The Sun. — London, England, 1841-04-06 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION were of the dietaries in some of the unions. o ask, ow, la would was destitution t o b e c esidered one thing in the City of London, ..ed another thing in different parts of EaVand ? He hell greet complaints to make against the Poor-law Commissioners, and if tie House did its duty, it would cad the Poor-law Commissioners to the bar, and compel them to explain these dietaries. In many of the unions water-gruel was the chief diet. New, wiliA took place in the Kensington union? Why, last Christmas when the paupers were allowed something extra, the auditor of the Poor-law Commissioners dis alewed the expense, and the guardians were obliged to ply the amount out of their own pockets. In the City of London union the dietary tabie for male and female adults was as follows :—On Sundays, for the me:), seven ounces of bread, and a pint aid a half of milk porridge for breakfast ; for dinner seven ounces of cooked meat, beef or mutton, with three querters of a pound of vegi t Iles, and one pint of b.2er, a thing entirely withheld and denied in the Puor-ltw Unions of the country. For supper seven ounces of bread, 'one ounce and a half of clo_ese, and a second pint of beer. The women have Eve ounces of bread, one pint of beer (this was in an union in which the order far withholding oat door :chef had not been issued) and one ounce of butter for breakfast, six ounces of good teat for dinner, c • (latters of a pound of vegetable 3 and ore pint of veer,—and for supper five ounces of bread, one eurkce of cheese, and one plat of beer. It was unnerkv.:sary t) trouble the House with all, but there was the tame' a!l..wanca on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and on bifurda3s they were alio:red fourteen ounces of suet pudding. Thus they had sees the adult men and o omen in Ch's union had beer every day for dinner and sup ! e-. Did he complain of it ? Did he say they ought pot to have it? No such thing. He beltevA it Was a just and equitable scale. But why was it not allowed :0 the poor in toe unions in the country? The Noble 1,-nal could not, perhaps, be expected to give a o_o,;sfact ,ry ezidanation, but he thought the House have the Commissioners at the bar to explain \Nu) , such a difference was eAablishel by the rules they is.ued. He now came to the notice respecting the sick infirm, respecting whom it was presided that they s'aoild have such wine and other necesaarics, as the ooelical attendant should direct.—( Hear, bear.) If lion. Members cried " Hear, bear," with respect to L olden, would they do so with respect to the country? these regulations, roast veal or pork was allowed at ',oster and Whit Sunday, and roast beef and plum -oldding at Chiistmas-day. Now this seemed framed 4y . Englishmen, by men who did not desire that poverty tieeuld be punished as a crime. He asked Gentlemen r- ho thought the -scale he bad just read was a just one, 'hy it should not be adopted e:sewhere ? If particular epors were to be selected for the exercise of benevolence. he thought it should be in the country district?. This was a serious question, and one that ought not to be shirked by the House. If it were, it would not be shirked by the country. He did net desire to charge the Commissioners with having acted in a manner that was &Al:Leant, to obtain support in the City of London, but, teeing the wanner in which tlic citizens of London 'workhouses- were dieted, and contrasting it with the country, he said that it required some explanation. It was urged continually that the object of the law was to rake the labourer independent. That was undoubtedly a desirable object, but how did the Commissioners carry it out ? By keeping the dietary one degree above star vation point. How could wages be raised, if this s y s t em was pursued ? He hop e d the Noble Lord would see the necessity of having this dietary table more diffused throughout England. He had no motion to submit to t':e House upon the subject, but he had thought it his duty to bring the subject before the House. He had another rab'e of the manner in'which the children were farmed at Norwood, but he would not then trouble the House with it. Lord JOHN RUSSELL declined to enter icto a discussion on the subject at the present momept. as it rns his intention to postpone the Bill till after Easter. He would not now introduao the clauses of which he hlit given notice, bat would reserve them till after tlic recess, when the Bill had gone through Commit tee. He thought that was the only course which cull be properly adopted. It was his intention to -,:,70p05e that the Bill should remain as it was till after the recess, and that the Committee should be resumed on the 3d of May. Mr. GOULBURN thought it would have saved a great deal of trouble, and been more convenient to !IL: House, if the clauses had been introduced at the oieqent moment. Colonel SIBT I - 10RP said he was determined, after the recess, to move for the returns of which he had given notice relative to Coroners. Mr. FOX MAULE had done all he could to ob tain the returns; be bad written to the different Coroners in tho country, and be had only received answers from very few. He was afraid that it would be found to be very difficult to obtain the returns. Mr. WAKLEY believed that it would be almost impossible to make out the returns. Ho thought the best way would be for the Hon. and Gallant Member t 3 move for returns in certain cases. Colonel SIBTHORP would bo happy to adopt wly suggestions that would meet the object he had in view, and he would take care and frame his motion ac cordingly. The - House then wenA into Committee proforma, and further consideration of the Bill in Committee was - , - -,stponed to the 3d of May. TRADE OF BRITISH POSSESSIONS. On the Ilouse going into Committe e on the trade of British possessions, Mr. LABOUCHERE rose to reove.tho following resolutions : "1. That in lieu of the respective duties of 71. 103., of 131., of 201, and of 304, on every 100/. of the value of certain of the articles specified in the schedule conta.n:'d in an Act of the third and fourth year of William IV, to regulate the trade of the British possessions abroad, there shall be paid on goods, wares, and merchandize, ot being the growth, production, or manufacture of the United Kingdom, or of any of the British possessions in America, and imported by sea or by inland carriage or tav'gation, a duty of 71. for every 100/. of the value thereof, together with the amount of any duty levied at the same time upon goods, wares, and merehandize t'Le growth or production of the United Kingdom, or of the British possessions. 2. That in lieu of the several duties payable under Cie said Act upon the following articles, not being the growth, production, or manufacture of the thiitrd Kirgdom, or of any of the British possessions in .. - Itnelica imported or brought into any British plisses. soon by sea, there shall be paid the following duties, IZ,, Wheat flour (except into Canada), the barrel....fo 2 0 Beef and pork, salted (except into Canada), tha eat. Wire of all Loris, whether in bottl3 or not, f:r every 100/. of the value, in Feu of all duties row payable then on, under the Acts 4 Goo. 111. c. 15, and 3 and 4 Will. IV. c. 59 7 10 0 Tr:o beaks Shit gles (except it:to Canada), th e 1 ,000 N o O F2 e• 0 Oak staves and hc a Ings (except into Canada), the 1,000 N 0... .. . 0 7 0 Weed hoops (except into Canaan,) the 1,000 No. Ptch pine, a n d et h er l umber, one-inch thick 02 6 (except into Canada), the 1,000 fret .O 7 0 Now FrohibiteJ, but the prohibition whereon is to cease : Fab, dried or salted, the cwt. —, pickled, tLe barrel 0 5 Together with the amount of any duty I.:vied at the -i - tive time upon simihr articles, the prodwe of, or im ported from, the United Kingdom or the British pos sessions. " 3. That tea be permitted to to imported into Brithh North America by inland carriage or navigatior, on lAymert of the duty which may at that time teiom; to.charge alde upon t ea i m p or t e d f r om the Uni:cd Kingdom, gether with 101. per centuiti on the amount of such duty. "4. Tact rum, the produce of places within the boas of the East India Company's Charter, and um potted into British North America, shall r ay the same ltuty as rum the produce of places ia the British Wctt ladies. " 5. That so much of the said Act as permits any sort of ersTt, food, and victuals, except spirits and any sort at. Clothing and implements and materials fit and ne• ceissry for the British Fishnies in America to be im ported into the place at or from whence such fishery is carried en, d uty free ; shall Fe repea::d, except ,o ter :as regards the f o ll ow i ng articles (that is to say), bread, 11, ur, pork, beef, bacon, butter, lard, cheese, molasses, (the produce of the British possessions), potatoes, oat meal, pot•barhy, Indian meal, peas, rice, salt, oak -staves, ,hi ng l e: ,, wood hoops, leathe r and leatherware, and all sorts of fishing craft and bait, fishermen's clothing and hosiery, which shall be delivered duty free, for the use of the fisilerie... "6. That goods , the prod uce or manufactu: e of the Wands cf Guernsey , Jersey, Alderney, or Sark, imported from such Islands, be admitted into the British possessions in America upon the payment of the same duty as the like goods the produce or manufac ture of the United Kingdom, or any of the said pos t cessions." _ Member said that having entered so fully into the subject on a former occasion, he shuu!d netce cupy the House at any great length. He had mad e an :iteration i n th e amoun t o f re duction since he first brought th e subject More the House. He had then Koposed that the ad valorem duties which were levied on the West Indian and North Ame rican coloni es , vary i ng from 7i- to 10, 20, cud 30 per cent. should be .k reduced to two duties, unrnt (3, a duty cf seven and :t'half per cent., and a duty of ten . per c en t. a d valorem. Ia consequence of repro senta ins which bad since been made to hi.n, he proposed to substitute one uniform duty of seven per cent. ad v° l9- )%;n1 ; thus placing those colonies upon the slate footiag as cor Eastern possessions. He did not see why if the ',tem had worked writ in the East, it should not work w ell also in the West Indies, and in British North Ame rica. It had teen strongly urged by gentlemen connected with the %Vest Indite, that important benefits would ac crue from the proposed alteration. With respect