The Sun. — London, England, 1849-05-19 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS, May 18. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat upon the 'Wool sack at Five o'clock. The Marquis of HASTINGS presented a petition, praying for a repeal of the malt-tax. The Bishop of EXETER presented several petitions in favour of the Bill for the prevention of prostitution. The Earl of ST. GERMANS presented the report of the Select Committee on the Highways Bill. ROME. The Marquis of LANSIJOWNE, in answer to the question which had been put on a former occasion, re lating to the intervention of France, Austria, and Naples in tho affairs of Rome, had stated that no communication had been made by Austria and Naples. He had now to state that his Noble Friend the Secretary for Foreign Affairs had had made to him in the course of con versa- . tion a communication from the Austrian Minister, ?t the intention of his Government to interfere in the affairs of Rome, which communication was founded on a communication which the Minister had received from his Government. The Earl of ABERDEEN was happy to hear the explanation of the Noble Marquis, but he could not but observe that the Noble Marquis had on that occasion informed the House that no communication what ever had been made, but it should be recollected that the representation of the French Government was only verbal, which was held sufficient to satisfy that Government, whereas the communications made by the Austrian Government were frank, full, and explicit; and as the question of the Noble Baron had been printed, it was unjustifiable that the Noble Marquis should have been instructed to make the answer be had made. This was of a piece with the odious accusation against another power, which had been circulated through Europe for months, when the refutation of it was in the hands of those circulating the accusation. This was a part of that policy of hatred and passion which had al ready acted so injuriously on the interest s of this country. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was understood to say that the communication from the French Govern ment was in the nature of a formal communication, whereas such was not the nature of the Austrian corn munication. BANKRUPTCY. Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from cer tain trading firms who had petitioned against the Bank ruptcy Laws Amendment Bill, praying that no altera tion might. be made in the Bill which would prevent its passing into a law. ADJOURNMENT OF TIIE HOUSE. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE gave notice that on Friday next he should move the adjournment of the House for the Whitsuntide holidays. CANADA: Lord BROUGHAM gave notice that on Friday next he should call the attent!oa of the House to the dispatch o the Earl of Elgin. PETITIONS. Lord LYNDHURST presented a petition, signed by a considerable number of short-hand writers engaged in reportirig the proceedings of Parliament, praying that in the event of their Lordships determining upon having an official record of their proceedings, their claims might not be overlooked. NAVIGATION-LAWS. Lord STANLEY said that he carefully considered the proposed Bill for the repeal of the navigation laws, for the purpose of seeing what altera tions he could cr:nsent to in those laws, but he found that the Bill was founded upon a principle to which he could not consent, and, therefore, he should propose such amendments as would alter the whole character and principle of the Bill ; he should propose that all the wurds atter the word " That" should be omitted, and that certain words carrying out his views should be introduced instead of the words at present in the Bill. He proposed to maintain the principle of nut granting a British registry to a foreign ship, to maintain the coasting trade for British vesst?ls, and to uphold the priuciph, of the existing navigation-laws with some few exceptions. E-irl GREY hoped the Noble L)rd's amendments would di3tinctly set forth what was the state of the law which he wished maintained. Ater a few words from the 7tlarqnis of LANSDOWNE ar.d Lord STANLEY the subject dropped. The Bishop of OXFORD gave notice that ho should propcFe an amendment on Monday in the Committee on the Navigation Laws. DEBTS (SCOTLAND) BILL. The Earl of EGLINTON introduced a Bill to amend the law relating to the recovery of debts in Scotland. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY presented a peti tion from some individual praying for an amendment of the law of entail in Ireland. LAND IMPROVEMENT AND DRAINAGE (IRELAND) BILL The Marquis 'of LANSDOWNE moved the first reading of this Bill, which bad been brought up from. the Commons, and gave notice that on its second read ing, which he fixed for Monday, he should move that the standing orders be suspended. The Bill was cue to which he attached the greatest importance. It made advances to the landed proprietors for local works, and insured repayment of the advances so made. Hitherto the repayment of the advances made had not been at tended with any difficulty. There was still a wide scope for arterial drainage in Ireland, independently of the ne ce.bity which existed for completing the works which bad been already begun, lest by being left unfinished they should prove more injurious than beneficial. The Bill was then read a first time, and it was re solved that the standing orders should be suspended as to the future stages of this Bill. RATE-IN-AID. On the motion for the third reading of this Bill, Earl GLENGALL said as there had been a full dis cussion on that measure before, he did not intend to trespass on their Lordships' time at any great length. He certainly objected to the measure, because he did not think that 330,000/. could be raised in Ireland, conditioned as she was at present, by this sixpenny rate-in-aid, for the 13,000,000/. that have been generally represented as the rental of Ireland, does not amount to more than 9,000,0001., and consequently it was impossible that the 330,0001.tc0u1d be collected from that income. It should be known to their Lordships that this was not the only Measure touching the rating system in Ireland, for there was another proposed by the Government in another place, which would place the majority of unions in Ire land under an additional chilling rate. He considered that this latter Bill should be a part of the former measure, that is, of the rate•in-aid. Ile felt assured that 330,000/. would not answer to meet the distress of- the 21 or 23 bankrupt unions in Ireland, for if the distress and famine that prevailed in the three past years were to occur in 1849 he felt assured that thirteen of those unions would not only swallow up all the money callected last year for the relief of the dis tress, but would after a short time require more. He warned the Government against the general feeling pre vailing in Ulster against this measure, and apprehended that it was a dangerous measure, and might tend to the separation of the two countries. The people of Ulster had strong grounds for complaint, because they were not able to meet such an exorbitant tor, for instead of the 4s. or 6s. that had been stated to have been the maximum of the rate, be was authentically informed by a Noble Friend of his that in some unions it amounted to ss. 9J., and in many other unions to 6s. in the pound. He should also remark that there were many unions represented as solvent in the county Cork which were rated at from 9s. to 10s. and lls. per pound, and that these unions were not able to meet such a heavy tax, and he therefore contended that, on the authority of gentlemen whose opinions should be valued by their Lordships, the people of Ireland, after three years' famine, could riot and would not contribute this tax for the support of their poor. Ile thought it very curious fur Govern ment to propose to perform three miracles in the condi tion of Ireland, which miracles he felt assured, would break down. The first was the supposition that this rate in aid would support the twenty-three bankrupt unions, which he felt assured would not be the case.