The Sun. — London, England, 1828-03-18 00:00:00

13ENE,VOLENT SOCIETY OF ST. P ATRICK. 'Yesterday the Anniversary Festival of this Society teas held at the Old London Tavern, on which occa , iori a numerous and respectable company of Gen tlemen sat down to an excellent dinner. Lord. Vis count Goderich presided on the occasion ; and he was supported on his right hand by the Dike of .Leinster, and on his left by the Marquis of Sligo. Amongst - the company we also notiecd the Marquess of Londonderry, the MarqueSS of Clanricarde, Castlereagh, the Vice-Chancellor, Baron de Robeck, General Sir John Doylo, Bart., Hon. Agar Ellis, M.P., Mr. Spring Rice, Mr. Villi ers . St uar t, M.P., Mr. J. Fitzgerald, M.P., Mr. Cumbelland, Sic. Sze. On the removal of the cloth, " Bencdictus sit Deus" was sung in fine style by Messrs. Hawes, C. Taylor, Goulden, Broadhw•st, Horncastle, Mor gan,; Atkins, Fitzwilliam, Blewitt, and Masters Nicholls and Reeve. The Noble CHAIRJIAN then said, that he had. to propose to the company to drink the " King's Health;" and though (on some occasions it might be supposed that this toast was merely proposed out of duty and respect, he trusted that such would not be the impression, on the present occasion, especially when it was remembered that his Majesty. had sulmcribed a sum of nearly four thousand pounds to this Charity—(cheers); —and had given his Lordship his commands to announce his regular an nual subscription of 100/.—(Cheers.) The toast was then drunk with four times four, azul loud applause. _ " God save the King," was snig in fine style. Lord GODERICH, in proposing the health of the Royal Family, observed, that his Majesty was not the only one of his Illusttious Family distinguished for his munificence. " The health of the Royal Family" was then drunk with three times three. ;. . Glee—" A generous friendship." The Noble CHAIRMAN then proposed " the Duke of Clarence;" or, he ought perhaps to say, `.`the Earl of Munster and the Navy."—Drunk with three times three. Song—" Rule, Britannia." Lord GODERICII said, that the last 'Arne they bad drank the toast of the army, it had )een under the direction of Noble Duke who had lee been called to fill another office, but - of whoM h Aolild say, that there was not a truer Irishman breathing—(cheers) ; and though it , had pleased his Majesty to call upon that Noble Duke to fulfil another function, it might be said in a manner that he had left his mantle behind, and that his former office was still in the' hands of one of his worthiest followers, who 'would no doubt discharge his duty with all possible fidelity and satisfactien. The toast he had to propose was, " The health of Lord Hill and the British Army"— (cheers.) ' General Sir JOHN DoYLE returned thanks. Master Burke, from the Surrey Theatre, and who had kindly volunteered his services, here recited an Address which was very well received.. He also played a fantasia on the violin, in which his tone and execution, for so young an artist, were re markable. Both his efforts were received with loud applause. Lord GODERICII, on his health being proposed by the Marquis of Londonderry, said that the Noble Marquis had, in his zeal, somewhat overrun the es tablished order of the proceedings of the evening; but for his own part, of course, lie had no objection to the revers of the olil proverb, " Better late than never," He was not himself an Irishmaa; but it watild not, perhaps, be strictly true; were he to sey that he had no tie to bind him to that country, as there was one whose feelings must be most dear to him, who was born in that country (Lady Goderich) and whose mother was a native of Ireland; she therefore partook of Irish blood and of liish predilec tions; and although it had been the fortune of her mother to quit that country in early life, yet she still felt as an Irishwoman should,' and he was sure that she would be proud when he should report to her the manner in which that Meeting had been con ducted—(Cheers)---and that he should be charged by her to teach their children (if, indeed, such teach ing should be required) the lesson, that the union of these kingdoms formed the great basis of British strength-4Cheers)—and that ifthey were separated they would be but as a bundle of reeds, compared to their present power. (Cheer's.) Master Burke sung the song of" Dal by M' Neon," composed by Mr. Bleivitt. It was received with considerable applause. The Noble' CHAIRMAN said, that he now had to call the attention of the Meeting to the Charity it self. When in Ireland, he had heard their famous preacher, Dean Kirwan ; but with all his eloquence, he had preferred, when supporting the objects of a charity, to refer his hearers to the > ight of the chil dren themselves. The bounty displayed to the poer children saved from the misery of St. Giles's, would be heard of in the Liberties of Dublin, and in the Wills of Connamara, softening down those preju dices which were too much abroad:-(Cheers.)--- The toast was, " Prosperity to the Benevolent So ciety of St. Patrick." The children then entered.the room, anti walked round it, headed by the Stewards and Officers of the Institution : their appearance - - seemed . t 6 " give general satisfaction. " The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland."—Drunk with three times three, and applause. Song, Mr. Mor gan---" St. Patrick was.a Gentleman." ' The Noble CHAIRMAN then propOSed, that the company shotild drink in silence the Memories of the Duke of York, the Duke of Kent, the Marquis of Londonderry, the Marquis of Hastings, arid the Right Hon. George Canning. This last name was received with excessive cheering, which lasted for some minutes, and was reiterated from all parts of the room. Several other toasts were then drunk, with ap propriate songs. Mr.BrOadhurst gratified the com pany with one of Moore's Melodies, in which he was loudly applauded; as was Mr. Fitzwilliam in singing a new Irish song called "Barney'Brallaghan;' composed by Mr. Blewitt. The Health of the , Vice-Presidents," being .drunk; The Duke of LEINSTF.R returned thanks. On the " Health of the Stewards,' being drUnk, Mr. SPRING RICE returned thanks. It was a de light to him to find that when his countrymen were called away by circumstances from his native land, they still found occasions—and. those charitable ones —to meet together.—(Applause.) — The present Meeting he thought a very happy one, owing to his Lordship presiding.—(Hear, hear.)—There were some things that came by birthright, and some from higher principles ; it was the impulse of the heart that had brought the Noble Chairman among them—au impulse which bound men, whether they were English or Irish, in one common, affection— (Cheers.)—The education of the Irish ought to be looked to by the English, that there might be a re ciprocal feeling of kindness between them ; for under all possible circumstances, and under all possible the interests of the two countries were identified. Whether they looked at the army—at the navy— , at manufacture — at agriculture—it was impossible to conceive that the interest of either country could be promoted by the separation of the States, — (Applause.)