The Sun. — London, England, 1848-05-27 00:00:00

Their Lordships met at Five o'clock Lord PORTMAN presented a petiti,,_ from a board of guardians in Dorsetshire, complaining of the great increase in the poor-rates. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS ADJOURN- MENT BILL. The Earl of HARDWICKE, in consequence of the absence of Lord Stanley, moved that the report on this Bill should be received on Tuesday next. Lord KINNAIRD presented a petition praying for the exemption of legacies to charities from the legacy duties. SEDUCTION OF FEMALES. The Bishop of OXFORD presented a Bill to prevent and punish the seduction of females for hire and reward. At present there was a penalty imposed upon parties conspiring to seduce a female for hire and reward; he proposed to extend the penalties to every one person seducing a female for hire and reward. He moved that the Bill be read a first time, and should fix Monday week for the second reading. The Bill was then read a first time. The RIGHT REV. PRELATE then presented a petition from Banbury in favour of the Bill. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE then moved that the lions° do adjourn to Tuesday next. The motion was agreed to, and their Lordships ad journed. HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 26. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. THIRD READINGS. The following Bills were read a third time, and passed:— Chester and Holyhead Railway (power to purchase, &c.) Furness Railway. London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway (London bridge and New Cross Stations, &c.) Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Junc tion with the Midland Railway vid Barnt,ley and Branches therefrom). Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Station Approach in Manchester). Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Station at Sheffield and Branch to the Sheffield Canal). Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Cross ing of Sheffield-street, in Manchester, &c.) Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway. Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway (No. 1 —lncrease of Capital). Vale of Neath Railway (Power to the South Wales Railway Company to subscribe, and Amendment of Acts). REPORTS. The following Reports were considered and agreed to: Bristol and Exeter Railway (Glastonbury Navigation and Canal Purchase). Kendal and Windermere Railway Act Amendment. LORDS' AMENDMENTS. The Lords' amendments to the following Blls were considered and agreed to : Southampton Gas Light and Coke Company. Worcester New Gas Light Company (additional ca pital and amendment). THE CHARTER Mr. COCKBURN presented a petition from South ampton in favour of the extension of the suffrage, vote by ballot, shorter Parliaments, no property qualification, and the payment of Members of Parliament. LAW OF ENTAIL. Sir 11. DAVIE presented a petition from Haddington in favour of the Soitch law of entail. SALE OF SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS ON SUNDAY. , veral petitions were presented praying the House to pass a measure to prevent the sale of intoxicating liquors on the Sabbath. HEALTH OF TOWNS. Mr. G. THOMPSON presented a petition in favour of the Health ut Towns Bill. SITES FOR CHURCHES. Mr. DUNDAS presented a petition from Scotl an d, praying the House to pass the Bill to enable the con gregations of the Free Church of Scotland to obtain Bites for churches. REFORM ACT. Captain PECHELL presented a petition from a large body of the electors of Brighton against the rate-paying clauses of the Reform Act. Colonel THOMPSON presented a petition, signed by 500 electors and non-electors residing in the metropolis, for an extension of the suffrage. PARLIAMENTARY REFORM. Mr. HUME presented a petition from the rate-payers of the united parishes of St. Giles-in-the-Fields and Sr. George, Bloomsbury, in favour of triennial Parliaments and vote by ballot, and praying that a searching inquiry might be made into the present system of taxation; also, a petition from Sunderland, praying the House to pass a law embracing the points contained in the Charter ; and one from 450 inhabitants of Walworth in favour of an extension of the suffrage. SCOTCH CURRENCY SYSTEM. . _ _ _ An HoN. MEMBER presented a petition from Scotland, agreed to at a public meeting, praying that, the restric tions imposed upon the currency of Scotland might be abrogated. WINDSOR Mr. HUME stated that on Tuesday next he should move for an estimate of the expense proposed to be in curred in improving the Castle and town of Windsor, with an explanation of the mode in which the necessary funds are to be raised. LUNATICS. The HON. GENTLEMAN also gave notice of his inten tention to propose an instruction to the Committee on Lunatic Asylums whether means may not be devised to obviate a great portion of the expense of supervision. THE RAJA. OF SA.TTARA. Mr. GEORGE THOMPSON gave notice that, on going into the Committee of Supply, he should call the attention of the House to the Raja of Sattara and to the claims of his descendants. GRAND JURIES. Mr. FORSTER wished to ask - the Hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention had been drawn to a presentment by the grand jury to the Judges presiding at the Central Criminal Court on the 18th instant, for the abolition of grand juries within the limits of the stipendiary magis trates of the metropolis; and whether it was the intention of the Government to take any steps to remove the evils complained of in the said presentment. Sir G. GREY replied that his attention had not been specially drawn to the presentment of the grand jury to the Judges presiding at the last session of the Central Criminal Court, no copy of the report having reached him in his official capacity. The Hon. Gentleman had, however, favoured him with a copy of the presentment cut from one of the newspapers. No measure was in con templation by the Government for the alteration of the present system ; but he was ready to admit that the system of grand juries was susceptible of improvement. In making this statement, however, he did not wish it to be taken as a pledge that he would introduce any measure on the subject. IRELAND. Captain HARRIS wished to ask the Hon. Gentle man the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Government to avail themselves of the large military force now in Ireland, and by introducing a measure for the search and seizure of pikes, to provide for the secu rity of that part of the United Kingdom. He asked the question, because he believed that if the Government took a decided step in the matter that loss of life would be prevented, and energy given to the trade of the country. Sir G. GREY reminded the Hon. Gentleman that by the Bill passed in the early part of the session for the suppression of crime and outrage in Ireland, the Lord-Lieutenant was empowered t o apply its provisions to any part of Ireland which he might think fit, in which case t h e proper aut h or i t i es wou ld h ave th e pow e r of seizing arms. It was not the intention of the Go vernment to propose any further measures with respect to the security of that country. Atter some further discussion, it was agreed that the House at its rising should adjourn to Monday. TE MINT. Sir J. TYRRELL moved for returns of the name of the Secretary and salaries of the Commis s ioners ap pointed to inquire into the state of the Mint. - IRISH RAILWAYS. Mr. F. FRENCH gave notice of his intention on Tuesday, the 6th of June, to move for leave to bring in a Bill to secure to Ireland a complete system of railway communication. SUPPLY—SPAIN. On the question that the House should resolve itself into a Committee of Supply, BANKES said tlizith - e had a notice o n the-scato-night with respect to Spain. It was understood yes r terday that ho should not br i ng it forward to he was in hopes that the Noble L o r d at the hyea:dbut the Foreign Department would have been i n i f, place to have stated when he would lay the p a .. pars on the table of the House, and he was also in hopes that the Noble Lord at the head of the Government would also have been in his place to have stated whether or not he would give him an early day to bring the subject forward; as, however, neither of these Noble Lords were present, he had no alternative left but to pospone his motion till the next supply night, which he believed was this day se'nnight. He should then bring it on unless the Noble Lord at the head of the Government would give him a day to do so, not later than Monday se'n night. If he did not, he should certainly bring it for ward this day se'nnig,ht. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that as soon as the debate on the navigation-laws reso lutions was concluded, and the Bill brought in, his Noble Friend at the head of the Government would proceed with the Committee of Supply, in order to afford the Hon. Gentleman an opportunity to bring on his motion. DEFICIENCY IN THE REVENUE. Mr. HUME, before the House went into a Com mittee of Supply, was anxious to know from some member of it bow the Government intended to make up the deficiency in the revenue of last year, a sum of no less than three millions and upwards.— (Laughter.) Hon. Gentlemen might laugh, but he thought if they had to make up that deficiency, they would find it no laughing matter. He thought the Government ought in the present state of circumstances to undertake themselves the reduction of that portion of the expenditure which they could reduce. He was the more induced to put this question, as he found that it was intended to spend a sum of 60,000/. and upwards, which was to be received from a certain railway com pany for a small portion of the Crown property in the neighbourhood of Windsor, in what was called the im provement of the Castle and the approaches to that town. He submitted, to the House that this looked very like ex t ra vairance, and he must obj ect to the abominable system of lighting the candle at both ends. Within the last few months 50,0004 had been expended upon Buck • Really it was time thi s extravagance should be put a stop to, and he should certainly persevere in his opposi tion to this Bill. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the Hon. Gentleman had expended a good deal of virtuous indignation upon a Bill which was not before the House, but he thought the Hon. Gentleman would have acted with more discretion had he waited till the Bill came under discussion before he brought the matter before the House. DUBLIN ELECTION.—ABSENCE OF LORD ROBERT GROSVENOR. The Committee appointed to try the merits of the petition against the return of Mr. Reynolds for the city of Dublin was summoned to the table to be sworn. The Marquis of Granby, Mr. Bright, Mr. Sotheron, and Mr. Baines attended at the table, but Lord Robert Grosvenor, the chairman, did not make his appearance, and, after the lapse of a short time, Mr. F. MAULE rose and said, as the Hon. Member had not attended in his place within an hour from the meeting of the House, it was his duty to move, in ac cordance with the provisions of the Controverted Elec tions Act, that he be taken into the custody of the Ser geant-at-Arms. Sir R. H. INGLIS said it was most important that a notice should be personally served upon those Members who were appointed to sic upon Election Committees. From motives of economy the House had been induced to adopt a different system, but he could not help think ing that in Election Committees, which involved often matters of vital importance to the parties interested, a personal service should be required in order to insure the attendance of the Members. Sir F. EGERTON said he understood that Lord Robert Grosvenor had been compelled to go to Brighton in consequence of the illness of one of his family. After sume further discussion, the motion was agreed to. PROBATE DUTIES. _ _ Sir DE LACY EVANS rose to inquire if the Go vernment intended to give the House an opportunity of considering the probate duties. He thought it desirable they should state what were their intentions on the sub. ject of legislation with respect to the owners of real and of personal property. DEFICIENCY IN THE REVENUE. Mr. BRIGHT said the Chancellor of the Ex chequer had stated that with regard to the outlay upon improvements at Windsor, they would not in volve the expenditure of a single sixpence of the public money, but, if he understood him right, that 6,0001., which was to be contributed by certain railway companies, was for the privilege of passing over certain lands, which in reality belonged to the public, and not to the Crown ; and, therefore, that 6,0001. ought to be considered as public money, for if it were not, he could see no reason why the present Bill was brought into the House at all. There was a feeling growing up in the country against our increasing expenditure, and it the Government took no steps towards a re trenchment, however beautiful they might be in theory, they would not be popular with the tax and rate-payers of the country. Lord MORPETH said the money was agreed to be advanced by a certain railway company in lieu of a certain amount of accommodation which was to be given to the public through the agency of the railway, and which the Crown could not be called upon to give up. The rail odwf iett t hoh o en without uppooelnn.otG. n ty Tt: ha a en n ym d om c no o er u ye ld ttoh n ab o ne t tb t w h h e a e e y i nyexclusivetrpeoproposed ee p ; o tey ' d e e h h n e e t r r l e :Majesty, o a a n j n s e . e s received from the company would be laid out in a man ner which would greatly conduce to the comfort of her Majesty and the improvement of Windsor. Mr. AGLIONBY said that the Bill stated that "60,0001. be advanced to her Majesty towards the ex pense of carrying out this Act." Now, if these words meant anything, they meant this, that this sum was only intended to go towards the expenses, and that more would be expended. The Hon. Gentleman the Member for Montrose had, therefore, put a plain interpretation on the Bill, and he (Mr. Aglionby) believed that he was perfectly justified in doing so. Lord MORPETII quite agreed with the Hon. Gentle man who had spoken, that the fullest information should be afforded to the House before it was called upon to sanction the Bill, and in order to show that no further sum would be required for the works in question. Lord DUNCAN stated, in reply to a question put to him by the Hon. Gentleman the Member for Montrose, that he was chairman of a Committee appointed to inquire into the expenditure, management, and revenues of the Crown. He regretted that some little delay had taken place in consequence of the voluminous nature of the returns which the Committee had found it necessary to inquire into; but he assured him that the report would be prepared with as much expedition as possible. INSURANCE. Mr. WAWN inquired if it was the intention of the Government to propose any modification of the duty upon policies of insurance? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (who was as indistinctly heard as usual) was understood to admit that the high nature of the tax was fraught with some injustice, but that the Government did not intend to propose any modification of the impost. ECCLESIASTIC AL COMMISSION. Mr. E. DENISON reported that he had attended the House oftords at the request of the House, and that their Lordships had been pleased to permit the Bishop of Lincoln to allow evidence taken before their Lordships with respect to his diocese to be laid before the Ecclesi astical Commissioners. The subject then dropped. ARREST OF LORD ROBERT GROSVENOR. Mr. Clemenson, the Deputy-Sergeat-at-Arms, here intimated to the Speaker that Lord Robert Grosvenor had been taken into custody in accordance with the motion of the House. Mr. COWPER rose and said he had been requested by the Noble Lord to express his great regret that he arrived at the House too late to be present et the table when the Members of the Committee were summoned at the table. The fact was, he was occupied at the time as the chairman of a public meeting, and whilst there he was not aware how rapidly the time passed by.— (Laughter.) Under these circumstances he hoped the House would extend its indulgence to the Noble Lord, and with that view he begged to move that he be dis charged. Mr. F. MAULE seconded the motion, and added " without the payment of the costs." The House well knew that the Noble Lord was connected with many be nevolent institutions, and that his time was occupied in connexion with them.—(Loud cheers.) The resolution was at once agreed to nem. con. Lord R. GROSVENOR here entered the House and was loudly cheered. DUBLIN ELECTION. This Committee was then called to the table. Lord ROBERT GROSVENOR expressed his sin cere regret, and assured the House that a similar occur rence should not take place. The Committee was then sworn. 'EQUALIZATION OF TAXES. Mr. EWART then rose, pursuant to notice, to move that the present system of disproportionate indirect tax ation is injurious to the commerce and manufactures, and unjust to the working classes of the country. That the establishment of a work direct system of taxation on realised property would relieve trade and manufactures, and be eventually beneficial to all classes of the commu nity. He said he must express his deep disappointment after what was said last year, that Government had not thought proper to give this subject their best considera tion. He should have thought the course pur sued by the Right Honourable Baronet, the Member for Tam worth, while in office would have induced any Government to pursue a similar policy, but the example of the Right Hon. Baronet had not been followed, and he therefore felt himself constrained to bring the subject before the House on this occasion. He believed that in Liverpool an association had been formed for the purpose of procuring a reduction in the taxation of the country, and similar institutions had since been established in Manchester and other places, and he trusted the petitions and representations of these bodies would not be lost upon the Government. He considered the present system of indirect taxation was bad. It weighed oppressively on the commerce and manufactures of the country, and more especially upon the working classes, and it was high time that a change was made. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHERQUER said that during the last few years a great reduction of in direct taxation had taken place, and many direct taxes had been imposed. He was not prepared to propose any further direct taxation, and he did not see how he could remove any further portion of the indirect taxation of the country at present. The subject, however, was under the consideration of the Government, but in the present state of the revenue he could not hold out much hope of any reduction either in the direct or indirect taxation of the country. The motion was then withdrawn. THE RAJA OF SATTARA. On the question that the Speaker do leave the chair for the purpose of the House resolving itself into a Committee of Supply, Mr. THOMPSON was anxious to know whether he would be afforded an early day to renew the debate with respectot to the l a t e R a j a of S attara? Because, if he could n obtain such an assurance, he must bring the matter on to-night. notprom of i s o the T he CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in the absence Presidentuo n la Member btehre an n o e a a r r d l y of da C y on to tro b l r , in c g ou o l n d hismlnnoTtiouno. the MPSON then stated he would pat the ques tion again on Monday. Mr. HERRIES said, as the . SPAIN Righta Hon. Gentleman adverted f before eor Dorsetshire the Chancellor of the Exchequerh this to the motion of the Hon. Memlle zf attentionas occurrence in (Jr. Bankes) with respect to the strang e Spain, which had excited so much anxious this country, he took that opportunity member of the Government whether the papers which I ' l ' l were to be laid on the table of the House that day, according to promise, would be in the hands of Ro a n Members to-morrow; and, further, whether it was in tended that those papers should convey to the Ho use all the explanations and information which her Majesty's Government might think necessary to give to the House on this most extraordinary occurrence, or whether th e y intended, on some early day, to furnish the House with some further information with respect to the conduct of the Government and of her Majesty's Minister in Spain in this transaction. He could imagine that every member of the Government must feel himself burning with impatience to relieve the body to which he belonged from the suspicion—to say the least of it—which rested on them at present.--(Hear, hear.) A Minister of the Crown of England, repre senting the interests of that Crown at a foreign Court, had been, not to say ignominiously, but unceremoniously ejected from his office. Such a thing had never occurred, ho believed he might confidently state, in the history of the diplomacy of this country, except in the case of and undoubtedly lay upon them, they should lose no time about it, and he thought every member of it must be most anxious to state to Parliament everything which was intended to exculpate the Government in this matter. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER could not but think it was unfortunate the Right Honourable Gentleman had not taken the opportunity of asking his questions when his Noble Friend at the head of Foreign Affairs (Lord Palmerston) was in his place, as he was in this House some ten minutes previously, and would, no doubt, have been able to give him a much more satis factory answer than he (the Chancellor of the Exche quer) could hope to do. He understood from his Noble Friend that he proposed to lay on the table of the House that night, is order that they might be delivered into the hands of Honourable Members to-morrow morn ing, those papers which might be necessary to enable them to form an opinion as to what had taken place in Spain. With respect to the observations of the Right Honourable Gentleman, he thought it better to abstain from making any comment upon them; but: this be would say, that the motion of the Honourable Member for Dorsetshire was not postponed in consequence of any wish expressed on the part of her Majesty's Govern ment. Her Majesty's Government did not shrink from any explanation on the subject, and he had no doubt his Noble Friend (Lord Palmerston) would be prepared with the most lull and ample explanation when the time arrived. Mr. • DISRAELI—Sir, I am rather sorry for the words which have been used by the Right Hon. Gentle man the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the motion of the Hon. Member for Dorsetshire. My Hon. Friend (Mr. Bankes) gave notice of his intention to call the attention of the House to the consideration of certain documents connected with the affairs of Spain, laid on the table of the House by her Majesty's Minis ters, more particularly in respect to some matters omitted in those papers. I cannot conceive anything more natural on the part of my Hon. Friend than his declining to bring his motion forward for the considera tion of the House when the documents were proved to be so imperfect, and when her Majesty's Ministers the same evening came forward and announced that they felt it to be their duty to lay other papers on the table of the House, which papers could not be in the hands of Members until the morning after the intended debate ; and I think it rather surprising that her Majesty's Mi nisters should now say that they were ready to meet the question, but my Hon. Friend declined to combat them. Her Mijesty's Ministers were ready to meet the question upon their own showing, knowing that my lion. Friend had not the documents in possession on which it was ne cessary to decide. As to the anxiety of my Hon. Friend the Member for Dorsetshire to bring forward this ques tion, I thought every Member of the House was anxious for the discussion of such a subject; and those who should be most influenced by anxiety, I should have thought, would have been the responsible advisers of the Crown.—(Cbeers.) The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER--I found no fault with the Hon. Gentleman. All I said was that the Government did not prevent him bringing on his motion. I think it highly desirable that the papers to which I have referred should be on the table of the House. Mr. HERRIES—I was unable to put my question as I had intended in the presence of the Noble Lord the Se cretary of State for Foreign Affairs, because other gen tlemen had possession of the House, and before the dis cussion had closed her Majesty's Secretary of State had departed from the House. JUDGES OF VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. _ _ Mr. C. ANSTEY, seeing the Under Secretary for the Colonies in hi s plac e , wi s k e d to know whether it was true that, in consequence of the judges of Van Diotneii , s Lund having decided against a Bill of the Legislative Assembly of that colony for levying taxes on the colo nists, one of the judges had been dismissed from his office, and whether the Hon. Gentleman had any objec tion to lay upon the table the correspondence relating to the transaction? Mr. HAWES said the information he had received upon the subject was derived from private sources, but he understood that official information was on its way to this country. Before he could promise to lay this infor mation on the table he must see its contents. CALEDONIAN RAILWAY. Mr. HUME wished to know from the Secretary of the Admiralty if he had any objection to relate the circumstances under which the consent of that board had been given to the Caledonian Railway to cross the river Clyde? Mr. WARD said that the Admiralty had re-consi dered the subject, and the company having consented to erect a bridge in accordance with the instructions of the Surveyor of the Admiralty, they considered that it would have been a stretch of the prerogative of the Crown to oppose it any further, and they, therefore, consented to the project. The Earl of LINCOLN was satisfied that the Admi ralty had done its duty in the matter, and that no blame could attach to that department. He, however, hoped that care would be taken that the parties who bad relied upon the Admiralty should not be damnified by that which was something like a fraud practised upun the board. Mr. B. COCHRANE complained that this matter should have been brought forward without any notice to the parties interested, in whose absence the Noble Lord (the Earl of Lincoln) ought not to impute fraud to them. After a few words from Mr. Ward, Mr. Macgregor, Mr. Hastie (Glasgow), Mr. Aglionby, and Mr. Hume, the conversation dropped. SUPPLY. Mr. HUME inquired whether the Right Honourable Baronet the Chancellor of the Exchequer was prepared, before going into a Committee of Supply, to state to the House in what way he proposed to provide for the defi ciency of 3,000,0001. ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said Ile did not at present propose to make any statement on that subject. The House then went into Committee, Mr. Bernal in the chair. Mr. WARD said ho must now ask the Committee to give him a farther vote on account, under three differ ent heads, of the estimates for the service of the navy during the present year. He did not propose to take the whole estimate in any of them, but only a portion of each, and to leave the remaining balance for subsequent discussion. The first vote he moved was, that a further sum of 300,000 L be granted to her Majesty to defray the charge of the wages of seamen and marines, the number being already agreed to. Mr. HUME wished to know whether, after the evi dence which had been taken before the Select Committee on Public Expenditure, the Government had adopted any measures to reduce the expenditure in the depart ment of the navy, which was now nearly double the amount it had been in former years. His own individual opinion was that there was ample room for a great change and greater economy, without any injury to the public service. Had the Government taken any mea sures for these necessary reforms, or did they intend to wait until the Select Committee made its report. Mr. WARD replied that, without anticipating what the report of the Committee might be, the Government had taken every opportunity of effecting every practical economy in the department of the public service with which ho was connected. Hired men in the dock yards, whose terms of service had expired, had been parted with; and, from the introduction of steam sawing machinery, and by other modes, the naval estimates for the ensuing year would be reduced by no less a sum than 600,0001. Captain HARRIS said he had a suggestion to make, which he admitted was not one of economy, but still of great public importance. It was, that first class line-of battle ships should be fitted and sent out to foreign sta tions, instead of the class of men of war now employed in this branch of the service. At present there was in the West India station one of the very worst ships, the Wellesley, on the station. She was a dull sailer, and wholly unfit to be so employed. The French had on the station five or six