The Sun. — London, England, 1842-07-07 00:00:00

~"~ THE ANTI-CORN-LAW CONFERENCE. , 1 (THIS EpAy.) (Continued frort: Our Afternoon Edition.) The Rev. Mr. MORGAN (of Stourbridge) next addressed the meeting. He said that Stourbridge, connected as it was with the iron trade, was lees affected by the present distress than odic? places, yet even there distress did prevail to a great ex tent, indeed to an extent-never experienced in the memory of the oldest inhabitant of the town. He could adduce some indirect proofs of this statement, which were not the less conclusive because they were indirect. In the year 1838 the market tolls of the town amounted to 7061., in 11340 they fell to 6221. Between Stourbridge and Birmingham there were threee turnpike-gates, which had been let for 1,0041.. but the person who had taken them had incurred a loss of 3001., in consequence of the falling off of the traffic between those towns, which resulted from the decrease of manufactures. In the poor-house the usual number of inmates was under 100; on Thursday last the number was 198. Th e sca l e of wages fixed by the Work Committee of the Board of Guardians was, for a a married man with three children, from six shillings to seven shillings a week ; for a man with a greater number of children, eight shillings ; for a single man, four shillings ; for a boy, three shillings per week.—( Hear, hear.) The question then came, what was to be done ?—( Hear, hear.) He wi s h e d they could obtain an au di ence o f her :M ajesty. However her Majesty was unable to de anything in the matter. They must only then not do anything precipitate, but wait till the Execu tive Committee had made its report, and propounded some re medial measures. He concurred with Mr. Hayward that the Association ought to direct its attention to the suffrage move ment.—( Cheering. ) Mr. RAWSON (of Manchester) wished to call the attention of the meeting to a fact which had been communicated to him by a very excellent man, a Conservative, Mr. Smith, wine and spirit merchant, of Manchester, who informed him that out of 1,2001. worth of goods which he had lately sent to Stockport, with which place he carried on a good trade, he did not expect to receive 2001., in consequence of the distress prevalent there; and yet, strange to say, that-gentleman wished to " conserve," among other things, the Corn-laws. Mr. CHAPMAN (of Loughborough) wished to make a few observations. The state of that district was most deplorable. The workmen were in a condition as bad as the peasantry of Ireland, or of the impoverished States of Italy. The staple trade of the place was hosiery, at which - .nen who used to earn . frorn 16s. to 20s. per week ne,te received only from 7s. 6d. to 10s. per week. Othe,"r trades were in an equally declining state. Chartism, tc,„, was extending every day ; and property, which had be .ett hitherto sacred, was be coming more and more insecm, every day. The people were beginning to think that the.v.fotight not to starve, wh i l e th ere was any means of obtaini-,. support in the country. In the hosiery trade no ire;provement had been introduced by ma chinery, and yet the operatives engaged in that trade were as much distresse:„'. as those of any other branch of manufactures. In agricultc 4 . o , too, machinery had not been introduced so as to throv.; the labourer out of employment, and yet distress arm:4 that class had never been so severe as at the present base. It was idle, then, to say that the introduction of machinery in manufactures had injured the condition of the operative, since here were two instances of the absence of machinery being followed up by the existence of distress. The spread of Chartism among the Dissenters, and the pre valence of the feelings among them which would render pro perty insecure, was an alarming feature in the appearance of the times. It' the tide of distress had reached a mark so high as that to which he alluded, there was reason to apprehend that there would be very little left which would not be sub merged. There was one thing which he did not understand, and that was the interference of Government with trade. Such an interferenee on the part of the Government of a country was an usurpation, and could not be justified. He would con clude by. throwing out a suggestion of the necessity of their endeavouring to form a British and Foi eign Free-trade So eiety, which would have for its object the establishment of free trade with all countries. Mr. Geonoz THOMPSON announced to the meeting that the debate on Mr. Wallace's resolutions, which had been ad journed last night, would, in all probability, be resumed to morrow evening. Mr. Bannerman, who had a raotion fixed for this evening with reference to the opening of the ports by an Order in Council, had been requested Sir Robert Peel to postpone his motion, in order to allow the Government to go on with their own more immediate easiness; but Mr. B. had refused to accede to that request, and a deputation from the Executive Committee had gotie to Mr. 8., for the purpose of strengthening him, if nece,siary, in his purpose, as no business would be of more irsportance than that which Mr. B.'s mo tion involved. The Citalas,Loi announced that the Delegates would as semble this evening at half-past six, at Brown'', Hotel, Palace yard. _ Mr. GRUNDY, of Bury, came forward for the purpose of laying before the meeting a statement of the distress at pre toad existing in the town of Bury ; the distress existing was vaparalleled. The state of the country was most stppalling, and he saw no chance of their obtaining re dress from that Legislature which pretended to regulate the destinies of this great nation.—(Cheers.) He wished that gentlemen who made speeches would dwell more upon the means likely to alleviate the distress, than upon the details of that distress.—( Cheers.) No impression, he was convinced, was likely to be made upon Sir R. Peel or his party: They acknowledged the distress, and pretended to sympathise with it. He (Mr. Grundy) judged of men by their actions, not by their words, and he was satisfied that Sir Robert Peel and his party eared not for the starvation of the people, so long as they coula drain them of the resources.—(Cheers.) It was high time for the people of this country to coalesce and demand by firm re monstrance and with uplifted hands, the restoration of their rights.—( Loud cheers.) The country was dissatisfied with the milk-and-water system that had been so long pursued.—( Loud cheers.) There were now many persons who were Corn-law repealers. What had made them so ? Why, the pres sure upon their pockets, upon their bodies, and upon their circumstances.—(Load cheers.) He had foreseen, in 1815, shat would be the consequences of this law ; for a lotsgacries of years he hadAstood almost alone in his opposition to its•und when he now" saw the numbers who, since that period, had joined in tie opposition to it, be felt sure that there was sufficient energy and , independence in the country to reno vate all that retp.ired renovating.—(Cheers.) Let them, therefore; joist heart and hand in the struggle. Let them have a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull altogether—(Loud cheers)—but in order to do that, they must be with the people. Why did they object to join the people on account of any mere small differences of opinion —because they did not like this leader, or because that demagogue had too much influence ? If the general views and feelings of men were right, they should join them without looking out for little foibles. They should forget and forgive, and all join together in the cause of the country.—( Loud cheers.) If they went on as they were going on at present, something serious must eventually, happen, unless it were ave r t e d by the - good sense of the people forcing the Government to adopt the measures necessary for their re lief.—( Cheers.) The township of Bury was in a state of the deepest distress. The number of houses unoccupied amonnted to 469, the rateable value of which was 3,661/. Bs. 6d. There were unoccupied of houses of the annual rent of 51. and under, 331 ; frem 51. to JIM, 75 : from 101. to 20/., 37 ; from 201. to 30.1., 12 ; from 301. to 40/.', 3 ; from 501. to 60/., 1. There were besides, 8 unoccupied warehouses. 1 timber yard, and 1 print works. The rate payable upon the rental of the unoc cupied property at the present time would amount to 381/. 7s. The number of empty houses was increasing every week, and three or tour families frequently inhabited one cottage, for the sake of economy. Rents were from 20 to 30 per cent. lower than they were in 1838 and 1839. In 1839 there was a poor rate of 10d. in the pound ; m 1840 it was 2s. Id.; in 1841, 2s. Id., leaving the parish in debt nearly 3,0001., which would require a further rate of Is. 3d. to liquidate, and in 1842 it would require a rate of 3s. 4d. in the pound to get the parish out of debt. The tetal amount of the poor-rates in 1839 was 1,8471. Bs. 7d. ; in 1840, 4,709/. 7s. sd. ; in 1841, 4,884/. 7s. I Id. The number of persons relieved as vagrants were, from June 30 to Decem ber 31, 1849, 481; from January 2, 1841, to March 25, 1842, 2.525; and from March 28 to June 27, 1842, only three saanths, 777. One of the great foundries in Bury was the property of Messrs. Walker. The amount of wages paid at the f. u idry in 1835 was 24,4141. ; in 1837, 19,914 ; 1838, 27,200/. ; 1839,25,7t'4; 1840, 17,709; 1841, 13,083. A corresponding diminution had taken pace in the amount of wages paid by the machine-shop of Walker, Smith. and Co. In 18311 they had paid 22,0391. wages, and in 1841 only 10,5461. There were nine mills and works unoccupied, which when employed found work for 2,C00 hands. Not more than one-half the meat was slatnahtered in Bury now _that there was two years ago. Per sons with small capital, who were a most important class, were daily emigrating, and 5,000 1 . had been taken ou- of Bury by persons emigrating to America within the last six months. The depreciation of property was dreadful. A mill which, five years ago had cost 93,000/., had been offered for sale, and only 4,0004 offered for it. Another manufactory, which in 1840 cost 15,000/, had since been purchased for 6,000/. A large spinning establishment, which had cost 40,0001., had been offered for sale a few months since, and the highest bona fide bidding offered had been 4,0001. The distress and embarrassment of the shopkeepers and tradespeople was dreadful, in conse quence et the distress existing among the working people, and general ruin would be the consequence, unless some alteration took place. He wished he knew how to bring about the alteration. Mr. G. Toomrsoat—Will you pay the Income-tax? Mr. GUNDRY—No, I will not—(Loud cheers.) I will go to any peaceable length with any person.—( Cheers.) He had received a letter from a block-maker, who had served his time with the father of the Premier, Sir R. Peel.—(Cheers.) The writer stated that in 1835-36 and 37, when food was cheap their calico printers were in full employment, and earned from I/: to I/. ss. a week, but now the average was not above 3s. ed. or 4s. a week, and that not above one-third of tho time was employed, and this was a trade in which no machinery had been introduced. Tbe writer attributed all this misery to the accursed Corn-laws and other m onopo l y laws of the country.— (Loud cheering ) In the township of Haworth, which was not io'so desperate a state as some of the districts, there had u'ellj within the last two years, eight cotton factories totallY stopped and six working short time. The poor-rates hacheereased from 1,601/. in 183.5 to 3,767/. in 1842. They attrithited all the misery and wretchedness they were suffer ing to the 'atrocious' unjust, and cruel Corn.lavrs.