to Tii nidad, in particular, it was said that under a duty of seven per cent., foreign goods would find their way into that colony, and great facilities wculd be given to the trade between that island and the continent of South America ; and that cargoes of British and foreign goods would be made up there to the great advantage of the trade in Bri li h manufacture?. It was also hoped that, in cense quence of the high duties levied in the isla a ' of St Thomas, a large portion of the trade now enjoyed by that colony, would be transferred to our islands under a mere liberal system. Upon these representations being male to him, end not being able to see that the sl'ghtest injury would he infl c'ed upon any British interest whatever, he had no hesitation in complying with the stag ge a to as de t him to redu:e the duty from 10 per coot. to 7 per cent. In the first instance he had thought the qneztion who tier it shouli be 10 per cent. or 7 per cent. could only affect the t ansit trade, and it was chiefly with a view to that trade that he had proposed the reduction. Mr. GOUL BURN regretted that the subject had been brought forward when it could not possibly have a full discussion. He would shortly sta'e to the House his views on one of the most importaa t parts cf the resolu tion. The resolutiens proposed effected not merely the ieterests of the colonists, bat of the whole mercantile community of this country. As applied to the colonies alone, no one could deny that the measure would be ad vantageous; but they were bound to consider its ultimate consequeaces rather than the immediste advantage which wouli fl rat to the colonies which it was intended to he fit. The form in which the Han. Gent'eman had proposed 11;s motion, was not one which was calculated tngive that felt'. nfermati ,n which it. was expesii •nt on such a subject to lay le fore the public. The Hcn. Gentleman hsd told them that he proposed to make certain reductions, but he had not stated to w h :t a tidies that reduction would apply. Ile (Mr. Goulburn) would state to the House, that amongst those articles, about one hundred in num wh'ch were admitted into the colonies at a duty of thirty par cent., were leather, linen, and silk. He mentioned these to show the extent to which the measure would affect commercial interests. Cet-on, glass;, soap, refined stager, and other articles were admitted at a duty of 20 per cent. ; hardware and a nu:nber of other articles at 15. per cent. To all these it was proposed to apply a uniform duty of 7 per cent. The present system of duties was of no later date than 1833, when they were concurred .in by ,Mr. Poulett Thomson, then President ef she Board of Trade. The House should have some thing more than a mere general statement before it con seated to so extensive an alteration. It was no trivial question, but one of vast importance. In the West Indies clone the amount of duty according to the last returns was two millions and a halt, in North An - e• - ica three millions and a half. The duties as hitherto levied had been fund to answer all the purposes of the colony. There was another point which required explanation, he fire an opinion could be pronounced upon it. When these duties were imposed is, the West Indies, duties of a similar nature were impesed upon the produce of foreign countries into Great Britain. A duty was imposed upon leather, Hem), and cotton of 30 per cent, when im ported into the colonies, and of from 30 to 40 per cent. when introduced into this country, and so of other arti cles in proportion. If, then, the Right Hon. Gentleman proposed this measure as an experiment towards carrying into effect a similar reduction of duties here, let the House take into consideration the effect that it would have not only upon domestic industry with regard to manufactures, but with respect to the shipping also, by which these ma nuf ctures were transferred. For unless we could show to foreign countries that they could carry on their com merce better in English ships, they would carry it on with th it own shipping ; and, therefore, in-addition to the loss of manufactures, we must make up our minds to sustain a diminution in the number of those employed in the mer cantile marine of this country. He hid addressed these observations to that which was the first resolution on the table, but it would be more convenient to treat the other resolutions generally. Mr. LABOUCHERE said he thought it would be more convenient to discuss the resolutions separately. Mr. G OUL BOURN resumed. Ha thought they were so intimately connected, that they could not well be dis cussed apart. The first resolution most materially affected the industry and shipping of the country, and unless ex plained, might lead to serious changes, and they certainly required more information on the subject than they pos scssed.at present. The second resolution affected another almost as important subject as the trade between the mother country and the c lonie7, namely, the trade be tween our North American possessions and the West Indies. The Honourable Gentleman carried into this trade the same principles which he was about to apply to the trade with foreign countries. He materially reduced the duty on for ign commodities when brought into com• petition vtith North American commodities in the West Indies. Now, he (Mr. Goulburn) must say there never W 33 a moment less fit fur the discussion of such a question than that. There were subjects which excited very sensitive feelings in parties interested, and, considering the situation in which Upper Canada was placed, he considered that it would have been more prudent on gencial grounds to avoid any measure at the present moment that could give them an idea that their interests were likely to be injured by the British Parliament, and more especially if it should be supposed that the measure taken with respect to the trade with the West India Colonies, was to be applied to their trade with Great Britain hereafter, and to affect the great staple commodities its which the province dealt. He should have thought it sound policy to avoid every thing calculated to excite angry feelings, but we had taken a moment to legislate on cur Colonial inter course when Canada had, in fact, no represen tative Assembly, and we had not the means of knoising their sentiments and feelings, with respect to a measure in which they were so deeply interested. He did not undervalue the information and knowledge of the Noble Lord who presided over the colony, but he thought it would have been of the greatest importance to have known, from the representative body in that colony, that the measure about to be adopted was one which, if it did not give general satisfaction, would not be violently ob jected to. For these reasons, therefore, be thought this was an unfortunate moment for bringing forward these re solutions. He could not but entertain a fear that this measure would he injurious to the trade which the North American colonies et pre ent carried on with the West In dies. Under the present system, the lumber trade of the West Indies wilt North America and the British pos ses:Nes was as equally divided as possible, and be thought this resolution could only affect it inju riously. The third and fourth resolutions referred to Canada alone, and really the third resolution was one, the policy of which he did not understand. If the object of 'he resolution was to remove the prohibitory duties at pre sent imposed on the introduction of tea by law into Ca nada, in such a manner as to render smuggling useless, from the wisdom of that policy he did not dissent ; but did the Hon. Gentleman's resolution mend the matter in the least? He imposed a duty so large that so fey from mending the situation he aggravated it. The duty which he proposed to he maintained was a prohibition. The sys tem on which he ought to have proceeded was that adopted by Mr. t, namely to lower the duty imported from Eng land, so as to make it not an object of gain to the smuggler. The Hon. Gentleman must show a strong case of the impessitelity cf levying the duty in other colonies before he introduced the present principle. With regard to the 4th resolution respecting rum, there was no occasion, for any observation. Ile had little other observation to make ext ept that he wished the same degree of liberty had bsea shown in ti e first resolution as ie the last. With respect e trace in Canada, no man could object to give them every advantage possessed by the mother country to pre vent their being made the channel of an illicit trade. He wish ed now only briefly to sum up what he thought im ps ream for their consideration. First, whether or not this was not only the precursor cf.furthet and mere important concessions. Secondly, Whether the House was prepared for such a reduction on the pith - rto large protective duties, and was of opinion that they could be safely abandoned to the extent to which it was proposed to abandon there, without k icing rise to the exclusion of that great part •'' of our numerous manufactures which :Ley now consumed. He thought when the House found the Government so uncertain as to hesitate at the last moment between sums so large as 10 per cent. and 7 per cent. t' ey should themselves hesitate before they ac ceded to the Government proposition. Aneths r subject r their considerm inn was the moral effect these reeirtues o.del have upon, the population of the North American Colonies, especially in Canada, under the circumstances in which that country was now placed. When, however, the Bill was before the House they should have before them the returns fir which he had moved, end be, as he hoped, better qualifi d to come to a tight conclusion upon the sub ject. Hell-, he Ps. ) LABOUCHERE said he had listened to the sp-eeh of the Right Hon. Geetleman with great satLf e tmn, because he was sathfied_ that if a Gentleman of his ability and long experience hod any more valid objections to advance to these resolutions than those which mot every attempt to liberalize the commercial system of thiscountry,he would have stated themupon the present occasion. He could not therefore help thinking that in listening to the speech of the Right Hon. Gentleman he had he: rd all that was to be advanced tgainst the resolutions which he had the honour to rre ye. The Right Hon. Gentleman had said that he (M-. Lshoucherc) ea.s bound to show that no evil would accrue from these resolutions. He had endeavoured to acepi - e every infermati