The Sun. — London, England, 1841-04-30 00:00:00

~~1 J yesterday audience of in audiena audience or y Viscount-:: !cretary, ert 1, Lord I,g! ; ish inie';•! oyal idresses 0 ( • 'alace front.' ier, on his houn. England, the Re', .; Presbyte:, , ; Church o s f Alexander Hey: Y. Rev. John v. Charles, e Inhal accent!' plain, and ti scow' , S. bitants. • by 31G, Lord R. treasurer , .neis `ey r in Wait ig. ueen ye 9;:. n an aitd ted their igen yes-, ;en, took. od four., Prince eback Le Prince unteos of 7rederiek louvetier ening• ednesdsl iesses .•:)f Their igen , the f A. M. Oxbridge , los, I,i'd ed Ad: s Royal , ollovrieg tabitants tyor, sa Uuskett► mouth , Bur byid the lded bf loi Co l, • Boys' ent ,yo,* at tba inistett. e s, coo' th, Alr' tervie l et. on In" sell Yes' Le Nee con- W ' S A' )v, - bscile" rerce st ~ con- Villia!si )001 is does . g e nry rester- 'homy Hen. ;ludi ,tt, ka ° °f EVENING EDITION OPENING OF THE TAFF YALE RAILWAY: (From the Merthyr Guar( n Jor som e ti me p as t M er thyr - • ...id its vicinity have been V alive with expectati- tine from N av i-- .1 tor the promised opening of the 'W House, and a report that a trial train rt. sent up from Cardiff on Monday last brought "" 4 ,0f hundreds t o the railw a y t e rminus to w'tness its arrix dewing Accordingly. about one o'clock, an engine arrived, after it a tender, and bringing Sir Frederic Smith, i fe Railway Commissioner, Mr. Bush, engineer, and Mr. These B a ll, s e cre t ar y to t h e Taff Vale Railway Company. These gentlemen, after a short stay in Merthyr, during I li t h h igh ;bey stopped at the Angel Inn returned to Cardiff. e trip was performed without the slightest delay or acci 4ent. The day, although cold, was very fine, and was fa 'arable fur an examination 5y the Commissioner. Men re at work night and day previous to the opening, and nr!'y nerve was strained to enable the Directors to fulfil Heir pledge to the public that the railway would be opened Wt the 21st. NYe have been favoured with a copy of an official letter c roft Sir F. Smith to J. Ball, Esq., and hasten to lay it refore our r e aders, to whom it cannot fail to be very satis.. %Mary, and they will rejoice with us at the well merited t ottpliment paid by Sir Frederic to Mr. Bush for the ad- Ibirable manner in which he has planned and perfected the railway : " Cardiff, 20th April, 1841. " Sic _I have to acquaint you for the information of the Directors of the Taff Vale Railway Company, that I shall this day report to the Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council of Trade, that I am not aware of any objection to to opening of the line to Merthyr Tydvil to-morrow, pro tided the arrangements for working the inclined plane lhalibe then complete; and I shall have great pleasure in butting known to their Lordships the very satisfactory state of the line, and in bearing testimony to the skilful man ter in which Mr. Bush has grappled with the professional difficulties he has had to contend with in the formation of this Railway. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, (Signed) " FREDERIC SMITH, " Lieut.-Colonel Royal Engineers. `' Joseph Ball, Esq." On Tuesday evening the bellman went round the town and announced that, as the railway was to be opened next day, the shopkeepers would not open their shops, and the townspeople had resolved to make it a special holiday, and We verily believe that save and except on the Sabbath, there never was less work done on any day in this busy Place than there was on Wednesday last. On that day the first train was to start at 20 minutes past eight in the morning, and long before that time crowds of people directed their steps to the terminus, or Mounted the cinder tips, from which they could obtain an eXcellent view of the trains for a space of two miles. Flags were flying , in all directions, and the concord of sweet Sounds that filled the air from the bands of music, was fre rently harshly broken in upon by the roar of the artillery. 'Jai expected that, as this was the first train that had e ver started from Merthyr, there would be such a crowd applicants for seats, that the hope of obtain'ng one Was considerably damped, and so prevalent was this opinion, that comparatively few ventured to run the hazard of being refused, and in consequence thereof one third of the seats were unoccupied, to the great chagrin of many who afterwards heard of the fact. The morning was raw and chill, and a sharp cutting Rind prevailed all 'the way, to the great annoyance of tome of the passengers. When all had taken their seats, and everything was ready, the band played " See the Conquering Hero comes," and at 20 minutes past eight exactly the signal was given and away we went amidst the sound of the cannon, the music, and the cheers of thousand of spectators. All this was soon lost, for in two minutes we were opposite Mr. Anthony Hill's house, at Plymouth, and continuing at the same rapid rate we were " off " Mr. Purchase's farm (4f miles) in seven minutes snore:and at the some rate we continued our comet course through the wild and picturesque defiles of the beautiful vale of Taff, with scarcely time to catch a glimpse of a scene of grandeur or of softness ere it vanished from our 'View. Still we flew onward, now skimming over the vete. dant plain, then plunging into the savage ravine, and anon bursting upon the busy haunts of men, who left their labours !o gaze upon and cheer us in our passage, while the long train of fleecy vapour which we left behind us curled its i lia) , into the clouds or mingled with the smoke of the :teeny manufactories that stud the banks of the romantic Taff, and the brute creation, terrified at the suddenness of our approach and the noise of the engine, fled in all direc tions, leaving us " alone in our glory," and making sure 'of a good "offing" ere they ventured to stop and look round for the cause of their affright, while the " Loud trumpet to the cannon spoke, The cannon to the heavens," announcing our arrival at the respective stations, and bringing out the astonished natives to hail the approach of the illustrious stranger as it dashed is among them, breathing fire and smoke, and speaking in thunder. The viaduct at the end of the upper tunnel was the point of greatest interest; but the eye had only a moment to gaze Upon the rugged glen beneath ere it was shrouded in the gloom of the tunnel, the horrors of which seemed to pro duce a strong effect upon the ladies. The rapidity of the transit, however, did not admit of thought, or allow alarm to prevail for a long time ; every instant brought a change, and every change a renewal of excitement. On arriving at the top of the incline we were detained some little time, as we were at other points on the road ; but the late of travelling, when going at the general pace, was that of one mile in tWo minutes. We arrived at the station at Cardiff at two minutes to ten, having been one hour and thirty-eight minutes, inclusive of stoppages, in making the journey. The trip was performed in the happiest manner, - and without - Os. lemat accident. the party were in high spirits, and were of a humour to 'make the best of the worst, but there was no occasion, for all went yell off, as did all the other trips. We beard but of one mishap. An unlucky wight, whose evil star tempted him to alight at the Navigation House station, was left on the road. He had scarcely put his foot to the ground, when away went the train and disappeared like a meteor, carrying off his umbrella, which he had to thank the gentlemen of the railway for taking care of for him. With a spirit worthy of a better cause, he was determined not to be left behind, and started off after the flying train, with a speed that awakened a doubt in the spectators which would win the race ; find ing, however, that be was like to be beaten he gave in, and had to submit to the condolence of the passers by, who asked,—a needless question, when his heated face and hurried air are considered—whether he had missed the train ? As the day advanced the trains were more heavily laden, and the last was a bumper, for there was not a seat unoccupied in all the carriages, and many were left behind who wished to go. Towards the close of the day the little difficulties that had been occasionally encountered, and which bad caused unavoidable delays, were completely surmounted, and the last train that came from Cardiff left at four in the afternoon and reached Merthyr a little past five, having gone the distance in one hour and twenty-five minutes, although every part of the train was crammed with passengers. The weather bad become milder, and the day closed beautifully, and it was enjoyed by such a number of well dressed and holiday people as we have sever before beheld in Merthyr. Parties had been made for the trips, some in quarletto, some in trio, but the main body in doe, the lover and his mistress, who Ever gay among the gay, Were gayer on this holiday. The teetotallers took the opportunity of scattering their papers from the train, but we fear that amid the merry doings and jollity, and thirst supposed to be consequent thereupon, their precepts availed but little among the ani mated crowd,: not that we saw any instance of the viola tion of the rules of sobriety, for at five in the afternoon we had not seen a single " surveyor," that is, a man having business on both sides of the street. Sir J. J. Guest kindly invited all the gentlemen who came up by the train to partake of breakfast at Dowlais House, where a table spread with every luxury and the choicest wines, evinced the hospitality of the Hon. Baronet and his noble lady, and these delicacies were partaken off amid many expressions of the high sense of the honour that the guests felt had been done them by their generous en tertainers. Several toasts were drunk and appropriately responded to, among which were " The health of Sir John and Lady Charlotte Guest," " The health of tho Direc tors," " Success to the Taff Vale Railway," " The Trade of Merthyr." About 80 gentlemen sat down to table. Among the company was Professor Airey, of Cam bridge, whose health was drunk, in an elegant speeele, b y Mr. Coffin, in returning thanks for which he expressed his Warm sense of the hospitality.that had been shown him, ie not only at the mansion where he then was but at the houses of other gentlemen in this Fart of the country, and spoke of the gratification be felt at witnessing the comple tion of a great national work, that would facilitate the transport of the vast mineral treasures with which the Vale of Taff abounds, and greatly increase the prosperity of a large district, already celebrated for the energy and en terprise of its inhabitants. The company departed highly gratified with the entertainment, and much more so with the politeness and attention of their distinguished hosts. Several gentlemen connected with the railway dined at the Angel Hotel, and another party of gentlemen dined at the Castle Hotel, in honour of the occasion. Thus passed a day big with great events for Merthyr—a 'day for ever memorable, as bringing her within an hour of the sea, and annihilating t i m e and space to advance and enrich her—a day from which her sons will count when they are telling of her greatness to the yet unborn, and which they will name as an epoch of real triumph, of true and peaceful glory, unstained with blood end un dimmed with tears. It gives us much pleasure to state that we have been favoured with the opinions of several scientific gentlemen upon the construction of the railway, and from them we learn that it has been finished throughout in a manner highly creditable to the talented engineer, Mr. Busb , an d the gentlemen who so ably seconded him in his arduous undertaking. Every praise is also due to Mr. Ball, the secretary, for the excellence of his arrangements on this occasion, in consequence of which every man w as in his proper place, and did the duty allotted to him with care and despatch, so that not the slightest blunder took place , nor was there a complaint to make ; on the contrary, all were in the highest degree satisfied. We may conclude with stating that the railway opened under the happiest auspie. s. - - EGLINTON PARK MEETING.