The Sun. — London, England, 1835-05-18 00:00:00

AY•) ds present iaftesbury , SalishurYt , Viscount 3. s between the exell institution ,ady Wa r Courts, 01 8 04 tnd, could The Court ie subject Warrender oge War s brough t. peared for FoL' Lordships .Y.) sel non, J ecl for sPe cky wing bee_ i ° lav ing wr Ileged 011 le oues o Led by ; am briar e party) tters 0111 ing natre' DAY. ) !bleb 050: th es 4...„1, be air 0 041 1 Iter • le pl ' ,ved to E. resin o ',led 0 0 0 has the e'ijile,,,de ned b,„„ t s, d for ""/ 'TEE; io r all" • ;es, doli 7hicb I °1 ea r eSl oos CO Ol4 O Ol Of I V ing• E. use iontl eP '•01 ap ' Pl ie :to deo ° Of of r tern RT• osi r „ r eel 9 ste , Old it sbe tcor WAS $ ref. , f ial slefdortbP-orr too i ry re t ilty 1, bu t Ives. with A re,', t t a pt of ng 11 0 Was ' r the ice° rriL ie bolt , und ard- pea 038EtW _,,, 0 1 710 u tteP- s j e r, 0 ,9 g ate; o s o o G A l i Caicu"P , ez es• ede e, e Ar n ge° ft° 701, S e ;to. 1 11 0114 ; is, . 06 01 Pw Gus' fr° os t, fc e • er a : a ifr ,01, f'° C al2ll O ff r Ork . il' A JP' loe 9 ' k's citto'6.ool elor, 000 ou• SO/ Nal io d ;bort ge.. - th ; e s ild s. " r Alf barl°es. " Put viece art Of 3% 1 7 g 51C N it d th pa tron i t t: is, for tiff 17°14' Os rci" . y, rtf, tes i ' the or atfo, At' S )10FOS ' ' n - ,el 6 iv CASE OF MR.' JOHN CHILDS. ECCLESIASTICAL OPPRESSION. c , TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SIR,_Mr. Charles Childs arrived in London this morning, 'Minted by his father to thank his friends for their activity, energy, and kindness. He is accompanied by a gentleman charged.. by a numerous body of petitioners, to present a peti tion, representing their feelings on the subject. The VOLUNTARY PRINCIPLE must ultimately prevail. To you he desires to tender the thanks of a large body of P er sons deeply anxious for the success of this important prin ciple, and deeply sensible of the oppression and suffering which his father is now enduring in Ipswich goal in defence it. When locked up, as he is for 18 hours out of the 24, i iabits, those of his friends who know the activity of his mind and .. and his love of domestic society, can appreciate the extent of the infliction, and the public will not need I pre to s a ti s f y t h em o f w h at h e h as to en d ure w h en ?ey are told th at perm i ss i on f or hi s on ly d aug hter, out of nine children, to stay for one hour extra was with difficulty con ceded to hi s friends. She is excluded at five o'clock in the after itn, and is not allowed again to see him till ten the next day. e is 17 hours out of 24 in a town 40 miles from home, ex cluded from her parent, and that parent in a felon's gaol, be fea.use he cannot vo l un t ar ily su b m it to pay a rate to support a POI, from w hi c h b ot h f at h er an d d aug ht er cons cien t iously missent. If this is the way to win souls to Christ, I can only nay that Dissenters have not so learnt Christ. The f o ll ow i ng paragraph appeare d i n t h e I psw i c h J ourna l .t May 15, and it i n di ca t es th e sor t o f colour to which the friends of the dominant and persecuting sect of the Establish -0 ent will resort, to justify their not having availed themselves t)f te summary process of a summons, by which, for a few 41111.11 10 might have enforced their exaction by the sale 13 nr goods; and it also shows that the covert intention is to a tni the Dissenters by severity into submission. Will they al arm th,ftm ? Persecution never did yet ; it ever has bound nlen t ogether, and will in this instance. The following is the Para raph ETUsAL TO ' , JAY CHURCH RATES.—On Wednesday morning, t ow r •Childs, of Bung..A. e Y, was committed to the county gaol in this n at the su it o f th Consistorial Court of Norwich, for refusing titi t he yth . e injunction of chat Court, and is ordered to remain there of t „. shall have made satisfaction for such contempt. The cause us proceeding was the refusal, upon the part of Mr. Childs, to 11 4 the church rates of the pan;sh of St Mary, Bungay. For some e Past there have been disputes in this parish regarding the ~ were of th e c h urc h ra t e ; an d east year the goods of Mr. Mor -Ib-ere distr a i ne d on c i v il p r o ce s s , but having been offered for lie sale, and some indications of pop ular tumult appearing, they ire restored to him. The Act of Parbllment under which this pp-_ was made proving inoperative, tie Churchwardens, Mr. nuel Scott and Mr. John Bobbit, entered a process in the e lesiastical C our t at N o rwich, and Mr. ChilLis was cited to ap tthefore th e C our t t o answer th e complaint lo,;sed against him. hi s h o wever, refused to do so, and is now suffering' the penalty of 18 3,5 co ntumacy in the county gaol."—lpswich Journal, May 16th, M O% Childs, as soon as the knowledge of this reached him 4 1 , 1148 cell, with his characteristic activity, immediately ad- Osed the following letter to the editor of that paper. M . :. `l i i lds kno ws w h o p u lls the wires, and why : Zll9: ---The following sentence in your paragraph this morning, e etj,ng the distraint of Mr. Morris of Bungay, contains a gross "fal misrepresentation. ‘` The goods having been offered for public sale, and some indica :ms ,Popular tumult appearing, they were restored to him. The ‘rarliarnent under which this distraint was made proving &c. m e goads of Mr. Morris never were offered for public sale. A ate sale by appraiseme'it was effected. The rate and costs were to ;Nal the proce eds. The balance of the amount was returned was Alorris—an account of appraisement, sale, and costs, N fin uelivered by the Churchwardens. The law was in every point thi,74--not the slightest indication of p c.oular tumult was exhibited si t :Mu:Jut the process—and it was only w hc. , l the purchaser . had, k or ' ed se . teral transaction, and re days, declared his disgust at the ti, ` w. ', l e, goods to Mr. Morris, that they were cam, -4 through the ht expressioos of public satisfaction. Your voq.ders are te e Prepared to learn that the " popular tumult" which e2sued sonClouy unaccompanied by injury or danger to property or per ' that a more h arm l ess man if estat i on o f popu l ar goo d hu ._ was never witnessed. lipartr correspondent knows all this—the motive of his statement be „,, a ble ; and as my imprisonment by the Churchwardens could t o iated only by falsehood, he found no difficulty in resorting _ _ I ai m_ occ u r , s you in my own person, that I may relieve you from all W to on to write a paragraph in contradiction; for should you be 4 t th e el P t eas sympathy with your brother of the press, the parsons "hi c h county would speedily establish another spirit e and feelings. Malice of a priest is implacable," said Junius. I am, Sir, your's obediently, JOHN CHILDS, OF BUNGAY. I l l 6th May, 1835. , r ill the C ounty Gaol, Ipswich. i °Ppression un d er w hi c h Mr. Childs is now suffering, ~,}lll itself an evidenc e of the truth of that saying of Junius lind eh he quotes—" The malice of a priest is implacable"— hie ase mentioned by Mr. Wilks, on Saturday, at the Meeting of the Society for the Protection of Religious le which the Bible of a poor man at Rochdale was gh sto and sold to e Church rate, all confirm us in the w il pay he necessity of speaking out, and of uniting still more b ro il. and declaring we will be free, and the chains must be wen. of Athlleow also individually to thank you for your advocacy cause of religious liberty in this case. A DISSENTER. NORWICH. (, TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. ' 3lll ,—Yo u hare called the attention of the public to the tae of M r . Chi lds, incarcerated by an Ecclesiatical Court for n o t paying Church Rates. Allow me to notice an ether result of the system of Ecclesiastical Judicature. Within a few months past, a woman in . this county was iietuany condemned to do penance in a white sheet, Ecc., for I, 4 oPlying t o another an epithet universally known to be L t'll merited—since the party complaining actually lived 7, °PEN adultery with the husband of the forced PENI ''.4;T ! ! Thus was a female wronged and insulted in the tenderest er :E at, actually compelled to submit to humiliation und eTeltsiastical censure, for--TEL LING THE TRU'T'H!! 6 . 