The Sun. — London, England, 1848-02-19 00:00:00

i ={} _s: , . - ill as lightly as possible ton the great bulk of the 'eeple. Mr. M. MILNES could not permit the present dis ussion to close or the evening to pass without expressing is profound regret that the speech of the Noble Lord at :ne head of her Majesty's Government, and so much of he subsequent debate, should have been taken up rather pon a subject introduced by accidental circumstances, s a matter of discussion with the public, than upon one ecessarily connected with the actual condition of the onntry. He profoundly regretted that the possibility f an invasion of this country by France should have ever ome before the House of Commons as a subject of dis ussion—(Cheers)—or that any such monstrous position ~ honld have occurred to the mind of any sensible man. e-(Hear, herr.) He was certain, whatever might be the feelings of the Members of that House on the subject, that that, and that alone, was the sentiment of all the intelligent people of England.—(Hear, hear.)e From all he knew, and all he had heard, of the feelings of the people of France, he believed that so far from any hos tile sentiment having entered the mind of a single states man of that country towards England, even under the Influence of any accidental acerbity that might have been excited, all the eminent men of France were in clined to look upon the agitation of the subject in this country rather as a speculation, or, they knew not what, among certain individuals, than as a matter gravely contemplated by the Ministers of the Queen, or seriously entertained by the people. He thought there prevailed a great misapprehension as to the nature and tendency of, the speech of the Noble Lord at the head of the Treasury. He (Mr. Milnes) heard it whispered by Honourable Members about him, that the' .speech of the Noble Lord was a war speech—that it was a speech IA menace to France. Upon him the speech did not make that impression —(Hear)—nor did he think it would have made that impression on others had not their minds been by previous disquisitions rendered more than usually susceptible to any allusions upon that topic. He could quite understand why the Noble Lord should think it necessary to make allusions to the forces of other countries when summing up our own, but he be lieved the Noble Lord did so rather as comparing what i o ther nations thought necessary for their defence with "tS 'let he considered proper for ours, than as intending to d r , tw a comparison for any antagonistic purpose. Ile 'ma these ti•-• -a allusions the more becaus3 there was no vet •ssaity for the Noble Lord to have said anything upon A b e ibject. The additional sum required was so very E mail. that a less honest Minister might have put it into the 35timates, and have slurred it over altogether. There was no hason whatever for believing that there was any like liho.od of the peace between this country and France ig disturbed; although he saw no great objection to Ithe pc , ople of England being made somewhat more ac teustee .ned to military training than they were at present, .The :system prevailed with good effect in Prussia, and he IS aw iao reason why it should be at all injurious to the scloroPstic habits of the people of this country. Some men. appeared to think that from the very fact of our ing long been at peace we must necessarily come to war. But this long peace had taught the world the value and pewer of peace, and that it was by peaces alone that the liberties of the world could be permanently secured, however necessary it might be under certain circumstances for a nation to be prepared for war. Mr. BRIGHT had expected to hear a financial state ment connected with the trade and commerce and fiscal concerns of the country, such as they had been accus tomed to hear for years past; but instead of that he found that the substance of the Noble Lord's speech was in reference to military topics—a speech that would have been. much more appropriately delivered by the Noble Mord the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. The Bon. Baronet the Member for the University of Oxford bad taken a very unexpected course on this occasion. Hitherto that Hon. Baronet had relied more upon the protection of Providence in preserving this country from its enemies than on the arm of flesh; but now it seemed, ;since steam had been invented, Providence was no longer able to protect us from the assaults of France. Steam had given, according to the Honourable Baronet, a power to France to cross the Channel and invade this country which made it no longer safe for us to rely alone upon that higher power; and yet we found that steam had not hitherto succeeded in enabling the ships of France to cross the Atlantic.—(Hear, hear.) Be was certain that in France any man who read and deliberated upon the speech would come to the conchs- Mon that in this country there was great suspicion and jealousy of France; and they all knew that the most bloody wars had their origin in jealousies and suspicions. The Noble Lord said he was prepared to maintain the independence of the country; but would any man affirm that there was the slightest risk of this country losing its independence through foreign aggression? There was, however, a source of motional independence which the policy of the Govern ment, as explained that night, was calculated to destroy. if the people were ground down with taxation, and led to think that that House was careless of economy, and only regarded the people in the light of a class from whom they could raise taxes—if a feeling of this kind was awakened, the confidence which the nation was ac customed to repose in Government would be lost; and if there was to be an invasion, it would only be when schism had sprung up among ourselves, and when we :had not a united people to face any enemy that might appear.—(Hear, hear.) He felt bound, in reference to this increased taxation, to tell the Noble Lord what were the circumstances of Lancashire. Within that county, the most populous in the kingdom, the maim lecturers were pressed down under a series of losses unexampled in the history of the cotton trade. This was not the time, therefore, when for the sake of in creasing our military expenditure to meet an imaginary enemy the country should be saddled with an increase of taxation.—(Hear, hear.) In nearly every cotton mill in Lancashire during the last twelve months the whole amount of wages paid to the work people had been taken from the capital of the employers ; and there was aiot one employer engaged in the staple trade of that county who had not paid his income-tax upon a loss more than the assumed profit upon which the income-tax was charged.—(Hear, hear.) .As to the mode of taxation, he would only remark that he would not oppose direct taxation if any necessity for an increase existed at all. They had long reached the limit of indirect taxation ; they 'were nearly approaching the limit of direct taxation ; sand [if this increase of armaments was to go on, the people would soon not have much to choose between being eaten up by the French and the military expendi ture of their own country.—(A laugh.) But if the income-tax was to be made permanent—and the Chancellor of the Exchequer had informed them that it was to be permanent—how was it that Ministers had not placed it on a footing more equitable to all classes of the community ?—(Hear, hear.) Why was mere income from trade to be chargeable in an equal degree with the income drawn from real property ? He could tell the Government of one tax to which the Government might have had recourse with greater propriety than the income-tax, and that was the probate and legacy duties. e—(Hear, hear.) To collect 2,500,0001. annually by these duties, and allow great landed estates that passed from father to son without paying any tax whatever, was a gross injustice, and one discreditable to the Government to overlook.—(llear, hear.) lie knew a property that within a period of seven or eight years raid the probate and legacy duties three times over.— (Hear, hear.) No less a sum than 70,000,0001. had been drawn by these duties since they were first imposed from personal property, while the landed property of the country had been left untouched.