—( Cheers. ) Somethieg must b e c i sme , state of things, or either rough or smooth, to remedy this something dreadful would follow. They should demand of the legQature to do the right. He was not a petitioner ; he was a remonstrant.—(Loud cheers.) He was not a beggar—(Cheers) —he only wanted his own— ( Cheers) —and not that which belonged to any one else—(Con tinued cheering)—and he never would rest satisfied while laws were, made for the protection of one class only to th e d etr i ment and robbery of the remaining part of the country.—(Loud cheers.) He had no objection to tell Sir Robert Peel that he would submit no longer to have his property ground under foot, and that what he bad g a ined by industry he would not h ave taken from hiss by robbery.—( Loud cheers.) Mr. THO3IPSON said that Mr. R . R. R. . M oore, of Manch es t er , was charged to present to the meeting a n e port thing had fallenort from Bolton. The Rev. Mr. FERGUSON said that i n from Mr. Bury which he would not like to n g f o p f e o a rt c h e a to nd the a public. lie (Mr. Fergusson) was a man Christian Minister, and Mr. Bury had said they must lift ft their me hands; Now this could mean nothing but physical frc hoped this was not meant. Mr. BURY rose amidst loud cheers and said the last speaker was a preacher of the Gospel, he (Mr. Bury) had no o bjection to tell the m th a t h e h a d b een o ne too. He was as much a man of Peace as any man living. What be meant was that they must show anattitude of determination. He did not mean lifting his hand. in the sense that: Mr. Ferguson supposed. What he meant by lifting their hand was to show that have their rights they would._(Cheers.) Mr. R. R. .sieoir.e. of Manchester, then addressed the meeting. He Said, they had beard a great deal of over-pro duction in this country. They were told that the great mis chief which they were suffering under was caused by this— too much clothes for the people to wear—too much manufac tures. Now he had in his hand a very extraordinary reply to t hi s cry o f over produetion. He had a shirt which had been worn by a man in Boltorefor five years. It was patched and mended in all direction. Now, if there was over-production in the country, it was very extraordinary that a man should be -oblige let ter s a coarse cotton shirt for five years. He would an account of the condition of the man, read a giving and.the state of his family generally:— The history of this shirt is as,follow s La.st week, June 29, oq . dola it3 wa s see the state 1842, 'De., Hodgkin, of L . The Arst hoilse he en of some of the poor families in o ton. f Hulme-street- quilt , Wed .was that -Of Joba • ° Tled- weaver, but now out of employment; his wife was repairing the collar of this shirt, She was a person of delicate and rather interesting exterior. The hOttie appeared cleanly; on her fifteen months' old, which she was suckling, alleging, that though it was time it should be weaned, she did not like that it should begin to partake any of that scanty por tion of food which the rest of the family , required." He had known such instances himself. He had visited within the last six weeks twenty families, and in many instances he found the mother suckling her baby, and the child was actually starving at its mother's breast. " The husband being absent she said that their family consisted of her husband and self, with four children. That only one of the family, one of the daughters, was in work, that she was a power-loom weaver and earned 3s. 6d. per week, and this sum, together with ls. 6d. which her husband had earned with jobbing, making 55., was all they had to live upon. Her bosom becoming exposed whilst suck ling the child, it was obvious that she had no linen upon herself, and on the inquiry being put, she stated that she had net now for several weeks possessed a chemise that she could put on. Inquiries have since been made by a neighbour, touching the circumstances of this family, and the case is fully borne out—the person who undertook the inquiry observing, that ' there are people worse off than these.' It is deserving of observation that the shirt sent herewith has been in wear these five years by the father of a family ; that the smother is without linen ; that their principal subsistence comes from the earnings of a daughter, who is working at power-looms for a manufacturer. of shirtings ; that that manu facturer has frequently had, and probably now has, his ware house crammed full of shirtings and other goods, for which he has no sale. And yet there are persons found, even within the observation of these melancholy circumstances, who audaciously allege that the sufferings of these people arise from over-production.'—(Cries of, " Hear, hear. ') Over production—the only over-production was that of goods. —( Cheers.) There was an over production of meddling with the trade and commerce of the country.—(Cheers.) No warehouse in the country would be full, nor a loom unworked in the kingdom, if they were not bound by the laws which kept the food of the world from the starving people of England.— (C.eers.) Was it to be wondered at that the warehouses were full in this country. How could the people buy shirts ; how could this poor man do it? All his earnings went to buy bread. America was not allowed to give the people food for the shirting they made. The law makers were not obliged to go ragged. They sold bread, and would as long as there were people to buy. They rolled in purple and fine linen, while the people are star ving. He(Mr. M.) was glad the question had been asked with re spect to physical force. They wanted no physical force—they wanted no such thing. Of all weaknesses dreamt of, physical force was the most absurd. What they must do must be to withdraw their support from an unjust Government. The strength of the Government lies in their physical force. They (the delegates) had been 'charged with exciting the people. .'they had said that Sir Robert Peel had had the power to give the people food, and he bad brought forth nothing. If that was exciting the people, then it was the duty of every Chris tian and human being to do so. It would be criminal not to do so. The physical force of the Government lay in the Horse-Guards and the police; but the people were becoming enlightened on the subject, and they would be no longer led by the Government. Mr. Thompson had submitted a plan to the meeting. He (Mr. Moore) wished to see the burden of carrying the Corn-law thrown upon the people.—(Cheers.) They must not say, " Why did not the Parliament do it ?" They must not say. Why did not the Corn-law League do it ?" The people themselves must do it. They must with. draw their support from the Government. They could not go on if the people refused to use taxed articles.—(Cheers.) For himself, for the last five months, he had drank nothing but milk and spring water; and at his breakfast he took his cup of water with pleasure, in the hope of some day seeing Peel the First Lord of an empty Treasury. If he were so, he would give up his post directly. They were bound to obey the law, but they could obey it in their own way; they were bound to pay the taxes; there were two ways of paying a letter, either by stamping it or paying the postage. Let the law take its course, and let the goods be seized. Let them do the same thing with respect to the In come-tax, that revenue introduced to prop up monopoly. It was said that there would have been an equivalent on the re duction on the duty in the paltry articles in the tariff; but this was a mere pretence. The Government intended to do nothing—they had done nothing—and now added to the other taxes they had an Income-tax, which was to support laws that were injuring the trade of the country, and disgracing the coun try abroad. They must pay the Income-tax in the least agree • able way to the Governmeat possible.—(Loud cheers. ) lie liked keeping within the law, and it was per fectly legal to say let your goods be seized.—(Cheers.) — In Ireland, when cattle were seized for tithes, it was common for several thousand people to assemble for the purpose of watching the sale, and frequently no person could be found to bid. He knew that the people of this country were not suffi ciently unanimous to allow of a similar plan being pursued, but the re were other plans which might be successfully adopted. The meeting had probably heard of John Hoskins, the Birmingham blacksmith and the great teetotaller.—( Hear, hear.) John having had some chairs seized for Church. rates, got five or six of his shop - mates to attend the sale. When the chairs were put up to auction, some one bid three pence for them. " Oh," said John, " they are worth more than that; I will give five shillings for them." Some one then offered ten pounds, and this was followed up by successive bidoings of 201., 301., 401., and 501., and this went on till at last the bidding stood at 1,000/. John told the auctioneer that if he knocked them down at that price, he should insist upon the difference, and the result was that the chairs were restored to him, and the Church-rate people had to pay the auctioneer 201. or 30/. for his work.—( Great laughter.) Now, the very same thing might be done with respect to the income-tax and the assessed taxes, and if they did not stop the supplies by such means, the fault would rest with those who refused to adopt that course. These were measures which would ac complish their purpose, if they had only courage, perseverance, and. fearlessness enough so to act. He would not occupy the time of the meeting at much greater length, but he wished to state one or two facts. He had in one day visited twenty-five families in Salford, and of that number of families the great majority had been four-and twenty hours without food of any kind. On that day they wererelieved from the workhouse. In one instance he, on going into a cellar, found a man lying on shavings, with not a, morsel of covering. Ile had been lying on those shavings for two months, afflicted with dropsy and disease of the chest. Shortly after he 'died in the workhouse, and on his deathbed he told him (Mr. Moore) that on one occasion he bad been thirty-six hours without a morsel of food passing his lips. —(Hear. ) If the Go vernment could be brought into the cellars and garrets of the back lanes of Manchester; if they could see men week after week growing paler, and thinner, and weaker from starvation; if they could see children with marks of disease brought on by slow starvation, they would not dare to hurry on a motion of supply. The first question would be how were the starving and dying people to be supplied with feud?—(Hear, hear. ) The land was full of abundance. All that stood between the perishing people and plenty was the inhuman and tyrannical laws of the country, supported by a few for their own profit. It was their duty to take from the dominant party the power to support those unjust laws, and to inquire each one of himself what could be done to withdraw from that inhuman party the power to starve their fellow-men and to trample upon the law of God. Mr. G. THOMPSON said an Hon. Member of the House of Commons had very often referred to the use of what he was pleased to call devil's dust in the manufacture of cotton. There (pointing to the shirt lying upon the , table, and referred to by the preceding speaker), there they had a satis factory and occular refutation of the Hon. Member's charge against the manufacturers. He confessed that he believed that the only devil's dust was that which Mr. and others were in the habit of throwing into the eyes of the community, in order that they might not see clearly the cause of the people's distress, but imagine that to be a remedy which they proposed, but which was in fact no remedy at all. The mere circumstance of that shirt having been worn for five years was proof positive that all the cotton made in Lancashire was mot so plentifully_ supplied as had been stated.