heavy frigates; and i❑ case a war should break out (of which there was a chance in 1839 and 1840, when he was serving on board the Win chester on that station), the Wellesley would not be a match for any one of those frigates; whereas, if such a ship as the Vanguard, under Lord I)undonald, was sent out, she could manage any three of those frigates. Again, ho found the Hastings, with the flag of Sir Francis Collier, had been sent out to the East India station, though wholly unfit to compete with the ships sent out by foreign powers. He thought it would be prudent and wise for the Goverment to fit out for fbreign service a better class of ships than were now sent out. Admiral DUNDAS said, the great object of the Admiralty was to wear out their old ships ; but they were now sending out vessels which would be quite ready to meet any opposing force. Capt. PECHELL expressed a hope that, if he ab stained now from bringing forward the claims of the commanders, lieutenants, and two other classes in the naval service, he should not be met on a future occasion by the assertion that he had omitted to avail himself of the fitting opportunity. He only now abstained in order that he might not interpose any obstacle in the course of her Majesty's Government. Mr. S. HERBERT understood that the three heads of estimates under which the Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Ward) proposed to take votes on account, were first for the wages of seamen and marines, next for stores, and lastly, for half-pay. Was that so? Mr. WARD replied in the affirmative. Mr. HUME drew the attention of the Committee to the case of the assistant-surgeons of the navy. These gentlemen were required to have a higher qualification in three or four branches of medical science than either the College of Surgeons in London or in Edinburgh could require, and yet these gentlemen who must have attained the age of 25 years were placed on board ship among a parcel of youths, who were midshipmen or mates. Such being the fact, the Committee would not be surprised to hear that a week ago Sir William Bur nett, the physician-general, had not a single candidate for the appointment of assistant-surgeon in the navy; such was the reluctance of medical men to come for ward; and this arose entirely from the neglect of a clause now made for five successive years, that assistant-sur geons should be allowed to mess with the lieutenants. It was said there was no room to admit an assistant-sue gem', and yet he understood that engineers were so ac commodated to the exclusion of the medical man. Captain BERKELEY said that the Admiralty did its utmost to secure the best medical advice for the men in the service, and he had never before heard of there being the slightest difficulty in finding candidates for the office of assistant- surgeon. It would be impos sible to provide for them, however, in the ward-room without interfering with the working the guns and with the discipline of the ship; and still further was it im possible to provide the assistant-surgeon with a cabin. Besides this, the greatest injury would be done to the serviaa if tho assistant-surgeon was put over the heads of the sites, who were his superior officers. sty edueationr Captain BERKELEY—As superior officers. Mr. ELLIOT reminded the Hon. Member for Mon trose that the midshipmen and mates were not of the lowest class, but generally the sons of high and noble families; and therefore it surely could be no disgrace to any assistant-surgeon to mix in such company. Mr. HUME could not forget that they were boys, and that the assistant-surgeons were men whose studies were interfered with. Mr. COBDEN said he wished to take this opportu nity of referring to a subject which, though in some degree personal to himself, he should not revert to but that he felt it affected the efficiency of the service and the economy of the public expenditure. On a former occasion reference had been made to a statement he (Mr. Cobden) had uttered in Manchester on the subject of a line-of-battle ship lying in the harbour of Malta. When he made that statement he was speaking in the midst of personal friends, whom he told that he had seen a ship lying at Malta from November to March; that he had then gone to Egypt, and on his return had found the same ship lying there still. An attempt had been made to make it appear that, instead of speaking of a matter which had occurred ten or eleven years ago, he had referred to the state of things last year; but he must remind the Committee that he made the statement to persons who knew that he had not been to Egypt last year, and could therefore have at once known the statement was false. Though a sort of quarter-deck contradiction had been given in that House to his state ment at Manchester, the fact that ships lay for a long time in the harbour of Malta remained unanswered. Since then a perfect stranger had furnished him with information that the logs of ships were kept at Somerset House, and that by moving for them he could obtain a return of the logs of the ships in question. He had moved for and obtained the return of the logs of the date he had mentioned, namely, 1837, when he was in Malta. From the returns, he found that, in 1837, the time of which he had spoken. the Princess Charlotte, 104 guns, lay at Malta from the Bth of No vember, 1837, to the 20th of May, 1838, a period of up wards of six months, and also that the Queen, 110 guns, lay there from the 7th of October, 1842, to the 15th of September, 1844, a period of eleven months and eight days, without ever raising her anchor. He was assured by a friend who had as ward a midshipman on board that ship, that the expense and demoralisation arising from the lengthened stay in harbour was absolutely ruinous, and that when the ship went out a vast number of the crew were so sea-sick as to be unable to perform the ship's service.—(Laughter.) It would be remem bered that the Honoureble and Gallant Admiral below him (Admiral ;Dundas) had on a former occa sion read an extract of a letter from Sir William Parker, the present Commander of the Mediterranean squadron, expressing his astonishment at the statement went he (Mr. Cobden) had made, and raising an im pression that ho had stated matters which could not be borne ont by facts. Now, these returns further showed that the Hibernia was lying in Malta harbour from Aug. 26, 1845, to March 28, 1846, being seven months and two days, without ever raising an anchor. Ile brought these facts forward on public grounds. What he had stated at Manchester was, that ho had seen a ship lying at Malta with 800 or 900 men on board for six months, producing thereby great demoralisation, and a vast ex pense in every way. As to demoralisation, they all knew what a region in that respect Malta was, and when they were told that a lin e -of-b att l e s hi p had on board from 30 to 40 junior officers, such as midshipmen and mates, who were the eons of high and noble families, he put it to the Committee whether anything could be worse than for such a party to remain ten or eleven months together in such a harbour as that of Malta. Under all these circumstances he thought it would be satisfactory if the Hon. and Gallant Admiral (Dundas) should state to the House whether he thought such a practice was consistent with the efficiency of the service, or the proper economy of the public expenditure. Admiral DUNDAS stated that since the present board had been in office ships had not been allowed to remain in harbour. and it was contrary to the rules of the service that they should be so. It would have been well if the Hon. Member had given the Committee the in formation of what the Queen Charlotte had done after remaining the winter in harbour, for then the Com mittee would have learned that she went to Acre, and led in all the operati o ns ther e , an d h a d never been one month at Malta since. On a former occasion, he (Admiral Dundas) had read the communication received from the American Consul, and did not retract a word from his former observations, in reference to the state ment that the Hon. Member had seen a ship lying at Malta with 1,000 men on board. Mr. COBDEN said his informant might have misled him as to the precise number of men, but this he could state that the Queen Charlotte, of 110 guns, had on board 1,119 persons, of whom 225 were supernumeraries, leaving about 900 as the complement of men on board. But the question was whether the broad facts he bad stated were or were not deserving the attention of the Committee and the Government, and he hoped he might be allowed to say in all good humour that the Hon. and Gallant Admiral had more than once contradicted him in a manner of which any independent Member would have a right to complain. lie had been contradicted when he stated that there was no ship of war 'at Canton at the time of the recent murder of the English subjects in China. Since that contradiction he had received a letter from China re iterating the fact, That letter he bad shown to the Hon. and Gallant Admiral, who merely remarked— " Well all I can say is, if they were not there they ought to have been there."—(Laughter.) However well this manner might do on a quarter-deck, it was not the mode in which business ought to be transacted on the floor of that House; and ho trusted the Hon. and Gal lant Admiral would for the future be accurate as to his own information before he contradicted any Hon. Mem ber.