an en these point?, and let any I%,luer;x.biuldstrelnd these con- Hoe. Gentleman come forward and show in what msnner thsy would injurious, but td it h c w w as ou t.m ld pu d s o ti l b at b f e o s r t h t i o m re to . meet rnove apprehensions racPlsPenteshiounr.ss's°onsys;gue end it as those Viet Lai been ads erted to. He thought at G m en u t s l t em h a a u ve b s a t d ruc e k lud tl e s d e House how much the Right Han. b b tl e ie t c b r u gu m m us e t nt e s o s u le s ic in h c s in e g em ; e b i a to ( h 3 i i a r a . ) ou b e ad .er n e e ) v t , o r ttroaldststhienmouforrcewmhruaterrecaiasoinsyistewma s t t i h e a rG t (e whereas we were sa tisfied with light protections in our Easte rn empire, on the other hand we rcte'eel this obsolete and injurious system in our West Indian anti' North American colonies —(Hear.) The onus probandi lay upon those who asserted that there should he one prevision for the East, and another for the West ladies. They ought to recollect, that now they were acting upon a more just pi incVe, treating all alike, there was no excuse for making those differences between the East a'td West Indies. He confessed that is arguing the questian cf the admission of East India rum into this country, it was put strongly to bim by the Hon. Alembpr for Sussex that it was unjust to give those equalities, while they kept up the high prohibitory dutie , . The Right Hon. Gentleman had admitted that the measure he (Mr. Lahouchere) had brought forward was most import nut to the West 'mils intProst. There could be no doubt that that v.a3 the fact; and, as a proof of that, he bad only to state that he had received a memorial from all the We,t India agenti-, with the exception of Tobago, ex pressing the high gratification they felt et the coure that had bean pursued by the Governn:cat. Was t',4, 113 would nothing ?.---Viaa it nothing to conciliate these important interests ?—( (fear, hear.) Ho thought this w as not only a commercial, but a great political question ; and there need be no apprehension of injuring their own commercial inlerests by the adoption of these reso. i iit i ons .—( Hear, hear.) The resolutions had been printed for some time, and be had net heard a single complaint against theta. The manufacturers of the country, ho was happy to say, had begun now to see that they were not protecting their manufactures by high prohibitory duties. THE SUN, LONDON., TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 1-141 The Hon. Gentleman had talked of eee ct t on manufac tures. \Vas it, he would ask, to be supposed that they heel anytl ig to fear from taking off these high duties But the et (lon. Gentleman Ind stated user this ITU net merely a question cf manufactures, but it also ineolved g; eat shippieg question ; he admitted that, and he thought the Heese ought to look most carefelly into the subj. et. lie had most anxiously looked to the effect the resolutions were likely to travel upoli navigation, and he would venture to say that they would have a most beneficial effect. The Right Hon. Gentleman bad said that he apprehended g"cat injury to the c)lonies of British North America by the alterations proposed in the duties by the second rese lotion. Now he (Mr. Laboucliere) was satisfied that the alteration he here proposed would produce no such effects. He was exceedingly surprised at the observations of the Right Hon. Gentleman with reference to the resolution he had proposed relative to tea. He had proposed that tea should be admitted into Canada at a reduced duty from America. He did this at the suggestion of Lord Sydenham, and he believed if the system he proposed we-, adopted, the revenue for t-a would he trebled is amount. Then as to the 4th resolution, he thaught the Right Hon. Gentleman had acted a most urgrate ful part with respect to that, because he had introduced it at the suggeition of the Right lion. Gentleman himse'f. Then with regard to the fisheries, the evil :bat now took place was, that the exemption now enjoyed was made the means cf a most extensive system of smuggling, it was therefore necessary to adopt some remedy, and he thought he had done. so by the resolution he proposed on the suhject. But the Right lion. Gee tien air had said that he had opened the door so wide that he felt ne doubt it would be carried on as much as ever; he (Mr. L.) did not, however, think that such would be the case, with the proper reetrictions he inteaded to pre peso. The Right Hon. Gentleman had twitted him with making alterations in the resolutions since he had brought them before the Howse. He admitted that he had done so, and he was not ashamed of that, as he believed those alterations would be found to be great improvemeets. He did not meat t) say that these resolutims had met v, ith approbation everywhere; but this he did believe, that no resolutions a ere ever proposed in that House that had met with such universal concurrence.—( Hear, hear ) The stsongest opposition he had met with was from persons in the provision trade in the South of Ireland. Its conclu sion, be trusted that the Committee would adopt the re solutions he had j - roposcd. Mr. COLQ UllO UN said that with many of the previ sions in the resolutions lie entirely c r curred ; but his ob jection to the measure of the Right Hon. Gentleman was that by it he made promises, but he did not perform them. He did not think that byethe resolutions the East and West India colonies were placed on the same footing, for the same articles bore different duties. In the East Indies a duty was imposed upon woollen manufactures of 2 per cent., and upon cotton manufactures of 3i. per cent, whereas in the West Indies even under the proposed alteration there would be a duty upon these trattufactures of 7 per cent. Linen, glass, silk, and leather were admitted into our East India possessions without any discriminating duty what ever ; upon these articles in the West Indies the resolu tions imposed a discriminating of 7 per cent. The Hon. Gentleman, then Member for Wigan, in speaking of these resolutions had called it a system of free trade. He (Mr. Colquhoun) could net agree with the lion. Member in that definition. It was, however, a very important and use ful measure, and he trusted the House would be induced to extend still further benefits to our colonial possessions. Mr. HUME said it was quite cheering to hear the speech of the Right Hon. Gentleman after that of the Hon. Gentleman the late Chancellor of the Exchequer. He thought the Government were entitled to the grati tude of the House for the measure which they had intro duced. He agreed, however, with the Hon. Gentleman who had just addressed the House, that the measure did not go far enough. Many articles which were admitted free of duty into the East Indies were still subjected to a heavy duty in the West. He must say, he had been ex tremely surprised to bear the Member for the University of Cambridge rasing fears and alarms as to the result of this measure. To show how unfounded were such fears, he would state the result of those changes which had taken place in our commercial system in 1815, 1823, 1824, and 1825. The Hon. Gentleman had spoken of maintaining the colonial principle. What was that principle ? It had been that of exclusiveness and monopoly. One result of that system bad been to give to Newfoundland a monopoly by which it was first exempted from all duty, and then a duty of 25 per cent, was imposed upon all fish im ported into the West Indies. If they meant to deal with the West Indies as they were dealing with the East Indies, they should let the colonists maintain their own custom-howee. Upwards of 500,0001. a year was levied in the cclonies under the British Custom-house officers, not one farthing of which came to England : and yet it was proved that upwards of 140,0001. was paid annually by this country to maintain those establishmente. He advised his Hon. Friend the Chan cellor cf the Exchequer to consider what bad been the result of the partial relaxation of the old system. Let him look at the change which had taken place since the re moval of the monopoly in the Indian trade. The total annual value of the exports from Great Britain, in the year 1814, was 1,874,0001. In the twelve years that followed, under a comparative free tilde, the exports increased to 3,499,000/. ; whilst in 1839, after the trade had been thrown open, it had increased to 5,600,000/. In exact proportion to the relief of the trade of that immense continent from the old monopoly, had the resources both of India and of our own country been developed. He well recollected the shipownera attending the House for the purpose of opposing the measures brought forward by the•late Mr. Huskisson, Which they did upon the ground that they were calculated to iejure them. But what was the result? It was said that the effect would be that the Americans would, in twenty years, destroy the whole of our trade. In 1815, the commencement of the reciprocity with the United State?, and the first real step in free trade, the inward tonnage was 1,379,000. In the last year it was 3,101,000. In 1824 Mr. Huskisson reduced the duty on raw silk to a low amount, and on thrown .si k from 15s. Bd. to rates varying from Sc. 6d. to Is. 6d. In the ten years preceding 1824, under the pro tective system, the average consumption of raw silk under the protective system was 1,940,0001b5. ; in the twelve succeeding years 4,169,000, and in 1839 5,000,000. Not only so, but England bad become an exportiag country. Last year she had exported 860,0001b5. of manufactured silk, 66,00011)s. of which had been sent to France ; and he felt sure that if the whole trade in the manufacture of silk were thrown open, and a reasonable duty imposed, it would go on increasing, and our artisans find more steady employ ment. The same was true of linen, iron, and every other commodity on which the duty had been reduced. Inever} instance in which there had been a relaxation of the duty on imports the export trade had improved. In no trade was the improvement more remarkable that in that of linen. All the duties ought to be reduced to a duty for revenue, and there should be no such thing as a protecting duty. If that principle were adopted in this country, other countries would follow the example. It was to be remembered that we had now a new population in our dominions—the free black population.