—(Hear.) He knew ;It would be said they were subjected to an enormous burden from stamps ; but the rest of the community Isad to bear that burden also, as was exemplified in bills of exchange, the transfer of railway property, and the 3ike. He could assure Government that the announce ment they had made would be received with much dis satisfaction throughout the country. He had formerly said in that House that the Government was the Govern anent of the middle classes ; and he would now add, that if it ceased to be the Government of the middle-classes, it would soon be no Government at all. The present Ministry came into power by no virtue or influence of their own ; they were brought in by a lucky accident, and because there were no others to take the charge of the Government at the tinte.—(Hear, hear.) If the Ministry fancied that they could do in 1848, with re spect to foreign affairs and warlike armaments, what was done 35 or 40 years ago, they would commit a most egregious blunder—(Hear, hear)—and he was satisfied from what he had seen and heard, that by the course they were now taking, they would place themselves in +direct opposition to many of their best friends, who would no longer consider it their duty to support thiLta--(llear, hear.) u ta _el e ,r n • NEWDEGATE thought the Ministry had really reason to complain of the manner in which they were treated by their own friends on this occasion; but with rega r d to this • 'with many of increase of taxation, he must concur come tax as themvicious in opinion. He regarded the in capital employed'isnint principle, and as injurious to the was not in'suerhadel and he believed that the country m a ea state as that it could bear an additional taxation.— r tt hear.) The Hon. Member for Buckinghamshire had saw t t was for the West Riding by anticipation.nsweed the Hon. Member with deep regret that he (Mr. Nevideg e ) cf the free-trade policy in a decreased rev enue consummation di he Necessity for increased taxation. The anticipations annt of prospeeity held out to the people as a conseuence of tree trade had been most dreadfully eieeppointed ; and, though the members of the ultra free trade school might fl a tt er themselves that they still retained a hold on popular wouldprobably soon arrive when opinion, the time would be undeceived. Lord PALAIERSTON—I do not wish to enter into subjects which have been repeatedly discussed. But I should wish to say one word or two, especially on th e speeches made by my Hon. Fr iend on this s ldeo f the :House. It is very natural for yo un g Memb ers,. unused to Parliamentary tactics, and who do not feel entirely easy when they come to this House, to let fly speeches which they may have prepare d beforehand, though th e occas i on th e y expected should not exactl y occur.—(Cheees.) But certainly I did not expect that Bon. Gentlemen so accustomed to Parliamentary debate MA the Hon. Members to whom I allude should have fallen into that mistake.—(Cheers.) We are told that my Noble Friend has been proposing vast armaments, that he has been making speeches full of warlike sen timents, and that he has been holding language calculated to excite jealousy, and even enmity on the part of France. As to armaments there are none. If any Noble Friend had said that he had intended to of 10 000 20,000 men t o th e arm y, an d , men to the navy, I c ou ld h ave un d erstoo d the lang uage of those come, down to protes who spoke as if th ey h a d to the army th ere is n lanst such a p ropos i t i on. B ut disposition, a different dist;libret lse. There is a different "Ihere is no addition distribution, of the exi s ti ng army. There is none to the navy. whate Thetroe' the regu l ar army. to the marines and to the artiller it a small i ncrease no augmentation such as the House y mightut th e re has b een gilled, from the sort of denunciations have i they have heard. THE SUN I trust, when my Hon. Friends reflect, and when they • find how very small is the increase contemplated, the alarm they have expressed will subside. I should also wish to defend my Noble Friend from the attack which bas been made on him in regard to our relations with France. When it is the duty of a Minister of the Crown to propose an addition either to the military or to the naval force of the country, he must assign the grounds on which that addition is required. And the only grounds on which you measure the amount of your naval force must, on the one hand, be the extent of your commerce and the number of distant possessions you have to protect; and, on the other hand, the comparative force other countries possess—other coun tries with which it is possible you may, in the course of events, be placed in a state of hostility. So far from its affording any cause of offence to France that we should measure our navy by such a standard, I am sure any one who follows the debates in the French Cham bers, when their naval estimates come under discussion, must know that they follow the same course, adopting the natural and only measure in such cases, namely, the naval force which other nations may happen to have at the time. I therefore deny that anything which fell from my Noble Friend the First Lord of the Treasury can bear the meaning attempted to be cast upon it. In fact my Noble Frien expressed sentiments in which I concur, and I am confident the House concurs. He expressed in the strongest terms his anxiety and desire that the relations between these two countries should not only be friendly, but should be as intimate as possible. I think there is one thing essential for preserving that friendly relation. It is, that we should be on a footing of equality. There is no true or permanent friendship between nations unless they are on a footing of reciprocal independence. The passions by which nations may, from time to time, be animated, are attended with great danger. I consider, therefore, that any Government which proposes to place this country in a state of defence, not against war, but against unexpected surprise, is laying the surest foundation for ' the maintenance of that peace which we desire to see preserved. lam not one of those who indulge in an ticipations of war between this country and France. I believe, with the Hon. Gentleman, that the principles of free trade will tend ~to preserve friendly relations between different nations. At the same time our commercial relations with France are not exactly those which we should desire ; but France is not an exporting country of corn, and other circum stances do not afford us the same opportunity of en larging our commerce with France as with other na tions. But I look to the general tendency of men's minds towards peace, and I differ from the Hon. Member for the University of Oxford, who thinks that the long duration of peace renders war more profitable; I thinit,on the contrary, that the duration of peace renders its con tinuance more likely, and will make countries more dis posed to settle their differences otherwise than by war; so far, therefore, from thinking that the long duration of peace will hasten war, lam led to infer from it the pro bability of its continuing, rather than its being curtailed. If there be any two nations in the world who ought more than others to desire to be upon the most intimate terms, they are the English and French nations. Any men at the head of the Governments of these two nations who consider the real interests of both must see that those in terests will be best promoted by relations of friendship 1 and peace between them, and by the prevention of any misunderstandings that might lead to a rup ture. I trust that we are fated to see a long continuance of the blessings of peace which we have so long enjoyed and if any thing more than another could render peace pre carious, it would be the measure of leaving this coun try—a country rich and opulent as it is—unprotected, or without adequate means of defence, so as to invite other nations to take advantage of our weakness. I consider, therefore, the measures proposed as not de• serving the representations made of them, as extra ordinary armaments, whereas armaments they are none. I think that this country, in time of peace, ought to have the means of providing against any unforeseen attack. The formal motion which the' Chancellor of the Exchequer had submitted, on going into Com mittee of Ways aid Means, that the sum of 8,000,0001. be granted as a supply to her Majesty, was then agreed to, the resolutions proposed by Lord John Russell being reserved for further discussion on Monday se'n night. Mr. HUME gave notice that should the army or navy estimates be brought forward before these resolutions were disposed of, he should move that these estimates be postponed. CARLOW ELECTION. The SPEAKER informed the House that he had re ceived a letter from the agent for the petitioner against the return for Carlow, stating that the petition had been withdrawn. Mr. BANKES inquired what day was fixed for the next stage of the Jewish Disabilities Bill. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied on Monday, but it was not probable it would come on that day. Sir B. HALL inquired of the Noble Lord the Chief Commissioner of Woods and Forests, whether his Sa nitary Bill would include the metropoliis, and if not, whether it was his intention to introduce a Bill for that purpose ? Also, what other Bills upon that sub ject hs proposed to introduce, and what their provisions were? Lord MORPETH was understooe to say that he had already stated he did not consider the Bill to apply to the metropolis, and it was not his intention at present to introduce a Bill for that purpose. He could not enter into a statement as to the provisions of the other Bills. The first would relate to sewers. The New Zealand Government Bill was read a third time and passed: The House then adjourned, at a Quarter to One o'clock. PRINCESS'S THEATRE. Mr. J. M. :M ad do x , sole Lessee and Manager, Duchess-street, Portland- place. THIS EVENING Will be press alted the Tragedy of THE GAMESTER. Mr. 73e yerley, Mr. Coo per ; Stukely, Mr. Ryder ; Lcwson, Mr. Conway ; Bates, Mr. C. F. isher ; Jarvis, Mr. Gilbert; Dawson, Mr. Norton; Mrs. Beverley, Liss Emmeline Montague ; Charlotte, Miss Villars. After which, t e comic Drama of " LADIES, BEWARE!" To conclude vith a new Christmas Pantomime, entitled OLD FATHER TIP 113 ; or, Harlequin and the Four Seasons. Dress Circle, 55.: Boxes, 4s. ; Pit, 2s. ; Gallery, Is. 4 - T - A STLET'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE. Gravid Combin Eaton of ATTRACTIONS at ASTLEY'S, which eon- tilt tee its chain of Magnificent Entertainments. The Manage ment respectfully announces to the public that for the mere perfect r exesentation of the New Georgeous Spectacle, THE BATTLE OF. • THE AMAZONS, it is absolutely necessary to withhold its pro i notion for six nights longer. MONDAY, re bruary 14th, positively the last week of TIIE CAMP OF SIL E SIA, followed by an unusually brilliant display of Horsomanshi,,, to ncluding with a favourite Afterpieco. 34%-office open from 11 till b. Mtge Manager, Mr. W. West. A 01 - AL VICTORIA THEATRE. THIS EVENING, Will he perform ted THE KENT COAST SMUGGLER, or the Murder on the Sea. Beach. Principal characters by Messrs. Hicks, Dale, Searle, Mgt( it Howard, Forman ; Miss Ylncent, and Miss Bur roughcliffe. After which, TI M VICTIM PATRIOT. To conclude wi th POMDTIQUE, the DESERTER. Dominique, the Deserter, Mr. P011:11ala. Boxes, is. ; Pi, 6d. ; Gallery, 4d. No Half-price to any part of the house. Doors open at Six, to commence at Half-past Six. .11017 (CE.—THE NEW WORK BY AC TON WARBURTON, ESQ., Entitled 11OLLO AND HIS RACE; Or, F , DC )TSTEPS OF THE NORMANS, iS PUBLISHED THIS DAY, Ay) a may be had of all Booksellers. Richar. I Bentley, New Burlington-street, (Pu Olisher in Ordinary to her Majesty). 3Tow ready at all the Libraries, EON C I.R A; A LOVE STORY. liJJ In 3 vols., In Leonora' Lady Boothby has proved the universality of her talent in depicting Acitaracter both as a novelist and an actress."— Jerrold's Paper. " One of the mot , tt beautifal books of the kind we ever remember to have met with. This very charming tale cannot fail to excite a most powerful into rest."—Sun. Henry Colbtu na. Publisher, 13, Great Marlborough-street. 4-7 P - At 13 ..._-:,1 1..'..,\ ;, ' '", ''' ' A air: i. ~‘,,. ck HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. THIS THEATRE Will open THIS EVENING, — the 19th of February, when will be presented VERDI'S ADMIRED OPERA OF ERNANI. Carle • • season. Ruy Gomez de Silva.. Signor BELLETTI, his first appearance. Ernani .. • • • • Signor CUZZANI, his first appearance; and Elvira •• •• • Mdlle. SOFIA CRUVELLI. After the Opera the National Anthem, by the principal Artistes, supported by the Chorus. After which will be presented An entirely New and Original GRAND BALLET, In Four Tableaux, by M. Paul Taglioni, entitled FIORITA, et la Refine des Elfrides, eMusie composed by Signor Pugni ; the Scenery (entirely new) by Mr. C. Marshall ; the Appointments by Mr. Bradwell ; the Costumes by Miss Bradley and Mr. Whales, under the superin tendence of Madame Copere. Principal parts by Mdlle. CAROLINA ROSATI, Mdlles. Esther Ausundou, Thevenot, Julienne, Lamoureux, and Mlle. MARIE TAGLIONI, &c. &c. Principal Dances. 1. Tableau. La Cour d'Auberge en Sidle La Flancfie—Mdlle. Rosati, and Mdlles. Julienne and Lamoureux, &c. La Palermitana—Mdlle Rosati. 2. Tableau. La FOret des Llfrides, . Ballabile et Pas de laßeine des Elfrides—Aidlle. Marie Taglioni, and Mdlle. Ausundon, Thevenot, and Dames de Ballet. Danse Nationale—Corps de Ballet. ras—Mdlle. Rosati and M. d'Or, Mdlles. Julienne and Lamoureux 2. Tableau. La Cabane de llertha. L'lllusion—Mdlle Mario Taglioni and M. d'Or, and Dames de Ballet. 4. Tableau. Les Jardins Enchanter. L'Animation—Mdlle. Rosati and M. d'Or, and Dames de Ballet. L'Oubli—Mdllo. Marie Taglioni and M. d'Or, Mdlles Thevenoi Ansundon, Julienne. Lamoureul, and Dames do Ballet. La Chatiment—Scene Finale. THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET. ITnlert he Manacement of Mr. 13. Webster. sole Lessee. MR. AND MRS. CHARLES KEAN. THIS EVENING Will be performed a new and original Play, entitled THE WIFE'S SECRET. Lord Arden, Mr. Howe; Sir Walter Amyott, Mr. Charles Kean ; Jabez Sneed, Mr. Webster ; Harrington, Mr. Brin dall ; Brouillard, Mr. Rogers ; Lady Eveline Amyott, Mrs. Charles Kean ; Maud Mrs. Keeley. After which, the new Farce. called DEAREST ELIZABETH. Mr. Lionel Lax, Mr. Keeley; Mr. Winch, Mr. Rogers ; Betsy, Mrs. Keeley. To conclude with a new and original Farce, called WHO'S MY HUSBAND'? Doctor Mull, Mr. Tilbury; Daniel Tootles, Mr. Keeley ; Mrs. Smith Thompson, Mrs, W. Clifford ; Sophonisba Mull, Mrs. L. S. Buelduchana ; Sally Starch, Mrs. Humby. Stage Manager, Mr. Farren; Acting Manager, Mr. F. Webster. J. T. Archer, Box-book keeper. Boxes, is. ; Pit, 3s. ; Gallery, 2s. ; Upper Gallery, Is. Doors open at Half-past Six, Performance to commence at Seven. THEATRE ROYAL, ADELPHI. Under the direction of Madame Celeste. THIS EVENING Will be presented an entirely new Piece, entitled the PEARL OF THE OCEAN ; or, the Prince and the Mermalden. Principal cha racters by Messrs. Waye, P. Bedford, Wright, Munyard, Glennaire, CullenforcV, and Worrell ; Miss Woolgar, Miss Emma Harding, Miss Ellen Chaplin, Mrs. Laws, and Madame Celeste. To be followed by a new and original Farce, entitled OUR NA TIONAL DEFENCES ; or, the Cockshot Yeomanry. Principal characters by Messrs. Lambert, Wright, P. Bedford, Sanders ; Ma eame Celeste, Miss Emma Harding, Mrs. Laws, and Miss Woolgar. To conclude with a new Farce entitled THE TIPPERARY LE GACY. Turnem Green, Mr. Wright; Bob Gills, Mr. Munyard ; Lanty Scrimmage, Mr. Paul Bedford ; Chubblock, Mr. Callenford ; Policeman, Mr. Sanders ; Lizzy Chubblock, Miss Woolgar. Boxes, 45.; Pit, 2s. ; Gallery, Is. Doors open at Half-past Six, Performance to commence at Seven. ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE. Under the Management of Madame Vestris. Sole Lessee, Mr. Charles Matkews. THIS EVENING Will be performed a new and original piece, called ASTOUNDING PHENOMENA. Principal characters by Messrs. C. Mathews, F. Matthews, Bellingham, F. Cooke, and Meadows. After which, a New Fairy Extravaganza, entitled THE GOLDEN BRANCH. Principal characters by Messrs. H. Hall, Harley, Ker ridge, Madame Vestris, Miss K. Iltzwilliam, and Mrs. Macnamara. To conclude with a Romance of Real Life, called BOX and COX. Principal characters by Mr. Harley, Mr. Buckstone, and Mrs. Mac namara. Dross Boxes, 5s ; Upper Boxes, 4s. ; Pit, 2s. ; Gallery, Is. No Palrubl i T:e vc t ry o a clay, nypait of the house. The Xew Box-office, No. 2, Wellington-street, is open to the from Ton till Six. The Interior of the House has been entirely re-designed by Mr. W. Bradwell of the Colosseum. FRENCH. PLAYS. —ST. JAMES'S THEATRE. Lessee, Mr. John Mitchell, 33, Old Bond-street. Fifth appearance of Mademoiselle Nathalle. On AY EVENING Will bo performed LE vICOMONDMTE GIROFLEE. After which LE CHEVALIER D'ESSONNE. Boxes, stalls, tickets, and season prospectuses, may be had at Mr, 11IITC11ELL'S Royal Library, 33, Old Bond -street. Doors open at Seven, to commence at a quarter past Seven. Loxes, 6s, ; Pit, 31. Gd.; Amphitheatre, 3s. ; Gallery, 2s STRAND THEATRE. NEW MANAGEMENT, Under the Sole Direction of Mr. Ozberry, THIS EVENING, m rd . Tho performances will comm ence wit h the RomanticD: third called THE DENOUNCER; or, THE SEVEN CLERKSa OF MARSEILLES. Principal characters by Mr. E. Laws (h appearance), Messrs. Oxberry, Yarnold,. Rogerson, Huntley, sai d Miss Love. After which (third time) a New Grand Burlesque Opera, by the Author of the "Adelphi Norma," called LUCY OF LAMMER MOOR. Not with Mr. Bann's or M. Jullien's, bat with °sherry's powerful cast—Lacy, Miss E. Terry ; Captain Ashton, Mr. Oxberry ; and Edgar, Mr. Yarnold. To conclude with the admired Comedietta of A ROWLAND FOR AN OLIVER. Principal characters by Messrs. Laws, Rogerson, Montague, Oxberry, Miss Egan and Miss Jane Coleman. Private Boxes, 10s. Gd. ; Boxes, 2s. ; Pit, Is. ; Gallery, 4d. Half , Price to Pit and lime lit 0, Quarter befgre Mae. THE THIRD EDITIONS `THE S UN" CONTAIN, AS USUAL, THE ~LATEST PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE, AND ALL D TILER NEWS UP TO THE HOUR, OF POST. Orders received Gy all Newsmen, and at the Sun-office, 112, Strand. g f 1 WEATIIER.--Srm OFFICE, FEB. 19. TIIERM *METER, Lowest, 31 ; Highest, 37 ; Noon, 42 . lAROMETEr., 29 77.—WIND S.S.W.; hazy. B Rill WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE THIS DAY. Mornlr g.. 21 rnitiutes after 2. f Evening .. 29 cram:tea After 2 elXtiliilA d'itit: LO MON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1848, The• :House of Lords met at Five. Thee House went into Committee on the Diplo matic Relations with Rome Bill. On the suggestion of Lord STANLEY, the allusion in the preamble to the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlt nr.ent was struck out. Th e Bishop of WINCHESTER objected to the words Sovwei gn Pontiff, and on the suggestion of the Duke• of WELLINGTON, the words " Sovereign of the Rom ar States" were substituted. Tb Le Earl of EGeINTON then proposed an amend mend, to the effect that no Ambassador should be re ceive d in this country from Rome who was in holy orders, or a Jesuit, or a minister of any other religious order• or community bound by monastic or religious vows in connexion with the Church of Rome. Tha amendment was opposed by the Marquis of LANSDOWNE, Lord BEAUMONT, the Earl of SHREWS BURY, the Marquis of CLANRICARDE, and Lord CAMPB ELL, and supported by the Earl of ABER DEEN,, Lord STANLEY, the Duke of RICHMOND, and the Earl of HA RROWBY. The Duke of WELLINGTON considered that the terms " diplomatic relations" in the Bill put an end to specifying the denomination of the party. It was for the Sovereign to decide who should or who should not be received as an Ambassador. On a division the amendment was carried by a ma. jority of 3, the numbers being— For the amendment . 67 Against it The Duke of WELLINGTON then moved the fol. lowing as a declaratory amendment :—" Whereas it has been enacted and declared in the provisions of various ancient laws of this realm, that the Sove reign thereof, acting by and with the advice and under the authority of both Houses of Parliament, is the sole and supreme head and governor of all mat ters ecclesiastical and civil within this realm, or else where, the dominions of the Crown of England; and the same Acts contain provisions, having for their objects to control, regulate, and restrain the acts, conduct, and relations of the subjects of this realm with Foreign Powers upon the said matters : and whereas it is essential to the welfare of these realms that the said provisions, as to the Crown and Go vernment thereof, should be invariably maintained, and it is expedient, nevertheless, to remove any doubts which may exist as to the competence of her Majesty, her heirs and successors, to establish diplo matic relations with the Sovereign of the Roman States :" which was agreed to. Lord REDESDALE proposed an amendment, that no minister or diplomatic agent from the Court of Rome should be received in this country until the Court of Rome declared that it did not claim, but disavowed any temporal or civil jurisdiction, directly or indirectly, within this realm. This amendment, after a short conversation, was negatived The Bill, as amended, was agreed to, and The Marquis of LANSDOWNE moved that it should be re-committed pro forma on Monday. The amendments would then be printed. The House then adjourned, The House of Commons met at Four o'clock. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the Exc HE UER, the House resolved itself into a Committee of Ways and Means. Lord Jomq RUSSELL then rose for the purpose of making the financial statement for the year. The Noble Lord said that he felt his strength so unequal to the task he had undertaken that be thought it best to content himself with lay ing before the House the statement of the financial state and policy of the country, leaving to a future occasion the supporting that policyby argument. During the last 18 months the vicissitudes of the country, except during the time of war, had been unparralleled. There had been a fluctuation in prices and a period of distress induced by famine unparalleled in the history of the country. The changes in the price of wheat, the rate of discount, and the price of bullion had been unparalleled. With regard to wheat, the price in September, 1846, had been 495. per quarter ; in January, 1847, it had been 70s. per quar ter ; in May, 1847, 102 s. per quarter, and in September, 1847, it had again fallen to 495. 6d. a quarter, being, within 6d., the same price as in September, 1846. Then with regard to the rate of discount :—ln November, 1846, it had been 3 per cent.; in April, 1847, 5 per cent. ; in October, 8 per cent. ; and in January, 1848, it was 4 per cent. The amount of bullion on the 10th of October, 1846, was 15,780,5001. ; in September, 1847, 7,865,415/. ; and in Feb., 1848, 1 3,821,750/. Then, again, in the manufacturing districts, the num ber of persons in full work in Feb. 1846 was 16,898 ; in July, 14,865 ; and in Feb. 1847, 32,142. Of persons working half time, the number had been, in February, 1847, 13,404 ; in November, 5,517 ; and in February, 1848, 4,901; while out of em ploy there had been, in February, 1846, 5,600; in November, 11,616/. ; and in February, 7,5141. These fluctuations must have necessarily greatly affected the public revenue. When the late Govern ment went out of office they had in many instances only taken votes for three quarters of a year instead of the whole year, thereby throwing or adding LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 19, 1848. an additional quarter to the estimates. Last year there was an increase in the estimates of 522,700/., but the actual increase only amounted to 304,2001., which was the amount for which the pre sent Government was responsible. Then with regard to the increase, the present Government had altered the sugar duties, and in consequence of that alteration the revenue for sugar, which in 1845 had amounted to 3,574,0001., amounted in 1847 to 4,414,0001. On the balance-sheet for the year there was exhi bited a balance of revenue over expenditure of 2,956,7821., but deducting the advances made to Ire land on account of the famine, and the China money paid the year preceding, the actual defi ciency :was 981,6831. He would state the amount at which the revenue was estimated for the ensuing year. He estimated the total revenue for the ensuing year from existing sources of taxation at 51,362,0601. From the Customs he expected 19,774,0601.; Exci5e,13,050,340/. ; stamps, 7,150,0001.; taxes, 4,340,0001. ; property-tax, 4,340,000/. ; Post office, 923,000/. ; Crown lands, 60,0001.; miscellaneous, 320,0001. There had been an increase in the revenue from sugar, rum, and molasses of 642,2541., butter of 16,9211., and cheese of 7,6501. There had been a defi • ciency in the duties on malt spirits of 1,359,0001. The expenditure had amounted to 51,567/. He proposed to take the Customs for the ensuing year at 19,750,000/. ; Excise at 13,000,000/. ; stage coaches, 500,0001.; stamps, 7,200,0001.; taxes, 4,340,000/. ; income-tax, 5,200,000/. ; Post-office at 900,000/. ; Crown lands, 60,0001.; miscellaneous at 200,000/. The whole amount of the revenue, ac cording to this estimate, would be 51,250,000/. Taking the expenditure voted at 52,315,7091., and the receipts at 51,250,0001., there would be a defi ciency of 1,065,7091. But there is a large sum to be voted for the excess of expenditure in April, 1847, and a sum of 10,000/. for the Kafir war, and taking these at 1,340,108/., there will be a deficiency of 2,411,0001. He laid this condition of the finances early before the House that the House might consider the state of the finances and the cir cumstances of the country, in order that they might determine upon what course was most befitting. All he should do would be to state that course which the Government considered most advisable, leaving it to the House to determine whether the course the Government proposed was the best, or whether there was another that might seem most advisable. Either they must supply the deficiency by taxation, or make great reductions in their establishments.