The Sun. — London, England, 1849-02-27 00:00:00

w hich it was Sr, id had been carried below the wants of the country. Mr- URQU ,h ART concurred with the Right Hon. Gentleman Ir. Herries) in saying that he bad no faith in the sincere ty of this movement -tin the part of the Hon. Gentlemen. a pposite. The Hon. Member for the West hiding had said, that in consequence of a pamphlet written by hies (Mr. Urquhart) an alarm was spread that this" country was about to be invaded by Russia. He (Mr. Urquhart) now, as he had elsewhere, distinctly and emphatically denied that assertion; so far from it he had always, stated that Russia was destitute of all the physical reeans of coercion which armies and navies con ferred, wad that her moral and political influence over Europe would be innocuous so long as this country had a Ministry who knew how to exercise a peaceful and commercial policy against her. As to what numerical strength of the navy and troops was necessary to main tain the honour and safety of the country, that he con idered to be a question for the Executive Government to determine, and he hoped a just decision upon it would be arrived at when it came regularly before the House for discussion. Mr. MACGREGOR would vote with the Hon. Mem ber for the West Riding, because he was also an advo cate for economy, tut not because he took 1835 or any other year as his basis. He could not go se far as to say that the expense of this country could be reduced to the extent of ten millions.—(Hear, hear.) He had exa mined with great care every item of expenditure con nected with the army, navy, and ordnance, and he be lieved that in the last-named branch there was a great room for reduction.—(Hear, hear.) He agreed also with the Hon. Member for the West Riding in every thing he had said respecting the colonies, and went so far as to contend that it we could not preserve the Ca nadas without a garrison of 4,000 men we could not keep them at all.—(Hear.) The fact was, we must retain them by good government, or lose them altogether.—(Hear.) When he recollected that these provinces contained a population of two millions, with a militia of 180,000 men, he telt that with bad government it would be impossible to hold them with 4,000 men. One suggestion he would throw out with respect to the troops sent to our colonies, and that was, that instead of their being brought back at the end of their term, those troops should get the op tion of remaining and settling in the colony. With re ference to the amount of taxation, he asserted that this country had heavier burdens than any country in the world. He believed that those burdens might be re duced to the extent of from four to six millions, but to do that suddenly would, in his opinion, be im possible.—(Hear, hear.) He agreed with the Hon. Member for the West Riding in thinking that there was:very little cause to apprehend war with fereign countries. He believed that the desire for peace was as great in France as it was in this kingdom, and that from the other countries of Europe there was no reason to apprehend war.—(Hear, hear.) For these reasons the army and ordnance might be reduced to the peace establishment, but he would preserve our navy in a force sufficient for the protection of our commerce and colonies. With regard to the taxation of the United Kingdom, he considered that in any revision that might take place Ireland ought to be made to bear her whole amount of expenditure, including the constabulary and army necessary for the preservation of the peace. He did not think that England and Scotland ought exclu sively to pay income and property-tax for that purpose. If they meant to carry out their revision of the naviga tion-laws they must reduce the burdens on British ship ping. He threw out these suggestions as the practical mode of at once reducing the expenditure and render ing the taxation of the country less burdensome to the people. Mr. ANSTEY rose, but was for some time unable to speak, on account of the loud cries of " Oh, oh!" from different parts of the House, He observed, that much of the expenditure of the country which had been com plained et by the Hon. Member for Montrose had been sanctioned by the reformed Parliament; for to what else did they owe those marauding enterprises, those pirati cal incursions, and levyings of war in the interest of Spain, but to that Hon. Member and his friends, who from 1833 to 1840 swelled the majorities of the Noble Lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs? By whom was the war in China denounced but by the party now and then occupying the Opposition benches? So also with re spect to the Affghan war, and the war in Syria. The question was, whether they could afford to reduce their present establishments? Considering the statistics which had been produced by the miserable mi nority that now represented the Manchester school, he felt it would not be safe to do so, and that it was the duty of every well-wisher of his country to oppose the amendment. Colonel SIBTHORP said he should feel it his duty to vote against the motion of the Hon. Gentleman the Member for the West Riding of - Yorkshire; but vote with her Majesty's Government he could not. He could not rely upon the integrity of either—they were both equally bad—(Laughts r.) He thought the Hon. Mem ber for the West Riding a snake in the grass, and he should take care and not be bitten by him.—(Renewed laughter.)—He had the same opinion of the Govern ment, and he should therefore vote with neither. (The Gallant Colonel then left the House amidst continued laughter and cheers.) The House was then about to divide, when Mr. BRIGHT rose and said, he was sorry to detain the House from a divison, but as some things had been said on the other side to which, perhaps, a fitting reply had not yet been given, he was desirous to say a few words. The Right Hon. Gentleman the Member for Stamford had read a lecture to the Members on that side of the House. It was quite evident that the out-of-doers agitation was unpalatable to the Right Hon. Gentleman.—(Hear, hear.) The Right Hon. Gentleman bad, possibly, no stimulus from the consti tuency which he represented with respect to the question of national expenditure and taxation; but he begged to tell the Right lion. Gentleman that his Hon. Friend (Mr. Cobden), his Right Hon. Colleague (Mr. Gibson), and himself, represented a large body of electors, and that those electors most correctly represented the feel ings of a vast majority of the population amongst whom they lived.—(fiear, laser.) The Right Hon. Gentleman must therefore excuse them if they thought this question important, not only from their own convictions respect ing it, but also on account of its vast interest, though it might be feebly but honestly represented in that Reuse. —(Bear, hear.) The Right Honourable Gentleman had in an impromptu speech prepared some time ago— (A laugh)—quoted a great many papers to show that his Honourable Friend was wrong in what he had said about France. The fact was that his Honourable Friend did not say at all what the Right Honourable Gentleman had imputed to him. He did not attempt to prove that we were taxed either more lightly or more heavily than France; but to disprove and dissipate the notion that the Republican Government of France had imposed a greater amount of taxation upon the people of that country than had been imposed by our Government upon us. But let the Right Hon. Gentleman look to the American Government. It had been said in some of the public papers that the increase cf population in this country since 1835 formed no small reason for the increase in our expenditure; but shat did he find stated in a work which had been recently published by Mr. M ichay, an English barrister, entitled The Western World, a work which every Member of that House, as well as every individual in the country, would profit by reading. He found it stated in that work that from 1832 to 1836 the annual average txpenditure of the Uciteil States was 21,000,000 dollars, and that in the four years ending 1846 it had increased to 22,000 000 only; that in 1835 the population was 15 00( 000, and that in 1845 it had increased to 20,000,000; that, in fact, the p )pulation had it creased 33 per cent. while the expenditure of the federal govern ment had only increased to four per cent. It appeared also that the weole taxation of the state of New York nft amount to more than I Is. per head, our expen diture—exclusive of the national debt and the civil ser vice, and including only the army, navy, and ordnance, amounted to more than Its. per head of the population of the United Kingdom.—(Hear.) It was al,o worthy of remark, that although the sea board of America had im mensely increased within the last few years, neither their army nor navy had exhibited those signs of extensive and increased expenditure which we had found in this country. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had said that the expenditure by which we maintained our colonies enabled us to obtain sup plies of raw material. Did the Right Honourable Gentleman mean to assert that we obtain more wool from Australia, because we had soldiers and sailors there? or that i our . supply of cotton from the United States would be not a fleet upon the c oast? or that corn would not n w o e t flow d to us from every part of the globe, although we had not ships watching the vessels passing to and fro with those supple, . k _s eu ea r, hear.) The Right H on. Gentleman had also said that we could not do without forces if we were to maintain our colonies, or to keep up the volition of troops in India. He admitted that it was a monstrous thine that we should send out bodies of men t o I n di a, to be kept there (such o f them as lived) for 20 or 25 years. But, why were they sent out? Why, he would ask, had we 8 000, or 9,000, or 10,000 soldiers in Canada? He believed we had more soldi , rs in Canada than the while standing army of the United States.— (Hear, hear.) If the Canadas w, re well govereed, as he believed they wer. , we could keep them united to us by the bonds of eaituel it,tte est.—(llear, beer.) He knew that the Chancellor of the Exchequer would be supp dby a Considerable nurneer of Members on that (tee 3Siteisterial) side of the House. Ile begged to re mind them, however, that last year they voted with the Government at the beginning of the session on some of their measures, which before the end of the session the Gosernment came down and told them they could rot proceed with. The same thing might happen on this question. The fact was, the Government did just what the country said they should do.--(clear, hear.) The question with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Noble Lord as the head of the Government was not what precise sum would do, but how much would take the edge off the agitation out of doors, and how much would Hon. Gentlemen allow them to do. By next year, perhaps, when the agitation out of doors would he .. s e b com e un i versa l , t h ey wou ld h ave the Chancellor of In Exchequer propesine to reduce one, two, four, five, or perhaps theltwas w ten which his Friend e ased for. entirely a question of pressur e . They did not want to strike o ff t en m illi ons a t once , b ut to reduce expenditur e to the lowest li m it s . L e t th e H ouse for a moment consider roressed to reprssent, andhewnheeatt w h a ey; t c h tt e m fe e e li w ng ho o m the - constituents. 'The Ri their ght 11 055 , tuber for Stamford, one of the leaders of the agricultural he believed, and were thee e t l motion roet party—they were a triumvirate now, wild, no doubt, supapnortwsittingioentin of e f ° is4on—w the Hon. Member for Buckinghamshire ter e agricu l tura l distress. But did he know w h at the farmersth were talking of ? It appeared that there had been a meeting at 17, Old Bond-street, but no report of its proceedings appeared in the Protectionist papers. There was even a report that it ended in a wrangle; but, at alt events, they stood adjourned to the 7th of March. When they meet, let them not attempt to tell the farmers the free•traders were playing them false.— 1 1 1 1 1 E SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 27, 1849.7 (Ironical cheers.) They had never played them false.— (Renewed ironical cheering, and cries of " Oh, oh.") Honourable Gentlemen opposite had over and over again said that the Right Honourable Baronet (Sir R. Peel) was pledged to support the corn-laws, and the ree traders had always told them it was no such thing. The Right Hon. Baronet had repealed those laws because be happened to be the Prime Minister, but a y one who stood in his place must have done the same.— (" Oh, oh 1") Every year more of the farmers were coming round to free-trade opinions.—(" Oh, oh !") , Had they not seen the farmers at their country meet ings giving up all hope of restoring protection, and looking to a reduction of taxation as a means of relief? Some proposed an alteration in the malt-tax, but Gen tlemen who knew a little better: what was passing in the mind of the Chancellor of the Exchequer candidly told the farmers that if they went to Downing-street and demanded the reduction of that tax, tle--y would be asked, " What had they to offer as a substitute ?" (Hear.) The question had Leen put to him in deputa tions over and over again, and had always placed the deputations in a fix ; but then they were appointed not to propose the substitution of a new, but the removal of an old tax.—(Hear.) The farmers would naturally answer they did not know what to substitute. but that it appeared to them Government spent more money than America did—for farmers now knew there was such a country as America, because corn came from it.—(" Oh, oh," and a laugh.) Sometimes, too, they would stroll along Pall mall, and see the magnifieen: clubhouses in the course of erection—(" Oh, ob")—and the thought would come into their heads that 17,000,0001. was a larger sum than they ought to spend for army and navy, for the farmers were not afraid of the French, though very much afraid of French corn. —(A laugh.) No doubt there was distress, particularly in the southern counties. It was the duty of the agricul tural Members to press on the Government with the fri e traders—(" Oh, oh!")—not if they did not like it—th.. necessity of making every practical reduction in expen diture, in order to effect some diminution in agricultural as well as in manufacturing suffering. Let them recol lect what that taxation really was They were accus tomed to vote millions as if every county in England was Calitornia, and as if the gold was not produced by the sweat and industry of men who were as much entitled to their honest, merciful, and just consideration a, the proudest and wealthiest in either House of Parlia meat. When he turned to the last three years, during which the manufacturing population had suffered tht most intense misery, and when he saw how noble hart been their conduct, he thought that the present ques tion, supported by opinion so universal and fortified by facts and arguments which there had been hardly an attempt to meet, deserved the greatest consideration at the hands of the House, and that if they would not con cede the whole, they would at least go as far as they could in reducing the expenditure, and lessening the ►uffering of the people.—(Cheers and counter -cheers.) Mr. DRUMMOND said that the Manchester Guar dian was a great libeller, if the statement of the Hon. Gentleman opposite as to the spirit of their meetings wa c ,rrect. If the free• traders went to the farmers, the latter might, be reminded of the saying—trust not your erne mien, even when they bring you good news. The grounds oa which the motion was justified were a gross delusion. When a man lived in a tranquil village in Cornwall or Wales he might leave his door open, but he suspected the Manchester gentlemen used locks and bars, and took precautions, according to their opinions of their neighbours. In the same way the present ques tion was not one of finance but of safety. They must look to the state of their neighbours. It was a delusion in the farmers to bring this motion forward as a means of relieving their burdens.—(Cheers) The free-traders swallowed the camel of 28,000,0001. interest on the national debt without an effort, but they could not get down the little gnat of 18,000,000/. for military and naval expenditure. What they ought to do was not to diminish taxation, but to relieve the public debt, which was the only means of freeing capital, and it was deluding the people to tell them there was any way of in creasing employment but by increasing the capital of the employer. In the meantime the Manchester school, not the mass of the people, were using every effort to put our population out of work, and, no matter what Mi nister was in Downing-street, there was not one member of any Government who dared to stand up for the English labourer against the foreign labourer, and every one of the free-traders was going to employ foreign labour alone, and to discard English labour altogether. The House divided, when there appeared— For the amendment 7B Against it Majority —l97 . _ _ The House then went into Committee of Supply pro forma. The House resumed; the Chairman reported prcgress, and obtained leave to sit again on Friday next. RELIEF OF DISTRESS (IRELAND). This Bill then passed through Committee. In reply to Mr. STAFFORD, Lord J. RUSSELL stated that he would endeavour to bring on the Irish P ior Bill on Thursday. VICE-GUARDIANS (IRELAND). The House re:o ved itself into a Committee on this Bill. Sir W. SOMERVILLE proposed to fill up the blank in the Bill with the date of the 25th of March, 1850, as the period to which the power of the vice-guardians should extend. Several Irish Members objected to that date, and wished that of the 29th of September next to be fixed in preference. The Committee then divided, when there appeared— For the original motion 5O Against it Majority for the Government Colonel DUNNE then moved that the Chairman should report progress. Sir G. GREY hoped the Committee would allow the Bill to pass through this stage, and take the discussion on bringing up the report. The motion was then withdrawn, and the Bill passed through Committee. The Overseers (Cities and Boroughs) Bill, and the Out-door Paupers Bill, were read a second time. The Petty Sessions Bill, and Distraining for Rates Bill, were committed pro forma for the introduction of amendments. Mr. HEADLAM