—( H ear , h ear . ) Mr. WINKS, of Leicester, wished to call the attention of the meeting to the present circumstances of the town of Leicester. 'f hat county was partly a manufacturing and partly an agricul tural county. The staple produce is manufactures was gloves and hosiery. The people had suffered greatly during the last winter. They had met by groups in the streets, and some sight disturbances occurred in consequence. Parties of half a-dozen men went from house to house, for the purpose of pro curing assistance. They came to his own shop, and when he told them that it was impossible that he could relieve all who adopted that method of applying for assistance, they said " We cannot help it, we have nothing to eat, our wives and children are in the same condition, and we must beg ;" and though a notice was i4sued by the Magistrates, stating that the practice was illegal, it was still continued. When the Queen's letter ar rive d in Leicester it was not favourably received ; but a public meeting was held in the Town-hall, and a sum was raised which was sufficient to afford relief for four or five weeks. The CHAIRMAN (interrupting the speaker)—l have just received the following answer from Downing-street to the ap plication made, that Sir Robert Peel would receive the De puties to hear what they had to state : " Sir,—l am desired by Sir Robert 'Peel to inform you, that hew ill see the parties to whom your letter of the 6th of July refers in Downing-street. en Saturday next, at half-past eleven o'clock." Mr. WINKS then proceeded with his address. The working classes of Leicester were becoming reckless of consequences ; they were in the habit of saying that they were worse off than the inmates of gaols, or of union work-houses. He was per suaded that if he could produce to the meeting a number of the ill .clad, half-starved stocking knitters, or frame-work knitters of Leicester, they would present such a spectacle as could hardly be gathered from any other place. The operations of the town ship of Hinckley especially were reduced to a state of wretched ness for which it would perhaps be impossible to find a parallel. He would only say a few words in addition with respect to the remedy for the evils under which the country suffered. They had just heard the announcement that the Premier would *grant them an interview. That was very kind of him no doubt ; but he (Mr. Winks) for his part, expected nothing from the Right Hon. Baronet. It was his belief that they should net trust to premiers, nor to Parliaments, but to themselves.- -(Cheers.) Whatever might be the determination to which the Executive Committee might arrive, he was sure they would proceed with prudence, and that they would adhere to the resolution to which they might come. He would remind them, too, that they should hasten as much as possible the period at which they would arrive at their determination. The people were starving—nay, they were dying ; and they could not wait for a remedy for the evils under which they suffered. They should have relief sent to them as promptly and as efficiently as possible.—(Cheers.) The CHAIRMAN informed the meeting that the Executive Committee had come to a resolution to invite those Mem bers of Parliament who had voted, or paired off in favour of Mr. Villiers's motion, to a Conference with the Deputies, at Brown's Hotel, Palace-yard, at two o'clock on Friday. The meeting at the Crown and Anchor would take place as usual on that day from eleven o'clock till two. Mr. DICK, a deputy from Paisley, then proceeded to address the meeting. He believed it was very important that gentle man should point out, as suggested by the Chairman at the commencement of their meeting, the advantages which would be likely to result from a repeal of the Corn-laws. He believed that, if the Corn-laws were repealed to-morrow' a great increase of e m pl o y men t would immediately take place in'the borough of Paisley. He had just received a communication from a friend in Dundee, stating that if a repeal of the Corn-laws were to take place to morrow, the whole of the establishments in that town would he put immediately into operation.—( Hear, hear.) They knew that they could at once obtain flour from America, and flour was the very article which they stood in need of. The aristo cracy were said to be the authors of the evils under which the country laboured ; but surely those evils should in some mea sure be also traced to the middle classes, who allowed themselves to be bribed and bought, and to becom e the slaves of power. It was understood that they were now speaking w f :f he r was ias would m i remedies; v.arouo and kowever feeble might be those he should l s h u e g r g e st e lean them in the hands o f the Com mittee to aispo s e of them mo nopoly they ;might thatsee gwoaosda. very Th ee wide vi we l , they rd p . s kinds of monopoly; but the giant one was the monopoly t of legislation. A practical scheme for destroying that would be the thing to relieve them . There w ere three con.. vent ional crimes on the statute• book, which seemed to be over looked ; these were the crimes of treason, sedition, and blas phemy. He would tell them what his practice for twenty years had been with respect to them. He had for.t.wenty years come to the determination, that no man charged before him, as a juryman, with treason, or sedition, or blasphemy , - should be convicted. So long as the middle classes were put forward by the higher classes to do their dirty work and convict men of r these crimes, so lo ng wou ld t h e power o f th e ari s t ocracy , con ' tripe. When any one was charged with these crimes let the middle classes inquire into the nature of the case, and riot con vict for them ; they would then inspire the aristocracy with terror. Though the middle classes complained of mono poly, they were themselves the monopolists of legisla tion. Let them declare openly for the Charter—let them put down selfishness among themselves, and by this means a union would be established between the middle and working classes, which would obtain for them that moral force which would alone have influence on the aristocracy. The petitions of the middle classes might be well written, beautifullyyecorded on paper but what was the result of them when they were presented? When they should also be signed by the stiff fingers, which spoke of men with strong arms, accustomed to hard blows, then they should have a mural force which would tell on the aristocracy. THOMAS CLEW (Deputy from Hinckley) said he was a stocking-maker, and his constituents wished him, it he had the opportunity, to offer a few words on the state of Hinckley. He had been connected with it for forty-two years. They went on in prosperity till 1814, when the Corn Bill was introduced, and ho was one of those walked from Liverpool to Nottingham, when the roads were placarded with " No Corn Bill;" in fact, he might say that he was a Corn-law Re' ealer, before there was any Corn-law at all. It had been prophesied by a large Tory ma nufacturer, that the moment the Corn-Bill was a law, the sun of commercial prosperity in Hinckley would set ; and as he had prophesied, so it proved. Trade had been falling off for five and twenty years, and for the last three or for years, the state of things had been awful beyond description. With respect to the means of alleviating the present distress, he thought that unanimity of effort and perseverance ought to mark all their exertions. They should never flag in their agi tation against the system of oppression which clogged the pro gress of free trade. Agitation had annihilated the Corporation and Test Act—had given Emancipation to the blacks. Agita tion had enabled that great and good man Daniel O'Connell to emancipate his Catholic countrymen. Ile hoped that the Lord would take the heart of Sir It. Peel into his hand, and remould and fashion it. He could show him, if he came to Hinckley, such scenes as he never witnessed in his life, and he believed that, unless he had the heart of a hnissary, or was as stupid as a Bishop—(Tre mendous cheering)—that his heart would be touched. He had visited houses in Hinckley, and the poor children had come round him crying, and hoping he had brought salvation. He had been sent to the Conference by his employers to show the Conference the state of the country. There was not one in Hinckley but was under distraint. All were in the deepest dis tress. He hoped soon to see these laws abolished, when the rich and poor could live together in peace.—( Cheers. ) Mr. BLUDWORTH, of Leicester, had been working with the last speaker for the last twenty-six years, fighting the battles of the poor, and had once nearly been transported, and twice in prison. A working man had said to him, " You know that the middle classes are not prepared to meet us." Was that the case then?—(Cries of " No, no.") The working men said, if the Corn-laws were repealed, what security had they, as the middle classes only wanted those laws abolished, and then they would desert the poor.—(No, no.) He thanked them for that " No " in the name of the working people of Leicester. He had asked the manufacturers in his neighbourhood if they were prepared to give up their luxuries, and they said " No." He asked them if they would refuse to pay the Income-tax, and they said "No." He (Mr. Blurl worth) had never ;paid a Church-rate, and he never would.— ( Cheers.) There were 100 persons in Leicester living upon Is. 6d. a-week. They only worked two days in the week. A man had met him in the street, and asked for charity; he refused, for he conceived that charity was only enslaving the minds of the poor. He ad vised the unemployed to go to the unions in a body, and demand their rights rather than ask for charity. He did not believe a repeal of the Corn-laws would give them all they wanted. He was not only an Anti-Corn-law man, not only a Universal Suffrage man, but a Universal Rights man.—( Cheers. ) If they wished the assistance of the working classes, they must let them see that they care for their rights—that the mis'dle classes wished to give them their rights.—( Cheers. ) At a meeting the other day in Leicester not three middle class gentlemen had attended. if Mr. Vincent were to go down and call a meeting he would have 3,000 people assembled round him. Why ? Because the people believed that he was desirous of gaining for them their rights.