The Sun. — London, England, 1841-02-12 00:00:00

- -BVENING EDITION. MIDDLESEX SESSIONS. , s (Continu e d f rom our Paper of yesterday.) Mr. .... After a di scussion on the point of order, in e hien Pt Goes IlVanes, Mr, LAURIE, Sir J. S. LILLIE, and leirralother Vagi s t rates took part, and in which almost th racter p ea kers express e d t h e i r !egret at the persona l cha which the justification of the Visiting Justices was assuming. Mr. Ivies said that as the case of Fanny Ayton had n !lot 46, brought forward as a charge he would abstain of making any further allu=ions to it. The next class o' cases to which the Rev. Gentleman had referred were *hat had been called the stone-floor cases, in which the pa tients had stripped themselves, and thrown themselves upon thebe.eoldist.ones. The first case Was th at ofJoseph Lye, who bad es eo 'lammed in August, 1840, and who had been seen by "r• Button during the absence of Dr. Begby, the other . be inist allt• Tie patient was a man of great muscular noes From the private j ourna l it a pp eare d th a t h e was dressingsg t, o l v l e inh nab w l e e r — e h h t re off his clothes and the t applied t o o the various ulcers he had °,..° Ilia body--that his habits were so filthy that his room i l as °hliged to be changed four or five times a-day, and ,oet heeontinued in this state until the 7th Dec., when be t e e l e& Now Dr. Begby stated in answer to this that kid. p ati ent was th e worst patient in the house—that he ee un ac rctal ulcers on hi s body, and a large e et t a on th e gluttons muscle, which pre et-ebetit e d Lis sitti ng or 1 ) ing down; that had h d ead Put under restraint he would have been to Much sooner, and that for three or four weeks before a d eath he had b cons tantly in bed. Now it had been • c h m , , . Ceti . Rea in this case that the patient was constantly lying Partly in bed and partly on the floor. it ' v • H. S. TRIMMER—When be was shown to me he - Was l y i ng partly on a mat and partly on the fl tor, tot; Tuias—Hyatt, the keeper, states that the statement as he. room being changed four or five times daily is incor : se. and it a eared from the statements of others that he Wm a It PP 1,,,, an of such great muscular power, that he could_ s.v . e .!orn a straight waistcoat. The next case was that of lee u n i 'll^P Hardy, admitted in 1839. It appeared from -etton's first journal, and from the statements of on e -• be et the keepers who had since left the Asylum, having . s r" lent for. with some others, by Dr. Button, to the in -414604 in Dorsetsbire, which was now under his superin eneence, but this man had been in the habit of stripping ,itittiself naked and lying all night on the cold stones; of ; °eking himself about, in consequence of which his body 4: 4 , bel4C viand blue from the bruises he had received ; Was naked remained five minutes in b:d ; and that he 4 1 1! "ke d day and night. Now nothing of that statement e Nared i n , Dr. Button's public journal, in which, had any inite e'renmstarices occurred, it was his bounden duty to detaierscorded them. Now Norman, the infirmary lee( per, says the exaggerated eXaggerated statement of Dr. Button. He itt - 1 0 . " tr e :f r. ma tt Once fell out of bed and cut his forehead, but in hi s b t rig a manner that Dr. Button did not mention it that h e ° h 'i . t 3 ' In the private journal, however, it was stated st4ttch, ea cut his head open;the and it appeared from We e 7, en t of Norman that it was only occasionally that the rat e r t ,,,°Ot Of bed so that the case was greatly exagge lite h e she next Case was that of Harriet Andrews, who Pe her an inmate f . h • Asylum twelve years. It ap welsh lasts she bad 'i ll Paroxysm of insanity on . 12. h May hie , aated till August. Now it was stated in the,pri aelf j a ir sal under the date August 3, that she threw her -4 %,- 4 yut her room ' and stripped herself stark naked ; not H e . '" about it, however, ' appeared in the public journal.. journals that to show the candour of keepingto 1) 0 41, one so much at variance with . the other. Miss ni. Harriet • tone 5o had been examined as to the case , ti ke Li Andrews, and she stated that in Dr. Millingen s t ight et Andrews had always been under restraint at de s r .', r tild almost always during the day ; that while un-_ tkeuetstpiint she was always violent; that since she had taken Ilea out of restraint a marked improvement . el n 451 te P ac e in all her symptoms. That in consequence had to tint to which she had . been subjected, she , all y i ., the use of her hands, which she was now gradu- ' ..rtie tt e r e Tring. It had been brought forward as a grave I , reson e p ee, ° ' charg e in this case, that seven nurses had been Ras required t put Andrews into a bath. Naw this charge played roost ext raordinary —that seven nurses had been em regeeadhi.nan jder to prevent violence. .Why, if seventeen , • bur st "e beer, necessary to prevent violence, seventeen ' that theatight to have been employed ; but the feet was, i It esoni4heth.room would not actually bold seven persona. 1 'Nil:" see m from that statement that a spirit of exag• i 'aid ; 1 ," 11 ran through the whole of the charges. It was 1 woe Patients pafients were allowed to stand on the cold stones, 1 lest,:', the fact was there was no such thing in the whole , G .s i tatu3 n, for Mr. Wilson could have informed the Hon. ; Iteettlwttrrnan that the whole of the building was heated by , e i les eter pj„ es, of e runving underneath the floors. The next ' ere t he; es Sell were those where the patients were said to Emily ' 7 l. own filth and the poultices; and the first was 1839, dohnston, a patient admitted on the 13th October, , rent i al ! cl died on the 15th May, 1840. She was ineohc- , Ind had ner ea , lan guage and manner, had general paralysis, ; to the' fr equent tells when walking. Now, with respect NI ''' Person and others of the same class, it might be ' wi t ? id that they came into the hospital but to die. They of foodePtralytic cases, and among the worst ones were refusal , on eol and disordered eppetites, and Emily Johnston was . oil th e 3d eases. She was admitted into the Infirmary ! Curse s Q of A pril, and was observed by the Chaplain and ; b e f itth te bite her flesh and eat it. She . was also stated to , se e ease 0 habit of pinching and scratching her flesh, and th e wts brought forward to shew the inefficiency of ; v ent %tern of non •restraint, inasmuch as it did not pre- , dis An t e i Patients doing injury to themselves, and committing ! a ch arge Shafts Hear, hear.) Added to that there was ; 1 0 -ge tnat the system was expensive to the county at , dikesitcrre:teat!smuch as it was alleged that there was I , quantity of glass broken and clothing al tPer7 o l,",,' ai l e d on the whole it went to show the , tre spec t-; or the system of restraint. Now, with ' elute, t! 'c'irell to the cast, the evidence of the matron, Miss .h was, that in May, 1840, the chaplain, Mr. Ti - , pet Em i l Itd asked her if it would not be more humane to ! Isen‘eirY Johnston under restraint than to have her bite : w r i st • She then saw the patient, who had a sore on her ' writ(and had h er nails very long. She bound up the : a R on _ W:lth a linen rag, cnt her nails, and put on a bed- ; whichwith long sleeves, instead of one with short sleeves, , sle, e s he was in the habit: of wearing, and sewed up the ; raw sever h er hands. The result was that the patient t (g ee v r 00 further at tempts to bite or injure herself.— ' had not h ear , ) Whe n t h e matron asked why the case Quit h bee ) report e d to h er in time, the reply was s o el. but ton knew o f i t, b ut h e had never attempte d bon sai it. Now he asked whether that was fair, or ' se em ' or honourable conduct on his part ? It would alie n i d a s if he was far more anxious that these cases 7L). the y , tar for the purpose of founding a charge_ I;),.. „ern, than that they should be prevented. Ia Public journal there was a statement that That'lleot bit her fl esh, b ut he suggested no remedy. the 11tl"rt w ould obs erve t h at there was only one place in bit etlei t ton's public journal i n w hi c h i t was sa id t h at s h e vetie e at her flesh. That case was subsequently in elie,r.ted before tho Committee, when Mr. Tibbutts, the li, r 8 1:a, stated that he had seen several bites on her arms ; Butt; e k ed /3 r. Hutton ;shy she was not restrained from ee w g her arms to her mouth, and his reply was that sat ( Z s not allowed to do that. She used to the t ame poultices arid other filth. During all in a l ': ° Dr. Button knew of the patient acting of it, h Ras),"' without informing the matron or others Was i ni ; a party to the injury the unfortunate woman Itltg, o l eting on herself. Dr. Button was the assistant In itt ettes °, f the i nstitution, and it was his duty to state the Ai!: order th at it might be prevented for the future. to fll, Buena s rose to order. He thought it very unfair I:o4,:indr..bh, il:l3onunntatnodnu,nwtho was absent, to make such comments Nei ls " !4•it vindicated his right to refer to Dr. Button's '4 5 3' ,. 1 ., h gentleman. that gentleman. as all the charges were brought for inee„. inves t igate thought the matter could not well be eirlgved withnitt some reference to Dr. Button. . he, th plutat resumed—The next case was that of Eliza- Jul -araPbell,• November 1839 and died in , y i toe who came in ~ journal y ref ers The charge in Dr. Ba'ton's private journal e h) , 6itielrenee to that patient, was, that she used to eat tin ned th the could lay her hands on. He had ascer- Arge • - " 4t in the same class of patients in every the lnstitution the same propensity was observed, and ',s e c t /t e te- 0n regretted that she had not heard of it in time, I pot. o ‘ uld k h in a d v e nf pr d e r r e e s t s i . ted it by making the patient wear ..t, tr. ie tt nia r Ate, °uBs---That is restraint. °Pirtioesi,.etl4C--It might be so in the Hon. Gentleman's Qa Nlie n uttt it was of a very slight description. What he %liens. to of was that Dr. Button was throughout more L ire e n ° get up cases than to assist the other medical - i s Ms, L P P I Yine• a remedy, _ l 'heli' t .