moved for, and obtained leave, to bring in a Bill to consolidate and amend the laws relat ing to the conveyance and transfer of real and personal property vested in mortgagees, trustees, and persons under I• gal disabilities. The House adjourned at One o'clock. ROBERT HOUDIN. - ST. JAMES'S THEATRE. Close of the attractive Entertainment. M. ROBERT HOUDIN will have the hoz.our to repeat his extra ordinary SOIREES FA.NTASTIQUES, at this Theatre as follows: This Evening (Tuesday) February 27. To-Morrow Morning (Wednesday) „ 28. Thursday Evening .. .. March 1. Saturday Evening .. • . „ 3. Being the last Entertainment, owing to M. Houdin's departure for the provinces. Evening Performance at Half-past Eight ; Day Performance at Half-past Two. Boxes, 4s. ; Pit, 2s. ; Amphitheatre, ls. Gd. Boxes, Stalls, and Ti diets for this extraordinary Entertainment may be secured at Mitchell's Royal Library, 33, Old Bond-street ; and at the Box-office of the Theatre, which is open daily from Eleven till Five o'clock. • A Mt; nu VAL, HAYMAItKN.a. Mr. B. Webster, Sele Lessee and Manager. Old Brompton. The public is respectflilly informed that this Theatre has, during Le recess, undergcne very extensive repairs sad alterations and the 'hole f &decorated. TURA MX ROYAL, ADELNIL nder the direction o: Madame Celeate During the Recess this Theatre has been entirely re-decorated, the riginal designs by Digby Wyatt, Bag , executed by Mr. Sang. A .iew Stage, Curtain, Act Drop, and Chandelier. An approved eye tam of Ventilation, Sec., &c. The Private Boxes enlarged, Backs added to the Seats, and Stalls rendered mere comfortable. THIS EVENINi Will be performed COCKNEYS IN CALIFORNIA. After which, the original Drama, called HARVEST NOME. Principal characters by Messrs. 11. Hughes, Lambert, Wright, P. Bedford, 0. Smith, Madame Celeste, Miss Woolgar, Mrs. Frank Matthews, Miss Turner, Sec. To conclude with JOHN JONES. Guy G•odluck, Mr. Lambert Eliza Melton, Miss E. Chaplin. ROYAL LYCEUM THEAT ttE. Under the Management of Madame Vestrib Sole Lessee. Mr. Charles Mwhe THIS EVENII•TO Will be performed SHAVE YOU DIRECTLY. After which, a new Fairy Extravaganza, entitled THE KING OF ruz PEACOCKS. Characters by Messrs. Harley, John Reeve, Selby, H. Hall, Marshall, and H. Marshall; Miss Kathleen Fitzwil lam, Miss L. Howard, Mrs. Macnamara, Miss Marshall, Miss L. Marshall, Miss Coleman, and Madame Vestris. To conclude with UsED Dress , oats, rm.; Upper Boxes, 4s. ; Pit, 2s ; Gallery, Is. No .alt-1 rice to any Part of the house. PRINCESS'S Mr. J. M. Maddox, Sole Lessee and t.anager. DurtnK the Recess this Theatre has been re-decorated and embel- Ished In a superb and costly manner ty.Mr llurwitz. A new Chan lelier has been fitted, and the best fil . rar men is have been made for the due Ventilation of the Theatre, and the co inert and convellenee of the audience. Will be performed the THIS EVENI NG. Opera of LA VIVANDIERE. To conclude with a new gr.md Pantomime, entitled BLUFF KING HAL ; or, Harle qu i n ana `At Charmed Arrow. Harlequin, roic,gtia; Pantaloon, Mr. Paula; Clown, Mr. Flexmore; Sprite, Mr. De Barr; Columbine, Ales Fawcett. ASTLEY'S ROYAL &AMPUITREATRE. Proprietor, Mr. W. B atty. 3 Roya l I7ader the Patronage of her Majesty rt, c the Queen hiHi r h e „,, Prince . Mr. Batty respectfully announces that he has entered into an en gagement with the celebrated American Equestrian Young Harnett (l4 z, who has just arrive d in this country, and whose talent has gained for him the title of the first Ma rider in the world. He will make his first appearance on Monday, rch sth. The curtain will rise at a Quarter to Seven o'clock precisely to th e magnificent Spectacle, by Fitzball, entitled CORA SCO ; or, the Warrior a Steed. To be followed by an Inimitable display of SCENES IN THE CIRCLE, supported by the first Equestrian talent of the day. To conclude with a romantic Melodrama. Box-office oven from Eleven till Five. '•tage Manager, Mr. W. West. THE LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY. —DEATH OF MR. THOMAS LONG, THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—This gentleman died yesterday morning of pleurisy, after a few days' illness. He had been con nected with the London and Birmingham Company almost from the commencement of the undertaking, and enjoyed the entire confidence and the esteem of Mr. Glyn and Mr. Creed, the respected late secretary of the company. Mr. Long was a man of excellent business habits, full of courtesy and honourable feeling, an in valuable officer, rigidly attentive to his duties, warm. hearted in his friendships, and kind and benevolent to all who sought his advice and assistance. His death will be deeply lamented by all who had the pleasure of know ing his public usefulness and private worth. _:-FUR BEER BILL.—We understand that the Earl rFowby has pr o mis e d t o b r i ng i n a Bill f or t h e gradualcs re_peal of th e B eer Bill ear ly i n t h e p resen t B s. lon. Yorkshir e Gazette. (SHE LEGAL TITLE ASSURANCE COMPANY. (Provisionally Registered, January 17, 1849.) Capital, 2,000,0001., in 80,000 Shares, of 25/. each. Preliminary Deposit, 2s. 6d. per Share. Prospectuses and full information may be obtained at the Tempo- Offices of the Company, 13A, Cannon row, Westminster, on ap ?l::tation to G. F. HOWE, Hon. Sec., pro tern. Now ready, in 2 vols., with Portraits, 255. bound, MEMOIRS AND CORRESPONDENCE OF SIR ROBERT MURRAY KEITH, K. 8., MINISTER PLENIPOTENTIARY At the Courts of Dresden, Copenhagen, and Vienna, from 1769 to 1793; with a Biographical Memoir of Queen Caroline Matilda, Sister of George 111. Edited by Mrs. GILLESPIE SMYTH. Henry Colburn, Publisher, 13, Great Marlborough-street. This day is published, in post Bvo., price 10s. 6d., RECOLLECTIONS of an OLD SOLDIER; being Memoirs of Col, F. S. Tidy, C. 8., 24th Regiment, With Anecdotes of his Contemporaries. By Mrs. WARD, Author of " Five Years in Kaffirland." Richard Bentley, New Burlington-street, (Publisher in Ordinary to her Majesty). THE WEATHER—SUN OFFICE. FEBRUARY 27. ra ,:RMOMETER, Lowest, 31; Highest, 45, Noon, 43. BAROMETER, 30.08. WIND E.S.E., light breeze, and fine clear weather. !Gil WATER AT LONDON BRI.D4IE. tins DAT —Morning, 41 min. after 4 I Evening, 0 min. after b ro-Moßsow it., 19 MID. atter 5 I Events 42 min. after 5 lieve it, and he was glad notto believe it ; and with re gard to those persons sentenced to transportation for lire, he hoped it would be remembered that this country was exposed to the electric shock of the French revolution, and they had reason to congratulate themselves that it had taken such little root in this country, and that herefore it was their duty to be merciful. The con dition of the people of England was no ex cuse for keeping up our forces ; therefore, the House ought to call upon the Government, as an act of justice to the taxpayers, to reduce largely the military and naval forces of this country. He would not dwell upon the advantage it would be to commerce and agriculture to reduce taxation. He would not remind country gentlemen of the benefit of the reduction of the malt and hop duty. But it was no use talking of the reduction of those duties unless they re duced the naval and military establishments. There were all sorts of taxes which different persons desired to see removed; but none of them could be removed unless they reduced the expenditure. They ought to consider the probable amount of danger to the country from reducing the forces, and the probable amount of danger from continuing the burdens; they could not but conclude that the country was in more danger of being crushed beneath these bur dens than of being injured from abroad. It might be said that we must increase our forces because other powers had done the same. With regard to the navy we were the first offenders. We had begun the increase, and now France was willing to reduce, and we should follow her example. In the cost of collection of the revenue there was great extravagance, and they might make a considerable reduction in that item. Then, with regard to the Woods and Forests, i the Noble Lord the Member for Bath (Lord Duncan) saved by his Committee only half the 600,00001. be would enable the Government to make a great reduc tion in taxation. He would if he had the management of the expenditure devote ten millions sterling and no more for armaments, which would give him 1,600,0001. more for civil expenditure than in 1835, without exceeding the expenditure of that year.