, be 2,300 rank and file, with only one commissioned ufficer—a quartermaster—the regiment being officered by the corps of Royal Engineers, which consists exclu sively of officers. There is no present intention of' augmenting the Royal Engineers. The nineteen com panies of the Royal Sappers and Miners now formed are distributed as follows: Four at Woolwich, two at Chatham, one at Liverpool, one at Wakefield, two at Dublin, one at Southampton, ono at Halifax, North America, one at Bermuda, one at Corfu, one at the andl a Mauritiu s , tw o a t Gib ra l tar , an d two at t h e C ape o f rood Ld . is surveysnd forti fications Hope. Det ac h ments are a l so emp l oye d on forti a k a io Sheerness, i udo ess i S s ou n,s South A B l a u y s , tra a l n ia d , Hoant S gong -Kong, Canada. MONIES IN THE EXCHEQUER It Parliam en t ary . shown by a paper yesterdayprinted, that there was no money •in the Exchequer to complete the ads do on the 22d ult., but that grantby Parliament fur the ser vice of the years 1846 and 1847, the sum of 1,010,9801. 53, 6CI, wws to be raised. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. HOME ClRCUlT.—Guildford, August 14. CIVIL SlDE.—(Before the LORD CHIEF BARON and a Special Jury.) CORY V. THE NORFOLK RAILWAY COMPANY. This action was brought by the plaintiff to recover from the defendants the sum of 1,0901., as money ad• vanced and received by them to the plaintiff's use, upon an account stated. Sergeant Shee, Mr. M. Chambers, Mr. Peacock, and Mr. Ogle, were for the plaintiff ; Sergeant Channell and Mr. Bovill were for the defendants. Sergeant SUER stated the case for the plaintiff. It appeared that about the time of the railway mania, in 1845 and 1846, the defendants had entertained a project for making a railway, in conjunction with their general scheme, from Yarmouth to Lowestoft, Hales worth, and other places, and another company called the Waveney Valley Railway Company, were proposing a line which ran exactly parallel with the one projected by the defendants. Both schemes went to Parliament in 1846, and both were rejected; and it then appeared that the supporters of the two companies deemed it prudent to coalesce, and the Waveney Valley Corn pany agreed to abandon their line to the Norfolk Railway Company upon certain conditions, which were embodied in their agreement, on the 26th of October, 1846. The terms of this agreement appeared to be, that the Norfolk Railway Company were to issue twenty thousand new shares of 201. each, and the scripholders in the Waveney Valley scheme were to be allowed to take as many of these shares as they pleased, upon the understanding that 30s. were to be paid upon each share, but credit was to be given them for 403., and they were in addition to be guaranteed five per cent, interest either out of the capital or the profits of the speculation. The Bill accordingly went to Parliament, a clause being in troduced into it, authorising the payment of the guaran teed interest of five per cent. out of the capital, but this clause was struck out in Committee. The plaintiff, it appeared, had 545 shares in the Waveney Valley scheme, and he exchanged them for the new shares issued by the defendants in accordance with their agreement, paying the 30s. deposit upon each share, and the present action was brought to recover back 40s. upon each of those shares, amounting to the sum named i❑ the declaration. The case for the plaintiff being that he had no intention to run any risk in connexion with the new scheme, but that, acting upon the faith of the agreement entered into by the defendants, and in consideration of which the Waveney Valley scheme had been- abandoned, he had invested his money in order to secure the guaranteed in terest of five per cent., but as he could not obtain it, he now sought to recover back his money. At the close of the case for the plaintiff, Sergeant CIIANNELL submitted that this action, as for money had and received to the plaintiff's use, could not be sustained. The defendants, he urged, had done all in their power to carry out the agreement, but the Legislature had thought it to strike out the clause which they had in troduced for that purpose, and the plaintiff having signed the Parliamentary contract, he became a bond fide proprietor in the undertaking, and took all the risks at tending it, and, therefore, there was no ground for the present action. Sergeant SZIEB and Mr. CHAMBERS, on the other side, argued that the plaintiff had nothing whatever to do with the decision of the Legislature; that he had ad vanced the money upon a specific agreement which had not been carried out, and, therefore, he was entitled to recover back the money he had paid upon the faith of that agreement. The CHIEF BARON said he was of opinion that the case rested upon the terms of the subscription contract entered into by the plaintiff, and that they had nothing to do with any previous transactions. The terms of the contract were, that parties were about to apply to Par liament for an Act to enable them to make a certain branch line of railway, and that it was intended to in troduce a clause, empowering the payment of five per cent. interest, but the parties were not to have the five per cent. under all circumstances, but they were to have from the net profits, if any were realised, payment of that amount in preference to other shareholders. The plaintiff had subscribed to this contract, and he was therefore of opinion that this action for money had and received was not maintainable. The plaintiff was accordingly nonsuited. NORTHERN CIRCUIT.—AppIehy, August 11. CROWN COURT.—(Before Mr. Justice ERLE.) HIGHWAY ROBBERY AND VIOLENT ASSAULT. — John Clarke, alias Carradice, aged 21, was indicted for as saulting and putting in bodily fear of her lite Mrs. Char lotte Maria Noble Batemaa, on the 15th of March last, and also stealing from her person a purse containing about 6s. or Bs. Mr. Ramshay and Mr. George Atkinson were for the prosecution, and Mr. Overend defended the prisoner. It appeared that the prosecutrix is a person of great respectability, the widow of a surgeon i❑ the navy, and lives at Common Head, about half a mile from Stavely. On the 15th March she was spending the day with a lady who lived at Stavely, and one of whose female servants had that day been married: to commemorate which event Mrs. Bateman's friend had allowed the married pair to hold a ball in her house in the evening. About forty persons, amongst whom was the prisoner (who was a bobbin turner in the village) were present. Mrs. Bateman did not go into the dancing-room, but had occasion when she left to go home, about twelve o'clock at night, to pass the door, and could be observed by the party; the door being opened when she went down stairs, she saw the prisoner leaving the house ; and it was proved by another witness that he had quitted the dancing-room about that time ; and a short distance from the house the prisoner came out of a field-gate into the road, without but or coat, seia. , el her by the arm, and threw her on the ground with great violence, at the same time saying, " Now, your money or your life." Mrs. Bateman con tinued—l told him I would give him my money if he would allow me to get up. He did allow me, but not