—This very 'popular meeting commenced to-day. The weather, dur ring the forenoon, wa s no t so auspicious as could ha v e been wiched. Notwithsta n ding, a vast concourse of peopl e assembled. None of the races had been decided when our informant left. Amongst the supporters of the turf, besides the noble patron of the meeting, Lord Eglinton, the following noblemen and gentlemen were present : Toe' M;rquis of Waterford, Lord Dunmore, Lord Sal toun, Sir F. Johnstone, Sir D. Baird, J. 0., Fairlic, Esq., H. Johnstone, Esq., Captain W. Campbell, yr. of Craigie, A. Campbell, Esq , yr. of Jura, .1 Illeiklatib Esq., of Crainbrae, Captain Richardson, Captain Pettat, Claud Alexander, Esq., of Bsllochmyle, W. Craufurd, Esq,, of Doonside, W. R. Ramsay, Esq., &c. The Countess of Eglinton, and a numerous company of ladies and gen.tlemen, occupied the Grand Stand, which has been elegantly though temporarily fitted up. From the entries, most if which were completed last night, we augur that the Lacing will be excellent—and some of the matches,. have excited great interest...Ayr Observer of tied %. THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1841 SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. FROM THE EVENING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY. GLOBE.—The intervention of Lord Howick has not advantaged the Opposition or embarrassed the Ministry in the manner which the forincr anticipated. There has been no difficulty created by his ameadme:A of Mon day, beyond a trifling delay, in taking the sense of the House decisively on the vital question, as r, gards the Ministerial measure—the 8/. franchiEe. Lord Howi,,k, having failed in his object of compromise between the two parties, abandoned, as our readers will perceive by the debate, another amendment of which he had given notice, as unlikely to receive support, Two successive amendments of Mr. Hume were negatived on a division, Mr. Sheil gently hinting to the Honourable Member that he evidently knew less about Kilkenny than M.ddlesex. On these amendments, Sir Robert Peel voted will Mini sters, in order that the conclusive vote of the House might be taken on the direct clause as Ministers intend to pro pose it. We should have thought this directness of purpose in the chief of the Opposition might have prevented him, on Monday, from heading his party in hurrying on a division, or might have induced him, on similar grounds, as last night, to vote with Ministers on that division I He has made it clear that be meant to express no practical con currence with Lord Howick. I: was an otiose vote of acquiescence in a general principle ; a principle he had no intention of concurring in carrying out. It was just such an abstract and speculative vote as Sir Robert Peel condemns, when he does not happen to spy a party advantage in giving it. The only practical result, on the present occasion, will be that of introducing an addition to the franchise. originally proposed--an addition, it may be doubted whether quite so conducive as the English Cbandos clause has been to the purposes of the Tory party. The speech of Lord J. Russell gave a luminous view of the essential difference between the English and Irish constituency ; and, with that of Mr. Shell, afforded, as it seems to us, conclusive arguments against any scheme of a mere occupation franchise far the litter country. It cannot be necessary to remind Liberal Mem bers that the decisive vote is to-night, and that it appears understood the Bill is to have precedence of all other business. _ _ _ STANDARD.—It is extremely difficult to present any distinct view of the resumed debate last night upon Lord Morpeth's Bill. Lord Howick's reasoning and his con duct are alike incomprehensible to any common sense understanding. The franchise proposed in the Ministerial Bill is, as all know, a franchise not based on property ; it is a franchise based solely upon the occupation, for a certain term, of land, rated, according to the first proposition, at 51., according to the second at 8/. ; and all Lord Howick's arguments on Monday went to show the danger of any camparatively low franchise not based upon a beneficial interest—in other words, upon property his lordship recommending speci fically a franchise hated upon a beneficial interest of at the least 5/. As such Lord Howick's proposition was understood by Sir Robert Peel, who gave this interpre tation of it in distinct terms, and by the whole party who so triumphantly carried it. Nay, last night again Lard Howick repeated his objecion to the ministerial fran chise, as not giving a property test, though he de clared that his amendment was only intended to provide an addition to, and not a substitute for it. Who can understand this ? A proposition is male which is described as essentially vicious in principle, not defective in extent, and another proposition, not subject to the same objections, is recommended. Is this to propose an addition or a substitute ? But what would be practically the amount of ad dition made by Lord Hoaick's amendment ? Lord Morpeth's Bill (in the second version) would enfranchise all tenants of a certain short tenure, rated at 8/. Lord Howick's amendment would add all tenants having a beneficial interest of 51., though rated at less than 81. There must be tenants having a profit of 5/. upon lands paying less than 3/. in rent, of whom there are probably not fifty in a country cir cumstanced as Ireland is. Was this addition worth all the elaborate preparation for Monday's debate, and all the heralding of the Examiner and the other organs in Lord Howick's confidence ? No. Lord Howick did mean a substitute for the Ministerial franchise, though now he denies that he did. By the aid of the Conserva tives he carried this substitute; and now he backs out of it, obviously because he has taken fright at the effect of his success. COURIER.—Lord John Russell, on completion of the two days' grace so humbly prayed for, and mercifully conceded, on Monday, for the purpose of considering whe ther or not to redeem his official honour by Ministerial resig nation, announced last evening to a House very numerously constituted and all agape with curiosity, that " Govern ment would not be at all justified if they considered that vote (the adverse majority of 21 on Monday) as conclu sive on such a question"—that is, conclusive of the melancholy necessity of their resignation. Scornful murmurs were very audibly breathed from all sides of the House as this very strange declaration was sneakingly delivered by Lord John, but not one ex pression of surprise fell from a single lip, nor was any feeling manifested on a single countenance save that of contempt and derision combined. Nobody expected the resignation of Ministers, and precisely because such would have been the course of public men with honour and character to lose ; therefore no one was disap pointed to find Lord John still minister, or astonished to hear him coolly, but not confidently, indicating his determination still to remain so. The explanations re ciprocated between my " Noble Friends," Lords John and Howick were, of course, of the most amicable and srl the duello was not pro ceeded with. Lord John assured the thiu-se - ii was all a mistake " 'pon honour," and had he understood his No ble Friend's amendment in the light since represented, but which he then entirely mistook, far from opposing, it should have had his delighted acquiescence, as the means of a substantial enlargement of the franchise and addition to the numbers of the Irish constituency. My Lord Howick, on the other hand, affected by his Noble Friend's magnanimous acknowledgment of his Monday's blundering, albeit not displeased with his majority 21, gallantly met his advances towards a reconciliation, poured wine and oil into the gaping wound of Monday's fierce encounter by the intimation of regret for past differences, and the announced withdrawal of further part in the registration fray, even to the sacrifice of all the amendments he had yet in store and given notice of. rather than again run the risk of forcing his Noble Friend into the painful predicament of holding fast by his place, even at the loss of caste and character. KING'S COUNTY ELECTION COMMITTEE. The Committee met yesterday morning at Eleven o'Clock. Mr. Sergeant WRANGIIAM resumed his argument for the petition. The Learned Counsel said his argument on the previous day had been, that pensioners under the Crown during pleasure, were disqualified for sitting in Parliament, and that the pension in this case was of that nature. He apprehended that it was intended to draw some distinction between this pension, which was paid out of the Stamp-office, and the case of a pension which was paid out of the Civil List. Ha contended, however, that wherever the Minister, in the name of the Crown, had power to exercise control over the independence of a Member of Pat liament, under the statute of Anne be was disqualified. Mr. AUSTIN said he admitted without hesitation that it was a pension under the Crown, granted under the statute. If his Learned Friend could show that it was also a pension during pleasure, be should at once admit that Mr. Armstrong could not retain his seat. Mr. Sergeant WRANGIIAM said. that being admitted, be would next proceed to show that the office was held during pleasure. The Learned Counsel then referred to the case cited yesterday in the matter of Hand, for the purpose of showing that the Treasury had power to grant a pension for life, and that this cffice was held dur ing the pleasure' of the Crown. The only other point, , supposing this to be established, was whether sufficient notice was given of the objection at the time of the election. Mr. Ausne contended that the two questions were perfectly distinct. It should be established that the office was rsi a disqualifying nature before they proceeded to the selficiency of notice. A letter was put in by Mr. Austin, and was iden tified by Mr. Cuff, Sub-Sheriff of the county, as the hand writing of Mr. Armstrong. Evidence was taken as to the making up of the poll-books, but no point turned upon it. Mr. Pressley wan then called, and examined by Mr. Sergeant WRANGHAM.