1 , is but just to add, that the Divine who was compelled 'ne execrable system he administered, to officiate at this fejoery of justice, took all possible means to spare the 4:mg, s of th e i n j ure d s ufferer, and to exclude the ~ stupid Aregen Who would otherwise have annoyed her by their am, Sir, &c. I tY 14, 1835. PHILO-JUSTITIIE. ' ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. oi,st4.`A public meeting was held here on Friday last, the fo t i ee - t Of Which was, for the Reform Committee to present Petitions' = in a public manner, to the Honourable the pre sentative of the Borough. dift e e meeting was well attended, and the speeches of the ttil v reri t Mcvers and supporters of each petition, were not %AP •!, ° ,°d in themselves, but gave entire satisfaction, if we 11 4 d i:, from the enthusiasm that prevailed throughout ole proceedings. ~a t e following are the petitions that were presented :- 1 14 ' Por the repeal of taxes on knowledge, more partieu t;ic,PraYing for a - repeal of Stamp Duties—Moved by Mr. 2 c 1 . 8 . h .; supported by Mr. Clay ; and signed by 2,300. (4, the ' -r aYing for a speedy, extensive, and effectual Reform uy 11,1 eburch Establishments, particularly Ireland—Moved 2 ,28 6 r. Halliwell; supported by Mr. Degan ; and signed by • rd . 4 q,,,ty p raying the Honourable Commons to address his Ma '7ove-n the Propriety o f retailing the Dorchester Unionists-- I N* Mr. Stewart ; supported by Mr. Hawkshead ; and 4 ,000, not yet filled up. 'N A 1- raYing f or an extens i on of suffrage, shorter Parlia- C, but neither without the vote by ballot—Moved by Mr. Th a l' supported by Mr. Clarke ; and signed by 4,000. t kei ve Pon. Member for the Borough (C. Hindley, Esq.) Dee e h" the documents, and in a manly and eloquent 44 4 approved of them, promised his support to them, Pill: p ta _ e tbankful for an opportunity of presenting such po- Au; VERAX. PLYMOUTH. (FROM OUR O NCO RRgPONDENT. ri.. qcit t Sdr V I DA ' EVENING, MAY 16.—The Constitution An-P -miV e „lte of 63 guns, Captain Elliot, which arrived on 5un :44161;1341g last from Havre, with Mr. Livingstone, the late 'ett,;`er Pl enipotentiary from the United States of America de tki Prench Court, was hove up to this morning, having been h Y contrary wi n d s . M r . Li v ingstone and suite have ',N 4- 7 l ng principally at Whiddon's Royal Hotel in this here Mr. L. visited the different Government ,"`tniti l o - „" r eents. A day or two since the officers of the Con- f L'Ori el , - v isited Saltoun, the manse and grounds of the Earl o d ", Pressing themselves highly gratified at the sight, a . n '`'er tl ; k 4 r l 3 7 with the valuable collection of pictures which %Hr.,'" interior of the mansion. The Constitution is a re ath 4 f. ,„ne ngate, and her scantling is considered equal to ; brin g - tk 'ritish 74. Several persons . of this place visited her e week. Yesterday Captain Ross, C. 8., Commis 'tate°' t he dock-yard, visited Mr. Livingstone on board the t h ' f l ed was rece i ve d w i t h a sa l ute. N otw i t h stan d ing the lia t ; e ing still contrary, she sailed hence about 11 o'clock 4v icS; ° . rni nt," for New Yo r k. Sh e w ent to the eastward with Theta Cl Make a good offing. on od PlYrnouth and Devonport Spring Races came off on TMeadow on Wednesday last. L"ke L l) evonport and Stonehouse rowing regatta is fixed to sr,entce Wednesday, the 24th of June next. The Pa ilistitltre the Duke of Bedford, the Earl of Morley, and other Thßeished Noblemen aud Gentlemen. P rig': Archdeacons Court is fixed to be held in this town on the 19th of June next. O n • - t 'ver t ,„ Sattzrday, at the Brentford Petty Sessions, the 'Si n ': of Het.;ton applied to have distress warrants signed "'te a , — some o f the poorer inhabitants for arrears of poor- Zver, Q 4lll , °tinting to from 2s. 6d. to 4s. Mr. Pownall, how he w ou ld not sanction such grinding of the poor, ,l'eatr v -u 'd send the cases back for the consideration of the trl,.:llle overseer said it would be of no avail, as two of qii 4 - 'Lad decid e d that all rates s h ou ld b e pa id. Th e Chap.- ee lared it to b e the opinion of the B enc h t h at t h e paris h t ' v ers... eBt " were running their poor too close, and returned the t he warrant s uns i d ' gne • TEA DUTIES. DRAFT REPORT. The Select Committee appointed to inquire whether it may be expedient to establish one fixed rate of duty on all de scriptions of Tea imported into the United Kingdom, in stead of the duties imposed by Act 3 and 4, William IV., c. 101 :—Have considered the matters to them referred, and agreed to the following Report : In pursuing the inquiry confided to their investigation, 3our Committee have had under their consideration— First—The alleged impracticability of distinguishing with certainty and facility the various kinds or qualities of tea, which, by the Act referred to, are assessed to different rates of duty. Second—The operation of the scale of graduated duties now in force, as it will influence the price to consumers compared with one uniform rate. Third—The effect of the scale of graduated duties com pared with one uniform rate, in reference to the productive ness of the revenue. Fourth—How far the scale of graduated duties as compared with one uniform rate of duty, is calculated to promote the extension of the commerce of the kingdom, in reference to the altered character of our commercial entercourse with the Chinese empire. 2. It appears to your Committee to be important, in order to show the grounds on which an opinion is to be established on the first of these objects of inquiry, to advert to the histo rical account of the tea trace in China ; to the gathering and first preparation of the clop by the tea farmer; and to its subsequent manufacture by the tea merchants; all of which will be found in the very intelligent evidence of Mr. John Reeves, who was for twenty years engaged as one of the East India Company's inspectors of tea at Canton. 3. From the evidence of this gentleman, it appears that all the varieties of tea known in the markets of Europe and Ame- rica are the produce of but three different species of the tea plant. One yields all the varieties of green, another all the qualities of black, with the single exception of a coarse broad leaved kind, which is grown exclusively in the district of Wo Ping in the province of Canton, but which, in consequence of the lowness of its quality, has for many years ceased to form, in its pure and unmixed state, any part of the East India Com pany's investment. The first gathering of the black tea takes place as early in the season as the plant is in full leaf ; it is fol lowed by a second and third picking as soon as the new leaves are sufficiently formed, the quality of the crops of the season being in the order of their growth and gathering, in this manner : Flowery Pekoe is formed of the first shoot from the bud, and then is covered with hair. Black-leafed Pekoe is from the same shoot of a few days' more growth, when the hair falls off and the leaf becomes more expanded. Souchong is made from young shoots, having the mere fleshy and finer leaves. Campoy is from the next in quality. Congou follows, and Fokien Bohea is from the lowest quality of the same leaf, and though in the change which the trade in China has under gone in respect to the character and quality of bohea tea, that name has been assigned to this particular kind ; it is, in fact, pure but inferior congou. 4. The tea farmers having gathered, and in this manner separated their crop, and given it a sufficient rough drying, take it to the country markets, where the tea-makers select the particular sorts which will best suit their manufacture, and which, in their subsequent preparation, " they mix together so much of this kind, and so much of the other, as will make the tea up to the quality they are accustomed to make each parti cular chop." Canton Bohea is a peculiar preparation ; it is made up at Canton, by mixing congou tea, which has remained unsold at the end of the previous season in the hands of the manufac turers, with Wo Ping tea; the latter first undergoes a process of firing, after which, the two kinds being started on the floor of a warehouse, are effectually mixed, and then form the Can ton bohea, as imported by the East India Company ; the qua lity depending upon the proportion of congou which enters into the mixture, and which, in the East India Company's pur chast.7. is never less than one-half, and generally seven-tenths. 