being able to find my purse, he again threw me on the ground. I screamed, and lie said," If you make a noise I shall draw my pistol and shoot you ;" at the same time putting his hand over my mouth to prevent me making a noise. Ho allowed me to get up, and I then found my purse, which I gave to him, and made a❑ attempt to return to Stavely. He seized me again, and said " That is what von are after, is it ? I'll take care you don't go there." He afterwards threw me down many times on the road, and abused me worse than before I had given him the money. I promised to give him more money if he would not be rude. Ho replied that would not do for him, and then dragged me into the field and attempted to violate my person. He threw me down on the ground very often. I struggled with him, and at length made my escape, and ran home very much exhausted. The next day infer• mation was given to the police ; and, from Mrs. Bate. man's description, throe persons were apprehended, one of whom was the prisoner, and she challenged him from amongst them. The identity of the prisoner was the ground of defence, but:Mrs.Bateman's testimony was well seconded by other circumstances. Early in the evening the prisoner was without money, sand had borrowed sixpence of a friend, and when he returned to the dancing-room, about one o'clock, he paid back the six pence, and spent some other money; he had also four shillings and threepence in his possession when taken iato custody the next day, which sum corresponded with the money stolen. The purse also was found concealed in prisoner's workshop, and his shirt-sleeves were covered with road mud.—Verdict, Guilty. Sentenced to be transported for life. FORGERY fly A CLERGYMAN. —The Rev. li'm. Richardsen Robinson (aged 39), was indicted for forging a bill of exchange or order for the payment of money, with in tent to defraud the Rev. Francis Whalley, incumbent of Old Hutton. The prisoner pleaded not guilty. Mr. Rarnshay, with whom was Mr. Bell, appeared for the prosecutor, and Mr. Matthews defended the prisoner. The prisoner is a son of the late Rev. Dr. Robinson, of Clifton, and fur 601113 time previous to committing the offence had been without a living; and it seemed that he was a man of intemperate habits. On the 17th of May last Mr. Whalley met with the prisoner at a beer. house in Old Hutton, where he had gone to transact some business. He was an entire stranger to him, but he introduced himself as the late Dr. Robinson's son, and the incumbent of Mallerstang. Ultimately, the weather being net, at. Ulu awe, Me. Whalley hospitably inyi..a him to his house to stay over night, which invitation he accepted. The next day he left for Kirkby-Lonsdale, saying he had important business there. On the morning of the 19th inst. he breakfasted at the Royal Hotel, and afterwards sent the landlord's son for a stamp for 351., payable on demand, and a 2s. 6d. bill stamp was pro cured. In the course of a short time he went to the Lancaster Banking Company's branch bank, accompanied by a clerk of Mr. Francis Pearson, solicitor, and pre sented a document, of which the following is a copy:— " May 19, 1848.—Messrs. Glyn and Co. pay to the Rev, William Richardson Robinson on demand the sum of thirty-five pounds. F. Whalley, incumbent of Old Hutton, near Kendal. 351. (St a mp 2s. 6d-)” Simul taneously with the presenting of this document he pro duced a letter which purported to be written by Mr Whalley to Mr. Pearson, requesting that gentleman or a clerk to accompany Mr. Robinson to the bank, " that there might be no disappointment." Mr. Pearson was from home. The clerk in the bank being unacquainted with either of the parties, and Mr. Whalley having no account there, refused to cash the order, and suspecting that all was not right, shortly afterwards gave information to the police. An officer went to the hotel, and asked the prisoner to give up the order he had produced at the bank. He hesitated, but the officer per sisting, he took it out of his pocket and attempted to throw it into the fire. Tho policeman got possession of it, as welt as the note addressed to Mr. Pearson, and the prisoner then said " he had done the deed, he had com mitted a forgery, and would give himself up," and when before the magistrates made a similar admission of his guilt. ✓ Thedefenco was, that the prosecutor and prisoner had been drinking together, and that the former, when in toxicated, had authorised the prisoner to write the letter and order; but Mr. Whalley denied the truth of the in sinuation. His LORDSHIP thought the defence set up aggravated the case. Verdict—Guilty. Sentenced to bo transported for fourteen years. From Palermo the accounts are to the 30th of July. The French squadron still remained, and the preparations on the part of the Sicilians to resist the threatened armament from Naples were of the most determined kind. The city swarms with volunteers, and it is said that a force of not less than 100,000 men, all armed with muskets, could be brought into immediate action. Prom Messina dates are as late as the 2d inst., and a rumour was then prevalent that the Neapolitans having been prevented, by the intervention of France and England, from effecting the invation as at first proposed by sea, wore marchind down by land, with the intention of crossing the &pits, and had al ready reached Iliontqoone. POLICE INTELLIGENCE, WORSHIP- STREE7. Rebell! Franks, a respectably dressed person, described as a commission agent, was brought before Mr. Tyr whitt, the sitting magistrate, charged with having in his possession a stolen Bank of England note for 501. of which he was unable to give a satisfactory account. Mr. John Terry, clerk to Mr. Melton, a solicitor in Bedford-row, stated that he received directions on the 9th instant, to proceed in the company of a sheriff's officer, to the Chelmsford races, to effect the arrest of a gentleman, whom they expected to find on the course. On reaching the ground they met the person of whom they were in quest in one of the booths, and having received a 501. note in satisfaction of their claim, witness carefully deposited it in his trowsers pocket, and was leaving the place, when he was suddenly surrounded and hustled by a throng of persons of both sexes, and feeling a pressure at the pocket in which he had placed the note, :he immediately searched for it and found that it had been abstracted. At the same moment ho observed a smartly-dressed woman hastily leave his side and mingle with his assailants, who made an opening for the purpose; but before he had time to overtake her they again closed upon him, and effectually hemmed him in until she had disappeared, when the whole of them dispersed. He instantly re turned to town and stopped payment of the note at the Bank, from which he shortly after received information that it had been presented that morning by some person connected with Messrs. Davis's banking-house, in Shore ditch, whence he traced it to Mr. Harris, a potato sales man, adjoining there, who informed him that he had given change for it to the prisoner on the morning after the robbery. He was then directed to a public -house in Norton•folgate, where he found the prisoner, who told him that the note was intrusted to him to get changed