—(Hear, hear.) He thought it as well to state on this occasion the opinions of the Government on the subject of the national defences. Extreme opinions had been promulgated on both sides. On one side it had been said that we should god ourselves suddenly involved in war with coun tries who had made great military preparations, preparations which we could not newt. On the other it had been said that all foreign powers were inclined to peace, and that if we reduced our armaments they would reduce theirs. On the part of the Government he would guard him self against the supposition that there was anything in our foreign relations, more especially in our re lations with France, to cause any apprehension of a rupture ; for he was more impressed than ever with the necessity of maintaining peace between these two great representative Powers, France and England.— (Cheers,) And he trusted that henceforth these re lations would be of the most amicable nature. Yet he found it stated in a recent French publication that the Duke of Wellington had thought it neces sary to make a pamphleteering answer to the Prince de Joinville. Now, he knew that nothing had given the Duke of Wellington greater pain than the publicity which had been given to his letter. The Duke bad from time to time, and did from time to time com municated to the Government his opinion on the national defences ; but nothing was further from his desire than to exasperate the feelings between France and England against each other. With the patriotism _ _ _ of the Duke of Wellington there had always been joined an opinion that the power and independence of this country should be maintained as a guarantee of the independence of other states. No man could blame the Duke for having stated his sentiments in the manner in which he had done, and he should not have alluded to them had he not had the misfortune to differ from the Duke on some points, and to know that not only abroad, but in this country, the Duke had been misunderstood. War was unhappily a contingency against which it was impossible to guard. If forbearance had not been shown on both sides we might have been in volved in war with the United States as well as with France, in spite of the efforts of Governments, in consequence of the susceptibility of the different nations. However tranquil, therefore, the atmos • phere might be there might at any time arise a storm ; and when he recollected that Mr. Pitt, with all his sagacity, foretold a long continuance of peace only a few months before the outbreak of the revo lutionary war, he could not venture to think that there was no possibility of war. Then, with regard to the probability of invasion. Within the last three hundred years there had been instances in which the elements had stood our friends, and had dispersed armaments destined for our destruction. Since 1816 steam had enabled seamen to set the elements at defiance, and this would lead hostile powers to consider this country more open to inva sion. It was also true that since 1830, under a King who was a sincere lover of peace, there had been a large increase in the naval force of France It was intended to defend large colonial possessions, and to protect a large foreign commerce. There had been a great increase both in the sailing vessels, the steamers, and the amount voted for seamen in France in 1847 as compared with 1837. For in stance, in 1837 there were 153 French ships afloat, and in 1847 there were 216, of which 66 were steamers. In 1837, 2,000,0001. had been voted for the naval service of France, in 1847 it had been 3,582,5201. It had been reproached to the Govern ment that they had made no adequate preparations against invasion. Since 1835 the whole force, army, navy, and ordnance had been increased from 135,743 men to 196,063 men, and he would say that there had been no unwillingness in the House to vote the ne cessary increase. There was also another kind of force most efficient ; 15,000 old soldiers had been organized by the former Government, and the pre sent Government had organized 9,800 dock yard men, with 1,080 guns, and a greater part of this force could be moved at any time. There was also a plan for organising the coast guard, and adding to the men, who would serve for a small amount of pay, giving a force of 9,000 men. On this ground of the number of men there had been no unwillingness to make an adequate provision. The question was, then, whether they should make a very great reduction in their force, or make a large increase in it, or continue from time to time making an increase to such parts as require it. His view was, that it would not be wise to endeavour to make the expenditure equal to the revenue by large reduc tions. On the other hand he was of opinion there was no reason for sudden alarm. With moderate additions to certain branches of the army, navy, and ordnance, he believed this country would be in a sufficient state of defence to obtain securities for peace, which was the object of all those preparations.---(Hear, hear.) If you expose yourself to having a decisive blow struck against you, you give power to the war party in a foreign country, but if you are prepared you give power to the peace party. They proposed in the navy estimates an increase of 164,0001., being 70,000/. for it, which might properly be called naval services. Lord ?Auckland had furnished him with a statement of the naval force, and we proposed to keep our naval force on an equality witk this, and also proposed to have a reserve of steamers at the various dockyards and at Cork. He thought this was a very wise pre caution; for be it not forgotten that if steam offered advantages for an invader, it also, on the other hand, offered advantages for opposing him, of which we should avail ourselves, and in the votes he should be prepared fully to avail himself of those advantages. In the naval estimates he pro. posed to increase the marine force by 1,500 men. With regard to the defences of the dockyards, that subject had been most carefully attended to by the late Government, and every work proper for their defence had been begun in strengthen ing them. 262,0001. had been expended in strengthening the defences of Portsmouth, Ply mouth, Pembroke, and Chatham; and the Duke of Wellington, who had inspected those de fences, had expressed himself perfectly satisfied. With regard to the army, although they did not propose the increase of a single man, the number of soldiers in the United Kingdom would be in creased by upwards of 5,000 men by those who would return from India, in consequence of the economy of Lord Hardinge, who having triumphed in hostilities, determined to take upon himself the unpopular task of placing the finances upon an economical footing.