5. apt ears to your Committee to be important, that this brief history ot * :. / 'e growth and preparation of the various qua lities of black teas use in this country should be kept in view, in order to a just ap ;:_reciation of the value of any con flicting testimony as respects cer:.'!inty and facility, in distin guishing the different kinds which it is L'lnnded, by the Act of the last session now under consideration, to assess at rates of duty differing, as between congou and bohea, to the extent of more than 44 per cent., and as between souchong and flowery pekoe on the one side, and campoi and congou on the other, to the extent of more than 35 per cent. 6. The clear and distinct manner in which Mr. Reeves has communicated to your Committee his knowledge of the details of the culture and preparation of tea in China, has impressed on the minds of your Committee the conviction that his views are reasonable and satisfactory, Is hen he states that, as there is no other distinction between souchong and congou, or between congou and the bohea of the English market, than such as is referable to the varying qualities of the same leaf, influenced in common with all vegetable productions by the variableness of seasons, there can be no certainty in determining, amidst the close approximations of quality, and in the absence of any certain taste of discrimination, the particular kind which shall constitute bohea or congou, or congou and souchong. 7. The evidence of Mr. W. A. Hunt, for more than twenty years an inspector in London, of the East India Company's teas, and of Mr. H. H. Goodhall, who for the last twelve years has been the tea warehouse-keeper of the East India Company, having been more than fifty years employed in that department, fully confirms Mr. Reeves's testimony ; and your Committee are induced to notice more particularly the evi dence of these public servants of the East India Company, from the mass of concurring testimony furnished by all the other witnesses, conversant, as brokers and dealers, with the tea trade, because these public officers, besides the claim to attention which is conferred by the respectability of their em ployments, and the trust reposed in them by the Company, do not appear to your Committee to be open, even to the possibi lity of having imputed to them motives of self-interest, to over rule or pervert their judgment. 8. Your Committee are called upon, at the same time, to state that all due weight should be given to the testimony that has been adduced before them, which goes to maintain the practicability of so establishing these distinctions, as to ensure the collection of the graduated duties with certainty and faci lity, as now imposed, with reference to the enumerated des criptions of tea. 9. The only evidence which your Committee see occasion to advert to in this part of their inquiry, is that of Mr. William Wybrow, now an officer of the Customs, who has been selected as the head of the tea department established under the recent change of system, and whose employment for the last eight years by the Excise department as registrar of the tea sales at the India House has given him an opportunity of ascertaining the relative value of teas in reference to the characters of each other, and he having applied himself, fifteen months ago, to the sampling of the whole of the teas of the East India Company, and since continued to compare and taste them. Mr. Wybrow states he has so confirmed his judgment as to have confidence in deciding on the various classes of teas. With the view of trying Mr. Wybrow's power of discrimination, your Committee on the 24th June adjourned to the East India Company's warehouses, where eight samples were drawn and submitted to his inspection. They consisted, two of Canton bohea, two of Fokien bohea, and four of congou ; and on each of these Mr. Wybrow's judgment, was found correct, as distinguishing between those which would have been assessed to the bohea duty of Is. 6d. and those which would have been charged to the congou duty of 2s. 2d. ; but in reference to the character of one of these samples a very material discrepancy occurred in the judgment of Mr. Wybrow and Mr. Hunt, the Company's inspector, and which is too important not to call for the parti cular notice of your Committee, because it is so strongly con firmatory, as expressed by Mr. Reeves, of the uncertainty which must exist of any judgment on a question which is purely of relative quality, and not governed by any fixed or definite standard. Mr. Wybrow said, in reference to one of these samples, " There is one congou here, which is very low ; that he did not know he had seen a lower, when comparing with bohea tea, than No. 6474, and that he should think it was the lowest congou he ever met with." 10. Mr. Hunt, on being examined, said, " It is not low congou ; it is good congou of the souchong kind ;" that he had " charactered" (a trade term) it " but middling congou, with blackish leaf ;" that it formed one of twelve chests of the same chop which he had inspected, and that the chop consisted of 610 chests. On referring to the China invoice it was found that the tea in No. 6474 cost 28 tales, whilst the Fokien bohea cost 17 tales, the difference in price being more than 64 per cent, and the qualities of these teas which most closely ap proached each other, as far as the same can be considered to be established by prime cost, exceeded more than 53 per cent, and others of them differed as much as 86 per cent, a fact which it is important to bear in mind in any inquiry which in volves nice and close variations of quality, without any distinc tive differences of character. 11. Another examination of Mr. W3brow's proficiency was proposed and assented to by your Committee, and which took place on the 4th instant at the India Company's Warehouses, under the superintendence of the Chairman and Members named for that purpose. The object of this second inspection was to have the examination of one chest from every break or chop imported in the present year, and which would include as well the Private Trade teas as those of the East India Com pany, in the former of which, it had been asserted, the debate able kinds, or those of the nearest approximating qualities, were to be found. The Chairman has reported the result of that examination, to the effect that the number of breaks being found to be 897, of which 505 were Company's and 392 Pri vate Trade, it was impossible for the Deputation to examine a chest of every break, as it would have taken much more time than could have been given. Fourteen samples from the Company's bohea and congou were submitted to Mr. Wybrow's inspection, and he made no difficulty nor the slightest mistake whatever, ascertaining the distinction solely by the smell without infusion, and he afterwards correctly selected the two lowest qualities of these teas. 12. The Deputation did not proceed to the examination of private teas, because there was no return of their qualities, and Mr. Hunt, the Company's Inspector, would not have been able to point their attention to those teas which it was the object of this inspection to examine. Mid which in consequence were not submitted to the test of Mr. Wybrow's judgment. 13. Your Committee have only further to observe, in eluci dation of this branch of their inquiry, that on the side of main taining the impossibility of correctly discriminating the classes of black tea, as enumerated for collecting the graduated duties, where they closely approach each other, are to be found in the * These fourteen samples were not consecutive in quality, but separated from each other by considerable intervals ; and no private trade tea at all was submitted to his inspection. There was, there fore, no proof afforded of his distinguishing faculties worth any thing. evidence, in addition to the names of Mr. Reeves, many years the late Inspector in China, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Goodhall, the principal officers long employed in the same department in London, those of Mr. E. E. Antrobus, Mr. Styan, Mr. Yarn ham, Mr. W. S. Fry, Mr. Thomas Binyon, dealers or brokers well known as largely concerned in the tea trade, and as the testimony of these latter witnesses has been represented as being wanting in sincerity, your Committee are bound to ob serve, that they have not discovered any well established grounds for supposing that either merchants, dealers, or brokers can derive any peculiar advantage or benefit from the esta blishment of one uniform duty, or that they have any interest in the decision beyond that of facilitating the fair course of their business, and of thus promoting the general prosperity of an important branch of the trade of the Kingdom. 