—( Cheers. ) The CHAIRMAN rose to order. He fully agreed with the speaker in his views on the Suffrage question, but they were not met there to discuss that question, and therefore, as a point of order, he must request the speaker to confine his observations to the question before the meeting.' Mr. BLUDWORTL/ would bow to the decision of the Chair man. In Leicester there had been upwards of 5,000 unem ployed persons applying for relief. The class immediately above the working class was nearly' exhausted, and unless something was soon done, they would also be in a state of des titution. Mr. BARTON, of Leicester, thought his worthy colleague must have made a slip of the tongue when he said the middle classes in Leicester were wanting in sympathy to the working classes. He (Mr. Barton) at once repudiated the statement. Mr. BLUDWORTIi had said that such was the feeling of the working classes. Mr. BARTON considered such a feeling a most groundless one. He hoped the middle and working classes would henceforth unite in an effective opposition to the aristocracy of this country. —( Hear, hear.) • The meeting then adjourned until eleven o'clock to-morrow. ELECTION COMMITTEE. (THIS DAY.) SOUTHAMPTON. The Committee met at one o'clock; the Hon. J. S. WoRT• LILY in the Chair. Richard Andrews was called and examined—ls a coach maker, living in Southampton. Voted at the last election for Messrs. Hutchins and Alangles. Is an active partisan of theirs. Was not a member of any of the Whig Committees. Had com munications with them. Had no communications respecting money with the Committees. Knows nothing of colourmen and messengers. On one occasion he got 101. to pay 20 men. He gave the money to Zimmerman. He (Zimmerman) was not a voter. Cannot recollect who gave him the money. There were entertainments given during the election; they were given freely on both sides during the canvass. He attended some of them. There was an entertainment given at the Royal Yacht Hotel on the Queen's birthday, or some other joyful occasion. That was the first time an entertainment was given. Messrs. Hutchins and Mangles were present. Those who were present paid for their tickets. They were generally voters. Does not believe that on former occasions they paid for their tickets. Has no doubt but extensive corruption prevailed at the last election; it is his belief. A person of the name of Woodward, a tenant of the town-crier, told him that he was sued for rent for voting for the Liberal candidates. Wit ness paid 21/. for him. Believes that if the Legislature does not take means the same practices will prevail at the ri,xt election. 'Thinks that eighty or ninety votes might have received direct bribes. Between 200 and 300 might have re ceived direct and indirect bribes. His party had more than 600 promises. Does not think persons break their promises un less they have sovereign reasons.—( Laughter.) To Lord BARRINGTON—Thinks that if chairmen and co lourmen were put down it would tend to do away with corrup tion. Thinks that 2501. would be sufficient to cover the legal expenses of each candidate. No person at present had any business to come to Southampton without having plenty of money. To the COMMITTEE—Saw Mr. 'Abrahams on Friday ar Saturday last at Southampton. Is ready to swear he never told Mr. Abrahams he was asked by Mr. Baker to state what was false. Saw Wren's book in Southampton after the late Election Committee. He told Mr. Abrahams that he had seen his sig nature to a bribe. Abrahams answered and said—" Oh, I know what you mean, that pencil mark in Wren's book." Abrahams did net deny the mark was his. When he saw Abrahams on Saturday last, he told him that he should mention the conversation he had with him re. specting the signature, and then Abrahams said " Very well, I will go up and declare it is not my signature." Sir. Joseph Lankester was next called—Was one of the per sons who drew cheques on the Liberal side. Does not know of bribes being given on the Liberal side. Messengers were paid on the Liberal side. There were no colourmen on that side. They had no procession. Chairmen and colourmen were appointed, but as they were not the winning party they were not paid; their names are in the Committee books. These books are in the possession of the agents, Messrs. Sharpe and Harrison. Many of the messengers and clerks were voters. There were from 25 to 30 houses open on their side. They were open for the purpose of refreshment from the beginning of the canvass to the issuing of the writ. Many persons in his ward, that of St. Mary's, said to him, " We are anxious to vote tor your party, but we are offered so much by the opposite party that we cannot refuse it." In consequence of that, he engaged the houses. Many persons notwithstanding voted against them. Had a knowledge of the previous election in Southampton. In 1830 there were two candidates, Pen lees, Liberal ; and Hay, Tory. The expenses of Mr. Penlees were between 4,0001. and 5,000/, those of Mr. Hay, as ad mitted by him to Mr. Hearn himself, were 1,000/.—( Laughter.) In 1831 there were three candidates, Sir C. Williams, Liberal ; and Messrs. Dutton anti Hay, Tories. The expenses of Sir C. Williams were only 400/. The Tories were sucessful. In 183 4 Adderley and Penless were the Liberals, Hay and Meanly were the Tories. The expenses of Mr. Adderlcy were 4831. of Mr. Peulees between 5001. and 600/. The Liberals engaged 180 colourmen at that election. Mr. Adderly war successful, and Mr. Peulces was seated on petition ; does not know what the expenses of the Conservatives were ; the colourmen were paid IL, the price was since raised. In 1835, Sir J. Easthope and Mr. Bingham were the Liberal candidates, Messrs. Dalton and Hay were the Conservative candidates. Sir J. Easthope ore that occasion paid 1,0001. into - Adderly's bank, he (Sir John Easthope) received back a cheque amount-- ing to 180/. ; he told witness it was an an unexpected thing, and he thought he should have to pay 500/. more. Mr. Binghams paid nothing. There were no colourmen employed on that occasion. The Conservatives were successful. In 1837 Lord Duncan and Lord C. Paget were the Liberal can didates. The system of treating began to be revived at this election on the Liberal side. It was never extinct on the Con servative side.--( Laughter.) Public.houses were opened. The expenses of the candidates were 2,000/. Heard that the expenses on the Conservative side were 3,000/. Mr. Dutton and Mr. Martyn were the Conservatives. Lord Duncan and Sir. Dutton were elected. In 1841 the Liberal Candidates were Messrs. Hutchins and Mangles ; Lord Bruce and Mr. Martyn the Conservative candidates The whole expenses. on the Liberal side were 3,000/. or thereabouts. The most of it was spent in treating. The books would tell what the exact amount was. There was a further sum of 2,500/. paid into the Hampshire Bank by Sir J. Guest. The rea son of that was as follows :—When M r . H utchins was canvassing persons said to him " You will never succeed, you have got no money ;" upon which Mr. H utc hi ns said to him (witness) " What do you think of my paying in 9 ,500/. into th can't etian sy that h a ireßa w hk e "-- ;have it will be sure to g e t a b road ; and then they got no money. '_(Great l aug h ter.) afrots of m the of money hribery with r egar d was spent i n Witness advised him to do so. Not a farthing of it was spen t on the election ; it was all paid back In cheques to Srr J. Gu es t. t t o r e t T o h t o e i n p i g . publicans r b . C c SHELL. that The e another g'.e ad voters who go there ; believes there w as tp some direct bribery on the Whig side; it was not much. To Mr. Vim-. Those who received bribes , he believed to be the lower classes of voters; the artisans were the most in dependent voters ; he knows one who refused so much as 301. does not like to tell his name; he voted for the Liberals. Mr. SHIEL—You ought to have no objection to give his name in connection with such honourable conduct. _ Witness—His name is James Lawrence, a working jeweller, living in College-street; knows who offered him the bribe ; does not like to tell his name. (The person's name was handed in to the Committee.) To Mr. VESEY-It is difficult to say whether it would be wise to extend the franchise to a still lower class of vc,ters than those who took bribes. Knows many poor voters who would nut fake bribes. To .Mr. SHlEL—Thinks that if treating and chairing were put A stop to it would tend to put down those corrupt practices which prevailed in Southampton. Thinks if they are not put a stop to the same scenes would occur again. The respectable persons on both sides were desirous they should be put a stop to. Thinks the feeling in Southampton is decidedly liberal. Mr. SAHEL—Then the candidates one one side must be decidedly liberaL—( Laughter.) . To Lord B.Aaaltivirox.,The Liberal side had a majority of . promises. Abrahams told him. that -be did not consider his Party secure till Saturday morning. The Committee then adjourned till 41eien h'cloatio-rtoriOiv CRICKET MATCH.-THIS DAY.) THE MARYLEBONE CLUB v. THE MANCHES TER CLUB. This contest was commenced to-day at the enclosure of Lord's Ground. The weather being unpropitious, the attendance of spectators was but limited. There were, however, a good sprinkling of fashionables, including a number of well-known amateurs. The Manchester eleven comprise very fine prayers ; and the Maryle• bone Club, in order to compete with them, with anything like success, found it necessary to bring some of their best men into the field. At the commencement of the match the betting was in favour of the Marylebone Gentlemen, but the game did not ex cite much speculation. The heavy fall of rain which came down at a few minutes betore two o'clock, put an end for a time to the play, and on the score being cast up, it was found that the Manchester Gentlemen (who having won the toss, went in first) had scored but 35 runs with a loss of seven wickets. It is expected that the match will not terminate before to-morrow evening. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. (THIS EVENING.) HOUSE OF LORDS. Their Lordships met at the usual hour. A messenger from the House of Commons brought up the Sudbury Disfranchisem , nt Bill, the Mines and Col lieries Bill, and several other Bills, which were each read a first time. Load WHARNCLIFFE laid upon the table the Re port of the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland. The Tithe Commutation Bill passed through Com mittee. The Order of the Day for the third reading of the Liverpool Improvement Bill having been moved, The Duke of RICHMOND moved that the clauses which proposed that the public-houses in Liverpool should be closed at certain hours on Sunday, in the same way as in London, should be expunged from the Bill. He did not think that clauses of such a nature should be introduced into a private Bill like the present. The Bishop of SALISBURY supported the clauses. He believed they had the approval of the whole of the respectable inhabitants of Liverpool. He believed that the Bill would be an efficient remedy for these evils complained of by the promoters of the Bill, and he hoped their Lordships could not, therefore, assent to the amendment of the Noble Duke. _ _ =The Bishop of NORWICH expressed his decided ap probabtion of the Bill as it then•stoosl, for the reasons so ably assigned . by the Rev. Prelate. lie hoped the Noble Duke would withdraw his opposition. Lord SKELMERSDALE said, that connected as he was with the neighbourhood of Liverpool, he could not remain silent in the matter underdiscussion. He should certainly feel it his duty to support the Bill in itA present form. He could not concur in what had fallen from the Noble Duke. This Bill concerned the peace and com fort of upwards of 300,000 inhabitants.. He should cer tainly support the third reading of the Bill. The House then divided on the amendment— Contents l5 Non-Contents 4B Majority against the amendment —33 On our return to the gallery, we found The Duke of RICHMOND addressed the House. He hoped that the Magistrates who were for shutting up the public-houses on a Sunday would not pay their labourers at twelve o'clock on a Saturday night, and in a public-house.—(Hear, hear.) He should now move that the clause which prevented publicans seving boys under the age of sixteen years, should be rejected. Lord CAMPBELL said the clause ran—" boys appa rently under sixteen years of age."