—(Hear, hear.) The number of rank and file in the kingdom was now 55,000 ; in the course of a short time it would be 60,000. The number of soldiers in the United Kingdom had been increased 20,000 since the year 1837. The army estimates would be only increased by 43,0001. He proposed an increase in the number of artil lery and sappers and miners. He proposed an increase of 400 sappers and miners, and 1,900 artillery. He also proposed a great increase in the estimates for the ordnance, for increasing the supply of small arms and stores of gunpowder. That would make, for the purposes of the navy, an increase of 70,000/. ; for the army, of 45 0001., and of the ordnance of 245,0001. Now, they had not a sufficient force to garrison the dockyards, and at the same time to keep the field in case of invasion, and therefore they must have recourse to the old constitutional force, the militia. There were difficulties belonging to that subject now that did not formerly prevail. If they took substi tutes they might not be forthcoming, and if they did not it would be imposing a hardship on the people. He would propose a measure which he thought calculated to meet those difficulties, and the House would decide whether or not it would be practicable to raise a militia force ; and it might be in some future year their duty to propose an addition to the army. He proposed to take 150,0001. this year as a foundation for raising this militia force. The whole expenditure for the year would be navy, army, ordnance, and miscellaneous, 21,820,4001., which, with the Un funded and Funded Debt, and for the militia and the Kafir war, would make a total expenditure of 54,546,9001. It was evident therefore that he must not only propose a renewal of the income-tax—(Ironical cheers) but that if the House should approve of those estimates, that addi tional taxation should be imposed. It was obvious that a great part of the deficiency depended upon the state of the country, afflicted as it was with scarcity and with commercial and 'manufacturing distress. They might look to have those effects removed within a few years, and a consequent improvement in the annual in come. With respect to the expenditure they might expect that the Kafir war would soon be at an end, although he did not know that there was an end to the bills on that account.—(Laughter.) On both these grounds he thought they might hope that only a temporary increase of taxation would be required. He would, in stating what he considered the increase ought to be under the present state of the country and experience of former Govern ments—he thought any increase on the articles of consumption would fail to yield revenue, and would involve almost insuperable difficulties ; therefore he proposed at once to renew the present income-tax from April next for a period of five years, and to vote an increase of it from 7d. to is., or from three to five per cent. for a period of two years— (Cries of "Oh oh 1" and great confusion.)—and, without going into the argument on that subject, he would state that considering the great distress prevailing in Ireland, that in 1842 it was not imposed in Ireland, and considering the struggle now going on to remedy the social state of Ireland, they thought that—admitting the justice of imposing that tax in Ireland equally with England—the present was not the moment to impose that tax upon Ireland.—(Hear, and confusion.) They should consider that if they checked the exertions of Ireland to place herself in a condition of prosperity, they checked the prosperity of the United Kingdom. They proposed, therefore, to take the tax exactly as it had been imposed in past years, on the principle on which it had been imposed by Mr. Pitt and increased by Lord Grenvilleland Lord Lansdowne.—(Loud laughter)— and on the principles on which it had been imposed by the Right Hon. Gentleman.—(Cheers.) He had voted against it in 1842—(Cheers)—he was right in so doing. He had voted in favour of it in 1845. (Hear, hear.) He thought ,he had been right in both votes, and the question was now whether you should continue a tax already imposed or impose others. He thought it better to continue and increase this tax than to impose taxes on articles consumed by the great body of the people. The taxes on candles, coals, and leather, which had been stigmatised by Adam Smith, had been taken off, as had the salt. tax, the beer and cider duties, the glass, sugar, butter, and cheese duties, amounting to ten millions of taxes annually upon articles of consumption which had been reduced. The whole amount of taxation reduced since the peace was 39,705,341/.—(llear.) He thought, therefore, that under circumstances of unparal leled difficulty it was not asking too much of the House for an addition to the direct taxa tion of the country. He took the income-tax at 3,500,000/., which would give an income of 54,750,0001. to meet the expenditure of 54,596,000/. He proposed to abolish the tax on copper ore imposed in 1842, which had encouraged smelting abroad, and had only produced a revenue of 41,0001., and the abolition of which would greatly increase the smelting trade of this country. Deduct ing this tax, they w ould have a revenue of 54,750,0001, to meet an expenditure of 54,637,0001., leaving a sur plus of 115,0001. In another year that surplus would he thought, be increased, and would enable them to reduce taxation still further. lie had endeavoured fairly to bring before: the House the financial condition of the country before calling upon them to vote the estimates, in order to let the House see at once that if they voted the estimates proposed, they must be pre pared to vote an increase of taxation. He had shown them that since the peace 40,000,0001. of taxation had been reduced, whilst they had not only preserved their empire undiminished, but had extended it. Under the guidance of the Right Honourable Gentleman opposite they had been enabled to give scope to those principles of commerce of which Adam Smith had been the propounder and Mr. Pitt the disciple. They had been enabled to put down rebellion in Canada, to repel aggression in India, and to defend their fellow•subjects at the Cape of Good Hope. If they continued to keep the revenue equal to the expenditure entirely, they would be able to reduce taxation. He regretted he could not now propose it, but his duty to the country demanded that he should pursue the course he had proposed, which would maintain public credit, uphold public faith, and place this great country beyond the reach of insult from any nation whatever.—(Loud cheers.) The Noble Lord concluded by proposing the formal resolution, which being put from the Chair, Lord JonN RussELL said that on the conclu sion of the debate he should propose that the Chairman should report progress, and ask leave to sit again on Monday se'nnight. The Committee was subsequently addressed by Mr. HuME, Mr. BANKES, Mr. OSBORNE, Sir B. HALL, Mr. COBDEN, Mr. F. BARING, Lord PALAIER ETON, and several other Hon. Members, when the resolution was reported, and the House adjourned. Several amendments were proposed yesterday evening for insertion in the Bill for the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Courts of Rome and London—the Upper house having formally resolved itself into Committee on that measure. Those who are inimical to the generous and tolerant principles embodied in the Bill are resolved, if they cannot compass its rejection, to militate as much as possible against its character by encumbering it with a variety of offensive interpolations. They find it beyond their capacity to perpetuate that anti papistical fanaticism which, for nearly three hundred years, has estranged us from the Govern ment of the Roman States, while during the continuance of our estrangement we have re mained on terms the most amicable with Cabi nets founded by the Buddist, the Idolator, and the Mussulman. The members of a Christian Le gislature have never recoiled with such manifestations of abhorrence before the proposal of a diplomatic in- 1 tercourse with the worshippers of the Egyptian beetle, with the councils of a professed polytheis;;, or with that portion of the population of Asia Ali] sor which rejects the Bible for . the Koran, and the Cru 2ifixion of CHRIST for the Hegira of MAHOMET. Thel'e is ma nifestly something so revolting to the imagiva tion of , those who dissent from the spirit of tla s mea sure introduced by the Marquis of LANS/ )OWNE, —there is something so revolting to their let tagina tions in the provisions of the Bill, that their opp osition is persisted in with an almost incomprehensitele per tinacity, and they quibble over its clauses w. ith an indescribable, determination. At the very eta tset of the discussion last night there is a rather virulent quarrel about the propriety of using an exp:resei ee which had been sanctioned in the historic writings of such men as HUME and ROBERTSON—the Bisla op ' of WINCHESTER moving that " Sovereign of the 11 omen States" should be substituted for " So vi Pontiff." Having conceded to this slim e what fastidious objection by agreeing to the a mend . ment, the Peers are next put at logger) see .ds by the proposal of the Earl of EGLINTON, that V se Bill should be definitively made to preclude all Roman ecclesiastics from filling the post of