14. The monopoly of the tea trade which the East India Company so long enjoyed appears to have enabled that body, by the extent of its concentrated dealings, so to control the Chinese market as to establish distinctions distinctions - of quality more marked than could have subsisted in a free state of trade, and which it is in evidence before your Committee are not to be found in the general market of Can ton; it cannot therefore be said, with any expectation that the argument would be upheld by experience, that a sufficient and intelligible distinctness of character is now so universally re cognised, as to warrant a line to be drawn for the permanent collection of graduated duties; for it must in truth be founded on no other basis than an undefined variation of quality, and it would indeed be a good reply that this artificial state of con trol has expired with the power that created it, and that, limit ing for this purpose the view of future supply to this country as issuing from the port of Canton only, the character of that supply must bo looked for rather in the experience of the con dition and dealings in the open market there, which now fur nishes the consumption of Foreign Europe and America, than with any reference to a course acquired and subsisting under the powers of an extensive monopoly. 15. As respects green teas, your Committee do not find themselves called upon to make any particular reference to the new and instructive evidence which Mr. Reeves has fur nished in relation to the provision of this part of our consump tion ; it may be sufficient to observe that the difficulties of distinction are considered to be comparatively light, if it should be thought expedient to continue any classification of them for the purposes of duty; a subject which will be more conve niently considered uuder the third head of this Report. 16. Your Committee cannot, however, close the present branch without adverting to a provision of 3 and 4 Will. IV., c. 101, which is connected with the question of quality, as well as of duty. The fifth section enacts, that "if different sorts of tea mixed together be imported in the same package, the whole shall be liable to the highest rate of duty to which any of such sorts would be separately liable." The evidence of Mr. Reeves has been already quoted to describe the compo nent parts of Canton Bohea. A reference to his answers to the questions 23 to 26 in the printed Minutes, will more par ticularly explain the process which is followed in mixing Con gou tea with Wo Ping for the purpose of lowering the quality of the former, as the means of providing a cheaper tea. If this enactment continue, it seems impossible to define any bounds for limiting the application of its principle in the way of exception or exemption, while the repeal of it would appear to be incompatible with the continuance of the graduated duties, founded, as they are, on the future importations being precisely of the same descriptions of tea as those hitherto known in this country. 17. Your Committee proceed to the second head, under which it is proposed to class their inquiries, viz., the ope ration of the scale of graduated duties, as it will influ ence the price to consumers, compared with one uniform rate. As introductory to this consideration, it may be ob served, without entering into an exposition of the various influences which act on prices, that a reduction of duty does not, on all occasions, carry with it a corresponding cheapness to the consumer, though intended to effect that purpose. Thus, in the recent alteration in the Tea Duties, Bohea, which in 1833-4 averaged ls. 9d. 15-16, has been reduced to Is. 6d., but the consumer reaps no benefit from the change, because the price of that particulrr sort of tea is governed by the next and closely approximating quality of Congou, both these kinds entering into the same `common consumption. Your Corn mittee have before them evidence which verifies this view of the effect of the substitution of the present rated duties ; and, while it is not desired to load this Report with unnecessary de tails, your Committee cannot refrain from soliciting attention to the following brief statements : s. d. s. d. In 1833-4 the average sale price of 9,018,000 lbs. of the lowest qualities of Congou was per lb 2 0 And the duty averaged -- 3 11.666 The average sale price of 6,400,000 lbs. of Bohea was And the duty averaged The 6,400,000 lbs. of Bohea tea we re cheaper -- 3 8.781 than the 9,018,000 lbs. of the lowest Con gou by per lb 0 2.83.5 Since which, the duty on Bohea has been reduced : It paid It now pays 0 3.938 And the duty on this part of the Congou con sumption has been raised to 2 When it paid only ... 1 11.666 ---- 0 2.333 Bohea should therefore now be cheaper than this quality of Congou, if it had the benefit of the duties as altered in its favour, by ... 0 9.156 Instead of which, at the last India House sale June) when low Congou sold for And paid duty Bohea sold for And paid only 3 9 1 11% 1 6 3 .5% The difference being only Instead of . 0 314 . 0 oi/8 Leaving - 0 5% as the increased charge on the consumers of every pound of Bohea tea by the operation of the new graduated duties, the whole of which is an i ncrease o f pr i ce pa id t o th e i mporter, and an entire loss to the revenue. The fact thus exemplified rests on a principle which no fiscal regulation can subvert,—that of price founded on relative value in the estimation of con sumers, and in the forming of which consideration is not given either to foreign price, to charges or to duties ; these may be brought to operate, by the substitution into more extensive use of the cheaper article, if public taste can be directed by s uc h comparative cheapness, and so displace the better kind. In the meanwhile Bohea, admitted to be inferior in all its proper ties for consumption, is made by the action of duties (because they are disproportionate to the relative value of the articles taxed) in a very high degree more profitable to the importer, or, as the case may be, to the foreign producer than the Con gou of the approximating qualities. Upon these grounds your Committee adopt the conclusion, that the price to the con sumer of Bohea tea is not made cheaper by the reduction to is. 6d. from the sum which it paid by the ad valorem duties in 1833-4 ; viz 1 9.938 while the increase in the duty of the lower qualities of Congou acts also in raising the price of the Bo hea, though not to the benefit of the revenue, to the extent of 0 2.333 making the true charge to the consumer 2 0.271 18. The evil effect of the scale of graduated duties is, upon the premises here submitted, to advance the price to the consumer as compared with what he paid by the ad valorem duties, to the extent of 10 per cent. on those duties, on all the bohea, and on above nine millions of pounds of the lowest congou ; these two kinds constituting nearly one half of the whole consumption of the kingdom. 19. The third head under which the inquiries of your Com mittee are divided, relates to the effect of the scale of gra duated duties compared with one uniform rate, in reference to the productiveness of the revenue. It will be useful to notice here the following results of the ad valorem duties, as they are exhibited by the sales which were effected in the year 1833-4. The East India Company sold -6,400,000 lbs. Bohea, the duty averaging 1 9 19,447,000 lbs. Congou, ditto 944,000 lbs. Souchong ditto 4,882,000 lbs. Twankay ditto 1,050,000 lbs. Hyson ditto 32,723,000 lbs. of all kinds, averaging The graduated duties applied to these qualities and de scriptions would produce And the fixed duty, if at 2s. Showing, in the comparison, a difference of £142,800 occasioned by the graduated duties yielding more than the one uniform duty in the following particulars : Bohea and Congou classed together, and then comprising more than three-fourths of the whole consumption, viz.:- 25,847,000 lbs. out of 32,723,000 lbs £2,000 Twankay, which is as much the consumption of the poorer classes of the community as Bolles and Congou Souchong Hyson . 