—.lf Irishmen were obliged to be in England, they should at least seek out opportunities to show that they still remembered that they were Irishmen, and this charity was one of the best they could embrace ; one of his countrymen might b e as true an Irishman in London as any where—(cheers). —as firm a patriot, as generous a benefactor; whether in England or on the Continent, an Irishman ought to show himself an Irishman still--(cheers) -- and he trusted that this charity would remain in London in bond of connection between the two countries. Among the subscriptions we noticed the names of Ms Majesty, 100 guineas ; Lord Godericb, 501. ; the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, 50/. ; Duke of Leinster, 50/. ; Mar quis of Downshire, 20 guineas ; Marquis Wellesley, 50/. ; Marquis of Sligo, 251. ; Marquis of Clanricartie, 2W. ; Lord Clanwilliam, 251; ; Lord Desboreugh, 5 guineas ; Lord Listowel, 5 guineas; Right Hon. W. Lart4.r guineas ; Lord Castlereagh, 181. ; Lord Teropletowa,lCf . ; Mr. Goulburn, 20/. ; Mr. Berries, 20/. ; Mr. V. Fitz gerald, 101. ; Mr. Stank?, 101. ; the Vice-Chancellor, 10 guineas ; Mr. Brownlow, 10 guineas ; Mr. V. Stuart, 10 guineas ; Mr. Spring Rice, 101. ; &c., 'making a total of 1,0751. After one or two toasts the Noble Chairman and the majority of the company retired. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. HOUSE OF COMMONS. NOTICES OF MOTIONS FOR THIS DAY. 'Mr. Potter Macqueen—Bill to repeal so much of several Acts as confer; Settlement by hiring and service. 2. M\. Home Drummond—Bill to regulate the granting of Certificates to keep Inns and Alehouses in Scotland. 3. Mr. Sturges Bourne—lnstruction to the Committee on the Bill for the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts, that they have power to provide for the taking an oath or declaration by all persons who would, under the existing Laws, be required to take the Sacramen tal Test. ORDERS OF THE DAY FOR THIS DAY. 1. Corporation and Test Acts Repeal Bill—Committee. 2. Penryn Disfranchisement Bill—Committee. 3. Annual Duties (Pensions) Bill—Third reading. 4. Annual Indemnity Bill—Third reading. 5. Life Annuities Repeal Bill—Committee. 6. Freeholders Registration Bill=—Second reading. 7. Passengers' Regulation Bill—Second reading. S. Steam Vessels (Ireland) Bill—Report. 9. Bills of Exchange (Ireland) Bill—Second reading. 10. Innkeepers Bill—Second reading. NOTICES CIVEN 'YESTERDAY. Wednesday, March 19. ,Mr. Maurice Fiterald.- - --.Consideration of the Petition for leave to give NoticCs, and proceed with the Tralee Canal -Bill. . Thursday, March 20. • 1. Ai r . Hugh Arbuthnot—On the Report of the Salmon Fisheries Regulatiowßill, to move that Counsel be heard. 2. Sir John Newport—Consideration of State of Admiralty Court, Ireland. S. Mr. Hume—Petition of Roman Catholics "of Ireland against the Vestry Bill. Friday, March 21. 1. Mr. Bankes—Select Committee on the Proceedings of the Office of Works, and the Land Revenue Office, regarding Public Buildings. 2. Mr. Bankes—Museum Estimates. (In Committee of • Supply-) Monday, Aprif 28. • Mr. Edward Davenport—Select ,Committee, to consider of the best'inode of introducing an uniform system of Gaol discipline throughout the United Kingdom. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, MARCH 17. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack to-day at half-past four o'clock. Lord CARRINGTON presented a petition from the Independent Congregation of Protestant Dissenters at Aylesbury, against the Corporation and Test Acts.—Or dered to lie on the table. _ _ Sir A. GRANT and others, from-the Com Mons, brought up copies of the reports made by the Select Committees on the Game Laws in the Sessions 1816 and 1823. . _ - - These Reports were subsequently, on the motion o Lord WHAANCLIFFE s referred, to their Lordships' Select Committee on the Game Laws now sitting. Mr. W. DUNCOMBE and others brought up an En, closure Bill from the House of Commons. Lord BR EC K NOCK and others brought up some Road Bills, All these Bills were read. a first time. Lord KING presented a petition from the Protestant • Dissenters in New Romney, county of Kent, praying for the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts. The Noble Lord added that he had a -petition from certain clergymen of the Church of England, respecting money granted to the Society for the propagation of the Gospel. The peti tion stated that gross abuses had been committed, and that the Trustees had been - imposed on. As the Bishop of London was one of the Trustees—indeed the most active one—the Noble Lord was unwilling not to present it in his absence, but he begged to give notice that he should pre sent it to-morrow. The Army and Marine Mutiny Bills were read a third time, and passed. • The Bishop of GLOUCESTER. presented a petition from the Rural Dean and ,Clergy of Camden, in the county of Glom-ester, against any further concessions to the Roman Catholics. The Rev. Prelate presented a similar petition from Winchcombe, in Gloucestershire. GAME LAWS. Lord WHARNCLIFFE, seeing his Noble Friend (the Marquis of Salisbury) in his place, was desirous of asking him to postpone the Committee on the Sale of Game Bill for a week. At present . their Lordships were summoned for next Thursday for that Committee. The Select Com mittee appointed' by - their Lordships to consider the subject of the Game Laws, had come to certain resolutions, and bad requested him to draw up their report, which he hoped to be able to.lay on their Lordships' table to-morrow. There would be also laid on the table a large body of evidence, Which it would be necessary for their Lordships to ex atn6ie with a view of seeing whether or not it would jus tify the report that had been made upon it. It was his in tention, whea his Noble Friend's Bill should be in the Committee, to propose the introduction into it of certain clauses, embodying the resolutions to which the Select Com mittee had come, and therefore he was anxious for the post ponement. - The Marquis of SALISBURY had great . pleasure in assenting to the proposition of his Noble Friend, and the order for, summoning their Lordships oii.Thursty next was discharged, and they were ordered - to be summoned on that day week. Lord WHARNCLIFFE said he was anxious to state, t:-at the resolutions passed by the Select Committee were agreed to unanimously by them. Their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, MARCH 17. The SPEAKER took the Chair this day at the usual hour. Some Papers were laid OR thetable, respecting the rates levied on the parish of Lambeth. Mr. Alderman WOOD brought up a Bill for amending the several Acts - relating to the parish of St. Marylebone. Lord WM. PAULETT brought up the Navigation Company Bill, which was read a first time. Mr. CAPEL brought up the Queenborough Oyster Fishery Regulation