—(Laughter.) If the Noble Duke did not divide the House he (Lord Camp bell) should do so. The Earl ot: WICKLOW considered that the clause was the best in the Bill. A Bill had been introduced into the House of Commons, when the Noble and Learned Lord was a Member of that House, in which was a clause precisely of a similar nature, and which the Noble and Learned Lord must have been aware of. Lord CAMPBELL—I was not aware of it then. The Earl of WICKLOW—If the Noble Lord was not the framer of the Bill, it must certainly 'Ave come under his notice. Lord SKELMERSDALE supported the clause. Lord CAMPBELL replied. The House then divided, when there appeared— For the clause (Contents) 3B Against it (Non-contents) 32 Majority against the clause —6 The Bill was then read a third time and passed. MINES AND COLLIERIES BILL. Lord HATHERTON presented a petition from Staf fordshire (as w•e understoA) against the Mines and Col lieries Bill. Lord CAMPBELL presented a petition with a similar prayer. . _ BANKRUPTCY BILL. The LORD CHANCELLOR gave notice that he wauld move the second reading of the Bankruptcy Bill on Tuesday. Lord CO - TTENIIAM said that he should also move the second reading of a Bill of his slating to Bankrupts. Also the second reading of two Bills relative to the Local Courts And Lunatics and Insolvents. THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JUTAT 7, 1842. WALES. r pity from time t.) time of expressing his opinion upon that subject, end none of the opinions he then expressed did he desire now to depart from. Upon the subject of the Savings Banks he also expressed his opinion. He said, then, that he did not think it expedient to raise money without the consent of Parliament for those loans ; but he stated at the same time what he was anxious now to state. that that proceeding of the Government had no effect whatever upon the security of the money which was invested in the Savings Banks.— (Hear, hear.) Now the Hon. Gentleman said that it was necessary that every body should understand bow that proceeding had taken place. Why it was men tioned every successive year by every one in the House who discussed the question ; it was well know to every one, and so far from it having been clandestinely ar ranged or unknown to every Hon. Member, the Honourable Member must have been aware of it, as would appear from the speech he made in the year 1838. 'Tice Huth Gentleman's resolution had no reference to the particular point of Government raising money to supply the deficiencies of the revenue through the me dium of savings banks. It went to give power to savings banks to vest money, in the funded and un funded debt to the amount of twenty millions, and hsd no reference to the particular point. In 1838, he did not move any resolution con demnatory of the practice, but five . years after he moves for a Committee of Inquiry upon the subject.. He did not see any need of inquiry, and he would, therefore, resist the motion of the Bon. Gentleman. A discretion was vested in the Commissioners of the National Debt, of putting money in the funded or unfunded debt. and what could be more unwise than to have restrained them from exercising that discretion. There was no inten tion of concealment, and it not appearing to hi m that therewas anything requiring inquiry, he should oppose the motion. Mr. BARING said that he agreed with the Right Honourable Gentleman that an inquiry like the pre sent was alwayS attended with great public incon venience. That inconvenience, however, might be disregarded if the enquiry was necessary ; but he would tell the Honourabl Gentleman that there was not the slightest degree of concealment • upon the subject. The returns were on the table, and if he required the further returns, he (Mr. B.) would second him in a motion for that object. If that Honourable Gentleman wished to follow up his proceedings, the course he ought to adopt was to move for an amend ment of the Jamod which existed under the Act of Par liament. With regard to the transactions itself, and the resolution of the Hon, Member, - he would tell him that the resolution could not pass because the figures were wrong. He compared two transactions which were of a different character. One was that by which the un funded debt was charged, not the funded debt, but a new debt was created thereby.. The Hon. Gentleman had stated, in his resolution, that five millions of the debt was paid, but he was mistaken ; the whole amount was only two . millions. - He thought it was rather too bad to charge the late Go vernment with being secret in their acts. Every person who knew anything of the manner in which the Govern ment was carried on, weuld know that, during the ex istence of the late Government, year after year their proceedings were laid on, the table of the House. Mr. WILLIAMS thought the only way of dealing with the matter was to bring in a Bill to remove the power of dealing With these Savings' Banks from the hands of those who now exercised it, consisting as they did of only three persons, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Governor and Deputy-Governor of the Bank of England. These parties had the power of converting all sums invested in Exchequer Bills, and reinvesting theM as they pleased. They could make use of this vast power as they liked. He had given notice of a Bill this Session to do away this power, but so many important matters had come before the House, that he saw there was no chance of cam ing it through the House during the session. But if the Hon. Member for Montrose did not bring in a 'Bill in the early part of next session, he pledged himself to do so. After a few words from Mr. ESCOTT, Mr. F. BARING said he was anxious to state that he condemned the practice of adding to the Debt, but not that of enabling the Exchequer to pay off dm deficiency. Mr. HUME replied, He said he did not wish to sug gest anything that would not receive general approbation. What he wished to destroy was the power of adding to the permanent debt of the country, without the consent of the House of Commons. It was giving t much power to the Ministers: He had no doubt that the Right Hon. Baronet had his piccadillies.—(Roars of laughter, occasioned by the manner in which the Hon. Member pronounced the word.) The system was wrong—then why object to the remedy ? Where there was so much delicacy, all could not be right. He should take the sense of the House on the subject. The House then divided. The numbers were— For the motion Against it Majority Mr. Sergeant MURPHY moved, "That this House will, on Wednesday, the 13;h day of this instant, July, resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to take into consideration the. Act 17 and 18, Car. 2, c. 7; intituled an Act for provision of Ministers in corporate towns, and making the church of St Andrews in the suburbs of the city of Dublin presentative for . ever, " with a view to the repeal of so much thereof as relates to the provision of minis ters in cities and corporate towns in Ireland." .The Act to, which his motion referred was an Act passed sn 1675. It was an 'Act passed for the purpose of providing payment for ministers of separate towns and cities in Ireland. When they considered the period when this Act was ori ginally introduced as the law of Ireland, there were peculiar circumstances which render d that law then not a peculiar grievance, because, according •to the state of the population of the then corporate towns, they were doing no more by levying this tax than making those who were the predominant sect pay for the support of those whose ministry they follow. (LEFT SPEAKING.) garded as of some importance, as being another link towards the connexion of Sydney with Moreton Bay. The land on the banks is do,oriblA as being very fine. abounding with pine and cedar. CAMBRIDGE INSTALLATION.—CAMBRIDGE, JULY 6. --The Chancellor being a member of St, John's College, a splendid fete chanipetre was given by the Masters and Fellows of that Society in honour of the occasion. The preparations were of the most magnificent de s cription, and had long been in progess. Professor Walmsly's concert at the Senate House followed, and we regret to say was very thinly attended. In the evening there was a grand display of fireworks in the grounds of Jesus College, where thousands of the townspeople congregated and remained till eleven o'clock. This evening the grand ball in the Fitzwilliam Museum takes place, which will, no doubt, be thronged, as the place of sale of tickets is actually crowded with applicants. This morning the sacred oratorio of the Messiah was performed at St. Mary's Church to a most numerous and brilliant audience. 'I he throne, the pit and galleries were quite filled, but there wag plenty of room in the side aisles. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, the Cuke of Cleveland, and many of the nobility occupied places on the throne. The music of the Messiah is so well known that any description is unnecessary. Miss Birch sustained her high reputation, and in the air, " Come unto him all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and he shall give you rest," she was more brilliant than at any former period during these concerts. The choruses, too, were executed with great minuteness. The concert did not end until three o'clock. This evening the Master of Trinity gives a grand banquet in the fine hall of that College. SALMON.—The take of salmon along the coast has during the last and present week been considerable. At Ballantrae, on Tuesday, the number caught was much greater than on any former occasion this season. A great part of them, principally grilses, were brought to our market yesterday, and sold freely—trout, 4d. ; grilse, sd. ; and salmon, 8 1 / d. per lb. The stake nets at Burnfoet, Monkton, Prestwick, and Doon foot, have had each a fair share of salmon during the above period, although in the former part of the season few fish were caught. These sell—trout, sd. ; grilse, 7d. ; salmon, Is. per b.—Ayr Advertiser. SHEEP-FARMING IN NEW SOUTH ANTI-CORN-LAW CONFERENCE. The Delegates re-assembled in the evening, at Seven o'Clock. Colonel Tiloatesots was proposed, and took the Chair. He said they were met that night in prosecution of the only means which were left them, in endeavouring to forward the grand ob ject of their industry and their efforts. They had one thing left them, which was libertyof speech ; they came therefore to speak fairly, and he hoped all of them, wether there were many or whether there were f e w, wou ld not neglect to make use of that instrument on that occasion. Either there was distress, or there was no distress in the country. Was there any man that could deny, or could doubt, that there was distress? It was not their making, and it was not until they had concentrated all the facts they possessed together that they could remove it. They were then ready, as far as lay in their power, to relieve that distress. There were many opposed to them from the imperfect information they possessed, and who would otherwise be their friends. They questioned whether we ought to take the weakest point for the direction of the operations, or whether they should diverge to the strongest, where they would meet with the greatest resistance. He remembered once being in one of the colonies, where the trade was much in heavy wood. Because the wood would not swim, they tied lighter matter upon it. Now, because the Corn-law question was net difficult, they ought to attach it to that which was difficult. If there was distress, it would find•its way sooner or later to its deliverance. It had been recommended that the manufacturers should shut up their manufactories for two months. There might be a time for such an operation, but that time was not now. Their enemies would not press them to it. Public irritation would go on increasing, and