41,100 47,200 52,500 £142,800 20. The evidence has been already referred to by your Committee, which establishes that the scale of graduated du ties carries with it no recommendation, as lightening the weight of taxation on those who consume the lowest qualities of tea ; the question at issue is therefore freed from any in ducement to uphold the scale of graduated duties in protec tion of the interests of the poorer classes of the community, since it has been shown that the influence of the graduated duties is to add 2s. Old. to the price of Bohea, and 2s. 2d. to the prices of all qualities of Congou. A change, therefore, which would impose one uniform duty of 2s. on all kinds of tea imported into the United Kingdom, would, in every view, be favourable to the consumers of each sort of tea, the worst as well as the best. 21. When it is considered that Souchong and Hyson arc used only by the more wealthy, and are therefore fit objects of heavier taxation, it must also be borne in mind that the quan tity of these kinds is but in the proportion of less than 6 per cent. of the whole consumption, and that the excess of revenue realized by a higher taxation of them would be chargeable with all the expenses which might be incurred for revenue, ma nagement and examination over the whole of the importations, because this fiscal machinery would not be required, except as the means of securing the collection of the higher duties which might be imposed on the Souchong and flyson Teas. 22. If it be admitted, as your Committee are of opinion it • must be, that after due consideration to the greater produc tiveness of the revenue on the one hand, and to the restrictions f from which the trade would be relieved on the other, it is not desirable to enforce the collection of a higher rate of dn ry on Souchong and Hyson than on the other kinds of tea, the case appears to be made out for adopting one fixed ur.d . orm rate, and the only question then remaining is, what tl:/at rate should be; a question which, though not in precise terms referred to the consideration of your Committee, ran hardly be omitted from their inquiries, since, in the suitableness of that duty to the various interests which are mired up with it, will in a great measure depend the successful application of the principle. Believing that no means are so influential in increasing con sumption, as those which are inherent in the utmost possible freedom of trade, by means of which the wants and prefe rences of consumers are attended to with the greatest readi ness and facility, your Committee can see no reason to doubt but that one fixed and uniform duty of 2s. per pound would realize to the fullest extent the same amount of revenue as that which can be looked for from the present scale of gra duated duties. 23. The fourth and last division of this inquiry is, how far the scale of graduated duties, as compared with one uniform rate, is calculated to promote the extension of the commerce of the kingdom, in reference to the altered character which our commercial intercourse with China may assume. 24. The commercial enterprise of this country will no doubt be directed to every endeavour to introduce and extend the consumption of British productions and manufactures amongst the population of China; but however great may be the suc cess in opening new channels of intercourse, the attainment of the benefits sought for to British commerce must depend mainly upon the powers of interchange which the productions of neighbouring districts may furnish, and looking to the north-east coast, which appears to offer the greatest facilities for extending commercial intercourse, tea is the article which, being the growth of the immediate neighbourhood, must be come a very principle object of British merchants in any trade which may be extended into that part of the Chinese empire. It appears to your Committee to be of paramount importance that the trade which may grow up in parts of China not at this time accessible to the British flag, should have the protec tion and security of absolute certainty in the application of the revenue laws of this country, since the variations in the scale of graduated duties between any two of the enumerated classes are sufficient on the one hand to entail ruin on any speculation, while on the other the fair objects of trade would be abundantly obtained. Such protection and security seems to your Committee to be incompatible with any principle of graduated duties made applicable to degrees of quality, which cannot be intelligible, because they are not definable to the parties whose interests are to be involved in the future decision. Looking at the difficulty and uncertainty which are evidently inseparable from any endeavour to establish a scale of gradua ted duties, which shall act with justice to the merchant and with due security to the revenue, founded exclusively upon relative and varying, yet closely approximating qualities of. the same article ;--bearing in mind the very objectionable ten dency of the graduated duties now in force to raise in a high degree the price of the lowest classes of tea without corres ponding increase to the revenue ; entertaining a confident opinion that the interests of the revenue, the merchant and the consumer will be best promoted by such fixed regulations as shall induce the importation of the best qualities of tea, and impose the least possible degree of restraint in conducting the details of the trade ; and mindful of the importance of timely and suitable enactments to protect and encourage any extension of commercial dealings that may grow out of more enlarged or more varied intercourse with the Chinese empire; your committee are of opinion that it is expedient to esta blish one fixed rate of duty on all descriptions o tea imported into the United Kingdom, instead of the duties imposed by Act 3 and 4 William IV. c. 101. 18th July, 1834. THE SIJN, LONDON, MOisiDAY, MAY 18, 1835 SOUTH STAFFORD ELECTION. LICHFIELD, SATURDAY NIGHT, MAY 16. Sir F. Holyoake Goodricke, it s said by the Conservatives here, is determined to go to the pcll, although he has not yet vacated his seat for the borough of Stafford. He has also been canvassing actively during the past week, aided by a host of parsons, in all the districts of the southern division of the county ; but with indifferent success. Colonel Anson has been every where received warmly by the constituency; and has addressed them, at the various polling places, amidst general applause. The issue of the contest—should Sir F. Goodricke place his present seat at such a precarious hazard —will, lam certain, resemble that so manfully achieved by the electors of West Yorkshire ; as the leading interest—the manufacturing one—is the same here as it was there : and the only counterpoise that can avail to prolong the poll be yond a day, is the "No Popery" hoax, which here, as else where, is the text adopted by the would-be re-actionists. That their efforts, however, to terrify by these means the timid, will be in a great measure unavailing, even amongst the agricul tural community, it is sufficient to state that the great majority of the Duke of Sutherland's tenants have pledged themselves to vote for Colonel Anson. Each of the Candidates visited Lichfield to-day. Colonel ANSON addressed a large number of voters who were assembled in front of the George Hotel: He stated that his political opinions were similar to those acted upon by the late Member; that he was a Reformer, and would, if elected, exert himself in the correction of Church abuses, more espe cially to those which so glaringly existed in the Irish Estab lishment. He was received with loud and general cheering throughout. Sir F. GOODRICKE also addressed his friends from his hotel in a few sentences, which to me were utterly incomprehensible. A hand-bill has been circulated here, stating that means have been used to bias the Duke of Sutherland's tenantry to vote against Sir F. Goodricke, and that such