Bill. Mr. ASHURST moved for leave to bring in a Bill for settling and dividing certain lands in the parish of St. Giles, in the city of Oxford. The petition on which the Bill was to be founded came from the Fellows of St. John's College, Oxford.. Lord ALTHORP opposed the Bill, on the ground . that the standing orders had not been complied with. After a few words from Mr. LYTTLETON, Mr. EvrcouaT, and the SPEAKER, the gallery was cleared foi'a division, but we believe the House did not divide. Lord ENNISMORK brought in a Bill tef enable the Hibernian Joint 'Stock CoMpany to sue, and be sued, in the name of the Treasurer. Sir CHRISTOPHER COLE obtained leave to bring in a Bill for the establishment of markets at Swansea, county of Glamorgim. Mr. GORDON brought in a Bill to enable the Liver pool Dock Company to raise more money, which was read a first time. Sir W. INGLEBY presented a petition from Spalding, in Lincoln, in favour of the Aire and Calder Canal. Mr. HOME DRUMMOND brought up a Bill for the regulation of the Salmon Fisheries on the River Tay, which was read a first time. _ Mr. MANNING brought in a Bill for Consolidating the several Acts relating to the London Docks, which was read a first time. Mr. C. PALLMEn brought up the New Clarence Bridge Bill, which was read a first time. MESSAGE FROM THE LORDS. A Messenger from the House of Lords brought up a Message from their Lordships, stating that the Mutiny Bill, the Marine Mutiny Bill, and several Private Bills, sent from this House, had been agreed to by their Lord ships, without any amenaments. Mr. W. SMITH brought in Bill to enable the Thames Tunnel Company to raise a further sum of money. The Bill was read a first time. Mr. D. BARCLAY brought in the Hammersmith Bridge Bill, for the purpose of giving the Company power to make approaches. Mr. HUME brought in Bill for cleansing the town of Aberdeen. Mr. SPRING RICE brought in the Galway- Poll Bill. . Mr. J. SMITH presented a petition from the Rev. Sir Harcourt Lees, of Dublin, against the Repeal of the Test and Corporation .Acts. . Mr. J. SMITH presented a. petition from the Catholic Inhabitants of'Rossearberry, in the county of Cork, pray ing for A. .111ipe11 of the Roman . catholic disabilities. The Marquis 'of CHANDUS presented petitions from the Rector and Inhabitants of Chcrrington, and other parishes in Buckinghamshire, praying that if 'the House should think fit to Repeal the Test and Corporation Acts, sufficient sureties should be provided for the maintenance of the Established Church. _ Lord W. PAULETT presented a petition from the Pro testant Dissenters of Darlington,. praying for a Repeal of - the Test aiad Grporation Acts. Lord LOWTHER presented a petition from the Alaltsters of Kendal and its . Vicinity, against the Malt Regulation Act. • Mr. ASHURSt presented a petition from the Free holders and Inhabitants of Horsefair in Oxfordshire, against the Repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts. Bir H. SMYTII presented a petition from the Corpora.. tion of Colchester, praying that in the event of a Repeal of the lest and Corporation Acts the House would take care that the interests of the Established Church should not be impaired. • - Mr. D. W. HARVEY said, the petition presented by his Hon. Colleague -certainly had the Corporation Seal affixed toit, but so far from being the petition of the Corporation of Colchester in its aggregate capacity, it was the petition of a very small minority. The Corporation of Colchester consisted of 48 members, but the meeting at which this petition was agreed to consisted of twenty-one members, and they were not unanimous in carrying this petition. The petition, although brief, embraeed a great many topics, and he should therefore wish his lion. Colleague to move that the petition be read. The petitioners protested against the march of liberal principles—(laughter)—against the granting of privileges to men who were avowedly hostile to a connexion between Church and State, and against the relief sought for by the Roman Catholics. The petitioners, not satisfied with having in . s 0 many 'sentences entered into those protests went further, and asked that House to protect the Sovereign from being robbed of the allegiance of his Isyal subjects. Whilst he was on his legs he begged to notice a state ment made by the Right Hon, Gent. the other night, that _the Test and Corporation Acts produced no practical in.: convenience. On the death of the late Recorder of CM chester two eminent Barristers presented themselves as candidateS, and upon that occasion the practical incon venience resulting from those Acts was not very trivial, and the anxiety manifested by certain Members of that Corporation to prevent Dissenters from obtaining a footing in it iv - is not attempted to he concealed ; for one of the Aleinllers asked the candidate who had the majority. of votes, whether he had received the sacrament within the presefibed 'time, 'and that 'gentleman - having replied in the negative, the votes given for him were rejected. He should not have thought it - necessary to have made these observa tions If the petition had come from any private - or from any number of individuals unaccompanied with the dangling dignity of the Corporation Seal. Mr. WM. SMITH said he knew, of his own knowledge, that there'were. riot more than half of the Corporation present When thialictition was agreed to. The petition Wei" then brought up and read, and the reading excited seimc laughter. Sir NV. INGLEBY braught np a petition from Spilsby, Lincoln, against *Malt Act. - BRITISH WOOL TRADE. Th 4 Hon: Member also presented petitions from sonic parishes in the- comity of Lincoln, praying for the pro tection of 'the British- Wool Trade. Mr. HEATHCOTE said, he really thought the condition of the British Wool Grower was such as to call for the - irnme-. diate interposition of Government ; - whilst wool retained its price the •evil• was 'not felt—but when it fell very low the manufacturer, as Well as the agriculturist, felt the injury. Within the last week, however, the price of wool, which was already very law, had still further declined. He therefore called upon the Right Honourable Gentleman, whom lie saw in his - place, to.state whether Government intended to relieve' filo agriculturists from any part of the evils which pressed on them. The House and the Mi nistry no doubt had been occupied with other subjects, but he, and those: Mombers who came lately from the country, could testify the extreme interest which the agriculturists felt on thi4 subject, -and he hoped Ministers would come forward and give the country the satisfaction of knowing what they intended to do. Mr. Secretary. HUSKISSON said, that in the absence of his Right Honourable Friend, the President of the Board of Trade, he-would not enter upon this subject, nor even state the priticiple.upon which his Majesty's Government had come to the decision, that by granting the protection which the Honourable Gentleman alluded to they would not relieve, but, on the contrary, would injure the agricul turist.