—(Hear, hear.) The first step for their i.nprovernent would be to put the West and East Indies en an equality is respect to customs duties c,f every kind. He recommended this to the consideration of the Noble Lord the Secretary for the Colonies, whose enlightened policy on colonial affairs did him the greatest honour. lie heard, with tl e greatest pleasure, the Noble Lord, in his speech on the Newfound lend question the ether night, intimate a desire to leave thd colonies to regulate their own affairr.—( Hear.) He hoped the Noble Lord would leave them to regulate their own affairs isa respect to customs duties and revenue.— ( Hear.) He was sorry to have heard a Noble Lord ia tl • other House (Lord Ashburton) who had been in this House, who was one of the greatest advocates of free trade, caet a most unfounded imputation on a Committee of the House of Commons, of which he ( Mr. Hume) was Chai-- man. He had applied to the Noble Lord to cot tr :diet the statement in another place, and as that had not been dune be thought it due to the- Committee to state that the charges made against it were not well founded. In, con clusion be hoped the Government wordd persevere in the wise course of commercial pal cy which they had com menced. Mr. lIERRIES said it was not the object of Hus kisson to destroy that ststeno, but to ascertain the point to which duties might he lowered without removing the protection.—( Hear, hear.) He thought that the Com mittee of Inquiry had collected a useful map of informa ti,n, for which they deserved thanks. But lookirg to the short time in which that information had been collected, and that it is rally ex parte and all on one side, he thought it was nt,t to be endured in this country that any step should be taker, upon it without hearing evidence on the other side. He had expected that there would le ano ther Committee appf in.ed of a more enlarged constitu tine, comprehending a greater variety of of anions. With respect to the opinions attributed to Mr. Huskisron he must say that it was an injustice to that statesman to ray that he was an advocate for fro e trade, and it was an in justice to his colleagues to say that they were less liberal than he.—(Hear, hear.) His Right Honourable Friend the Member fir Tamworth, and his other colleaguei, concurred in everyone of his measures; and he (Mr. Herries) never had any difference of opinion aii;ll him upon this subject. (Hear, hear.) If the Right Honourable Gentleman (Mr. Labouchere) would follow cut the same principles, as it appeared from Ilia si.each this evening be was resolved to do, that is, to re duce the duties as low Ad were consistent with protection, he should have as cordial a support from that (the Oppe sition) as from the other side of the House.—( Mar.) He would not touch upon the details of the Bill until they came regularly before the House. But there mai one point to which he wished to adveit—the case of those traders wh ose i nterests would be damaged by substituting a duty o f 24 per cent. upon tea imported by land into C,nada for the present prohibition. They were convinced that smuggling, after the alteration, would be carried on theiremc e:lCanada ud c urae a n 3t couldatoughtsh ept raio:ectegoe the b . leca e dt u consid ered, nt subjecthsocd to a greater extent than at present, and he thought that before utheyt (cdo asked nsthipdoreorwpva Provinces soc p nef o o.s s r e o t af l thenrAetdol their Lord J. RUSSELL agreed in the general description given of the policy of Mr. Huskisson, although he thought the descrii,ti n had scarcely gone far enough.—(Chcers.) He was rejoiced to hear that the Right Hon. Gentlemen hiroFe'f, Lord Liverpool, and the Right Hon. Baronet the Member for Tarnwortb, had agreed wit!) Mr. Huskissefi in opioiun. The support given by Mr. Canning to those principles was well known. He was the last wan who wpul,l think if arrogating to his own party, or his own Governme :4, the merit of those p r i ne i- pies • on the contrary , he y, P t was.g lad to find such a general con CLITTCIIC!. in th e m on the other side of the Ho use , and he hoped they would be carried i oto effect by the largest majority postoVe, and, provided these principles could h e ca rried into effect, he would willingly let former Geyrrn_ meats have all the credit of them.—(Cheers.) The Right Hoy. Gentleman who had opened the debate had, how ever,l'ff mot ton", confessing spoken in a co t. that the reso lutions were good in themselves, and that . the nicaoures • osed would be advantageous to the colonies; plop olomes •he thought the example of thiS good, and these advantages were so noxious, tbat it was impossible to say what might follow.— (Cheers and laughter.) He thought the desire to hat e better and cheaper ar;icles was so catching, that other branches of industry would be desirous of posseaing the same advautages.—(Loud cheers.) If he bad mis. interpreted the Right Hon. Gentleman's meaning then he would sly that the g acting of that which was advantageous cOuld never form a precedent for graneing that whieb was i jurnos; and when that which was iejuil us should b prorio:ed, no doubt the Right Hen. Gentleman would sud • c.ed in defesting it. He (Lora J. Russell) did net er prove of that system which forced the colon'Ets to take British manufactures to their own great i jury, end thee, by way of compensation, fore d the farmers and labourers of the United Kingdom to take the produce ; and, in reply to t',e complaints of the farmers and the labourers, geac them in the it tura advantages at the expense of the menu which, seeking the a fac u d : at r i t e a r g s. e f T a h a w p t ar t a i s a c ul a v r l system,e c i l oaisss s ,l:nt sight of the benefit of the whole community.—( Cheers.) He understood the policy of M - . Huskisson to be to grant a certain protec tion, but not such a one as should citable the manufacturer to set competition at defiance.—( Cheers.) Such had been his policy with respect to the silk manufacture; and such had been the po:iey of Mr. P•t , in 178(3 with respect to cloth and earthenware ; the consequence had Veen the iaiprovemeet of the manufacture in every in stance. Ii the Right Hon. Gentleman adhered to his prieciple of granting only the honest rate of protection re quired, he would not find any great difference of opinion between himself and her Majesty's Government on the subject in debate. In the present state of the country, protection was necessary; but it should-not be so'given as to give one class a superior advantage, when compared c there. The Right lion. Gentleman d ished for en. other Committee ; he left it to the members of the Corn nr:ttee of last year to v:ndicate their proceedieg; ; hut when the Right lion. Gentleman expressed his r greet that persons of greater experience had not Leen es aarieed te fore that Committee, he owned that he knew not who could have affordeil more information than ore of the gentleman they had examined—he meant Mr. Hume.-- ( Cheers.) lie had been lone - engaged in p u bli c affeirs— had been in the confidence of Mr. Huskisson—and with re gard to experience he knew not if they had gone further how they could have found better in that respect. The evi dence taken be fee that Committee contained a mass of valuable information, and greet credit was due to those who made that information available; but whatever mea sures the t overnment brought forward would not be brought fersard solely en the grounds of their accordance with the recommendations of that Committee; they would be brought forward because the Cabinet considered they were based on proper and just princ;plese That Ge vernment would be acting in a mean and nnsatisfac tory manner which should merely say, here are mea sures brought forward solely because they arc in ac cordance with the recommendation cf the Import Com mittee. They were bound to consider these important subjects in every point of view, and then to propose that which they though most needful, and, be their opinions right or wrong, there was a general agreement on that point in the Csbinet ; they were prepared to bring forward such measures as they m;ght think useful for the country, and would net shrink from the responsibility of those tree surea on which Parliament and the country must decide. They were not insensible of the immense importance cf the subject. They brought forward these measures because it vi an granted that some such measures were necessary, and they endeavoured to adopt the line of policy which was auppoi ted by the gre atest weight of argument and expe rience, and if they were not mistaken in their views they were carrying out the policy calculated to confer on the conntry the greatest bent fits, and if they failed they would have this consolation, that their intention had been to pro mote the commerce, the industry, and the fortunes of this mighty empire.—(Loud cheers.) Mr. HERRIES explained that when speaking of those who had given evidence before the Committee he had not intended to state that they were persons without knowledge or experience. From his knowledge of Mr. Hume he was the last man in the world to speak lightly of that gentle man, to whose character and attainments he willingly bore testimony. He regretted that the Committee had not in vestigated the other side of the question, and that the opi nions of those supporting it had not been put upon record. Mr. L BOUCHERE deprecated the hints that bad been thrown out by the Right Hoe. Gentleman, that a further Committee was necessary on the subject ; he never could agree to that, as it would only lead to delay. Mr. VILLIERS, after the able and satisfactory speeches that had been made that night, had some scruple in address ing the House. Nothing, he confessed, since he had a seat in that House had been so satisfactory to him as the statements that bad been made that night by several of her Majesty's Ministers.—( Hear, bear.) He could as sure the House that he should watch most closely in order to see how they carried out the principles they had that night professed. The speech of the Right Honourable Gentleman opposite that night had net surprised him; he had attacked the Committee, because he conceived there had been evidence received mere. upon one side than the other. Now, he must say that such was not the case. The Committee did not call the witnesses for the purpose of hearing their opinions, but in order that they might state facts and ex plain official documents ; and the facts that had been sub stantiated alone gave the inquiry importance. What was inquired into by the Committee was what duties were imposed for revenue and what for protection. All the witnesses that were examined before that Committee were persons of unblemished character, and one of them, a most honourable man, had stated that the taxes which pressed upon the people were far greater than those raised for the purposes of revenue. He attached great importance to these resolutions, because they recognised a most important principle; they recognised the principle with respect to the colonies, that I.berty in trade was cc sential to their prosperity.