instances of that kind as had occurred were unauthorised by his Grace. This is, I know, merely an- insidious electioneering squib. His Grace of Sutherland has not, and will not, exercise an uncon stitutional interference with the rights of his tenants, but I am equally well aware that he takes the liveliest interest in Colonel Anson's success. The following are the polling places in the south district : Lichfield, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Penktidge, King Swin ford ; the most distant of which is only 22 miles from Lich field. The number of votes registered is 4,122. The Peel interest is everywhere at work against the popular candidate ; all the efforts of Conservatism here, will, however, undoubtedly end in moonshine. INVERNESS-SHIRE ELECTION. (From the Inverness courier of Wednesday.) The polling commenced on Monday, ths. 11th instant, and was continued till four o'clock, when Glenmorriston was, in in the Inverness district, 22 a-head of Chisholm. Tuesday the polling was resumed, and its close stood thus INVERNESS DISTRICT. For Glenmorriston For Chisholm Majority for Glenmorriston --23 The following is a statement of the first day's pollingat the other stations:— KINGUSSIE DISTRICT. Glenmorriston Chisholm 59 FORT WILLIAM DISTRICT. No return yet received, but there are private accounts, that at the close of the first day's poll there was a majority for Glenmorriston of 26. BROADFORD (SKYE) DISTRICT.) Glenmorriston Chisholm.. 49 There has not yet been time for returns of the second day's polling from Skye and Fort William; but few voters were left to poll, and there can be no doubt that Chisholm, the Conser vative candidate, will carry that election. The majority will be about 30. We anticipated this result from the commencement of the struggle. Very early in the contest, a proprietor in this neighbourhood, who had previously supported the liberal interest, gave in his adhesion to Chisholm, on the ground of his being a relation. Most of his tenants, we believe, went with him, and about twelve votes were lost to one party and gained to the other. Another influential pro prietor, residing in Lochaber, who had uniformly supported Mr. Charles Grant, announced his intention of joining the Conservative cause in future, as his support of Mr. Grant proceeded, he said, not from any community of political principle, but from feelings of private friendship and gra titude. When it is considered that the liberal majority four months ago was only seven, it will be readily seen how difficult it would be to overcome these defections, especially before the heats and animosities generated by the late contest had been allowed time to cool. No man could be a greater favourite with the tenantry of this county than Glenmorriston, while Chisholm has mixed but little amongst them. The former, however, was identified with Mr. Charles Grant's party, and Chisholm was adopted by the late Macleod's ; and thus the old contest was renewed under dif ferent names, while Glenmorriston laboured under the disad vantage caused by the two secessions we have alluded to, and the effect such a circumstance was calculated to have upon the ranks of the timid and wavering. The Irish Church question also turned several voters, chiefly in the eastern district. Had there been time on the part of Glenmorriston to have followed up his canvass personally throughout the whole county, afford ing such explanations as were necessary to remove misrepre sentation and vindic a te th e i n d e p en d en t p os i t i on i n which he stood, th e resu lt wou ld pro b a bl y h ave b een diff erent . It is a remarkable fact, that the character of electioneering contests here has been little if it all changed by the operation of the Reform Act. They are still mainly decided by a small number of !proprietors of large estates, whose tenants— scattered over the wide and rugged surface of this great county —seem generally to attach no importance to the elec tive f ranc hi se , or se ld om t hi n k o f vot i ng diff eren tly from their landlord or patron. It was believed on this occasion the Ca tholic tenantry would have gone wholly with Glenmorriston, but we have heard of few instances of accession to the liberal cause at this time from their ranks. Attention must be paid to the formation of votes, as opportunities occur, and to the Courts of Registration ; and, above all, the condition of the poorer tenants, both physical and mental, must be improved, before the tenantry as a body, can have a free voice in the elec tion for Inverness-shire. It gives us pleasure to add, that the contest has not, so far as we can learn, been disgraced by any outrage or disorder. We find th a t Gl enmorr i s t on ' s f r i e nds are con fid ent as t o being able to set aside the Grantown votes. In the event of a Committee of the House of Commons deciding that, accord ing to the Reform Act, these votes should have been given in Morayshire, and not in Inverness-shire, Glenmorriston will still be the sitting Member. COURT CIRCULAR. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge left town at nine o'clock yesterday morning on a visit to their Majesties at Windsor Castle. Their Royal Highnesses returned to town in the evening and entertained the Landgravine of Hesse Homburg, the Princess Augusta, and a select party to dinner at Cambridge House. The Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria, and their Royal Highnesses' Household, attended Divine Service yester day at Kensington Palace. The Dean of Chester officiated. The Princess Augusta attended Divine Service yesterday morning in the Chapel Royal, St. James's. The Duke of Cambridge visited the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria on Saturday. The Duke of Cumberland honoured the Earl of Mans field with his company at dinner on Friday evening, at his re sidence in Langham-place. His Royal Highness honoured the Archbishop of Canterbury on Saturday evening at Lam beth Palace with his company at dinner, and afterwards went to Kew. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George (attended by Baroness Ahlefeldt and Lieutenant Knesebeck) and the Duchess of Kent, honoured the performance of the opera of Marino Faliero, at the Italian Opera House with their presence on Saturday evening. The Landgravine of Hesse Homburg and a select party dined with the Princess Augusta on Saturday evening, at her residence, in St. James's. The Duke of Cumberland entertained a select party at din ner last evening, at his residence, at Kew. The Duchess of Kent gives a concert this evening to a small par!y„.... - A - Cabinet Council was held at four o'clock on Saturday afternoon at the Foreign-office. It was attended by Vis count Melbourne, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Viscount Dun cannon, Lord John Russell, Viscount Palmerston, Lord Glenelg, Mr. Spring Rice, Lord Auckland, Sir John Hob house, Mr. Poulctt Thomson, and Viscount Howick. The Council broke up shortly before six o'clock. Viscount Morpeth had au interview on Saturday; w i t h Viscount Melbourne. Prince Esterhazy, the Austrian AmbP—ndor, visited Vis count Palmerst on on S atur d ay , at tt-, f r or ,i rrn-office. The Greek Minister trans , ' ..cted business on Saturday at the office of the Board of T ra d e. Sir James Sir Charles Grey, and Col. Macdonald, had inter:lows with Lord Glenelg on Saturday, at the Colonial Offieo, Viscount Melbourne had a small dinner party last evening, at his residence, in South -street. WINDSOR. Their Majesties returned to the Castle, from St. James's Palace, shortly before six o'clock on Friday evening in a tra velling chariot and four, escorted by a party of Life Guards. The King was occupied the whole of the forenoon of Satur day with State affairs. After luncheon his Majesty enjoyed a carriage drive, accompanied by the Queen. Early yesterday morning their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived at the Castle and break fasted with their Majesties. Shortly after breakfast the Royal pair (the King and Queen) attended Divine Service in the private chapel of the Castle. The Reverend Dr. Marsham officiated. The Queen was attended by Lady Clinton, and Misses Hudson and Mitchell. Viscount and Viscountess Falkland, and Lord and Lady Frederick Fitzclarence, arrived yesterday