— (Hear, hear.) He was convinced that every step they took in mitigating the pressure of taxation on the people did more for the securing that at tachment of the people to our institutions and, by so doing, for securing the country against foreign attacks, than all the armaments that they might maintain. —(Cheers.) The Hon Member concluded by moving his resolution. Mr. HOME seconded the motion. A long and interesting discussion followed, in which the C,ANCELLOR of the EXCHKQUEB, Mr. HuMz, Sir DE LACY EVANS, Mr. HERMES, ?tfr. MILNER GIBSON, Mr. BRIGHT, and several other Members took part, and ultimately the motion was negatived by a majority of 275 to 78. The cause of Financial Reform will be materially promoted by the debate of last night. The Hon. Member for the West Riding was never more suc cessful in the House of Commons. His speech will bear comparison with the happiest efforts of RICHARD COBDEN on the platform of Covent-garden Theatre. There was the same simplicity and earnestness of purpose—the same order and arrangement of materials—the same clearness and lucidity, and that plain and unadorned eloquence for which the , Honourable Gentleman is so eminently distinguished. The fair and temperate manner in which he brought forward his views de servedly elicited the marked encomiums of the Chan cellor of the Exchequer and the Hon. Member for Stamford. The tone of the debate too was encourag ing, and afforded the strongest indications of the progress which the question has made, and of its high standing in the public estimation. Economy and re trenchment are not fashionable topics. Sneers and ridicule would have been freely resorted to, if they could be used with safety. The elaborate arguments advanced by Sir C. WOOD and Mr. HEMMEN the finan cial leaders of the Whig and Protectionist parties, proved how fully they were alive to the importance of the subject. Men do not bring forward their utmost force, or open their heaviest fire, to repel some trifling demonstration or mimic attack. An active and vigorous defence exhibits the strongest evidence of the formidable character of the onslaught that has been made. It is now manifest that the great question of financial reform has obtained a tooting in the House, that it will receive a fair discus sion,tia and that it s a d voca t es w ill b e li s t ene d to with attention an d courtesy . Thi s a l one i s astephaos beenfnotraifltnigned from consequence; whence an t i he future mportant posi tionope rations may be conducted. How many years elapsed before CHARLES VILLIERS received similar attention when dilating upon the iniquities of the core-law monopoly, and the injustice of taxing the nation's food for the benefit of a privileged class. How long was it before a Cabinet Minister rose to reply to his arguments ? The task was entrusted to some third or fourth-rate Ministerialist—some candidate for place, who was put forward to break his first spear, to flesh his maiden sword against the free trade champion I How long was it before the entire strength of Ministers was put forward, and every vote anxiously canvassed by the Government whippers-in ? Free trade was virtually carried— the corn-laws were tottering on their foundation, when more than 300 representatives of the people divided on the motion annually brought for ward by the Honourable Member for Wol verhampton. Last night 353 Members re corded their votes, and the entire debate was lis tened to without impatience or interruption. Are we not justified in saying that the cause of financial reform made important progress, and that the most sanguine anticipations may be indulged in as to its future success ? It is true that the amendment was rejected by a large and decisive majority, that 78 Members only walked into the same lobby with the proposer and seconder, while 275 voted with the Go vernment. Still, for the reasons we have assigned, we regard the proceedings of the evening as consti tuting a decisive triumph, and affording a most pro pitious omen of future success. It must be borne in mind that Mr. Conners did not profess any expectation that his proposition could be carried into immediate execution—that the Budget for the present year could be reduced to the standard of 1835. That would take time to accomplish, the retrenchment should take place gradually. Many expenses must be suffered to die away—we cannot at a moment's notice turn 100 admirals adrift, or cashier 100 generals. It is by abstaining from filling up vacanciesthatthatthe hanvuembeornce been can be n reduced within reasonable limits. It is so in other respects ; undertakings commenced must be brought to a conclusion. It would he an unwise economy to sacrifice all that had previously been expended, for want of a small addition, to permit the outlay of thousands to remain worse than useless for Jack of a few remaining out. They Everything must be slowly hundreds. Vast reduction s canno t be effected by the must be patiently looked fo r. The g re at object o u r ld mere o w l y wave and of an steadilyenchanter's carried wand. cannot be lost sight of for a moment. Now specific it would e it was that constant an d unceasin g desire for economy that Mr. Conners wished to d u enforcectre ductions. ns ; did his not motiondemand b had immediate d been car ri ed, imply nothing but the attempt to brin g the n ational expenditure within the limits which fourteen years since had proved to be sufficien t, the House woul d be committed to no particular course. A general prudent economy wherever practicable was all th a t was required. Many persons voted against the Hon. Gentleman because, although desirous of limiting the national expenditure, they did riot believe that so much as 10,000,000/ cou ld be cut off, or that the " Cobden Budget," could be fully carried out. Had every real financial reformer voted for the amendment, to say nothing of the professing reformers, the minority would have been very con siderably increased. The Hon. Member for Glasgow took the correct view when be stated " that he should vote merely upon the principle of economy in regard to the finances of the country, and without reference to the expenditure of 1835, or of any other year." This was the true point from whe nce the matter should be r egar d e d. We should consider the present wants a n d ex i genc i e s of the country ; we should reflect u p on t h e many important changes that have taken place, and suit our establish ments to present circumstances rather than to those of a former period. Let our expenditure be reduced to the utmost extent, but also let the amount be more equitably apportioned and fairly distributed upon those who have the ability and who are in justice bound to sustain it. This is what the country demands, and what ere long the country will have. THE FRENCH REPUBLIC. We have received the Paris papers of yesterday. The Journal des Debats publishes the following account of the recent occurrences at Turin, from which it will be seen that GIORERTI has overcome his colleagues, and that an armed interposition on the part Of CHARLES ALBERT, in support of the Grand Duke of TUSCANY is imminent : •• The intervention of Piedmont in Tuscany appeared I imminent, from the inttnti. ns manifested en that point by M. Giuberti, President of the Council, and from what has just passed at Turin. We shall now narrate, with some details, these events at Turin, since they will necessarily exercise a decisive influence on the resolu tions of Rome and Florence. In of der to bring back internal peace and true liberty, and in order to restore to the national cause of Italian independence the forces turned away from that object by civil discord, M. Gio berti, on the 19th, proposed in the Council of Ministers an intervention in Tuscany, in order to re-establish there the Prince and the constitutional regime That proposition was strongly opposed by all M. Gioberti's colleagues, except M. Rata zzi. They declared that such a measure would excite in the majority of the Chamber of Depu ties the most violent tumult, and, in fact, that majority has already more than once given proofs of its ultra democratic tendency. M. Gioberti insisting in his pro position, his colleagues appeared to yield, but they demanded, by way of compensation, that the Roman Re public should be recognised. This M. Gioberti formally refused, for to do so would have been to act in contra diction to his principles and his recent manifesto, which has done him so much honour. The next day, M. Gioberti, not being able to remove the grave difference which existed between him and his colleagues, sent in his resignation, as did M. Rstazzi. That intelligence, when it became known in the city of 1 Turin, was received with a universal sentiment of regret and disquietude. The patriotism of M. Gioberti, the decided services which be had rendered to the cause of national independence, and his late declarations in the Parliament in favour of real liberty, and against the wild follies of the Republicans, had gained him throughout Piedmont a great popularity. His unexpected resigna tion was looked on as a public calamity. All the classes of the population collected in the streets, discussing the retirement of M. Gioberti, the causes which led to it, and the opposition of his colleagues and of the Republican party to his policy. The intervention was approved of doubly, under a social and under a military point of view. •If we do not enter Tuscany,' said they, e the Austrians will be beforehand with us, and will oc cupy against ourselves a strategic line which the Tuscans are not in a state to defend.' Soon after a great manifes tation took place spontaneously, and the people prcceeded en masse to the square del Costello, crying Long live Gioberti!' Long live the King!' Down with the Re publicans!' M. Gioberti appeared at the balcony of his hotel and addressed the people, thanking them for this marked approbation of his principles. Ile declared that ho could not remain in power except on the condition of persevering in his policy, and of