-12clitas objected to their frequent references to an the g ludirldual. Why not bring a dit act charge against kr, u ' l i'!„ ° ° a t Once ? 1. M r , 14144 e-I do bring a charge against him. '' h t ttle b y. (u,ru r egretted very much to hear the statement L e er° to- C l ' Hoe. Gentleman in his zeal. They were ; -a wer ° L . , the statement of the Committee, end their d -arling wooltuese allegations, and he trusted his own good racy d Prevent him from proceeding in such a The , to N o , .taiemAN did not think Dr. Button was entitled plseaino"B:?duleenee at the hands of the Magistrates. It r;; groat jottln)Proeer in him to have kept a public and a w . ,..k, 44'4 containing different statements —( ,El.ear• ) fr 'fliela i t tt , l4( then referred to the cases of inanition, in e r etlu e l l " 11 alleged that p a tients were permitted to sink eoriteudY wahout any attempt to administer food, which he l'he wits fully * ustified by the eircurnstances of the case. ill he cases w j th 'aer b ath, ere those of the improper application of n e fe e , • One patient who had struck the matron i the e i. ' and had refused to express her regret had had end °Wer bath and It. wat a.pplied.. Her hands and feet were secured, nohe ~ CO..inued till the patient was led away pale n e ailit'lsg. Now, with respect to shower baths r stl r ß.y' , he would observe that both Dr. Conolly at ltee 4c i t t ii blel, the Celebrated French physician, had 4l (!st . at n othing could be better than the It4te of hirt of the shower bath when the patient was ,i in 4'4— "Cit., ant.M , A ti cepli eatic.. lo fact, some patients some .. gi e I 41;c, rity of the surd they were never applied without the :h pliers, it " a"eged.'h4t one patient,b i . t , , NI, there s. had had four baths in one day, ._ . e e a i et , d _ e. 7ere four baths uncharged on her, she only ‘ e ' l, .s• i otis un ~a t I,as she had ittruggled and escaped on other • etllee • No where ther e ev es a d , ff, , enee h•twcen th' tee .I , ' Ow 1, 1 - . • wi 1 • .„ a fa. t .,„ - l'. ie and i.nvatp journies i respe,,. ,o t...,-tiurn,,,:..'1c:.:,:,..10, it the the patient was punished with .. the , 13 4te Nitty th",.Zti>eearetl to him enough to show t a.ttin.tus ei I " to o io , g h ; and such teas the case ; , ,t 1 i •- 41.4,,,:.}1\z,rt..,rie., 4,..rse_s_atintiatns t b it y le cf the female patients. The next patients upon nurses. and upon coo - ' - 44,,i "" generiilly to be observed that when patients, t tlek, at e s , , l iorees the nurses were in fault, for they argued expertted irritated the Patien'e_that of course was to be ! t ret e i e f rom the class of persons from whom the nurses 1:)3.xl,lit,:!totlacs:I1(1,ii.lt110lIgh the greatest pains . had been taken , et , ey the a different mode of proceeding, ne regretted .43, - sY 'kits!. rt • • , •S Cf,Le., ~ ?1, et ceery instance seconded by the ''' ' ' l. ' ( 4ie ,;::,' aied.cal officer s . —( Hear, hear.) , The , first 'ineiee ' 3 'IR OVA , 1 tea v e lliares, a very powerful Afie = - o'hei waesi ' '.' 'l4 1 ' April 23, the 4 rge was ~, des of dll the nurses. _ t.w. 40 ...at she slept in a room with an unglazed win. 4 Pill f°lll4l in the Muraiag very violent, and knock ing out bricks. Now it appeared that Dr. Conolly had previously noticed, in terms of reproof, the circumstance of the windows being unglazed, but he compl2ined that so far from Dr. Button having made a representation of that to Dr. Conolly, he had merely mentioned it to the chap lain. A MAGISTRATE said, there were several charges of break ing glass, and he wished to know if any precaution had been taken to prevent the recurrence of these cases. Mr. TULK sa;d for several months past the windows were in the course of being secured with wire guards. Mr. Sergeant HALCOSIBE referred to the 28th of April, where it was stated by Dr. Button, that the same patient had secured the door with her bedstead—that it required two carpenters to force open the door—that she was armed with a large iron bar, which one of them took from her after a severe struggle, in the course of which she bit and kicked desperately—that a sheet 'was thrown over her head and twisted, and she was then carried by nine or ten porsons to the shower bath. _ _ . Mr. Sergeant ADAMS said the en'ry in Dr. Button's public journal of that date was, " very violent, the shower bath applied;" and the following day, " passed a quiet night, much better in the morning."—( Hear, hear.) Mr. Tutiut said the next class was epileptic patients, and the inference to be drawn from Dr. Button's remarks upon them was, that if they had been placed under restraint they would not hurt themselves in the manner they did—there were not less than sixty female epi leptic patients in the hospital, and in the course of eighteen months there had been ouly thirty-four cases of accident—not two in the month. He would now come to the Rev. Mr. Trimmer's observations, and the first was with regard to a female patient named Brown, whose fore heed and eyes were dark and discoloured as if she had received a severe beating, but that on inquiry he had learned she was in the habit of lying on the cold stones, with her forehead pressed down, and that s'le was subsequently attacked with epilepsy. The infe rence was, that the epilepsy had been caused by her being permitted to lay on the cold stones; but the medical man's opinion was, that the epilepsy had no reference whatever to that circumstance. Mr. H coups liumins would suggest, ns amicus that as the matter must end in the appointment of a Corn•. mittee, why not agree to the appointment of a Committee at once? Mr. TULK hoped it would not so end, After the statements that had been given to these charges be trusted no such step would be resorted to. If the matter was taken out of the hands of the Committee, and placed in the hands of another party, it would show that the Magistrates had lost confilence in the Committee, and in such case he would say for himself that it would be difficult to get gentlemen to act as Vi,itiog Justices.—( Hear.) A MAGISTRATE hoped the matter would be somewhat curtailed, as the patience of many present was becoming exhausted. Mr. TULK hoped he would be allowed to discharge his du,y in his own way. AllOthel MAGISTRATE did not sec how they could avoid a Committee. It was difficult to say where the truth lay betA een these statements and counter-statements. Mr. Tut.x resumed —There were charges, also, of noise and quarrelling in one of the rooms, but he under stood that these scenes were got up for the amusement of the Reverend Gentleman. . In answer to Rev. Mr. Trimmer, Mr. Tem said he had heari that statemynt from Mr. Wilson. _ Mr. HUGHES said the nurses cught instantly to be die miss.d. It was most disgraceful conduct. A NIAGISTRATE—Surey, after the statement that has just been made by Mr. Tulk, it will be admitted that tome inquiry is necessary. The Hon. Gentleman read from the Report of Dr. But ton in 1839, in order to show that testraint was then, in his opinion, absolutely necessary. Mr. H. HUGIIES said that three hours had already been wasted; how long did the lion. Gentleman intend to go on? Mr. TULK said the duty had been cast opoia him—it was too laborious to be taken up volua tarily ; but the Committee bad heard all the charges against the present system—would they then deny the Visiting Justices the power of making such a defence as they thought necessary ? Mr. H. HUGHES—By going at such length, you prevent the possibility of any reply to your statements. Mr. TULK —ln fairness you must allow me to answer the charges made against us in the best manner I can. I am sorry to detain you so long, but your proceedings have rendered it necessary, and your interruptions only entail upon me the necessity of going more at length into the cases. The Hon. Gentleman went into the details of many eases in order to show that the present system of non-restraint had been productive of great and good re sults. He felt bound to say that the visits of the Reverend gentleman to Hanwcll did much mischief. He went among the nurses and the wardsmen and created much ill-will by the frivoulous complaints so got up against the Visiting Justices, who were honestly doing their heavy and responsible duty. The Rev. Gentleman must either be made a Visiting Justice, or in eclicacy lie must abstain from his visits; or the only alternative was, that the Justices nominated to visit the As) lum must give up their charge. Sir J. S. LILLIE was of the same opinion now that he was throe weeks ago, that it was impossible the public mind would be satisfied without a full inquiry being entered into by Justices who were entirely independent of the par ties on both sides. It was impossible that the Justices at large should consent to tax their constituents for an experiment the value of which they were unable to find out without a full and free inquiry. Even the cases pointed eut by the Chairman of the Visiting Justices did not prove the correctness of the Report which had been sent round by that body they did not prove that non-coercion had been of any benefit. The worthy Knight read a letter be had received