I?. ontifical Ambassador to the Court of London. If it be only borne in recollection that the Bill, as m Iginally worded, left the right of acceptance or refas al at the discretion of the SOVEREIGN, it is manifest that the amended clause, as suggested by the Nof de Earl, would only just escape from being a direct infringe ment of the royal prerogative. In spite of this con sideration, in spite of the very manly an d sensible objections raised by the Duke of WE L LINGTON, in spite of the very persuasive interpositi o n of the Lord President of the Council, in spite of t h e lawyer like argument adduced by Lord CAMPIII LI to the effect that VATTEL, among other jurists, "laid it down that the power of sending and receivin,g ambas sadors belonged to every Sovereign"—a. majority of sixty-seven against sixty-four decided i n favour of the suggestion of Lord EGLINTON. Suppc3eds )g, there fore, that the Bill is ultimately triumphant, this un precedented restriction will deprive her I iIAJESTY of all discretionary power in the reception of an ambassador from the Eternal City. On the one side this restriction is an insds nt inno vation—on the other it is an lir necessary act of contumely. It is a double insult .at once to VICTORIA and Plus—a shield raised out of a feeling of fretfulness and petulance against the ssssaults to Protestantism which are gratuitously anticipated from the QUEEN and the PONTIFF. Two minor amendments were subsequently pro posed and withdrawn by Lord REDESDA.L.E and the Duke of RICHMOND, and it was ultimately announced by the President of the Council, that he: proposed having the Bill reported, pro forma, on, -Monday, and afterwards having it printed in its amended form, and presented to their Lordships. A perceptible progress is, therefore, snaking in the furtherance of this interesting measure, and a cordial and visible alliance of a political character may be soon anticipated between the Govern ments severally conducted by Lord JOIIN Bus- SELL and Cardinal BUFFONDI. Those :who are in capable of comprehending the influence exeecieed over the various principalities of Europe by the Legislature of Great Britain,; do not at once recognise in the operation of this Bill the confirmation and the still further diffusion and development of those liberal ideas which have been latterly predominant in the Italian peninsula. Ever since the Cardinal Archbishop of Imola, Count GIOVANNI MASTAI :FERRETTI was crowned with the tiara, the popular cause has proved gradually victorious. When, therefore, England extends a friendly hand to that Prince— England, the home of revolutions, the arch-promoter of the representative system !—is it not rational to anticipate a confirmation of the political truths which have recently emanated from the Quirinal, the fur ther promulgation of the principles which have recently been accepted by the citizens on the banks of the Tiber, and the perfect development of the re forms which have recently radiated like sunbeams from the hill-tops of Rome ? When our diplo matic relations with all the principalities of Italy are placed upon a secure and comprehensible basis, and when our sincere sympathy with Italian liberation is properly understood in the various Courts of that peninsula— farewell to the power of Austria south of the Carpathians I—then may Lom bardy, at last and for ever awaken to independence The, great secret is out. The Whigs in 1848 are again playing the game of the Whigs of 1806. Lord JOHN RUSSELL follows the precedent of Lord HENRY PETTY, and out of office rails in good set terms at that income-tax, which in office he not only con tinues, but increases it. We hope, however, that we are wrong in saying increase, for we believe that neither Lord JOHN RUSSELL, or any other Minister, will be permitted to increase the income-tax to 5 per cent. in the manner in which he proposed to increase it last night. We fully admit the necessity of keeping the balance even between the income and the expenditure of the country. We fully admit that it is preferable (always supposing the reduction of expenditure has been carried to its utmost limit) to keep that balance even by increasing the amount of taxation, rather than by having.recourse to a loan. We also admit that it would be most impolitic to re-impose any of those duties on articles of consumption which have been recently taken off. The deficiency must be supplied by di rect taxation, and the fairest of all taxes is a tax upon property invested property, as distinguished from income the produce of industry. It is evident that henceforth an income-tax or a property-tax is to be one of the regular sources of revenue of the country, and it behoves the tax-payers to be up and stirring, in order to take care that the tax shall be fairly and equitably imposed. When the tax was originally proposed in 1842 by Sir R. PEEL, the Right Hon. Baronet admitted the injustice of subjecting income derived from industry to the same tax as income derived from property permanently invested, but contended that as the tax was to be merely temporarily im posed, it was not worth while to make the distinc tion. But now that the tax is to become permanent it is worth while to make the distinction, and the great body of the electors of the kingdom, who will be the persons principally fleeced by the pro position of the Minister, must be up and doing if they wish to save themselves from the shearers. Lord JoaN RUSSELL has listened to the suggestions of the aristocracy, the holders of invested property, and has proposed a tax which shall press lightly upon them, but heavily upon the industrious tradesman and the overworked clerk. A true aristocrat, my Lord JOHN RUSSELL " stands by his order." But, as Mr. WAELEY once truly ob served, the Whigs are made of squeezable materials, and now is the time to put on the screw. Electors of England, the country looks to you to do your duty in this crisis. The metropolitan electors are already up and doing. The electors of Finsbury, the consti tuents of THOMAS DUNCOJ&BE and THOMAS WAKLEY, have taken the initiative, and have called a meeting for an early day next week, at White Conduit House, against the proposed L increase in the income-tax. Electors of England, follow this example, and before this day week let meetings be held in every borough in England to oppose this iniquitous proposition. But meetings alone will not be sufficient. Let some such document as the following be drawn up and pre. seated to every registered elector for his signature : " We, the underrkned registered electors of the borough of do hereby pledge ourselves not to vote in favour of any candidate who, having been a Member of Parliament in 1848, shall have voted for, or shall have abstained from voting against the proposition for increasing the income- tax on incomes derived from industry, to 5 per cent." And let this document, with the signatures at tached, be presented to the Members for the borough, on the morning of the day that the Ministerial pro position comes on for discussion. This is no mere party measure, it is an attempt on the part of the aristocracy to regain the privilege of plunder. Prevented from robbing the indus trious classes by means of the corn-laws, they n ow seek to plunder them by substituting that most un just of all taxes, an income-tax, for that most just of all taxes, a property-tax. The Reform Bill has, however, placed it in the power of the e l ec t ors t o defeat his well-devised scheme of plunder. My Lord Joins RUSSELL must have forgotten that the 101. householders, who constitute the majority of the borough constituencies, are the persons most affected by this tax. To them we appeal to defend themselves and their countrymen from this most unjust imposition. Let them be up and doing. " England expects that every elector will do his duty." A letter from Rome, of the 9th of February, states " In a few days 300 young men belonging to the first families of this town will start for Naples, to assist at the inauguration of a grand fOte to be given in honour of the Constitution. At this moment, four coaches filled with the leaders of the people are traversing the Corso, shouting out " A basso it Ministero ! A basso i illinistri.'"They have gone to the Capitol to con fer with the Senator, and from thence to the Quiri nal, where they have demanded from the POPE, in the name of the people, the armament of the reserve and of all the volunteers, and the immediate revocation