keeping apart from the fierest errors which troubled Central Italy, and that the confidence of the people was the best support that his conscience could desire. After the ovation thus paid to M. Gioberti, the crowd proceeded to the re sidences of M. Valerio and M. Brofferio, ultra-leaders of the Ultra-Democratic opposition in the Parliament, and both editors of journals, suspected of Republican ism. A dreadful charivari was given them, sarcasms and abuse were uttered against them, and showers of stones were thrown, which broke all the windows. Fortunately, a patrol of cavalry came up, and disrersed the crowd. This day was a complete triumph fur the policy of M. Gioberti , and i n th e en d hi s co ll eagues sent in their resignations, and he remained master of the position, the King having charged him to compose a new Cabinet. It was believed that the dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies would he the necessary conse quence of that event. As to the entrance of a Pied montese division into Tuscany on the 20th, we have not yet received any certain intelligence on that point, and the news appears to us premature, although we con sider, that its course must speedily take place. We learn in a more certain manner that the Sardinian steamer the Virgilio went to San Stephano for the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and took him en the 18th to Via Reggie, where General launder was remaining with his troops. Via Reggie is a small port, about four leagues from Lucca, in the north of Tuscany. The Grand Duke is about to establish himself first at Lucca, with his own soldiers, causing himself to be supported or followed, as may be required by the Piedmontese. Thus will be avoided the grave inconvenience of a foreign intervention—all will pass amongst Italians. Several of the old Liberal mem bers o; the Chamber of Deputies of Florence have pro ceeded to Turin to Charles Albert and M. Gioberti, for purpose of soliciting their active aid for the re-establish ment of the constitutional regime." The Assembles Nationale declares that the Sardi nian Envoy had, on Sunday, spoken of the entry of the Piedmontese into Tuscany as certain. The Members of the corpe dipiontatique (with the exception of the Belgian and American Ministers) were absent from the celebration of the anniversary of the Republic on Saturday. The National is very indignant at what it considers as an insult studiously ofiered by the Monarchical Powers to the French Republic, and animadverts more particularly on the absence from this ceremonial of the Marquis of .Nox- MszaßY. The PRESIDENT of the Republic, on Sunday, pre sided at the opening of the Compeigne and Noyon Railway. He afterwards held a levee in the Palace of Compeigne. The negotiations been the club of the Rue de Poic tiers and the central Bonapartist committee is at an end, and the latter has put forth its programme. At the desire of the President, M. IsiaroLEort BOrA PARTS, although in reality the soul of the movement does not come forward publicly, General BACHELER is the ostensible President of the Committee, which has the Liberte as its organ. BOURSE—Rams, MONDAY, FEZ. 26. T=REK o'CLoca.—The unfavourable accounts re ceived from Italy have not had much effect on the French funds to-day. The feeling is so completely established here, that both France and England have determined that there shall be no war, that any warlike tendency shown by Charles Albert and these small Italian states has little effect. It is generally supposed that Eng land and France have agreed as to the policy to be pur sued, and that they are determined to interfere for the restoration both of the Pope and the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Exchange on London (30 days), 25 20; ditto (90 days), 25 07*. BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE LONDON STOCK-EXCHANGE, FEB. 26. _ . Boulogne and Amiens, 10—Central 'Franre (Orleans and Vierzon), 12 3 / 4 —Namur and Liege, 9 3 / 4 —Northern of France, 10 1 / ! Orleans and Bordeaux, 3%—Paris and Or leans, 34—Paris and Rouen, 21 1 ,x—Paris and Strasbourg, 4 1 ,g—Rouen and Haire, 13%—Sambre and Meuse, sk—. Tours and Nantes, 23A. GERMANY AND THE NORTHERN STATES. AUSTRIA. It was reported in Vienna, on the 20th, that the Hungarian General GORGE'!" had retaken the town of Kuschan . PRUSSIA. It is said that before the meeting of the Chambers, Baron BONIN will be appointed Minister of Finance, and Count Amax Minister of Foreign Affairs. The KING will open the session in person. ITALY. The Grand Duke of TUSCANY has protested against the revolution in Florence, and has di.patched copies of his protest to all the Courts of Europe. The foreign diplomatic corps have all left Florence to join the GRAND DUKE, who is at Villa Reggio. The union of the Tuscan and Roman Republic has been proclaimed, under the name of the Central Republic of Italy. Ro-ne is the capital of the new Republic. The Prince of CANINO has been named President of the Constitut-nt Assembly, in the room of Signor SAFFS. The Roman Ministry presented, on th-• 17: h. a prograr..ine of their policy to the Assembly, of which the following is an abstract The policy of the Republic should be in a frank, conciliatory, and worthy, and truly demi c:atiic spit- t; and, above all things, they should promote the estatiltsii• tnent of the Italhn Constituent. In unison with the Constitt-nt they would carry on the war, and would not cease to do so until they had brought it to a prosperous issue. They should, with this view, organ•izt these gal lant bands who were ready to exhibit the valour and spirit of warriors and patriots indef . , nee of their country and in the sacred cause of liberty. The war ended, the Government would do all i❑ their power to cherish the arts and sciences as the sure sources of na tional grandeur. Public instruction should be careful' given, but this should no longer be left, in the hands of the clergy, who ought to confine themselves solely to the discharge of their sacred functions. This conclusion they had come to, as they were satisfied that the present system was pregnant with evil. Social questions would occupy a large share of their attention. That liberty, they said, that does not ameliorate and comfort the greatest number, is a bastard liberty. The poor, that numerous class, who had been left in the lowest degradation by the ancient society, should be the objects of their assiduous care, and it would be their especial duty to cure their physical ills and pre pare them for a moral regeneration. Property should be placed under the safeguard of the Republic. Liberty, of worship, and perfect tolerance and freedom of opinio❑ should be granted, with security to person stud pro perty, even of those who were opposed to them in their principles and views. Acting on these principles, their Republic would be entitled to the regard of Italy and of Europe." The Risorgimento announces the occupation of Ferrara on the 19th by a corps of 10,000 Austrians. CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY. OLD COURT. (Before the RECORDER and Mr. Alderman Crum.) Robert Duncan, a young man about 23 years of age, Mary Duncan, described as a single woman, a few years his senior, and Pierce Wall O'Brien, apparently a b ou t 45, surrendered to take their trial, on a charge of con spiracy to defraud the London and North-Western Rail way Company, with a view to obtain money by false pretences. Mr. Clarkson prosecuted; Mr. O'Brien defended the prisoner Mary Duncan; Mr. Metcalfe defended O'Brien; and Robert Duncan was undefended. It appeared from the opening statement of the counsel who prosecuted, that on the sth of September last, very early in the morning, the mail train from York to Lon don was travelling on the London and North-Western Railway. Oa the same morning the down train coming up had arrived near to the Leigh ton Buzzard station, when a collision took place between the two trains, which was fortunately un attended with loss of life. On the 26th of October fol lowing a communication was received by the London and North-Western Railway authorities, representing that by the York mail train that came from York on the morning of sth Sept., one Mrs. Duncan, the prisoner, and her brother, Pierce Wall O'Brien, another of the pri soners, having been in the same second class train toge ther coming from York had sustained very serious in juries, for which they had been advised to apply for compensation. The prisoners, in the first instance, had put themselves into the hands of a air. Harrison, a soli citor, who had been imposed upon by the plausible story which the prisoners related to him, but afterwards, sus pecting or discovering its falsehood, declined to proce_d further with their case. On the receipt of the letter the railway authorities directed Mr. Porter, their medical officer, to make inquiries into the nature of the injuries alleged to have been sus tained by the prisoners, Mary Duncan and O'Brien; and accordingly on the very day on which the letter was read at a meeting of the board of directors, on the 28th of October, Mr. Porter made his appearance at the house ot Duncan, quite unexpectedly as it respects the latter, for the purpose of ascertaining or inquiring into the nature