from Dr. Button, denying that it was either kind or humane to allow insane patients to do as they pleased. Restraint in many cases was absolutely necessary. By means of restraint many patients had been brought to health and reason, who without it must have died. In his opinion it was as practicable to abolish medicine from our hospitals as to take away the means of coercion from our lunatic asylums. He, therefore, thought the Rev. Gentleman was right in bringing the cases before the Court, and he trusted the Court would grant a com mittee of enquiry. He would, therefore, move that a committee be appointed to inquire into the complaints made by the Rev. Mr. Trimmer. Mr. H. ilubries had much pleasure in seconding the motion ; lie was a warm friend of the non-coercion system, but he would begin to doubt the soundness of his opinions if the Court should decide that it could not bear inspection. Mr. Winsosi thought inquiry was absolutely necessary, but he thought it should be by some tribunal from which the Justices of Middlesex ought to be ex cluded, or otherwise party spirit would enter too strongly into the enquiry. He admitted the principle of non-coercion, but be could not help thinking that it had been carried too far. What he would suggest was, that they should get one of their county Members to get a Committee of the House of Commons, where the inquiry would be conducted in the best spirit and manner. An inquiry they must have, and ho thought the tribunal he suggested was the proper one." Mr. Sergeant ADAMS was happy to hear the sentiments of the Hon. Magistrate—no gentlemen were more anxious to have proper inquiry than the fifteen gentlemen who had been nominated as Visiting Justices—they were most anxious ter inquiry, but let it be by a proper tribunal— they would never submit to be superintended by any Com mittee of their brother Magistrates. After going at length into several cases alluded to by the complainants, he entreated tho Court to grant the system of Dr. Conolly the fair trial of a few months, and if it did not then satisfy them let them alter it. The Visiting Justices were most anxious that there should be an inquiry, but let it be a public one. Since his spec ch in October, the fetters had been struck off more than half the lunatics throughout the country, and he thanked God that he had made it, for he had not the slightest doubt that the humane system would restore many persons to their reasoning faculties. He implored the Magistrates that they would not appoint any superintending Com mittee, but let them go, one and all, and demand a Par liamentary inquiry into all the asylums of the county. The debate was then adjourned till Tuesday next. SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS FROM THE DAILY PAPERS OF YESTERDAY. (From the Globe.) Chinese affairs, notwithstanding the crushing an swers which events have given to the factious cries of last Session, are still used to help the Tories to the sweets of office and misgovernment. The Times, which was compelled to recant all it said against the policy of the Gayer= nt in making reprisals on the Chinese, has once more given utterance to a Graham afflatus A pamphlet is, we see, advertised, entitled " War with China," and the motto is— " An if a man would buy a poison now, Whose sale is present Here lives a caitiff wrotch would sell it him." SIIAKSPEARE. We like this motto much. The lively fancy of the pamphleteer makes John Chinaman, Romeo— opium is the poison—and the caitiff wretch, the apo thecary, is John Bull—a capital cast of the parts ! We will not accept the Times' account of the success which the Whin. ' newspapers s7iid had attended our arms in China. Apart from the inflated and magniloquent ver biage which the Times employs, and which we know of no Whig journal tasteless enough to use, no Whig newspaper ever said that the negotiations with the Celestial Government, which had been • commenced, had also been completed. 'When describing the nature and purposes of the expe dition, we always said—reprisals for the sake of nege tiation. To the cry of an " Opium War," we replied —both words are fals2. The Governanent has issued an Order in Coined far reprisals—they have not declared war. The opium traffic is not an object of the expedition. The British has k)iced the Chi nese Government against the opium smugglers. Superintendent Eiliot, in December, 1838, com pelled all boats engaged in the opium traffic to quit the Canton river, and he expelled Mr. James . limes for persisting in the traffic. Lord Palmerston, besides inFtrueting the Superintendent to abstain care.; fully from any connection with any traffic which inter. fered with the laws and customs of the Chinese, strongly reprimanded the British subjects who raised a riot when Commissioner Lin caused a Chinese smuggler to be strangled before the foreign factorie!. John Bull, therefore, is not a caitiff seeking to sell poi son. Negotiation, in one word, was the object of the expedition. Admiral Elliot, the brother of Lord Mint°, has speedily and successfully won this object— 'eve have gained negotiation. The Chinese insisted on punishing British subjects, and on denying, diplomatic relations to the British Superintendent. They would strike, and they would not hear. The pettiest officer of the Celestial Empire refused to receive a letter from the representative of the Queen of England, unless marked as coming from an inferior to a superior. When ' for the sake of peace this was submitted to, the Chinese threatened to exterminate the British if an Englishman was not given up to die for a Chinese killed by an American. Thus the hostilities com menced. But our reprisals sought not war, bat peace ; they told the Chinese, If you will not reason with us, you must fight us. But they first said, Reason with us and hear us, as friends of peace and fellow-men. All throughout the discussions of last Session we declared that undoubtedly one of the very first things done by the conductors of the expedition would be to demand diplomatic relations, and make proposals for negotiations to the Chinese Government. The men who then denounced what they called the war as a monstrous iniquity, now denounce the reprisals for being reprisals and not war. They formerly repeated the exaggerations of Joseph Sturge and the peace men, and they now echo the exaggerations of the reckless and impatient war men. (From the Courier.) Under the full hope that the Bill for the regulation of railways was not to be thrust forward until its provisions and clauses had been fully considered and discussed by all the railway companies, not only in esse but in posse, we recommended the companies to withhold all opposition, and to give their confidence and opinions to the Committee appointed at the Birmingham conference, which Committee consists of Mr. Glyn, Mr. Russel, and Mr. Chaplin, the chairmen or deputy-chairmen of the most important lines out of London. We now find the Bill stands for a second reading on Friday evening next, before a copy of the proposed Act can have been laid before halt the railway boards, the clauses of which all go on small legislation. It would be better at once to appoint Mr. Porter auditor, Mr. Laing prosecutor, and Sir Frederick Smith superintendent of all the lines in the kingdom—what these gentlemen know on the subject is a different matter. To them it is proposed to commit the m?st minute detail of the working of the lines. They are to judge of the servants, of the signals, of the starting of the trains, which, if carried into effect Reerirding to the clause in the Act, would shut up the Croydon Railway until the new line was made into Londoa. As no acci dent has arisen on the Greenwich line to cause such legislation, it would be hard indeed upon these com panies to be subject to the provisions of this proposed " Regulation for the Safety of the Public," or to be dependent on the whim or caprice of these gentlemen of the railway department of the Board of Trade, whose knowledge of the working of companies is nil, and to whom no such power should be given. Half legislation is always bad, and we should be much more disposed to leave the public, who arc sagacious and timid enough for self-protection, to force due protection on the companies, than that any Government department should have any power in details unconnected It ith the acts of incorpo ration, which acts, by the was , should be assimilated. ( From the Standard.) We do not believe that a single shill ag was expended in corruption by Mr. Cabbal's friend s;ond this it is which causes us to exult as much in the temporary defeat at St. Alban's, though it should be a permanent defeat, as in any victory. It is, indeed, a glorious victory over the bad habits of both parties, and a proud moral tri umph over the corrupt Whigs and Radicals. " Hey tibi erupt ark's." Let the Conservatives take this course, and they ensure not only an early but an en during ascendancy in the estimation of the moral and religious people in England. Better far be beaten here and there by the force of corruption, than try to avoid defeat by meeting bribes with bribes. Defeats like that of St. Alban's (it cannot be told too often) are real victories. Which will have most effect at the next general election The recollection that the Whigs have been beaten at Canterbury, Walsall, and in Monmouthshire, by even the perfectly honourable means by which they were beaten, or the recollection that in their despair they bought, with undisguised and impudent profligacy, eighty corrupt electors of St. Alban's with gold from the Treasury, while the Conservatives would not