—Witness said ho was secretary to the Board of Stamps. The Boards of England and Ireland were consolidated in 1831, and certain reductions were made in consequence. The office of Receiver-Gene ral was among the number. On the 31st of July 1831, a report was made to the Treasury, recommending an alteration and reduction of the establishment. On the Treasury approving of the reduction a report was made of the officers who would be discontinued, amongst whom was Mr. Armstrong. In February 1832 they applied for the ages of these officers with a view to compensation, and Mr. Armstrong, not having served ten years, they granted him a gratuity of one year's salary, amounting to 4611. Ils. On the 17th of June, when the reduction Lad been completed, Mr. Armstrong memorialised the Treasury, and it being re ferred to the Board of Stamps they reported to the Treasury that he had then completed his ten year's service. In Septem ber, 1832, Mr. Armstrong was placed on the redundant list, and a gratuity of 1231. a year was awarded to him. I . A letter was then put in evidence, of the 25th of Sep tember, 1832, placing Mr. Armstrong on the redundant list] Mr. Armstrong was liable to be called into active service. In the event of his refusing to serve his pension would cease. 'Phis salary would cease if he were appointed to any new office. Up to the close of the month of February he had received no instructions to discontinue the pension. Mr. Armstrong's receipts were transmitted to the Audit-office; his name would necessarily remain upon the list until orders were received to discontinue payment. Mr. Tyrrell, Receiver-General of Ireland, thee. pro• duced the warrant from the Stamp-office to pay the salary. He, as cashier, bad paid Mr. Arm strong's salary by quarterly payments. The last payment he made was on the sth January in this year. [The receipt was put in evidence.] He had not paid the salary on the sth of April. He received no countermand up to the month of March. He should not cease to pay it without an order to that effect. Mr. TALBOT then addressed the Committee on behalf of the petitioners. Mr. AUSTIN rose to address the Committee on behalf of the sitting Member. The Learned Counsel commencd by citing extracts from Roe's Treatise upon e'ection law, and from Mr. Stevens's work on the same subject, for the purpose, as he said, of showing the Committee what was the principle to be applied to cases of alleged disquali fication. After referring to the circumstances of disqua lificaiion, it was stated that the whole doctrine of disquali fication being restrictive of the elective franchise, the rules which went to disqualify the persons elected were always of strict construction, the presumption of law being strongly against dinqualie c ation. That was the principle which had invariably been acted upon. In this case there were no merits whatever. If Mr. Armstrong was to be unseated he was to be unseated upon a mere technical point of law. His friend, therefore, was entitled to no indulgence what ever at the hands of the committee; he was bound to prove a disqualification within the clear letter of the statute. It had been concluded by the counsel for the petitioners that Mr. Armstrong was disqualified from sitting as a Member of Parliament, by the circumstance of his being a pensioner at the pleasure of the Crown, as well as upon the ground that he was still an officer of the Stamp-office. He would first state, in reference to this argument, that whatever pension Mr. Armstrong had held before the election, that pension had been resigned. Hav ing two strong points, he would not have faded in his duty to his client had he not availed himself of both. He trusted, however, that he would be able to show that, upon both points, his learned friends were wrong. First, then, with regard to the duration. Before the year 1827, Mr. Armstrong was Receiver-General - of the Stamp Duties in Ireland. In 1828 passed the 7th and Bth of George the Fourth, which enabled the Government amongst other things to consolidate the Boards of Stamps in Dublin and London. It had been stated that the two Boards were consolidated in 1831. Upon the occasion of the consolidation of those two boards, the Government acting under the powers of the 7th and Bth of George the Fourth, abolished the office of Receiver-General cf Stamps in Ire land. That was the first material fact. The office was abolished and had never been revived. This pension,therefore, was granted upon the abolition of an office, and not as a superannuation allowance. Tile Learned Counsel then referred at considerable length to the 31 of Geo. IV., section 15, in support of this view. He contended that this pension was a pension during good beh,siour, and as such a pension for life. With regard to the point that Mr. Armstrong was still in office, he would only remind the Court of what he had before stated, that the office of Receiver-General, which he f armerly held, was abolished. That in his opinion completely set that point at rest. He would now come to the second part of his argument, and far this purpose he must suppose an entirely new state of things; namely, that Mr. Armstrong was, in fact,a pen sioner at the pleasure of the Crown. It was notorious before the election that Mr. Barnard had no chance of being returned, and all were astonished that he should persist in going to the poll. A day or two, however, before the nomination, Mr. Armstrong was told that the secret of this strange conduct was that he (Mr. Arm strong) was a pensioner under the Crown, and his return would be opposed. The nomination took place on the 19th, and on the 20th M-. Armstrong, in order to secure him self against this species of objection, resigned his pension. The Learned Counsel then read the resignation and the subsequent proceedings, by which the warrant for the pay ment of the pension was revoked. The Committee adjourned at Four o'clock. __— GRAVESEND —A very gay and animated scene presented itself here on Wednesday, occasioned by the de parture under a grand salute, and with colours and signals flying, of two fine vessels, the Whitby and Will Watch. A b idy of civil engineers and surveyors, together with a complement of labourers are on board, and destined fur New Zealand. This expedition is under the command of Captain Wakefield, R.N., and is intended as a preliminary measure for selecting and preparing the seat of a new set tlement. in that enchanting country. resembling the expe dition commenced by Colonel Wakefield, which sailed from this in May, 1839, and which resulted in the esta blishment of Port Nicholson; the first colony of the New Zealand Company. The civil engineers and surveyors are cighteen in number, and duplicates of their machinery and instruments necessary fur the furtherance of the object in view are carried out in each ship, so that no time may be lost, on the arrival of either vessel, in setting earnestly to work to prepare the way for those who are to follow. Captain Liardet, of the Royal Navy, is also a passenger, having been appointed the Company's principal agent at their settlement of New Plymouth. Tnie distinguished officer was Commander on board the Powerful, under Commodore Napier, in the Mediterranean, and obtained his rank as Post Captain for his recent services at Acre. There are several volunteers in the expedition, intended to be settlers at the new colony to be called Nelson, the first settlement having been named Wellington. Among these volunteers are two members of a distinguished Scottish family, the sons of Mr. Tytler, of Woodhouse Lee, and nephews of the historian. The vessels, which were scru pulously inspected by Mr. Soamee, the Governor of the New Zealand Company, accompanied by Mr. Aglionby, M. P., Mr. Ross Mangles, and other Directors, appeared to be very roomy and commodious, and order and regularity exhibited itself wherever the eye could penetrate. The labourers, who are remarkable for their size and strength, were all clothed in a warm and uniform suit of blue, with bearer hats ; and exhibited correctness of demeanour and the most cheerful dispositions ; indeed, it was evident that everything had been done for them that forethought and kindness could dictate. They are all under 30 years of age and are married, and before leaving were mustered on deck, and Mr Soamcs, in a very appropriate and feeling speech, gave the fullest assurance that their wives and families should be sent out to join them by the May expedition, and that they should be well taken care of the meantime. The principal officers of the expe dition and their friends, who had come to take leave of them, dined at Wate's H )tel, and embarked at six o'clock, under a salute from the ship, which at once dropped down the river, and proceeded on their voyage. The Admiralty have issued regulations respect• ing the supply of cabin furniture to captains and other commanding officers of her Majesty's vessels, of which the following are the principal :—The articles of furni ure consisting of plate, in forks, spoons, ladles, fish slices, and sugar tongs; linen, bed and table; glass and china, in decanters, glasses, dinner-sets, breakfast and tea sets; and chairs and tables arc to be considered as the esta blishment, to be supplied from the naval stores to com manding officers who may demand the whole or any eoirelatisissuent as MU their own con_ VenienCe. 