of the injuries stated to have been sustained. When Mr. Porter entered the house he saw the male prisoner, Duncan. " Oh," said the latter, on seeing Mr. Porter, " I expected to have seen a lawyer, not a medical man ; Mrs. Duncan is ill at this moment, and you cannot see her." Mr. Porter, at that moment, not teing pre pared to anticipate any fraud, thought he heard some rustling noise at the back of the shop in which he was standing, talking to the male prisoner Duncan, and after some further conversation with the latter, Mr. Porter was ushered into the hack room, where he found Mary Duncan, the prisoner, lying in bed, and he was told of the nature of the injuries which she bad sustained by the collision. Among other things Mr. Porter was told that the collision had brought on premature labour, and that she had suffered a mis carriage forty-eight hours afterwards. He took it for granted that this story was true, and from motives of delicacy, did not make any examination of Mary Dun can's symptoms. Mr. Porter then asked to see O'Brien, whom he found in another room up-stairs, and who described his symptoms to him. Upon this Mr. Por ter reported the circumstances to the board of directors, having first endeavoured to find a Mr. Hunt, a medi cal man, to whom O'Brien, the prisoner, had referred him, as having been in attendance on O'Brien; but Mr. Porter was not able to find the medical man, Mr. Hunt. Shortly afterwards, on the 2d of November, a second letter was written by the male prisoner, Duncan, to the authorities of the railway, on the subject of the injuries in question. The letter bore the address of 59, Great George-street, Bermondsey, and stated that he, the male prisoner, Duncan, was willing to accept 601. for the in juries done to Mary Duncan, the female prisoner; and that the prisoner O'Brien was willing to accept other 601. for the injuries which he alleged he had sustained, provided the money was paid within a week. On the 7th of November the prisoners employed an attorney, who proceeded forthwith to bring an action against the rail way company, to deliver a declaration, and so forth. In the meantime the company had proceeded quietly, in conse • quence of the suspicions that arose in the mind of Mr. Porter, to make inquiries on the subject matter of this family; and then they found that the prisoner, Mary Duncan, who was represented to have sustained all those injuries by the collision, so far from having been at York, or anywhere thereabouts at that time, that she was at home perfectly well, that she was never in the train at all, and never bad sustained any injury by any collision what. ver, and that it was altogether an inven tion from beginning to end. With respect to O'Brien, the prosecutor was not in a condition to show where he was at the time ot the collision, fruitless inquiries hav ing been made with that view. The trial was procefchng when our report loft. IVEW COURT. (Before the COMBION SERGEANT arid Mr. Alderman Moon.) A young woman, named Harriet West, was in Hoed with uttering a cuun:erfeit shilling. It appeared that the prisoner, on the 7th Ft , bruary, went into a chandler's shop, kept by a Mr. Her , haw, at Mount crescent, Gray'a Inn-road, and purchased an ounce of tobacco and some other articles, amounting altogether to 7d. She tendered a shilling in payment to Mrs. Hensbaw, who, on taking it to the light, discovered that it was a bad one, and imam diately gave the prisoner into custody. On being taken hold or by the policeman, she endeavoured to put her • hand to ber mouth, but was prevented doing so, and in her hand were found four bad shillings done up in a piece of paper. Theprisoner, in defence, deified knowing that the shillings were counterfeit, and said that they had been given to her by a man with whom she lived. The COMXON SERGEANT—That is very probable. The jury found her Guilty, and she was sentenced to imprisonment for six months with hard labour. Ann Smith, a young looking woman, dressed in widow's attire, and having an infant in her arms, was indicted with three distinct cases of uttering counterfeit coin—on the 27th of January, of uttering a shilling upon James Grant, greengrocer, Clerkenwell; on the Bth of February, of uttering a half-crown upon George Reed, coal-dealer, Wilson-street, Clerkenwell; and on the 10th of February, of uttering a sovereign upon a Mr. Wiseman, a broker, in Clerkenwell. The latter case led to her detection. She purchased a bedstead, and gave the sovereign in payment. A man was waiting outside, who carried the bedstead away, but some suspi cion having arisen in the mind of the broker, the woman was pursued and taken into custody, The man suc ceeded in getting away. Mr. PAYNE, for the prisoner, denied that her identity in the first two cases had been proved, and said with respect to the latter case, that she was not aware that the sovereign was other than a good one. The ColiMoN SERGEANT having summed up, The jury found a verdict of Not Guilty. Mary Francis, a young married woman, was indicted with uttering three counterieit half-crowns. The jury found a verdict of Guilty, but recommended her to mercy on account of her previous good character. A man, who called himself the prisoner's husband, said, the witnesses had been entirely mistaken in her identity. The COMMON-SERGEANT.-Fully believing, prisoner, that you were the instrument in the hands of another I will not mention, but who, I am sure Rill be here one of these days, and whom, if he does come, I assure I shall take cure of, I will only sentence you to three months' imprisonment in tlae House of Correction. The prisoner left the dock very much aff,cted. Several other minor Mint prosecutions were tried in the course of the morning, but none of them possessed any feature of importance. LLOYD'S 6HIPPIN G.—(THIS DAY.) LONDON, FEB. 27.—Wind E.S.E., light breeze, and fine clear weather. STATE OF WIND AND WEATHER AT THE PROVINCIAL PORTS THIS MORNING, AT 9 A.M. Colchester S.W., fine. Glasgow S.W. by W., frosty. Gloucester N.N.E., frosty. Gosport Leith Lowestoffe N W., frosty. Liverpool Newcastle Portsmouth Yarmouth N. W., fine. YARMOUTH, FEB. 26.—The Ann Elia+, of Sunder land, from St. Valery, has been kssisted into this har• boor will cotwderatile damage to hull and cargo. having been struck by DEAL, FEB. 26.—Wind Hydrabad, Castle, Madras; Pilgrim, Clark, Cuba, b:)th for London. 811. 1.0., Neweistle; Planet, ditto. Arrd. from the River anti sld., Lady Peel, Frw,er, Sydney, New Souti I,l7des• ' India, Camp ha, .Bornbay; Satthamby, Jennin4 ditto; Gratitude, Aden; Alexandritia, Falconer, Algol Bay; Cliam ! ,ion, S!,-,1, Ri o ,j,, n ,,j rn; Tyn' A - ? kUtlyy LONDONIERRY, FEB. 23.—Acrd. Java, Duffy, S; John's, K .13,1titti PETERHEAD. f' En. 25.—S 1 A. lt , :iulution, Greenland En LIVERPOOL. FEB. 26.—Witn1 N.E —Sid. 21st, Rei ittnit T ion, United St,t,s ; 25 , 11. i)unirnerce, L-i Grande; Zi!ixony, Nr (Means; Brandon, d.rro ; Et e:1, s-, , ,mtnah; Rub Virwria; Franklin, B dtimore; Ar,bella, New York; Joni, S. de Wolf, 61v o; B 11,1tfax; MAura, dine; Arehimed. Ne‘% foul land; Roilon, Sene-tai; Plyrnou , h, Halifax. 26. Plata, Bueno. Ay re; .in Fisher, Rio Janeiro; E,rl of Durw.m. Bahia; Irene, Pernambuco; Sesostris, Maranham; Jane. AroTgoa; .Express, St. Thomas and St. Dornit , g,; G4rolimi, La Guayra; Buena Nista. New °deans ; Cornelia, Balavia ; An and Jane, Singa pore ; Courier, Calcutta ; Linton, Calcutta ; Bland, Calcutta ; Duke of Lancaster, Bombay ; Robins, Bombay; Belle Isle, Cape of G.(l Hope ; Belle, Africa; Rothesay, Africa; Pl 5 a, Buenoi Ayres; William Ft‘h,r, Rio Janeiro ; Dauntless, Apalachicola ; Catnilfus, Sa vannah ; Intiinsie, Savannah ; J. C. Calhoun, New Y, , rk ; Jane, k\ ilmingion, United States. li ULL, FEB. 26.--Vind N.N.E.—Arrd. Royal Vic toria, Hunter, Savannah. SWANSEA, FEB. 26.—Wind E N E.—Sid. Jenny Jones, Adelaide, South Australia. NEWPORT, FEB. 26.—Wind N.E.—Sld. 25th, Adolph Werner, St. Thomas; Catherinde, Minde, St. Thomas ; Apollo, Havannah. GLOUCESTER, FEB. 26.—S1d. 25th, Emu, Calcutta. PLYMOUTH, FEB. 26.—Wind E.—Sld. 25th, Bon Accord, Calcutta. SOUTHAMPTON WATER, FEB. 27.—Arrd. Severn steamer, West Indies. DEAL, FEB 26.—51,1. Victor, Hobart Town ; Alice Maud, Port Natal ; Lalla Rookh, Demerara ; Superior, Demerara ; Ellen, Trinidad. OPEN-AIR, IVIEETING in COVENT GARDEN.—(TEAS DAY.) An open-air meeting, which had been called by the High Bailiff, was held this day in Covent-garcen, to take into consideration the treatment of pauper children. A platform was erected in front of Saint Paul's Church, for the accommodation of the speakers and the re porters. There were more than 1,000 persons present. The High Bailiff, Francis Smedley, Esq., presided, and said he had convened the meeting in consequence of a requisition addressed to hint by a numerous and most respectable body of the rate-payers of Westminster, to take into consideration the recent awful destruction of human life, resulting from the system of farm ing out the pauper children of the metropolitan parishes, which, it seemed, had received the approval and sanction of the Poor-law Board, and which had been acted upon by the various boards of poor• law guardians. The meeting had also been called for the purpose of consi define'. whether the present poor-l aw was or was no t suited for this country. Several resolutions, condemning the treatment to which the pauper children had been recently subjected at Tooting, having been put and carried, the meeting separated. WEST INDIA MAIL. (BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.) SOUTHAMPTON, TUESDAY MORNING.