— (Hear, hear.) The second miracle was the advances of certain sums for the relief of Irish distress out of the Consolidated Fund, must be repaid through this mea sure. This too, he did not think could be done. The most extraordinary in his opinion e as, that the sums collected through this Bill, as shown by one of its clauses, was, that a part of it should go to aiding and misting emigration, for the purpose of remedying the evils arising from a superabundant population. lie, fir his pars, had no objection to any measure that would re-. lieve distress and assist emigration; but some other means should be derived, for he look upon this Bill as a perfect fallacy. He, therefore, wished that the Irish Member:, would press more strongly on the Government, and induce them to alter their unsound and prejudicial opinions on the sulject, and introduce some other mea sure, for he considered as there existed a political union between the two countries, so should there be also a fiscal union. The condition of t he Ir ish landed proprie tors should be also consulted, for most of them have not 'received their rents for the last three yea , r s in conse quence of their tenants pocketing the price of their produce and emigrating to America, which is now well known to be a very prevalent system in Ireland. Nor did he wonder that the Irish farmers should emigrate to America, as they do not now get half the price for their corn that they formerly got. When Sir Robert Peel introduced the repeal of the corn-laws, he Sir Robert Peel) said that his greatest apprehension of that mea sure would place Ireland in a dilemma, and words more true he (Earl Gengall) believed that the Right Honourable Baronet never spoke. He thought, considering the loss of the export trade in Ireland, that the Government had taken a most extraordinary view of the state of that country, particularly when the Poor-law Commissioners represented that the country was overtaxed. He certainly made some allow ance for the Government respecting this measure, pe cause he knew that they were severely presSed by the Manchester school to desist from giving any more grants to Ireland ; but the gentlemen of that school should have considered that Ireland had been at all times pre. viously t the last three years of famine an invaluable market for the sale of E ng li s h manu f ac t ures , f or ever y article of iron, from the steam engine to the nail, was brought to that country f iom E ng l an d. I t was ow i ng to the British legislature that that coun t r y was w ith out bee ow n manufactories. For from the days of Oliver Cromwell to the year 1782 there was a h eav y p ro hibi t i on imposed on the manufacturing trade of I re l an d. F rom t h e time of their setting foot in Ireland to the reign of Henry the Second, down to the reign of William the Thiid, their aim had been to invai:o unecruptilously the rights and privileges of the middle classes of that country, a n d to condsceto property without discrimination; and now they were going to root out the body of the landed aris tocracy by throwing their lands into the hands- of trium virs. Instead of excusing this spliation, and driving irem Ireland the 8,000 A ng lo-Norman proprieters, th e y ought, to know those men were their mainstay and the chief supporters of the Irish Protestant Church, and that they could not enforce this system of legislation against them without endangering their establishment in that , country, not to say the full sway of their authority.— (Hear, hear.) These were momentous considerations, and they were the more deserving of attention, since he believed the t the line of policy which gave rise to them was not that which Ireland required, or which was suited to her in her present condition. lie thought that a ju dicious system of emigration, and a better management of the Irish fisheries, so:oething similar to that which prevailed in the Scotch fisheries, would be far more Likely to bring about a better state of things in Ireland than the system upon which they now based their mea sures. The Noble Earl concluded by moving as in amendment, that the Bill be read a third time that day three me othe. Lord CREMORNE supported the Bill, and said that although the Noble Earl who had just addressed their Lordships had disapproved very strongly of the measure under discussion, he had not ventured to propose a sub stitute for it, as he thought he was bound to do, for there were only two alternatives before them, he apprehended, either they must pass this Bill, or allow tie_ usands of their countrymen to perish before the harvest. The rate in aid had this advantage, that it could be easily col lected and estimated, but how could they estimate either the amount of an income-tax or the inconvenience of col lecting it? Besides, he thought it would be but a poor satisfaction to a landowner to know that money paid by him, and intended to be applied to the relief of the poor, should go directly into the pockets of the tax-collector. For those reasons, he could not thing of adopting the view of the Noble Earl opposite, and considering the urgency of the distress, ho was quite disposed to hasten the progress of the Bill.—(Hear.) Earl DESART said he could not agree with the pro position broached by his Noble Friend opposite, who had just addressed the House, that in case any one of their Lordships thought the measure before him objec tionable, it was his duty to provide a substitute. He confessed, for one, that this was a measure which was by no means calculated to strike the mind as being fitted to the present circumstances of Ireland. Their Lord ships, he thought, should be unanimous in rejecticg it. It was a temporary relief instead of a permanent remedy for evils which went on continually increasing. After three years of unexampled famine, and after all the legislation they had been engaged in, whilst endeavour ing to provide a remedy for deeply:rooted mischief, they were called upon to pass another inadequate temporary measure, to meet a distress which was, if possible, greater than at first.—(Hear, hear.) Bat that was not all; the Bill they were to pass x proceeded upon prin ciples acknowledged by many to be utterly fallacious — it made the areas of taxation larger, and proclaimed to the people that they must pay for poverty, over the amount of which they had not the slightest control. Feeling thus upon the question, he believed it to be his duty to vote against the motion. The Earl of MOTJNTCASHEL said that, after hear- ing the evidence of a large number of witnesses, all o whom stated that in their opinion this measure would not be productive of benefit—shaving had no evidence offered on the other hand to support the contrary view of the question, it was with utter astonishment that he found the Government persisting in pushing forward a measure diametrically opposed to experience so acquired. The newspaper press of Ireland had been unanimous in condemning this line of conduct, and he challenged them to produce a precedent in this country or elsewhere, which could afford them the slightest justification. He had searched for them, and had found two instances of a similar policy adopted abroad, which had occasioned a complete failure of the object in view. The Pacha of Egypt imposed a land tax on the whole country, with the exception of a certain district, which he intended to benefit. The censectuence was, that not only did he fail in relieving the poor district, but he actually impo verished the rest of his dominions.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") The other instance was the levy of a heavy tax by the East India Company on a large tract of their territory. Is was soon found that the occupiers of a certain district of this land were unahle to pay the tax, and the company compelled the other part to make good the deficiency. The same result followed, and this was exactly whet they wished to de in Ireland. Money had become so scarce in Ireland that a " sovereign" was scarcely now to be seen in that country—(Laughter) — and even silver had disappeared to a great extent in it, so that there was not enough of currency to meet the wants of the people. How, then, was the rate in aid to bf , paid? The money was not there, and the rate payers, therefore, had not the means wherewith to meet the demands that would be made upon them. This want of money had put a stop to all employment, to all la bour; the lends were lying waste, and credit was gone. The progress of this state of thiugs would leave but two classes in the country—namely, a very few landlords and a great multitude of paupers. As to the rate in aid, it was too childish to be spoken of, unless in the ridicule of Punch, and he predicted that it would prove an utter—an entire failure. Lord STUART DE DECIES said, the question was, were the poor to be allowed to starve or not? The op ponents of the measure now before their Lordships had not shown that they had ant thing better to propose, and, therefore, having nothing better to propose, he thought the House were bound to support the measure proposed by her Majesty's Ministers.—(Hear, hear.) Some per sons had spoken of the substitution of an income-tax; but he thought they required a more convenient season to consider such a measure as that, in relation to the prevailing distress; and he contended that the measure now under their Lordships' consideration was calculated to impose a far lighter burden upon the resources of the rate-payers in Ireland thin an income tax, which was advocated by a Noble Earl of their Lordships' House (the Earl of Wicklow). It had been said, it this Bill should be thrown out, that it would cause the mortality of many thousands week after week. In that statement he entirely agreed; and he, for one, would not be a party to any such tearful responsibility. 