cot , ruptly advance one shilling iu the contest deemed vital by both parties ? ~~~ - THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1841. COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL. Yesterday a Court was held for the dispatch of public business. TKE VICTORIES IN SYRIA. Mr. WIRE, who made his appearance to Court for the first time since his return from the Jewish mission to Damascus, and was heartily greeted by the members, gave notice of the following motion :—" 'Chat the thanks of this Court be given to Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, to Commodore Sir Charles Napier, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, and to tha several captains, officers, seamen, and Royal Ma rines under command of Sir Robert Stopford, for the zeal and bravery displayed by them during the operations on the coast of Syria, terminating in the brilliant and decisive attack on the fortress of Acre, on the 3d of November, 1840. Also, that the thanks of the Court be given to Major-General Sir Chas. Frederick Smith, and to the officers and detachment of the Royal Artil lery and Engineers and Royal Sappers and Miners, who served under his command in the fleet employed in the important operations on the coast of Syria. That the freedom of this city, with a sword of the value of 200 guineas, be presented to Sir Robert Stopford, as a tes timony of the admiration this Court entertains for the zeal, talent, and bravery displayed by him during his services on the coast of Syria ; and that the freedom of this city, and swords of the value of 100 guineas each, he presented to Commodore Napier and to Sir C. F. Smith in testimony of their services."—( Hear.) BILL IN PARLIAMENT AFFECTING THE CITY OF LONDON. The REMRMBRANCER having signified to the Court, accord;ng to custom, that several measures likely to affect the interests of the City were to be brought into Parliament, Mr. R. L. JONES, the Chairmln of the London bridge Committee, took occasion to observe, that there were Clauses in the Bid for Draining Buildings, which would be exceedingly injurious to the City of London, and interfere most materially with the existing arrange ments. He suggested, under such circumstances, the propriety of requesting a conference with the Marquis of Normanby on the subject. Mr. STEVENS said that the Commissioners of Sewers entertained the opinion exprested by Mr. Jones. A deputation was then appointed to request a confe rence with the Secretary for the Home Department on the subject. Mr. AsHunsT asked the Remembrancer whether the measure about to be brought into Parliament relative to County Courts, was calculated to affect the interests of the citizens of London ? The REMEMBRANCER replied that the County Courts Bill would, as far as he was able to learn, tide over the City as well as other places. The subject of the County Courts' Bill was then re ferred to the Parliamentary Committee. SUPPLY OF WATER TO THE METROPOLIS. Deputy CORNEY asked whether any application bed been made to Parliament by parties who proposed to supply the metropolis with water from the vicinity of the Colne ? The subject was one which affected the citizens of London as to the navigation of the River Thames, which was indebted to the Colne and other tributary streams in that neighbourhood in no slight degree. The REMEMBRANCER said that there had not as yet been any application made to Parliament on the subject. Deputy CORNEY said that a great deal had been men tioned about the instituting a new Water Company, and he apprehended that if their object succeeded, one of the mischiefs would be injury to the na vigation of the Thames, to say nothing of the other evils which would spring from the speculation. He begged to call the notice of the Remembrancer to the subject if it should be mentioned in Parliament. The REMEMBRANCER intimated that he should com municate any information he should receive to the Court as soon as possible. Mr. STEVENS presented a petition for assistance to an institution for teaching the Blind to read. It was an institution, he said, possessing powerful claims upon the humanity of the Court. Oa the motion of Mr. Stevens, the petition was referred to the Coal, Corn, and Finance Committee. ELIGIBILITY OF JEWS TO CORPORATE OFFICES. Mr. ASIIURST presented the following petition from Mr. David Salomons : " The humble petition of David Salomons, to the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Coun cilmen. " Showeth,—That your petitioner had the honour of serving the office of Sheriff of London and Middlesex, iu the years 1835-6, and received the unanimous thanks of his fellow-citizens for the zealous discharge of hip official duties. That your petitioner was also elected an Alderman of one of the wards of the City, but was not admitted to the office in consequence of his being unwilling to make the declaration contained in the 9th Gco. IV. cap. 17, prior to his being sworn into office. That although your petitioner has occupied, and still holds many important stations of honour and authority, yet he is debarred from corporate office unless he subscribe the above declaration prior to his acceptance of such office. That your pe titioner would readily afford every guarantee for his maintaining all the institutions of the country on acceptance of office, but be humbly submits that he should be permitted to do this without in any manner infringing on any religious or conscientious scruples he may entertain, or leaving himself exposed to the sus picion of holding office by the practice of any evasion. That your petition would readily subscribe the declara tion contained in the Act passed iu the Ist and 2d year of the reign of her present Mejesty, and solicits the in terference of your Honourable Court to obtain such a modification of that Act as may include your petitioner amongst those classes who are allowed to subscribe the declaration contained in the statute." Mr. Salomons, Mr. Ashurst, and Mr. Pewtress ad dressed the Court, when the petition was agreed to, there being but one hand held up against it. GRAND IMPROVEMENT AT ST. PAUL'S. Sir MATTHEW WOOD rose to move " That it be re ferred to a Committee to consider the plan of improve ment at west end of Cheapside, with power to confer with the Postmaster-000ra' or any branch of her Ma- jetty's Government. It was, he said, necessary to came to some arrangement as soon as possible with respect to the ground at the west end of Cheapside, where an improvement calculated to do honour to the age could be effected with the assistance of Government. He merely meant at, that! moment to ask for the reference of the subject to a Commitee, as until that point could be accomplished ho could not consistently ask for a con ference with any officer of the Government.—(Hear, hear.) He had been told that Lord Litchfield and others of the Government could be 'conferred with speedily upon the reference to the Committee. Mr. HALL seconded the motion. Mr. HOLT expressed a wish to know the particulars of Sir Matthew Wood's plan. Mr. R. L. JONES spoke in favour of the motion. Sir M. Woon said that when he first brought forward the plan of the Post•office, he had a plan, and a most splendid plan it was, for throwing open the space be tween the two buildings, but the caprice of one person by same means or other, completely frustrated it. The object in the present instance was to ascertain whether the Government were willing to adopt any improve ment, and if they were a p'an would soon he forthcom ing.—(Hear, hear.) After a few observations from 11Ir. Anderton, Deputy Hicks, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Lott, Sir Matthew Wood's motion was agreed to, and the reference was made to the London Bridge Committee.—Adjourned. NIGER EXPEDITION. (FROM A CORRESPONDENT.) It is a fact established by long experience that dew exerts a most injurious influence on the human frame, and in degree proportioned to its amount. But its most deadly effects appear when contaminated with the miasma of marshy tropical regions. Under such circum stances exposure is gen era lly f a t a l. Th e con d uc ti ng power of damp air to that of dry being often, in these cases, as that of 300 to 80, the functions of the air cells of the lungs become deranged, and the tempera ture is thereby reduced. These consequences are justly attributable to a surcharge of electricity. According to Farraday, not even the lightning flash contains more electricity than the gem-like drop of dew. Now it has been ascertained by experiment that a silk covering of the common texture possesses the peculiar property of resisting the noxious influence of malaria, and of neutralising its effects. If, as is sup posctt, the poisonous matter is received through the lungs, it may not be difficult to account for the action of this simple preventive. Silk is a powerful non-con ductor, and in the form of a gauze veil may prove a sufficient impediment to the transmission o: any delete rious particles in their passage to the mouth. It is therefore respectfully suggested that among the other precautions adopted by Government to insure the health of the enterprising individuals engaged in the Niger Expedition, a supply of respirators, constructed of silk, be included, which may be procured at a trifling cost ; and, should the trial produce the results antici pated, many valuable lis es may be preserved, and the risks incurred from insalubrity of climate materially diminished. COURT CHRISTIAN, NORWICH. FEBRUARY 1. BILLINGS V. DAWB.-DEFAMATION. A new case, held over to next Court. THORP V. ICING.