101. per cent. per annum wiii-nerien-urgea on the value to officers for the use of the furniture. In the event of the death of an officer, or of his bring super. seded, his successor is to be at liberty to use the cabin fur niture on board the ship, on taking a survey of the remains ' and of their actual condition, for the information o f the Admiralty but if officers should not make use of the cabin furniture of their predecessors, a survey is to be made, and the stores delivered into the charge of the purser, as public property, to be returned into store at the first naval yard at home or abroad , at which the ship may touch. If an officer succeeding to a corn- mand shall require the use of the furniture after it is given in charge to the purser, it may be. supplied. On the refit of a ship at any of H. M. dock-yards, furniture may be obtained to replace any which may have been lost, or rendered unfit for use by the casualti es of the service. ; Officers removing from one ship to another are at liberty to take with them the furniture from the ship they leave. If the furniture of a predecessor is on board the ship to which a commanding officer removes, and his successor in the ship he leaves desires to have it, it is to be transferred to him, not exceeding the proportions allowed to t he class of the ship. A transfer of a proportion of furniture from a larger to a smaller ship may be made, the remainder to be left in charge of the purser of the ship from whence the transfer is made. Officers promoted may complete their stores from the furniture of their predecessors. The valuation of the stores, on which 10 per cent.is to be charged, will be regulated according to their actual value when issued, and their valuation will continue until they are re turned. The officers to whom stores are supplied are to be liable to the full cost of any of the articles missing when the ship is paid off, except the deficiencies are attributable to the casualties of the service, and not to neglect. In all cases of special service when officers are required t ) carry passengers, an increase of articles may be demanded, which are to be returned into store at the expiration of t'ie service. In every instance of alteration in the disposition of the stores or any part of them, a report is to be forwarded to the Admiralty. A box of plate has already arrived from Lon ion at this dockyard fur general service, and the other articles will soon follow. The measure will be an advan tage to the commanding officers availing themselves of it, but most officers will, we have no doubt, prefer taking their own plate. &c., from which they are not debarred.—De• vonport Telegraph. It is reported that from a recent survey of the country, between this town and Cirencester, a line has been selected for the completion of the Cheltenham and Great Western Railway, which presents less engineering difficulties than the one originally proposed, and that by means of an inclined plane the existing obstacles may be easily surmounted. —Cheltenham Examiner. GREEN OLD AGE.—On Easter Monday last, a ball, which took place at the Crown Inn, Canon Piou, was graced by the agile presence of one old man, who danced out his seventy-sixth year, and met his seventy seventh, poised on "the light fantastic toe," his fair partner was sixty years younger than himself. Who after this will say that " May and December can never agree?"— Cheltenham Examiner. We of the other sex should delight in seeing the intel!ect and taste of women cultivated to the utmost of their capabilities ; but it is clear that woman is not in. tended for the rough business of the world, and that her perfection is best tisplayed in quiet intellectual and etc. gent occupations, and in care and activity directed to the happiness of those individuals to whom she i; attached. " For nothing lovelier can be found In woman than to study household good, And good works in her husband to promote." Women ill appreciate the true loveliness of their Fez who wish to resemble man in their mind and occupations. " All higher knowledge in her presence falls Degraded : Wisdom in discourse with her Loses discountenanced, and like Fully shows." _Elliotson's Human Physiology. THE CHARGE OF AN AMERICAN JUDGE TO A JURY AT KENTUCKY.—Gentlemen—in this case, the counsel at both sides arc quite unintelligible, the e,idence of the witnesses i 3 quite incredible, and plaintiff and de f,sndant are such bad characters, that it is quite indifferent to me which way you give your verdict, On Tuesday the attention of the promenaders was directed to her Majesty's brig the Rapid, about three miles to the eastward of the town, which was discharging her gun•. It appears that some French boats were fish imr Within the limits prescribed by the Convention, viz , three miles of the headlands, and that the brig was warn ingthem of their trespass.—Brighton Gazette. MURDER AS A HELP TO MEMORY.—On a trial at Cambridge, relative to the liability of the inhabi tints of Doddington to repair a highway, a question oc cupied the Court for five days—viz., whether the road re ferred to was a public highway or not. No amusing in cident occurred to relieve the tedium of the cause, yet the interest was such, that during every portion of it the Court and all the avenues leading to it were crowded with persons anxious to hear the details of a case of such vast impor tance in the fen districts, where many hundred miles of si milar roads, there called " droves," exist. Several of the old witnesses dated from an event which, in their younger days, seems to have caused universal interest, " the year Solomon Tuck was hanged," " so many years before or after the year Solomon Tuck wits hanged" (which was 60 years since), was their common form of expression. This Solomon seems to have murdered his wife and children under circumstances of no common atrocity.—lpswich Express A lady reading a paragraph in one of the papers that had been extracted from the Literary Gazette, in quired of Lord - the meaning of the abbreviation at the end, "Lond. Lit. Gaz." "It means," replied The 11.01 e dandy, "tbat London is always lit with gess I" COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL. Yesterday a Court was held for the despatch of bu rior proceedings in a Court of Justice. Now, he could rot reconcile these answers, nor could he un descend shat any proceedings in a Court of Jus tice could have to do with the question, as the offence of Mr. Candlish in disobeying the law had been com pleted. The fact of his being a leader of those who were engaged in opposing the law ought to be sufficient to pre vent that gentleman's appointment. He wished to know whether the intention to appoint him had or had not been finally abandoned? The Marquis of NOR M ANBY said that be must give the same answer he had on a former occasion, that it was not his intention to persevere in the a ppointment of Mr. Candlish. He thought the Noble Earl had mis understood what had been said in another place relative to the event of ulterior proceedings. Suppose the Court of Session should determine that the interdict was not a legal one, surely that would put Mr. Candlish in a different position from the one he now occupied ; but he could not be called on to state how he would act in the event of such a decision bring come to. The Earl of ABERDEEN had advised those who had suffered from the persecution, not to bring the matter be fore the Court :in such a way as would place him in a position to attract sympathy; and, therefore, he thought that any idea of bringing him before the Court for punish ment would be abandoned. There were various modes by which Mr. Candlish might mote for the repeal of the interdict, and his not doing so was a proof he was afraid of encountering the consequences. ( Hear, hear.) If the institution of the Professorship were of such importance it ought to be filled up immediately, and there were many quite as well qualified for it as Mr. Candlish. The course adopted by the Government on this question was not a fair one ; it was a shirking course, and he called upon them to carry out their own decision. The Marquis of NORMAN BY had understood on the former occasion most distinctly that it was intended to in stitute proceedings against this gentlemen, which would have the effect of truing the validity of the interdict, and he considered the abstainin g from doing so rather honest than otherwise. Notwithstanding the taunts of his Noble Friend he must be permitted to exercise his own discretion as to the course he should recommend the Crown to pursue in filling up the appointment. The Earl of ABERDEEN explained. The Marquis of L ANSDONVisTE presented petitions from various medical practitioners in Ireland, praying for a reform of the medical profession in Ireland; also a petition from some place in Cornwall, in favour of the removal of Jewish Tee Marquis of NORMANBY presented a petition from Newcastle to the same effect ; also a petition against Church-rates ; and a petition from the Rational Religion ists, praying for inquiry. CORN-LAWS. Earl FITZ WILLIAM said it was not his intention to fix any day for the discussion of the Corn-laws, but he must take that, the only opportunity he should have before the financial statement should be brought forward else where, of drawing the attention of the House to the Corn laws, in conney,ion with our finances. The Noble Duke had alluded to the impolicy of keeping our establishments on a low scale, but that was only half the question. These could not be maintained without a large and increasing revenue, and how was that to be obtained? Commerce was diminished, manufactures were diminished, and were those who signed petitions for continuing the Corn-laws prepared to say that the revenue of the country could be kept up without revising the whole system of the import duties ? The Earl of WARWlCK.—Certainly. Earl FITZ WILLIAINI thought the Noble Lord could have paid little attentioti to the recent investigations on the subject. They must make up their minds to lay their taxes not on those who laboured for wealth, but on those who had acquired wealth. They must make up their minds to a property-tax. As to what the nature of it might be was a different question, but they must make up their minds that they could not exempt them selves from taxation in the way they had hitherto done.