of the circular which forbids the renovation of the fetes celebrated in honour of the Sicilian Constitution. The whole town is in an uproar, and the crowd is so great that it is almost impossible to go through the streets. " We are waiting with anxiety the POPE'S answer, and we expect that events of high importance will be the result of the proceedings. " I hare just heard that the Pore's reply to the Deputation states that he was about to enter into political confederacy with Piedmont, Naples, and Tuscany, and that he expects some Piedmontesa general officers to be placed at the head of the Roman troops. "It is reported in the Lega of Genoa, that on the 25th of March the Council of State will assemble at Turin, to discuss and fix the terms of the Constitution, upon the basis already announced. On the Ist of July will take place the opening of the Chambers, before which his Majesty will take the oath to the Constitution. It is reckoned, upon an average, that for every hundred thousand inhabitants there will be chosen two or three deputies. ",General DE SONNAR, an old officer of Napoleon, commanding the Place of Genoa, left on the 10th inst. for his new commission of General in Chief of the camp of observation, which is being formed at Novara, in the Milanese frontier. In Genoa all the cannons are placed in the fortifications, and everything is ready to repulse the enemy." NAPLES, FEB. 12.—The constitution was pub.. lished yesterday. The enthusiasm for the Km is extreme. FLonENCE, FEE. 11.—The Grand Duke LEorow, moved by the liberal intentions of which he has already given proofs, and of his own proper move-. ment, has decreed that a representative system shall be adopted for the future as the form of government in the Grand Duchy. The Grand Duke, in exhort the people to tranquillity, promised that the decree developing .the principles of the new Government should appear in a few• days. Letters from Padua of the Bth ult., speak of a sanguinary contest which took place in the streets of that city on the 7th, between the Austrian troops a nd people. Similar collisions have taken place at Brescia, Conn, and Pavia. Madrid papers of the 12th and 13th have arrived. Senor BERTEAN DE LYS has brought forward, in the Chamber of Deputies, the Ministerial measure of the modification of the tariff. It is the tragedy of Hamlet with the part of HAMLET omitted, by parti cular desire. All change in the matter of cotton goods is specially excluded. We have received the French papers of yesterday'• The Committee of the Reform Banquet have pub' lished an official notification that it will be held 0 0 Tuesday. The Chamber of Peers have adopted the amendment proposed in the Factory Bill, limiting the hours of labour of children between eight and twelve years of age, to six. The Journal des Debuts quotes the following from the Akhbar of Algiers : " accompanied by four of his rela tions, is about to proceed to Paris on a visit to the King. When that is over the ex-Emir will leave the capital and take up his residence in some town in the south of France. Abd-el-K.ader has not positively renounced the benefit of the capitulation, but he cow. sents to allow his being sent to the East to be indefi• nitely adjourned." BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT Tag LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, FED. — 18: Dutch Rhenish, 1 1 ,% —Nara urand Liege, 63—Orleana and Bordeaux s—Paris and Lyons, 5 1 4.—Paris and Rouen, 33 1 / 4 ex div. —Paris and Strasbourg, 3i/ 2 —Sambre and Meuse, 6% ELECTION COMMITTEES. (TIIIS DAY.) LYME REGIS. The Committee re-assembled this morning; Lord Ashley in the chair. Mr. Richard Sellins, draper, proved that a vote! named Clyde was offered a situation by Mr. Abdy party if be would vote for that gentleman. Since the election Clyde, had been working at Merton in the Marsh, Gloucestershire. Mr. John Charles Williams, solicitor of Walbrookt proved that there were some works going on at Merton in which Mr. Abdy was interested. Mr. Bird was the contractor for executing the works of the Oxford, WO' tester, and Wolverhampton Railway, near to Mordant and Mr. Abdy had advanced Mr. Bird money to enable him to execute his contract,. KINSALE. The Committee assembled this morning; Mr. Bouverie in the chair. John Burke, collector of the borough-rate for Kinsale , proved that previous to the last election there wer e many electors in arrear, and that a day or so before the election the arrears were paid by some of the agents of the sitting Member. The amount came to 111. lls. aid• The witness gave a list of the names of the voters whose rates had ben paid in this way. FUNERAL OF TILE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY!' (THIS DAY.)—The mortal remains of the Right Ref. 1)r. Howley, Archbishop of Canterbury, were removed this morning from Lambeth Palace to their last resting' place at Addiscombe. The mournful cortege formed et a quarter past ten o'clock, and shortly afterwards moved from the Palace. Crowds of well-dressed individuate lined the various roads through which the procession passed. Ex rENSIYE FIRE.—TOTAL DESTRUCTION 01 STEVENSON'S BISCUIT FACTORY BY FlRE.—Last rig ll4 shortly before eight o'clock, a fire, attended with serious destruction of property, broke out in the mids t of an immense pile of premises extending from the mai n street, termed Wapping-wall, to the waterside. The flames, when first perceived, were issuing from the spit' cious factory and warehouses belonging to Messrs' Robert Stephenson and Son, ship-biscuit bakers, situate at No. 75, in the before-mentioned thoroughfar e ' Several persons had very narrow escapes of being crushed when the roof fell in, but happily no one re' ceived any injury. PRINCESS'S THEATRE.—The engagement of Mae: ready and Mrs. Butler (late Miss Fanny Kemble) to se' together in the same play is certainly a startling se" nouncement, and cannot fail in drawing crowds to witness their united exertions, more especially as this will be their last performances previously to their visitin g America. The fascinating Thillon also remains, an appears on the alternate nights. The manager deserves encouragement. We would advise those who have ne t seen the pantomime not to miss the opportunity; it Cer, tainly is the best we have witnessed for years. Flev more is inimitable as the Clown; his drolleries are c haste and unoffending, and his dancing in imitation of the Pets of the Ballet is an attraction of itself. With Bue ll pantomimists as Bologna, Paulo, Sylvani, Miss Fawnet.l and the incomparabl e Fl exmore , th e p an t om i me w ill st il l continue its popularity. REPEAL OF THE UNION .— Mr. John O'Conn e l l has announced his intention of deferring until Tbursdel' the 2d of the ensuing month, the bringing forward in tbe House of Commons of his resolution declaratory " in order to promote and secure the essential interests 0 ' the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, and to cow solidate the strength, power, and resources of the any pire, it is expedient that the Legislative Union betvreal the said kingdoms shall be repealed, and the ancient an constitutional system of separate and mutually indepee" dent Legislatures be restored and re-established in th e same." BlliTlia. 10 1 1 On the 16th inst., at Sussex-gardens, Hyde-park. the of J. Hammill, Esq., of a daughter. On the 16th inst., the wife of the Rev. R. C. Burton, i ll. cuinbent of Christ Church, Camberwell, of a daughter. On the 10th inst., at the Terrace, Royal Military Col l e t : Sandhurst, the lady o f C ap t a i n W. F. H oe y,3oth Regini of a son. ...refer On the 17th i ns t., a t M onmou th- roa d, Westbouraew the wife of A. 0. Medley, Esq., of a son. MARRIED. ly ii the On the 16th inst., at St. Peter's Church, Sheffield, , Rev. J. Blackburn, M.A., incumbent of Attercliffe, ' o f Brier, of Camden-road-villas, to Selina Sewallis, daught er the late J. Shirley, Esq., of Attercliffe House. ....-----* DIED. On the 11th inst., Charlotte, relict of the late T. Va lle ' Esq., coed 47. On the 15th inst., at Lisson.grove South, W. Butler, FA' formerly of the Victualling-office, aged 72. ;tor' On the 16th inst., aged 59, Mr. 11. A. Freer, of C ars- street, Chancery-lane at London: Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG:O4 No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, P 1 0•2:/ Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in, the Win . " - Middlesex, Saturday; Februaly 19, 1148. t ~~ j v