—(Hear, hear.) A.therAer uuiNDAS said that since the statement with respect to there being no ships at Canton at the time mentioned, he had inquired at the Admiralty, and found there were orders that no ship of war had any right there. Capt. BERKELEY thought the Hon. Member for the West Riding ought to have obtained, in addition to those he had read, returns of the services which the ships named had performed while on the Mediterranean station. If so, he would have found that it was neces sary, as the admiral was employed in a somewhat diplo matic capacity—it was necessary his ship should remain at Malta. It would have been found also, that by the mediation of British naval commanders (Captain Cod rington, for instance,) peace had bees maintained be tween belligerent parties in many of the ports where disputes had arisen. Mr. HUME rejoiced that the lion. Member near him (Mr. Cobden) had thus triumphed over the attempt to run him down by the impression created that there had been no truth in his statement. He had, however, shown that it was accurate, not merely in respect to one but to three ships of war which bad been on the Malta station. Mr. B. COCHRANE said he had read the speech made by the Hon. Member opposite (Mr. Cobden) on the occasion which had given rise to the subsequent in quiry and discussions. In that speech he had impugned the character of the British navy, describing the officers as skulking from duty. Ile had spoken of the Duke of Wellingtoe as a drivelling old man, and had spoken of both services in a manner which was disgraceful not only to a Member of that House, but to any Englisman.— (Cries of " Oh, oh.') The Hon. Member had, in the u s p nT e h e eh c ce h o me r referred rNe hisde tr t o o Ls , Li t juoosnil.e.d language which was wholly and expressed a hoopfe t t h h e a t E h X i s EXCHEQUER d i n ( r r - . ro s b e d d en) would not take any notice of the warm ex pressions used. It was quite clear that the statements made by his Hon. Friend were perfectly true, and it really woeld be a waste of time further to discuss the matter. Mr. BOLLING conceived that the Hon. Member for the West Riding had unjustly abused the navy. If the ships lay in harbour he abused the admirals, and said they were afraid to go to sea ; and if they were active, they were equally abused. What would he have them to do?— (Hear.) Mr. BRIGHT said it was desirable for the House to rid itself of the idea that the services of the army and navy were not to come under as rigorous discussion, and undergo as searching an investigation, as they were accustomed to extend—he feared too little—to other departments, Bearing in mind that by far the largest portion of the available revenue of the country was expended in the maintenance of the military depart ment, that was quite a sufficient reason why they, the guardians of the public purse, should have under their own eye what was doing in those departments, and should see that they were kept in the greatest possible efficiency at the smallest possible expense.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Member for the West Hiding had not spoken disrespectfully of the services of these depart ments; he bad merely pointed out abuses, and had ac tually understated the grievances he complained of, as was on t her proved by the le,ho u returns w i g h h i ch th the etr u Admiral ty that had e blood laid of protect erethe it re ei t t o ; p H r e o h tect M th em e b t e a r x s -p sh are l r d s ofrecollect the Douglasuthat could y t;h ayn dw he was disposed to do so. Mr. G. ROBINSON said, this great: complaint against the Hon. Member for the West Riding had been that he had represented the British ships in the Mediterranean as " slack," whilethose of n the . conti nually running up a so misapplied to the io There,Am erican Deter s were was ater m d down. British navy, which had never been in so efficient a state. Captain t to have apologised to the country for the terms in which be had spo ken of the nav y and which bad excited a feeling of esatpßtaiidninHgAoßugßhlS thought the lion. Member for the West the Duke of Wellington, indignation of fa tthroughoutw h lt would have as n h to not t m n ino ovue questionor . been better to do so than for the returns as to a m ; for he (Capt. Harris) admitted there had been too much harbour work.—(Hear, hear.) When the lion. Gentleman, addressing his c onstituents, , spoke of what he saw at Malta, " the winter,' it was naturally supposed that en in he spoke of the last winter. audience who knew that the lion, Member Malta for the last ten Riding had not been at Egypt or Mr. W. BROWN said the speech wasadfdorrestsheed\tvoeasnt years. After a few words from Mr. Huiek and Capt. BARRIO, in explanation, the vote was agreed to. The next vote was 300,000/. towards defraying the ex. pense of naval stores and repairs, which, after an inquiry from Mr. HUME, was agreed to. 200,0001. for the half-pay of °Masers of the nary and the royal marines. Mr. fIUME said it was most important that this item, which was in all 700,0001. or 800,0001., should be reduced. The vote was agreed to. MISCELLANEOUS ESTIMATES. Mr. PARKER then proposed to take some votes OR account of the items in the miscellaneous expenditure, which were all necessary for the public service. The votes on account would no. _ .fley had been last year. The following votes were then pro posed, and agreed to without discussion :- 50,0001., for repairs, &c., of public buildings; for furni ture, &c., for various public departments ; for certain charges for lighting and watching, for rates and taxes ; also, for the maintenance and repairs of royal palaces and works in the royal gardens. 25 0001., for works at the new Houses of Parliament. 10,000/., for works required for enlarging and im proving Buckingham Palace. 15.0001., salaries and expenses in the department of her Majesty's Treasury. 8,0001., salaries and expenses of the office of Secretary of State for the Home Department. 15,000/., salaries and expenses in the departm en t o f Secretary for Foreign Affairs, also Queen's messengers. 10,000/, salaries and expenses in the department of the Secretary of State for the Colonies. 10,000/., salaries and expenses in the department of the Privy Council, and the Committee of Privy Council for Trade. 5001. towards the salary of the Lord Privy Seal. Mr. FIUME said he, thought it a fit opportunity to take an objection to that vote, as the Lord Privy Seal was absent from the country; but afterwards said he would raise the objection on a future vote. 10,000/., charge in the cffice of the department of Comptroller-General of the Exchequer, and Paymaster of Civil Services. 1,000/., portion of the expenses of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England. 4,0001., salaries and expenses in the department of Comptroller-General of the Exchequer, and Paymaster of Civil Services. 6,000/., salaries and expenses connected with the public records; also compensations to keepers of records and others whose offices have been abolished. 20,0001., expenditure of the several branches of the Mint. 2,900/., charge of office of Paymaster of Civil Services in Ireland. 14,000/., salaries and expenses of the Board of Public Works in Ireland. 50 0001, expenses of stationery, printing, and binding, for the several departments of Government in England, Scotland, Ireland, and the colonies. 8,00C1., charge of her Majesty's foreign and other secret services. 5,0001., expenses connected with the prosecution of offenders against the laws relating to the coin. Mr. HUME complained of the extravagance of this item (the total of the estimate being 9,6000; and said he should move for returns to show hew it was ex pended. 10,000/., expenses incurred by the sheriffs; deficiency in fees in the office of Queen's Remembrancer; and cer tain expenses of the Queen's Prison. 7,0001., expenses of the prison for juvenile offenders at Parkhurst. Mr. HUME asked what was done with those juvenile offenders after they left Parkhurst? He conceived that, unless some provision was made for them after they came out, the institution itself would be of very little use. Mr. V. SMITH said that many of them were sent to Australia, where they were in great request as labourers, on account of their moral discipline and excellent phy sical condition. Sir J. GRAHAM was bound to say that ho believed there was no more really meritorious service amongst the many distinguished services of the Noble Lord at the head of the Government than the foundation of the prison at Parkhurst.—(Hear, hear.) While he (Sir J. Graham) was in office, a number of these boys had been sent to Australia, where he hoped they would be able to earn an honest livelihood by their good conduct. Lord J. RUSSELL said he had not had sufficient experience in connexion with the institution to entitle him to answer the question of the Hon. Member for Montrose; but he hoped that, after what had been said, the Hon. Gentleman would be induced to think that the institution was a useful one. In founding this institu tion he had gone upon the principle that the reformation of old offenders was not much to be depended on; the penitence of men of twenty-five to thirty years of age often turned out to be a studied s 3 stem of hypocrisy; and the best behaved convicts when they left England frequently turned out the worst when they relapsed. I3ut in boys of ten or twelve years of age, their bad principles might be eradicated.