—The Royal Mail steam-ship Severn, Captain Vincent, arrived hers at 9 o'clock with a portion of the West India Mails, principally from the Leeward Islands, &c. She has no mails from Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, or Havannah, which were to have been brought up to Bermuda by the Forth. The Severn sailed from Ber muda on the 13th in-t., after waiting nearly eight days for the Gulf steamer. No intelligence of the Forth's loss had reached Bermuda; the fact, however, of the mails being so long delayed is almost a confirmation of the un favourable newt,. The Severn was dispatched home, in consequence of having broken her starboard paddle shaft between St. Thomas and Bermuda. The Avon met with a precisely similar accident near Demerara; she will consequently be the next ship home from Chagres and Bermuda. The Severn came across the ocean with only one paddle, and performed the voyage in 13i days; she has a very trilling cargo, and only 3,000. specie on freight. There is very little news of importance from the various islands. At Barbadoes the weather was fine and the crops fa vourable; business was dull. The fever had re-appeared in St. Ann's Garrison. PEN INSULAR MAILS. SOUTHAMPTON, TUESDAY MORNING. The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Com pany's ship Indus has just arrived with the heavy por tton of the Indian Mails, and chtes from Alexandria 10:h February, Malta 16th, Gibraltar 21st. She brings seventy passengers; specie on freight, value 24,3001., and a large general cargo. Her Majesty's ship Gladiator had arrived at Gib raltar. A detachment of Marines were embarked on board seven of the steamers of Sir Charles Na pier's fleet, which sailed to the eastward on the 19,h to chastise the pirates on the Moorish coast, under the command of the Admiral. As, however, no boats or piratical vessels could be discovered, the aqua- _ dron re entered the bay without being enabled to accom plish its design. By the Atalanta steamer, which has just arrived here from Havre, we learn that yesterday the Cotton mar ket opened very brisk, and sales amounted, up to two o'clock, to 1,256 bales, which were disposed of at ad vanced rates. In other articles little doing. RUMOURED LOSS OF H.M.S. ST. VINCENT. A letter from Toulon, of the 23d inst., mentions a re port of the loss of tho British ship-of-the-line St. Vincent, off Tangier, bearing the flag of Admiral Napier. THE CIRQUE NATIONAL DE PARIS ♦T DRAB! LANE THEATRE.-- A. morning performance takes place here to morrow, which will be attended by the whole of the Blue-coat boys, the proprietors having kindly invited one thousand of the scholars of the Christ's Hospital to be present on the occasion• The performances will be precisely the same as they were on the evening of Saturday last when her 'Neat) ? and Prince Albert honoured the Cirque National with their presence. It is quite a treat to watch the joyous countenances of the juveniles at these delightful morning performances, which ure now fast drawing to a close, as the presant is the last week but two that the company remains in London. OPERA COMIQUE, ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.--The first performi.nce of Richard Cceur de Lion, and the Concert ala Cour, was attended by a brilliant audienc e; amongst whom w e n ot i ce d—Th e C on d e de Montemo l im her Serene Highness the Princess of Parma, the Mar chioness of Down,hire, the Eitil of Kilmorey, the Russian Ambassador, and Baroness Brui.now and Mdlle. Olga de Lechner, the Turkish Ambassador and suite, Lady do Dunsierville, Lady Louth, Comtesse de Lansfeliit, Car rain Ryder Button, Lord Cranbourne, Baron Nicolas, Ludy J. ddrt 11 , Sir George and Miss Talbot, Lady and Miss Goldsraidt, Sir Henry Webb, the Hon. F. Byng, Mrs. and the Misses Standish, Mr. Henry Greville, Mre. Dennistoun, and Sir William Hoste. ROYAL NAVAL SCHOOL, NEW CROSS. Lieut. Colonel Petit, C. 8., of her Majesty's 50th Regiment, has presented the liberal donation of 50 guineas to this in ::titution, a gratifying evidence of the good feeling exist ing between the two services. We understand that Mr. W. Drew, who was a pupil of the Royal Naval School, came out as Eighth Wrangler at the last Cambridge ex amination, and that at the head of the list of a large number of marine cadets, who last week received their commissions as second-lieutenants in that valuable corps, is Mr. de Conroy Meade, son of Commander John Meade, who has j u st comp l ete d hi s educat i on at this school. THE GUARDS.—The Ist battalion of Scots Fusilier Guards will be removed from Chichester to London on the lit of March next, and will be replaced by the 2d battalion of the same corps at Chichester on the satae date. MEETING OF THE UNEMPLOYED.--BIRMINGHAM, MONDAY.—An open-air meeting of the artizans of Bir mingham was held on Gosta-green this afternoon, for the purpose of memorialising the Government on the subjk ct of the distressed state of the trading and working classes of the town and district, and " requiring imme diate measures for the employment of the poor." Out of a population of about 200,000, from 400 to 400 persons were present. The meeting was addressed by several Chartists, and a memorial to the Home Secretary to the effect above stated was adopted. PLUNDER OF THE IMPERIAL ARSENAL AT VIENNA. —The Commissioners of the Metropolitan Police have transmitted to the Commissioners of the Customs De partment a list of weapons, banners, models, &c., which have been stolen from the Imperial Arsenal at Vienna, and which it is supposed will be brought to this country for sale, and requested that the same may be commu nicated to the several officers of the revenue, in order that, in the event of any of the said articles having been landed, or being hereafter landed at their repective ports, they may r, port the circumstances, for the information of the Commissioners of Police. BARLEY MAIN COLLIERY ExrLostox.-- By the list of sub6criptions tor the numerous families bereaved by the catastrophe at Derby Main Colliery, it a ppears that upwards of 1,200/. has been put down for this bene volGnt object. BIRTHS. On the 22d inst., at Eatington Vicarage, Warwickshire, the wife of th e Rev. R. Wedgwood, of a daughter. On the 22d inst., at Northwich, the wife of the Rev. M. Wilde, of a daughter. On the 23d inst., at Haresfoot, the lady of A. S. Dorrien , Esq., of a daughter. DIED. On the 2eth inst., at Dorking, Surrey, Gertrude Henrietta Hickman, widow of the late Lieut.-Colonel Gregory nick man, of the Ilea. East India Company's Service. On the 22d inst., at the Rectory, Roan Llannyhorn e, Cornwall, the Rev. Richard Budd, in the 40th year of his incumbency, aged 75. London : Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG, !:: 1 No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 111 !: Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the county 4 : 0 Middlesex, Tuuglay, February 27, 1849 z4V * 4' - ' • 1. . . -• _ :.,. :• • J , , , - : a A t., '4 :'. : ex. 1. ..),0 r „,c - i iit , , ~„,„.„„,. P 44 . '''. i s fir _ , Nbil4 : ,g- ,F.', ...,:•,i.-> 1; ''' ~.•-• . ~ . "!, - ,...5 -°":; °":; ,‘,':‘..' .1E e ;,N.,,-.6 , ..4 , ..1164,11-7r)..,,,,. ; . , P tk'! :. ; _ 4' THIS EVENING, Will be performed the Drama of THE HOUSEKEEPER. After which, THE WONDER. Don Felix, Mr. C. Kean ; Donna Violante, Mrs. C. Kean. To be followed by an Arabian Nights' Entertainment, entitled CAMARALZAMAN AND 13ADOURA ; or, The Peri who Loved the Prince. Characters by Messrs. Bland, Keeley, Mrs. Keeley, Miss Horton, and Miss Rcymslds. etteniu t LONDON, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, I$4L The House of Commons assembled last sysaiug at Four o'clock. On the order of the day being read that the House re- iolve itself into Committee of Supply, Mr. COBDEN rose to move the resolution of which he had given notice, pledging the House to reduce the national expenditure to the standard of 1835. In bringing forward this reso lution he by no means intended that what he was about to propose should be done instanter, he was not so un reasonable, he only wished to pledge the House to the lesirableness and necessity of what he was about to sug gest. Comparisons bad been made between the expen diture of France and that of this country, but in taking ~he expenditure of this country at 44,422,0001. in 1835, And at 54,185,0001. last year, it should be recollected that in France there were a number of items charged in the Budget which in England were local charges, -tuch as the charges for religion, education, roads, and bridges; and for the Ateliers IVationaux, of which of late they had heard so much, as if every union workhouse in this country was not an Atelier National. Taking the cost of the collection of the revenue in this country last year at 7,000 000/., the poor -rates at 8,000,0001., county-rates at 1,000,000/ g the highway-rates at 1,000,0001., the expense of religious establishments at 