—( Hear.) The Right Hon. Gentleman the Member for Cambridge seemed to him to ad vocate the principle of monopoly when be of to these resolutions. It seemed to him that the Presideet of the Board of Trade had proposed these resolutions under the conviction that the old policy, with respect to trade in the colonies, was totally ineffectual for the purposes intended. Mr. Huskisson was of that opinion years ago, but he seemed afraid to adopt any measures on the subject. There seemed to him no ground for the opposition to this mea sure, save that which had been hinted at by the Right Honourable Gentleman—that it recoguised a prin ciple that might be applied in other matters. Nothing in his opinion could be so injurious to the colonies as the present restrictive duties. The system adopted with respect to trade in the colonies was rotten to the core, and must be remedied, and nothing was more likely to effect that ob ject than the present resolutions. He was ready to take these resolutions, smal as they were, as an instalment to wards a great principle; and he thought they were an earnest of good intentions on the part of the Government and the House. He lamented that so long a time had elapsed before any Minister of the Crown had thought proper to bring forward a motion like the present, but he was at the same time rejoiced to find that a small progress had been. at length made in the right direction, and should have his best support. Mr.' G. PALMER said that the Hon. Member for Kilkenny, and the Hon. Member who had just sat down, had clearly enough pointed out the injurious conse quences that would result from carrying out these resolutions on the principles proposed by the Right Honourablo. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade ; and the Honourable Member for Wolverhampton had distinctly shown that so sure as one reduction of duty took piece, another must follow.--(" No, ne.") The Irish provision merchants would assuredly put in their claim, and then there would be a cry to take the duty off Bil,ic timber, and, in fact, to remove all protectise dutes.— ( Heir, hear.) It appears i to him that the subject required much further consideration before they proceeded to legis late upon it. Mr. BINGHAM BARING, who was very indistincily beard, was understood to complain of the ca,nstitution cf the Committee, which had examined witnesses upon one and the result was that they had left very importaq interests unprotected and urdifmded, With resrect to the observations of the Hort. Member for Wolverhampton upon what had been said elsewhere, he must say that they sz.voured of that flippancy which generally characterised the ohsi.rvations of that Hon. Member.—( Loud er:es of " Order.") He hoped the Committee would allow bill to precedes.—(Loud cries of " Chair.") Ile had net used these expressions without due consideration, and be should not submit to the observations of the Hon. Member. Mr. VILLIERS wculd repeat that the observa tions which had been trade with reference to the constitution of the Committee were personal, offai sive, and unfounded.—(Loud cries of " Heir, hca-.") The noble ptrsorage to Whom they both refcriei had stated that the constitution of the Committee sLvoured of trawl, and trick, and coLtrivance. Now a Committee . more fairly chosen, cr nv, - ;ro dispeted to do jusii.c to all paitie3 interested, ncver was appointed by that flcuse; and it was fir the House to inquire wi.e , ber a Committee formed r.ceordipg to the usage of that House, cotill be said to s;ivJur of fraud, trick, and corniivanc , . As to any ob,icrvations made by tl'e Hop. Membcr towards himself, he treated them with the most perfc•:;t contempt, and would not waste time by replying to anything the Hoe. Member might chose to call Hat to order for.—( Hear, and cries of Chair.") Mr. HUME was proceeding to make some remarks, upon the constitution of the Committee, when, Mr. GOULBU'IIN ruse to order. The House had just seen exemplified the wisdom of the rule wh'ch pro hibited reference to statements made in the other House of Parliament. They bad a few minutes ago seen the natural consequences of references of this nature,—a refe rence being misunderstood by one gentleman, which, if properly understood, would not have justified his observe. tions, and calling forth from the other side of the House irri.ating expressions, from a gentleman who was connected with the person in the first instance personally attackei. He was sure, therefore, the House would pardon him for interposing to prevent reference to the debates in the other House of Parliament, which were not necessary for the illustration of the subject, and which were only calculated to excite ill-ceelings.—( Hear, hear.) Mr. HUNkE said that be had no wish to excite ill-feel ings, but the trun should be told.--(Hear, bear.) . The CHAIRMAN said he bad teen that nearly the greater part of the discussion this evening had been irre levant. He was sorry to say that since be had first entered the House, attention to the old rul , of not referring to what passed in the other House of Parliament ha r d been gradually growing less and less. He had been unwilling to interfere ou the present occasion, because he had seen such references made without being checkel on various occasions, but be was quite feasible that it was clearly an irregularity of practice; and as ill feelings were excited by it, be trusted that the good sense of the Hon. Member would induce him to desist. —( Hear, hear.) Mr. B. BAH ING said a few words, w hich wer e in audible Mr. HUME said that he had cop ied the words f r om the M orn i ng Ch ron i c l e an d sen t them to the Noble Lord, and asked hi m what), r they were a correct re p ort of what he had said, and he (Mr. Fl u me) had the Noble Lord' s own a d n d is i on that i t was c orrect.—(Cheers.) lie would the 'feeli ngs c f H on. Gentlemen opposite were so sensi not.Furiue the subject further th an to sa y , that if tive, they should not blame those who were first attacked for defending their characters. Mr. B. BARING said he could assure the House that it Was not Lis wish to excite unpleasant feelings; but wh Pn it Was stated that he had blamed the witnesses, he begged to say that he bad never made use of any such expressions, but he considered the proceedings of the Committee were i , regulsr, and deserving of t'ie designs tor: he had given them. Aqer a few wart's from W HITE, The CHAIRMAN slid thst b• fire be 1 ft the Chair he thoeeht it bocornieg to take netiee cif some exer. Leis that had been u,ed ie the caurse cf the debater.—( Hear.) He was sure the worth had fail n from gentlemen on cacti side from ntisconce;:tien and irritation, natural at the moment. He therefore hoeci the Commtttee would confirm and second his efforts ie calling upon each Hon. Member to consider the words that had f,tl n from him with a view to al explanation.—(Cheere, and cries of " Question," " Chair," " Baring.") Ms. Villiers, who had left his se it, haring resume' it, the Chairman repeated his observations, and called upon both Hon. Gentlemen to explain their words and retract the m. Afier some delay and confusion, Lord MOR PETH rose and expressed a hope th , t the Hon. Gentleman would run a race with each other in reply to the very propr appeal that had been made to them in ceneequance of expressions which must haee arisen from the warmth of diecussi en and the irregularity of their proceedings. Perhaps, under the circumstances, it was rather natural for the feelings of the Hon. Member for Wolverhampton to be somewhat hurt at being referred to in a way which he did net think his conduct ent:Ved him; and he was sure that his Hon. Friend (Mr. B. Baring) must have thought that his relation had been ilr prcperly reflected upon. Under these circumstances, he hope I 'hat the ill feelings that had arisen from mistaken views, would subside upon mutual explanation.—(fleas. ) Mr. 13. BARING said he was always ready to apologise to anybody whom it was countered tl at he had insulted. On this occasion he Lai felt much hurt and irritated at the expressions of the lion. Gentleman, and had there upon expressed his natural feelings. If he retracted any- Gene that he had said the Hon. Member must also retrixt his offensive expressions.—(Hear, hear.) He had no in tention of falling out with anybody.—( Hear, hear.) Mr. VILLIERS said he was pe.feetly willing to re tract any express on he had used at all offensive to the Hon. Member. He believed what the Hon. Nrember con sidered offensive was the expression he ( Mr. Viiliers) had used with iefe-ence to what had fallen from a relativo of tl.e Hon. Gentleman. That relat:ve had admitted that the expressions he complained cf were used, and he thought the House would be satisfied that ho (Mr. Villiers) was justified in feeling offended at them, and he certainly was astonished at the words used by the Hon. Member towards 'aimself personally.—( Hee-, hear.) Mr. BARING said that offensive expressions were totally abhorrent to his character and f clings. He would say no more after what be had already said.—( Hear. ) The subject then dropped, and the Committee resumed the business before it. In reply to some observations of Mr. GO ULBURN that did not reach us, Mr. LABOUCHERE said he had thought it to be his duty to move for a Committee of the House of Commons, because such a Committee would give an intimation to the country that the Government thought inquiry should be made whether or not these duties should to sl tered. It was his intention to adhere entirely to the principles laid down by Mr. Huskisson, who that great statesman brought ferward his corn., e , cial resolutions in 1825. But though he thought these reso lutiorq were the best that could have been then proposed, with any chance of carrying them into effect, he did not think they were in accordance with the principles he tad himself laid down.