The Sun. — London, England, 1852-04-03 00:00:00

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did not visa to interfere with any discussion which the House ght think proper to raise. on going into Committ,ee of bupply next Monday, with regard to the conduct of the Government, but he did not wish any misconception unnecessarily to continue on a salkje2t of some import ance, and he wished now to enter into some explana tion upon the subject to which the Noble Lord had just adverted —(Cheers.) From his acquaintance with " the views and opinions of the First Minister of the Crown, he had no hesitation in saying, without waiting until Monday, that a very great misconception had existed during the last two or three days as to the intention of the First Minister, and that he certainly never intended in any way to convey any meaning to the House or the country that his opinions on the subject of a dissolution of Parliament were in the slightest degree changed (Hear, bear)—and that it was now, as it was formerly, the intention of the Government, so soon as those measures were passed which were necessary for the service of her Majesty and what they consilered the security and good government of the realm, humbly to counsel her Majesty to dissolve the existing . Parliament . —(Hear, bear)—and they would do so with the lull in tention of recommending her Majesty to meet the lift., Parliament during the course of the present year, un der circumstances which would give an amp le and comp lete opportunity to the new Parliament to decide on the character and policy of the existing Government. He i i niste rial cheers ) thought that was all they could say. — ( lBl They never for a moment hesitated n that intention. —(Hear, hear.) As for any Government pledging themselves •to recommend dissolution of Par liament at a specific period, he was sure that no person or Member who had ever been a servant of her Majesty would approve of such a course. It was impossible to say the particular hour, day, or week, or even month, at which they would pledge themselves to recommend a dissolution.—(liear.) Cir cumstances, as he had said bef ore , m i g h t ren d er impolitic if not impossible the fulfilment of such an undertaking. All he . said was, that after the business which th e y deemed absolutely necessary and indispensable had been terminated, they should humbly . recommend her M a j es ty t o di sso l ve t h e present Parhament— e (Cheers from the Govern ment benches)—and as he wished no misconcep tion to exist on the subject, he should add, with the full intention of recommending her Majesty to summon the new Parliament during the present year. —(Hear, hear.) Of course ho meant a bond fide sit ting, so that the policy of the Government might be decided upon. He now only repeated what he had previously attempted to convey to the House, and . what he was s ure was th e i n t e ntion of the First Minister to communicate in another place. These were the decisions and intentions they always had; and after the declarations which were made he should not have thought it was necessary to ,repeat them again to the House. —(Loud Ministerial cheers.) Mr. HUME thought the statement of the Right Hon. Gentleman would be. satisfactory to all parties, and suggested, in order that no further doubt might be entertained, • that he . should state what were the Measures the Government deemed necessary„—(Hear.) The motion for adjournment until Monday was then agreed :o. HARWICH WRIT. Mr. T. DUNCOMI3IMoved that Mr. Speaker do issue his warrant to the clerk of the Crown to make out a writ for the election of a bureess to serve in this present Parliament for the borough of Harwich, in the room of Robert Wigram Crawford, Esq , whose election has been determined to be void. The Hon. Member said that when he made this mo tion on the previous evening, it was under the impression that it was acceptable to that (the Opposition) side of the Rouse, but be now found that the case was otherwise. He Maintained that they were bound either to insist on inquiry or to consent to the issuing of the writ. The report of the last Committee contained no charge of corruption ; there was no notice for an inquiry. Under such circumstances the H. use would establish a dangerous preesdent by refusing to issue the writ; a Minister, with a subservient majority at com mand, might take advantage of such a precedent to withhold a writ for his own purpose for any length of time. The Right Ron. Gentleman (Mr. Walpole) had stated that one reason Why he had not advocated the issuing of the writ was, that he did not wish the Government to be liable to the imputa tion of taking advantage of their position to obtain an addi tional supporter. That was a delicate scruple which he had never witnessed before, and he hoped the wear an :1 tear of ( Ada' life would not remove such delicate sensibility - -(Laughter.) He was told that his motion was to be op posed to prevent Sir Fitzroy Kelly from being returned. He had nothing-in the world to do with that.—(Ministerial cheers.) He would not even deprive the rotten borough of Harwich of its electoral rights.— (Hear, hear.) The question having been put, Mr. BOUVERIE moved as an amendment that no war rant should issue during the present session. He dissented from the Hon. Member's statement that the House had but two courses to pursue—either to inquire or to issue the writ; they might upon their own knowledge suspend the issuing of the writ.—(Hear, hear.) They all knew the facts of the case with regard to this borough without any more inquiry. Suspension under such circumstances was quite a constitu tional practice. He had made a note of several cases. In 1700 it was ordered by the House, without a division, that no writ should be issued during that session in the town of Winchelsea; in 1714, there was a similar order with regard to Clitheroe ; and there were many other cases of the same kind. It could not, therefore, be said that what he now proposed was unconstitutional. As Parliament would be dissolved in two or three months, the result of issuing the Writ would be, that there would be the most abominable cor ruption without any possibility of a remedy in sufficient time; whereas its suspension would give the borough an opportu nity of becoming pure. Mr. NEW DEGATE thought it very unjust that small boroughs should be sacrificed on the shrine of a morbid sen sibility about corrupti on . If t h e i nquiry were universal, not Leicester only, but even London would come under candem anon. It wasproved before the county court at Greenwich that Mr. Salomona.hy his asenn:, gate orders for 0.40rg0-ox- Panditure at public-houses, and that he escaped payment through a statement that it would expose him to the opera tion of the Bribery Act. the Sir DE L. EVANS did not think that the character of tenant.farmers was concerned in the question before the Rouse. - (Hear.) The Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. New negate) complained of the morbid sensibility of gentlemen on that (the Opposition) side of the House with regard to corruption, but the Government supported by the Hon. Gentleman and his friends had also introduced a Bill for the Purpose of putting down corrupt practices at elections. The ease of Harwich was a very peculiar one; in no other ho rough had s uc h ma l pract i ces been committed. The Right ote Gentleman ( Hr. Walpole) was unable on the previous rer . ting to, point out a single case o f a s i m i lar gross charac the rT, but u the House had thought fit to refuse its assent to motion for inquiry, he did not think there was a fair Strntel for suspending the writ.—(Hear.) Mr. K SEYMER said that there was no proof of corrup- Zteltsit the r ecen t e l ect i ona for the borough. Allegations in lon petitions were not evidence.—(Hear, hear.) With regard to the former cases of corruption there had been a con donationwri: of the offence by the House allowing the re-issuo of Mr. Divide, divide.") . • ROEBUCK had in 1812 moved for a Committee to in cipturoorefionfto the case of Harwich. Before that Committee full adduc e d ;the'extensive corruption having been practised was fo unded a and . on the report of that Committee he had should n motion, that the writ for the borough of Harwich tearaot el se re-issued. That motion was refused. Ten had p ms , e ,,Paal since that time, no further bribery had again refused an inquiry into the state of the case had been the w r i t 70, and yet the House was now asked to suspend suspensi on 4no ground of the former malpractices. The t h e sooner l o t the writ was a most improper proceeding, and Mr. lIRIGTI'I7 stopped the better. - (Hear, hear. ) come of the me as at a loss to understand what had be- Roebuck). I n 18 7 Y of his Hon. and Learned Friend ( Mr. of bribery at the 1 1 Mr. Attwood was unseated on account was something eetion in the year 1847 (Hear.) There Ron. Friend the Meet l h oeical sequence in the motion of his Rouse had refused to — Member tor Finstmry, who said that as the grant the inquiry they ought to allow the writ to be issued. But as the question could not be troaiamed.ineLthe fsorthcoming election, the House ought not enen;Tg onl L l e t*.ePoeisible for- any malpractices that might fore subinielu t tniog of the writ, and he should there port the aneend..._._!'as the duty of the Government te sup- Sir R H. Wail t g said it was the duty of Parliament on the occasion oe va of it up ; exeePtions weW, at once to provide for the filling There had been no spe c i al Only made on special reports. had been proved aeince4B427Port of b r ib ery, b ecause none pned under these it was most unjust and inir. ro Of the writ.—ear.) rto continue the suspension Mr. COBB(OLD supported the issuing Lord J. RUSSELL said that the of the writ. the Member for the University o e o xfo 'l l , l t, Hun. Gentleman iSS an unparliamsntary Proceedin n n a u d ai s i p y ok s e u n sp of this writs had been from 1596 down to the present time With regard ode' teended, except in a and the issue of Writs directed not to be solong nae,lpte,ri e (i w a s full House.--(Hear, hear.) instance of corruption before the Hous e he ow particular so me doubt, but as the writ . ha . d. been racticai reason had b een e he did not see that any, discontinuing the suspension. When . b e office ur g e d for concert with his Right issaed, he' Hon. .Friend g (oSfirthGe. -writ. in Y), agreed to oppose the motion for the opinion, as it W e rg th l i t he had seen no reason to change his opinion of the House that the writ should he the Member for Ammar- Would suggest to his Hon. Friend hock to withdraw his amendment to the motion before the Rouse.--( Hear, hear.) „Mr. HUME was surprised at the cours e taken abtyanthye.. Rouse, though he certai a ly ou ght not to be surprised thing. which occurred there.— (A laugh.) It was notorious that the last elections were attended by as great an amount of bribery as the former.—(No, no.) It was true that the l ast election w as no t set aside on the ground of bribery — (Divide, divide) —but there was no doubt that bribery had of . Prevailed, and he thought, th ere f ore , that the suspension the writ should be continued.—(Divide.) The ATTORNEY-GENERAL considered the Noble Lord a high Parliamentary au th or i ty, b ut t h e prece d en ts which he (Lord John Russell) had mentioned were all prior to the passing of the Grenville Act. Was the Noble Lord pre pared to favour the House with any precedent applicable to the peculiar circumstances? It was perfectly true that in 1842 there was a strong representation submitted to the House on the subject of bribery in Harwich, but the House refused to make any inquiry into the circumstances, de claring that they were not sufficient to justify disfranchise ment.