7 —(Hear, hear.) The Eerl of WICKLOW assured their Lordships that be had never proposed to substitute an in come-tax for a rate in aid; but what he did propose, and what he did say was, that this most dangerous experi ment—this rate in aid—if they were to have a rate in aid at all, should be paid out of the combined revenues of the United Kingdom. They should not impose an income-tax for the benefit of the Irish poor alone, but if any persons in the United Kingdom should stand in need of the relief, then should a rate in aid be levied for their joint aid out of the revenues of the United King dom, and if such an impost were levied, it was quite clear that the Minister by whom it might be proposed, would not have the power to renew it, when the two years for which it might be proposed would expire. Suppose they had a Cobden for a Prime Minister, and a " Lord Roebuck " for a Finance Minister or Home Secretary—(Laughter)—suppose they had any such po pular Ministers in power—(Renewed laughter)—what guarantee haetthey that they would not, at the end of the two years, propose that the rate in aid be renewed ? fle thought, then, that for her Majesty's present Minis ters to say that the rate in aid would not be renewed at the end of two years was illusory, and he must, on all considerations, oppose the measure. Lord DE ROS opposed the Bill, and recommended Ministers to be cautious how they excited the anger and opposition of the inhabitants of the north of Ireland. The Earl of CARLISLE said, that after the length ened statement which through the indulgence of the House he had very recently made upon the subject now under the consideration of their Lordships—after hav ing within so short a time brought fully under their no tice the grounds upon which the Queen's Government thought it their duty to urge the adoption of the present measure, he felt it would not now be necessary for him to occupy much of their time or attention. He felt that the proposition to which he now asked their assent rested upon a basis so simple that now, at its last stage, very few observations from him would suffice to recommend this most indispensable measure to their Lordships' ac ceptance; and most especially he bad no wish to detain them with any observations as to the immediate and pressing necessity for coming to a decision on the merits of the Bill. With respect to 301330 of the objections urged against the Bill, founded upon the absolute necessity of its being ac companied by other measures, he must be al lowed to say that his Noble Friend the President of the Council distinctly stated his belief that the Bill now before them was only preliminary to other mea sures of a more extensive and searching character; it being the clear understanding that the duration and ope ration of the measure were to be strictly limited to the period assigned in the 13:11. It had been hinted at that his Noble Friend the President of the Council was not destined much longer to be a member of that Govern ment to which his presence now imparted both strength and ornament; but he trusted their Lordships would remember, in convention with that hint to his Noble Friend, that a similar announcement respecting the du ration of the measure ha I been made elsewhere by his Noble Friend at the head of the Government, no longer ago than last night. But then the terrible prospect had been held out to them of a total change in the Adminis tration of the country; and there had been shadowed out for their edification the sort of persons who might become their successors in the event of that change tak ing place which the Noble Lord believed to be within the range of possibility. Ile should not now stop to discuss the probabilities of such events or the consequences even of such an awful certainty—(Hear, hear)—but he would rather remind the House that it might be all very well for Members of that House and of the other to say that her Majesty's Government ought to go on further, as now, in issuing sums of money for the relief of pau perism Ireland without Parliament. in consent It might be very well for the people to saythat of thescruples which he and his colleagu es entertained u p on the subject of issuing money wit hout the consent of Parliament were mere constitutional twaddle. His colleagues in the House of Commons had already said enough to render it unnecessary for him to do more than to repeat his former declaration of opinion, that it would be incon sistent with the duty which the responsible advisers of the Crown owed to the country if they were to have ad vanced money under any other than a full understanding that the Bill now before the House was, with the least possible delay, to become the law of the land; and now, until it should become law, he did not think that the Go vernment could safely proceed a single step in the ad vances necessary for the poor of Ireland. For himself, he must be permitted to say, that although he should not consciously abandon a large number of his fellow-coun trymen to all the horrors of starvation, he did not see his way very c!early if the Bill now before their Lord ships were to be rejected. They all that evening heard the proposition made by a Noble Lord near him for the imposition of a property-tax—that proposition, as they could not fail to remember, was nut to be the establishment of a rate on income for the relief of the poor, but tl! e creation of an impost for the purpose of equalising the taxation of the two countries, and that thenceforward the provision for the Irish poor was to be derived from the Imperial Exchequer. Now, even ad mitting that all objections to the imposition of an in come-tax in Ireland under present circumstances could be got over, he would put it to the House to say whe ther, while' they were engaged with so many measures deeply affecting the interests of Ireland—the pour-law for example, and the transfer of landed property— , whether, when the other House of Parliament were ecn,idering the important subject of the tenure of land in that country, and found it scarcely possible to arrive at a satisfactory solution of that, he would ask them whether it would be wise to throw in such a bone of contention as now to propose for the first time the imposition of an income-tax in Ireland?—(Hear, hear.) As to coming to a decision now on the qeestion whether or not the measure before the House would be sufficient to meet and counteract the distress of the Irish people, he had only to say that such a result must de pend upon a great variety of circumstances—upon the potato harvest, for instance, and other means of supply ing food for the use of the people, and the efficacy of the Bill in preventing disease and diminishing the rate of mortality. The framers and promoters of the measure did not expect that by means of it any miraculous agency could be brought into operation, and he should feel no surprise even though all its probable results shoal fail to be realised. They produced the best measure that, under the circumstances, they could hope to carry, or hope, when enacted, to bring into beneficial operation. In that hope they proposed the Bill, and they pro• ceeded with it, earnestly desiring not to shut the door against what appeared to them the only method of relief. A Noble Lord had spoken to them that evening of famine in Egypt more recent than the times of the Pharoahs, when two districts of that country gave assistance to a third; but if the doctrine had then been carried out which the opponents of the Bill now demanded, the whole of the Ottoman empire would have been taxed for the relief of that single Egyptian province, because Egypt was held to be an integral portion of the Turkish dominions. In the midst of all the debates that they had heard upon the subject of the poor-law generally, and on the subject of out-door relief,—in the midst of the imputations cast sometime upcn landlords, sometimes upon priests, and doubtless at different times they all fell into many and great blunders; but in the present case, at least, there could be no doubt that every effort of legislation and Government seemed almost powerless— that the events taking place in Ireland seemed to de pend upon a higher agency and a more powerful con trol than that of man. As in " the tale of Troy divine," where the delineation of events, supposed to be superna tural, and related under the influence of a false religion, gave no imperfect picture of that which, under the in flnence of a true faith, men might impute even now to the immediate interference of an overruling Providence, so he might be permitted to say— " Non tibi Tyndaridis facies invisa Lacrenm, " Culpatusve Paris ; Divitm"— he used the reading of Dr. Bentley, almost as much in spired as the original— " Disfem, inclementia Diviim, " Has overtit opus, sternitqee a culmine Trojam.." It was not in the quality of the Irish soil, neither did it arise merely from the measures of legislation applied to that part of the United Kingdom, that the present dis tress and suffering arose. Doing full credit to the exer tions made by the landed proprietors of Ireland and by the other inhabitants of that country not actually reduced to pauperism, he at the same time could not avoid bring ing to remembrance the fact that 10,000,000/. had been granted by Parliament for the relief of the Irish ; that 1,500,0001. had been contributed by private benevolence, besides large sums obtained from British colonies and r and ist ia n even ity. f o r t a h m er f d a e re p i e g n n de n n o c u i n e t s r o is f s t b h e e y C on ro d w t n ne of Under such circumstances, ho cou ld not hel p askin g pale England,of Ct whether it ought to be a source of ill-will and hostility that the more favoured districts of Ireland should now be called upon to pay 6d. in the pound for the relief of those parts of the country in which the suffering was most intense, the more ezpecially when such contribu tion would not amount to above half a million in the course of two years; and when the purpose of it was to rescue their fellow-countrymen from famine, surely it was not too much to expect that the more favoured por tions would give their aid and simpathy to other and less fortunate districts.