by a man whom he accidently met at the public-house, but with whose name and address he was unacquainted, and who was accompanied by a fashionably-dressed woman, both of whom remained until he returned with the cash, and he had seen neither of them since. Mr. Harris deposed that shortly after nine, on the morning alluded to, the prisoner requested him to change the note, stating that it belonged to a person of respectability, and, having known him for fourteen or fifteen years as a commission agent, although he was unacquainted with his place of business, he changed it, at his desire, for 451. in notes and the rest in gold. A solicitor, who attended for the prisoner, intimated that he should be able to bring forward conclusive proof that his client had not the slightest cognizance of the manner in which the note came into the possession of the man who employed him to change it, although he must admit that he had acted with extreme indiscretion in allowing himself to be made the instrument of a per son to whom he was a comparative stranger. Mr. TYRWUITT considered the circumstance of the prisoner being in possession of the note so soon after the robbery a matter of much suspicion, and he should, therefore, remand him upon the charge, lout would con• sent to accept substantial bail for his future appearance. The required sureties were put in in the course of the day, and the prisoner liberated. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. The Rev. Hugh Wil!oughiy was summoned before Mr. Bingham by his brother, Sir Henry Willoughby, M.P., for having used insulting and menacing gestures to him at the opera. Sir Henry Willoughby, on being sworn, said—On the 29th of July he was at the opera, sitting in his stall, No. 66. During the representation he noticed the defendant, the Rev. Hugh Willoughby, in a stall belonging to Mr. Martin. The defendant pointed at him with his stick in an offensive manner, and was otherwise conducting him self in a❑ insulting manner towards him. From what had occurred on a previous occasion he believed that the defendant intended to commit a breach of the peace to wards him, and he accordingly left his stall, and went to another part of the house. On the 31st of July he made a deposition of these facts at the police-court. On the 10th of August, while about to attend his duties as a member of the House of Commons — The defendant's solicitor here objected to this evidence The summons only referred to what had taken place on the 29th of July. Mr. BINGHAM having stated that the defendant was called upon to answer a charge of having been guilty of sech conduct towards the complainant as was supposed to be likely to lead to a breach of the peace. The solicitor proceeded to cress-examine the com plainant, and elicited that the defendant, who was brother to the complainant, had made no attempt to strike with his cane. The solicitor addressed the Court, and contended that no assault had been proved, neither had any gesture of a sufficiently menacing character been used. It was un fortunate to see two brothers placed in such a situation, and as the matter in evidence was very slight, he hoped the magistrate would dismiss the charge. He was in structed that a system of annoyance had been kept up on the part of Sir Henry against his brother, and that, in fact, it was the defendant who was the injured party. Mr. BINGHAM said, no doubt the solicitor had been in structed to -make the assertion be had just made, but he had been instructed erroneously. Besides the evidence just gi*on in Court, he held in his hand an additional piece of evidence, which afforded a conclusive proof of the accuracy of the present charge. The defendant had written a letter, which he had given to the clerk, who had handed it to the Court. The defendant had since applied to have that letter returned ; but that was a re quest which he was not disposed to comply with. He should require the defendant to find two sureties of 40/. each, and to be himself bound in 801. to keep the peace towards the complainant. The solicitor asked Mr. Bingham if, under the pe culiar circumstances of the case, it not being the first time the parties had made their appearance in a police court, he would not also hold the complainant to bail. Mr. BlNGHAM—Certainly not. Bail was soon afterwards procured, end the defendant left the Court. ELECTION COMMITTEES. (YESTERDAY.) CHELTENHAM. Tho case for the petition ers was resume d thi s morning with evidence of agency. Mr. C. J. Ches shyre, solicitor, of Cheltenham, proved that he canvassed Con acted as the agent of that gentle in.lad. ande W h i l l s liams. The committee-rooms were a reports and communica tions house in the C o l onn ade, but ftoaanr.:lr. totHea Berkeley , lmEn thero was no regular committee or chairman. Mr. ir is . t i o a n r Zy y ' Mr. Glyde, a n d M r . Pilki ng t on , acted as chairmen. He and his chWloewirllletisavmedri' occasionally and distributed to the voters a number of cards, on which were printed the names of the Star, the St. Alban's, the Crown and Cushion, and the Garrick's Head, hotels, but no such word as '° breakfast" was written on them. Several breakfa s t s , h owever , were g i ven at t h e Star on the polling day, and a bill had been sent into him from the Crown and Cushion, but he had declined to have anything to do with it. Mr. William Hasell, sen., another solicitor, proved that he acted as a district agent for Mr. Berkeley, and distributed cards for breakfast at the King's Arms and Exmouth Arms Hotels, but he could not tell who paid for the breakfasts. He told an elector that there would be refreshments on the polling day for those who voted for Mr. Berkeley, but on his men tioning the circumstance to Mr. Williams that gent l eme n directed him to retract what he had pro mised, and the electors voted against Mr. Berkeley. James Smith, shoemaker, of Cheltenham, proved that at the election of 1847 he was engaged as a messenger for Mr. Berkeley's party, on condition that he voted for that gentleman. He did vote for Mr. Berkeley and he received 1/. a week for his services. The Committee then adjourned. HORSHAM. Mr. Sergeant KINGLAKE opened the case for the pe titioners as one of bribery and treating ; after which the polling books and the return were put in. It was then proved that a Mr. I'adwick acted as the agent of the sit ting Member, Mr. Fitzgerald. Two country farmers were then called to prove that before the election of 1847 Mr. Fitlgerald invited them and other voters to go with him to the Richmond Arms to have a treat. They. however, refused to go, and subsequently they voted for Mr. Jervis. Both witnesses WV& e V eIY cross..eXiAliainoci, with the view of showin g that they were bribed to vote for Mr. Jervis, but the first stoutly protested that . he was not, while the other stated that ho was induced to vote for Mr. Jervis by a vision ho had the night before the election. It was insinuated that this vision was the result of a carousal at one of Jervis's open houses, but the witness could not tell what it was the result of ; all that he knew was, that he had a v i s ion, which he reduced to writing, and which induced hi m to vote for Mr. Jervis. Another witness proved that Mr. Fitzgerald met him before the election of 1847 and said he intended to have bought him, but he had been put up too high. The witness, on cross-examina tion, explained that it was a mill he had which Mr. Fitzgerald intended to buy, and not himself. Other witnesses gave similar evidence, and the Committee ad journed. THE LAW OF HIGH TREASON.