—(Hear,, hear.) If ever there was a condonation of an offence, it was the conduct of Parliament towards Har wich.—(Hear, hear.) In 1847 an election took place for Harwich, into which an inquiry took place. Mr. Attwood was unseated by the report of the Committee. An Act of Parliament had been pre v i ous l y passed, under the auspices of the Noble Lord the Member for London, by which an election committee was empowered to make inquiry into any Charges of bribery which might be ma d e and withdrawn, or which were supposed not to have been - bona fide prosecute& No such evidence, however, was taken or required to h e t a k en by th e C ommittee which sat in 1847 on the Harwich electioan,r for no all egations of bribery were made.—(gear, hear.) He could not understand, therefore, why the House Should have taken the extraordinary course of suspending the writ. Since 1847 no acts of bribery had taken place, the House had refused to issue a Commission of Inquiry, a n d he thought it was the duty of the House to allow the borough its repres en t a ti ve. — (H ear, h ear. ) If t h ey did not, they would commit' an act of injustice. The :Noble Lord said he had seen no reason to change his opinion, and yet he suggested to the Hon. Member for Kilmarnock to withdraw his amendment, and allow the writ to be issued. He (the •!_ttorney•Goneral) did not t hi nk such a course cons i stent. The Government would support the issuing of the writ. Mr. ANSTEY said a few words, which from the general ones of "Divide," and '• Oh, oh I" were quite inaudible. DAM hi *Ural* lb.-A.4TM; Wil9 WM =able ~. ~ ,a~•'~. LONDON, to defend himself in the House, wished, as chairman of the Committee of 1848, to state that there was no allegations of bribery made before it; and that at the conclusion of the proceedings the counsel for the petitioners in the strongest terms disclaimed the intention of imputing bribery . to the sitting Member.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. MOWATT begged to ask the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Walpole), who supported the Bill for the purpose of disfrachising St. Albans, what difference there was between that borough and Harwich?--( Hear) He did not gee any difference in the cases of Harwich and St. Albans, and if one was disfranchised why not the other? (Divide.) Mr. BOUVERIE said that, in compliance with the sug gestion of the Noble Lord, he would withdraw hi.) amend ment. Amendment withdrawn. The original motion for the issuing of the writ was then agreed to. RE-PAYMENT OF ADVANCES (IRELAND). On the order of the day for the second reading of the above Bill, used to me these words—" It is on your part neither courteous nor courageous." To that I replied—" Courageous is not a word to be used in that way in this House." And then, Sir, I left the House.—(Loud cheers.) Mr. ANSTEY—The Hon. Member is perfectly correct in the report he has made of my words. But he has omitted the circumstance which gives those words a meaning. He crossed over to this side of the House when I was endea vonring to ascertain the nature of the attack made upon me during my absence ; 'and, in an excited manner, the Hon. Member said to me, " You have come back, and you should have been here to defend your borough." I said, " That is no business of yours." He said, "It is." And then I said, " To make an attack on me in my absence for a neg lect of duty was neither courteous nor courageous." Those were the words I used and those were the reasons for using them. An Hog. MEMBER—But withdraw then--withdraw them. Mr. ANSTEY—I do everything, of course, due from me — Mr. F. FRENCH complained of the manner in which to the House. Ireland had been treated with regard to these advances, as Mr. MAHER—Oh, but that won't do at all.—(Roars of calculated to destroy h er i n d ustry an d d e p o p u l a t e her laughter.) shores. He begged to recal their attention to the mode in Mr. ANSTEY—If any explanation is necessary lam which the Irish Poor-law had been established. The report perfectly willing to give it. But Ido not understand that of the original Committee was disregarded, and Mr. Nichols the offensive language, or the offensive manner of the Hon. was sent over, and in six weeks settled the question. Mr. Member has been explained, or even alluded to; and under Nichols stated that under no circumstances would more • those circumstances the House will really see that it is not than 100 workhouses be necessary, whereas at this for me to speak fi at.—(Oh, oh.) moment there w er e 163. He stated that 312,000/. The SPEAKER—Is the House to understand from the would be the greatest annual expense, but that in ordi- Hon. Member for Youghal that the Hoa. Member does not nary years 208,0001. would be sufficient. It was unneces- mean anything personally offensive to the Hon. Member for sary to say how far this estimate bad been exceeded. With Meath?—( Hear, hear.) respect to the items for which the Bill legislated, he ob- Mr. A STEY (after some hesitation and in a very jetted to the first of 1,200,0001., but the second he believed solemn voice)—l mean, Sir, nothin g personally offensive to had been usef u l an d fairly appropriated. Neither did he any man.—(Roars of laughter.) think there was any objection to the third, but he thought The SPEAKER—Is the Hen. Member for Meath satisfied it should not b e called up until the works were completed. with that explanation? The Hon. Member proceeded to read some figures, from Mr. GRATTAN—The Hon. Member says he does not mean which he argued that the Commissioners of Works had anything persenally effensive to any man. Now, lam a man; taken 1,073,0001. more than they had furnished any vouchers and I am therefore quite satisfied.—(Great laughter and for, or than had appeared on the face of their own accounts. tremendous cheers from Mr. O'Flaherty and the O'Gorman They had stated that the amount of employment given in Mahon.) 1847 might be represented by 13 millions of people em - The O'GORMAN MAHON (who rose amid cries of "No, Alloyed one day, and for that they charged 4,500,000 L, no," "Sit down")—Sir, I wish only to make one observation which would give 6s. 11d. a day for each person; a most i that may be of some use. I have to express a hope that preposterous overcharge.—( Hear, hear.) In one case they my Hon. Friend opposite ( Mr. J. Clements) will at once pro had charged for labour in the barony of Newcastle, county coed with his address, , and this additional hope that the of Limerick, which bad been presented for, but never per- House will never again degrade itself by entering into such formed. He maintained the 2i millions would have been - personal matters as have occupied us during the last five mi ample for all the expenses of 1847. He contended that Ire- nutes.—(Cheers and laughter.) land was worthy of consideration, seeing that she had paid The "scene" then closed; but it was some time before the 94 per cent. of all that had been previously assessed. She indications of excitement and amazement subsided. had repaid 7,413,413/, since the famine, and therefore could Mr. cLEmE&Ts renewed his address to the House; but, not be charged with any wish to evade just demands. The in the prevalent " buzz" we did not catch his few remaining rateable value of property in Ireland was not more than about remarks. nine millions and a half, while the local taxation amounted to Mr. G. MOORE would not support the motion of the about three millions and a half, and the average total tax- Hon. Member for Roscommon (Mr. F. French); and he be ation in England was 2s. 31 in the pound, while that of lieved that the Hon. Member had only proposed the mo- Ireland was 6s. Bd. The effect of the famine ought, and he tion for the purpose of obtaining' the opportunity of making hoped would be, considered by the Government,' for an a speech. He would not either find any fault with the amount of capital equal to 00 millions had . been lost peeeent Government. Tho oonduce of the Hoverument had to Ireland. Since that time, 21 millions had been paid been exceedingly frank and straightforward. They had for food imported, and seven millions had been expended done all that could 'have been expected from them, and on the poor. Under these circumstances, could Ireland much more than was to have been expected from the late bear a fresh tax like this? One-fourth of her population Government.—( Hear, hear.) But he should like to know had left her, and if this tax was pressed, the diminution how far the financial arrangements of the late Government, would be more rapid than ever. A Committee of in- and on which thie Bill was founded, had met with the ap quiry of the other House was now sitting on the subject of this probation of the present Government ?—(Hear, hear.) The Bill, and he thought it ought to be impended till the opinion whole country party of Ireland—all the supporters of the 1 of that Committee was declared. Any money that Ireland present Government—were unanimous in complaining that was indebted would be better applied to develop her re- they were wronged in this matter.—(Hear, hear.) They sources, either by railways or some such means, and he demanded investigation into ' the circumstances, which hoped the Government would duly consider the effect of investigation they thought would bear out their case; and passing this measure. He should move that the Bill be read they appealed with ail the more confidence to the Chancellor a second time that day six months. of the Exchequer, knowing that his opinions, as heretofore After a few words from Mr. O'FLAHERTY, expressed, as regarded the burdens on land, so entirely Mr. GRA.TTAN said, that Ireland had been wronged and accorded with their own.—(Hear, hear.) It was not many plundered there be no doubt. The Right Hon. Gentleman years ago since the Right Hon. Gentleman, supported on the Chancellor of the Exchequer smiled, but he (Mr. Grattan) the occasion by the whole of his party, had proposed that did not complain of him as he was no party to it. What he a very considerable portion of the relief of the pauperism of wanted to know was where the money had gone to? He Ireland should be paid out of the consolidated fund. The was sorry that the Hon. Members for elontrose and Man- argument urged at the time, in opposition to the Right cheater, besides all those Members who opposed the Irish Hon. Gentleman, was that local supervision was necessary to Members on this subject, had all left the House. Ireland economy, and that local supervision would be superseded by had been charged with a sum of four millions; but what a centralised system of relief. ' But such an argument had had she got by it ? Had the poor been fed, or the people kept no application whatever to a case in which the relief had at home, or their moral condition improved? Certainly not. been governed and administered by a centralised authority The poor-law had failed in its objects, besides which in 1849, alone, and in which local supervision and local authority the expense attendant on it had been four times as great as it was were entirely excluded from control of the funds, or from in in the year it was passed, the year of the failure of the potato terfereuce with the expenditure.— (Hear, hear.) He did crop, which was the alleged cause or its necessity. Look ho pe that t he p resent Government would act, in regard to at the sum charged for workhouses. His Hon. Friend the this subject, in conformity with their recorded votes and Member for Roscommon had quoted a case from Limerick, opinions.—(Hearehear.) and he (Mr. Grattan) would quote a case from Youghal. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—I wish to He was sorry the Hon. and Learned Gentleman the Mem- recall the attention of the House to the real question before ber for Youghal was absent, but he who was always making us. The Bill before us is really a Bill of indemnity, and the speeches calculated to get popularity was no doubt so sure facts are these. The late Government, with, under the cir of his election in the next Parliament that he did not care cuinstances, a wise discretion, p er f orme d cer t a i n to hear aeything about his present borough. A sum of acts which the law did not j us tify. Th ey em -9,0001. had been advanced to build a poorhouse at Youghal, bodied in a Treasury minute measures which they capable of containing 900 initiates. This was to be paid to deemed necessary in a period of exigency; and it the Poor-law Commissioners on the 9th of October, 1851; should be recollected that all the propositions on that mi. but by a sealed order of the Commissioners, dated in Sep- nute, though they may not have been so comprehensive as tember, 1851, they declared the first instalment to be due in may have been desired, or so extensive as some persons may that month, or 16 days earlier than the 9th Oct., on which have hoped, were all propositi ons o f arrangements o f a reme the sum had been granted. To this day not a single stone of dial and mitigatory nature. Wh a t ever ma y b e th e dife the house was built Would not this be enough to excite ferences of opinion on th e great ques ti on w hi e h h as b een the indignation of so irascible a gentleman as the lion. and touched upon in the course of this debate, namely, the rela- Learned Member for Youghal, and, if he had not been ab- tions that should exist between England and Ireland with sent, no doubt they would have had a suitable speech from reference to claims made under remarkable ' and I may say him, accompanied by those remarkable gesticulations with unp recedente d circumstances, which will be fresh in the which he was accustomed to " Adonise" himself.— recollection - of all ' present, there can be' but one (Laughter.) In the workhouses in Ireland the people died sentiment as to the character of the measures with at the rate of 1,000 a week. He hoped the Government which the Bill under discussion is connected. They would adopt a plan he would recommend, which was, to di- were remedial measures—they were measures devised rest the Hon. and Learned Member for Portarlington, who to soften, to ameliorate, and to relieve; and there held an office in the Or Dance to, order out a park of ar- fore I could not have imagined that a Bill like this tillery, and blow every workhouse in Ireland down. - wou ld hav e met with any opposition in this House, and (Laughter.) That was the only way to keep the people least of all could I h ave conce i ve d th a t an amen d m ent, t o alive—(Laughter)—and to have peace; but, as it was, they read that Bill a second time this day six months, would were killing the people at the rate of 1,000 a week under the have come from Ireland, and from the Member fur an Irish special care of Mr. Nicholas. The Hon. Gentleman then county.—(Cheers.) We can lay no claim to any credit in went through parts of the Bill, which he declared no one connexion with this Bill save the humble credit of not could understand, and inquired whether any part of the shrinking from doing justice to those who have preceded us. The Bill was prepared by the late Government; it was ben. millions was to be remitted, or if it was all to be submitted tb my consideration when I first entered office by paid back by annuities? If so, he did not know how it was to be done. my predecessor; and it appeared to me that it was more Mr. CLEMENTS was not anxious to get rid of the work- than a just, that it was an equitable and a kind Bill. It did houses or the poor-law, but to see them work out the ob- not appear to me that in sanctioning it I gave any general jects intended by them, and therefore be wished to exa- opinion upon the large question of the state of Ireland. It mine this Bill. Re purpose era. to leaalieo o treaeery _simply appeared to me notwithstanding the peculiar circum minute of last year, which proposed that in every case in stances of the session, and notwithstanding the 'anxiety which the expense of any union reached 4s. in the pound, which we felt not to crowd the, paper with numerous Bills, the repayment of the advances should be so adjusted as not but merely to carry out the measures which .were abso to cause this sum of 4s. in the pound to be exceeded. Even lutely necessary, that this was an absolutely necessary if this were so, when the county cess of 2s. in ' the pound measure, and that it was what might be passed without op was added to it, raised the local taxation to 6s. in the pound, position, and even with warm feelings on the part of Irish while in England the average was not quite 2s. 6d. in . the Members.—(Cheers.) It is unnecessary for me to vindicate pound. He was not one who would repudiate the payment this measure. I have not heard as yet a murmur against of advances, if it were practicable, but he complained that it. It is not pretended that this is a Bill to add the treasury had kept the House and the people of England to the taxation of Ireland. The relief which it secures may in the dark as to the real state of things.— (The Hon. Gen- be less extensive than is desired, but it is a measure of tleman was proceeding to comment on the report . ot Sir Chas. relief, and it stands on its own merits. Those who support Trevelyan, when he was interrupted by) it are in no way pledged not to consider the larger question, Mr. TRELAWNY, who said—l rise to order. I have over- and it is therefore quite needless for me to vindicate a law heard words pass between two Hon. Members which are not a portion of which has been challenged, questioned, or calculated to lead to a breach of the peace. . criticised. Some Hon. Gentlemen have intimated that they [lt will be necessary to explain,. that while Mr. Clements would have-preferred that the whole question should have was speaking Mr. Anstey entered the House, and after ad- been considered , through the medium of some larger propo dressing several Members, evidently inctuiring what had sition. All I can answer is that this is a proposition founded been said with respect to him by Mr. Grattan daring his upon an examination of the facts, and as a direct remedy to absence, took his seat on the first Opposition bench by the a certain extent for a peculiar and overpowering grievance. table. Mr. Grattan crossed the House and sat down next Those who support it are not stopped from bringing forward Mr. Anstey. Some animated conversation passed between their general views on the subject ; but I cannot understand them, after which Mr. Grattan rose and left the House. Mr. that any one conld desire that the passing of this Bill should Trelawny then rose to order.] be postponed, as suggested by the Hon. Momber for Roscom- Sir A. COCKBURN said he had been an unwilling hearer mon. The Hone Member for Mayo (Mr. Moore) has made an of words passing between the Hon. Members for Youghal appeal to me, couched in very ornate and courteous language, and Meath, which he thought required that they should be which I cannot comply with, because I cannot see that it called on to state that what had passed between them should bears any reference to the question before us. It is enough go no further.—( Hear, hear.) for me to say that I shall always be ready to uphold gene- The SPEAKER said that the proper course was to order rally those opinions with respect to taxation to which the the Hon. Member for Meath to appear in his place.--(Cries Hon. Gentleman ,has referred. But , I must say, not by parti of "Go en.") The attention of the House had been called cular acts.—(Hear.) Such principles as I have laid down I to the likelihood of a breach of the peace being intended be- trust I shell always assert, being convinced of their justice, tween two Hon. Members, and the proper course was that a and feeling convinced that if applied in a spirit of justice motion should be made, calling on the Hon. Member for t he y w o uld conduce t o the advantage of the community.-- Meath to attend in his place. (Cheers.) Undoubtedly,' in the consideration of a question- Sir A. COCKBURN I beg to move that-- of thae kind Ireland is not to be omitted.—(Loud cheers.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was about to I have never considered the question of local taxation and rise to make that motion, and he begged to second it. omitted the question of Ireland.—(Loud cheers.) On the Mr. O'FLAHERTY could see no reason for ordering the contrary, I, have always kept , the question of Ireland Hon. Member for Meath to appear in his place. An Hon. befoie the House, and I have shown how Ireland has suf- Gentleman had drawn the attention of the House to circum- fered from an inequitable system of local taxation.— stances of which at present they knew nothing, and they (Loud cheers.) With regard to the general condition of had been called to decide upon the effect of certain words lrelind—as to the distrese under which she labours; as to when they had not heard what they were.—( Hear.) He those burdensome engagements incurred in consequence of would not on such grounds vote for any Gentleman's being an unprecedented • combination of circumstances, from called to the bar. which she has not yet successfully emerged—l have no he- Mr. LABOUCHERE could conceive no other course for sitation in saying that there is, on the part of her Majesty's the House to pursue than to assent to the motion of the Right Government, n sincere desire to review the state of Hon. ' Gentleman (Mr. Disraeli). An Hon. Member had Ireland in a comprehensive manner, with the hope of risen, and had informed the House that he bad heard the supplying some effective remedies to those social grie- Hon. Members in his neighbourhood make use of language vances of which theie has been such loud complaint.— which was calculated to lead to a breach of the.peace. (Cheers.) But I must tell the Hon. Member for Mayo that Mr. O'FLAHERTY—Aye, aye; but what language? that:is a task which is not to be undertaken in a hurried The O'GORMAN MAHON Who knows anything manner—(" Hear, hear," from Mr. Moore)—and it certainly about it? cannot be done in a session in which on every occasion her Mr. LABOUCHERE continued—And, under these cir- Majesty's Government, like other Governments, are exposed cumstances, the House would do right in insisting upon the to being " worried."—(Laughter. )• In serener hours we may presence of one of the Hon. Gentlemen implicated. be able to survey the circumstances like statesmen, and to see At this point in the "scene," Mr. GRATTAN re-entered the different bearings of all these various questions one the House, and took his seat, upon the other; and with such opportunity I. should cer- Sir A. COCKBURN begged that the Hon. Gentlemen tainly feel i t to be the duty of the present Government—and opposite (Mr. O'Flaherty and the O'Gorman Mahon) I should certainly exact it from . any Government, as one would not hold him responsible for having first drawn the of paramount urgency—to consider the social grievances of attention of the House to this matter. IL wasahe Hon. Ireland, with the object of applying adequate remedies.— Gentleman behind him (Mr. Trelawny) who had first asked (Cheers.) It was no idle boast of my Right Hon. and the interference of the Speaker • and on the circumstance Learned Friend (Mr. Napier), on Wednesday, when he said being mentioned, he (Sir A . Cockburn ) had thought himself that we were prepared to deal with the long-vexed question sitting Upon to state what he had heard. He had been ef Jandlord and tenant. That is a subject which had atteed in I :` ‘ eti a g next to the two Hon. Gentlemen who had quarrelled ; engaged his attention long before the formation of the ei er iat e e e d n and heard what had passed ; and, haying been so present Government, and, undoubtedly, there is much had actoehelnhad stated what he had known, and afterwards anxiety to settle that .great controversy.