—(hoar, hear.) Earl FITZ WILLIAM observed that his Noble Friend, at least fur the present, objected to the proposition of an income-tax, but chose rather to impose a burden on the pevei ty than the property of Ireland. If the Noble Lord did not know the fact, others well knew, that amongst the ratepayers were many exceedingly poor men, so humble as to be on the very verge of requiring relief themselves. From such persons it was expected, by means of the Bill now before them, to exact a sum of 320,0001. It was unhappily the case that at the pre sent moment hundreds and thousands of persons were perishing in Ireland, notwithstanding the poor law, and he feared they would continue to perish, not withstanding the rate-in-aid. The c ffsct of the Bill would be to reduce all the unions of Ireland to one common level. He would not say whether the rate would be le. or 20s. in the pound, but, whatever might be the general rate necessary for maintaining the pauperism of Ireland, the effect of this Bill would be to bring all the unions to the same rate of payment. It was held out that the effect of this measure must be to throw all the unions of Ireland under the administration of vice-guar dians. Now he would admit that the substitution of vice guardians for ex officio and unpaid guardians had been in some cases beneficial, but at the same time he was of opinion that it would be a great misfortune to the ad• ministration of the poor-law if every portion of that ad ministration were thrown into the hands of paid guar dians. Ia the first place, it was in principle a very unconstitutional thing that two gentlemen not connected with the country should be sent down from Dublin by the Poor-law Commissioners to determine the amount of rate, and distraiu upon the persons who did not pay it. That was as unconstitutional a thing upon a small scale as to send over money without or contrary to the will of Parliament. They had heard of taxation and represen tation going together; but what was the history of the present Bill? Where was the representation? Out of 105 representatives of the Commons of Ireland in the Imperial Parliament, no less than SO voted against this , Bill. The measure was, therefore, one of taxation with out representation. But their Lordships were told they must either have this Bill or starvation in Ireland. There would be, unhappily, starvation in Ireland if this Bill should pass, but he supposed it would be said there would be more starvation if this Bill should be rejected. In Committee on the Irish Poor-law he had moved a resolution that it would be better to impose a property tax than a rate in aid, and a majority of the Committee voted for that resolution. Where two modes were sug gested for the purpose of relieving the distress, the odium of opposing the second alternative was much greater than that of opposing the first. Now, he op posed this Bill because there was another alternative, and some other alternative he should feel bound to sup port if the present Bill was thrown out. lie had always been favourable to the imposition of a property tax, but if the House had thrown out the proposal of a property-tax then it would become a very different question whether, under these circumstances, their Lord ships would he justified in opposing the rate in aid. But now there was another alternative, and if the House re jected the present Bill, he and Noble Lords who thought with him would be prepared to support that other alter native, to which he believed very little opposition would Le made. If the Government withdrew the present Bill a substitute would easily be found in a week which none of their Lordships would feel themselves justified in opposing. 'Their Lordships then divided, when there appeared : — For the third reading Against it Majority for the third reading Proxies were not called. The Bill was then read a third time. LEASEHOLD TENURE OF LANDS (IRELAND) BILL. On the motion to go into Committee on this Bill. Lord BEAUMONT objected to the Bill that it made no provision whatever to remunerate the owner for the loss of the reversion. After a few words from the Earl of MOUNT CASHELL, Lord MONTEAGLE suggested that if a party had forfeited his privilege of perpetual renewal by any breach of covenant, he ought not to be placed in the same position under this Bill as if he had retained this privilege. The courts of equity had in one or two cases decided that parties claiming under a lease of perpetual renewal had forfeited their right in consequence of com mittingwaste, and such leases ought not to be placed in p os ition as if they had performed their cove n Th e LORD CHANCELLOR said that the point sug thaentssame and agreements w ith the l e ss or. sug gested by the Noble Lord had been provided for by the e Bill, which declared that no owner should be re q uired to a grant where t he ri g ht of renewal was lost both at law and equity. This would provide for the event of under renewal his covenant , ha d forfeited it, because such a party being a lessee w ho, havin g a ri g ht to p er p etual p ers ons would not be entit led to demand the benefits of the Bill. The object o f the Bill was to convert what was a payment inconveni ent to all parties be . ach wouldparties into a F el-- manent and regular rent - cha r g e, w conve nient to all parties, while it inflicted injustice upon none. The Bill then went through Committee. And their Lordships adjourned. -- HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 18. The Speaker took the Chair a few minutes before Four o'clock. • LORDS' AMENDMENTS. The Lords' amendments to the North- Western Rail way (Extension of Lancaster Branch, Abandonment of William Lands Branch, New Road to Settle Station, Extension of Time for Purchase of Lands and Construc tion of Works) Bill were considered and agreed to. THIRD READINGS. _ The foilowing Bills were read a third time and passed : Black Sluice Drainage Acts Amendment (Amendment of Acts, Extension of Time for Completion of Works, Powers to levy and raise further Rates and Monies, to alter existing Rates and Tolls, and fur other Pur poses) Bill. Charing-cross Bridge (Amendments of Acts, Powers to alter authorised Approaches, &c.) Bill. Edinburgh and Glasge Railway, and Wilsontown Morningside, and Coltne s tailway Amalgamation York, Newcastle, and Berwick Railway (Barmcor and Alnmouth New Branch PE es, T &c.) Bill. ITION. Mr. BROTHERTON presented several petitions from Yorkshire against granting new licences to beer shops. Mr. MUNTZ presented a petition, agreed to at a public meeting at Birmingham, praying for universal suffrage, vote by ba llot, payment of - Members, annual Parliaments, electoral divisions, and abolition of property qualifications. Mr. ANDERSON presented a petition, signed by 10,000 inhabitants of Kirkwall against the Registi ation of Marriages, &c. (Scotland) Bill; also a petition com plaining of the operation of the Scotch poor-law. Mr. IfAGAN presented a petition from the Cork Union praying for some amendment of the poor-law. Sir R. H. INGLIS presented a petition from Maid stone against the ParliAmen'ary Oaths Bill. Mr. GLYN presented a petition against granting ad ditional licenses for beer. shops. Sir J. HOPE presented a petition against the Scotch Marriage Bill. Mr, 1:10DGSON presented a petition from railway THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 19, 1849, proprietors residing in Carlisle, complaining of the pre sent mode of assessing railways for the poor and church rates. Mr. B. DENISON presented a retition from the West Riding, complaining of the powers granted to county courts; also one against the extension of beer shops. Mr. CHRISTOPHER presented two petitions from Lincolnshire; one against the alteration of Parliamentary oaths, and the other in favour of international arbitration. Captain BERKELEY presented a petition from Gloucester, praying for the abolition of capital punish ment. Mr. AGLIONBY presented a petition from the copy holders of Ellenborough, in Cumberland, praying that the Bill for the compulsory enfranchisement of copyhold land might pass into a law. GROUP XIX. Prewen, and Mr. Brisco be allowed to Mr. WRIGHTSO N moved that Mr. Parker , Mr. he Committee on Group 19 of Opposed Private O v o s t h e c i r n n e t Bills provided they deliver in the prescribed forms of de claration. The motion, after a few observation from Mr. WIL SON PATTEN, was agreed to. NEW NORTH ROAD BILL. Mr. J. B. SMITH moved that the petition of inhabi tants, householders, and owners of property in the New North Road, Horton, and its vicinity, against the New North Road (Continuation Act) Bill, (deposited in the Private Bill-office on the,lsth instant), be referred to the Committee on the Bill; and that it be an instruction to the Committee to entertain the same, notwithstanding it was not deposited in the Private Bill-office within seven clear days after the second reading of the Bill, by reason of the illness of Mr. Hume, the Member to whom it was intrusted. —Agreed to. Mr. C. BRUCE begged to give notice that when the House went into Committee on the Bill for the Regis tration of Births, Deaths, and Marriages for Scotland, he would more an amendment to clause 37. ALLEGED BREACH OF PRIVILEGE.