—(Hear, hear.) CORN LAWS. Mr. BARING said he was not desirous to prolong the debate which had risen on this subject. The answer of the Right Hon. Secretary was most important, and he fully concurred with him that, by granting the - protection which the Hon. Member (Mr. Heathcote) seemed to desire, he• • would injure the manufacturer without rendering any relief to the wool-grower.--- There was another subject, however, on which he thought the Govern ment called on to afford some information. The House had been sitting for several weeks, and the Easter holidays were fast approaching, it was therefore most important that Ministers should state when they intended to introduce the proposed measure on the subject of the Corn Laws. On a subject of such general interest to the country, he thought that at this period of the Session it was not too much to ask when it was the intention of Goveinment to bring forward that Measure ? Mr. Secretary PEEL had the satisfaction to state that his Right Hen. Friend the President of the Board of Trade would communicate 'to the House to-morrow the precise period when it was intended to bring the subject of the Corn Laws before the House. SUB-LETTING ACT. Mr. ELLIS presented a petition from the Roman Ca tholics of St. Michael's and St. John's, Dublin, against the Sub-letting Act. Mr. CALCRAFT begged to take this opportunity of asking his Right Hon. Friend opposite (Mr. Peel), whether it was or w;ts not. the intention of his Majesty's Govern ment to make any alteration in the Sub-letting Act ? Mr. Secretary PEEL believed it was the intention of his Right Honourable Friend, the Secretary for , Ireland, to propose some alteration in the details of that measure, though he approved of the principles of the Act. Mr. CALCRAFT felt extremely happy to hear this from the Right Hon. Gentleman. He agreed that the principles of this Act were very correct, right, and proper to be applied to the state of society in Ireland prospectively, but that which, he objected to in it, was its retrospective effect. By its retrospective effect he would venture to say that it would operate in the most unjustifiable manner on a great mass of people in Ireland. It was in point ,of fact an ex post facto law.—(Hear, hear.)—What had just been stated had the effect for the present of greatly shortening what ,he (Mr. C.) had intended to have said, and, indeed,. he hoped be would not have occasion to trouble the House further on this subject. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER agreed en tirely with the principle of the Act. When it came before the House again upon the proposed amended de tails, he shoUld, have an opportunity of stating more fully his construction of the measure ; and if his Honourable Friend opposite did not agree in the view he took, he could take the opportunity of correcting him. NEW WRIT., On the motion of Mr. PLANTA, a new writ was or dered for the county of Anglesea, for the election of a Member, in .the room of the Earl of Uxbridge, who has accepted the office of State Steward to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. _ Mr. S. BOURNE, on behalf of Sir Thomas Acland, postponed the motion of which he had given notice, respect ing the Test and Corporation Acts. Sir J. NEWPORT presented a petition from the North Ward, Dublin, against the Bill relatitig to Fires on board Steam-boats. Mr. P. THOMPSON presented a petition from the Dissenters of New Romney, for the Repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts. THE MALT TAX. After the presentation of several petitions against the Malt Tax, Sir J. GRAHAM asked whether it was the intention of his Majesty's Ministers to introduce any measure on the subject. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCIIEQUER was not now in a situation to give any decisive opinion. He would be most ready to see the persons mere particularly interested in this tax after Easter, and upon hearing what they had to urge would be prepared to state his intentions to the. House. On the motion of Mr. W. WHITMORE, an Account was ordered of the Foreign Wool entered for Mime Con sumption, from the sth July, 1825, to sth January, 1828, specifying the quantity under each.head. Mr. W. WHITMORE postponed, till Thursday next, the further consideration of the Report on the Salmon Fisheries. . On the motion of Mr. SYKES, a Return was ordered of the. Number of British Ships, and the Amount of Tonnage registered, from sth January, 1827, to sth January, 1828. Also a RetUrn of the Number of Mer chant Ships belonging to the United Kingdom. STAMP DUTY ON RECEIPTS. Mr. A. CAMPBELL presented a petition from the Chamber of Commerce of Glasgow, for the Repeal of the Stamp Duty on Receipts. Mr. H. DAVIS presented a petition from the Governor, Deputy- Governor, Assistants and Guardians of the Poor of Bristol, with the same prayer. Alse a similar Petition from the Merchants, Traders, and Manufacturers of Bristol. Mr. BRIGHT begged to support the prayer of the petition, and observed that its prayer was, that the Stamp Duty on receipts for large sums should be repealed, in consonance with a petition on a former day, against the Stamp Duty on Receipts for small sums. The object of Government ought to be, to impose taxes of which the people would not complain ; but this duty was liable to many objections. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said as a proof of his readiness to hear all parties, he might mention that he had appointed to receive the Hon. Gentleman who presented this petition, and some of his constituents, to morrow. The Hon. Gentleman who spoke last, had com pletely verified what lie (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had stated on a former night, when the Repeal of' the Two penny and Threepenny Duty on Receipts was mentioned. He had then said, that the same reasoning would apply to the tax upon large as well as upon small sums. The question, therefore, was whether Ministers were prepared ' to abandon every part of the Stamp Duty on Receipts? Alderman WAITHMAN thought that there were peen- liar objections to this tax—it oppressed most a class of in dividuals least able to bear it. Mr. 