—(Cheers.) manner movi ng e u ha ' t the manner pointed out by the Speaker, by • But that also is a question unconnected with the present one. the Hon. Member for Meath be called upon to It is an easy thing to come forward to this table and to pro ception Ga ble u rlace. The words originated in some miscon- pose votes of money to necessitous proprietors. That, how. in wh. part of the lion. Member for Youghal as to the ever, is not to my mind the manner in which we should ratter not tetnether him in h. leh the Is abse . Hon. Member for Meath had spoken of deal with burdens oh land. We must view that question the Hon. Member that y o and those words were perhaps of a cha- under its various aspects. We must endeavour to penetrate near Sir A. e ockburn. ) r prelee —(Hear, from Hon. Members the deepest recesses of the question, and to grapple with all Meath intimated that Those words had been resented by its most complicated relations. It is quite useless to attempt natural to e e u e thali and the Hon. Member for to relieve the proprietor or even the occupier in Ireland the walls of the House , ee Gould carry his resentment beyond either from the burden of an imperial loan or from the therefor the Hon. Member of lust to be misunderstood. 'we e en a let , t te, indeed, in a manner not weight of local taxation unless, at the same time, the tenure for Tavistock (Mr. Trelawny ) g land is placed in a more rational and satisfactory c ockhu le n orted to the Speaker what state—unless all those questions which arise from the tenure p cc o u rt r . red it h w e as (S v ir er A i ?ntweas bound to confirm of land are, at the same time, put in a position which may is which both the Hon. Gen h t h a e d re ° Gentlemen one rfere in such a matter, offer some chance of a more satisfactory state than that men entitled to respect, and in which (Mr. were gentle- which for many years has been experienced in that country. ceeded the other so greatly in years. - It is with those feelings the Government are anxious to deal Sir P. NUGENT begged that- the Rouse with what e is called the " Irish question ;" and when we have • se would stand that be bad followed his Hon. Friend the me under- aspects,rtunity of viewing that question in all its various Meath out of the House with the intention of ee .mber for and in all its relations, we are prepared to consider with his Hon. Friend Mate th • e whole question of the local taxation of that country, and tees right. His argument said in , H was tha anything that bad been said in the Ouse ought to bet of the particular burdens under which society now labours. answered in the House ; and he bad asked his bon. Frien We shall do it with an earnest desire to do what we can to to return to his place and await the answer which the H on. alleniate the condition of that country, and to remove the Member for Youghal might think fit to make. Hi s R on. t real sources of social grievances. This, however, has nothing had odo with the • Friend had returned to his place, and so far matters responsible Bill before the House. For that Bill we are been settled, and the House would know what answer the measures undertaken only officially. It is a Bill of indemnity for Hon. Member for Youghal would make. i grateful undertaken for the relief of a class which is less than might have Mr. TRELAWNY accepted all the responsibility of inter- circumstancesl been anticipated ; and under these faring in this most unpleasant matter. He h P o ed he had ceive.that this I hope Hon. Members from Ireland will per not done wrong.—(Several 'lrish Members—" Very Wrong, 1 sion of th • s not the happiest opportunity for • e characterwhich a discus in Mr. MONSEL very wrong.") He had acted with the hope of pre rating 1 h „ w has prevailed.—(Hear.) .-. would look further conseqeences.—(Several Irish Members— Pooh.") 1 of t e promis es which the H anxiously for the realisation The SPEAKER—The Hon. Member for Meath having this Bill was a• remission, ore had just heard. No doubt . returned to his place, it is necessary to withdraw the motion ' there should be z a general _ n o t . it was very desirable that made in reference to him. At the same time the House .on which that remission /eas e° u based, na l tion of the prieciples will require to hear something from the Hen. Members that to the people of Ireland that they should was of importance neither Hon. Member will proceed further in regard to this tinct declaration from a member of the r have some dis matter. ing the principle on which this Bill w founded.overnment respect - matter. Mr. GRATTAN—I am very sorry, for the sake of the an almost miraculous resurrection ioasthe There was Hous e , th a t an ythin g l am c onnec ted with should take up parts of Ireland, and he trusted that the Governmentcondition of some its time. I addressed the House •in reference to the Hon. not do anything to tures , t its progress—(Rear.) would Member for Youghal, without intending give offence. ' Mr. ROCHE regretted that nothing a . to any as done Seeing the Ho n. on. Member afterwards making Inquiries in relief to the suffering people of Ireland. If the to give this House, as to what I hadsaid , • f Ireland they ought to express it aeoyernment offered him the document res 1 from which I had quoted , Th - crossed over to bins sad hada policy or pecting the Youghal Union, i Sir H. W. BARRON "eulvn, the Hon. Member lion. Member should N . said he was rather ess OM Bur frankly. Prised that the ee le the P r Go werumeht to declare . . . . . . . . _ TILE SUN, SATURDAY EVENING-, a policy, after being a most abject and consistent supporter of the policy of the late Government, which had clones() much mischief in Ireland. Mr. ROCHE rose to explain. The Hon. Member had said that he was an abject and consistent supporter of the late Government. It was not fair that the Hon. Gentleman should go on to argue on incorrect premises.—(Hear, hear.) He begged to say that he never was an abject or a consistent supporter of the late Government.—(Loud laughter.) The Hon. Gentleman was going on to address the House, when The SPEAKER said the Hon. Gentleman rose to explain, but he was making a second speech.—( Hear.) Sir H. W. BARRON said that the Hon. Gentleman was at all events a steadfast supporter of the late Government in all their measures in that House. He was sure the Hon. Gentleman would not deny that. Now it was net in his recollection, or the recollection of his reading—(Loud laughter)—that any Government had so misgoverned, had so ruined, every interest in Ireland, as the late . Government, and that was the reason of his sitting on that (the Ministerial) side of the House.--(lronical cheers.) The people of Ireland would back him in that opinion—ninetY nine out of every hundred would back him in that opinion. The only remedy of the late Government. was taxation, taxation, • taxation —( Laughter.) In 1845 the poor-law taxation was 316, 0 001.; under the late Government it rose to 2,130,000/. At least 200,00') farmers had been swept off the land, and 2 ,000.000 of the inhabitants had been driven to emigration. Hon. Gentlemen opposite pressed, forced, and irritated the Government to a dissolution, and yet they wanted the Government to come forward at once with a policy and remedial measures for Ireland. The people of Ireland lost at least 30,000,000 by the failure of the potato crop, and they lost 5,000,000/. annually in other crops since the famine. Yet the Government only in creased the amount of taxation on the people. That was their only remedy. At least one-fourth of the debt ought to be reniitted. The local burdens of Ireland in many cases amounted to not merely ss. or 65., but 20s. in the pound, as was proved by indisputable evidence. Persons might cross the Atlantic and get land in America for much less than the taxation to which they were subjected in Ireland. He had opposed the late Government. and he should oppose the pre sent one, if they pursued a similar course with regard to his country. Mr. V. SCULLY said the sole question for Ireland was, whether she would accept a remission of only 75,000/, which was a one hundredth part of the entire debt, or about 2 1 / 2 d. in the pound. His country was entitled to much more. . The O'GORMAN MAHON said, such speeches the House had heard that night from some of his countrymen as subjected. Irishmen, in the eyes of honest Englishmen and honest Scotchmen, to the imputation of being either fools or rogues.—(Hear,,hear.) As an Irishman, he disdained any identification with that class of persons. Those who said that Ireland owed no gratitude to England were men with whom he could never coincide. He thought his country was greatly indebted to the members of the late Government for offering the present boon. Mr. F. SCULLY said that a vast number of the electoral divisions in Ireland would receive no redress ender that limn; and in many instances those divisions were reduced to a state of great poverty and privation, and would have come within the provisions of the present measure, had it not been for the great care and- discretion with which their local affairs had been administered. _ Lord J. RUSSELL said he did not wonder that the Right Hon. Gentleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) should have expressed'his surprise that a Bill which had so very simple an object as that should have led to so much dis cussion. But he (Lord J. Russell) believed that that was what generally happened in the case of Bills relating to Ireland—(Hear, hear, and laughter) —and more especially Bills relating to the taxation of that country.— (Hear, hear.) The object of the present measure was to remit the payment of a sum of 75,000/. to certain districts in Ireland, which' ad suffered peculiar distress, and he honed the House would not refuse its assent to that arrangement. The principle, he thought, could be extended beyond the present ease. Government would do well to exercise their own judgment in deciding how far they would adopt the kind of relief hereafter, and how far they would adopt a species of relief which would be injurious to the adminis tration of the poor-law in Ireland. He would not enter upon the question of the state of Ireland, but he would just ob serve, that out of' the sums voted to meet the distresses of Ireland, and charged on the consolidated fund, 3,500,0001. had been borne by the people of the United Kingdom. The great difficulty had been created by the food of Ireland having been taken from the people suddenly, and that the debt had arisen in consequence. With regard to the future, he hoped' Government would apply such remedies to the wants of Ireland as circumstances called for and would justify. He regretted to hear the statement of the Attorney- General for Ireland in reference to the sending threatening letters, and he trusted the subject would receive the atten tion of Government. In meeting the difficulties of Ireland, he felt that if they exempted the landlords of Ireland from their fair share of liability they would add to, instead of lessen, the evils.. He was happy to hear the statement of improvement in the west of Ireland, which he trusted would prove a foretaste of what was in store for Ireland. Mr. H. HERBERT said a great deal of the existing dif ficulty arose from the conduct of the late • Government.