-TEIREAT ENED EXCLUSION OF STRANGERS FROM THE HOUSE. Mr. O 'CONNELL said he rose to call the attentionJOHoN of the House to a breach of its privi leges, which was co nnected w i t h t h e l ast di scuss i on in the House on the Parliamentary Oaths Bill. In consequence of his having seen in the limes newspaper an infringement of the rules of the House—(ob, oh) — in a report of the last discussion on the Bill which ho had mentioned, in which report not only were the rules of the House violated, but the oaths taken by Catholic Members were entirely omitted from that re port, whilst other oaths were giver. He should when the House went into Committe on the Parliamentary Oaths Bill tonight, notice whether strangers were present or not, and if he should ascertain that fact, he should draw the attention of the House to it.—(" Oh, oh," and laughter.) SENDING CONVICTS TO THE COLONIES. Sir W. MOLESWORTH said he wished to know whether it was the intention of the Government to send any more convicts to Van Diemen's Land; secondly,. whether there was any dispatch from the Governor of Van Diemen's Land as to whether or no there was any more room for convicts in that island? Mr. HAWES said in answer to that question he could give no pledge that the Government would cease to send convicts to Van Diemen's Land. With regard to any dispatch from the Governor of that colony as to whether there was any more room for convicts in that colony, he begg e d to state that no such dispatch had been received on which any interpretation of the kind could be put. ARBITRATION CLAUSE IN TREATIES. Sir R. PEEL presented a petition from the congrega tion of the Unitarian chapel at Tamwo!th t praying for the insertion of an arbitration clause in international treaties. ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE. Lord JOHN RUSSELL moved that the House at its rising do adjourn till Monday next. WHITSUNTIDE HOLIDAYS. Mr. HORSMAN asked the Noble Lord when the House would adjourn for the Whitsuntide holidays? Lord J. RUSSELL said on Friday next he would move that the House at its rising adjourn till the Thurs , day following. SICILIAN AFFAIRS. M e of ther. BA GovernmentN KES rose a t q o e a e s s k t i e t the Ninobtl;eLoarbdseaeteetheerhethade Noble Lord the Secretary tor Foreign Affairs. That last named Noble Lord having stated on a pre vious occasion that Great Britain did recognise the in dependence of the Sicilian Govern ment, independently v hether Great of the Tao Sicilies, he now asked r Bri tain still recognised the independence of the Sicilian Government instead of the Government of the Two Sieilies? Lord JOHN RUSSELL said his Noble Friend the Secretary for Foreign Affairs had s tated on the occa sion to which the Hon. and Learned Member had re ferred, if he (Lord John Russell) recollec ted ri g htl y , that there was at that time a negotiation going on with the Government of Sicily. He had only to say that an independent Government of Sicily no longer existed.—(Laughter.) Mr. BANKES would ask the Noble Lord, secondly, whether he was aware what was the result of the per mission given to transport ordnance from her Majesty's stores for the avowed use of the Sicilian insurgents, and other encouragement given to those parties who formed the provisional insurgent Government in Sicily. A British offier:r, who had formerly held a command in Sicily when Lord William Bentinek was there, was afterwards engaged in the British service in the Penin sular war ; and understanding that guns had been thus furnished, and stores from the ordnance of her Majesty, he accepted a command under that Sicilian Government. And be accepted a mission to this country to raise troops for the use of the Sicillians. Those arms and troops were, he understood, partly embarked in a steamer named the Bombay, then lying in the Thames, and the others in a ship then lying at Liver pool. The steamer engaged to leave the Thames was detained by order of the Cus toms. A question rose upon the matter, and the whole thing was referred to the Treasury. The Board of Treasury, after deeply considering the subject, and after much conversation with the Noble Lord, and most likely with the Minister of the Crown of the King of the Two Sicilies---he might, how ever, be mistaken, but he understood that it was agreed that the detention of that vessel should be con tinued. The Treasury declined to interfere, and the result was that that vessel left for Palermo. The other left Liverpool also, and just at the time that the Secre tary at War of the Sicilians desired. It sailed first to Marseilles; when it reached that port, the French Minister taking a different view of the law with respect to the detention of ships, did detain and had de tained that vessel in the por t of Marseilles. He had to ask if the Noble Lord was aware of these facts, which he was bound to say he had received from a source the Le G r o d v r er A nm iim en E t i w t - s a T s o n s a s u id th , o u i • s d e e d r t t h o e d g e u t i a s i e n a e f v e a s s s k e - 1 hi g ua o gd i negs favouredae v r i o e w s eedfltyqh questions, e o disturb sileo nu sst hw a ei foreign e ea i n g s. n s which he considered one o f aut h ority; and whether completee n ') d o e r a . r Learned Ale detailed m b e r information as if he had been "our own correspondent." —(Much laughter.) He could not give the Honour able and Learned Member the whole details with respect to what the French Government had done. Ac cording to the l ast accoun ts from Palermo there wss no engaged in protecting th emse l ves aga i nst the could state, in reply to t h e H on. an d Learned Gentleman , that having taken some pains to di scover what had become of the formidable guns sent to Syracuse, he had ascertained 1 that they were now is t h e possession of the King of the T wo e vi Sicilies.—(Lau • Neapolitans. aand ere e !) ehter ) He had heard that Colonel Aubery was sent to this country for the purpose of raising men, but he had good reason to believe that no men were raised. With regard to the vessels, it was true t h at one steamer did leave Liverpool. With respect to the itslos loaded leaving withthis men, country Bombay, which lay in the Thames, the facts were these: —A n a pplication was ma de by the Neapolitan Ministe r f or t h e d e t ent i on o f t h at vesse l, as i t was guns, wouldandb e i a n m e z e n e u t n r i a t v io e n et ; ien an e c f l the Foreign Enli s t ment Act, The question was referred to the Treasury, the Foreign-office having nothing to do with the law that prevailed is this country on the subject. The whole transac tion was carried on with the Treasury and the proper law officers of the Crown, and in consequence of the legal advice they rec eived, that there was no just ground f or detaining, the vessel, it was released. Mr. ANSTEY then repeatel his questions as to whether the Noble (Lord Palmerston) would have any objection to lay on the table a dispatch from Lord Heytesbury, the Under-Secretary of State f or F ore i gn Affairs, with respect to a widow who had married the subject of a foreign country ; and also a letter to a Mr. Paget, from Lord Ponsonby, with respect to the refusal of claims made by his wife, she being a Hungarian. Lord PALMEBSTON had no objection to lay the letters on the table of the House. The subject had been fully considered and had been brought before the Consul, and it had been decided teat there was no right on the part of the British Consul to take any cognizance of the property of the individual in the case alluded to. Instructions had been sent to communicate that fact to the widow, and that the British Government had no right to in terfere in the matter, as her claim must fall under the cognizance • cf the courts of the country cf which her husband was a_native. With re gard to the second case, that of Mr. Paget, he would luck and se e if there was any such letter in his office, and if there was, he should have no objec tion to produce it. But that case was very different to the one previously referred to by the Honourable and Learned Member. The latter was the case of an Austrian subject, and the question arose in the Austrian courts. Mr. ANSTEY wished to know whether the law officers of the Crown had been advised with on this subject. _ _ Lord PALMERSTON said that the doctrine in volved had been plainly laid down and settled, and it was therefore unnecessary to consult the law officers upon it. RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE. Mr. WYLD wished to ask the, Noble Lord whether the British Government bad sent any protest against the occupation of Hungary by the Russian troops?