—( Hear.) They could not say that they would exempt one article from the searching exami nation to which the whole system of import duties mast be subjected. It was a delusion to imagine that they could say to the people you may have cheap tea or cheap sugar, but you shall not touch that article cn which our rents depend—you shall not have cheap bread. The increase in the exports of half manufactured articles, connected as it was with the decrease in the export of the perfected manufacture, was one of the most fatal symptoms. These we e matters deserving of the most serious consideration, and he should not have done his duty if he had not called attention to the subject on the eve of the financial state ment being brought forward. The Noble Earl then pre sented several petitions in favour of a revision of the Im port Duties, and a repeal of the Corn-laws. Earl STANHOPE said the decline of the revenue was solely attributable to a repeal of taxation. He thought the old prohibitory system the one most conducive to the comfort and prosperity of the country. Lord ASHBURTON said, if they gave up a large amount of Post-office duties they must expect a deficient revenue. If the Noble Earl would bring the question of the Report of the Committee on Import Duties regularly before the House, he ( Lord A.) would prove that a more shallow, vague, partial, and unfounded statement had never issued from either House of Parliament. The manufacturing distress was entirely owing to the state of the currency in the United States, and if the currency of America were placed in a sound state their difficulties would disappear. Earl FITZ W IL L IA M denied that there was atemporary fluctuation merely in the demand for our manufactures; the demand for them was gradually and steadily on the de cline. E was not clear that the state of the currency on the other side of the Atlantic might not have been in fluenced by the tLia side of the Atlantic. Tho Earl of CLARENDON presented a petition from the Chamber of Commerce of Manchcs'er, praying for the repeal of all discriminating and protective duties whatever. Also a similar petition from Musselburgh. POOR-LAW. Earl STANHOPE presented several petitions pray ing for a repeal of the new Poor-law, and gave notice that if the all now in progress in the House of Com mons on the subject of the new Poor-law, continuing the uneonstituti9nal powers of the Commissioners, should be brought up to that House, he should on notice for the second reading, move that it be read a second time that day six months. The various Bills on the table were forwarded a stage, and their Lordships wijourned at SeNen o'Clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS, APRIL 29.] The SPEAKEIt took the Chair shortly before Four o' Clock. Mr. WALTER was introduced by Sir F. Burdett and Mr. Fie Wen, and took the oaths and his seat for Notting ham, amidst loud cheers from the Opposition Members, BRITISH PLATE GLASS COMPANY. Mr. R. HODG SON moved that the British Plate Glass Company Bill, which had been referred to the Hampshire List, should be referred back to the Committee of Selection, with an instruction to the Committee that it he rcirred to the surrey List instead of the Hampshire List. Mr. ESTCOURT defended the conduct of the Com mitter! of Solution, but thought it immaterial to whit list the Bill should be referred. Mr. HODGSON HINDE supported the motion. Sir ROBERT INGLIS opposed the motion, on tl - c ground that the House was bound to support the deeisitn of the Committee of Selection, unless some impreper cot.- duet could be proved against them. Mr. M. PHILLIPS thought it desirable that the Bill should be referred to a Committee, the members of which were more conneettel with trade and commerce than the members on the Hampshire list, and he should therefore support the motion. Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the House divided, wliTn there appeared, For the motion Against it Majority against the motion On the motion of the Earl of SURREY the Bury (Sussex) Inclosure Bill was read a third time and passed. Lord BARRINGTON presented a petition from the Poor-law guardians of a union in Surrey against certain clauses in the Poor-law Bill. _ _ _ - - Mr. LANGDALE presented petitions from the Roman Catholics of Leicester and another place, praying that paupers of that persuasion might be attended by Roman Catholic clergymen in the workhouses. Mr. LEADER presented petitions from the Tower Hamlets and Westminster, praying for a free pardon for Frost, Jones, and Williams. The lion. Member pre sented several other petitions, the purport of which we were unable to catch from the great noise prevailing in the body of the House. Mr. VILLIERS presented the following petitions against the Corn-laws—one from the City of London, signed by 1,260 householders, with the names of the street and number of their residences ;axed ; two from Rother hithe ; one from Tottenham-court - road; two from West minster ; one from Southwark ; one from the county of Down; one from the linen bleachers of Spring Vale, Bain bridge ; and one from the operatives of Stewarton, in Scotland. Sir R. BATESON presented eighteen petitions from Londonderry, Down, Donegal, and Antrim, against Church Patronage in Scotland. Petitions in favour of Church Extension were p resen t e d by Sir CHARLES BURRELL and Lord LINCOLN. Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN presented a petition from a place in the county Limerick in favour of the Government Registration Bill, and a gainst that of Lord Stanley. The Honourable Member also postponed to Thursday, the 13th of May, the motion of which he had given notice, for the House going into Committee on Fri day next, to consider an address to her Majesty, pray ing that she will be graciously pleased to recom mend to Parliament tbat provision be made for carrying into effect the suggestions contained in the second Report of the Commissioners appointed toenonfreidlaenrda, lid subject t recom mend a gen e ral system of Railways i such extension or modification as may appear desirable to her Majesty's advisers and to Parliament, Mr. G. PA LMER begged to ask what was the inten tion o f her ;Majesty's Ministry respecting the Poor-law Commission Continuance Bill ? The Hon. Member, who was very indistinctly heard, was understood t o say that he thought it bet . er for the Government at once to bring in a Bill to abolish vestries, end to deprive the parishes of England altopther of the power of regulating their affairs.---( Hear, hear.) Lord J. RUSSELL, who w as also very imperfectly heard, did not intend to act noon the suggestion of the Hon. Member—(Hear, and a laugh)—hut he would pro ceed with the second reading of the Poor-law Bill on Monday. In answer to a question from Col. SIBTHO RP, Lord J. RIT SSE LL said that. it was his intention to bring on the Civil Contingencies' Bill on Monday next. Mr. O'CONNELL postponed to this day week the in troduction of his Bill to facilitat,i the proof of bribery and corruption at elections of Members to serve in Parliament. TOLLS ON BRIDGES. Sir MATTBEW WOOD moved that the following gent l emen be appointed the Select Committee, on opening Waterloo, &c., bridges, free of toll :_Sir Matthew, wood, Mr. E, 3, Stanley, Sir R. Pee), Mr. Herries, Sir THE PROJECTION OF TIIE SUN FIRE OFFICE. siness. Mr. DixoN requested to be informed by the Chairman of the Commissioners of Sewers, whether any measures had been taken by the Commissioners with respect to the extraordinary projection of the new building of the Sun Fire-office, in' opposition to the regulation for the approaches to the Royal Exchange? Alderman Gauss replied that the Commissioners had put the power vested in them into exercise ; that a ne gotiation was going on upon the subject of complaint, and that the works at the Fire-office were suspended. The intimation appeared to give much satisfaction to the Court. _ Mr. WELLS gave notice of a motion to refer it to the Irish Society to examine and report who is at the present time the solicitor to that Society. THE OFFICE OF CITY COMPTROLLER. The LORD MAYOR read a letter from the City Comp troller, one of the most profitable offices under the Cor. poration, representing that he was labouring under inflam mation of the spine, produced by over-exe,tion in his business, and that total relaxation from business for some time was orcicrei by his medical attendant. The letter stated that th.." writer had been a servant of the Corporation for the term of thirty-four Years; that he most rigidly attended to the duties cf the situation which he bad tilled, and that he was ready to adopt any course which might appear to the Court to be most suitable to the interests of the Corporation. Mr. R. L. JONES, on moving that the letter should be referred to the Committee of Clerks and Officers, spoke highly of the attention paid by the Comptroller to the business of his office. Mr. JONES (of Bishopsgate) seconded ti.e motion, and said that the office of Comptroller required very great re vizion.—( Loud cries of " Hear, bear.") THE POOft-LAW IN THE CITY OF LONDON. Mr. RICHARD TAYLOR presented a petition from certain freemen, householders in the City of London, Guardians of the West London Union. The following are the principal parts of it : " That your petitioners being advised that by the provisions of the Poor-law and under the regulations of the police, guardians and officers of the Poor-law unions are required is cases of sudden and urgent necessity to give immediate • temporary lodging,' and such relief as each case shall require, but not in money, have thought it their duty, in compliance with the law, to provide a recep tacle in the house of the said union for all destitute per sons applying or found by the officers of police within their district—that the adjoining, or City of London union, having no such receptacle at hand, buz administering relief partly in money, the consequence is a vastly dispropor tionate resort of persons suffering or pretending dettitu ti m to the West London union, of which your petitioners are the guardians. That the great influx of casual pau pers of this description thus resorting and brought by the officers of the police throughout the eight is pernicious and grievous, as being subversive of the discipline of the union house, which ought rather to be a quiet and orderly asylum for the deserving and unfortunate of the district, than a receptacle for disorderly and habitual vagrants, and further as entailing an undue burthen upon that portion of the City for which your petitioners are concerned. Your petitioners have moreover most especially to recommend this subject to your attention, as a measure of police, in which re spect it is particularly within your province. Your petitioner% would respectfully submit that the only effectual mode, es peci illy in large cities, of dealing with an evil so exten sive as vagrancy, must be one which will bring all objects of this class under the immediate inspection and control of officers regularly employed in this particular service, and who, acting in communic'.tion with the magistracy and the police, may, from constant practice, be best able to distinguish the unfortunate from the criminal. Your peti tioners are able to prove to your satisfaction that by far the greater number of persons claiming a temporary lodg ing, or brought to them by the police, are habitual mendi cants, vagrants, thieves, and prostitutes, fitter objects for correction than relief, and who, after having been