— (Hear.) He was the last person to support those who were anxious to break the law with reference to the repayment of the poor-law advances. He would only, however, consent to carry out the same eprinciple as regarded Ireland which was held to be good in England. Mr. WAKLEY said, that the Member for WaterfOrd had attached himself,to one set of doctors, who would only adopt a particular system towards Ireland, but let them look at the result. The Irish Members complained of bad measures for Ireland ; why did they not . try their hand and bring in good measures? He was sure they would be sup ported by English Members, who desired nothing better than to see Ireland in the same condition as England; when the landlords of Ireland had protection, what good did it do for the people of the country? Mr. WHITESIDE did not intend to trespass on the time of the House. When the Hon. Gentleman opposite spoke with reference to the condition of Ireland, and laid on the Irish gentry the blame of that condition, he begged to pro test against his conclusions. If it were necessary to have a poor-law in Ireland half a century ago, who had the power to enact that law for Ireland? who but the Parlia of England?—(Hear, hear.) As to why Irish Members did not bring in measures for Ireland, he would not step to explain; but when the Hon. Gentleman referred to his Right Hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer he should have recollected that, on one side, her Majesty's present Gavernment was taunted w ith no t dissolving Par liament immediately, whilst, on the other, they were at tacked for not introducing measures.—(Hear, hear.) He ex pected more justice than that for a Ministry only a few weeks in power; and who had not yet been given an op portunity of bringing forward.measures which might be found to be acceptable and satisfactory.—(Hear.) Mr. O'FLAHERTY deprecetad the taunts of the Noble Lord (Lord J. Russell) against Irish Members for speaking on general questions. He begged to say that, as an Irish Member, he should always exercise his right to speak on any subject he pleased. He should also call on the lion. and Learned Attorney-General for Ireland to explain what he Ribbon system iu Connaught. explained, e and declared he did not in tend a to in on. M em b er f or spea ki ng on w h a t e ver J:ußnut referencess anyELatLo th subject he pleased- -- -( Hear, h ear. ) Mr. NAPIER was not aw are h e h a d sa id any thi ng i n re ference to the spread of the Ribb on system i n C onnaug ht. He s Lordid alluded to threatening notices being served in several parts of Ireland, but did not allude to Connaught —(Hear, hear.) The Bill was then read a second time. PROTECTION OF INVENTIONS ACT. Mr. HENLEY moved that this .Bill be read a second time. Mr. LABOUCH.ERE hoped the Bill would be passed through the House with all Possible dispatch. If not passed this session many meritorious persons would be injured, • in asmuch as inventions exhibited by them at the Great Expo sition of last year, if not protected, would be certain to be " pirated." (Hear, hear.) The Bill was then read a second time, as also committed, and ordered to be read a third time on Monday next. CORRUPT PRACTICES AT ELECTIONS BILL. The House having gone into Committee on this Bill, Mr. BELL took exception to the first clause, and wished to know if it was intended that a commission should issue on the report of a Committee of that House, or on the motion of an Hon. Member? He wished to have the matter ex plained, :is it might be av a il e d of detrimentally for party purposes.—( Beat Mr. WALPOLE said he intended to move, by way of amendment, that the first five lines of the first clause should be emitted, in order that there might be substituted words to this effect:—" That after the report of a Committee ap pointed to inquire into an election of any particular borough or county, or of a Committee generally, a ppointed by the House to inquire into the corrupt practices of any borough or county in which these practices were alleged to have been committed, in such case an address should be sent to the Crown with the view that a commission should issue." Lord J. RUSSELL would object to the limitation of the amendment, if it had, been applied to the election commit tees; but, under the circumstances, he should not oppose it. He suggested the adoption of the word " extreme' . instead of the word " general , " in the am en d ment ' Mr. WALPOLE assented to the suggestion. Mr. WAKLEY said, no , notice had been given of the amendment, and he wished, therefore, it should be post poned. The amendment changed the character of the clause. Mr. WALPOLE said the amendment was a necessary pro tection to the minority, in case the majority saw fit to take an unconstitutional course. Mr. HEADLAM asked, would there be a public prosecutor, in case the commission reported? If not, the amendment would be of little or no valne. Mr. ANSTEY said if the amendment was adopted the Bill would not meet such a case as that of St. Alban's. He thought this proved the danger of narrowing the clause by any special language. The majority of the House was the House itself; the minority was unknown to the:Constitution. He therefore moved that the further consideration of the clause should be postponed, as he did not wish to obstruct the course of the Bill. Mr. W. MILES supperted the amendment. The clause as it stood would place the question in exactly the same position as it stood before. He therefore thought his Right Hon. Friend's amendment was absolutely necessary. - Mr. V. SMI ra thought i t would he difficult for a Select Committee to arrive at sufficient information on the subject of alleged corrupt practices. Mr. WALPOLE said it was far from his intention to take the House by surpriseeas he h ad given the Noble Lord an intimation that he would introdu ce an, amendment to that effect in Committee. Mr. T. BARING feared that a Select Committee might be influenced by party considerations t;? i nstitute a vexatious proceeding against any borough • , I they once l e f t i n th e bands of the Hoase the power to d ecide _ the tenure of' the seat of any Hon. Member , it would bei_a serious i n t er f erence with the rights of constituent s. The House would be hold ing out a premium to c onstitue ncies to r e t urn M em b ers favourable to the majority of th at H e ' e nae, otherwise there I I was the threat of a Committee o f inquiry being issued. These were not his opinions alone—t hey were the opinions of one of the ablest states men of that House—who had stated that the Grenville Act was _Paseed be cause t h ey be lieved that that House was no t a fit tribunal for the t r i a l' of such questions. That was the opin io n of Mr. Fox, an d h e hoped they would take war ning by t he opinion pronounced by so high an authority. would n • Lord J. RUSSELL said t here . nee e, in most case& in obtaining evide nce h regard to corrup great di ffi culties h If, however , ' ton existing in these boroug s. some evidence of the fact was obtained, the House would then be asked to assent to an address to the Crown, to appoint seCommittee of Inquiry. If that was agreed to , then there would be a Com f barristers of experience, they mittee appointed, consisting o would go down to take • th e borough, and evidence on oath. by legal evidence, If the bribery could not be prov ed . the that in the event of th e House case fell to the ground. So ' hout sufficient House acting incorrectly, and wit inquiry, the and no proceedings would be borough would escape harmless, being pro v e, taken. In the event of the bribery P t . p et then there would be a report laid before both Houses after of through A Bill could then be introduced, and, the assent of the o t her its stages, could be sent up to re ceive done before the borough was House, and all that must be 1 disfranchised. He thought, under those circumstan ces , that the interests of the borough were sufficiently protected. The object of the Bill was not to extend the _powers of th e H ouse , but to provide a better 104115 a inquir y' Who lion, Gentle- Miles opened, NAME OF RAILWAY. Receipts. 1852. .---• BRITISH. --- 72 Aberdeen .................... ..... $1,221 £1,542 3 7 % Belfast and Ballymena ••••••• • • • • • •• 698 593 17 Belfast axed County Down.• •••••• • • .. 187 191 33 Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire 1,430 1,360 2631 Bolton, Blackburn, and West York .• . • 6 4 1 807 8 5 4 Bristol and Exeter ••.•• • • • .......... 3, 621 3,907 189MCa1ed0nian.......... •• • •........... 7,974 8,142 91% Chester and liolyhead. ••..• • • • .... - 2,144 2,342 631 Cork, Blackroc k, and Passage ••• • • • - 131 65 Dublin and Belfast Junction •• ...... 560 706 53 Dublin and Drogheda. •.. .. ... ••.. .. 811 910 6 Dublin and Kingstown ••••••• • •• - • • 9 23 644 16% Dundee and Arbroath ••--••-..•• • • . • • • • • • • 328 328 460 31 Dundee, Perth, and Aberdcenlunction 605 608 19 Dundalk and Enniskillen. •..••• • • • • • 147 148 594 585 68 East Anglian.... • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 79 East Lancashire ••••.•••••• • • • • • • • • • 3,720 4,896 322 Eastern Counties and Norfolk ..... ... 12,397 13,420 95 EasternlJnion" - .............• •• 1 , 911 1,988 8914 Edinburgh and Glasgow .••••• • • .. .. 3 , 30 3 3,278 78 Edinburgh, Perth, and Dundee.• •• • • 1,185 2,292 6 Exeter and Crediton.. •.. ..... ••• • • • - 102 19 Furness Railway ••••••••• • • • • • • •• 312 487 171% Glasgow, and South-Western. • ...... 3,508 3,769 241 M Great Northern and E. L ..... ••• • • • 7,248 10,867 188 Great Southern and Western (Ireland) 4,347 4,617 277 Great Western •• • • ................ 14,381 15,266 25 Irish South Eastern ••..••••• • • • • • • • 211 127 50 Lancaster and Carlisle...". . ... 3,663 4,056 260 Lancashire and Yorkshire..• ••••• • • • • 14,770 15,89: 39 Leeds and Thirsk .... •• •• •• 12% Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport.... 195 41 5 3 9 % London and North Western, •• •• , 8 46 18 6 42,3 89 6 : 534 London and Blackwell •••• • • • • •• •. 1 7 3 M London, Brighton, ,and South _Coast.. 244 k London and South Western. •••••••• 78 : 95 . 7 35 3 47 89 : 2 02 5 64 1 45 24% Londonderry and Enniskillen •••• • • •• j o s 116 11% Manchester, Buxton, and Matlock, &c. 167% Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire 8, 3 0 9 0 2 4 6 ' 6 572 11 9% Manchester and South Junction...." 580 564 28 Maryport and Carlisle ••••••• • • • • * ** 20,309 21,758 496% Midland -••••• • • • • • •••" • "*" 1,027 2 , 7 3 5 126 Midland Great Western ( Irish) •• " - 788 975 37 Monk-lands •••••••••••• •• • • •• • • " 2,133 1,959 60 Newcastle and Carlisle.. •• •• •• "" '• 3,038 3,258 149 North British •••••••••• • • •• '' : . ;;;; 4,766 4,780 222 North Staffordshire • • ...... '' : ... 500 6 07 47 North-Western ••• • • • .... ~ 1,588 1,742 45 Scottish Central •• •• •"• •• ".." ...... 507 6 56 32 Scottish Midland •• • ••. ••;•_•___ ...• •• 604 677 29% Shrewsbury and Birmingn a... .. .... ~__ 1,5,3 47 Shrewsbury and Chester . •..... I (2507, 009 29 Shropshire Union . ..... ........... ~5,, 1,70 58 South Devon •• • ..... •" • . 8 % 8 93 )9 ,, 0 4 •• •• • .......... •• •• -A I ,441 228% Sent r Eastern" ................ 921 1.2 67 93% South Wales •• 77 south York., Don . cas .• ter, and Goole .. 1,147 • 1,348 40 Taff Vale ••••"••'••• • • - •• - - • • •• 1 ' 957 2 ,527 . •••• •••• .. s9O Ho 36 Ulster. '' "..••• - •• •* g 25 Watertbrd and L . im .. e . r . i . c ..•.• 7.7.7.7.7. 221 421 6 1 6 3 : 2 7 18 6 1 9 9 5 , 1 7 3 . , 1 2 3 8 8 0 16h West Cornwall 12 Whitehaven Junction 304% York and Newcastle, Berwick.'.a .. n . d ....- 279 York and North Midland.... fOREION. 1 152 Central of France •••• .................... :: :::. 2,670 4,060 5714 Dutch Rhea's . 