'SYKES enforced the claims of the petitioners for the Repeal of the Duty on Receipts for small sums, and hoped that when the Chancellor of the Exchequer was re ceiving deputations of wealthier individuals, he would not forget their interests. Only 54,0001. was thus annually raised, and the system encouraged Che odious race of spies and informers. Mr. R. GORDON adverted to the attempt to deceive the public upon the subject. He agreed that no tax was agreeable; but that upon Receipts, in his view, was as harmless as any tax could be rendered. He hoped, there fore, that Government would not be induced to abandon it by yielding to a clamour endeavoured to be raised against it. As to the odious race of informers, he thought they were a very useful and necessary body of men, and that they were often most unjustly attacked. All Acts impos ing penalties required informers, for the law could not be enforced without their aid. The petition was then laid upon the table. WATER COMPANIES. Mr. W. PEEL brought up the Report of the Commis mission to inquire into the state of the supply of Water to the Metropolis. PRISON DISCIPLINE. Sir E. DAVENPORT gave notice, that upon the 2Sth April be would move the appointment of a Select Com mittee to consider and report upon the best means of in troducing an uniform system of prison discipline through out the country. Lord NUGENT presented a petition from the Protest ant Dissenters of Cambridge, against the Corporation and Test Acts. Lord F. L. GOWER brought up the report of Colonel Cockburn respecting emigration, and certain other papers: _Ordered to be printed. Mr. R. GRANT presented petitions from Mr. Maule, of Edinburgh, and from the proprietors of salmon fisheries on the river Dee, against the salmon fisheries' regulation Bill. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. -Mr. BANKES gave notice, that on Friday next he would move the appointment of a Select Committee to in quire into the state of the public buildings, and that in Committee of Supply he would move the grant to the British Museum. Mr. HUME moved that the return of the number of arrests under mesne process by the Sheriffs of Middlesex be printed. Mr. PEEL.—I suppose the Hon. Gentleman is aware of the size of those returns. Mr. HUME.—They are comprised in the small paper I now hold in my hand. Mr. PEEL was only apprehensive that they might have been the returns ordered the other evening upon the motion of the Hon. Gentleman, and which were exceed ingly voluminous. The Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Hume) would do well to keep in mind the very useful motion of the Hon. Member for Newcastle, regart:•ng the enormous expense incurred in the printing of returns, which were probably never afterwards referred to for any practical purpose. Mr. HUME remarked, that a great deal bad been said about the printing of his returns. Now, what was the fact ? The expense of printing all his returns amounted only •to 42/., whereas thousands of pounds had been squandered upon the printing of other and useless returns. —( Hear.) COAL METERS. Mr. HUME rose now to move for a return respecting a subject which was highly worthy of the attention of his Majesty's Government,he meant the coal-metage in and about London. There were a number of local Acts by which coal-meters had been appointed in those several districts. In his opinion the trade in coal should be left entirely free.—(Hear.) The Hon. Member then moved for a return of the amount paid for coal-metage in London and Westminster, and Surrey, during the last year. Mr. PEEL—The Honourable Gentleman says the sub ject is worthy of the attention of Government, and I have no doubt that it is so.. But really it is not in human strength to attend to every subject; and in the situation which I now fill, I cannot possibly find leisure to devote to local matters of this description. It is, the duty of the Members for London, Middlesex, Surrey, and Kent, to in quire into the subject, and see that no abuses are permitted to exist.—The return was then ordered. IRISH VESTRY BILL. Mr. HUME, with reference to a petition from the Roman Catholics of Ireland against the Vestry Bill, which he had been prevented from presenting to the house on Thursday last, gave notice that he would on Thursday next bring it under the consideration of the House. TEST AND CORPORATION ACTS. Mr. TENNYSON presented a petition from the Dis- senters of Market Raisin, for the repeal of the ,Test and Corporation Acts.—Laid on the table. MALT _TRADE. Mr. F. MUNDY presented a petition from the malt• sters of the town and borough of Chesterfield, Derbyshire —Laid on the table. On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, the report of the annual duties (pensions) bill was brought up, and agreed to.—Bill ordered to be read the third time to-morrow. On the motion of the CHANCEI.LOR of the EXCHEQUER, the report of the Annual Indemnity Bill was brought up, and agreed to.—Bill ordered' to be read the third time to morrow. On the motion of the CHAtrezt.tott oldie EXCHEQUER ; the Life Annuities Repeal Bill was read the second time, —To be committed to- morrow. TITHES COIIT ATION BILL. Mr. PEEL had given notice, that before this Bill went into a Committee, he should take the opportunity of mov ing, that it should be an instruction to the Committee, that they should have the power to limit the duration of any bargain or agreement entered into under the provisions of this measure to 21 years. He objected to this Bill as it stood at present, because it appeared to him to be pregnant with injustice to the Church of England. - As'now con stituted, it enabled parties to enter into agreements to de termmV, for ever, the future stipend to be paid to Minis ters of the Church of England. If this principle were acted on, it would be fraught with manifest injustice; for he could see no reason whatever, why a calculation of the reckipts of any given Living for the last seven or fourteen years, should be 'laid down as the allotted stipend of a Minister of the Church of England for all future time. Suppose such a system had been adopted 200 years more remote from the present period, what would have been its affect on the Church of England ? In what situation would that Church have now been placed,if, 200 years since provi visions had been made for fixing, on the ratio of the past re ceipts, the future stipends of the Ministers of the Church of England ? Surely it would have created manifest injustice in many individual instances; and it would evidently have lowered the condition of the Ministers of the Church of England, as compared with other classes of the community. He might be told that the provisions of this Bill would not be generally found unjust, because in several parishes, where perhaps cultivation might retrograde, the value of the pro duce would, at a future period, be less than at present, and that therefore the gains of the clergy in these parishes might be viewed as a set-off against the losses which they might sustain in other parishes where cultivation had been extended. Now, he did not wish any portion of the clergy to gain iu this sway,because he did not think it would be satisfactory to any party. He would suppose the commuta tion of a certain parish fixed at 5001., taking the receipts of the produce for the preceding seven or fourteen years, and that the real value of the tithes, from peculiar circum stances, turned out to be, at a future period, only equal to 3001. : he did not wish to secure to the clergyman 500/, when, if he received his tithes in kind, he would be en titled to merely 300/. This would be an evident injustice to the parishioners, and would doubtless be felt as such. If they took the case of the county of Norfolk, it would clearly illustrate his