—(Hear.) Lord PALMERSTON said that her Majesty's Go vernment had made no protest on the subject. WILLIAM SMITH O'BRIEN. Lord JOAN RUSSELL having moved that the re cord of the judgment of the House of Lords, affirming the decision of the Court in Ireland itgaino Mr. O'Brien, be entered as read, proceeded to move that fir. with O'Brien, who hld been convicted of tie,sou, sbuuld ue ex e ell_d The Nouit: Lord, in making the motion, said that the course he in tended to pursue he believed to be withcut precedent, but although it was so, the crime of which the individual had been convicted was of such a nature as totally to in capacitate him from holding a seat in that House. The precedents he had been a'ale to find upon the subject had no reference whatever to the present ca,e. Thy se precedents were of two kinds. The first was with respect to high treason. The tint case on the sub , ject was on the 10th of May, 1715. In that case Mr. Foster, a Member of that House, having been taken on a writ of rebellion for high treason was expelled the House, and in another case, on the 22d of June, 1716, the House being inForeced that J. Carnegie, Esq., a Member of the House, had been is open retellien in Scotland, witnesses were called to the bar who proved the fact, and he was expelled the House, and a new writ was issued. The other eases he had discovered were cases with regard to which there might be some doubt as to the nature of the offence, but they were cases of perjury, conspiracy, and various offences in the nature of misdemeanour, in which there might be a doubt whether they were of the nature to require that the House should proceed to the severe penalty of expulsion. The present case of Mr. Smith O'Brien was one, as regarded the House, totally without precedent, and was not similar to the case of Members with respect to whom a similar proceeding had been taken to the one he was now about to adopt. When it was said that he was in arms against her Majesty, the house did not take any notice of the fact, but waited till the conclusion of the proceedings against him. Mr. Smith O'Brien being convicted of high treason in Ireland, brought a writ of error against that conviction in the House of Lords, and that House having sustained that conviction and affirmed the decision of the courts in Ireland, it became necessary that he should make the present motion for Mr. O'Bi - ien's ex pulsion from that House. It was unnecessary that he should say one word on the nature of the, offence, because nothing could be more complete than the conviction and the judgment. With re gard to the consequences following on such en offence, he need only observe that it was an offence totally unlike the misdemeanours he had re ferred to, it was high treason, and all writers declared that it was the law of Parliament that all persons guilty of it were unable to sit in that House. The consequence was, therefore, that Mr. Smith O'Brien having been convicted of high treason, he was civilly dead, and could not be elected, nor hold a seat in that House; but he believed it was not prudent to establish a prece dent in modern time of expelling a Member. He had, therefore, consulted with the Speaker and other authorities as to the course to be taken in the case, and he had come to the resolution of moving the two follow ing resolutions: —" Whereas it appears by the records of this House that Mr. Smith O'Brien has been convicted of high treason;" and when that resolution was agreed to, he should proceed to move—" That a new writ be issued for election of a knight of the shire for the county of Limerick, in the room of Mr. William Smith O'Brien, who had been convicted of high treason." The Noble Lord then moved the first resolution. Sir FREDERICK THESIGER suggested that the word "convicted" had better be altered to " attainted," as attainder did not follow conviction, but judgment. Mr. Smith O'Brien would not be civilly dead until judgment had been passed upon him. The ATTORNEY GENERAL thought the proper words would be " adjudged guilty of high treason," and, The resolution having been so altered, it was put from the chair, and agreed to. Lord J. RUSSELL then moved that the Speaker do issue his warrant to the Clerk of the Crown to issue a new writ for the county of Limerick, in the room of William Smith O'Brien. Mr. F. O'CONNOR said that, after seeing the reso lution as-it originally stood, it was his intention to move as an amendment that an humble address be presented to her Majesty, praying that she would be gracicu,ly pleased to extend a tree pardon to William Smith O'Brien.—(ol), oh.) He had not intended to introduce that amendment by an inflammatory speech; but having ascertained that the relatives of Mr. Smith O'Brien wished that his case should remain iu the hands of her Majesty's Ministers, he thought it would be exceedingly improper fur any individual Member of the House to take up the subject, and he would, therefore, not move his amendment.—(Hear, hear.) The resolution was then agreed to. PRIVILEGE—STRANGERS EXCLUDED. PARLIAMENTARY OATHS BILL. The House then went into Committee on this Bill. On clause 1 being proposed, Mr. J. O'CONNELL rose, and pointing to the reporters' gallery, said, " Sir, I observe strangers present." Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and they did so accordingly, reporters of course amongst them. Daring our exclusion (about half past seven) the mes senger connected with the gallery handed to us the fol lowing statement of a division which had taken place:— Question put on clause 1, line 3, that the words " and that I do not believe," stacd part of the clause. The Committee divided— Ayes Noes ... 62 ... 164 Majority ... ...-102 At ten minutes past eight o'clock the gallery was re , opened. On our re-admission we found Mr. BERNAL putting an amendment, on which Mr. LAW observed that the greater portion of the Bill having been discussed in the absence of the public, the remainder might have been equally well considEred under similar circumstances. He shouki move on the third reading to exclude the Jews from the operation of the Bill. Clause 5 was then agreed to, with amendments. On clause 6, providing that the Act should not extend to Roman Catholics, or affect the 10th George IV., c. 7 (the Roman Catholic Relief Act), Mr. M'CULLAGII moved the omission of the clause. Having reviewed the relaxations introduced from time to time in the Roman Catholic disabilities, be urged the House to put an end to the anomalous state of matters under which the same oath was alb ged to be taken in different senses by different Roman Catholic Members. It was not the Roman Catholic, but the Protestant Members, who complained that Parliament imposed on the Roman Catholic Members an ambiguous, abortive, and obscure test. Mr. FAGAN complained of the advantage which was frequently taken of the oath to taunt and insult Catholic Members. He himself was insulted by the imputation that he was acting in violation of his oath when he re cently brought forward a motion respecting ministers' money in Ireland. He would not do anything tending to subvert the Protestant Establishment, but there was nothing in the oath which he had taken to prevent him from endeavouring; to 'sake that Establishment more useful. Mr. J. O'CONNELL said, that he had not had the good fortune to be present when his Hon. Friend pro posed the amendment, but he approved of its object. For his own part, he felt not the slightest uneasiness as to the opinion which any one might form with respect to his construction of the oath. He had examined the oath attentively, and he was satisfied that it did not restrict him from voting upon measures affecting the property of the Church. If any taunts should be directed against him from any course ho might take in that House ho would deal with them in a very summary manner. If any person accused him of being guilty of perjury, he would accuse that person of not speaking the truth, and he would do so in the most compendious form of words. He swore not to disturb or weaken the Protestant reli gion; but money was not religion. Those only who held that money and religion were convertible terms could accuse him of disregarding the oath which he had taken. Again he declared that he would act upon his conscientious convictions, and was prepared to abide the result. Mr. NEWDEGATE complained of the course taken by the lion. Member for Limerick. At an early period of the evening strangers had been ordered to withdraw upon the suggestion of the Hon. Member, in consequence of which the admirable speeches delivered by the Right Hon. Member for Tamworth, the Noble Lord at the head of the Government, and other distinguished Mem bers of the House, had not b,en reported.—(Hear, hear.) Now the Hon. Gentleman gut up and gave a fa!sified and one-sided resume of the arguments which had been em ployed in the unreported debate. Mr. J. O'CONNELL indignantly repelled the im• putation. Mr. NEWDEGATE said that the Hon. Gentleman had, at least, given a one-sided version of the argu ments. It would appear that the Hon. Member's object in excluding the reporters was to have the advantage of renewing the debate under circumstances favourable to himself.—(Hear, hear.) The Earl of ARUNDEL and SURREY expressed the great regret he felt, at the exclusion of reporters, a circumstance which had never occurred but once before in the course of the twelve years during which he had sat in Parliament. The circumstance to which he had referred was the more to be regretted, because the de bate had been most interesting and instructive. Mr. V. SMITH approved of the amendment. The painful position in which Roman Catholic Members felt themselves placed at present would be aggravated if the words which the Bill struck out of the Protestant oath should be retained in the Catholic one. Weald it not appear to be something like an imputation of bad faith to Catholics to call upon them exclusively to swear that they took the oath required from them without any equivocation or mental reservation ? During the ab sence of those gentlemen who did the public the valu able service of communicating to it what passed in that House, the Hon. Member for Limerick complained that a speech of a Catholic Member had been compressed into five lines, whilst that of a Protestant Secretary of State had been expanded into thirty. As regarded oaths, however, the case was reversed, for the Catholic would have to swear to thirty lines, whist the Protestant would be limited to five.