the time would come when Go vernment would take away the source of public irritation, and they would find that they (the Delegates) were right after all. —( Cheers.) He wonld intreat them to go on as they had begun accumulating evidence to lay before the country. Mr. DICKSON, of Adlington, in Lancashire, then addressed the meeting. Not having made the attempt of speaking in such a place before, he hoped that any little mistake he might make would be kindly looked over. He would endeavour to tell the truth in as homely language as he could. He came from a place in Lancashire where the principal trade was calico printing. This trade had been declining for the last twelve months in particular. All parties in that township were agreed as to the distress. The clergyman of the parish, who was a friend of Sir Robert Peel's Government, had convened a meeting in the vestry-room, and a local subscription was raised to the amount of 4951., and they received 295/., from the Manu facturing Relief Committee, in King William-street. That was expended in meal, clothes, and partly ha labour. Twenty-four gentlemen had been appointed to investigate the distress, and he was one. They gave no notice of their intention of visting the houses, and out of fifty-six houses they only found what could be called four blankets. He had himself called on persons, and he put the cases down as he visited them. In one family he found that they received ss. 10d. a week for the last twelve weeks, and ss. from the parish. In another family of six, the husband had been ill for five years. The children got 4s. a week. His children frequently lived on nettles for days together. In another case he found that the family had not tasted meat during the present year, and the children were sent out begging. In another family they had had but 151bs. of flour in the house for 15 weeks. In another case the family had lived for a week upon a calf which had died, and had been thrown on a dunghill. The Hon. Delegate then proceeded, at some length, to state cases showing the hardship the working I 'lasses were suffering in ne township from which he was a Delegate, and concluded by expressing a hope that something would be done to put an end to the misery that existed in the manufacturing districts. A DEPUTY was convinced, unless they buckled on their armour, and were determined to fight, they would stand no chance. The middle classes had the power to turn out the present Prime Minister, and if they did not do so it was their own fault. His tariff 'Nos a complete humbug, and, in fact, he did not care what he said, as long as he held his situation. Nobody liked him ; the Standard did not like him ; the Post did not like him ; and he was sure their beloved. Queen hated him.—(Cheers.) They were now engaged in a praiseworthy work, and in that work he trusted they would persevere (Cheers)—and by that means ahuw her Majesty's Ministers they were not to be trifled with. he Rev. Mr. POYNDER, of Bilston, thought the best course for them to consider would be to discuss the measure they ought to adopt, and not to enter into details of the distress of the country. Mr. SQUIRE thought they ought to enter into some broad and comprehensive measure to relieve the distress that existed in the country. Whether that was to be accomplished by me morializing the Queen or attending Sir Robert Peel, was the question to be decided. Mr. MoottE said that the Executive Committee would sit this evening and to-morrow, and all they wished was, that any gentleman that had any effective measures to propose would bring them forward and they would meet the greatest atention.—( Hear, hear.) Sir Robert Peel and the Duke of Sussex had been written to, but no answer having been received, nothing further could be done. He thought it would be injudicious to stifle the tales of distress that might be brought forward. The Rev. Mr. POYNDER was only anxious to know what the abject was the meeting had in view ? A short discussion then took place as to the course they should adopt as to the present discussion, when, after a few words from Mr. SMITH, The Rev. Mr. LOWE, of Forfar, rose to address the meeting. He merely rose to lay a few facts before the meeting which had come to his knowledge. In the neighbourhood with which he was connected men were working at 6s. 6d. a week wages when they were in full work. The distress of that part could not be described. At this small amount of wages some of them worked only half the week and some less. In 1838 the Among the miscellaneous extracts from the Aus tralian Journals copied into those of India, we find the Calcutta Englishman quoting an extraordinary narra tive relative to the peril attending that much talked of lucrative undertaking, sheep-farming in the interior of New South Wales. The writer of the letter which is here alluded to is described as a settler at Portland Bay, and the truth of what he says respecting the fact of the people of England entertaining a most erroneous idea of the occupation of sheep-farming cannot be refuted. Instead of it being "the easiest and most delightful life beneath the sun, with the certainty of making a fortune," scarcely a living can now be obtained from it, and the reason is, that the flocks are increasing so prodigiously fast, that there is not sufficient demand to keep them within saleable compass. Hence the great fall in the value of sheep, and the desperate state of the agriculturists. On the subject of the safety of the country, the accounts appear to be most discouraging. The frequent murder of sheep-farmers and their assistants while tending their flocks in the tracks of the interior, the only place s i n w hi c h th ere seems to be nourishment sufficient to support the herds, is alluded to as illustrative of the caution re quired on the part of persons who may feel inclined to embark in this description of occupation ; while the cannibalism by which these slaughters are accom panied are not the least part of the revolting details which cause the mind to sicken in the contemplation of them. To fit a party for . the hardy requisites of sheep farming, which appears to be the mode of life which most of the agriculturists who leave our shores are inclined to follow, there must, it is stated, be no lack of moral courage as well as physical force to encounter the many obstacles which present them selves, either in the shape of long wanderings after the necessary pasturage and water, or the uncertainty of how long the " run " may satisfy the flocks under inspection even when it is discovered. The picture of such a state of things is pretty well portrayed in the following extract of the letter of the writer before alluded to, and which will, doubtless, produce in the minds of those who may have in contemplation such a migration the idea of the necessity of some further investigation before they determine upon such ad venturous pursuits. After stating the particulars attending the death of Mr. Morton and his servant, which is considered as only one of the many in the catalogue of massacres committed by the natives, he proceeds : "As the Government have not taken the slightest step in this affair, it is not to be wondered at if the settlers themselves take ample vengeance on the blacks, and which they most assuredly will do. This affair was preceded by the murder of a shepherd at a station on the same river, but for which upwards of twenty of them got shot, and since then several attempts have been made ; indeed the other night there were five or six blacks at my sheepfold, when it was only a few yards from my house ; fortunately the dogs prevented them doing any mischief. But the other night I had a terrible alarm from them. I was coming up from the bay with a dray load of provisions, and only one man and my self ; we had done our day's journey, made our camp, and had supper, and were then' distant' . copimon day and a half's journey from home, when about eight o'clock in the evening we heard a must terrific yell from a large body of them about a quarter of a mile distant. Luckily John II- and two men on their way to the bay had just joined us, so we all got our fi re - arms i n readiness, expecting to be attacked every moment. As, however, they did not come down to us then, ws thought our only chance of safety was to' yoke the bullocks up again, and . quietly steal awa y, as our three allies were going in a contrary direction ; fortunately, it was a brilliant, moonlight night, and we reached the first station, distant about twenty miles, in nine hours. When I reached home I had been upwards of twenty-six hours on icy legs, most of the time walking, with only two hours' rest. I never was so knocked up in my life. You may imagine this state of things increases our anxiety very much ; we dare not now go ten yards from the house us it .out fire arms. The ether day a black fellow, without any wea pon at all, rushed at two men and nearly mastered them, breaking a double-barrelled gun, about three miles from my house ; and one day, whilst I was at the bay, my wife was going to take a walk with h er ser vant, when, ab ou t o n e hundr e d yards frora the house, they saw a native, stark naked, standing; in the creek watching them; she went back to call her brother, when the fellow made off:" same man earned lls. 6d., and now with five ur six children - he got hut 6s. 6d., even if he succeeded in wo , king from one week's end to the other. But this was not all; in 1836 the lls. 6d. would have purchased '24 quartern loaves; in 1842, 6s. 6d. would only purchase eleven quartern loaves, so that the man and his family must necessarily be more than half-starved if he worked the whole week. 'flie Rev. Gentleman was here interrupted by a Delegate, who said that he considered that that meeting was not called fir the purpose of hearing further details of the distress, but to adopt means to prevent It. A DELEGATE said that although the last speaker might have supped full of horrors the aristocracy had riot. The details were not for the information of that meeting alone, bur for the whole country.—(Cheers.) They wanted to stir up London ; by only so doing could they stir up the country.—( Cheers. ) After a short consultation it was resolved that Mr. Lowe should proceed. The Rev. Mr. LOWE resumed—He was attempting to show the distressed state of the manufacturing districts, owing to the want of employment, low wages, and high prises of trod. In Forfar, in 1836 eight hundred bullocks were slain. In 1t342 only four hundred were killed. Here then did they see the cause of disease spreading in the manufaeturing districts, leading numbers to premature graves. In 1836 there had been 90 committals for trial in Forfar ; in 1842 there were 202 for trial.—( Hear.) The moral character of the people was fast sinking, and he would illustrate it by reference to two facts. In his neighbourhood a house had been broken into, and although there were valuables in the house of plate and linen, they emptied a linen bag, and then filled the bag with flour, and that was all they took. Another house was entered, and the only articles they took were some oat cakes. This was a speci men of the progress downwards in the morals of the people, caused by the class legislation they were met to abolish. With respect to the depopulation of the place, no less than 40 families had been turned into the street in one week. A poor woman had been rescued from self-destruction. She had attempted to destroy herself, as her furniture wag about to be seized, but she said they should never take her furniture as‘she would die first. This was the downward progress of demorali zation caused by the accursed Corn-laws.