principle. Suppose a measure like this had been carried into effect sixty years ago, before the extensive cultivation of barley and turnips was introduced into that county, would it not have been a manifest injustice to calculate the future stipend of a clergy , man on the preceding seven years' receipts ? Was no al lowance to be made for improvements? He wished the stipend which arose from tithes to vary according to the success of agricelture, and the amount of produce in every parish. * He was anxious to promote satisfactory arrange ments between parishioners and the Church of England. He opposed this Bill further, because he believed that, in many instances, the bishop would interfere and prevent its provisions from being carried into effect. It was a very' bad general principle, first to adopt a measure of this kind, and afterwards to afford an opportunity of its provisions being defeated, in consequence of the dislike or disappro= bation of those persons whose consent is .was necessary to obtain before those provisions could be acted on. He thought it would be very easy to propose some other ar rangement better calculated to conciliate the two parties than that which the present bill offered. To show the in justice of the principle, he would suppoSe a lenient clergy man, who had abated his demands on his parishioners ; and he would ask, if that clergyman. commuted his claims, and consented to receive a stipend equivalent to the produce of the preceding seven or fourteen -- years, whether it would lie fair that his successors should he bound by that agreement ? The amount of the sum to be paid hereafter to the Church of England tinder this Bill was, it appeared, to be in accordance with the amount of the receipts for the l years preceding the bargain, varying according to the price of corn ; so that if the price of corn fell in consequence of an extensive importa tion, or front any other circumstance, then the amount of stipend must also fall. What he objected to most de cidedly was, the permanently fixing, on any calculation of past receipts, the sum which was for the future to be paid to the clergymen of the Church of England, that sum varying with the price of corn. He could not see why there should be such a difference between this Bill and the law - introduced into Ireland on the same subject. If ever there was a good and beneficial Act introduced into rreland, it was the Tithe Composition Act of 1823. It had been carried into operation in 910 parishes, and the sum paid at present in consequence of these agreements amounted to 286,0001. Under that Act, the agreement could not ex tend beyond 21 years, and it was perfectly consonant with policy and justice. In conclusion, the Right Hon. Gen tleman moved, " That it be an instruction to the Com mittee 'on the Tithe Commutation - Bill, that they shall have power to limit the duration of any agreement to 21 years." Mr. BENETT defended the Bill as it at present stood, which he was convinced would encourage individuals to expend money on the cultivation of waste lands. Ths . they were at present deterred from doing, becanse under the existing system a considerable portion of the capital so On-, ployed found its way into the hands of the clergyman: An individual might burn bricks and build factories, and give nothing to the tithe-owner. This formed a great encou ragement to building houses. Whereas, if the agriculturist brought neglected land into a state of high cultivation, a large part of the profits Were taken from him by the tithe owner, and thus improvement was retarded. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL agreed entirely .in the observations of his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Peel). He objected to this measure as authorising a . perpetual irre• vocable alienation of the inheritance of the Church, for a money payment. He was not particularly pleased with the. principle of regulating the money-payment by the price of corn, which would make the farmer and the parson search as anxiously into the price of corn as into the price of Consols. This scheme of alienating church property was liable to objections both ways. If the land beclime im proved, then the commutation would be unjust to the Church ; if it became impoverished, the commutation' would be as unjust to the other party. He would not now discuss the whole of the Bill, nor pledge his humble vote any way ; but as the Bill now stood, he certainly did riot feel disposed to agree to it ; and in his opinion, the nearer it was brought to the Irish Bill- the better it would be. Mr. GREENE was conscious, that after having la boured so long upon this Bill, he might have become wedded to it, and in a certain degree prejudiced in its fa vour. He could not help _thinking that the Right Hon. Gentleman's (Mr. Peel's) opinion had been somewhat biassed by the sentiments of his constituents in the Univer sity of Oxford ; but he must submit to the House that the two Universities knew less about parochial tithes than any other persons in the kingdom. Living in their respective colleges, they knew nothing about the bargains made with farmers, and the unpleasant situations in which clergymen and their parishioners were placed in consequence of those bargains. Nothing would be more likely to induce clergy men to reside upon their livings than the removal of the present system, and nothing more likely to increase the number of non-residents than the continuance of it. This Bill merely amounted to reducing to a system the powers which the House had so given by other Bills. A consi derable number of Commutation Bills had been passed by that House ; but they were so mixed up with Inclosure Bills, that he had not been able to ascertain the precise number of them. He would mention one fact. In the County of Bedford, out Of 125 parishes 61 had co m mu t e d their tithes. His Bill went only to this extent—to allow that to be done before commissioners (whose characters should place them above the suspicion of conniving at fraud), which was now done every day by other means. It was not proposed by the Bill to alienate tithes, but merely to commute them on a footing which would be fair to both parties. Nothing like alienation was contem plated ; it was merely commutation. Whatever might be the fate of the Bill, he certainly should feel it his duty to resist the proposition that was now made to the House. Mr. E. DAVENPORT argued in support of the Bill. The greatest inconvenience was produced by the anomalies of the present tithe-laws. In general, a man's title to property became better in proportion to the length of time lie had been in possession of it ; but where the church was concerned, a man's title became the more insecure from age, because the church insisted upon proof of the bargain —upon the production of deeds, which even time itself might have destroyed, Was it right that the common principles of evidence should be departed from, wherever the church was concerned? Another calamity of tlies