--The principal species of high treason, as defined by the Statute of Edward 111., consists in compassing or imagining the death of the Sovereign, or in levying war against him. In charges for the former species of high trea son, some overt act must be proved; that is, some action manifesting the "compassing or imagining; but the latter species of treason is, at ono and the same time, a substantive treason and an overt act. In trials for treason, the statute provides that all persons who shall be accused, and indicted under it, shall have a true copy of the indictment (including the caption) delivered to him upon request, five days at least before he shall be tried for the same; and on the finding of the bills, the Court is bound to assign two counsel to the prisoner. There must be two witnesses to each distinct species of treason, and some overt act must be proved to have been done, in the country where the indictment is laid. Advices from Naples mention that up to the Aith inst. nothing further had been done regarding the expedition to Sicily, but that the prospect of an adjustment was still as distant as ever, In addition to the British feet, three French ships of war were in the bay. Business was greatly interfered with by the general uncertainty of affairs, and the funds con tinued without alteration at 85k. The explanations furnished by the Neapolitan Government of the cap ture of Sicilian insurgents off Corfu by the use of the British flag had not been considered satisfactory, the evidence in the possession of the English admiral being directly at variance with the statements of the Neapolitan commander. PILCLIARD FISHERY AT . PORTLOE.—The driving boats at Portloe have bad good catches during the last week, and have taken 16,000 fine fish, which have been sold off at the rate of Is. Gd. per 120. On Monday morning the boats brought in four and five thousand to boat.—Cornwall Gazette. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, August 14. Their Lordships assembled to-day shortly after Five o'clock. }.: .. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 15, 1848. ROYAL ASSENT. The Royal assent was given to-day by Commission to ,he following 73 public and private Bills : Hum Duties: Assignment of Ecclesiastical Districts. Land-Tax Commissioners' Names. West India Islands Relief. Administration of Justice (No. 1). Administration of Justice (No. 2). Protection of Justices from Vexatious Actions. Administration of Criminal Justice. Canada Union Act Amendment. Joint Stock Companies. Salmon Breed Preservation. Paymasters' Offices Consolidation. Prisons Bill. _ Sale V of Beer Regulation. Naval Medical Supplemental Fund Society. Windsor Castle and Town Approaches Improvement. Regent's Quadrant Colonnade. Exchange of Advowsons in the Counties o f Warwick and Stafford. Exchange of Ecclesiastical Patronage between her Ma jesty and the Earl of Leicester. Public Works (Ireland) No. 2. Evicted Destitute Poor (Ireland). Ecclesiastical Uiiions and Divisions of Parishes (Ireland). Incumbered Estates (Ireland). Juvenile Offenders (Ireland). Law of Entail (Scotland). Highland Roads and Bridges (Scotland). Caledonian Canal. London and South-Western Railway Company's Acts Amendment, Deviation, and New Works. Great Northern Railway (Isle of Axholme Branch). Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (Amendment of Acts and Regulation of Capital). Furness Railway. Stirling and Dunfermline Railway (Amendment and Deviation). Edinburgh and Bathgate Railway (Extension and De viation). Whitehaven and Furness Junction Railway (Extension or Deviation from Silecroft to Foxfield). Londonderry and Coleraine Railw a y (Deviation of Line and Amendment of Act). Wishaw and Coltness Railway (Deviation, Connecting Branch, and Improvement). Dundee and Arbroath Railway (Dundee Junction). Edinburgh-and Glasgow Railway, and Glasgow, Airdrie, and Monklands Junction Railway (Amendment of Acts). London and North-Western Railway (Branches and Ex tension from 14 , 2amington). Royston and Ilitchin Railway Extension. Midland Railway (Gloucester and Stonehouse Junction). Newry and Enniskillen Railway (Amendment of Acts, and to authorise arrangements with other companies). Oxford,Worcester, and Wolverhampton Rail way (No. 2). Monkland and Kirkintillocb, Ballochney and Slamannan Railways (Amalgamation or Sale or Lease, and Amendment or Repeal of Acts). Great Western Railway (Branch from Slough to Windsor). London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway (London bridge and New Cross Stations). Newport and Pontypool Railway Act Amendment. Caledonian Railway (Branch across the Clyde and Glasgow Station). Payne's Patents (Improvement in Preserving Vegetable Matter). Dunbar Customs, Water and Harbour Dues Amendment. Worcester Turnpike Trust. AhuraTon Market. Leith Municipality and Police Trusts, Markets, Paving, and Sanitary Improvements. New Grand Canal Company (Ireland) No. 2. New Ross Port and Harbour. - Huddersfield Improvement, No. 2. Londonderry lin - provement. Thorne Moor Drainage and Improvement. West of England and South Wales Land Draining Com pany Incorporation. Edinburgh Police (Amendment, Consolidation of Acts, and Police and Sanitary Improvement). River Nene Improvement and Drainage. Birkenhead Dock Commissioners (Transfer of Powers to new Commissioners, effecting arrangements with the Crown, and Amendments of Acts), No. 2. llulme and Eccles Road. Croseford Bridge and Manchester Road. Richmond and Reeth Road, Marlborough College Chapel. Newton's Estate. Fullerton's Estate. Lister or Hudson's Estate. Miller's Estate. Waterhouse's Charities' Estate. Nicholson's Divorc& The Lords Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor; Lord Campbell, and the Earl of Shaftesbury. • The LORD CHANCELLOR having taken his seat on the Woolsack, The Earl of LUCAN presented petitions from several parts of Ireland complaining of the operation of tha Poor-laws. IRISH POOR-LAWS. The Earl of LUCAN then, pursuant to notice, inquired what measures it was the intention of her Majesty's Government to take in reference to the report of the Select Committee of that House on the Irish Poor-law Acts (rating of lessors). The Marquis of LANSDOWNE admitted that there were evils connected with the administration of the poor law in Ireland which required supervision;_ but he was not prepared to say that, at so late a period of the ses sion, it would be practicable to pass any Bill for that purpose. Early next session not only the important matter mentioned by the Noble Earl, but the whole sub ject of the poor-law in Ireland ought to be considered by Parliament.