—(A. laugh ) Whether the Hon. Member for Limerick would d em that a com pensation for the grievance to which he had adverted, it was hard to ray, but he (Mr. V. Smith), being in favour would support the amendment which had bofenm S (' l ved b Mr. uniformi ty, oNEß deprecated the attempt to roped the Catholic oath, which was held to be one of the safe guards of the constitution. Lord J. RUSSELL was glad to find that we had a constitution left. He had always understood that the constitution was utterly destroyed and gone when the Act for the Emancipation of the Catholics passed in 1829.—C' Hear," and laughter.) Now, however, it ap peared that the constitution yeas still extant, and that the Catholic oath was part of it. He did not feel himself called upon to support the amendment, because the ob ject of the Bill was to remove obstacles which prevented the entrance of parties into Parliament. The Catholics bad already seats in Parliament. Mr. WOOD said that political and religious onpiCer. ationa would induce him to vote for the amendment. As re7arded the rnl; , iefil vi , w of the quos!icn, it was t.:ll:urd and improper to shackle a MLEsikr of ParlitaLcut in his legislative capacity, and it was unwise as regarded the in terests of Ireland to maintain distinctions between Catho lics and Protestants. A s to retaining the oath upon religious grounds, let no one suppose that our Church depended upon such rubbish as this.—(Hear, hear.) The time was past for these vain reliancei; the Church was to be protected by its purity, by the union of its members, by the real earnest devotion of those who believed it the moat pure and reformed part of Christ's Church.—(Hear, hear.) Let any one compare the Church of England now with what it was thirty years ago, end say whether it was not far more energetic and active than when there were those barricades to protect it.—(Hear, hear.) Colonel SIBTHORP could hardly believe that he heard aright when he listened to a Chancery barrister, the representative of the city of Oxford—( A laugh)— designating an oath, an ai.peal to the Almighty, as `• runbi,h."—(Hear; hear.) • Mr. WOOD could hardly have thought he was under stood to mean anything more than that to rely upon this particular form of oath was rel) ing upon rubbish. Mr. P. HOWARD would wish to see one oath adopted for all, but could not shut his eyes to the pr.bable eff..ct of this motion upon the success of the Bill in another place, if not in that House.—(Hear, hoar.) Wishing now not to put forward the question involved in this motion, but to remove the greater grievance of his neigh= bour, he should abstain from voting, fearing to endanger the Bill. Mr. WYLD protested against the introduction upon this occasion of the question involved in the motion. This was a most inopportune moment for it. The Committee then divided, when there appeared— For the clause ... 103 Against it ... 54 Majority -49 The Bill having been gone through, the Hooke re sumed; the report to be received on Monday, and the third reading then fixed for Monday, June 11th. NOTICE OF MOTION.—EXCLUSION OF STRANGERS. Colonel THOMPSON gave notice that he should, on an early day, move " That this House take into its consileration the standing order by which strangers are excluded on the motion of a single Member, with a view to the alteration of the same." The Defects in Leases Bill went through Committee pro forma to receive amendments. The House adjourned at a Quarter before Ten o'clock. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. SENTENCES. The following is a list of the sentences passed during the late sittings of this Court:— TRANSPORTATION. FOURTEEN YEARS.—James Robertson. TEN YEAus.—John Draddy, James Chitty, George Jones, Edward Bishop, Jerry Sullivan, George Rivers, William Gear, George Johnson, Stephen Kenfield, James Johnson, alias Savage. SEVEN YEARS.—Charles M'Clarens, William Middle• ton, Thomas Haley, alias Healey, James Hayes, alias Carty, William Edwin Bazley, George Douglas, Tinao lam Vlasto, Hannah Barrett, John Clark. IMPRISONMENT. Two YEARS.—Michael Kelly. EIGHTEEN MONTHS.—Edward Norton, Caroline Baker, and John Kibble. TWELVE MONTHS.—John Canty, John Beard, Wil liam Shepherd, Jane Pepper, William Barnes, William Isaac Rawlinson, Alfred Pritchard, James Cannon, Henry Antwieler, Francis Adams, Jane Slater, William Foster, George Siggings, Henry Humphreys, William Wright, Charles Johnson, alias Jackson, Joseph Doug las, Thomas Elliott. . _ NINE MONTHS.—James Earl, Richard Harwood, Ed ward Vincent, Ann Kelly. Six •MONTHS.—Patrick Ho!land, Robert Payne, Ro bert Ward, Thomas Thompson, Henry Mason, William Bond, John Macarthy, Charles Robins, Benjamin Brighton, Thomas Storey, Ellen Walsh, Jane Driscoll, George Woodcock, Sarah Morrell, Martha Taylor, Eliz Seymour. John Baker, Jules Emile Perrinaud, William Jones, William Radford, George Savage, Thomas Battle, George Burling, George Mellor, Sarah Williams, George Etlgerley, James Mill, Thomas Elliott. FOUR MONTHS.—John Nathan, Thomas Rawlings, William Anthony Browne, Jane Hutchinson, James Bennett, Richard Jones, James Tucker, Emma Dunn, George Hurson. THREE Morams —Frederick Mead, William God dard, William Bonfield, Henry Joyce, Cornelius Cu sack, Edwin Burton, Daniel Pellet, Juhn Paul, Charles Fieg, John Gibson, George Harris, Sarah Edser. Two MONTHS.—John Ward ley, John Saaby, Daniel Briant, John Ragan, Thomas Ragan, Ellen Twehce. ONE MONTH AND UNDER.—Thomas Murphy, and whipped; Horatio Nelson Branch, and whipped; Joseph Creba, Charles Hilditch, John Earl, Edward Horns brow, Rachael Lyon, Maria Rush, William Layton, James Fitzgerald, and whipped; Thomas Middleton, Joseph Smith, Edward Henry Gibbins, fourteen days solitary, and to be whipped; David Jones, John Burke. ACQUITTALS.—Jane Freeman, John Bastishall, Ed ward Davison, John Adams, Henry Moran, Thomas Richards, Mary Hurley, William Clark, Edward Price, James Trotman, George Jeffs, Richard Hurd, Henry Edwards, John Thomas, Edward Keysar, Thomas Evershed, Robert Bushell, Jane Bird, Abraham Graves Fane, James Leach, Ann Draddy, Rebecca Burke, Charles Bradshaw, James Hill, John Gregory, John Crossley, alias Augustus Cowen. BILLS NOT FOUND.—Esther Hurndall, Mary Ann Ward, Michael Alexander Bowley, Emily Guerrier. JUDGMENT RESPlTED.—Elizabeth Prendergast, John Lester, James Williams, Eliza Cooper, Lydia Dixon. REMANDED UNTIL NEXT SESSIONS.—John George Hounsfield, Martin Hansell, John Alves, Patrick Hay, John Spooner, Launcelot Wilson, Henry Hayman. ACQUITTED ON THE GROUND OF INSINITY.—Thomas Webb. STATE OF NEWGATE AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE PAST SESSlON.—Prisoners under sentence of trans portation—males, 26; females, 2. For trial—Males, 131; females, 33. Ou whom judgment has been respited— Males, 5; females, 1. Acquitted, being insane, 3. Com mitted by the commissioners of the property-tax, 1. Total, 202. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSION-HOUSE. Green and Booth, young men well known to the police as connected with a gang of housebreakers, banking house skulkers, and omnibus pickpockets, were brought before the Lord Mayor, charged with having robbed Mrs. Elizabeth Fox of a purse containing ten sovereigns and nine shillings in silver. The prisoners closely watched every part of the evidence, and cross-examined most of the witnesses for the prosecution. Mrs. Fox, of South-street, West-square, Lambeth, and her husband, got into a Wellington omnibus on Wednes day, at half-past five o'clock, at Stones-end in the Borough, to proceed to Shoreditch. Booth and Green immediately followed them, and the former sat next to the lady, while the latter took his seat on the opposite side. The omnibus had reached Bishopsgate street when Mrs. Fox took her handkerchief from her pocket for a moment, and found that her purse was safe, but upon returning it to her pocket she missed her purse and its valuable contents. Booth bad, at the time she missed her property, quitted the omnibus, and Green was at his heels. Mr. Fox upon hearing his wife cry out that she was robbed of her purse by one of the en-n who bad just got out, darted atter them, and the y were both apprehended. Subse quently the purse was taken with a pair of tongs from a grating over which Booth had been taken into custody. All the money was in it. Mr. Fox said, as soon as he heard of the loss his wife sustained, he seized Green, who was following Booth, and was on the step of the omnibus, by the tail of his coat. Green said at once, "It is not me; it is that man with the blue trousers," pointing to Booth, who was running. Witness then let Green go, and followed Booth, and Green accompanied him some distance. When witness captured Booth. Booth said to him, " What do you charge me with?" and upon being answered, declared that he was a perfect gentleman, and was determined to spend 1,0001. to punish the person who had the ito pudence to lay hold of Lim and charge him so inju riou4.