pro vided for during the night, go forth in the morning in pur suit of those unlawful occupations, the power of checking which extensive evil is by law vested in the Magistracy and police, and not in the Guardians of the Poor, who have no power to deal with it effectively. Your petitioners, to show to you the enormity of the evil to which they are subject, append to this memorial a statement of the num ber of night admissions for one week only, which is less, your petitioners would observe,by one-third than that of some of the preceding weeks. Your petitioners would submit that the three unions into which the city is divided, by a rateable contribution for the support of a general receptacle under such management would effect a considerable saving of expense, and best carry into effect both the intentions of the law and the purposes of justice and humanity. Your petitioners beg leave to express their great satisfaction in learning that your Honourable Court, having referred to the Police Committee the consideration of the best means of carrying into effect the provisions of the Poor-law, with regard to persons found in the streets of this city in a state of destitution, has sub'equeutly approved their recom mendation for the establishment of a proper place for im mediate shelter and relief. Your petitioners therefore pray that such provisions in the Poor-law Bill now before Parliament, as may be calculated to accomplish this im poriant object, may have the support of your Honourable Court, and that every facility may be given for obtaining the sanction of the Legislature to so important a measure. A STATEMENT OF THE NUMBER OF ADMISSIONS FOR ONE WEEK TO THE REFUGE OF THE WEST LONDON UNION WORKHOUSE. 1 above 60 years of age. 6 ... 40 do. 47 ... 20 do. 241 under 20 do. After a few observations from Mr. Taylor, it was agreed that the memorial should lie on the table, to be called up at any future time for consideration. A petition from the Rev. Edward Black, of St. Mary, Rotkerhithe, applied for assistance to the Corporation in defraying the expense incurred by the building of three additional churches, in Rotherhithe. It appeared that the Reverend Gentleman had, by his exertions, raised for the great purpose of religious instruction, the sum of 26,000/., and that 4,000/. were now necessary for the completion of his plan. The petition was referred to the . Coal, Corn, and Fi nance Committee. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, Arßri 29. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat upon the Wool sackat five o'clock. The Annual Indemnity Bill and the Metropolis Im provement ll for rl the w ereLeivseorn o all f y trheead\avtihnigrfidetli Rectory t o passed. was time. T Lontdoo division n a expressed t a his considerable s nse o f p t e h r e admirable conduct of the Patron and Rector of th a. n t re living h a e second consenting iesohnod pof to h Earl of RO SE BERY presented p e titi ons f or t h e extension o of the Registration Act o f Bi rt h s an d Mar riages The Noble t o a s l il sacrifice. Ea brought in a Bill to amen d t h e l aw relative which was reareada first time. h to Ssco Scotch tel entails, A message from the Commons brought up several Bills, which were resp • ecttvely read a first time. CHINA. Lord ELLENBOROUGH presented a petition from the inhabitants of Bombay, co the commerce of thLt place handl)i s a u m ff i e ng d of . the great loss consequence of the interruption of ou r t ra d e w i t h China; of th longe period which h a d e l a p se d b etween the expulsion of th the English from C an t on an d t h e appearance of the British fleet in the Chinese seas; and of the dulls which had taken place in the conduct of the negotiations with China, and beseeching that hostilities might be pressed with vigour, in order to bring matters to a speedy termination. Lord ASHBURTON thought it would be but just that the Government should state what decision they had Come to as to the preliminary articles of the treaty with China which were at present in their possession, as such information was of great importance to the commercial classes of the country. Viscount MELBOURNE thought it would be prema ture for the Government to form a conclusion on the pre liminary articles until they should be in possessiop of the treaty founded upon them. They had not come to any decided conclusion on the information they had at present. The Duke of WELLINGTON rose to correct a mis statement in the petition, which said that British subjects were expelled in the month of May; they had been ex pelled in March, so that the delay was so much the longer. If the Government had taken his advice, and not pre tended to make war upon a reduced establishment, these misfortunes would not have happened. He had told them in 1837 that they should put their establishment in a situa tion to bring the contests in which they were engaged to a termination, with sincerity, and if this advice had been taken these delays would not have occurred. Earl STANHOPE denied that the English were ex pelled from Canton by the Chinese. He thought the petition could not be received, as there was no evidence es to the authenticity of the signatures attached to it. H e diapproved entirely of the war with China. The petition was then laid on the table. The Duke of ARGYLL presented a petition from Haddington, praying for the abolition of Charch patronage. He did not concur in its prayer. The Archbishop of CANTERBURY presented seve ral petitions ag tinst the desecration of the Lord's Day. The Earl of WARWICK presente I a petition against the abolition of the Corn-laws from some place in War wickshire. POOR-LAWS (IRELAND). The Earl of GL ENG ALL gave notice that on Mon. day he should call their Lordships' attention to the falsi fication of the Poor-law Returns for Ireland. The Marquis of NO RM ANB Y said that at the conclusion of the examination the facts elicited had engaged the serious r.ttention of the Government. A great constitutional question was involved in the subject, and all the circumstances having been taken into con. sideration, the Government had determined that whatever circumstances of extenuation might be offered, the person who had been guilty of making these alterations could not remain in her Majesty's service. The same idea struck Mr. Stanley, and before any c ommunication had been made to him he had tendered his resignation. At the same time he thought that all those who heard that examination mut.t be of opinion that no crime had been committed by Mr. Stan ley,vas on his character. Under these circumstances he - would put It•to the Noble Lord whether he thoug ht necessary to call. Mr. Stanley to the Bar of the'House. MR. CANDLISH. The Earl of H ADDINGTON, referring to th e di sens _ sion which b ad taken pl a ce some short time since rel at i ve t o the Supp osed appointment of Mr. Candlish to th e Ch a i r of Biblical Criticism in the University of Edinburgh' ob served that the an s wer to the .qustion, put elsewhere, re lative to the intention o fappopting Mr. Candlish, stated, n ot as the Noble Marquis boo stated, that the int ent i on t o a ppoint Mr. Candlish had been abandoned, but that it bad only been su s p ended, in order to await tats- R. H. Inglis, Lord Viscount Lowther, Mr. Pendarves, Mr. Clay, Col. T. Wood, Mr. G. Palmer, Mr. R. Steuart, Mr. Barnard, Sir De Lacy Evans, Mr. Wakley, Sir B. Hall, Mr. Planta, Mr. Keml,le, Mr. Al lerman Humphery, and Mr. Hawes.—Ap.:reed to. SEWERS BILL. Mr. BETHELL moved that the following Gentlemen be appointed the Select Committee on Sewers Bill : Mr. Bethell, Lord Worsley, Mr. Law Hodges, Mr. Christopher, Mr. Bramston, Mr. Ayshfcrd Sandford, Mr. Rice, Mr. Freshfield, Mr. Darby, Mr. Sothrron, Mr. Charles Octavius Morgan, Mr. Grantley Berkeley :—Five to be the quorum.—Agreed to. PARLIAMENTARY VOTERS (IRELAND) BILL. On the motion of Lord MORPETH, the House then resolved itself into Committee on this Bill. On the motion that the second clause, as amended, stand part of the Bill, Lord MORPETH rose and said—Often and frequent as this subject had been discussed, and often as its many de. tails had been brought under consideration, he yet felt that in the present critical position of this subject, after the determined, and, indeed, mortal opposition that had been announced—( Hear, hear)—mortal so fir as inten tion was concerned—to the present clause, to that clause which he had ever admitted to be the vital prin ciple of the measure, that he was warranted in endeavouring, though he should net think it neces sary to do so at any great length, to ask the House to take that measure into their serious consideration. What he conceived the House to have decided by the assent it had given to the second reading of the Bill, not by any overwhelming weight of numbers certainly —(laughter)—but still by a distinct vote, after a most full and minute discussion, was that the right to the elective franchise in Ireland should be ascertained and tested by reference to a fixed amount of payments, as in the instance before the House, in accord ance with the valuations made under the Poor-law Bill, for that country. In the early part of that discussion some attempts were made to impugn the trust worthiness of those valuations, but the more taey had been examined into—the more they were brought to light the more reason there seemed to admit their general faithfulness, the more they were shown to be in conformity of construction one with another. He did not for a moment mean to say that all of them were in strict accordance with the provisions of the poor relief Act ; indeed, all of them seemed to have been pitched at a lower standard than the Act required, but it had been said by Mr. Nichols, the Poor-law Commissioner in Ireland, that when they had experience of the working of the Poor-law system in that country, the more those valuations would be in accordance with each other, and with the valuations made under the Poor-law Act for this country. The observations of Mr. Nichols were very strong. The Noble Lord then read a quotation from the Report of Mr. Nichols to that effect. Upon that point he must remind the House, and es pecially he must remind the great party opposite, of whom the Right Hon. Baronet, the Member for Tamworth, and the Noble Lord, the Member for Noi th Lancashire, were the Leaders, that although doubts about the propriety of applying the test of the Poor-law valuation were expressed in the course of discussion on the Bill, yet no such doubts or hesitation existed, when it was insisted not only before the conclusion, but even before the commence ment of the valuation, that they should be applied to test the municipal franchise in cities and boroughs in Ire land.