-DEFAMATION. A new case, in which the defendant, a married woman, was called, but did not appear. MANN AND GOWER to. CIIILDS. Mr. Rackham put in the personal answers of the plain tiffs to the additional articles of the_ defendant, and a term probatory (that is a period for adducing evidence to the avermeets of his allegation) was assigned to the defendant. Mr. Childs then applied to have the new Church -rate, and the accounts and vouchers for the old one, brought into the registry, as he had moved at the last Court. This Mr. Rackham opposed; alleging that such a course was not authorised by the practice of the Superior Courts: The Judge, however, without calling on the defendant to support his motion, said he believed the Court had power to make the order required by him, and the plain tiffs must be assigned to bring in the documents in ques tion. If they neglected to do so a monition would issue. The defendant said he did not wish to put the plaintiffs to needless trouble, and he would now consent to what he had offered before the question was decided in his fa vour, that instead of having the books brought into the Registry he would inspect them at Bungay. The plain tiffs might name their own time and place, but he must require that they should not, as on a similar previous occa sion, oppose obstruction and delay to his inspection of do cuments which they could not withhold. He might take the liberty of adding that he would not have troubled the Court with this motion had he not been advised on the highest authority that it was in strict accordance with ec clesiastical practice. Ur. Childs further stated that it appeared to him need ful, once in a while, to recapitulate the facts of a case, or there was danger that in those Courts they would be wholly lost sight of. A year had now elapsed since he first attended in this place, at the slit of the plaintiffs. During that period he had travelled hither and back very nearly 500 miles, and it was at least presumable that he had incurred other expense beside the cost and time of mere attendance. The suit requiring such a sacrifice was instituted by the plaintiffs to recover the sum of 3s. 4d. ; and, while remarking on the delay and expense attending its progress, he did not assuredly complain that he was in a worse condition than other suitors, for, since he at tended the Court, he was not aware that a single cause had been decided ; neither did he complain of the officers of the Court, but of its laws and constitution—that there was absolstely no other tribunal which could entertain this subject, or before which he could resist a demand as ille gal, as he believed this to be, and that a year should be consumed before the formality of the suit was half cencluded. NEWMAN V. NEWMAN—CONTESTED WILL. Mr. Hansen prayed publication of the evidence, but Mr. Rackham objected, alleging that the plaintiff had died the day previously, and there was therefore an end of the suit. Mr. Hansel! contended that as there was only the un supported assertion of the Learned Gentleman opposite on this point, the Court could not have knowledge of it, but as it appeared a person at hand was ready to depose he had been present at the plaintiffs death, the case was held over with a view to its being withdrawn. LOFTUS V. LOFTUS-DIVORCE. Two witnesses were sworn on the part of the defendant, to give evidence. EVERITT AND CRESSWELL V. BINGO AND NINE OTHERS- CHURCH-RATES, ST. ➢IAROARETS, LYNN. Mr. Steward, for the plaintiffs, had alleged to put in a counter-allegation, and he stated that as all the facts of the case would then be before the Court, he should pro pose to the other side to take the decision of the Judge thereon without proceeding through all the usual forms. THE SAME V. REED AND TWO OTIIERS.-THE SAME SUBJECT. Mr. Steward offered to consolidate this suit with the preceding, but as Mr. Skipper repeated that the defence in this case was different from the other, it was agreed to consolidate the three, if Behar, one of the defendants on whom the plaintiffs had not been able to serve a citation, would consent. WIIITTAKER AND WIFE V. REEVE. ALLPRESS AND WIFE V. THE SAME. TOWNLEY AND WIFE V THE SAME. Three suits for defamation. Advanced a stage. HAMMOND AND WIFE V. QUAILES.-DEFAMATION. A new case brought into Court. DODSON AND SHELDRAKR V. BARKER -CHURCH-RATES, ST. ANDREW'S, NORWICH . This case stood for hearing and judgment. Mr. Barker and Mr. S►eward were heard on their re spective 'sides, the former maintaining that as it had been proved in evidence that all the parishioners were not assessed, the rate was invalid, and Mr. Steward con tending that several of the alleged omissions did not exist, and the others were legally made. The Judge summed up the whole case, and remarked that whereas the suit had been commenced in October, 1838, it had been removed from that Court by the de fendant, who moved in the Queen's Bench, for a prohibi tion, the proceedings on which occupied fifteen months; and further, the defendant had, as he was entitled to do, rejected a proposition from the other side to bring the case to a speedy settlement. He went on to say, the defence rested on seven alleged omissions of property from the rate, the whole rateable value of which was proved by the de positions to be about 71. 103. In the first of these cases it appeared from the witnesses that the property alleged to be omitted was includedin the assessment of the o ccu pi er . In the second, the occupier was so poor as to be unable to pay, and it was therefore lawful to omit him. The third and fourth related to certain charity schools, which it had always been the custom, and the legal and p ra i sewor thy custom, of the parish to excuse from rates. The fifth and sixth were tenements valued at ten shil lings, and these it was lawful to om it, as i t h ad u were decided much more strictly t han as to Chureh-r etes , been decided by Lord Denman t h a t parish officers were not bound to insert assessments. in the Po or - ra t e w hi c h sum were collected. srn al Questions so l that asc ol to h 1 e t ct e t° ki Poor-rateas greater than the and that deci sion would therefore apply to the present case. Th e w h o l e defence, then, reste d on a single instance, in which it was alleged that property of the value of 30 s . per annum was omitted. The depositions did not entirely bear out the fact, but left it doubtful whether the occup i er was not rated for this in the amount of his assessment. B ut even supposing it had been proved, as no fraud nor wilful mis conduct was charged upon the Church war d ens, he was not prepared to gay the omission of 303, was sufficient to invalidate a Church-rate, and he most therefore condemn the defendant to rsy the rate sought to be recovered, and also the costs of the suit. (Next Court, Feb. 22.) for the relief of the sufferers by the in undations, was li tost numerously and b r illi ant l y atten d e d , BA LL IN PARIS. The ball a t t h e O pera, on Tuesd aye v including many po sons of distinction, F renc h as we ll . as foreigners. Their Royal H i ghnesses the Duke and . f i 3,000 tickets were i ssue d , an d as great tast e , an d t h e effect of Dancing was kept up till a Duchess of Orleans honoure I the ass embly with their presence. The deco rations of the hous e and the spacious lt late saloon tee s he oe were unre. w a i Upwards p magnificent. arrangedwa rds o with the expenses will not exceed 12,000 francs, there will be a clear profit of about 50,000 francs for the charitable pur pose in which the idea of the ball originated. GOTTINGEN, JAN. 26.—The Rev. Mr. Sander who was elected by Gottingen last summer as its eleventh deputy, has been fined 50 dollars for publishing an article in the Nuremberg Political Journal, a penalty which is to be inflicted on any one wh o answers anything, " how. over, triflio it may be," that is printed out of the kingdom. ST. ALBAN'S ELECTION. (From the Morning Chronicle.) When, on Wednesday evening last, the 3d instant, a writ was moved for St. Alban's to elect a Member in the room of Mr. Grimston, who had accepted the Chiltern Hundreds, the Liberal party were taken quite by surprise. The news reached St. Alban's on Thursday morning, almost at the same moment that Mr. Benjamin Bond Cabbell arrived there ; the retiring aldress of Mr. Grimston being delivered to all the electors at the same moment with Mr. Cabbell's address offering himself as a candidate. In the course of that day the election was proclaimed for Monday, being the very earliest day which it was possible to name. The arrival of a new candidate at the in stant Mr. Grimston's retirement was announced, the fixing of an election with such haste, and all the cir cumstances attendant upon the matter, showed the elec tors of St. Alban's that the scat was bargained for, sold, and intended to be transferred behind their backs, and without consulting them. Mr. Cabbell was not a popular candidate at St.Alban's, he had been beaten thereinlB37, and had not left any favourable remembrances behind him. He commenced his canvass, and without an opponent in the field, gained the usual promises of support from the reta'n2rs of the Veruiam family. The agents of that party held out, and gave the usual inducements to their followers, which Custom had sanctioned, and without which no Tory ever yet sat for St. Alban's. Still, the unpopularity of their candidate, the growing dislike to the job proposed in transferring the seat, and the attempts evidently made to prevent any exercise of public opinion, weighed heavy upon the Tories ; and at the close of their first day's canvass they had only secured 120 votes out of 520. On that evening, Lord Listowel