—(Hear, hear.) Sir C. DOUGLAS said, that having been a Member of the Committee that had been alluded to, he could net allow the subject to pass without a few observations. He must say he did not think this Report of the Committee was calculated to give the public a fair impression of the state of the case. They had not time for a full investig tion, and on this account, towards the close of the Com mittee, he had proposed that they should move for the reappointment el a Committee to continue the investi gation. He was the only Member on his side of the House who attended it. lie must say he thought the di gest that had appeared was not b fair digest. It gave a ore-sided idea of a most one-sided Report.—( Hear.) Mr. HUME said with regard to the Report being one sided, it should be remembered that it was only so as being the Report of the majority of the Committee. The Hon. Member was in the minority, and complained, as all minori ties did, of the unfairness of the tyrannical majority.— ( lhar.) He would ask the Hon. Member to instance any act of unfairness in the Committee, or whether they refused to put any question or to hear any observation that was offered ? In that Committee the question of Corn-laws was found to- be so connected with the subject that they could not put a question which did not in some way or other involve that question. He contended that their digest was a fair one. Mr. VILLIERS said one result of the Committee was that the Hon. Member for Wbitny, had declared to him that if the Committee were to sit another week, he believed be would become as good a free trader as himself. Lord SAND ON said that all the evidence taken before that Committee was on one side. There was not sufficient time allowed to go into the whole subject. His Hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade must have seen the evils which bad arisen from it. In many branches of trade great suspension of business had arisen from the excitement which had followed. It was a purely ex parte statement. He did not impute blame to any one, hut he deprecated the system. Mr. WARD said if the evidence were only ex parte it would have had very little effect upon the country. Im putations had been made against the Committee on ac count of its Report. That Report would be received quantum valeat. The real objection to it was, that it had brought out most important facts—( Hear, hear)—facts which had been appreciated in the great manufacturing and mercantile community, and which had taken a firmer held of the public mind than any evi dence which had ever been given in a Com mittee of that House, and such a strong feeling had been created that no evidence which could be brought for ward would be able to shake the public conviction as to what was the only safe basis of legislation.—( Hear.) Lord SANDON said that that was what he complained of.—(A laugh.) His objection was, that the evidence had been all one side. Mr. SCI-lOLEFIELD said that the ICommittee had had one good effect, namely, that of opening the eyes of the people to the injustice of the Corn laws. Knowing, as he (lid, the distresses of the people, he thought they should have been treated with more tenderness than they had been by the Right Hon. Gentleman the Member for Cambridge. Mr. GOULBURN explsised. Mr. HUME was proceeding to addiess the House, when he was interrupted by cries of " Chair, chair." We understood the Hon. Gentleman to defend the Com rnittee from the charge of entering into the question of the Corn-laws, on the ground that where the food of the people was concerned great allowance ought to be made. All the resolutions were , then put and agreed to, and were to be reported te-morrow. Mr. LA BO UCH ERE stated Hut he intended to pro po.se that the resolutions should conic into operation on tire Ist of January; 1842. METROPOLIS IMPROVEMENTS BILL. On tie motioi of Mr. E J. STANLEY, this Bid was read a third time and passed. CRIMINAL JUSTICE. On the Order of the Day being read for the. Howe going into'Committee on tee Crimiral Justice Mr. BOLLING objected t) its being tbeo proceeded wi h, and moved that the House do now adjourn. Mr. F. MAULE said he hoped the House would not adopt the motion of the Hon. Gentleman. The inhabitants of Birmingham, Manchester, and of every other large tcwn, were most anxious that the Bill should be passed rhout drl , y. He trusted the Hon. Gentleman. would Elk e the propriety of withdrawing his motice.. After a few words from Sir C. DOUGLAS, against proceeding with the Bill. TEe ATTORNEY GENERAL said, that if he bad reason to bireve that Hon. Members were absent on the supposition that the Bill would not come before the House, he would most willingly consent to the adjournment; but as be believed the contrary to be the fact, he must ask the House to proceed. The subject was 6f the last import ance. The administration of justice in towns would be paralysed by delay. MI. AINSWCIRTH said be bereved the petition al luded to by Hon. Colleague had been got up under tLe idea that the Town Council mere going to raiFe rates to build gaols; they v ere going to do no such thing, and he hoped that the Attorney-Ger.eral would proceed with the Bill. Mr. L. BRUG ES had understood that the Bill was to be brought on to.night, and had attended, under that idea. It was - of great importance to the town be Jcpresentcd and ho hoped it would go into Committee to.n;ght. Sir. C. DOUGLAS explained. After a few words from Mr. BOLLING, Strangers were ordered to withdraw, and the House di. vidcd. • For Mr. Bolling'a motion of adjournment Agsiust it Majority against the amendment On our re-admission we Lund Mr. BOLLING objecting to proceeding with the B.P. Mr. LABOUCHE RE aped, seeing the general feel ing of the House, that the Hon. Member would sufEr the Bill_ to proceed. Mr. - BOLLING only aided for delay until after Easter. Arrangements had been made with Manchester and Birmingham, and perhaps they might be made with Bolton if time were granted. ' The ATTORNE Y-GE NERAL said ample time would be allowed, as it would be impossible the Bill could be read a third time before the holidays. Mr. BOLLING would not persist pertinaciouily in op position to the wishes of the House, but he thought the House was hardly now in sufficient numbers to discuss such a Bill as the present. TLe House then went into Committee on the Bill. On the reading of the first clause, Mr. LUDLOW BRUGES moved an amendment to insert after line 23 the folloniqg words :—" And also any sum of money not exceeding. the amount of any principal sum which previously to the passing of this Act shall have I been raised for any of the purposes afensaid, and which shall be outstanding on security at the time of thr passing of this Act, and therewith to pay off and discharge the whole or any part of the money for which such security shall have been given provided, that every sum of money to Le raised fer the discharge of such outstand ing loans and securities, shall be raised and borrowed on such terms and conditions as shall in no respect prevent or delay the IT-payment thereof within the time prescribed _by this Act, such time to be computed from the date of such outstanding seeurities respectively." The amendment was adopted, and the clause as amended agreed to. Oa the reading of the second clause. Mr. L. BRUGES moved an amendment that rftn the word " rates" in line 13, th.: following should . be in serted t—" And every s uc h sce nt. ty shall be regsstered by the Clerk of the Peace, or some other officer of such bc- rough, appointed fur such purpose, in a book to Le kept by him for registering such securities; and it shall and may be lawful for every person who - shall be entitled to the money so to be scoured, and such i_erson, his executors and adininiitr4tors, is and are hereby empowered (by endorsing his, her, or their name or names oil the b of ,ueh qecur:ty), to trans:c- fre 4: d o r their ring% t, to the p inc p l rnon:-s to est tlie , eby seeur4,d, w,to Itiv other s such as -igne may in to nnflr transfer the tam,: [Tam, a~cl so from time to titre, as clrcurnstances may requ'rr, and the per , n to a hem such. , ecuri!‘. nr any as :g her-or i.i ex, eutars, letadruA e r,:to, an; ar,51,01,4 shall hit creditors upon the slid borough find or rate, er gaol rat-s, in an equal degree one with another ; and the said Mayor, Mderm: n, and Burgesses: by their Council, shall direct in whet order such securities shall be die charged, by dr,ming lots, or otherwise, us the . y eec fit, staoject ucv,:rtliel , ::ss to the discharge in the first place of a'l such securities as shall bear the highest rate of in terest." anSCV Vr After a short discusEi , n the clause, with t'lis amend ment, was zgre,d Cl uses 4 and 5 vere agreed to. Clause 6 was also agreed to, after a few observations from Mr. MnsTz and the ATTORNEY GENERAL. • Mr. W. PATTEN proposed to insert a cl , n , e, jet of which f r the comp , nsßtion of offic,ts, and the confirmation of tl.e Charter of the tour of Manche ter. Mr. M PHILLIPS opposed the el:,use. Mr. CO URTENAY complained of tiv , unfai , .ness of di cussing the clauses of so important a n.cas.ure at so late a period of the tog t, and vtith so thin an :attendance of Members. It would almost tempt one to off , r cv,:ry op_ position to the.forther progress of the measure. Mr. AIUNTZ moved that the town of Birmingham be addel to the clause. The ATTORNEY- OENERAL thought thzt the clause:, ought to b? wir,te:', and taken i-.to condleratiAi at a ftrure s!ogo of the Bill they were too important to discuss without precious notice. Air. WILSON PATTEN said if it were the wish of the House he would V 6 ithdraw the clause for the present, but he suogested that the Chairman should report progress and ask leave to sit again. They could thr.'n discuss the clause in Committee, which was a much more convenient way of doilg it than upon the bringing up of the Report. Mr. AG LIO NB Y objected to. the Chairman reporting progress. Mr. B ROT II E RTON thought it would be a very gre hardship t , force these clauses upon the Committee w:tb• out previous notic-. After a few words from Lord SA NDON, The . tiouse resumed, and the Chairman reported pro. gresP, and obtained leave to sit again. The Royal Burghs (Scotland) and the Parliamentary Burghs (Scotland) Bills were read a second time, and ordered to be committed. The .ATTORNEY-GENERAL la Ireland brou2ll in a Bill t.) amend the laws for the relief of irsolven debtors in Inland, which was read a first time. The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of end the House rdjourned at One o'Clock. WEST