814 891 1 21% 1 aria Anton _ _ ro . 91 156 63 Montereau and u: Yea ••••• • .. •... 974 941 442% Northern of Fran ee .. .. .. . • • • 134% Orlea ns and Bordeaux.::. .... ....: :: 17 . 035 I 20,092 2.926: 4, , i35 240 Paris and 1.,) ons •• • • ........ 5,2411 11,745 82 Paris and Orle ans ......... ••• • • 7,312 ;3,090 84 Paris and Ronen• •• 11 .• •9•••• •• •••• •• 5,561 8,405 i 194 Faris a nd StrasbUrg .. ••"..• • •. •• 8 ,01 1 8 , 618 59 Rouen and sane . . • •• ••••• e •• •• 2,317 2,766 121 Tour_ . 1 # ra ti!„„_„„„ •• ...„ ...• • .. 1087 9,436 'a __. AP ft I L 3, 1852. man appeared to him, therefore, to have taken unnecessary alarm. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL wished to know if the Noble Lord agreed to the amendment proposed by his Right Hon. Friend? (Lord J. Russell was understood to assent.) He was obliged to the Noble Lord. What the Bill proposed was, that under certain circumstances a commission of inquiry should issue, and on their report a Bill could be founded. Sir P. WOOD approved of the proposition to examine witnesses on oath ; and he suggested likewise for adoption, that the witnesses should be idemnified and protected against consequences which might flow from their evidence. Mr. R. HILDYARD observed, if they proceeded in the mode proposed by the Bill, he had no doubt their proceedings would be marked by the calmness and deliberation which the case demanded. Mr. WAKLEY said the objection of the Hon. Gentleman opposite proceeded OH a mistrust of the exercise of judicial power by the House. Captain HARRIS suggested that they should alter the existing law as little as possible, and should rather proceed by strengthening the law than changing it altogether. Sir A. COCKBURN did not entertain the same apprehen sions as some of his friends as to the tyrannic exercise of their power by majorities in that House, though he admitted that there had been occasions when an oppressive use of their power had been made by majorities. However, he (lid not think that, where the object was merely inquiry, majo rities would be found in that House to act oppressively. Considering, then, the importance and value of the Bill fur the purpose of preventing corruption, be thought Hon. Gen tlemen would do well not to peril the Bill by refusing to ac cept it as presented by the Government. He would suggest that in the clause referring to an address to the Crown, an alteration should be made so as to prevent its appearing that the address to the Crown should be forwarded on the report of the Committee, as would be the case if the clause re mained unaltered, instead of being founded upon the decision of the House itself. All thee lection committees were the scorn of the country. Unless a barrister happened to be upon them they were at the mercy of the counsel before them. Under this Bill the expense would be immense, and the delay prodigious, and at the same time the effect would be futile. He would, after the unfortunate confession of the Noble Lord, test the sincerity a the friends of the purity of election, and divide on his proposal to postpone this clause. Mr. BRIGHT said if the Bill passed, as proposed by the Government, all the gain would be that at a particular stage of the proceedings in a case like that of St. Alban's, the de lay of a Bill might be saved, and this was a very small gain indeed.— (Hear, hear.) The Committee would not be so free from party policy perhaps as the present election com mittees. Ile regretted that the proposition of the Govern ment should have been so easily assented to by the Noble Lord. His object was really to cure this monstrous leprosy of corruption which impaired the efficiency of Parliament.— (Hear, hear.) The measure in its present form would plainly be entirely nugatory.— (Liberal cheers.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—Sir, I really despair of inducing the Opposition to assent to any measure this session.—(ilear and laughton) Thim ie the fourth time this evening we have been obstructed in our endeavours to accelerate the close of the session. We wished the Militia Bill to be read a second time the day after the recess • who rose to object to the arrangement? The Hon. Member for the West Riding of Yorkshire—(Hear)—wished a few days more; and when I said I was anxious to fix a day for the financial statement, another Member asked me in the name of Ireland to give them a few days.—( Hear, hear.) Almost the whole evening has been spent upon a Bill which is only a Bill of indemnity to the late Government for a proper and prudent arrangement as to the consolidation of Irish an nuities.—(Hear.) And after having at nearly eleven o'clock fixed Tuesday for the Committee on that Bill, another Irish gentleman, a member of the Opposition, rises to request the Government to postpone the Committee on, that somewhat pressing measure until after the holidays.—(Hear, bear.) And now, when we take up a Bill of great interest—also a Bill left by the late Government, and which, as a dissolution of Parliament is impending , ought not be neglected—. (Hear)—we are told it is of no value, because the Noble Lord—the highest authority on that side of the House—ac cepts the amendment of the Secretary of State, and we are requested not at present to press the amendment.---(Hear, hear.) Sir, notwithstanding our disposition to accelerate the progress of public business, I cannot acquiesce with his suggestion—(Cheers)—and feeling assured that the amend ment of my Right Hon. Friend will render the Bill more secure to the liberties of the people, and more valuable for the object we have in view, I shall call on the Committee to decide upon it.—(Loud cheers.) The House then divided, when there appeared- 131 For Mr. Walpole's amendment ... 137 Against it ............. 26 Majority ... —lll The clause as amended was then ordered to stand part of the bill. On clause 6, Mr. WALPOLE moved another amendment. As the clause was then drawn the Commissioners would have power to inquire into corrupt practices at previous elections, dating it might be, 10 or 20 years back, and by coupling those practices with the practices at the last election lay a foun dation for the disfranchisement of a borough—though there might have been an intervening election at which no cor ruption had taken place. His amendment would have the effect of allowing the Commissioners, if they found corrup tion at the last election to go back to the previous one, and so on until they came to an election at which those prac tices had not been proved to exist, when the inquiry should stop. With this view he begged to move, first, the omis sion of the words in the clause, "for such a period respec tively as they think proper." Sir A. COCKBURN opposed the amendment as having a pernicious tendency, and suggested that if in the prosecu tion of their inquiries the Commissioners found that there had been an intermediate election at which corrupt practices did not prevail, they should report that fact to the House. Mr. STANFORD said, it appaarod to him that the system now recommended was calculated to fetter the action of the Commissioners, who ought to have the freest scope in prose cuting their inquiries. Mr. BRIGHT deprecated discussing points which were not fairly before the House. He suggested, if this further alte ration were to be carried out, it would be better to report pro gress. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER was quite willing to adopt the proposal. Lord J. RUSSELL thought it would be better to have the proposed alteration printed. He also thought it would be unwise in any manner to fetter the Commissioners in their inquiry. —( Hear, hear,) The CHAIRMAN then reported progress, and the House resumed. The Passengers' Act Amendment Bill passed through Committee. The Sheep, &c., Contagious Disorders Prevention Bill was read a second time. _ The Copyright Amendment Bill was read a third time. The Law of Evidence (Scotland) Bill passed through Committee. The Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Bill was read a third time. THE MILITIA BILL. Mr. WALPOLE brought in this Bill, which was read a first time. The Right Hon. Gentleman took the opportunity of stating that, for the sake of convenience, he had consoli dated all the former Acts. He wished also to give notice of an important alteration which he proposed to make in the Bill, and to which he had not referred when moving for leave to introduce the measure. In case the House should agree to the second reading of the Bill, it was his intention in the Committee to move the insertion of a clause providing that any person who had served two years in the militia should be entitled to be registered in, and to vote for, the county in which he might reside.—(Cheers..) Mr. M. GIRSON gave notice that on the motion for the second reading he should move a resolution to the effect that it was not expedient to proceed with the Militia Bill during the present session. Mr. V. SMITH asked for an estimate of the probable ex pense to be incurred by the militia, and what expense the parishes would be put to on account of the ballot? Mr. WALPOLE would procure the necessary information and lay it on the table. Mr. ANSTEY moved for a copy of memorials, papers, and correspondence on the subject of the expuls ion of the Rev. Messrs. Wingate and Smith from Pesth, and of the Rev. Mr. Edwards from Lemberg. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER resisted the motion on the ground that negotiations, to which these papers referred, were still going on. Mr. ANSTEY had gathered from the Earl of Malmes bary's dispatch that the matter had been settled; but her wenld postpone his motion to a future day. The House then adjourned at Half-past One. RAILWAY RETURNS TRAFFIC RETURNS FOR. THE PAST WEEK. PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS. (From the Votes a Proceedings of the House of Commons. FRIDAY, APRIL 2. CORRUPT PRACTICES AT ELECTIONS BILL. (IN THE COMMITTEE.) Clause I (Upon Address of House of Commons her Majesty may appoint Commissioners to make inquiry into Corrupt Practices at Elections) :—Amendment proposed, to leave out from the beginning of the Clause to " it shall be lawful," in line 6, for the purpose of inserting the words, " when by an Address of the House of Commons it shall be represented to her Majesty that a Committee appointed to try an Election Petition, or a Committee appointed to in quire into the existence of corrupt practices in any Election or Elections of a Member or Members to serve in Parliament, have reported to the House that corrupt practices have, or that there is reason to believe that corrupt practices have, extensively prevailed in any City, Borough, or place in the United Kingdom, electing or sharing in the Election of a Member or Members to serve in Parliament at any Election or Elections of such Members or Member, and the said House shall thereupon pray her Majesty to cause inquiry to be made under this Act," instead thereof:"—Question pnt, " That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Clause." The Committee divided MINORITY—AYES, 26. Berkeley, Henry F. llindley Charles Strutt, E. Bright, John Hobhousc, T. B. Stuart, Lord D. Brotherton, J. Mangles, It. D. Teunent, it. J. Bunbury, E. H. Osborne, Ralph Thornely, Thomal Carter, J. B. Pechell, Sir G. Williams, John D'Eyneourt, C. T. Romilly, Colonel Williams, W. Duncan, George iialwey, Colonel Gibson, T. M. Seholetleld, William TELLERS. Ileacilam, Thomas Somers, J. P. Anstey, T. C. Heywood, James Stanford, J. F. Wakley, Thomas MAJORITY-NOES, 137. Adair, R. St alto Galway, Viscount Naas, Lord Adderley, C. B. Gilpin, Colonel Napier, Joseph Arkwright, George Goold, Wyndham Newport, Viscount Bagot, William Granby, Marquis