—( Cheers.) The poor-rates of Forfar were double what they were a few years ago. He would read a statement which he had received from Forfar signed by soveralinfluential persons, and by two operatives. The late 4 news . from LOndon noticed by the Sydney pliers is the destruction by fire of the 'lower. The • new discovery of a river called the Richmond, about 50 miles to the northward of Clarence, was re- " STATE OF THE POPULATION OF FORFAR. " The linen manufacturers, who are the employers of three fonrths of our population, are feeling their busineas so depressed that they had begun to discharge hands altogether, while nearly all those who are kept on are but partially employed. The manufacturers are not to blame for this state of things ; they have continued working until their warehouses are com pletely filled with cloth, for which no market can be found. " The weavers are in a most deplorable state ; while num bers are without employment, and the major part only partially employed, their distress can be better conceived than de scribed. For a number of years back their wages have been so low, that when in full employment a sufficiency of the bare ne cessaries of life could not be procured ; and now when em• ployment has failed, their food, from being deficient in quan tity, has so deteriorated in quality, that diseases are engen dered, that ultimately will carry large numbers to the grave. The moral character of the people is fast sinking under such a state of things. Cases of theft in articles of provision are be coming frequent from places where articles of small bulk and considerable value are left untouched. " 'Winders are a class that are suffering severely; the loss of employment among the weavers has reduced them to a state of actual starvation, and as they are generally aged persons who cannot earn a subsistence by any other means, their state is lamentable, and unless an alteration take place before the inclement season of the year sets in, it is to be feared that many of them will fall victims to hunger and cold. " Every other trade in the town is an equal state of depression ; for masons there is at present no employment either in the town or neighbourhood. Wrights are in the same state, while of shoemakers, tailors, &c., not a third of the usual number are employed. " Property of every description is fast losing its value ; house property, at the present time, is unsaleable. A larger number of houses is unlet than ever was known in the town before. One large square (Walls) has been nearly untenanted, and the doors and windows of the empty houses blocked up. " Poor-rates since last year have been doub;ed in amount.; and the only class of workers who get relief from that source are the winders—a fearful proof of the intensity of the distress. " From the short time allowed, it has been impossible to go into statistical details regarding the number of unemployed, partially employed, and the amount of wages earned. We may, however, say that total want of employment, and consequent starvation, is staring every operative in the face ; and avid, in the course of a few weeks, assn edly overtake the is hole mass, if prospects do not brighten, as it impossible for manufacturers to struggle much longer than they have done." He would also read another statement, together with a letter , he had received on the subject ~,~ _ - - " STATE OF TRADE, WAGES, &C., IN MONTROSE, ASCV t :. TAINED BY PERSONAL INVESTIGATION. , " Montrose, f o r th e s e s o me y ears p as t, and until now , ° ls . not been subjected to depression of trade, and want of 0 1 °Pi c l: aient, in tne same rate as the surrounding towns in the saw- ounty, hut has continued to enjoy such stability as the I b ; -ence of bankruptcie s o f i ts p r i nc i pa l merc h an t s and-those* b t •.-mployed the greatest number of individuals, was at l ess partly calculated to afford. And although at present such an amount of destitution proportionally cannot be exhibited when ,ompared with other places, yet, when compared with foment ,ears, it presents a tale of lowness of wagesand want of emplors , nent, which evidently shows that it also is sharer to a large en",,, tent in the general depression. " Its staple trade is, like the rest of the towns in Forfarshire",• flax spinning and linen weaving. Those employed at the sr:f ning, including foremen, &c., of the various departmei' ts " the mills, have last week got notice of a reduction 0e; „ ten per cent. off their wages , to be carried into effeet,:i in a few days. One flax spinning mill, which affor d ", employment to eighty persons, has been standing sL t° 7 - , gether for the last month. It is anticipated that should Ftl,. -. continue to exact the new duties on the importation int° 1 r..... country of linens and linen yarns, that not fewer than film' , 300 to 600 persona would thereby be thrown out of emPlel;• ment, as tl.ree of our principal mills have been Spinning & Un - entirely for a considerable tithe past for that market. .i t i , "In the weaving there are at present about 01 d - idle looms in the town, and about seventy weavers I n g n : others thereby ; employed. Men employed in 'AIL& fabrics which require a considerable degree of Orel; and skill, can earn, by working twelve hours a day, 0 0 ' 4 i v a week, exclusive of deductions. Women and boys, genefski.., employed at inferior descriptions of work, can earn, by"*,,? ing, twelve hours a day, 4s. a week, exclusive of deductlr;c Wrights are also suffering severely at present. In tire, easFor.t the master wrights, who generally employed about ninety ,1 0 4 neymen, ali are paid off but twenty-six. Ship carpentersn4 two eases; being the principal ship builders in the town ;'olrogn nine, in one case, of journeymen formerly employed, is. tie receiving receiving work, and in the other case, the • most 'of ~,x. men are to be discharged in a few weeks. ' : jot , " Masons almost entirely idle, there being , no ` - s s Ldd contracted for at present, but one small house, ner any 1ft 0 .177i0 of any. • -, ,:''-., ~, " Sawyers all unemployed. ~ ni A " The shipping in a miserable state of depression, tilt° , ,iy only sinking money; and they contemplate, in a nirrabl? ' cases, laying up their vessels, as, in the one case, they, s , their loss, but in the other they do not. A great nu.. . ~. seamen idle. Employed about the shore, about 70 menial' iog on an average 7d. a day. Also above 100 carters err'- 5 half-work. Discharged, two days ago, about 60 labouroSB,,,sn 6 ployed at draining, &c., in the neighbourhood of Montioffe " Shopkeepers universally complaining, antfoeveral-'nftisr:d shops empty. The pawns filling rapidly, and, in sonlere provision shopkeepers receiving articles of apparel, deposmy, I F their owners in pledge to procere a meal. " Montrose, July 1, 1642." ell s . `°Kerriemuie, in. l y... 0 5..-i,_ en l p a o " My dear Sir,—Having learned that you_ had beet' gated by the Anti-Corn-law Association of Forfar to attend meeting to be held in London on the sth of July, Itna', l 2° unable, from various causes, to send a delegate from this P I have been instructed respectfully to request you to represet distressed condition of the generality of our operatives Pty ,> ferenee. In the expectation that you will feel disposed t° the cede to their wishes, I beg to submit for your infonnatifflt , following particulars :—According to the information,jo„l nisiied by several respectable individuate who had been apnor,... e l to canvass the different quarters of town, it appears that,, • early part of this week the number of weavers unemploY,,: i ' 4 the town and immediate neighbourhood was between - file k i t ei six hundred, and it is likely that the numbers will, in: a ct s i 4 time, he considerably augmented, as several manufa yo,l* have intimated their intention of discharging an additlie number of their workmen. If to this numb•T is added wifst i t e r the greatest part of whom are out of employment, it rivars• - • be stated that at least one-sixth of the population.conntAo with manufactures are out of employment ; and of the genet o l;lo it may be said they are but partially employed. Wages foti,l common fabrics are 6s. or 6s. 6d., which will, on an avers occupy a week in weaving; and out of this small sum 11 °" - tio rent and other necessary expenses have to be paid. -otving t bn g the very depres-ed condition to which many are subjeCtedi_An, poor-rates are double to what they were in 1840, when tnel.`,`,74 first introduced ; it is this year Is. 3d. per pound, and itwill fo l B short of meeting the demand. Since the abolition of the V kitchen, which had to be abandoned for want of funds, sevena l !:, o have been mentioned of extreme destitution ; some have be :, - 1 0 ported on good authority, to /save been for several ;dal' without food, and others have, it •is asserted, been ro° lo Tan to the painful necessity of subsisting upon refuse of wheat, A'!"'" 0 bu st use. commonly called third flour, a species of (nod unfit for b°, ; ; .1 ,1 use. Such, Sir, are some of the affecting statements stnj ij have to be transmitted from this quarter, which I Ilene 1., , i i ,i will feel disposed to make a proper use of at the CordereneetiVi " Wishing that you and the otherfriends of justice ane i ...,11 . ,r, manity, may be successful in your patriotic exertions, . " I remain, your obedient Servant, 0 8 0 ' "CHARLES DOIG, S ecr etarY•44: 4 He would not detain the meeting further. It was time ttsent: remedy was passed. and he hoped that they would net ."`', London until they had roused the metropolis en the sUbjee;be)?- Mr. SMITH said he had some few statements to Mite P bif meeting. Twenty-six families of 162 individuals living i ll „ e i i i neighbourhood, in Lancashire, were living on Is. I lAti• r ii ; head. Sixty families, containing 372 souls, were livrog_ . : r i• Is. lid. per head. Sixty-five families, of 414 persons, wig. living on Is. lid. per head ; and eighty-two families - of ; ..b.• persons, were living on 84d. per head. The work in his neTon. bourhood was by the hand-loom, and a man working fout°l4: hours a day obtained 3s. 6d. a week at the lowest worlf•Te'• ss. Bd. at the highest. He knew a firm which had given on ,. of closing their manufactory, whereby 400 persons vfou:os4. thrown out of employment. One of these men had been r k e t en same house 41 years, and he now earned 6s. 6d. a•week• P 7.00 was another who had been in the same house 27 yestl*ol. where he used to get 6s. 6d. he oni,v now got 6d. ',: iv i ltmen had to work three times as mud s ES they used to w " keep themselves alive. If there was an a/tension of te o aft 110 1 they would not have to work so much, and there wolii,ffii4 more people employed. They thought there was *resp e 7,o7 this. They had no confidence in the proposed measurer!, 7A Government. Government. The reduction in the duty on squirtel . s .0; would not revive trade.—( Laughter.) The reduction JN• l i p,8 01 „ duty on articles in druggists' shops would not restore ~Sf. 19 They w.,nted something more substantial. They ',eBn.e. i 0 good remedy. It was no use to say don't use exciseible.ifti c 'd The poor people could not use tea, or coffee, or any exii. ; Al article, arid yet things were still the same. Teetotalist' 44 fa: , rapidly progressing, but it was doing so by mein' Jpi (Laughter and cheers.) With respect to the Iticonie. os . 4 they waited a little longer before they collected it, therS oo o24 be none to collect in his neighbourhood. Mr. • had, at their last meeting in February, • told '''. 