LONDON RAILWAY COl'l PAN Y. A Spc ci al G , neral Meeting _of the Shareholders the above Company, was yesterday held at the Company's Offices, . Abehurch lune, pursuant to adjeur.imeet from Monday laet. Toe Chair was taken ehortly after our o'clock by W. Morgan, Esq., the Deputy Chairman of the Company. The CHAIRMAN said that at the last meeting, various plans had been proposed of which he thought it necessary to say a few words. It had been proposed to abandoe th e matter altogether; now that plan could not be adopted without the consort &very individuel Shareholder having been obtained. Another question that had been asked was, would not any other Company take them up. The answer to that was, that none could, until they had ex erted themselves to put their litre into a proper state. For two years they had been delibe;ating, and now the time for action had arrived. ' Something must be done. Creditors were pressing them, and the landowners along the line would resume the land if they did not pro ceed. They had lost law suits merely because tl;ey had not money, and their works were going to ruin from the same cause. Al er their Act had been obtained, two ex tensions of the li• e to Knightsbridge and to the Thames had been proposed ; that that plan would have been suc cessful he did not doubt, but it did not meet with the ap probation of the Shareholders, and at the last meeting it had been determined to abandon it. There was then what he would call the medium plan fur carrying the line from one canal to the other; by that plan he proposed to abide. There were two wirer plans—one for carrying the line to the Hammersmith-road only, and another for stopping short at the Uxbridge-road, he considered both ohjecaionable; the traffic on a fraction of a line was always small com pared to that on a continuous line. It would be like building a bridge half-way over a river. The plan con tinuing the line from canal to canal, would save their powers under the Act. The Water Works Company and the Metropolitan Roads Company had behaved exceed ingly liberally to them in granting all they asked, but those Companies took it for granted they would proceed at once with the work, and basing obtained their Act, they were bound to the public to complete the line, and not to leave it a pool of stagnant water injurious to the health of the neighbourhood. If they carried the lines to the points proposed there were ether Companies who would take it up and extend it to the Thames and to Knightsbridge,, and when they considered how high up the Iron Steam-boats extended, if they had a pier cut at Bat tersea they might fairly calculate upon a great increase in passengers' traffic. The plan proposed for raising the money had been stigmatised as swamping the Share holders ; he should be exceedingly sorry that any should be injured, but now they were all swamped, and the only question was should they spend a little more money to re trieve what they had sunk. Something had been said of the Great Western Railway Company. He did not think the Chairman or Directors of that Company would sanc tion anything improper, and he had been given to under stand that the alteration made by that Company in the rails would net be at all injurious. They had an able engineer, respectable caetractors acre willing to under take the work, and ho hoped they might look forward to the day when the railroad would be a source of honour and emolument to the Shareholders.—( Cheers. ) Dr. CARPUS said the line was not in so deplorable a state as it had been represented to be. He had gone over it, and with the exception of the wall, every part of it was in the highest order. The land in the neighbourhood of the line b:longing to the Company was of the greatest value. Mr. WHITE (having first protested against being sup posed to compromise his claims on the Company by taking part in the proceedinga of the day) said that at the last meeting he had moved the adjournment because the Directors were not prepared to state what might be the results of their plans as to the working the line, and the real cause of all their mis fortunes had been that no definite scheme had ever been laid before the Proprietors. A certain gradient had been adopted, and a stationary engine was to be employed to over come the declivity of the hill, and the loecmotive traction was to be employed to do the level wink ; and if that scheme had been been cariied forward there would have been little to complain of, except so far as they had been interrupted by the Great Western line. Then again it had been proposed to adopt a gradient capable of being worked by horse power. They ought certainly to consider the mode of traction to be adopted, and if they could show that by any plan a fair end reasonable profit would be ensured, no doubt their shares would rise in the market. It was r ecessary that the traction to be adopted should be not only rapid but economical, and if they could show that their proposed scheme was economics and prtfi%ble, no doubt they Vould soon be able to raise the money. He believed that they might real ze more profit by their land than they had lost by their blunders. Their great object in all they did ought to be to show the public that there was some reason able expectation of a profitable result. Is bad been said the other day the coal traffic was of little consequence ; now, since that, he bad ascertained that one concern alone at Nottingham sent up by the canal 500 tons of coal a week, and employed nine sets of barges on the canal in that traffic. With regard to the value of the land, he had positive information that one plot of less than three quarters of an acre, bounding their own land, fetched 1001.. per annum, and that a neighbouring piece of less than half an acre was let for 801. a year, and yet they had sold land for 150/. an acre, when 100/. a year had been ob tained for three-quarters of acre in the immediate neigh bourhood. The value of the land they had purchased of Scott was equal to at least 3,0001., and the seventy-five acres they possessed at that farm were worth from 300/. to 500/. an acre. Now, that would be more than sufficient to cover all their debt. He had no doubt cf this, and he did not speak unadvisedly, because he had had great expe rience in the increased value given to land by improve ments. The Grand Junction Canal Company were now getting 2601. an acre for land which they had purchased at' 20/. an acre. He had been asked the other day by the worthy Knight what was his project. He had put on paper his ideas on the subject, which he would now submit to the irneetir g. (The worthy Proprietor then laid on the table, first, a plan which he had submitted to the Company on the 24. h of September, 1839; secondly, a modification of that plan, by which it was proper el to keep the canal Constantly full of water, so as to secure the benefit of wharfage on its banks; thirdly, a project submitted to the Comp :ny in November, 1840, but to which he would net now further refer, as the present proposition of the Direc tors contained no provision for croKieg the Than' . es. The fourth alas a proptisition submitted in Jute, 1840, for step ping at the Uxbridge-road, and suggeitirg that a station should be erect•A there immediately. The line might be completrd to that point for horse traction on a single line of rails for 10,000. They had heard nothing from the en gineer of the mode of traction which he proposed to em ploy, and until they knew that they could not say that they had the full and perfect scheme before them. No. b was a . plan he had drawn up in consequence of what had passel the other day, relative to continuing the line to the north side of the Hammersmith road ; that would entiil a large expeaditnrc—they would have ORC bridge to build, and including drainage he thought it could not be accom . plisbed for lc"ss than 20,0001. Paper Ne. 6 was a plan for raising 20,0001, by loan, to be secured on all the available securities of the Company ; the money to be a 'vat - iced for fi,e year?, at five per cent. interest, payable half yearly, the persons advancing it to have the option of conver log their advances into shares, or giving six months' notice, and the Company to hate the. tight f re paying the money, also giving notice ; that would give them some hope of paying off money, becatEe, if they set about completing the railroad in earnest, he had no doubt but that their shares ‘Vouli soon be at par. This plan would swamp nobody. If they avrUed themselves of their own resources, they would soon be independent of the Great Western Company, who had not behaveJ properly to them. The work alluded to by the Chairman had been done by that Company without consulting them. He contended that Company ought to have given them notice of their iLtentiow: They ought to he independent of that Comp4nr. He should like to see thz. line carried to the London and Birmingham line; fix he, tsar sure that, enntidering the two turoel; ticit C lire ;lotted hrough, two sets :of rails would nit h suffi ri,:„; IT the work, and the) shoult g,'t a share of the trAffie—rnore especiilly if they could carry their line to the 'Tharree. He considered the plan of the Directors its one calculated to.sacrifice the poorer Sielrebolders to ti.e wealthier ones, A proposition had been made fur pneumatic traction at the rate of rather more than one farthing per ton per mile. EVEN' 1 'IkT(4. tiMITI()N t aCe l r.' , l t '• to ACI file , ;(i- ;aid Oic bet' , rine of ttie projec :ors o f the C . i b l • . e is,- _II, • . • , I • • ••• • - Wo rtl4 trac:iin, and of p,n , umai:e tr.cnc:o, one ~t cof ,nisnieration, and b.. t: us ei that thy wo uld e(4 ,51 ' 1 . what was most for the genera! benefit, of the ComP ar Y . 