laws was, that the same circumstance which prompted tithe-owners to prosecute farther claims, rendered it more than ever difficult to meet those claims—he meant the distress of the times. He trusted that these defects would be removed, but it was_quite obvious that if the proposi tion of the Right Hon. Gentleman were acceded to, the incubus now complained of would weigh as oppressively as ever on agriculture. Mr. ESTCOURT did not think it fair in his Hon. Friend, to infer that the mind of the Right Hon. Gentleman bad been warped by the sentiments of his constituents. He was quite sure that his was net. Nor could he admit that the University of Oxford was incompetent to decide upon a question like the present. The objection to this measure was, that it put the power of alienating property ijito the hands of a tenant for life. The Hon. Gentleman concluded by declaring himself favourable to a temporary and experi mental, rather than a permanent measure. He should suggest that the Bill should be tried in the first place, at all events, for a period of 21 years. Mr. HUME said, that the Right Hon. Secretary (Mr. Peel) asked what state the Church of England would have been in if the Commutation Act now proposed had passed two centuries ago ? He (Mr. Hume) would answer that question by a reference to the condition of Scotland, where the tithes had been commuted two centuries ago, and which bad benefitted immeasurably by that commutation. Scot land, from being, two centuries since, a very partially cul tivated counixy, was now almost a garden. She would have been in a very different different plight if every mail who had proposed to lay out his capital on the improve ment of land had been met with the demand of one-tenth of the fruit of all his outlay by the clergy. In his opinion, the removal of tithes altogether would do more for the advantage of England than all the . schemes of einigra:- tion which could be devised ; for then the waste lands of the country might be turned to account; which, under the existing law, was almost impossible. But the proposition of passing the law before the House for 21 years was a monstrous delusion : it was merely saying to a capitalist, buy land—improve it—lay out your money upon it ; go on raising it from a state of uselessness to one of high value for 21 years ; and at the end of that time the church shall step in, and have a i claim to one-tenth of all the good that you have bee n doin g . The established Church of all France, it would b e well for the House to recollect, cost the nation less than a million a-year ; and no inconvenience was found there from the under-payment of the clergy. He (Mr. Hume) trusted etient ho tl u aa rl t y some col lision between clergymen and th eir p arishionv rs , which that the Hon. Mover of the Bill would presshis nieasre to the a division. Colonel WOOD denied that the exaction of tithes had been any bar to the cultivation of waste lan ds in England. He hoped that the temporary course would b e acquiesced in, as the measure was likely to be highly valuable c ountry. melNalsru.re should oßulAdßble taken NGth to putitoughtan entd expedient most almost neutralized the utility of the former. The real question before the House seeme d to be, whet her the Bill of the Hon. Member for Lancas ter, or the Iris h commuta tion measure, was the - best ; and be conf e ss ed he thought the University of Oxford was m istak ing its own interest s in opposing the Bill ; besid es which, whatever might be the claims of that learned bo d y , they were not 'Such as t o entitle that it to dictate to the House. For the objection that under this proposed arrangement, any clergyman who had been content to accept ' a low rate of tithe from his parishioners from motives of liberality, would be bound by that average, that statement was directly in the teeth of one of the clauvs - of the Bill : for it was especially provided, that the valuation of the tithes was to be made liy a particular party --by tithe valuers, to be nominated for the purpose. As it seemed to him, however, (Mr. Baring,) after all, neither. the Irish Commutation Act, nor the Act before the House, were calculated to effect a great deal more than it was com petent to parties, independent of any such statutes, to effect by private agreement. - Mr. R. GRANT was by no means disposed, upon prin ciple, to object to a more decided measure ti.an the 'pre sent, for the alteration of the system of tithe property ; but nevertheless he would not agree in the peculiar pro visions of .the Bill before the House. He thought that the Bill would be likely to-do considerabl e injustice, and especially to parishes. The Hon. ,Member fur Wiltshire seemed to suppose that one provision of the Bill was to ex empt newly enclosed land from the payment of tithe ; but this view, he begged to observe, was erroneous ; for the Bill eipecially provided, that a charge should lie upon newly enclosed land for the benefit of the Clergy." The Hon. Member for Callington (Mr. Baring) said, that he. saw power in this Bill, or in the Irish Commutation Bill, to do more than he or any other individual could effect by private arrangement : but the fact was, that both those Acts gave this peculiar power,—that they enabled the ma jority in a parish to bind the minority. - He was not averse from the discussion of even a more general measure for the ' commutation of tithes than that before the House, for such a measure would have the effect of a healing balm to the irritation which too frequently existed on this subject, but it would be impossible to effect it by such a Bill as that before the House. To fix the value of the tithe permanently, the qoniririssioners should take into consideration, not its value for 14 or 21 years before, but the whole value, with its chance of future improvement or future deterioration, and from those elements should fix the amount to be paid in commutation, but that would be attended with great difficulty. In any plan of commutation, the fund out of which the payment. was to come should he equal to the charge upon it ; " but his objection to this measure was, that the payment was fixed and constant on a fund which was variable in its produce. The Bill made provision for an alteration where new land was brought into cultiva tion, but it made no provision for a decrease of the tithe able produce of land. This was unjust thtis far, that while it gave a prospect of possible advantage to the re ceiver, it gave no prospect of diminution to the payer. The value of the produce of land might be diminished, or its productive power might be reduced, but the payments must continue the same. Suppose this Bill had been passed in 1814, it would now have the effect of throwing a very heavy burden on the payers, which would be ex tremely unfair, unless the Bill were limited, as his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Peel) had proposed. Without new going into the general question of commutation, he would only observe, that he could not