—(Hear, hear.) Such was the principle on which the prison had been founded; and he considered it one which the public ought to uphold. Mr. HUME said he doubted the success of the insti- , t be greater tb II th tution at first, knowing how apt thieves were to assume a hypocritical penitence. Still he had no objection to their being sent out to the colonies, where a fair field would be open to their industry. But it was objection able for these parties to be transported at the public expense when honest men could not be assisted to emigrate. Mr. V. SMITH said these convicts were only accept able in the colonies oil account of the discipline to which they had been subjected at Parkhurst. It was a doubtful and fearful question how far this distinction ought to be made between honest and vicious young men in favour of the latter; but on the question of economy he thought some reduction might be made in the vote for Parkhurst, by calling on the parents and parishes of the children, where they could be found, to defray a portion of the cost. The expense might be reduced in another way ; by requiring the colonists, who were greatly in want of labourers, to defray a portion of the cost of their con veyance out. Mr. A. HENRY said there were 600 prisoners at Parkhurst, and the annual expense was 13,000/., of which 5,0001. went in establishment charges.—(Hear.) He thought it little better than a means of creating pa tronage and giving salaries. Sir J. GRAHAM thought that the Hon. Gentleman spoke from an imperfect acquaitst.ess with the matter. CoLeiidering all the circumstances, the arrangement was a most economical one. Parkhurst was not confined to any particular district of the country, but received all children under fourteen years of age convicted of felony in any part of Great Britain. By this means the most perfect discipline was attained, and the object could not be secured by any other institution at so small a cost. Lord J. RUSSELL said he had been very anxious for the reform of juvenile offenders, and had framed the in stitution with that view, not out of any desire to in crease the Government patronage. In selecting the governor his choice had been entirely guided by the fit ness of Captain Woolford for the office. The other de partments had been filled up under the recommendation of the inspectors of prisons, some of them by indivi duals whom he (Lord J. Russell) had never seen till he met them at Parkhurst.—(Hear.) Mr. HENRY repeated the expense of the establish ment was quite out of proportion to the good it was cal culated to effect. The vote was then agreed to, as were the following:- 8,0004, for the Model Prison at Pentonville. 16,0001., expenses of the prison at Millbank. 4,000/., expenses of the general prison at Perth. 30,000/., for law expenses in Scotland. 35,0004, for the expenses of ciiminal prosecutions, and other law charges in Ireland. 10,0001., expenses of the metropolitan police of Dubiin. 30,000/., to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, to issue money for the advancement of education in Ireland. 3,0001., for the School of Design, and fur aiding pro vincial schools. 30,0004, towards the charge for consular establish ments abroad. 10,000/., towards payment of the extraordinary dis bursements of her Nlaiesty's missions abroad. 10,0001. for superannuation allowances, and compensa tion to persons formerly employed i❑ the public service. 9,000/., expenses of Non-conforming, Seceding, and Protestant Dissenting ministers in Ireland. Mr. HUME hoped this vote would be postponed till certain returns were published, which might assist the House in making a fair distribution of the money thus granted. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it had been the practice fur many years to vote 36,0001. for this purpose of which only one-fourth was now asked for. After a few words from Mr. BRIGHT, the vote was agreed to. 100,000/. for the Commissariat department, 10,000/. for half-pay pensions and allowances in the Commissariat department. The House then resumed, the Chairman reported progress, and obtained leave to sit again. Mr. BRIGHT said that when the vote for ecclesiastical purposes in the colonies came before the House, he would make a motion on the subject. If they wero to pay fur the religion of the colonists, they might as well pay for their bread and butter.—(Laughter.) QUALIFICATION AND REGISTRATION OF ELECTORS (IRELAND) BILL. On the motion for the second reading of this Bill, Captain JONES said he did not mean to object to the second reading, but he saw no reason for hurrying it on till certain returns which had been moved for, and which would throw light ou the subject, had been laid on the table. Col. CONOLLY said the only objection he enter tained to the Bill was as to the amount of qualification. Hr. HUME thought the Government had taken a step in the right direction by introducing the Bill. His only regret was that it did not go far enough. Sir R. FERGUSON thought that the poor-law 'valu ation should be also introduced in boroughs. He hoped the Government would likewise consider the subject of joint occupation in counties. Sir J. YOUNG said that it was most important that the qualification should be placed on a certain basis. Its amount might be safely discussed in Committee. The shortening of the duration of the elections would be a great boon to Ireland. Mr. H. A. 'MIME' RT said the subject of valuation was so important that it could not be too strongly pressed upon the consideration of the Government. The House could not be aware of the extreme inequalities which ex isted on this point in the south of Ireland. He would give the House one extraordinary instance of this in the district with which he was more particularly acquainted. There was a kind of scramble between two unions for a particular parish which bad but few paupers, and the boards of guardians of each union gave orders to their respective valuators to value the district. It was valued by ono at 2,5001, and by the other at 1,8001., making a difference in a small district of 7001.—(Hear, hear.) Great dissatisfaction existed in consequence of the want of uniformity of valuation. That dissatisfaction was already considerable where it affected pecuniary interests, and ho had no doubt it would be greatly increased when it extended to political privileges. He hoped the Go vernment would give them some assurance that this important subject would be taken into their conside ration. Sir D. NORREYS thought the Bill should be made applicable to boroughs. The most disgraceful scenes took place in the registration courts from the want of certainty with respect to the valuation. He thought that this uncertainty should be removed. Mr. FitEIVEN thought that a franchise, founded on an 84 Valuation under the poor-law, was too low, and uration of elections The li grand jury. _tie limitation of the to one day would be a great boon. Sir W. SOMERVILLE was glad to see that the Bill seemed acceptable to the House. The suggestions of the Hon. Member for Kerry, with respect to the valua tion, would receive the consideration of Government. The question whether the borough franchise should be dealt with in the same way as the county franchise would receive the attention of Government in Com mittee.—(Dear, hear.) He hoped that the Bill would be productive of social as well as political advantages to Ireland—that it would do away with the conflicting swearing respecting valuation which existed at present, and induce landlords to grant leases to their tenants. Mr. R. M. FOX hoped that the Government would not delay the Bill, as the constituencies of Ireland were decreasing till they became almost ridiculous. The Bill was then read a second time. BOROUGH ELECTIONS (No. 2) BILL. On the motion that the House resolve itself into Com mittee on this Bill, Colonel SIBTIIORP moved that the Bill be com mitted that day six months. The Hon. Baronet who introduced this Bill had thought. fit to include Lincoln amongst the nine boroughs with respect to which in quiry was to be made. He had no fear of investigation as far as Lincoln was concerned. He considered the Bill tyrannical, unjust, and unsatisfactory. The Bill gave a most tyrannical power of searching the hooks of a gentleman's banker, and even the papers of his solici tor. He could tell the Hon. Baronet that there was far more money spent in Hull at one election—he did not say by the lion. Baronet—than was spent in Lincoln from the year 1714 to the present time.—(Laughter.) If such a Bill as this was allowed to pass, where were they to stop? He hoped the Honour able Baronet in introducing this Bill was not acting under the advice or direction of the Government. If this Bill went through Committee, which he should endeavour to prevent, he should at another stage try to secure a better attendance of Members than ordinarily could be obtained in that House. If they were to have inquiry at all, let it be a general inquiry. Don't leave out the Flint districts, Hull, Sh rewsbury—(Leughter)— London, Tavietoels, and (said the Honourable Member in a shout) Bandon-bridge.—(Renewed laughter.) It was a shuffling, mean, miserable, pettyfogging, dirty, villanous measure, and that was but an imperfect ex pression of his feelings. The question having been put, Mr. C. PEARSON said his accidental absence from the House had prevented him from moving the amend ment of which he had given notice. This circumstance placed him in a somewhat peculiar position. In his judg ment this Bill looked in the right direction, but his ob jection to it was that he feared it would net he effi cient for the purpose it contemplated. Bribery was of all others the crime for which the penalties were most stringent, but yet the number of the offences proved and punished bore the smallest possible proportion to the number of the offences committed. It was a crime which had increased, was increasing, and he feared would continue to increase, unless a new law was applied. Human nature seemed insufficient to bear up against the temptation. The Reform Bill had been far from curing the disease. In many cases bribery had been greater since the passing of that Bill than before. —(Op position cries of " Hear, hear.") If they looked into their blue-books, they would find Mr. Parkes, Mr. Cop pock, and other election agents, stating that whether they took Stafford, Warwick, Ipswich, or other places. the system of bribery would be found to have spread considerably. Lord Palmerston, in 1837, declared his opinion that, "at the preceding election bribery had exceeded anything that was ever known within those walls." 