arrived in St. Alban's, addressed the electors, made a very favourable impression, and then commenced his canvass. His frank gentlemanly man ners and conduct gained him friends in all directions, and, coupled with the fact that he came to prevent the borough being sold or transferred by any would be patron, m ide him the people's favourite. By Saturday night he had gained two hundred and sixty-nine promises, and h:s election was safe, if Tory stratagems did not come into play. On Saturday, Sunday, and Mon day, every trick was tried ; as much as 251. a vote openly offered, even by persons holding cial stations in the borough ; large inducements held out to voters to break their promises or to g o out of the way ; but all in vain. The Tories could not reduce Lord Listowel's number so as to give them a chance. On Monday they knew they were beaten ; mutual reproaches and quarrels ensued ; Mr. Cabbell blamed Mr. Bing, and Mr. Blagg retorted upon Mr. Cabbell. Lord Grimston and Ing - estre, with all the Tory gentry, came to the rescue, but it was use less. The show of hands was in favour of Lord Listo wel, and a poll MU demanded for Mr. Cabbell. Immediately after the show of hands, Lord Grimston started for London. In five hours he returned, and joined the Tory party at the Verulam Arms. What passed there he best knows ; but this is well known, that a large party of hired bullies from Hertford were that evening brought into St. Alban's. At the opening of the poll on Tuesday, a delay of nearly twenty minutes occurred before a vote could ha taken. There were no inkstands, no ink, no pens, for the clerks. The Mayor then read a requisition by electors to put the bribery oath, but no deputies were appointed to administer it. When the deputies were appointed one of them actually put the returning officer's oath to the voters, until the error was pointed out and corrected. The Mayor was a strong Tory ; the town-clerk canvassed day by day with Mr. Cabbell—knew the way to the Tory voters' hearts better than any man in St. Alban's, and yet, as the adviser to the Mayor, wit. nessed all these things. From the very first, Lord Listowel headed the poll. Tne delay of the bribery oath did not answer, and some fresh contrivance was required. At half-past ten an old half idiot freeman, named Adams, came to the poll, and upon the bribery oath being tendered, handed to the Mayor a paper containing two five-pound notes and two sovereigns, which he stated had been given to him by the proposer of Lord Lis towel, to vote for Lord Listowel. The old man then voted for Mr. Cabbell. The Mayor made a speech to the populace, very indistinctly heard, and very imper fectly understood, commenting upon this atrocious act of bribery, and for near half an hour the poll was almost suspended. It was then again taken up, and at the close the majority of Lord Listowel was declared to be 47. Now, so far from Adams having ever promised to vote for Lord Listowel, the facts, vflikh can be proved by the canvass-books, by the sheet of va• riations, and by the testimony of several to whom Adams did offer his vote, are, that he was entered in the canvass books as a voter for Cabbell, that he was reckoned an opponent, and that being now, and always, a Vernlam voter, he was never thought of as being likely to vote For a Liberal. His hope of pay lay on the other side. The whole affair was a stage trick, got up to produce cff2ct, and it signally failed, although for the moment productive of service to the Cabbellitcs. l'he money was girCil him by the Tories. Let the Verulam party fairly show their sheet of ex penditure, and their list of promises at this elec tion—let them get back their notes of the sonic bank given by them, as those which Adams produced —let Mr. Bond Cabbell declare that he made no promises to voters, and his agents that they gave no money—and we shall then believe their virtuous indig nation at the loss of a scat which they deemed so safe as not to be worth consulting the electors upon its sale or transfer. There was gross bribery on the Tory side ; it did not succeed because the popular feeling was all against them, nine out of ten—men, women, and children— wishing success to Lord Listowel. There are plenty of bribery cases against the Tory party, infinitely worse than Adams's trumped up state ment, even if it were true. UNITED STATES BANK. Of the principal item of the assets of the United States Bank, namely, that of the stock account, showing an aggregate of 31,665,553 dollars 66 cents., the particulars are now before the American public. The stockholders in England are at least equally in terested in the subject, and we proceed, therefore, to transfer the amounts to our columns. The State loans are put down at 380,988 dollars ; the city loans at 172,625 dollars. The institution holds, in Bank Stocks, of the Morris Canal and Banking Company 961,380, banks in Natchez 465,700, Grand Gulf 205,300, Vicksburg 120,855, New Orleans 333,800, Louiziana 99,200, Tennessee 228,100 dollars. It has, in Texas bonds, &c., 137,015 dollars ; in the securities of Companies incorporated for public and other improvements in Pennsylvania the following : Cumberland Valley Railway 441,000, Danville and Pottsrille ditto 117,083, Sandy and Beaver Canal 647,011, Philadelphia, Wilmington,and Baltimore Rail way 152,500, Williamsport and Elmira ditto 350,000, Union Canal 247,300, Reading-road 203,800, Little Schuylkill Navigation Railroad and Coal Company 960,792, other companies 871,346: in other States, New York, Boston, and Providence Railway 501,592, Dela ware and Chesapeake Canal, 375,893, other Companies 870,350 ; of United States Bank Stock (balance un sold of 24,714 shares) 2,741,400 ; on hand at agency in New Orleans 56,744 ; at agency in London, In diana Bonds 162,000, Maryland 179,000, Illinois 33,000, Michigan '272,000, Ohio Life and Trust 1,000,000, Farmers' Loan and Trust 234,000, Ame rican Life and Trust 627,550, Reading Railroad 411,111, Texas Bonds 184,204 dollars ; deposited as security for loans in Europe, Pennsylvania 5,117,906, Mississippi :3,086,000, Maryland 400,000, Indiana 596,000, 111:chigan 9,583,000, Illinois 1,368,000, Farmers' Loan and Trust 300,000 ; on hand with Messrs. Alsop and Brown, special agents, Pennsyl vania 1,160,000, Camden and Amboy Railway 522,222, Hazleton Coal Company 231,481, Philadelphia Wil mington, and Baltimore Railway 811,111, in Pennsyl vania Bands 16,487, and in special loan to Common wealth 271,000 dollars. These sums, with one or two insignificant excep tions, form the mass of paper comprised in the item of 31,665,553 dollars 66 cents, or six and a half millions sterling, being about equal to the nominal capital of the institution. The amounts due to the Bank of the United States by State banks arc the following :—North American Trust and Banking Company 357,000, banks in Natchez :2,683,000, ditto in Vicksburg 1. , 129,000, Gas Light and Banking Company 2,151,799, banks in Flo rida 436,298, other banks 550,000, Planters' Bank (bonds) 711,126 dollars. Besides specie, States' Bank notes, and other con vertible assets, real estate, &e., there remain for realisation bills discounted by the Bank and its agencies, called " Active," for 12,187,111 dollars, and the same, called " suspended," for 9,799,800 dollars. The Directors consider that about fifty per cent. may be deducteii from the latter as the probable loss that may arise upon them. We have no names of drawers, acceptors, or indorsers, to lead us to any con clusion of our own upon this part of the balance-sheet. We have merely a list of places at which the proportions lie. This if principally at Philadelphia and New Or leans, but the details are hardly worth giving.—Morn- Past. MRS. GORE'S NEW NOVEL, " GREVILLE ; OR, A SEASON IN PARlS." — Paris has had many delinea tors—poets, painters, arid historians, but none so lively as Mrs. Gore. Some little partiality must be excused in an habitusl resident in that gay capital ; but we confess we have sufficient reliance on the accuracy of one who has shown herself a truthful delineator of English life and man ners, to feel certain that her pictures of French society, her sketches of the Court of the Tuileries, of public men, and private amusements, are as exact as they are enter taining. " Greville," it seems, is considered the most suc cessful novel of the day. Ic ought to be; for, it possesses the rare charm of combinining a great deal that is new, with a great deal that is as old—old as nature and truth "Min make it. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, FRB. 10. In the absence of the Lord Chancellor the Earl of SHAFTESBURY took his scat on the Woolsack at Five o'Clock. EARL OF CARDIGAN. The Earl of SH AFTESBURY brought up a fur ther Report of the Committee, and moved for an order for the attendance of certain witnesses on the trial of the Earl of Cardigan on Tuesday next. His Lordship also moved for the attendance of the Earl of Cardigan and his bail at the bar of the House on Tuesday next, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, to take his trial on the indictment preferred against him, and that if the trial should List more than one day, the Earl of Cardigan should remain in custody of the Usher of the Black Rod during the trial.—Ordered. Lord DUNCAN NON gave notice that he would (to-morrow) move that the House at its rising should adjourn to Tuesday next. IRELAND. Lord lIA\VARDEN moved for the production of certain returns relative to Ireland, the nature of which we could not learn.