0 Sir JOHN ScoTr LILLIE hr,pcd they v., uld riCC'de UP ° „ o va ' some inasiene pri , p,s:tion on that day. He dirt not 3 , 1) ; b ,. of stopping either at Ifxbridge - or Hamm ersm ith, au f did not consider they were in a p os iti on t o adoPt J an. ' v f e e the resolutions that Mr. •White bad rropo s i.'; .of the delay would be suin.:ll3; and he kn ew 4. no b, tier plw ilia'( t..e one proposed lad 'rd Ha should, thcr,2fore, mote that th e live be or D P' e tlitt ‘sith one line of rails from Kensington Canal-basin to ald Gran,: Juratiou Canal, fir which purpose 40,00 01 . S h° to be raised hi 20,000 shares of 21. each, s uch shares t!iidca all the aAvai.trgcs of 201. snares to be d il f s ay rate:.biy among the Proprietors, an d i n t he evellt,'„i to Proprietor refusing 1 is shares such s h ar e s to be Gtl e e l l' ip v. the ether Proprietors, and i n the even t c f their re' ll 'il o r to the•publie at large, such shares to be paid kr bY instalments( f Hid. each, one at the time of alletradfi"or alother on the .sth of August, 1841, another on the bi November, 1841, and another on the 7Lti cf Ftb rca i rg t 1842. A scrip to i e issued on the I apricot of t he tie allotment, and on tie iion-payment of tie instalment ser]p to le f Mr. LUAlt ot D seconded the motion, on the distinct os ci t er e i standing that the 31,000/, sh eu ll be exclusively dels ,y , to the c inip!eiion of the line, and the 8,0001. to the d ) 1 melt f del is far the land for its c o m pletion, And 1 4101 far the payment of small debts, as arranged at t" rnte,ing, t . tf ' Sir JoirN SCOTT LILLIE agreed that a provi,o to . 1 ' feet should he added to resolution. Or Mr. SHEPPARD, M. P., di.f not approve of either pr . 4 , sition. He thought they ought to go on to the Ke ns ' to ten-road, and stop there until they were eithLtlake hitter feather, cr until some other Company wou ld :h t them up. That might be done for 20,000/., whic h IT T. , be raised if necessary, on the issu e of shares a t the ( Hear, hear)—and when the works were leg"' bel she, es, no doubt, would be in b e tt er con dition that , , t d are et present. He threw that pl an ou t, and wo ol it, glad to hear any objections that co u ld h e urg ed ag B i' s The Hon. Gentleman then moved to that effect. r e Mr. WIIITE seconds the amendment merely o r purpose of getting it discussed. gn abf Mr. GARDEN proposed a plan for raising the issue of 3,7b0 new shares, at 15/., so as to eolnP the line as originally proposed. Tire proposition, however, fell to the ground. the Mr. DUNCAN said the itccriiii proposition befcr . die meeting was the same in ptineiple, being both fir . or raising of a sue, of money and the issuing of sbaresatto duccd price. They had the guarantee of the engiac cr ok 40,000/. would be sufficient to curry them from di; n og daigton Canal to th , Kensington Canal, thus l e e a ro those two g-i.-at sources of tr, asalso the G,-eat -itbe Railroad. Tire proposition of Mr. Sheppa - d could flt'gpar carried into effect for a much less sum than 40, jo because they would have to purchase land to esta s elle a station, so that they would accomplish less w ith the to - money. With regard to the price of shares, it was LlS e co re. issue them, except they put them so low that the ' o p holders could not help taking them*. It was a hard g t lion for the poorer Shareholders, but it could ° L W helped. Will regard to Mr. White's propositic" 4 ol4 had trio' before to raise 20,000/. on rinntgage, a° 61 . 0 to not get it ; and their only resource was to issue o ' o o them:elves. They had endeavoured to make the pf l , o as easy as possible, and that was all they could 4 10 comodate the poorer Shareholders. WHITE asked how the line was to be worked. the Mr. DUNCAN said they had not determined Irbea • point, nor could they, well they had a finished line. de fif they should have that, many or the suggestions 02 bat Mr. White that day would be exceedingly valua h ' e ' v ed till then they were useless. They had ende al : but to get the Great Western Company to work the fill e ' the Company would not speak to them until it Wil s is bed• pleted. They would be glad to see them Wing° the / and unless something was done to continue the line . would have their wish. W et In answer to a question from Mr. White, the eng s tAl stated that the estimate was only for finishing the l i i , n p e ; hI not for working it, and that could be worked Cit locomotive or horse power ; that the guage was to " - lies' of the Grew . . Western, but that it might he made oPP• ble to the Birmingham also when extended. cro Mr. WHITE asked if the guage of the Great We° Railway was not the more expensive of the two• w ig- The engineer said the difference of cost was vol nificant. -t" ~ , ;~ ~: i 01, Mr. MACFARLAND consented to the proposition elt bist- Directors, not because he liked it, but because be f self compelled to do so, and on the understanding that 00 w money should be devoted to no other purples be portod the motion. wisb ei Mr. SHEPPARD withdrew his amendment, b ut co rer that some means could le devised to give the P i o; Shareholders who might be unable to take the n ew - some sort of advantage. , u tti- A long discussion ensued on this point, but it / /B l a ded , mately found that, by law, the Company was p re from making any such arrangement.: red ill. Mr. WHITE then put in the p a p ers h e had j top W Hre fer the Secretary promising that he should have aOK of them. desirous Mr, GUNTER, as a Director, was exceedingly' Stio 1 . 1 • that the meeting should come to som e s t r i nge nt re H a ting to tie up the hands of the Direct ors from eliK°ref Ib ts the money to any other purpose than the completion - line. d At the suggestion of Mr. LUARD, it was arra l gt e nor fourteen days should be suffered to elapse after rue fa" ~Id be payment of an instalment before the shares suo— f,ited. The resolution was then agreed to. t Mr. MACFARLAND said the highest offer they a b bad the land Lad been 160/. an acre. Now as in u " ff ht to been said on the value of the land, he thought i t °"`" be set up by public auction. OO ii; Mr. WHITE thought money might easily be ra ve _ o ote' 11,0001. was all they wanted, and its value would be rially enhanced by the Railway. 0 00 Mr. DUNCAN sail they were forced to sell, 2,5.nie pit of ejectment were brought against them. The vrioJisi to the Company of the land was about 17,0004 in ale interest, of which 6,000/. had been obt xined from the a portion of it. Id t' lle It was ultimately arranged that the sale sb oo place by open tender or public auction. t d he Thanks were then votes to the Chairman, en meeting separated. r ' e W gi n i CHARGE OF FORGERY.-Great surp:ls. 0 - excited in Stafford on Thursday last by the eitaon na t roe Mr. Thomas Stevenson, late Mayor of the borough, o n a lea the r t i of forgery with intent to defraud Messrs. Silveste r, dealers, of the same town. Tie examination, w ine " h :04 er ; nearly eight hours, took place before E. Lloyd, ET dis t !, and Messrs. Shaw and Jones. The substance of toe d was briefly this, that he had feloniously u ttered a for,lepheo; ceptance to a bill of exchange, in the name of his : as fot o Mr. William Wynn. It appeared from the evidence h a d beer length of time Mr. Wynn, nephew of the accused , shape of in the habit of lending his name to his uncle in tbe tigu e th • objected b 11s, but at length he objeed to ceo bu , bes t ; practice, and a bill purporting to be accepted by him , After to ing a forged signature, was uttered by the prisoner. co re et careful examination of the evidence, the Magistrate a pse' the conclusion that it was a proper case to g o befor e bie r tribunal, but accepted bail for the prisoner's appeatenn coast' serfin 5001. and two sureties in 2501. each.—Mo rniu.7 PRIZE CUPS.—New and Second-hand Srligs,sei PRIZE CUPS are offered at very REDUCED. Pl;i!`giles selection may be made from a great variety, both 01 Patterns, at T. COX SAVORY'S, ( s a ve ° Goldsmith and Watchmaker, 47, Cernhill, Leeu en ' ors rom Ghurct. Drawings of Cups will be racec forwarded h-stree in ans)wer t° es t Do paid application. e t It is 'desirable Letters for Drawings should me", g oy the size or about the price if the Cup or Cups the " required. go osi STEEL FIRE-IRONS, with Bronzed f pst' 15s. per Set, Bronzed Fenders, As. A variety ! co to terns and prices, from the above at which !sotto fenders fenders are partjeularly handsome, with splendid E croll or richly intermixed with steel, the ends are steel, and tn . iroo porters for the fire-irons bronzed. Polished steel fireol from 4s. er set. Ca log gratis, containing the prices of every S r Furnishing Ironmongery. RIPPON and BURTON, Wells-street' Oxford-street. Established 1820. . _ . - BIRTHS. _ 314 ° On the 21st of March, at Florence, the Lady of , Thomas, Esq., of a daughter. d , o On the 31st ult., at 'Brandon Rectory, Suffolk, the II ' of the Rev. C. J. Cartwright, of a son. Es 4" On the 31st of March, the lady of J. G. Bouc her, Shedfield, Wickham, Hants, of a daughter. V. I. On the 2d inst., at George - street , Edinburgh, Mrs' Of Thomson, of a son. la(1 On the 2d inst., at Ashbo urn Ha!), Derbyshi,e, the hte the Hon. and Rev. C. Dundas, of a daugr. r.l hae l ' °l' On the 3d inst., in New Bridge street Mrs. A. s- ra uf a daughter, still - born . On the 3d inst. , a t Euston-s q uare, M r s. W. E. Eddiscifj I , a: daughter. v s q, ° On the 4th inst. , at M ile - end , the lady of A. Hea d , '-• a daughter. k g" . l On the 4th inst., at Bleak-hall Villa, Clapham-par , t' in MaitlanOn the 5d Do th inst.ds, of a sMrs. on. C. P. Bartlev, of Soine riet-stree Portan-square, of ' a son. , a s oll• 5111 st., at Lewisham, Mrs. S. W. Bro xo, , el Je kyll , On the sth inst., in Grkfton-street, the lady of r" Esq., of a son. --------- O tithe MA 11 R IE O. On the 23d ult., W. H. Sawyer, Esq., of Marg are the t-ctreiaetti; Cavendish-squa re , t o Eli za b e th, youngest daughter of W. Phillips, of Upper Bedford place. Russe ll-square. Esc ., On the 2d inst. at Stratham Church, J. G. Malcolm, ~sory of the Inner Temple to Marianne, daughter of the late bu Blunt, Esq., of Chelsea. of _On the 3d inst., at St. Luke's, Chelsea, J. Sharp , . Es t 3iot Grosvenor-street West, Eaton-square, to Ellza Marta , " daughter of H. Dean, OA. Royal Navy • in lberg a On the 3d inst., at the ' parish church of St. Eta ch ief within Bishorsgate, London, William Martin, Esq — dau gh• Justice of New Zealand, to Mary Anne Parker, ter of the Rev. "W. Patkcr. M. A., Rector of St. Ethelh ' l5 and Prebendary of St. Paul's Cathedral. . DIED. lk to Oa r ' On the 29th of January, on his passage from Norfolk badocs, Captain 'l'. W. Pearson. te Ra finti On the 27th 'of February, at Paris. Maria Charloot. s.„.rvice. the wire of T. Eta: del, Esq., late of the Madras C . Civil ' An se, On the 31st ult, at Seaco:nbe, war Live , pool , .I%lluiffbrd younFer __ a ~g, the wife of F. H. Northen, Esq., AI. D., of Lea House, ship c, aged 55. W. --as° at n, F ai l . On th,. Ist inst., Ann, widow of the late of Leytonstone a 0. London : Printed and Publis hed by Ili URDO YOLIN ja Teo. 112, Strand, at The Sun Office, No. 112, N the county of Middlesex.—Tuesday,Aprll 6, 184ISO° '!•• - N ~' A ( vER I 1 -04(4 0i bit r, t, tti/4'