—(Hear, hear.) After a few observations from Lord MONTEAG LE, Lord WHARNCLIFFE, as chairman of the Select Committee, bore testimony to the fact that there were vexations in the administration of the poor-law in Ire land which ought to be remedied. The Earl of LUCAN said the defects of the law had been clearly established before a Committee of their Lordships' House, and why should they not pass a short declaratory Act to remedy the evils which had been proved to exist? UNLAWFUL OATHS ACT (IRELAND) CON TINUANCE AND AMENDMENT BILL. The LORD CHANCELLOR having moved the committal of this Bill, The Earl of SHREWSBURY rose, pursuant to notice, to ask what were the intentions of the Govern ment with respect to their future policy in Ireland, more especially in regard to remedial measures? He wished to pay a just tribute to the conduct of the Lord Lieute nant ; but he thought it was time to begin in earnest to apply a remedy to the evils which existed in Ireland. It was clear, from the state of that country, that there was great dissatisfaction and excitement among the people. There had ever been in Ireland a Government of force instead of opinion. We had the same state of things now as in February, 1844, when a Coercion Bill was proposed for Ireland. The number of Coercion Bills had since been increased, the standing army had been greatly augmented, and the last remnant of the liberties of Ire land had been struck down. And what, he might ask, had been done for her relief ? Her enormous ex tent of waste and uncultivated land, within reach of the starving people, remained uncultivated still. Every grievance, moral, social, and political, remained almost precisely the same ; and the feelings, interests, and opinions of the people had produced no effect. The only material change which had taken place had been in the passing of a new poor-law—a law which had in too many instances inflicted cruel injustice on the landlord, and had been equally unjust to the poor. In many cases the poor rates had absorbed the whole of the rent. Could it be just thus to confis cate any man's property ? Ought not such a tax to fall upon the community in general ? The poor, too, were insufficiently fed, and were not placed on an equal footing with the poor of this country in many other re spects. The system of evictions still existed under the sanction of the law, and were often made at the point of the bayonet, while no provision had been made for the wretched outcasts. Justice had not been done to Ireland. The remedial measures recom mended by some 20 Parliamentary Committees and Royal Commissioners, by every statistical and political writer for the last twenty years, and many of them solicited by almost every grand jury in the country—the mea sures so earnestly insisted on by Lord John Russell in February, 1844, in June, 1846, and at other periods— all these remedial measures still existed only in idea— none:of them had been carried into:practical effect. There was one grievance in Ireland which was greater but far more difficult to deal with than the rest. The House would remember that when a Noble Friend of his—a Roman Catholic member of that House, and who now held office in the royal household—had ventured to ex press as his opinion that, the peace and security of the empire could only be secured by a reduction of the pro perty of the Established Church of Ireland, a N o bl e and Learned Lord (Lord Brougham) not now present fell upon .the Noble Lord, and, with great vehemence, t au nted him with the oath h e h a d t a k en at t h e i r Lord ship's table. lie (the Earl of Shrewsbury) was suite ready to admit that those who had imposed the oath had a right to interpret it, but he contended that he was en titled to the largest interpretation which had been re cognised in the Lower House of Parliament, and that he had therefore a right fully and freely to discuss that most important and vital of all questions, viz., the Irish Church. No man's religious opinions ought to operate RS a disqualification to him to express his senti ments.—(Hear.)--Nothing could be more preposterous than the oath now required to be taken—a form of oath to which ho believed many Protestants even objected. A celebrated political writer had declared that religion and Llibcrty were sisters, leaning upon each other for support; but those religious distinctions were the bane and curse of the empire—they were the primary cause of all the miseries and the misgovernment of Ireland. They had made the law in Ireland a nullity, and they had defeated the whole course of administrative justice. It was the feeling thus generated that had compelled the Government to exclude from the jury panel at the recent trial of Mitchel, in Dublin, every Roman Catholic; and though, by such a system, this country might continue to occupy, still it could not govern Ireland. He repeated that there was nothing which had provoked so much rancour, or militated more against social improvement in Ireland, than the continued refusal to reduce the Irish church to its fair and legitimate proportions. He had no hostility to that establishment, but he was sure its reconstruction would be productive of advantage to both, and of benefit to the nation at large. Without a settle ment of that question the Emancipation Act of 1839 was merely a measure of toleration. He did not accuse the Government of a breach of faith, but of a want of confidence in their own views, and of courage to carry them Out. If their view 3 were souud 1844 they become still sounder in 1348, and they, therefore, ought for, seeing'that in two of the three cases of Mitchel. at once to be ;reduced into practice. The errors corn- O'Brien, and Meagher, the juries could not agree, and mitted in the agitation for re p ea l afforded the Legisla- that that morning's newspapers informed them that the ture no excuse for not having long since passed remedial jury could not agree in the case of Doherty, he felt that measures, and it was now the mere necessary, in order sense such measure was necessary, otherwise trial by . to establish a government of opieion instead of one of jury in I re l an d wou ld b e a moc k ery. T he Noble Earl I force. As an Irish Peer, a Rumniu Catholic, and an then proceeded to make a complaint against the officials Englishman, he could not resist the opportunity of thus of the Government for supporting by their voice and publicly protesting against the continuance of a system their money the repeal candidate for the city of Dublin of government which had made Ireland the weakness ir.- at the last election. The first man that tendered his • stead of the strength of the nation, and had exhibited vote for that Hon. Gentleman at the last election was her as an outrage on humanity and a scandal to the the Attorney-General, Mr. Monaghan, and two other whole world.—(Hear, hear.) gentlemen connected by office with the Government had The Marquis of LANDSDOWNE said that, although given large sums of money to support the defence to the his Noble Friend had not opposed the motion for going petition against him. The condition of Ireland was such into Committee on the Bill, and although he had not that the Government could not afford to lose caste with intimated an intention to oppose any part of its provi- the loyal portion of the people by sanctioning such con sions, he had made same observations connecting the duct. It was want of character in the French Go- , Bill with the general state of Ireland, to which he (the rernment which led to the late revolution, and he mud Marquis of Lansdowne) thought it necessary to offer therefore protest against the Gotiernment permitting, some reply. In the outset he (the Marquis of Lens- their subordinates to support the carrying on of such a downe) protested against the Bill not being considered war as had been now going on for the last eight years in the strictest and largest sense a remedial measure, in Ireland. and be thought he could prove that the delay of such Lord REDESDALE denied the assertion of the Noble measures had originated in Ireland itself, and not in Earl (Shrewsbury), that the Roman Catholics were still this or the other branch of the Legislature.