of O'Brien, Sir Lucius Bankes, G. Greenall, G. O'Connell, M. J. Baring, Thomas Greene, ThomaS Ossulston, Lord Barron, Sir H. Grey, B. W. Packe, C. W. Barron, W. H. Gwyn, llowel Pakington, Sir J. Bellew, R. M. Hale, R. B. Palmer, Robert Beresford, William Hall, Colonel Parker, John Berkeley, C. L. G. liallewell, E. G. Peel, Sir Robert Breroridge, Richard Hamilton, G. A. Plowden, W. 11. Brocklehuret, J. Hamilton, Lord C. Portal, Melville Brooke, Sir A.B. Harris, Captain Renton, John C. Bruce, C. L. C. Heald, James Repton, G. W. Burghley, Lord Henley, J. W. Ricardo, Osman Chandos, Marquis Hervey, Lord A. Russell, Lord J. Chichester, Lord J. Hildyard, B. C. St. George, Chris. Christopher, It. A. Hill, Lord E. Seymour, Lord Christy, Samuel Hill, Lord M. Smith, Vernon Clive, li. B. Hope, Sir J. Smith, J. A. Coblx;ld, J. C. Hudson, G. Somerton, Viscount CoAburn, Sir A. Hutchins, E. J. Sotheron, T. H. Compton, 11. C. Joillffe, Sir W. G. Spooner, Richard Cotton, W. 11. Jones, Captain Stafford, Atli:tutu/I Craig, Sir W. G. Knight, F. W. Sutton, J. H" Davies, D. A. Knox, W. S. "" Tennent, Sir J. Dawson, T. V. Labouchere, Henry Thesiger, Sir F. Donicaon, J_ R. Lennox, Lord A. Thompson, Colonel Disraeli, B. Lennox, Lord H. G. Thompson, Ald. Duncombe, A. Locke, Joseph Tollemache ' John Duncombe, W. E . Lockhart, W. Trevor, G. It. Dunne, Colonel Manners ;Lord G. Vesey, Thomas Ebrington, Lord Manners, Lord J. Villiers, Viscount Edwards, Henry Marshall, W. Vivian, J. E. Egerton, Sir P. Masterman, John Villiers, F. W. Estcourt, J. R. B. Matheson, Alex. Vyse, R. 11. Evans, William Maxwell, Hon. J. P. Waddington, David Farrer, James Meux, Sir Henry Waddington, H. S. Fellowes, E. Miles, P. W. Walpole, Spencer Filmer, Sir E. Miles, William Whiteside, James Fitzpatrick, J. W. Milner, W.LIII. Wilson, Matthew Forester, G. C. Morgan, 0. Wood, Sir W. P. Fox, S. W.L.Morris, David • ._ _ _ _ Freestun, Colonel Mullings, J. R. TELLERS. Frewen, C. U. Mundy, William Mackenzie, W. F. Fuller, A. E. Murphy, F. S. Bateson, Thomas SPURTING INTELLIGENCE. EPSOM STEEPLECHASES —FRIDAY. The acceptances for the two Free Handicaps and the en tries for the Scramble not having been completed until late on Tuesday evening, the public were kept in the dark as to the quality of th e sport t h ey were to expect until mw appear anceeede roaftet suspect,h one,e p h r ae o vn g ed r a b m sec m ta rf e ec the eupralastd fineness f i o m r p e tf r e ht s eh s i e o g ttweath ernpgr owould, v u e p d ~a i e r a ly th o With the weather in its favour,however, it drew a large attendance, and, as nearly all the horses engaged went to the post, speculation was brisk, and the sport, deficient as it was in interest, left little to complain of. • 'We subjoin a return : A Free Handicap Hurdle Race of 5 sovs. each,:withl3o added, over six flights of hurdles. Twice round, about two miles. (6 Subs.) Mr. Collins's The Old Wells, aged, 9st 41b (h b) (Archer) 1 Mr. Braithwaite's The Drag, 5 yrs, lOst 51b ....(White) 2 Mr. Land's Combatant, 6 yrs, list (h .......(Ablett) 0 Mr. Sait's Sir Alexander, lOst 51b .....(H. Bell) 0 Mr. Walker's Perjury, 5 yrs, 9st 81b (Archer) 0 Betting-2 to 1 agst The Drag, sto 2 agst Perjury, and 3 to 1 agst Combatant. The Old Wells made all the running, and won by a length. Sir Alexander and Perjury were pulled up two distances from home. Combatant fell and broke his leg. The Great Metropolitan Steeplechase of 10 soya. each, with 100 added, the second to save his stake, and the winner to pay 20 sovs. towards expenses. Winners after the declara tion of the weights to carry 61b extra. About four miles. (10 Subs.) Mr. Braithwaite's The Drag, 5 yrs, 9st 131b...(White) 1 Mr. Turner's Oily Gammon, aged,9st 111b(h b) (Turner) 2 Mr. Higgins's Maria Day, lOst 121 b ...,(Darling) 3 Mr. Linnell's Peter, list 131 b (in. 61bs extra) (Tasker) 0 Mr. Anson's Spring Buck, lOst 121 b... ........(Darby) 0 Mr. Beeton na Half-and-Half, lOst 101 b ..... (Oliver) 0 Mr. Parker's The Rector, aged, lOst 111 b (Ablett) 0 Mr. R. D'Arcy's Little dlaarley,9st lllb (C. Boyce) 0 Mr. Higgins's Forest Lad,llost 111 b (Planner) 0 Mr. Reynold's The Black Prince, aged, 9st I Ilb (Archer) 0 Betting-3 to 1 agst Peter, 4to 1 agst Half-and-Half, 5 to 1 agst Forest Lad, 5 to 1 agst Little Charley, and 16 to agst Oily Gammon. Peter, with Oily Gammon, Black Prince, and Maria Day in company, made the running to the water jump the second time round; where he was joined by the Drag, who, at the brow of the hill, took the lead, followed by Oily Gammon and Mary Day. A fine race home between the three, terminated in favour of The Drag by a length, Oily Gammon beating Maria Day by half a length. Tho Scramble Steeplechase of 3 sovs. each, with 20 added; list 71b each; the winner to be sold for 100 sovs. if de manded, &c.; and allowances if to be sold for less. About two miles. Lord Lurgan's Victress, lOst 41b (300 (Boyce) 1 Mr. R. D'Arcy's Little Charley, 9st 111 b (car. lOst 71b) 2 Mr. Play's Buscot, 9st 111 b Mr. Parker's The Rector, aged, 9st 121 b (201) (Planner) 0 Mr. Green's Register, 6 yrs, 9st 1 /lb (201.) (Owner) 0 Mr. Smith's Little Lizzy (h - b) lOst 41b (30/.) (Owner) 0 Mr. Ttiorp's No Chance, 9st 111 b (201. ) Mr. De Horsey's Orange Girl, lOst 61b (301.) (C. Balchin) 0 Mr. Bowman's Flytrap, 9st 111 b (201.) (Archer) 0 Mr. F. Williams's Conrad, (h-b), lOst 41b (201.) (Owner) 0 Betting-6 to 4 agst Victress, 4to 1 agst Buscot, 6to 1 each agst Gulnare and Conrad, and 7 to 1 each agst Register and Little Charley. Victress, after the first fence, went on with the running, carried it on to the end, and won in a canter; Little Charley second, Buscot a bad third. Orange Girl and Register fell, and threw their riders, fortunately without injury to either of them. Gulnare was weighed for and mounted, but did not go to the post. BETTING ON THE COURSE. TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS STAKES. 4 to 1 agst Homebrewed I 5 to I agst Daniel O'Rourke CHESTER CUP. 50 to 1 agst Cockcrow 50 to 1 agst Grosvenor 1000 to 15 agst Retail 15 to 1 agst Stilton 20 to 1 agst High Sheriff 20 to 1 agst Joe Miller 25 to 1 agst Merry Bird. DEBBY. sto 1 agst Hobbie Noble I2oto 1 agst Lapidiat (taken) ll to 1 agst Augur (taken) I3oto 1 agst Little Harry (t) HUNTING APPOINTMENTS. Her Majesty's stag-hounds, Mon., Hawthorn Hill; Thurs., Holtspur-11. The Albrighton hds., Mon., Little Onn-11. The Bramham Moor hds., Mon., Little Ahnseliff-11. The Heythrop hds., Mon., Cornbtuy Park; Thurs., South Lawn Lodge-10 1 / 2 . Mr. Morgan's hds., Mon., Amy Cross; Thurs., Kennon -10%. The N. F. lads., Mon., Bolderwood ; Thurs, Markway Bridge-12. COURT CIRCULAR. e The Queen had a dinner party on Thursday, in Serene High Bucking ham Palace. The company included his . _ lichees of the Prince Nicholas of Nassau, the Duke and the and Montrose, Viscountess isco sh Viscount tesss,. a hasnyd, Viscount Viscountess shd Barrington , vniryore s sp I, C a using, k V i i s s o u n il Lord de Roe, the Right Hon. Sir John and 11 . ' us ell, Baron ce duringttendall t H h a e d C ei h n ir sn ce d llo ß r a o r f on th it e og E g x e c n h h e a ci e u h e . r and airs. n TbarsdaY, Mrs. James band of the Ist Life Guards was in a dinner.ATht The band honour of taking the her Majesty's drawing - room , '?_ dies present. Ila the z eiaiature of her Royal Ch s ic ir he w le i y u P ia l m ow c d . e ß n s w ss as , R azng the t i h i e last sitting, on Thursday, for mated by command of her Highness the Princess Louisa, 1)."'• mstmissiinosnterf.or His Majesty. Prince Albert presided, yesterday af- His Royal Highness the Palace at a quar P u t i .. att li tht b eera ßo lac y e al of Co lv m s ternoon, at a meeting Exhibition of 1851, held b y Colonel Francis Hugh Seymour, Royal Highness arrived a t three o'clock, attended r esent were Lord Granville, the Right the Right Hon, William E. Glad- Equerry in,Waitinz. p Clibitt, Sir Charles Lyell, Sir Richard Ho T h h . e n C e o n T ra is; aib io ? n u ers chere , stone, Sir we_ . Basley, Mr. T. F. Gibson, Mr. John Gott, Westmacett , r t. % r Mr. Rendel, Mr. John Shepherd, Mr. Russell and Mr. Edgar Bowring, Mr. Pull' my., and Mr. Alderman Thompson, M.P. Mr. Sot . . Secretaries to 4Commission, attended. the Ey- Pla fair Mr. Dr. yon Play fair, Cole, and Mr. Mike, were present. The meeting broke up at a quarter before seven o'clock, Stephensol, w hen Prince Albert, attended by Colonel F. H. Seymour, re turned to Buckingham Palace. A meeting of the Finance Committee of the Royal Com mission had previously been held in the Palace of Westmin ster, which was attended by Earl Granville, the Right Hen. H. Labouchere, the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, Sir Alex ander Spearman, Sir W. Cubitt, Mr. T. F. Gibson, and Mr. Bowring (Secretary). Mr. Cole, Mr. Dilke, and Mr. Carpenter attended. the Royal Family took their accustomed exercise yester day in the garden of Buckingham Palace. The Queen and Prince Albert honoured the performance of the French Plays with their presence yesterday evening. The Royal suite consisted of the Marchioness of Ely, Hon. Eleanor Stanley, the Earl of Verulam, Lord Colville, and Colonel F. R. Seymour. The Hon. Eleanor Stanley and the Hon. Beatrice Byng have relieved the Hon. Caroline Cavendish and the Hon. Flora Macdonald in their duties as Maids of Honour in Waiting to her Majesty. Lord Colville (Clerk Marshal) has relieved Major-General Buckley in his duties as Equerry in Waiting to the Queen — Colonel Francis Hugh Seymour has relieved Colonel Bou verie in his duties as Equerry in Waiting to his Royal High ness Prince Albert. A Deputation, consisting of Alderman Thompson, Presi dent of Christ's Hospital; Alderman Hooper, President of St. Bartholomew's • Alderman Sir J. Musgrove, President of St. Thomas's ; Mr. Bentley, Treasarer of St. Bartholomew's Hospital; Mr. Gilpin, Treasurer of Christ's Hospital; Mr. Baggallay, Treasurer of St. Thomas's Hospital; Mr. Ma berly, Solicitor to Christ's Hospital ; Mr. Wainewright, So licitor to St. Thomas's Hospital ; Mr. Wilde, Solicitor to St. Bartholomew's; Mr. James Freshfield, M.P.; and Mr. John Masterman, M.P., had an interview with Mr. Secretary Walpole yesterday at the Home Office. A Deputation from Guy's Hospital, consisting of Mr. Charles Barclay .. . Fra.s.i dent ; Mr. Bonamy Dobru, Treasurer ; Sir Robert Lt. lngiis, M.P. ; and Mr. John Masterman, M.P., had also an inter view with the Ri g ht Hon. Gentleman. With the Sir John Hers c hel had an interview yesterday Chancellor of the Exchequer, ‘4 his Official regideUoo in D9Tagriglitif@ty A deputation from the Local Board of Health of Leicester had an interview, on Thursday, with the General Board of Health, at their offices, Whitehall. The Deputation was in troduced by Mr. Harris, M.P., and Mr. J. Ellis, M.P. (Members for the Borough), and consisted of Messrs. Whet stone and Burgess, accompanied by the Town Clerk of Lei cester. A deputation of the Royal British Flax Association, con sisting of the Duke of Montrose, Sir Archibald J. Campbell, M.P., and Messrs. Law and Turnbull, Parliamentary agents, had an interview with the Right Hon. J. W. Henley and Lord Colchester yesterday at the Board of Trade. The Earl of Yarborough had an interview with the Right Hon. J. W. Henley on Thursday, at the Board of Trade. The Earl of Shaftesbury had an interview with Mr. Secre tary Walpole yesterday, at the Home-office. General Loy. had also an interview with the Right Hon. Gentleman. The Rev. Dr. Cooke, the Rev. Dr. Edgar, and Mr. Mac. rouy, of Belfast, accompanied by Sir Emerson Tennent, M.P., and Mr. Tennent, M.P., had an interview on Thurs day with the Chief Secretary and Attorney-General for Ire• land at the Irish Office. Mr. Haste: man, M.P., and a deputation, had an interview with the Right Hon. J. W. Henley and Lord Colchester yes terday, at the Board of Trade. Mr. Hamilton Lindsay and Captain Bethune, R.N., had an interview with the Right Hon. J. W. Henley, on Thurs day, at the Board of Trade. A deputation from the West India Mining Company, on the subject of a Rnyal Charter, consisting of Mr. Montgo.