—( Hear, hear.) There must have been a very shrewd suspicion indeed that the tendency of that valua tion, or any valuation fur the purpose of assessment, must have been below the real or average valuation, yet these mis givings had no weight in deterring the party from adopting ie as the basis of the municipal franchise, when the object would be to raise and restrict the franchise, and it was only now that it was considered mischievous, when the re sult would be to simplify an important privilege. He would have supposed that the contrary course would have been the most just and generous—that there would have been more doubt when the effect was restriction, and less than when the object was simplification and enlargement. But, apart from mere recrimination, what he wanted to put to the honest and unbiassed mind of every man in that House, and the country was that, looking to those valuations, wore they not in their very nature as presenting a certain amount of payment and adapt ing a uniformity of system and principle, being ascer tained for a purpose entirely distinct from the Pranchise, and supplying in themselves a check el the contrary direction. to the desire of possessing the franchise ? Did they not in all these respects, as well as in others, promise to give them an incalculable uniformity, and a better mode of ascertaining the franchise than existed at present? and would they not be a great improvement on the present system of registration in Ireland ?—( Hear, bear.) In fact, he need not labour to prove that point, be cause it was not denied by any party that had addressed the ilouse. Many of those who spoke expressed doubts and difference of opinion as to the mode in which the test should be applied, but none doubted that it would be a great improvement to rest the franchise on some fixed and settled basis, instead of leaving it as it was at present, matter of opinion according to the views and interests and oaths of adverse competing par ties.—( Hear, hear.) He would not again quote the opinion of the lion. Member for Monaghan, who had a virtuous horror of anything complimentary being said to him from that side of the House, but be could not resist ()lace more laying before the House, although he did it before, when ho had not the satisfaction of seeing the Right Hon. Baronet, the Member for Tam worth, in his place—he could not help repeating to the House what he bad stated on the subject, and which completely bore out his views and objects. The Hon. Member for Monaghan, in talking of the Irish Munieioal Reform Bill, said he woulti not consent to any test which was not a certain one. He would not consent to any test which would cause a necessity for appoint ing a Committee to inquire into and ascertain how far the carrying out of the Bill would depend on fictitious voice. He would adopt no test which would involve a mere principle of valuation. He thought that that must be a bad principle which held out temptations to be guilty of false oaths. Such a test was very unsatisfactort. They ought to know what franchise was intended to be given, and it was necessary to adopt such a test as would extinguish fraud and perjury, and by which they would se At the morality and prosperity of the people.—( Hear, hear.) He conceived that considerable a !vantage would be attained if they adopted a rating on the Poor-law. Such were the opinions expressed by the Hon. Member for Monaghan. In the course of the pre sent and last session of Parliament they heard a great deal of the abuses which were alleged to attach to the present system of registration in Ireland, and distinct charges of fraud, personation, and perjury were brought forward, as connected with that system. He (Lord Morpeth) thought that the ardour of complaint on those topics had been materially damped since the Government brought forward a Bill which would go so t ffectually to remove the evils complained of. If, how ever, the evils existed to so great an extent as bad been alleged, petitions complaining of undue returns of Mem bers to this House would be presented, and Election Coin miAees would be appointed to try those petitions. Now, from the passing of the Irish Reform Bill only two Election Committees had heard and determined petitions of that nature, and he ( Lord l\t.) believed that in no one of those were the charges of fraud, persona tion, and perjury substantiated. ( Hear, hear.) If he wanted a proof ( f the present system he might refer to the recent proceedings in the Registration Court of the Queen's County—( Hear, hear)--part of which they had learned, and a good deal more of which they might have been heard had they been able to he on the spot. —( Hear, hear.) What he contended for was, and it was a principle which had not been controverted by any one in the course of the discussion, that it would in itself be advisable to take the franchise out of the province of opi nion to which it was now confined, and to ascertai❑ it by some fixed and independent standard of value. But then they had to determine how the test was to be applied. They might have an application, very good in theory, but they should look for some practical measure. In what mode then was it to be applied ? They might apply the test of rating above rent—that was to say, the test of profit appearing on the rate above rent and charges. That was the measure which was brought under discussion the other evening by the amendment of his Noble Friend the Member for Northumberland ; but he flattered himself lie had demon strated—and if the proposition were disputed he would again be ready to lay before the House irrefragahle grounds for showing that such n test would not only effec tually disfranchise almost the whole existing constituency of Ireland, but that it would go so far as to prevent the possibi lity of forming any future constituency. But if they had net the profit of rate above rent they had another option, by taking a cert sin amount of rating without reference to profit or to a lease or tenure. He would not enter into the discussion which occupied them last night, as to whether it was expedient in any country, and especially in a country situated like Ireland, to di-pense altogether with the necessity for a lease of some period or another; but the Honourable Member for Halifax had stated yesterday, as he ( Lord Morpe.h) had understood him, that the extent of the conjoint pro position which his Noble Friend the Member for Northumberland had brought forward, would not effectually disfranchise any of those parties on whom his Bill would confer the franchise. He now asked what was to become of all the present voters between those registered at 81. and those at 201 ? By the proposition of the Government, out of 1,794 voters in ten unions of the Queen's county, in that class 138 would Le excluded.—( Hear, hear.) Now, o f these 1,794 the franchise proposed by his Noble Friend ( Lord Howick) that as the excess of rating above rents would not save one—(Cheers)—the additional franchise of his Noble Friend, as proposed in another clause, would save but three.—( Loud cheers.) The whole result of the conjoint qnalifications of his Noble Friend would be :to disfranchise 665 electors in those ten unions, whereas the measure which he ( Lord Morpeth) had introduced would disfranchise only 135. It appeared to the Government to preserve the tenour of , the Reform Act, and to test that by the rating. The amount of rating in the Bill as it now stood was 81 , and the Government had been subjected to imputations, and charges, and taunts, for departing from their first views, and raising the rate from Si. to 8/. Now, although im putetions of change of mind seemed to bring down ridicule in that House, yet the present Government, and all those who took part in its politics, never hesitated to adapt their measures to public expediency arid the views of Parliament. The Right lion. Baronet opposite had seen tit to change his opinion with respect to the Test and Corporation Acts, whilst the Noble Lord, the member for Norzh Lancashire had thought it advisable to change from a loan of fifteen millions to the West India planters to a grant of twenty millions. He found from the information laid before the House with respect to the Cashel Union, that the beneficial interest of a 5/. rating, using that term to denote the clear annual profit actually accruing after paying all ex penses of rent, taxis and labour, was twelve pounds. In Roscrea the beneficial interest of a rating of Si., after deducting rent, taxes, and all expenses, was about 15/. per annum. A rating of Si generally carried with it a be neficial interest of from 12/. to 20/. per annum. There was nothing very prepostrous, therefore, in the ori ginal proposition of a 51. rating. At the tame EVENING EDITION. time, they thought that they were bound within the limits of what they considered admissable in prin ciple and in justice to the rights and interests of the Lief , people, on whose behalf they were legislating, to pay regard to the scruples of some to whom they felt a deference, and therefore it was they had raised the amount from 51. to 81., hoping thereby to remove the ob jccdons of those who, whilst they agreed in the necessity of fixing the rating with refere ice to the Poor-law valuation, apprehended too great an extension of the electoral body. Therefoie, the proposition placed in the hands of the Chairman was that of an 81. annual rating. Now he found that in 14 anions in which they had been stile to ascertain the matter, that of persons valued at the amount of from 81. to under 91., the lowest class of persons admitted by the Bill, the average number of acres in this holding was 199. In the union of Lurgan the average num ber was 7, in Longford 8, in Cashel 12, in Naas 13, in Sligo 19, its Cotehill 11, in Gorey 17, in Kilcale 14, and so on; therefore he (Lord i\lorpetb) thought those electors were net of the sordid description that was some times described, He admitted that even the franchise of an annual rating of 81. might disfranchise a num ba of existing 10/. electors • but on the other hand this would be counterbalanced by the additions to the registry, and by the facility given to the whole system of registration. And this was his main motive for asking the HJUSC to consent to the principle, not of franchising or disfranchising a given number, but of cer tainly affording to the electors the means of easily t g o e t ri. t,i h n i g ch t a h n e d y wsearfeel)entkiteleePdi—ng(—C(heCeirles;—")a—ndt,hoenptrhievioletghr privileges hand, of avoiding all that chicaner y , cunnin g , deceit, and fraud which ou the other side of the House was alwa . ys alleged to attach to the present system of re gisti ation, and which, in a greater or less degree, must attach to every system in which they did form at standard of value, be!' left it to be decided by the adverse testimony of conflicting p'2. rties.