—(Bear, degraded, insulted,, oppressed, and tormented. As for hear.) Remedial measures had engaged the perpetual their being excluded from juries, he admitted it ; but it attention of both—neither the one ncr the other had been arose from the circumstance of there being very few inattentive to them. Oee of these had been the measure Roman Catholics in Ireland who were loyal and well for altering the relations between landlord and tenant, affected subjects. He might say, that at least four-fifthi the object of which was to exci e and create an induce- of them were disloyal. ment to improve the cultivation of Ireland. Another The Marquis of CLANRICARDE felt himself called question, also surrounded with difficulties, was the culti- on to contradict this statement in the strongest manner. vation of the waste lands and the reclamation of bogs in There were hundreds and thousands of Roman Catholics that country. This could not be done without capital, and in Ireland who were as loyal subjects as any in Great" capital would not be introduced . without that protection Britain, and many of whom had distinguished themselves to it which the Bill now under consideration would by their exertions to support the law.—(Hear.) , afford. It was said the Irish people required an im- Their Lordships then went into Committee. proved franchise and an extension of municipal rights, The first clause having been agreed to, but he (the Marquis of Lansdowne) held that such rights The Earl of GLENGALL moved a clause empowere and privileges, it exercised under a tyranny, became a ing the Lord-Lieutenant to suppress any association as; public nuisance. —(Hear, hear.) Before the Legislature sembling bodies of the people in Ireland which he should moved in any of these questions, it ought to take care deem to be dangerous to the public peace or injurious to that the law was maintained and peace and order pre- the due administration of the law. served.—(Hear, hear.) No Government could be car- The Marquis of LANSDOWNE considered the clauie vied on without more or less of force, and what there unnecessary. The Repeal Association was not now in was of force must be on the side of the Government.— existence, and it remained to be seen what means would ' (Hear, hear.) This Bill, he repeated, was a remedial be taken to revive it. He could say, besides, that the measure, inasmuch as it removed that. which was a bar Government felt perfectly satisfied that with the extra:,' to improvement, and resisted the. progress of measures ordinary powers which Parliament had granted them the not forgotten by the Government but necessarily sus- executive in Ireland would be able to suppress any illegal' pended from the state of things which unfortunately or seditious assembly. He therefore considered this prevailed in Ireland.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") He measure ample as it stood without the special provision denied that either House of Parliament had exhibited now moved.—(Hear, hear.) an indifference to consider remedies for the correction Lord MONTEAGLE suggested that the clause should of the evils of that country, but he must remind be withdrawn in order that the Bill should pass without the Noble Earl that as to the mode of effecting those any apparent difference of opinion. remedies a vast difference of opinion existed, even The Duke of WELLINGTON said that no one would among Irish Members themselves. The difference of rejoice more than he should to see these associations ef of opinion was such as not to induce him (the Marquis fectually put down and discontinued—but, considering of Lansdowne) to anticipate perfect unanimity even in a the answer of the Noble Marquis, and considering - that Parliament sitting at College-green.—(Hear, hear.) the Government was satisfied with the Bill as it stood. During the last half century there had prevailed in the he did not think it would be expedient for the House to Imperial Parliament one constant endeavour to improve adopt the measure (for it was a measure in itself) and• the state sad !condition of Ireland, and this session, in would, therefore, recommend his Noble Friend not to the midst of all existing difficulties, a measure had been press his clause. passed to prevent the eviction of tenants in a manner The Earl of GLENGALL was convinced that unless which had been so loudly andeso justly complained of. some sueh measure was adopted, the system of agitation. The Duke of WELLINGTON—And that Bill has re- would recommence the moment the Act for the Suspen ceived the Royal assent to-day, sion of the Habeas Corpus ceased, which was in March The Marquis of LANSDOWNE—Yes, in the midst next. He would not press the clause against the opin of all the existing opposition to law and order in Ire- ions which had been expressed. land this measure had been passed. In addition, the The clause was then withdrawn, and after, the intro- Government had introduced, and the Parliament had duction of some amendments, at the suggestion of the sanctioned, the Incumbered Estates (Ireland) Bill, which LORD CHANCELLOR, the Bill was reported. had also received the Royal assent. This was a most PARLIAMENTARY ELECTORS BILL. important practical measure, which, by producing a true Lord BEAUMONT, in moving the second reading, arrangement of property; would introduce capital, culti- explained that the object of this Bill, which had been vation, and improvement into that country. With re- sent up from the other House, was not practically to in• ference to the religious point which had been raised, he terfere with, but to carry out, the rate-paying clauses begged to remind his Noble Friend how different was of the Reform Bill. The provision of the Reform Act the present state of the Roman Catholic body from that which made the right to vote depend on the payment, which it had formerly been' before' the removal of the before the 20th of July, of the rates and taxes due he disabilities affecting them. ' For a series of years the Le- the previous April, operated in numerous instances to gislature had endeavoured to improve the condition of disfranchise persons perfectly solvent, and in every other the Roman Catholics, and still his Noble Friend seemed respect qualified to vote, and who had omitted paying to think that more was required to be done. But what the rates and taxes, not from any inability to pay, or had been the change which had been effected in this neglect of their own, but from the neglect of the. col respect? It was only within the last twenty-four-hours lector, who, being often a person of strong political bile, he had happened to