—Ordered. The Earl of DEVON wished to ask cf the Noble Marquis (Normanby) whether he had received any information respecting the Surveyor of the Coleraine Union, in the county of Tip perary, having entered in the bock from which the official returns were made against certain erasures the list, the word " Tory," as he (the Earl of Devon) had received information that such was the case ; and he thought that if the survey ors so far forgot their duty as to indulge in this manner their political feelings, it was a practice much to be deprecated. If the Noble Marquis had received no information on the subject, he requested that he would make inquiries, aed if he found that it was the else, express the disapprobation of the Government at the practice.- The Marquis of NORNIANBY said the statement of the Noble Earl was the first he had heard of the subject, but he would certainly make the inquiries he desired ; but from his knowledge of the character of the Assistant Commissioner, he did not believe he could have acted in a manner that would be so contrary to the spirit of his instructions. Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from a public meeting held in Glasgow very numerously at tended, stating that serious divisions ❑ow existed be tween the middle and working classes, and praying as the best remedy for this evil that the labouring classes might be admitted to a large participation to the rights of the Constitution—that the elective franchise might be extended to these classes—that the duration of Parliament might be shortened, and that the property qualification should be repealed. SOCIALISM. Lord BROUGHAM then presented petitions from Reading, Glasgow, and Northampton, from the members of the Universal Rational Religious Society, complaining that their doctrines had been misrepresented, and pray ing for an inquiry into them. The Noble Lord proceeded to say that he presented these petitions because they were respectfully worded, and because the parties complained of misrepresentation. He, there fore, deemed it his duty, as the petitions had been put into his hands, to submit them to their Lord ships, although he was himself unacquainted with the subject, and totally uninformed whether the charges alluded to were well founded or not. He wished, however, to take that opportunity of once more stating to their Lordships his firm belief a belief which all his experience and ' observation had tended more and more to confirm— that if there were any absurdities so great as not to bear the testimony of calm inquiry for one instant ; it there were any thing so revolting to men's feelings in the principles of these parties that all must shrink from the consideration of them with abhorrence and disgust ; if their doctrines were so profligate as had been stated, no mode more effectual to dimi nish the natural abhorrence which these doctrines might inspire could be devised than making those professing them the objects of persecution and punishment. He entertained that opinion still more strongly with regard to political opinions, how ever revolting they might be. His belief was that any attempt to put down such principles by prosecution, and by checking the discussion of doctrines which, if left to themselves, would die a natural death, was a course fraught with inconvenience and danger. He applied that to all doctrines, as well religious as political, and he applied it to political heresies of the most re volting kind. He included under it the Repeal of the Union in Ireland, and his deliberate opinion was, that his Noble Friends behind him had been ill-advised if they held out, as he understood they had, to parties in Ireland, that whoever took part in the discussion respecting the Repeal of the Union, must no longer look to the countenance or the patronage of her Ma jesty's Government in Ireland. He believed that was not the way to put down the repeal agitation, but that if left to itself it would die, like all others, a natural death. VENTILATION OF THE HOUSE. The Marquis of WESTMEATH begged to ask whether it was intended, at the approaching trial, to continue the action of the hot air employed in heating the House ? if there was no alternative, he should prefer the cold air ; and it appeared to him that the best plan would be to leave the House to itself. He had felt very great inconvenience from the hot air when the House was full, and it would be still more inconvenient when crowded, us it was likely to be on Tuesday next, and from the Peers wearing their robes. Viscount DUNCANNON would inquire into the matter ; but he understood the Noble Lord had com plained of the cold air last year. The Marquis of WESTMEATH had merely com plained of the ventilation, anti an alteration had in con sequence been made in one of the windows. Adjourned. _HOUSE OF COMMONS, ER: 10. The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour. The Earl of LISTOWEL took the oaths and his scat for St. Alban's. Lord EASTNOR took;the oaths end his seat for Reigate. The Sheriffs of London and Middlesex appeared at the bar of the House, and presented a petition from the Lord Mayor and Common Council of the City of London, praying for leave to bring in a Bill for the improvement of the approaches to London-bridge. Sir E. KNATC lIBULL presented a petition from the London and Greenwich Railway Company, pray ing for leave to bring jn a Bill to amend their Acts. PRIVATE BILLS. The Committee on Private Bills reported that the Standing Orders had been complied with by several Railway Companies and other public Companies, and leave was accordingly given them to bring in Bills. Sir J. Y. BULLER presented a petition from Tot nes, praying for leave to establish a Court for the reco very of small debts. MEDICAL REFORM. Mr. STANDISH BARRY presented several peti tions from medical practitioners in the county of Cork iu favour of medical reform. Mr. FITZSTEPHEN FRENCH presented peti tions from places iu the counties of Mayo and Sligo to the same effect. IMPROVEMENT OF GAOLS. Mr. GREENE presented a petition from undergaolers and turnkeys, praying that i❑ any Bill which might be introduced for the improvement of gaols, a provision should be made for the superannuation of the officers. 'TIE MONMOUTH RIOTS. Mr. M. PHILLIPS presented a petition from Man. chester, praying for a Committee to inquire into all the circumstances connected with the case of Frost, Williams, and Jones. He supported the petition. NEWSPAPER STAMP DUTIES. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from the proprietors of a periodical publication in Wales, of which the name was not heard in the gallery, complain ing of the conduct of the Commi,sioners of Stamps in subjecting the publication to the duty upon newspapers, although they did not publish as much news as other papers, which were exempt from the tax. Mr. LISTER presented a petition from the North Midland Railway Company, praying for a Bill for the extension of their powers. Mr. HODGES presented petitions from Bramley and five other parishes in the County of Kent, against the Bill for the continuance of the powers of the Poor-law Commissioners. Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD presented a petiticn from Glasgow, in favour of the Copyright of Designs Bill ; and also a petition from the Socialists of Reading, pra)ing for an inquiry into their doctrines. Mr. V. SMITH presented a petition from certain rate-payers of Northampton, against the Poor-law Amendment Act. METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMEN TS. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from certain inhabitants of Clerkenwell, in favour of the projected improvements in that parish. EXTENSION OF THE SUFFRAGE. Mr. HUME presented a petitinn agreed to a public meeting of the inhabitants of the borough of Anderston, praying for an extension of the suffrage. The petition stated that the situation of thc people was at present vcry deplorable, and that through want of work, low wages, and dear food, they were suffering great privation. These evils it attributed to the defective state of the represen tation, and concluded by praying for the extension of the suffrage.—Ordered to lie upon the table. ELECTION COMMII'TEES. The SPEAKER read the liat of Members who are liable to serve upon Election Committees during the present session. Several Members were exewedoiits being one of her . the ground of their bein g above sixt y y e ars of age. Lo rdl ) almer i‘a jstys p s toin:as,exci i p a e excused theetariesrou o tln f of i State m v e .. Baring,uihl Lord John Russell was excusedquoenr,theisr ground o f hi s h o ldi ng wa T s e h x e cti C s l e i d an f c r e o l n lo i rseorfvitnhge onE xtchhee that office. _ _ NOTICES OF MOTION. Lord ELIOT gave notice that on Thursday, Feb ruary 18, he should call the attention of the House to EVENING EDITION. he Report of the Commissioners appointed to consider he method of preventing ships being struck by lightning. POOR-LAW. Sir EARDLEY WILMOT gave notice that in tho Committee on the Poor-law Bill he should move an amendment on the apprenticeship clause, requiring the masters of apprentices to produce the paupers in their employment before the Guardians every half year, in order that their condition might be inquired into. Colonel WOOD gave notice that on the 27th clauso of the Poor-law Bill being discussed in Committee, ho should move that all cottages the annual rental of which did not exceed 31., should be exempt from Poor-rates. Mr. WHITE, Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET, and Mr. DARBY also gave notice of their intention of proposing amendments in the Committee on the New Poor-law Bill. Mr. WALLACE gave some notice on the subject of the County Courts' Bill. Tne Hon. Gentleman also gave notice of his intention of bringing forward a mo tion en the subject of the expense of conveying mails by railway. RETURNS OF THE POOR-LAW COM MISSIONERS. Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET wished to ask the Hon. Under-Secretary of the Home Department when it was probable that certain Returns relating to the Poor-law Commissioners, for which he had moved, would be laid on the table. Mr. Fox MAULE would make inquiries on the subject ; he should see the Commissioners to-morrow, and would ascertain when it would be probable th,.) returns in question would be made. LORD KEANE. Lord J. RUSSELL gave notice that to-morrow he should move a Committee of the whole House to con sider her Majesty's Gracious Message relative to Lora Keane. Mr. HUME gave notice that on that occasion h 3 should take the sense of the House against the proposi• tion of the Noble Lord. THE NIGER EXPEDITION. Lord INGESTRIE said he had been given to un derstand that a great delay had taken place in the sailing of the Niger Expedition, and that it would not start for a month or six weeks. In such case it was likely to arrive at its destination in that unhealthy climate in a most unhealthy season of the year. He wislied to ask the Noble Lord whether he had been correctly informed. -Lord J. RUSSELL said that the delay had arisen from the circumstance of the last steam-vessel that went up the Niger havingbeen detained in consequence of the river not being high enough. It had conse quently been deemed expedient that the vessels should not enter the river .until the cnd of June. He should, however, make inquiries on the subject. Mr. HUME wished to ask whether the Noble Lord had any objection to lay before the House a copy of the instructions under which the expedition was to sail. Lord J. RUSSELL believed the different objects of the expedition had been stated in a letter which Lad been laid before Parliament by the Colonial Office in the last Session of Parlilment. lie was not prepared to state what the precise instructions were. Lord INGESTRIE said that June or July was the most unhealthy part of the year, and what he wanted to know was, whether the expedition would go out at that season or not ? Lord J. RUSSELL said that doubts now arose as to what was the fittest time for entering the river. The matter under consideration at the present time, was what might be the most heathful season for entering the river. CONSTABULARY. Sir EDWARD KNATC RBULL moved for leave to bring in a Bill to provide for the appointment and payment of parish constables in England and Wales. Mr. F. MAULE would not object to the intro duction of the au, although he should reserve to himself the right of objecting to it upon its future stages. He hoped, however, that it would not havo the effect of resuscitating the old system of consta bulary in England. _ _ Mier a fens words from Mr. L. HODGES and Sir E. KNATCH BULL, leave was given to bring in the Bill. PORTUGUESE CLAIMS. Viscount SANDON rose and said he was very sorry to be obliged again to trouble the House with a question which had already too often occupied its attention. He had hoped from what tran spired last Session, that the claims of British subjects upon the Portuguese Government were in a fair way of being adjusted, and would require no further interfer ence on his part. But on his return to London be found that the settlement of the claims of British officers and soldiers upon the Crown of Portugal were exactly in the same position as when the Parliament closed. He found that there was not one claim settled, and that no step had been taken towards the final adjustment. In order to show the House that he was not needlessly complaining of delay, he would remind them of the state of this question.—(Hear.) In the first place, these &aims had now remained unsettled for the space of six years. In the month of March last year, his Noble Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, announced in that year, that the Portuguese Government had at length agreed to appoint Commissioners for the purpose of settling these claims. In answer to a ques tion which he (Lord Sandon) put to his Noble Friend, he stated that & Commissioner had been appointed by that Government, and on the 30th March that a Commissioner had also been appointed by the British Government. In May the Portuguese Commissioner arrived, and in the month of June the claimants applied to the British Commissioner for information how they were to pro ceed. On the 29th of June he ( Lord Sandon) took the liberty of putting to his Noble Friend further questions, and the reply was, in a few days the Com missioner would be able to begin the investigation. The first sign of life which the Commissioners publicly gave was an announcement in the month of Novem ber that they were appointed, and even then they did not say that they were prepared to investigate claims. It was not till the month of De cember that they invited the claimants to bring their claims before them. Now he (Lord Sandon) had discovered that up to that very moment there had not :been a single claim investigated. A question still existed, he believed, between the Com missioners, or between the Governments upon what principle these claims were to be adjusted, or what was the contract upon which they would rest. Consider ing that it was stated in the early part of last Session that there was then no question at issue that might not be settled in a few days, and that if the Portuguese Government did not proceed with the matter within fourteen days the British Government were prepared to take the question into their own hands, he was sur prised that the British Government should not have made up their mind earlier what was the contract upon which rested the claims of British subjects ; and if they bad not yet done so, he thought the earliest steps should be taken for the purpose of cffectig an adjustment. He was most anxious to call the attention of the House to the condition of the question, and he should therefore take the liberty of moving for the following returns : Copy of the mixed British and Portuguese Commission for investigating and determining the Naval and Mili tary Claims on the Government of Portugal, arising out of the late war of restoration ; also a co py o f the Con vention between the British and Portuguese Go vernments relating to the issuing of such Commission. Copy of the Instructions and Rules framed for the guidance and direction of the Commissioners. Return of what has been done by the Commissioners, and what progress has been made in the investigation of claims, and the number of claims, if any, us hich have been investigated and adjudicated ; and, if not any, the causes of the delay. aoet L sni o tl nes r in d ast P i‘ ct tro L sit lN e m l g E eu ti Rd guide them nn N I assured his Noble Friend he much regretted that he was not able to state that m s h w C these claims were yet finally settled, but his Noble Friend was much mistaken if he fancied this matter was in the serve state as when ho _a bm s e t een Se m ss a i d o e n : ( o L n o rt the e e Sandon) entrary I ( l ,n a and he hoped that no great length of would to a final conclusion. The House aware th ere s a i d f i t h I e L p o r n o d g o r n e progress a l t i e a d t l between the two Govern. elapse before this matter would be wasbrought at last was a long correspondence appointment of a Commission A the e3ortuguese Government, appointed a London, t , h t e h the first performance and acquainted w ith the English language. When the Commissioner who had served in the English army, draw r ules dut i es . This occupied some time, but at length a satis factory code was agreed to. The question of contracts of service was the first difficulty which the Commissioners had to cneount er , aed it could not be settled in a f ew d ays, es his' lion. Friend supposed. In order to prepare for any difference of opinion that might arise, the Commissioners appointed the Belgian Minister as an umpire to decide upon all dis puted points. Toot functionary accepted the office with great readiness, although it was certainly one of greater labour than pleasure. He was eminently qualified to discharge the duties that he undertook, not only by his habits of business, but by his high character, which gave to both parties the fullest confidence in his decisions. The first subject which the Commissioners had to refer to him was that of the con tract of service, and it was now under his consideration. The argument on the subject had been come to by diplomatic cummunication, partly written and partly v" 1 ).11. Ile would have no objection to lay before the House the papers moved for, with the exception of the two first, which could n ot the n be p roduced. Lord SANDON though t there was no reason for refusing the documents ; a nd he saw no excuse f or the delay which had taken place on the subject. Lord PALNIERS I ON said that it was o b v i ous th ere could be no use in g oin g i nto an examination of the details of the claims until they had settled the q uestion of the principle. Sir DE LACY EVANS said that he had reason to believe the matter was not' in a very fair course for et settlement ; and he trusted it would be soon brought to a satisfactory conclusion. lie wished to observe that 'a sti 1 . 15 tle for:, tpa the row bre e jog f the prier v tO Nor'. er rIP rdsi, ant' i~B~':. o f l ilef' I bert Oa' r, Si LOP I !d e jC5tl 1 I' if 13 oteP 04 14 t be ice' II 0° aior it 0` not a th° be' c l l ' , i ., 1 i { °t t 4 a oil til3ll Fir 1( 00 D. a rt t"- ; 0 ' hi s 0 1 JO ils r A oli of $ l lO Ito, It('