94 what his profits were. He showed them -0 01 ' Or profits were little or nothing, and they well less now. Many of the manufacturers had not sold a , ' r4 :4 piece this year. Slany of the manufacturers had only; :i yil one market this year, and that was on the Bth of FePr:rr it oi sow, if they had free trade their warehouses would be 'c f i ' 0 at. once. • If they could but clear the warehouses, that ,j i) help them. In his part of the country they were no *screp* „ o they did not approve of fighting. War had been a log s , abroad, and they did not want to have it at home. , 1 0r , not like cutting people's throats—they had a better . 0 113 ii They went at once for universal suffrage.—(Cheers.")'k•ngen 3 went for the whole measure. The aristocracy would ref, them part, so they would lay their hands on the - sch° ,' /00 (Loud cheers.) i hey would go up the steps one byol 3 ln, ~,elf, they were not allowed, and so they would step at one° .00 4 0' top. They were for the extension of the suffragtf . ; 50 10,0 man said to him when he came away. „ t nial t ' before these blessings come, we shall be dead. Do sod io tt 0 :,,4 we shall last to see them come ? "—( Laughter .) They s (OA ~; come, and he hoped that such was the determinati.n , 4 , E •e.', Delegates.—( Cheers.) They must all go for the whels'',olo, sure. They were sent there by the people; their seats 1 1011 12 4., bought like those in the House of Commons. They repre s 4por ' larger constituencies ; constituents, whose all lay in theft P'.9 4 '.' i l'• who lived by their industry and labour.—(Cheersii lii(;:p i ' t them then all be united, and go for the whole measure-- - sP sal Suffr..ge.—( Cheers.) A tl: 0 1 r; The Rev. Mr. LUDWORTII, of Leicester, confirrint bo 4l 3. statements of the last speaker. As long as they had `' o'4! and State in union, they would have persons to persec ut e . 'I d , tt i oo t, poor. dd Mr. RIDGWAY, of the Staffordshire Potteries, then a mit' i , the meeting. He had no harrowing tale to unfold, but. * ; lieved he had such a tale to bring forward as wouldlnir % ldi righteous cause. Up to the present period the Pattern isr been a prosperous district ; but at the present moment itnl i ii ' otherwise. Distress had reached them, and he was sinte,! i 4W" something was not done, it would increase to a degree nte. s di,s,,o' and never before suffered in that district. He trusted tn••tlis'.. present meeting would tell the country before they pantet t bet'. j . their distress was such that it must be alleviatesl,. andt b tbt Majesty's Ministers had no excuse for not inquiring i nto . ..4. 1 V,, distress. It was the last-time the Delegates would meet'`', justice was not done them, some other course must be ad°ll,"l, ( Hear, hear .) The aristocracy ought to be told that the t oe.; were determined to take care of their own rights, I cs etel% invading the rights of others.—(Cheers.) All that tbet ru iefr'i was,A clear stage and no favour, and that they were de". :.:,,, to have.—( Cheers. ) - b e ~ • • bad , A A A DELEGATE asked whether any communication --• ~,, received from Sir R. Peel? - % rl• The SECRETARY stated that there had not. „ls lr• ' l s'''. The meeting then adjourned till to-day at *Wen e" - - vi - ,i, _ / , , ~ . .A. ,1108118! , r ,t ' eti :;' i i i' IMPERIAL PARLIAMEN'i'" _ . HOUSE OF COMMONS, July COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.-ADJ0 1 11,?,4 DEBATE on the DISTRESS of the COL 4-; s i )ghi (Continued from our Third Edition of last aig h o gar w o Mr. AL DAM placed no gr ea t re li anc e on th e 0 1/q . antes of relief to the wooll en or an y o th e r trs l " 6 , old 4 derived from commercial treaties. The wooliel. c ier a 1 1 0 was at this moment suffering very much fr0 n2 ,..01', 0 ,0 competition. The Hon. Member went into a s',. s r of the distress which prevailed during the - Y e l,: c troird 1535 to the present time in the manufacturing,, - trar, o 4l of the North, which distr ess , h e conten d e d a frr" - bssf.,..sl in corn would have prevented. Whatever lotif ot ris opinion as to the operation of the Corn-:aws-11Pd; distress of the country, he thought the opening o fir, ports at the present moment was a distinct que 6ll :o that of the Corn-laws, and would be beneficia li ott S o gating the present distress. Such a measure v 4 : o o iSe".; l in his opinion, be prejudicial to the farmer, ohenZil would not operate so much in lessening the pric e " 1 .. bosrlo as in stimulating an increase of labour.—Ole g bo uldrtv The object of a foreign market was that it;, llo 4tr„,,A suscitate the home market.—(Hear, hear.) re an to . t 4 of distress in the country was such that 501 1 0 1 , 10L'10 was essential—(Hear, hear)—and he canc el t aistnr he had pointed at would do much to relieve In conclusion, the Hon. Member read a resolant' s 4w , ; is to at a meetine. in Leeds, setting forth the dist r " country, and the danger of allowing it to 01 20 c rirgi dJ Sir B. HALL brought under the atteritiP lt iOhi li ,dt House the state of the parish of Marylebnnlly.. 00 149 wealthy and popular parish, there was a ct : l7 ,l,ll l PUoi twentieth of the inhabitants receiving pargo l i : sc rior" 0 5 From a comparison of the price of corn in. t he f ,j years from 1834, with the number of paupers; l , l tea tliMf;iill year.;, he proved that pauperism had increaso com i. ; ,,;i_ifa x proportion to the increase in the price of The 10"110 corn and pauperism always wen t together. now presented most extraordinary afir e i 4 r osi( ret o portion of the wealth of the kingdom wai 003,11 in m 4.)/ in the metrt.t2olis ; it might be supposed °lnd sence of so much wealth the poor might . ._ .r: 1 4 11;,0 moot, yet the dltference in the parish of „ A,':•' 6 s,t4 o s from the great influx of wealth, was very slihl l , ( oi ejai il s moment there were no less than .one in evc bo o : .0, 10 00 ;0/ the population recei -* • diial relief. „ io .ht, i p .. .„i r o ring parochial meets were %%ell worthy the attention of thn .i " s ; Gentleman opposite. fie had taken the par. .4 4 1,7i4 it bone, because he would not be thought ~.rso"4 „ ,ri geration. - Ile had excluded the parishes. 7„loartp, and Pacldit.gton, because he would not be i t_ l ,, : j a w ilitir47 / 1 of exaggeration. He had taken the must "%Meth. 3 " in the met ro p o li s , Marylchone, the k 1 was the 11 ' greater part of the aristocracy dwelt. SUCK [LEFT SITTING.] '''• -' ,, •:Aft - HOUSE OF COMMONS::. , , The SPEAKER took the Chair at the • ual Mr. ConnALLY took the oaths and his seat for the county of 111ath, BREWOOD GRAMMAR SCIIOL ESTATE. This Bill was read a third time and pasS•ed. THE SUFFRAGE. Mr. ROEBUCK presented a petition from Devizes, praying for an enlatpment - of the Suffrage. • • • BRIBERY. The HON. MF.:lllltit presented two petitions from in dividuals at Brightbn, stating that much bribery and corruption prevailed at the last election for Brighton, and praying • that the matter might be en quired into before the : Election Proceedings Committee. The Hon. Member then moved that the Election Pro ceedings Committee did have po we r t o r e port to th e House from time to time, which was agreed to. POOR LAW AMENDMENT ACT. Mr. T. DUNCOMBE presented a petition from the Guardians of the Earingwold Union against the Poor law Amendment Act. RURAL POLICE. ___ Mr. GRIMSDITCH presented a petition from Bolton, ,signed by 4,800 rate-payers against the introduction of police into that toys. Mr. ROEBUCK presented a petition from a public meeting, held at CLeltenham, complaining of certain proceedings before the magistrates of that town con nected with a Mr. Hollyoak. He (Mr Roebuck) should take the opportunity of putting a question to the Secre tary of the Home Department on the subject of their proceedings. MERCHANT SEAMEN'S FUND. Mr. AGLIONBY presen ed a petition from the masters and seamen of merchant vessels belonging to the port of London, praying. that means might be taken to remedy the manner in which the funds had been disposed of. IRISH FISHERIES' BILL. Me. JOHN O'CONNELL presented a petition from Kilkenny, praying that the new Irish Fishery Bill sbould contain a provision against Scotch wares. CAPTAIN WARNER'S INVENTION. Sir FRANCIS BURDETT gave notice of his inten tion, on going into Committee of Supply, to move for a Committee to inquire into Mr. Warner's invention, and the circumstances connected with it BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS. Mr. REDIIEAD YORKE gave notice of his inten tion to move for returns of all expenses at the elections for Members of Parliament in the months of June and July, 1841, with the items of charges made to each can didate by the returning officer, stating what had been paid and what was payable by them. RAJA - OF SATTARAII. Mr. HUME gave notice of his intention, on an early day, to Inove for certain returns relative to the Raja of Sattarah. SUDBURY ELECTION. Mr. M. J. O'CONNELL, in the absence of the Hon. Member for Dunkalt. gave notice that to-morrow he should move that no new writ should issue for Sudbury until the 3d of August. NATIONAL DEBT. Mr. HUME then brought forward his motion for . a Select Committee to inquire into the proceedings of the Commissioners for the reduction of the National Debt, the Commissioners for the management of Savings' Banks, and the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, with the monies of Savings' Banks in the year 1836, and 1841, both conclusive, by which under the Act 9, Geo. 4, cap. 92, entitled and Acf to amend and consolidate the laws relating to Savings' .Ba,nlcs, the amount of 5,395,669/. Three per Cent. Stock, had been added to the National Debt, without the previous knowledge or sanction of Parliament. The object of his motion was to inquire in what manner- the Chancellor of the Exchequer had obtained through the Savings Banks the means of funding four millions of cash. . On the question. being put, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he could see no reason whatever for acceding to the motion of the Hon. Member. The power of investing this money had been con f erre d by Act of Parliament. If the Hon. Member thought the law defective, the obvious and plain course was to propose an amendment of that law, which would take away the powerof what he complained. He could assure the Hon. Gentleman that since he had given notice of the motion which now stood for discus sion, he had received several intimations of the great anxiety which at present prevailed amongst the holders of the. Funds, and he was of opinion that this inquiry those p ersons w h o would tend materially to increase that anxiety, becausehad s mall sums in the Funds might be. induced rashly to withdraw them. He (the Chancellor o r th e E xc h eque r) could see no benefit that would aris e f rom t hi s i nqu i r y, and he should, therefore, y oppos e t h e motion. He was rea dy to give th e lion. Gentlem an an information he might require ; he was willing to discuss with him the propriety? (4' making an alteration in the A.ctof Parliament, if the Hon. Gentleman thought that an alteration was necessary; and he was ready to show that it was desirable to adhere to the Act as it now stood. But to open a Committee to the Hon. Gentle man—to gi ve hi m which he (th e C hancellor of t h e E x chequer) knew from power to examine int o ever y d e tail— . experience he was very anxious to indulge in—was a course which he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) thought the House would not act wisely in ac ceding to, and he, at all events, should think it his duty to do his best to prevent it being curled. The Hon. Gentleman had told them that there had been, during a certain number of years, a considerable excess of .exdenditure over .revenu& • Ott that point he agreed with the Hon. Gentleman, and no one can regret-the fact . mo.l:e.thgt hiMself. But he hid taken the opportn-