meet with an Irish newspaper managed by omitting to call on those electors who en" of the date of 1773, and what did it show the con- tertained opposite views to his own, to influence the re' dition of the Roman Catholics then to be under an gister by keeping out their names. By the presient Bill Irish Parliament ? In 1773 the Roman Catholics not it was proposed to leave the test of the right to vote, the being able to hold any property, either in fee simple or payment of rates and eaxes, but to require the priernieitt in leaseholds, some bold and liberal spirits of the day before the 20th of July, of the amount due up, to the conceived the idea of enabling them to hold leasehold October instead of the April preceding. This would property only, and a measure was proposed to give them prevent a practical abase which was now much culr the liberty of holding-fifty acres in leasehold. This plained of, and would open the register to some of the was reduced to forty square perches of land, and then most wealthy and respectable householders, who were it,was required to be situated not in rural but in town now too often improperly excluded. It was notprO . districts. Such was the liberality of the Irish Parlia- ' posed that the Bill should come into operation for a year' ' ment at that time; and he had • taken the paper up ex- . The Duke of WELLINGTON thought the,Neti ° pectirtg - to find that this measure had been carried; but, Lord ought not to press a measure which prapticslit though orator after orator had risen, the Bill was thrown would effect a considerable change in the Reform AO out, and three-fourths Grebe s ubjects of the Crown were in so thin a House. He ,could not consent to the . peo. ' : , prevented • holding - lands either by purchase or under posed change, and hoped the Noble Lord would with" leases.', Looking- at what had • since been done, he draw the Bill for the present session. . • thought no candid mind could refuse to assent that there Lord CAMPBELL denied that the Bill departed feel° had been every disposition 'on the part of the Legisla • the principle of the Reform Bill; but it was by refusing ture to improve the condition of Ireland. Other mea - such reasonable and necessary changes -al this that the sures have been contemplated, but have been delayed principle was endangered. 'by the rebellion which unfortunately existed at present; Lord REDESDALE opposed the second reading, but when peace, law, and order were restored, then the Earl GREY supported it. As the law at present consideration of those measures would be resumed, and stood, they put it in the power of the parish officer to they would, he was confident, engage th© best and most deprive a man of his vote, for he could allow the three anxious attended orboth Houses of Parliament. months to pass without calling for his rates, and the. The Duke of WELLINGTON was noxious to sup- disfranchise him, whereas were the period six months , port the-Bill which had been introduced by the Noble he could not be without calling for payment of thee° and Learned Lord on the woolsack; but he was glad without endangering his own situation. • that he had given way to the Noble Marquis who had The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH opposed the messonf• just sat down. The Noble Earl opposite (the Earl of If people allowed their rates to run on three months with: Shrewsbury) had mentioned a list of grievances which out pae ing them, it was their own fault, and showed tit he required to have remedied before the adoption of this if they valued the franchise much, they would pay ino" measure, which was intended to put down the open re- attention to retaining it. hellion which was now known to exist in Ireland. The The Earl of STRAFFORD supported the Bill. I question really for the House now to decide was whether Lord BEAUMONT declined to withdraw it, and _;t it would go into Committee on this Bill, which was nei- was then read a second time. ther more nor less than es:measure to amend and con- The other Bills en their Lordships' tabl e w e re the' tinue several Acts of Parliament having for their objt ct forwarded a stage, and their Lordships adjourned e 1!..." the putting down of secret societies in Ireland, and which Quarter past Nine. had been the means of forming, promoting, and carrying on rebellion in that country fifty years ago. Now in modern times, in the reign of the existing sovereign, secret societies, under the name of clubs, have been formed all over Ireland, which clubs it was obvious were the means of organisation and disc pline against her Majesty's Government in that country, and which clubs could only be put down by means of that amendment of the law which was now pro posed by the Noble and Learned Lord on the woolsack, He (the Duke of Wellington) knew the nature of mili tary operations, and he could tell their Lordships that a sneasuraeoLthis kind was absolutely necessary, and must be carried into effect with activity , i n order toput own without extraordinary and enormou s bloodshed the state of things which now existed in Ireland. It had been said that remedial measures ought to precede this; but he would remind the Noble E arl o pp osite (the Earl of Shrewsbury) that the last forty• years had been passed in adopting measures to improve the condition of Ireland, and there had not been a s in g le session in which many measures had not been adopted by all Governments to effect that object. The Noble Earl had complained of the oaths administered to their Lordships on taking their seats in that House, and seemed to think that these oaths had brew unjustly imposed. Now he (the Duke of ' Wellington), having been in this and the other House of -Parliament for a very considerable number of years, bad some recollection of the origin of the oaths complained of by the Noble Earl, and if he was not very much mistaken every one of those oaths was founded on the propositions contained in the petitions of those who were afterwards to take those eery oaths: Those petitioners de manded certain concessions from Parliament, and it was required that some protection ought to be secured to that institution which he trusted the Legislature would never cease to protect—the Established Church. The • petitioners accordingly suggested these oaths, and he could prove that these oaths were framed on the model which those petitioners furnished. Therefore, the Noble Earl had no ground for complaint with respect to these oaths. It • did not, however, signify what had been done or what ' remained to be done, he (the Duke of Wellington) con HOUSE OF COMMONS. August 14. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday' ) The House resumed at Five o'clock. PETITIONS. Mr. PATTISON presented a petition from the three denominations, praying for the abolition of the Regiofl i Donum. - Mr. LUSHINGTON presented a petition from the Health of Towns Association in favour of sanita r ' reform. Mr. WOOD presented a petition from five digeroP t orders of Odd F e ll ows , pray i ng, that t h e i r soc ielles might be legalised. ROYAL COMMISSION. - The Usher of the Black Rod appeared at the table summon the House to attend at the bar of the House. o Lords to h ear t h e R oya l assent g i ven to several pu b lic and private Bills. The SPEAKER, on his return, informed the Soy the Royal ass e nt h a d b een g i ven by comm i ss io n t o se, Bills (for which see Lords' report). COPPER, DUTIES. Lord G. BEN TINCK presented a p e tition from sh i c , owners, engineers, and others connected with coPP e ti lead, and tin mines, stating that th e co pp er trade 11- d never in a more depressed state than at present, I t praying that the Bill for altering the coffee duties not be passed into law. IRELAND. Mr. V-ARDWELL presented a petition from Li ver ; pool, complaining of the impoverished c o ndition or 'i working classes, of the reported int en ti on o f the 11°t1'it, to adjourn on an early day—(Laughter)—and praP ri f that leave of absence might b e g i ven t o t h ose 11Ierahe r. who preferred attending to their field sports in preferen to attending to their duties in the House of Commons, also praying that some remedial measures might passed for Ireland. POOR-LAWS. "la Lord MORPETH presented a petition from poor"' officers praying for superannuation allowance. Colonel DUNNE presented a petiti on against d ' e present Poor-law in Ireland, and praying that a CI( mittee might be appointed to inquire into the stat e Ireland. 6 4 ' Mr. HUME presented a petition, numerously sigl i o d from Edinburgh, complaining of th e m ini s t e rs' tax? 11 . praying for its abolition. tended that the measure now before the House was ab ioliitely necessary to maintain the government end the state of society in Ireland. At present the whole country was occupied by clubs, chiefly organised for the promo tion of military operations ; and these clubs or secret societies must be put down.—(Hear, hear.) Let any man read the accounts which had been given with so much parade of the review by one gentleman at Cork, of from 2,000 to 3,000 men, and then say that these men had not been assembled by organised signals from Dub lin.—(Hear, hear.) If such was the case, was not the measure necessary ? He hoped :the Government were determined to put down these clubs, and to enable them to do so ho supported this Bill.—(Hear.) The;Earl of DESART expressed his surprise at the tone in which the Noble Earl oppo-ite (the Earl of Shrewsbury) had spoken of the property of the Estab lished Church of Ireland. If the prirciple the Noble Earl laid down held good, it applied equally to all pro perty, and sanctioned the communism by which every man would be permitted to judge whether his neighbour had enough or too much property. He should have ex pected the Noble Earl would have repudiated such a principlelln his opinion Ireland had been too long made the object of conciliation instead of government. Go vernment was what she wanted, and that he hoped she would have. The Earl of GLENGALL said he never had heard a speech in that House which gave him so much satis faction as that delivered by the Noble Marquis that evening. The Bill he thought good as far as it went, and he hoped it would have the effect of putting down those clubs, which he certainly thought could not be put down by the ordinary operation of the law. But he regretted that the Government had not resolved esolvcdto go one step further , and suppress the Repeal Asso ciation, to which, and to the agitation cat ried on through its agency, and to the pestilential and seditious doctrines which emanated from it, he entirely attributed the mi sery of Ireland. He did not believe that by this Bill, aided by the common law, the Government had the power to put down that association, which was only giv ing rise to the existence of a group of venal hypocrites and sordid impostors, and unless they did put it down they would be doing nothing but an infinity of mischief. He, therefore, hoped they would apply to Parliament before the session closed for powers to enable them to suppress ,that pestilential body, and with it the repeal agitation. He was satisfied that if agitation were sup pressed for even five or six years prosperity would soon follow, and Ireland become a source of wealth to the nation, instead of being forced to look to the public ex chequer for support. With these opinions he should certainly feel it his duty to move a clause when their Lordships went into Committee, having for its object the immediate suppression of the Repeal Association. lie was also of opinion that they ought to revive the jury clause of the Co- OiVioll Dill of 3.33 for constituting military prices LETTERS PATENT. f th . Mr. BOUVERIE moved an addr ess f o r returns ° e ft number of letters patent for i nven ti ons sea l e d in ear year at Westminster respectively, for the last tell Y e b - c r ending the 31st day of December, 1847. Of the wi ni t or of letters patent for the colonies only, during the sp ds period. Of the number of disclaimers and mow: 011 1c; of alterations enrolled since the passing of the 4/ , 5 & 6 Will. 4, c. 83, to the 31st day of December , 18 , i f. Of the fees paid at the different offices, and on the r fereat stages of passing such letters patent ; sPecifY:•l; 1. the amount ; 2. at what office or stage P -1 4, 3, the duties performed or services rendered therefor' the application and appropriation of the fees I ,, s e the increased and a ddi tiona l or ex t ra f ee s in c on of opposition and o th erw i se; a l so o f t h e f ees Pl" t i o a the enrolment of s p ec ifi ca ti ons , an d on applic%ds for and on the enrolment of disclaimers and mello riL v is of alterations, specifying particulars under the preil, o head ; simil a r re t urns f or S cot l an d ; an d s i m ilar re' for Ireland.—Agreed to. 'THE NEW FOREST. Lord DUNCAN wished to ask the Noble Lord the Chief Commissioner of Woods and Forests what st e P l , ll e: had taken, as Chief Commission e r o f Woods, in ', - rd " quence of the private information which it was his k' i f to Duncan's) painful duty to communicate to him , an e w the Committee of Woods, of which he was chairularis: as also, whether, from circumstances which have t rali r t, Aired since the Committee of Woods made their r e r o f he had any reason to believe that an organised bY stelu ro. plunder and depredation upon the timber and other Pied party of the Crown in the New Forest has been ca rt on for a considerable period to an alarming extent ? a too Viscount MORPETH had to state that there 14 much reason to believe that a system of fraud and d e f t to dation had prevailed for a lone- time past with resP e ' t he the cutting of timber in the New Forest. As soon asoodo subject had been brought under the notice of the ot l and Forests, by the researches of his Noble Friend s o , the Committee which had been appointed, he ha a t e l l s gaged the services of a gentleman connected with lb dockyards, every way likely to conduct the inquiry success, and a legal gentleman of eminence was aPP L e I ip• with him. Those gentlemen were prose cuting tu e , oo 6 quiries with great activity and ability, and two had been already committed to take their tri al in coa quence of the disclosures mad. Lord DUNCAN wished to e know if it were true. °1 1,1; the Deputy-Surveyor, Colonel Thornhill, had sent le resignation? Viscount MORPETH replied that that o ffi cer, hf ic i l, bou for oorao timo fang ototo of boaltbi b" 1'1,14 to w 1 cii th