in any view of it, assent to the principle of the measure before the House, except in connexion with the proposed instructions to the Committee. Sir J. NEWPORT said that the measure adopted with respect to Ireland was totally different in its application from that before the House. Its object was to get rid of ' t7tat vexations suffered by the people in the mode of collecting the tithe ; and though it had in many instances increased the income of the clergyman, that was agreed to for the purpose of getting rid of those vexations. He rose not for the purpose of entering into the merits of the question, but to state, that if the Irish Bill had enacted a permanent com mutation, it would not have passed. He did not know what were the particular enactments of this Bill, but he trusted that care would be taken not to give to the Bishops here such enormous powers as were given to the Irish Bishops. '1 here it was not uncommon for the Eshop to quash the agreement entered into by the parish, because the amount given to the incumbent was not considered sufficient., Sir M. W. RIDLEY recommended to the Hon. Mem ber who introduced this Bill to adopt the amendment of the Right Hon: Gentleman. As to the machinery of the Bill itself, he thought that unless it was made more ad vantageous to the payers, the Bill would be altogether in operative, and would be seldom taken advantage of. At the same time he thought it would be better to have this Bill with the proposed limitation than none at all. Mr. PEEL had proposed the amendment because he 'wished to see the Bill carried into operation, and with the example of what had been done in Ireland, where in 904 cases the Bill applying .to that country had been acted upon, he thought there was reason to hope that this measure would be carried into effect here. The remark made by the Honourable Member opposite (Mr. A. Baring), that the House should not be dictated to by the University of Oxford was, he thought, wholly uncalled for by any thing that had fallen from him. He h a d no t referred to the petition from Oxford, but if lie had, he thought it was his duty to express the opinions of his constituents, and he had as good a right to do so as any other Honourable Member had to state those of his constituents. He did not know any thing which should disentitle the University of Oxford to be heard on any subject connected with the per manent interests of the clergy. On that subject the Uni versity was particularly entitled to be heard, as the clergy were by law excluded from seats in that House. After a few words in explanation from Mr. BENETT, the House divided. The numbers were— For the amendment Against it 29 Majority The Bill was then ordered (as we understood) to be com mitted on Thursday. PAUPER LUNATICS BILL. On our return to the gallery we found the House going into a Committee on this Bill. In the Committee several verbal and other amendments were agreed to. _ _ After . the several clauses had been gone through, the report was brought up, and ordered to be considered ou Monday. LUNATIC REGULATION BILL. The Howe then went into a Committee on the Lunatic Regulation Bill. After some discussion of the provisions of the Bill, the House resumed. The report on the Bill was brought up, and agreed to. The Bill, with its amend ments, was ordered to be printed, and to be recommitted on Monday next. The Westminster Sessions Bill was then read a third time, and passed. The further consideration of the Cities and Boroughs Poll Bill was postponed to Friday next. A Bill for build ing a Bridge over the Thames at Lambeth, and a Bill for building a Bridge over the same river at Staines, were both read a first and second time, and ordered to be committed. The other Orders of the Day was then disposed of, and he House adjourned at ONE O'CLOCK. Mr. Secretary HusKissoN gave a grand dinner on Sunday, at his residence in Downing-street, to a select party, among whom were the LORD CHANCELLOR. and Lady LYNnuuasT, Earl Duin.F.Y, Viscount PALMER.. STON, Lady MELaos, Sir GEORGE WARREN/3ER, Mr. and Lady E. VERNON, Mr. and Mrs. LITTLETON, Mr. HAY, and Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Secretary PEEL entertained a party of Members of the House of Commons to dinner, at.bis resi dence in Privy Gardens, on Sunday. Among the compeny Were—Sir W. H. PRINGLE, Sir JOHN COTTERELL, Sir E. HYDE EAST, Hon. Capt. CusT, Colonel Bauxtx, Mr. MANNING, Mr. SUGDEN, Mr. HoRAcE Twiss, Mr. W. WARD, Mr. ARCHIBALD C.OIrBELL, Mr. HOULDSWORTH, Mr. AREWRIGHT, Mr. ASTELL, Mr. DALY, Mr. DAVIES GILBERT, and Mr. HARRIS. FASHIONABLE ARRIVALS.—CoIoneI and Mrs. Owen, i❑ Park-street ; Mrs. and Miss Chetwynde, in Grosvenor-place ; Major and Mrs. Elliot, in Pall-mall; Mrs..an d jlliss Curti, in Piccadilly; Mr. and Mrs. Lam bert Le Fevre, in Berkeley -street ; Major and Mrs. Proby, in Somerset-street; Mrs. and Miss Ingram, in Mount street: Major Owen Ramsay, in Pall-mall, from Mi norca ; Colonel Colebrooke, in St. James's-street, from Paris ; Mrs. and Miss Elliot, in Clarges-street ; Sir John, Lady, and Miss Harvey, Portugal-street, Grosvenor square ; Rev. J. Williams and Mrs. Williams, at the Stratford Hotel, Oxford-street, from Bath ; Captain 'and Mrs. Henderson at ditto, from Ireland ; Walter Evans, Eq. and Master EvanC, at ditto, from 'Wales ; F. Hig gins, Esq. at ditto, front Brighton; the Hon. T. W. CoVentry, at Thomas's Hotel, Berkeley-square, from Brighton ; Lord and Lady Loughborough, at the Bruns , wick Hotel, Jermyn-street, from Leicestershire; James Kempt, Esq. M.P. at Fenton's Hotel, St. James's4treet, from Vrighton ; Lewis Buck, Esq. at ditto, from his seat in Devonshire ; Rev. C. B. Manville, at the Royal Hotel, St. J a mes's-street, from Hants; Walter Boyd, Esq. M.P. at ditto, from his seat in Kent; James Sparkes, Esq. at ditto, from liis seat in Surrey; G.'Rankes, Esq.. at ditto, from his seat in Surrey ; General Vincent, from Ireland; the Hon.,. Colonel and Mrs. Howard, at their house in GroSvenorsquare, from Oxford; Mr. and Mrs. Pember ton, in Hanover-square, from the Continent. - LORD NORBURY'S LAST !—Whilst , Lord Nortatrar was seated the other day at dinner with some of the attaches of the new Irish Court, he said that Lord ANGLESEA was the most active Lord Lieutenant Ireland had even been blessed with. On being asked why " Because," said he, " whilst he has one leg in Dublin, tV other is in Cork." i 'RO3I THE [ lassos, 'll ' ontinues ext ipalty spent own, or reel When alone, scope to the 1 either to arri hdeparture fro the embarkai .i; which is nov . according to and force, if wishes. . T 1 food but wly and some ev; he eats it.. sassinated ; his life must are menaced thosr who II helief, rebid ing taken tl assembling Royal stable trance into commani attached It is there cot became schemes, creased 200,000 British?. Continei not Inv given ar after hi Englam the Jen the mot his nati whose Britisl broker credit for a alllOnt is stiff has fe, or as war, It is haps shou pat tt the bui roe at 1 til t . tog by fro ,garik