- merr Martin and Mr. Robert Lowe, had an interview with Sir J. Pakington yesterday, at the Colonial-office. The Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt held a quarterly meeting yesterday at the official re sidence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in Downing street. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Governor of the Bank of England, and the Deputy -Governor were pre sent. Sir Alexan - ler Spearman, Secretary and Comptroller- General to the Commissioners, attended. Sir E. N. Buxton, nr., had an interview with Mr. Se cretary Walpole yesterday. Mr. Sergeant Adams had an interview with the Right Hon. J. W. Henley, yesterday, at the Board of Trade. The Oxford University Commission had a meeting on Thursday, at the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, in Downing-street. Present—The Bishop of Nor. wich, the Dean of Carlisle, the Master of Pembroke, the Rev. H. G. Liddell, the Rev. Professor Powell, the Rev. J. H. S. Johnson, and the Rev. A. P. Stanley (Secretary). A deputation, consisting of Mr. Fox and Mr. Weld, from New Zealand, accompanied by Mr. Wakefield and Mr. Sewell, had an interview with Sir John Pakington yesterday at the Colonial-office. The deputation were introduced by Lord Lyttelton am 4 Mr. Adderley, M.P. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England had a general meeting on Thursday, at their Of f ice, in Whitehall. place. Dispatches were sent from the Colonial-office yesterday to the Governor of Victoria. Dispatches were also sent to the Governors of the North American provinces. Dispatches were received yesterday from the Governor of the Gambia at the Colonial-office. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. We are informed, on good authority, that the remainder of Goldner's preserved meats in store at the Clarence vic tualling establishment, Gosport (and it must be again of considerable amount, as the Superb returned into store, from the Mediterranean, upwards of 4,000 canisters last week) is ordered to be removed to Deptford for examination. THE COAST OF AFRICA STATION. ASCENSION, JAN. 30. Her Majesty's ship Penelope, 22, Captain Lyater, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Bruce, commanding-in chief on the west coast of Africa station, arrived here on the 17th, and sails in a day or two for the Bights. Mr. Howell (gunner of the Teazer screw steam-vessel) and Mr. Gilliam (master's assistant of this vessel) died of the wounds received at Lagos, the former on the sth of February, and the latter on the 3d inst. . Dr. Findlay (late surgeon of the Alecto), Mr. Lance (late paymaster and purser of the Gladiator), and Mr. Young (late paymaster and purser of the Penelope), proceed home in the Vulcan invalided. . _ The Gladiator steam-frigate, Captain Adams, sails for the Cape of Good Hope in February. Mr. Graham Eden, mate of the Waterwitch, is appointed to act as lieutenant of her. W. Windsor, gunner's mate, of the Penelope, is appointed to the Penelope as gunner, vice Howell. Second Master Mr. Charles F. Cooper, of the Vulcan, is appointed to the Penelope. Mr. Louis Barstow, mate of the Spy, is appointed to act as Lieutenant of the Firefly. Lieutenant J. H. Alexander is appointed to the Penelope as part complement. The Teazer arrived kere on the 27th, from Fernando Po , all well. The Bloodhound has been sent to St.:Helena. The Jackal has been dispatched to the Bights. The Crane has been dispatched to Loanda, with Ur. Gabriel, slave commissioner. Comminder Forbes, of the Philomel, has gone to Abomey, by request of the King of Dahomey. The British squadron is appointed to stations as under : At Ascension—Penelope, 22, Commodore Bruce; Tortoise, 12, Captain Kitchen ; and Teazer tender. Sierra Leone—Spy, 3, Lieut.-Commander Beresford ; Dol phin, 3, Lieut.-Commander Temple; Sealark, 8, Commander E. S. Sotheby; and blrymidon steam-vessel, Lieut.-Com mander Jellifie. In the Bights—Archer (screw), 14, Commander Strange; Harlequin, 12, Commander A. P. E. Wilmot; Philomel, 10, Commander T. G. Forbes; Niger (screw), 14, Commander Heath; Wasp (screw), 14, Commander Crozier; Volcano, 5, paddle steam-vessel, Commander Coote ; Waterwitch, 8, Commander A. H. Gardner; and Alecto, ~5, paddle steam sloop, Commander Crofton. On the South Coast—Gladiator, 6, Captain Adams; Wol verine, 12, Commander Falcon; Firefly, addle steam-sloop, 4, Commander Seymour; Cygnet, 8, Commander R. D. White; Prometheus, paddle-wheel steam-sloop, 5, Com mander Foote; Hound, 8, Commander Hall; and Athol, 4, store -ship, Lieutenant-Commander Pearse. PLYMOUTH, THURSDAY.—Upwards of 200 seamen belong ing to the Arethusa arrived here from Portsmouth on Tues day, by the Duke of Cornwall, merchant steamer, on four teen days' leave of absence. The merchant ship London, Captain Hebard, of and for London, from New York, landed some of her passengers here to-day. She has a cargo of wheat, flour, and oil. Her Majesty's brig Racer had her masts taken out, and she was brought to the yard on Tuesday. Her crew were paid off on Wednesday. WOOLWICH, APRIL 2.—According to present arrange ments the squadron of vessels fitting for a searching expedi tion to the Arctic Regions, under the command of Capt. Sir Edward Belcher, C. 8., will leave Woolwich on Saturday next, the 10th inst., and be ready to leave Greenlaithe on the 15th, on their enterprising voyage. It was premature to state that the North Star, Commander Pullen, had arrived at Woolwich, as, although it was in tended to bring her down from Deptford in the afternoon, it has been postponed to Monday next. The North Star is three able seamen short, having been ordered to have a com plement of 40. Captain Sir Edward Belcher, commanding the present expedition, and all the officers and petty officers at present at Woolwich, who served under Captain Sir James Ross and Captain H. T. Austin, attended at the dice of Commodore Henry Eden to-day to inspect and give their opinions on the relics brought home by Dr. John Rae from the Arctic two wt the e pieces piece ee e Regions. The relics were found by the enterprising traveller at Victoria land in latitude 68 degrees 40 minutes, and been part of the mast of of wood, one of fir, having evidently consistw h whole 1 of e o On one of the pieces a boat. Dr. Rae did not take ho longitude 102 degrees 10 minutes, manedt which rendered th made a drawing of the middle pal, bre to all the e nr ; of fir he found, but he had a piece cut off each end and pose or the whole perfectly intelligible officers an. Becket for the travellers, made of brought home was a with two Go vernment white line, fastened composition Govern mentpetty officers who inspected them. nails. The other piece was Englishl oak, with a h ole through it for amen -rope. it inspection of the piece and the drawing accom Pan r g fitted showed that it evidently had been one of the staunch ns to Enterprise ice lank or conning essel, but not of the stage of some • or Investi vesselsof gator. or any of the the recently returned Arctic expedition. , n lion M. Stop ford, Captain .se • oro, of the London, 90, at Sheerness , and Captain Mundy, o f the Waterloo, 120, flagship, at Sheerness, have changed ships, so that the former is DOW lag captain to the Commander-in-Chief at the ' , Tore . This is the third ship Captain Stop ford S frd has had at Sheerness. The Dauntless, 33, steam f • - ngate, at Plymouth, Captain Halsted, is ordered to be for fitted the reception of Sir Charles Hotham, the n of Brazils. ewly-appointed envoy to the Court The Lord to the Lords of the Ad m i ra lt y h ave grante d 501. p er annu m incumbents of the parish o f St. J a mes the Great, De v°e enport, in co ns id erat i on o f the accommo d at i on a ff or d e d i n the church to the men •emlo ed the works at the new p y steam yard at Moe ice Town. It will be recollected that the late Board of Admiralty some time since granted 4,0001. to wards building th e c h urc h i n this parish PORTSMOUTH FRIDAY.—The Antelope steamer, having only some few rivets to replace, was taken out of dock this morning when the Drake lighter went alongside, and she took in her anchors and chains and guns and other stores that were taken out to lighten her when on shore on Bern bridge Edge. By order from the Admiralty Captain Chads, Captain Warden, and Captain Symonds held a court of in quiry on board her to ascertain the circumstances of her getting aground. Of course, neither the inquiry nor the re sult will be made public for the present, but transmitted to the Admiralty. She will be ready for proceeding to Gibrals tar in a day or two. At slack water the Victory, flag-shiP mai Si of Adm r T. Briggs, was shifted over to the moonngs on the Gosport shore, while her own moorings are examined, The Vixen steam-sloop was undocked this morning, and went alongside the coal depot to fill up her fuel. The Simoom iron troop-steamer, Captain Kingcoms, arrived at Spithead yesterday afternoon, coming up under steam. Report speaks favourably of her performances under both steam and canvas, and *she appears to be a capital sea-boat. She stayed in a light moderate breeze, in about 5i minutes; but WAS much longer wearing, on account of her great length; under steam she steers admira bly. Her engines, which we before have observed, were not made fur her—but they are good engines; some of the minor parts of the machinery are too slight—these have been shifted, and it is now said she is all right. She awaits orders at Spithead. Captain T. Ross Sullivan (with Admiralty permission) went out in her, for the trial cruise. She sailed from Plymouth with the Vulcan troop-steamer, but this vessel has not yet made her appearance, and has now a fair wind. The Pluto steamer, for the coast of Africa, went out of harbour on Thursday afternoon, and awaits orders at Spite head. t The Winchester, 50, Captain Loch, C. 8., and the S•• _ cent, 110, have oth their tops and lower rigging ca nver Lim mast heads, and their topmasts pointed through the w wit h The Suddacora timber-ship, from Moulmein_c ar , our this timber for the dockyard, came into Portsmouth ,n 4 morning. Regent, 92 ; Rodne • • SKIPS AT SPITHEAD.—The Prince y. gnard-Shlp ; Retribution 92 ; Superb, 84 ; Hogue, 60, steam f rig ate, and the Pluto steam-frigate ; Simoom steam -troop screw-steamer. extension of Admiralty l eave. Commodore Martin has an Cure ,D, ropsy.—Extract of a let- Hollows y's Pills the best t W , e — o F f eyeoliunrg Pills,grate grateful e f o o o r s t i h d e ur b i erl y t a te n r d E f m i k D r o o m st v p, effi E ir ß . e T p i r er s :R i s eni ll il ia r e m 4, t° 7llite Mdford, March 1, 1852. uncles began to swell and afterwards her whole my wife • f orm you of it. Soon after the birth of her last child 'native of dr , • body, strongly indi opsl, this occurring at the turn OSctraacnediaLetiO of life. I obtained the best medical advice , but her health To P . r f o e fe h s a s s or ds li ri o v l e lo d g b a y y. the S u ir s continued to decline. I then tried your Pills, which I am happy to say have restored her to sound and perfect health:l - by all Druggists, and at Profe s sor H o lloway 's Estab lishment, her y feet and - I" A me v n e ti rd 2 ret , by the jury . accidental was found yesterday assembled to investigate the death of Mr. Pil cher, who was, a fp.to A. :^ d ran by au Qua "" days dac e , knocked down $n over 43.