morning on a visit to their Majesties. At three o'clock yesterday afternoon their Majesties, their Royal relatives, the visitors, and suite, left the Castle for the Great Park, and enjoyed some beautiful drives in the neigh bourhood of Virginia Water. His Excellency Prince Esterhazy was expected yesterday evening to dinner. Her Royal Highness Princess Augusta left Frogmore Lodge on Wednesday last for her residence in St. James's Palace, where she is expected to remain till the end of the present month. The Rev. Dr. Alarsham, the Rev. the Provost, and Head Master of Eton, with the Field Officers of the two Regiments stationed here, will have the honour of joining the Royal dinner party this evening. THE MARKETS-(THIS DAY.) CORN EXCHANGE. The past week's arrival of English grain and flour were mode rate, but of Oats from Ireland considerable. The seasonable rain rendered the trade dull for every article. This morning the fresh supplies of all descriptions of corn are again moderate. The weather being very fine, has caused the Wheat trade to be dull, and last week's rates are hardly sustained, for the finest par cels, and other qualities, are from ls. to 2s. per quarter low,r. Barley meets little demand, and is unaltered in value. Beans con tinue scarce, and are rather dearer. In Pease of both kinds there is little doing. The buyers of Oats showed little disros!.,ion to purchase, and the prices of this day se'nnight arc scarcely sup ported. The Flour trade remains dull, at no alteration in value. PRICES ON BOARD OF SHIP. Wheat, Red (old) —s. —s Beans, Small ;new) —s. —s —White:olti) —Red ;1834) '4s. 3(is Tick (new) 33s 265. Fine 3Bs. 40s. -- Superfine 4(ls. 425. Harrow (new) 155.388. —Wh to (1831) ais. 425. ------- (01d)....„...355.405. Fine 44s. 465. Brank _.s —I, - Superfine 465. 47s Oats, Feed Foreign free - I. —s. ----- New 215.25. Rye 30s 36s Poland Barley 22s 245. New 246.275. Grinding - _lis ais. Potatoe ---- Malting 325. 355. -- New 2fis r:9i. Malt 445. 50s. Scotch 9.65. 295. Fine New 508. 645. Irish IBs. Pease, Grey, New 365. 40s. Flour Town )per sack) 36s 3Ss. Maple New 4os. 435. Seconds 325.355. -- Wh l te 348. 3s, _-- North Country ....... 28s 325. -- Boilers 40s. 42, Bran -- ---- --- SMITHFIEL This day's supply was moderate what dull, at the following PRICES PER STONE OF dcii. TO SINK TILE OFFA LS. s. d. to s. d. s 0. to s.d. Interior Beasts 2 02 2 Inferior Sheep 26) . 2 , i Second quality ditto...—. 2 6 210 Second quality ditto Prime large Oxen 3 6 3 8 Coarso..w.olled ditto ... 3 4 3 IS Prime Scots, &c Large coarse Calves 3 4 4 2 Large Flogs Prime small ditto Suckling Calves each ... 8 , 20 , Quarter o ld Pi gs each 8 u 12 0 . Lamb SUPPLY, AS PER CLERK'S STATEMENT. Beasts. Sheep. Calves. I Pigs 1,026 13,750 I 150 "10 About 30 of the Beasts carne up the St. Alban's road; about 20 ;11 the other northern roads; dhoti' 120 (including Irish) run the western and midland districts ; about 1600 :tom solf(dk, Stitiblk, Essex, and Cain bridgcsh ire ; abont. 60 from Rent and Sussex • and most of the r ema i n d er from the marshes, &c. in the neighbourhood Of London. D MARKET. good, and the trade was some- NEWGATE AND LEA At per stone, 1 . s. d. to s d. s d tos d Beef, inferior o 0 0 ti Mutton, inferior .. - middling -- prime large 2 6 3 0 prime 3 4 3 8 - prime svnall 'I 0 3 4 Pork, large 2 2 2 8 Veal Lamb 4s. 4d. to 3s. 4d. .DENHALL MARKETS. by the Carcass. NEWCASTLE CORN MARKET —May IG. We had another fair supply of Wheat from the farmers to day, with a brisk demand at a further advance of full Is. quarter. Oats were also in good demand, at a trifle higher than last Saturday. No Barley now offering in this market. Fine Malt steady sale. Rye almost nominal. Beans more inquired after. Pease without change. Flour ready sale at an advance of Is. per sack. New. Ora. WheA, Northumberland .......• .. Norfolk and fintlolk.. .......... ... 38:. 44, 39... —;. Berwick and Scotch aria. - s —s. 40, Foreign s --, Rye, Norfolk and Sutiolk - lils. 34 Foreign .. 3'.!s 31s. —s. —s. ~. Barley, Malting, Norfolk a nd Suflblk... 32, 34s —s. —s. Grinding and Feeding t25.. i'8;...... --a. —a. L; Malt, Norfolk and Suffolk sls. 5:/s —a. 575. r 5. Beans, Small 14s. 365. —s. —s. I t . Tick .. 33;. 355. -s --s. :,., ['ease, Whita Tis. 38s. ... —a. --6. Gray I . ts. 36; -s. —s. Oat., Northumberland, Potatoe '24, '26s —s. —s. I Feed -- I. , :n•iKtl Flour, Fine, (per sack) —s. —s 27s. 21s. MEETINGS OF CREDITORS AT THE COURT, BASINGIIALL-STREET, TO-INIORROW. (From the Loudon Gazette.) H at. J. Ruddock, livery.stable-keeper, Kinz-street, Portman-square t at 11 E. Vs. Gratwick, tea-dealer, Goswell-Street J. Morris, sen. and Co , auctioneers, Upper St. Martin's-lane 2 12 E. Russell and Co., tobacconists, New Tothill-street, Westminster 2 11 J. P Bannister, hackneyman, Harley-mews, Marylebone 1 12 W. Thomson, wine -merchant, Cross-lane, Tower-street J. Bowley, sets., baker Whitney-street, Commercia -road .. 1 11 R. Elliott, victualler, Princes-street, Coventry.street 1 1 W. Houlder, tea-dealer, Paignton, Devonshire 1 12 W. Mason, timber-dealer, Watford, Hertfordshire THE ARCHBISHOP OF CA'NTERBURY'SDINNER. --His Grace gave his second grand dinner on Saturday, at Lambeth Palace, to his Royal Highness the Duke of Cum berland, Dukes of Northumberland and Gordon, Marquisses of Bute and Downshire, Earls of Harrowby, Amherst, Wick low, Beverley, Brownlow, Abingdon, Romney, De Lawarr, Viscount Canterbury, Bishops of Winchester, Worcester, Car lisle, Chester, Exeter, Rochester, Gl o uc e st e r, B r i s t o l, L or d s Rolle, Manners, Teignmouth, Wallace, Alford, Bexley, Skel mersdale, Kenyon, Rodney, Henniker, Hotham, Holinsdale, Lord Commissioner Bosanquet, Sirs Robert Peel, E. Knatch hull, M. W. Ridley, Brook Taylor, C. Wetherell, C. Mor gan, W. W. Follett, W. P. Geary, Major-Generals Sir E. Kerrison, and W. Wheatley. REFORM ASSOCIATION.—We have received nu merous reports of the proceedings of Reform Associations, both in the Metropolis and the surrounding neighbourhood, all of which are well deserving of attention. The object, how ever, of all is the same—it is that of enlightening the minds of electors with regard to the trust placed in their hands, and to enforce upon them the duty of exercising it independently of all private motives, conscientiously for the benefit of their country ; to promote the cause of Reform by all constitutional means, and to watch over the registration of the electors for the county, with the view of getting the names of all those in serted, and those only, who are legally qualified, and to pre vent, counteract, and expose all attempts to intimidate or cor rupt the electors. They will therefore give advice to the dif ferent elective bodies throughout the kingdom, directing their attention to the necessity of having their names regularly re gistered in the list of voters for their several counties. District committees have already been established in the Tower Ham lets, Finsbury, Lambeth, Brentford, Hammersmith, and Chel sea ; preparatory measures are taking for their formation in Uxbridge, Marylebone, St. Pancras, Edmonton, Tottenham, Enfield, Hampstead, Highgate, Hendon, Edgware ; and %NC hope to see the same spirit spread throughout the country.— Morning Paper. ItoiAL ACADEMY OF Music.—The third Morn ing Concert of the season by the pupils of this institution, took place on Saturday at the Hanover-square Rooms, wheA an excellent selection of music was performed. The room was crowded by a fashionable audience. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. We insert from Saturday's Standard another version of Lord Wellesley's sentiments upon the conduct 'Of Lord Melbourne's Ministry with regard to the Irish Government, which version has been accredited through out the Court circles, and differs very little in form, but nothing in substance, from that which we gave . on Friday. Notwithstanding Lord Melbourne's formal,' but as we said before, somewhat vague contradiction of our statement, we do not believe that his Lordship will venture to hold up his head and tell the world in distinct terms, that Lord Wellesley approves either the appointment of Lord Mulgrave as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, or the influence under which that nomination • is known to have taken place. Lord Melbourne will not venture to deny that the noble Marquis (Wellesley) declared (although he might not have authorized such a declaration to be repeated by third parties) his own continuance in office. under Lord Melbourne's Government to be incompatible " with his honour." Why should it be so, if he agreed in the policy of Lord Melbourne and his Colleagues ? What, we should like to hear, were the reasons assigned by Lord Wellesley to his Majesty for throv;ing up an office so near the Royal person ? th e stirred—si nce th e nominalquestion has been (rime Minister has, how ever, generally will require, and n b igu ou sly, bo as t e d, th e p u bli c of Le.;,„; we- think, to know wh e th er a States man'Wellesley's great experience, and per fect l f.;iowledge of the interests and affairs of Ireland, - tioes or does not concur in the views which have been opened for the Government of that country, in relation to measures or to men ? The Noble Marquis has always been a conservator of the Protestant church and of the Protestant community of Ireland. 'Would he delegate his own Conservative duties to Mr. O'Connell and the Popish priests ? and if not, let us ask could the Noble Marquis approve or authorize such a dele gation on the part of any Government of which he war. , a member ? But there are other Englishmen who feel no less than Lord Wellesley, that the sup port of the present repeal-propped Cabinet is incon sistent "with their honour.' The freeholders of the great county of Stafford have just pronounced a deter mination on that point which neither Lord Mel bourne, to whatever straits he may be driven, nor Lord Brougham, by whatever desperate extravagance he may be possessed, will, in the face of Parliament, have the courage to gainsay. The return to the writ by the High Sheriff of Staffordshire will show that its electors do not choose to trust their interests any longer to that Ad ministration, of which Mr. Littleton, their late Mem ber, was not many months since the associate, and is still the favoured ally. Colonel Anson is forced to turn tail, and fly before the fight begins ; and Sir F. Goodricke, the Conservative candidate, walks unop posed into the representation of the county. Is there no re-action here ? Mr. Littleton used to have Staf fordshire in his pocket. But the gentleman, a man of an old and popular family in that county, standing upon his own interest, combined with that of Mr. Littleton, dares not appear upon the hustings, or de= nand a poll ? What will Lord Melbourne say to this ? Then, what has happened, or is about to happen, at Inverness, where Mr. Grant, a friend of Lord Glenelg, and of equally respectable character with that Noble Lord, has stood candidate in the hope of succeeding him? Invern e ss re t urns " Chi s h o l m , ' and rejects the Government candidate merely because he is a Whig ! Here are two more Whig Members, besides Min of Devonshire, succeeded by Conservatives for their re spective counties—in the extreme north, in the centre, and the extreme south of Great Britain—and all within a fortnight of each other. Yet we arc assured there is no re-action in favoi_ir cf our monarchical insti tutions. We suspect there will soon be a trifle more exhibited in the way of resignations. However, of that anon. If Lord Lansdowne and Mr. Spring Rice=--- if moreover Lord Melbourne himself—can go on with such partners as the state of public affairs has forced upon them, and in joint prosecution of the Russell and O'Connell policy, it will be a phenomenon not to be explained by any ordinary want of principle or con sistency which can be laid to the charge of English party. There is a l e tt er s i gne d "Awake," which opens up some additional matter for reflection—we might say for alarm, if it were not folly to give way to fear—in presenting a series of questions which are - now, under the actual circumstances of Ireland, preseribed, by the Catholic Archbishops to be discussed in the theolo gical conferences of Leinster. .Any one who :reads these questions attentively will be struck by the mani fest design of their propounders to shake the and sap the foundation, of all that vast mass of lii 11 property which has come through : successive political events into the hands of its present ecclesiastical and lay possessors. It is a preparation against the - exist ence of Protestantism in, Ireland, more deliberate .and insidious than any one or. all of that long seriesTwhieh Popish disaffection has been framing for many years. It is enough to submit these cunning interrogatories to our Protestant readers, for every man who is in his right senses to comprehend the practical application which will be twisted out of them, and turned to the utter overthrow of everything in Ireland which is not exclusively Popish.— Times. Knowing full well the overwhelming power of Mr. O'Connell, whether for evil or for good, in all that concerns Ireland, we hail, with no ordinary degree of satisfaction, his conversion at length to that of which we have ourselves so long been convinced—the neces sity of a statutable provision for the poor of that coun try. When men arrive at the same conclusion, it is not very material to inquire by what road they have travelled, or by what arguments they have been in fluenced. Truth and eternal justice are immutable, whatever gloss may be attempted to be given to them ; and therefore, if it be any consolation to Mr. O'Con nell to persuade himself that " Orangemen have driven him to this," all that we can say is, that the poor of Ireland owe, in that case, a debt of gratitude to Orangemen, which Mr. O'Connell by no means meant them to infer. Nor are we at all inclined to quarrel with the Learned Gentleman for knowing and avowing his own strength. "If I could sooner have persuaded myself," says he, "to take this step, you would have poor laws this moment in Ireland." Hav ing at length brought his mind to this conclusion, we are most anxious that he should strike the iron while it is hot ; and would most strenuously urge upon him the necessity, not to say the duty of immediately car rying his views into effect. Though Mr. O'Connell has at all times taken a considerable share in its de bates, we are not aware that he has ever been, or is now, much occupied in preparing and forwarding Bills through the House ; from which we infer that, inde pendent of his fitness, he has likewise leisure for the iask of preparing and consummating this boon to the starving poor of Ireland. Not having seen the Bill which Sir Richard Musgrave has brought in upon the subject, the second reading of which was, on Wed• nesday night, postponed till the 10th of June, we are not aware whether it is one which Mr. O'Connell can, in its present state, adopt. If it be not, let us entreat the Learned Gentleman to lose not a moment in either moulding that built to his own views, or in preparing another, better fitted, in his estimation, to meet the pressing emergency of the case. What we deprecate is any further delay. The bis dat qui cito dat cannot be more appropriately applied than to this subject. But while we look thus warmly and eagerly forward to the consummation of our long-cherished hopes upon a topic which so naturally interests all the feelings of humanity, we are not insensible to the fact that there are still some obstacles to overcome. Among these the pledged hostility of some of the Members of the pre sent Administration to the introduction of this salutary measure into Ireland is not the least. But here Mr. O'Connell's influence with the Government will come at once to the test. If we have a veto upon the appoint ment of the Lord Lieutenant, and almost every other public functionary, and if the whole policy of the Go vernment as regards Ireland be at the nod of his dic tation, it will exhibit a strange anomaly indeed should the same Government betray any shyness or reluctance in yielding to his opinion upon a subject on which he has himself at length declared that the comfort. —nay, the very existence, of thousands of the people of Ire land depend. It is pretty well known to our readers that we have never been among the flatterers of Mr. O'Connell : but, on the other hand, we trust that while arrainging his conduct as a public man, we have never denied him justice, In hailing, as we do, his oopv4r