6,000,0001., and adding these several sums to the 54,000,0001. which appeared in the Budget, it would appear that our actual annual expenditure last year was 77,000,0001., while that of France was only 72,000,0001., and that during a year of revolution. The Hon. Gentleman then drew the attention of the House to the great increase which had taken place in the amount of these local charges. The poor-rates had increased from 4,300,0001. in 1837 to 8,341,000/. in 1848. The county-rates had increased from 671,0001. in 1835 to 1,266,0001. in 1847. He was con►inced that this tendency to progres sive increase in the local charges could only be stopped by general legislation—it would never be stopped by the local authorities themselves. The Honourable Gen tleman then proceeded to justify his adoption of the year 1835 as a standard by the example of those who, in 1816, adopted 1792 as the standard for the reduction of the expenditure, and by the examples of Mr. PITT and Lord CASTLEREAGH. He found that in 1835, the in terest of the debt was 28,514,0001., and in 1848 it was 28,563,0001., being a difference of 50,000/., but the esti mates for the army, navy, and ordnance were, in 1835, 11,697,000/., and in 1848, 17,645,0001., to which must be added 1,100,000!. for the Kafir war, making a total of 18,745,0001. for our military establishments. The civil expenditure, consolidated fund, and miscellaneous expen diture amounted, in 1835, to 4,281,0001., and in 1848 to 6,598,000/. This included the grant to Ireland. The only portion of the civil expenditure upon which any re duction could at present be effected was on the miscella neous es,...imates, and he therefore felt they must reduce the enormous expenses of our military establishments. In 1836 there had been 5,000 seamen added to our navy on account of the apprehensions entertained of a war with Russia; in 1838 there bad been an addition of 8,000 men to the army on account of the rebellion in Canada; and in 1839 an addition of 5,000 on account of the Chartist out break at Newport; in 1840 there was an addition of 5,000 sailors on account of the Chinese war, and the operations on the coast of Syria; in 1842 another addition of 4,000 sailors on account of our disputes with America on the boundary question; in 1846 there was an increase in the army, navy, and ordnance estimates of 1,700,000/. on ac count of the Oregon dispute; and in 1846 they had a turther increase of 1,200,0001. in these estimates owing to the hostile attitude assumed by France on the question of the Spanish marriages. None of these causes which bad led to these successive augmentations in our navy, our army, and ordnance, now remained, and yet those estimates had never been reduced, although the causes for their augmentation had long ceased to exist. We stood at this moment in reference to our foreign relations in an infinitely better position than we occu pied in 1835. We were then in an uneasy position with regard to Russia and the Northern Powers, and were marauding on the coast of Spain. With whom did we now dread a collision? With Russia, with her serfs, who would givo her plenty to du?—with Germany, or with France? If England took advantage of her insular po sition, and would not interfere pith other powers, never had she stood in less danger of war than at present. It was said that the establishments were much too low in 1835 ; he denied it. The Honourable Secretary to the Admiralty said that the dockyards establishment were almost in a state of ruin in 1835. That argument had been used in 1816, when it was proposed to reduce the establishments of 1796. It was said that Mr. Pitt had expressed his regret for having reduced the estab li.hments so low in 1796, until Lord Grenville:declared in the /louse of Lords that Mr. Pitt had always expressed his approval of the reduction of 1796. He would appeal on the subject, to the Right Honourable Baronet (Sir James Graham), whose ad ministrative powers he admired, and ask him if the dockyards in 1835 were in a state of desti tution. The time was now come when it was their duty seriously to consider whether they could reduce this expenditure. He could ❑nderstand how Protectionists might consistently vote for maintaining our colonial establish ments, but he could not understand how Free tradtrs, or those who thought Free-trade must be henceforth the rule of the country, could vote fur these establishments. We had givea the colonies Free-trade when they liked, but they must defend themselves. It was said we were to make the colonies integral parts of the kingdom ; but how could we do that unless they shared our taxes and our debt? . Henceforth this country could not expect to derive any greater advantage from her colonies than other nations, and therefore she was not bound to keep up an establishment for their defence. It might be proper to keep up such garrisons as Gibraltar, or Malta, but it was unjust to the inhabi tants of this country to tax them for the maintenance of colonies such as Australia and New Zealand, which could support themselves, and in which the condition of the labourers was infinitely superior to that of the small farmer in this country.—(Hear.) They must prepare to relieve themselves from the expenditure they had incurred in those colonies. Why, in New Zealand they had to every ten colonists one soldier, armed, fed, and clothed at the expense of the people of this country, among a population, every man of whom carried his rifle as a matter of course, and knew how to use it. What did they want with troops in Australia, when there was not a single aboriginal inhabitant? He believed those troops were intended rather to keep down the colonists than to defend them. This was a system requiring a total change, and if that change were made there would be no difficulty in making the reductions he pro posed. With regard to the troops at home, he thought that there were an infinitely greater number of troops than there was any necessity for. At no time, either in Ireland or England, lied there been one hundred men in arms assembled during the last year against the Government. He be lieved, as far as England was concerned, that had it not been for the Irish element there would have been no turbulence in this country, not..e ithstanding the heavy distress which weighed upon the working classes in 1847, who, aware that every morsel of food that could come from abroad was permitted to come, were per fectly loyal and tranquil. , He had heard with some in dignation that it was the troops and special, constables which had prevented a rising last year. He did not be SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN. FRB. 20.—The Danes made an attack at Sunde witt, from Sonderburg, upon the Schleswig-Hol stein patrol. They are said to have driven them back as far as Atztull, and to have employed large shot. The cause is not known, and we have not yet learned the result. The Duke of AUGUSTENBURG has entered a pro test against the proceedings of Denmark.—Hamburgh Borsenhalle, Feb. 22. HANOVER. The KING has sent the following Royal note to the Ministers declining their tendered resignation : " Gentlemen, " From your letter of the 19th I have seen which vote of the Second Chamber it was which induced you to tender your resignation. Your grounds, I admit, are just, but I greatly lament the circumstance, because I do not think I could find a Ministry of patriotic men more deserving of my confidence and of the confidence of the country. Before I can accept your resignation, I shall expect to receive a communication from the Chambers, and if it be such as you anticipate, I must try whether I can find a Ministry of honest men who can submit a programme suitable to the government of Hanover, and this I conceive to be a matter of no little difficulty. " You, gentlemen, have, in your administration, laid the foundation of the future constitution and govern ment of the kingdom, with great wisdom and judgment, and I grieve for the country that it is not to receive the completion of the work from your hands, for it is im possible for any man completely to carry out the ideas of another. " I thank you, gentlemen, for your past sbrvices, but it is indispensable that you should continue the adminis tration of the Government till I can look about me and sue what kind of Cabinet I can form. Then only can I accept your resignation, and if we should be obliged to part, you will ever possess the confidence of your King. " ERNEST AUGUSTUS. " Hanover, Feb. 20, 1849." FRANKFORT. The following section of the fundamental law was adopted by the German Parliament on the 23d : " Every German who is entitled to give a vote is also eligible to be elected to the Assembly, provided he has completed his twenty-fifth year, and has belonged for at least three years to a German state." GALICIA. LEMBERG, FEB. 11.—Since our last report, 100 villages in the twelve circles of the country, contain ing a population of 118,137 inhabitants, have been visited with 6,189 cases of cholera; of these 3,415 have recovered, and 2,449 proved fatal, 324 being still under treatment. —Wiener Zeitung, Feb. 21. E: his f • • 10141 ... De cle r. Rex rail Iro COIL bee Brit Prer, tor I eons a d aura eir e , 'rest is thei cub] t 10; ilisl lan( tra ( der]