'The fault was, that under the present law every one was interested in concealing bribery, and no one was interested in exposing it. What he would have was, either an effectual prevention of bribery, or an effectual punishment for it. He therefore desired that a second schedule to this Act should contain all towns with above 10,000 inhabitants, and that i❑ the event of a conviction for bribery, the nearest unrepresented town to that convicted should have the Member, thus giving it a dis tinct interest in the conviction of the town in which bribery was said to be committed. The effect of this would be to secure in every case a searching and con clusive inquiry. Suppose, for example, Horsham was convicted, Croydon, a town of 16,000 inhabitants, would nave the franchise. If Derby were convicted, Belpre., having proved the case, would be united with it. He asked for this alteration as a small instalment of re form. Mr. BANKES opposed the Bill. He denied that the forsharn Committee had made any impeachment of corrupt practices against the electors of that borough. The preamble of the present Bill was therefore erroneous, and the insertion of the borough in the Bill unjust. He could not think that the House, in its crusade against treating, was passing the limits of a jurt correction of malpractices, and unduly checking the exercise of the simplest and most innocent hospitality. As matters seemed going now, a man could not indulge in the Old English impulse to give his fiends a dinner without losing his seat for his kind-heartedness. Mr. NEWDEGATE opposed the Bill, though on dif ferent grounds to those of the Hon. Member tor Dorset shire. The case of Great Yarmouth was kept by the Government as a sort of standing excuse for proceedings such as were contemplated by the Hon. Baronet's Mea sure. The Commissioners who were to be appointed under the Bill would be open to party prejudices. It was an unwarrantable infringement on the rights of constituencies, and also an interference with the pri vileges of the House, as if they could not deal with such cases of bribery as were cited_ of their own proper authority. Sir J. HOBHOUSE considered the Bill to be partial, unjust, and oppressive, and as such demanded the strongest opposition. He would tell the Hon. Member for Lambeth that the borough which he represented contained a constituency as pure as that which sent him to that House. If a fair and general Bill were brought in, tending to remedy the evils complained of, he would be ready to give it his cordial support; but so long as the abuses which generally prevailed in the practice of elections remained unreformed, he would oppose by every means in his power the singling out of particular cases, and of making them the subjects of inquiry, as was pro posed by the Bill before the House. Ile had stated that he believed the Bill to be partial and unjust; he would also characterise it as tyrannical and unconstitutional, and though sorry to differ from his friends around him he should resist thb progress of the Bill during its pre sent and ail its future stages. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said that the violent opposition to the Bill was not properly directed. The question before the House was whether they were deter mined to put down bribery and corruption. It was very well to say the Bill was partial; but would those who opposed it on that ground support a general Bill, if such were to be brought in? He did not believe they would. The Bill proposed to examine into cases of bribery which had been proved to exist in certain bo roughs; and if it was contended that the majority of English boroughs were corrupt, he denied most strenu ously that such was the fact. It was all very well for the present Hon. Member for Lincoln to defend the purity of that borough as far as he was concerned; but former election proceedings in that place had not been so pure, but, on the contrary, a Select Committee had reported to the House that, in the election before the last, a gross system of treating and bribery had pre vailed there, in which the Hon. and Gallant Member for Lincoln had been stated to have taken part. [Colonel Sibthorp here exclaimed " That is false."] The Bill before the Howe was calculated to check such practices in particular cases where they were proved to have oc curred, so as to operate upon the whole of the borough constituencies, and he sincerely trusted the House would I not delay further to go into Committee upon it. Mr. STUART opposed the Bill, not because it pre vented bribery, but because it sought to inq u i re into what was alleged to be bribery in an illegal and uncon stitutional manuer. It was a Bill inflicting pains and penalties on the poorer class of voters----(Hear, hear) — and it was brought forward by the Hon. Member for Montrose, who complained that the suffrage was not suffieiently extendtsd. It was a piece of ex post facto legislation, and as sue 2 should meet with his decided opposition.—(Hear.) He conjured the House gravely to consider the provisions of this measure before they pledged themselves to a course which might plunge the whole electoral system into interminable difficulties. Mr, HUME said, that the object of the Bill was inquiry, not punishment. As to the accusation of its being ex post facto in its character, every triad was an ex post facto proceeding, and in this case legislation was a necessary consequence of acts which had been dis covered by Committees of that House. Mr. HENLEY said that the Bill was not to try a man for an offence he had committed, but to pass a new law creating a new offence. He objected to it as includ ing a great number of boroughs against whom very dif ferent amounts of corruption were charged, and giving to them all the same sweeping condemnation. The word " corrupt" was used in the Bill; be should like to know the exact meaning attached to it. Some might think the giving a glass of beer to a voter was corruption ; others might think that for a Government °l : ricer to go down to a dockyard and promise the voters some of the good things which those who had the patronage in those establishments had to bestow was corruption. He aid not say it was. B u t w h at h e said was, that to carry on this inquiry by means of the public purse, and by paid witnesses, would constitute a dangerous precedent. For, be it remembered, there was no money to be paid for the defence. In any case in which the Committee had recommended further inquiry, and further pro ceedings were necessary, let the inquiry be made us to that case, b ut l et t h em not try a l l i n one general in dictment. Mr. COCKBURN would give his cordial supp ort to the Bill, an d h e h ope d th e House would, by passing the Bill. show its determination to put down bribery in every shape.—(Hear, hear.) The object of the Bill was not to disfranchise these boroughs, but to institute an inquiry, by means of commissioners an the spot, who would have the opportunity of examining witnesses upon oath, which a Committee of the House could not do. There was nothing of an inquisitorial or ex post facto nature in the Bill. Mr. AGLIONBY said that the whole object of the inquiry was to ascertain whether the offences had been committed. With regard to the question as to whether the giving a man a glass of ale or a Government situa tionroiie House resuming in a dockyard t o influence a vote, was to be con sidered corruption , he looked upon the one as well as the other as an offenc e which ou g ht to be p ut down. After a few words f rom Mr. ARKWRIGHT, which were not heard, the Hou se divided, when there appe are d — For going into Committee ... 166 Against it . t l h ia e tun H e o r u , se Sir went 11. into VS'i l -78 Majority Wil loughby, C ommittee ugAfterhb)' a al pro'enidv words from C. andour t o Im S e n n fr aty, j ob tained leave to sit again. BRITISH GUIANA AND TlW.iiinw - - r,,,0n the order of the day for the second readiog i Bill, tl )11)1 Sir H. WILLOUGHBY observed that he heti rl,c i bt, to say against the amount or object of th e gaol L i al; Illßill. Bill. He admitted that the sum (5,0001) was S CI3I" , i f tti he did not think it was competent for a Minister oil Crown to make any grant of money , however at lees) without the sanction of the House of Commons, at while that House was sitting. crz 'a is l sa id The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQIL-- - ,., ~ tit the grant was made at the discretion o f the zxecll: Government, subject to laying the matter befa ll ,r , House. They were informed teat a hurr icane had o l v i lii: whelmed many of the labouring popuiation, had d is' extreme destitution was the consequence. That iii cretion was accordingly exercised, and it Was °al). such a case that the exercise of it was justified. e „ t to Mr. HUME still doubted the right of Governm.Pbeft grant 5,(,00:. while Parliament was sitting. Ha bed to have some explanation also of the advan ce of 200, mentioned in Lord Grey's letter. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied that the dispatch h a d been written tinder verY ur ro circumstances, and certainly nothing had been o t. under it of which Parliament was not already cog, tlis o t He had on a previous occasion stated that thirs tdr ri . , I Government had authorised the expense to be e ll ' e c • of sending coodes from the East Indies to these ttc° f , r , j lonies. The expense, and that of relieving thera,oio to be defrayed by loans to be raised by themselves, and ordinances had been passed for , is purpose, but, after the emigration had taken Place‘lP consequence of a technical legal difficulty in th° s l o i 3 nances, it was found by the agents of the ov'e ne 'er, or, this country impossible to carry them into raise to in the then state of the money market, to l O4l loans on any reasonable terms. All the exPe as ". lisi been incurred before the present Gover n men t m et, come into office; but, an the day Parliameat „ t r after the holidays, he had stated the whole co d ~,,,,t stances of the matter in respect to which there had lilt been any concealment; and therefore he felt ta bil i t tet Government were justified in answering the Its „,,d in w • hich they found their • rreo , ,'" t ieJ predecessors had incu t P*" . making the advance stated, to prevent innecen- !AO who had conveyed the Coolies home from the 105 5 ,0110 would otherwise have been entailed upon thew. ' co ot° admitted that he was not prepared to say tha t the e - 01 0i taken was one which ought to be drawn into a Pt e- o t 0° the CO lo tto while at the same time the p e culiar circums tances fir case afforded a full justification to the Governtaea u ii nation,i A t t l e r ei . I t l bo Lj ub N e i l 1 followed pl ex t r el e d s , s t c t d bai himself p i tmrreaseneelsdfaesatisfied u ty l i d t pith t o b t e a this proceeding. Pat'beir be committedon The Bill was then as Monday read a ne s x ec t. ond time, a SUNDAY TRADING.' A On the motion of Mr. 11 seconds b re INDLEy, seco 00 0 BROTEIVRTosr, leave was given to bring in a Bill t to . •t t the laws's relates against Sunday trading Lord PALMERSTON b as far a metropolis. tyl ordeirec:: THE AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. .g 1 ? the affairs of ' brought ti Spain, which were laid 00 the ' ordered to be printed. The House adjourned at a Quarter to One ( : )'al°el p papers, retsittileno f a RAILWAY SHARE 31Aft BRISTOL, MAY 26. to P i ,' STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market continues w yst,,, - r o' much about the same as yesterday; there has , b° r. : etr ..(l. but little business doing. The sales have .e. djk Western, Quarters, dis.—Ditto, New 17/. Sb are " te r( LIVERPOOL, MAr 26. re pOrt s 4 ) STOCK EXCHANGH.—although we have t°" lOW dull market to-day, prices remain unaltered. di3),o Lancashire, and Cheshire junction (late C• ,--- 1 4 11 , —Eastern Counties, New 10/. Shares, 118 ', 3 ",,..'2 1 ' C 1 1" and North Western, 132—Ditto, Quarters, --'e"'stoe'',ol p.—Ditto Quarters (A and L 3), ‘z% p.—M id 130 13) llO —Ditto, p.—Ditto, Halves, 5 dis.—North Union ( '0 4 , Nrevr Shrewsbury and Chester (late N. W. OP . Shares, dis.—South-Eastern and Dover, 20 " -- Thirds, 3 dis. MANCHESTER, MAT 26 ', „bell°, STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Bir,L e ", ysa c ",t, shire, and Cheshire Junction, 7 3 , 5 ' dis.—r',, 4 %t No fr viii ° New, 6% dis. —Ditto, Quarters, 4i r diVortr 9n. dis.—Lancashire and Yorkshire, Fifths , ) Westßiding Union), 3 11-16 c. an d Western, Branch Halves, 5 dis.—North Statl°r dia.—South-Eastern and Dover, No. 4, 274 i. 10," BIRMINGHAM, MAY 2 6 ' ; lilllit'loti v STOCK EXCIIANGE.—Business was again ,a North Staffordshires were in request at .16s• t ,1 16 Staff bl ordshires, 635. 9d. dis.—Midland, 6 per cen 0. 4 YORK MAy 25. to -cik STOCK EXCHANGE.—The, bUSILIe2S traTlSaCtebegert ip r as follows: —Great Northe rn , 3/. 145.—M, ° 1 ., c 21 1 / 1 " ton, Matlock, and Midland, :y—North c oif and North Midland, 9 1 4 . STOCK EXCHANQK.—The sales are--Cli des alssi ° ,l)D t h , 6 GLASGOW, MAY 25. oe P i° P l ' 60—Glasgow, Dumfries, and Carlisle, 6/. 4 5 : ‘ ,. j, - - 0rit .4 0 4 marnock, and Ayr, 76—Ditto, Halves, ,' 9 N . '"ort_ d tlel v Halves, No. 2, 8 Gre a t Northern, 5 ' ?8" - 7,100' 0 " Thirds, 20s. 61.—Ditto, Quarters, 5 1 7 4 —York , t' 3 l Berwick (U. N. E. Purchase or Preterence),97W STEAM SHIPOWNEIC o re _. TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNIN G ir t ' i , c , ° ,, Sir,—Permit me to point out an error Oi*J A . Out ,„ Vi i. pondent in the article in your pap er t "Steam Shipowners and Railway St I ° lv tAO - Howth, and Dublin, all vi r " it' C ' ti l e °e t t o 013 of Dublin, are the only ports to which the i o n o , Holyhead Railway Company seek percel Bled' Of steam-boats. The City of Dublin IncorP°is they of packet Company may run " to any other P° r " e 1 : 0 ji llo r. have The Imaginen o cp suchircteyoi conducive e d nf power,cbiuveiDublinl t t o northeir have a d v a they nt ag e s oC gb b it 5 , ,° 31 l i l eh b ; f t e t 1 5°° t b i o m a e t t at that connexionl am , n Steam-packet oriathere a s C i fi l oo ll- ;5 6 ,701 s l ° aw w a i r th e, run inJPIrl 3.- im iyhes., 60 The maximum toll of the Chester and t►l __boa I ./. way Company, both by ' railway and stol, ii • ill by Act of Pad' lament. If to r olio The questitinhecorauirlsweaof builuin, e ~. on Particularly resolves its e ho oh° 'O O Shall the railway company Provide stearo--,:o r r o tl e o the transport of passengers between thes e 6 fe rl2 0 of the United Kingdom be confined to t 11 , ° . ° 4,1 r° ,-.1 118 mail-boats and the City of Dublin 5t D ot l'f; I tIP Company ? If the railway company d 0 sOl Or steam-boats, will the City of Dublin Cor e r - Ot'e ° o° Liverpool and run from Holyhead, or le3lB o; di a 6P orel head and continue to run from Liverpool,,,tber . 4 . ; 0 0 , their favours equally between both, or, il l " f ide R„nrtfh have the monopoly of both ? Will they pro tbo e r tle p e rro onlyper boatst runom Company traoenCarr •one e p ? a s s eon Or if e i r i s from the r both a i 1w i, I ° , f ct ot i a 1 0 I fiii; 1 ; Dublin authorised , to provide steam-boats, shoolo fikbetrotO -* Which - of these several or should one c si o err m oem p r e a tle plansw Holyheadith ty would for Liverpool. public ? May 23. eoil:n1 ddfri)feb—eol:etij, th 8 The increasingr lieve, the s o I gonoefindhthmeiresnatppaonindompenatis.ii:hiers. 'il:eo,62ailftivil),:bee: t e h e tln u l se ton has oesht e e rstand that AdMiraliridvvia2rcloioooeeo, hold, as ytheaersGorfootmhes GintinlaVriatitlncigaitir°,;ify // ci e bt , . Dv suss of his resignation. Ciir e ot Holloway'std ERTHEMENT.3-A Diseased Elb °w o ol lo3l ,. . 0 Snubby, hunamderthe n tr e e a a r tm A e l n fo t rd, was dreadfully a filicte 0°1 ; 41 the i , n a te n n d se ot p h a e i r n stenlargement of the elbow joint; for several°A he. ~ it vi e fe f'l o that nothing but amputation or death could tal i o d 1 4 sufferings. In this state, Holloway's Oin°,l.Vcip9ll,6 effected resorted to, and these truly valuableein:l9e: places, she ao c rf o m b i t3u:httdesonubirtatlicaynaiel faculty y i v ihunlireo!d: rl)ccill37stSo d ° if i tr : : ; 4 of permanente h e e t r ed ar a mmr. liu Hutton, haunodkrseesifeorr,eLd oitihtehc:o7illsteo.'„l.Y to this. Sold by all Druggists, and at rrofesso' way's Establishment, 244, Strand London. _----,........-•••••"'"--- m fr of IV Ste p , BIRTHS. On the 23d inst., at Has!galore, thewile - ' ./ o , E°l-9 of a son. ~ ale I' le E. O G n . t H h a e r 2 tn 3d en i , n E st s . q , .a,toEflafosrodns,. Hawkhurst, ell ''' ,1, " • 80 131 On the 24th inst., at Brunswick -terrace, C0133°- of t 1,61 Mrs. J. Holt, of a daughter. Wife oil ° ° (T" - On the 24th inst., at Langton RectorY, the Rey. R. Farquharson, of a d au g hter. ,he On the 25th inst., at Forest -hill, Sydenhanl, '--- . no , H. Luscombe, Esq., of a son. 1 -. a of ° 7 'l I t ' On the 22d inst., the wife of W.J . Sage , '-' 6 , -, ,,' i l itlf ° W O ill n is. th iu e n 2 ., 3d Es i g ns , t o ., f aatsoCnl.apham New Park , t '"' C' er wellr 11.5. 60 ,,, On the '23d inst., at Grove-hill, Camb O rd c i Roberts, of a son. i tic ~ e, On the 24th inst., in Southwick -place, ril ue - P1 seri ll " the lady of A. Shank, Esq ., of the Bengal CPA a daughter. -------- ,1 3 , bi:0 1 OA icIIIND. On the 17th inst., at East Teignmouth Chu gliv t ßev. he late ß . B. 9 44 ~ ,.,00, ii tpt On the 23d inst., at Temple Ualsall, ii. F. ' t Pug eV. Rober tson , Esq., to Sava', cla1) M.D., Ciius College, Cambridge, to Jane 105 biter, fli /tf ' of the late H. Couchman, E q the 0t On the 23d inst., at St s olie, near Guildford, bi ‘,- eld e Mr. Stevens, R. B. Curling, Es q•, of Dover, Guildford, b daughter of the late J. Andrews q E . Esq• DIEZI: fi . f itzli ,- On ~;.he 17th inst., at Bordeaux, aged 2 2, ° cll.. ' 6 11 ' dig ° secon the of N. Barton. Esq. , N log e ' g On2l,lth inst., at North Bank, Helen' -;° it• ' ter of W. Cole.ille, Esq., aged :1 I.lat e le On the 20th in,st., at Bath, Lucy, relict of t he e ier • of ' Poole, of Weymou,; l l. he W ife ' On the 23d inst., in Eaton-place, Eliza, t d g so' Admiral the Hon. G. Elliott. ~.0 - 00 , On the 24th inst., at Circus-road, St. John . le' ~•• wife of E. Gambart, Esq., aged 27. of the Teinrse On the 24th inst., aged 42, W. A. Dow' , 6 4. i; 00 e, J' On the 24th inst., at Nassau- stre et, Al ' arY' LI se ••is' Hugs, Esq., aged 18. „j e atoo• $ll - the 24th inst., Mis E. B wle of l ell--- tin s ' a 0 y, g s s On the 24th inst., at Wellington - p lace, L (1.31. beth, wife of W. Ridley, Esq. lii. s ... , f , On the 25th inst., at Upper Gower-street, . 4 .,, fP' stun, Esq. to aged TIP' ° On the 23d inst., at T o rquay - , Ellen , Madden, E,q., M.D. On the 23d inst., Mr. D. Bailey, of 0, a g ° OP LA 3 grl On the 23d inst., at Theresa-terr ace, . $ ' J. Scoles, aged 84. l'' beatlyP3r 0 1 ' he On the 23d inst., at Brooklands, Black of L i v en ) o f t eldest daughter of the late W. Ward, Esq., et 'Whit e ' s ‘, On the 18th inst., in her 82d year, xi' e i. tii' t he „ s r o r London-road, Maidstone. Pinilico, .., ;. On the 21st inst., in Ebury•street, ad N e oto ° S. Lendon, M.A., rector of Wytning t°l3 3 amptonshire. or n' Or, GI London: Printed and Published by 1%1 o glee, 'O4 No. 112, Strand, Prin ter, at The S _ ao to IS) Strand, in the Precinct of the Svol Middlesex, Saturday, Ma)27l 184 4