—( Cheer_.) The point, therefore, to which he was endeavouring to call the attention of the House was the: the circumstances . connected wiih the state of the franchise, and the state of the registration now established in Irelare', did most powerfully recommend the adoption of some settL'd , iml partial, and extrinsic standard of value, and that no staod ard could be more proper or suited to the purpose than the valuation under the Poor-law, and that this could be sk ttled in a mode so effectual as to retain the same class that enjoyed the constitueocy at presents and to keep up an adequate number as the mode proposed in the present clause.—( Hear , hear.) To less the franchise in the state it now was, that was the object of the precious statesmanship which, at the same time, did not scruple to decry this mode of dealing with the Irish f, an_ detrimental to the Lest interests of the country- He certainly heard with disappointment and regret, in we course of the discussions which had arisen upon that Bill, that the Right Hon. Member fur Tamworth had thrown himself without reserve into the impetuous course chalked out for him by his Noble associate (Lord Stanley).. —(Lout cheers and laughter from the Tories.) IL was most certainly only in one respect that he could venture to put himself on any footing of equality with the Right Hon. Baronet, and that was in his knowledge ci the country whose interests were under discussion,with which their immediate official connection had lasted exactly the same period of time, and he hoped it was without presumptiois —it was at all events without any wish to see his forebod ings realised, that he trusted that whatever might be the tempurary triumph that might await the cause in which he had now embarked, no very long period of time would elapse before he would regret that he gave his consent to take such a course; and if be (Lord Morpeth) looked forward with any feelings of satisfaction at all, it was to the day—and such things had been before—not to the disho nour of the Right lion. Baronet, but greatly to his credit, when he (Sir R. Peel) would come forward, and propose to the House the adoption of some such proceeding and the sanction cf some such principle as that which now encountered his condemnation.—(Loud cheering.) Lord ST ANLE Y—Althougo he recently had given notice that it was his intention to take the sense of the House upon that clause which contained the essential principle of the Bil, and although he had since taken no part in the discussions on the subject, yet he would have contented himself by being altogether silent had it not been for the noble speech just delivered by the Noble Lord, and for the manner in which he had misrepresented the course taken by those on his side of the House, and the principles they had asserted with refsrence to the Bill before the House, and notwithstanding the sneers of the Noble Lord—(Loud cries of " Oh, oh," and cheers) note ith standing the sneers ( Loud cries of " Oh, oh !")—of the Noble Lord upon what he was pleased to term the precious statesmanship which would leave altogether untouched the evils of the Irish franchise, he would venture to tell the Noble Lord that he, in common with the great majority of the people of England, most certainly in common with the vast majority of those on his side of the House, but much more in common with many on the Noble Lord's side of the House, who either from personal attachment to the Government, or from po litical attachments, supported him in his presert course; nay, mere, in the opinion of a vast majority of both sides of the House, and an incalculable majority out of doors, the:conduct of the Government, acting under the influence of the Noble Lord, was considered as being characterised by a reckless want of statesmanship—( Immense cheering) —which did disentitle them to the confidence of the House, and which had shaken one of the very few and last re maining holds which they had upon the tolerance of the country.—( Renewed cheers.) The Noble Lord had mis represented both the principle which the House had affirm ed and the objections taken on his (Lord Stanley's) side of the House to the Bill of the Noble Lord. The Noble Lord stated that the House by the second reading of the Bill affirmed the principle of defining the franchise ac cording to the test cf the Poor-law valuation. The House, in affirming the principle of the Bill, affirmed that they would permit the Government to submit to them and discuss in detail a nu asure which it was sup posed that they had, es was the duty of the Government before submitting, maturely considered in its details, col lecied the facts, and were prepared to stand by the pro visions they had recommended.—(Loud cheers.) On his ( Lord Stanley's) side of the House they took no ob jection to the Government finding a better and more satis factory basis for the franchise than the oaths of the parties interested on either .side. On the contrary, in every discussion that had taken place they had declared that it was more the duty of the Hon. Member for Mallow than it was of the lien. Member for Monaghan, whose consistency had been so unfairly impugned by the Noble Lord last night. —(Loud cheers.) It seemed to them most desirable that a real stringent and efficient test should be applied to the the oath of the party himself, value of property other than oath of the party himself, or evidence upon oath ; and, moreover they affirmed that the best and most efficient test for the amount of the value was founded on the principle of rating, which imposed a tax at the same time that it affirmed a franchise-4 Hear, hear.) But the Noble Lord had found ;t convenient to omit that which was the principle of the Bill from the details.—( Cheers. ) Tney were willing to take valuation for the purpose of rating as the test of value in the property, but they were not willing to take the value of the property, apart from the charges and incumbrances on it, as the amount of the qualification. (Loud cheers. ) and that was the principle of the Noble Lard's Bill— that value to a certain amount, tested by r ting, should be the standard, and they were disposed to agree with him in that principle. But, in addi tion, that it should be a test not of the value of the property, but of the qualification of voting. They contended that although it was the best test of the franchise yet it must be estimated over and above the amount of the charges and incumbrances thereon. The Noble Lord assumed that that was the point of dif ( erence between them. That was the point of difference between them upon principle. That was the point which was broadly and plainly stated to the House on Mon day night; that was the point on which the House of Commons decided in favour of a beneficial interest against the no beneficial interest contended for by the Noble Lord ; and that was the point for which they again stood up in opposition to her Majesty's Government. He stated, moreover, and he would repeat it frankly, that in the Poor-law valuation he could place no confidence. The very Evidence the Noble Lord had produced coming forward in succession as it did paper by paper, week after week, and month after month, but before the House subsequent to the Bill—( Opposition cheers) —that evidence had gone on no fixe 4 , or stable, or uniform principle. In one thing only had it been uniform—in disregarding the previ sions of the Act, of Parliament.—( Hear, hear, hear.) But how far the Act had been di s regarded how how much the valuators were below the rat?__ts was 5 per cent., or 30, 40, or 50 per cent. beneath the real value, could not be learned. That was the ac count which their own Commissioners had given them of their own evidence ; and yet it was on that evidence that the Noble Lord asked the House to form, not a prima facie case, but a conclusive proof of the real and actual value of the premises, while the Commissioners told them that it formed no conclusive or proximate evidence, but that it varied in the proportions of its deficiency and errors in every union and in every dif feient part of Ireland. He would say again that i e i ts p resen t state he should decline, on the evidence they had, now to assume it as the basis, even as the first ele ment to be laid down, viz., of the value of the property, exclusive of the amount of the burthen charged on that property. He did not mean to sae that rating might not be so correct, that it might not be made so perfect, and ultimately approximate so nearly to the real value, and become so uniform, tbat they would be fairly entitled and enabled to assume it, not as a test of the value of the property on which the party claimed his vote. But in the present state of things he could not take it as any test, either of the franchise or the value. One word as to the manner in which the Government had dealt with the question. They ought to overlook the mode in which this evidence had been furnished— the sources from which it came and the means by which it had been received, It had been usual, and it was a right and a wise practice, that when Government fur. nisned information on which Parliament was to act, that information should be furnished in one of two ways, either by the command of the Crown, or in con sequence of an address, or a motion from one or the other Houses of Parliament, and that it should come before them with some fixed indication of its character, and of the manner in which it had beer, obtained. In what manner had that information been received ? Day after day papers were returned from the Qoeen's stationer, and that was all the House knew of the evidence. They were told that certain verbal instructions had Lean given by her Majesty's Attorney-General to his personal friends to go into the country and gather information, upon which statements were made in the House without any palpable authority, or any detailed account of the data upon which they were founded. The Noble Lord (Morpeth) had not made the slightest approxi mation to a statement of the effects of the clause before the Committee. He had told them that, in some places, it would strike off 10, in others 20, atici in others 30. But he had not yet attempted to tell them, even by approximation, the number of tenements which would qualify by the proposed rate.—( Hear, hear.) He had chosen forty.nine unions, which must be Wien e 5 II fair !ample of an in - Home Rate rvifwg re "re- ree s t T isosit I gull , er on Sce.) ed by e the the ; by Roth, I the n he dg' sl race Nob iftc w ay !lesci it uP rtbe r • th e •qu' s W' K• =