—(A laugh.) The attention of a policeman who came up was pointed to Green, who was running off in another direction, but was apprehended in the witness's view. Booth—l did say I would punish you severely, for you not only falsely charged me, but 3 ou seized me with great violence by the collar. Mr. Fox—l certainly was determined not to let you go. I followed you up too close, and you threatened me, but I care nothing about that. Booth—Did you see me drop the purse? Mr. Fox—No, but nobody else could have dropped it. William Maxwell, conductor of the omnibus in which the robbery took place, said that when the omnibus stopped in Bishopsgate-street, Booth said, " I will get out, ' which he did by jumping out, after having paid a fourpenny piece, for the penny out of which he did cot wait, but ran off es rapidly as he could. The lady then cried out, that man has robbed me;" and Green said, " Yes he has, and there he goes, I will run after him," which he did, without stopping to pay his fare. Wit ness ran after Green, and fur a moment lost sight of him; but on going towards the omnibus observed him running in an opposite direction. Witness said, " I want my fare," and added, " You are one of the men concerned in that robbery;" to which he replied, " No, I am not; the officer has taken him—it is all right." A policeman then took Green into custody. Green—Upon my honour, I know nothing at all of this person (pointing to Booth). Booth—Certainly not; and I know nothing of you.— (Laughter.) Green—lf such a thing as a robbery had taken place, and I was in it, is it likely I should join in pursuit? It is quite ridiculous to suppose such a thing. The policeman who apprehended Green said he saw the prisoner running at the top of his speed, and dodging in and out amongst the vehicles until taken into custody, when he stru g gled to escape. The Loan MAYOR—These prisoners deny that there has been anything at all against their characters. Lot me hear what the police have to say about them. Furnall, an experienced officer, said he had known Green these six years as the associate of thieves of the worst description. At first Green was a costermonger, and was constantly in the habit of driving housebreakers about in his cart, but he was now one of themselves. Haydon, the officer, said he had known Booth in the name of Michael Co to have been convict e d, and sen tenced to twelve month' imprisonment, for having robbed a lady in Gray's Inn-lane of her purse. Other officers were ready to bear testimony to the same effect. The LORD MAYOR, in remanding the prisoners for the purpose of giving opportunity to other accusers to appear against them, took occasion to allude to the faci lities rendered by omnibus travelling to the well. dress( d ond ingeoios thieves of the metropolis, and particulArly cautioned visitors to banks to be rii!Lnt, as the whole o f the rergi, s of a thiei 't; mind wore directed to the jo" reotiuu of mom ethcLuz,l Juod.s of depredation. MARYLEBONE: Mr. George John Kan, a solicitor, rcsidirg in the vicinity of this court, was brought before Mr. Longs charged with then following outrage upon Mr. Henry Israel, a solicitor's.,cl.llc, who, in cons( quence of the serious injury he ba4 received, was incapacitated from attending to give evidence. Mr. John Kemshall, landlord of the Star and Garter, Edgeware-road, depose d; that, on Thursday night, about half-past twelve o'clock, the prisoner and Mr. I9rael were in his house, drinking together, at the front of the bar. Some words ensued between them, and witness, hearing a disturbance, came out of the parlour to inquire into the cause of the row. In passing into the bar he saw the prisoner strike Israel twice la the face with his fists. They (ought together for some minutes, when Lien was knocked down by Is rael. Keen speedily got up, and called out that he had had enough. They then shook hands and made up th°, quarrel. Keen then sat down on a form in the front of the bar. He subsequently got up and proceeded across the bar, towards where complainant was standing. A. person, by the name of Hallet, who was standing at the bar, called the attention of witness to the prisoner, svh ( P had the iron gas key, a most formidable instrument , about five feet long, in his . band. With this instrument he struck Israel on the head. Witness ran towards the prisoner, and tried to get the gas key from him. The prisoner called out " Murder." and was so violent that it took three persons besides himself to wrest the deadly weapon from him (the prisoner). Witness then sent for a surgeon to dress Mr. Israel's wound, and the prisoner was given into the custody of a police-constable. Mr. Edward Gay, surgeon, No. 1, Cambridge-terraces Hyde Park-gardens, said on Thursday night be WO called into the Star and Garter, where he saw a person by the name of Israel (the prosecutor), who was bleed ing from a wound in the bead. Witness examined hit* and found a wound on the left side of the frontal boner about two inches in length, which, in his (witnesee) opinion, might have been inflicted by the iron iustrw meta produced. The wound was of a very serious nt Lure, and he could not, with safety to himself, at present leave his home. _ . _ Several other parties gave evidence in support of the charge, and they were cross-examined at some length by . Mr. Cooper, the solicitor who attended for the prisoner. Mr. Lox° asked what answer there was to the charge? and Mr. Cooper replied that he had no witnesses present , and he had now no answer to make to the charg''• Upon a future day he should, no doubt, be preparir with certain witnesses who would throw an entirely dii" ferent light upon the matter. In the absence of the jured party all that he (the Learned Gentleman) could look for was that his client might be liberated upon 1116 giving bail to insure his attendance on another day. Mr. LONG held the defendant in bail in 3001. and tev° sureties in 1.501, each for hit attendance on Saturday next. THAMES. CUARGE OF HONICIDE.—Renry Steckman, mate of 01 schooner Brunswick, was brought up by Oliver, 31, 0 . 11 . the River police, charged with having caused the dean" of a black boy, named Joseph Frost, belonging to tl l ship, by immersing him in the river. Oliver stated that about six o'clock on Thursda evening, whilst near the Surrey Canal, he heard that • boy had been drowned from the Brunswick. which No° lying alongside. He went on board to make inquirie 4 when the prisoner said that the boy had been drunk the boat, and an attempt was made to get him on boar' by hooking a rope round him, and ballasting him 11;* During the operation the hook came athwart the rnic' ships, where it got undone, and the boy fell into the water. Oliver, petceiving that the boat was higher V I than the place where the mate said the hook he touched against the midships, told the latter ha di' not believe his statement, and took him into co r tody. The vessel sailed yesterday, but he (Olive 7 had two of the crew who were present on the oectr. sion, and from whom he learned that the prisoner W I ! been sousing the boy in the water, when his death WI P occasioned. Henry Hamilton said the mate directed him to fast( 0 the rope round the boy, and when it was done the px soner pulled him up. He then dropped him into tot/ water, when the rope slackened. The hook became Ulu' done, and the boy sank. He did not the boy's name, he (witness) had only just joined the ship, but he b lieved he was about 16 or 17 years old. The mate W. dipping him to give him a cooling. John Potter, another seaman, who had only recent 7 joined, said the black boy was very drunk and very 0 1 5 strepolous. The mate directed a strap to be put roar " him to pull him out of the boat, and then said, " NV! will chip him." As soon as he was dipped the rope gal • way, and witness saw the boy throw his head and aria 0 up, after which he immediately sank and was seen r more. The mate said he could not swim, and, jumpic into the boat directed the painter to be let go, which WO immediately done. He did all he could to reeover tl 0 boy, but could not succeed. The prisoner denied that he ducked the boy. Seeir that he was very drunk, and that he was attempting 1 come up the side, he apprehended some danger, and O. dered the rope to be made fast about him, for the pu C' pose of ballasting him on board. The hook unforte! nately touched amithhips, and became undone, by wbic means the boy fell into the water. The case was adjourned for a week, to allow time 1 0 make a search after the body. RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. BRISTOL, MAY 18. STocK ExcrUNGE.—The Share Market to-day was much t' 1 1 , same, but if anything there was a slight improvement. The sal 9 are—Caledonian, 28—Great Western, New Shares, 3% dis.—Mai , (Birmingham and Derby), 45, LIVERPOOL, MAY 18. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The Share market opened rather firmly t , day, but was not so good at the close of business. The sales are. Lancashire and Yorkshire (M. and L.), 26 dls.—Ditto, Fifths, 91 °' 3d. —Ditto, 32/. Shares, 8% dis.—Ditto, Fifths (W. R. T.), sj¢ d. —London and North-Western, 129—Ditto, New Quarters, is. p.—Midland, 68 1 / 2 —Ditto, Halves, 10% dis.—Ditto, Consolidan (13. and D.), 41% Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, Frefe: ence, 10% c.—Scottish Central, 21 —York, Newcastle, and Berwic P (Extension, Nos. I and 2), 6% dis.—Ditto (G. N. E. Purchase , h guaranteed G per cent. till 1850, 5% dis. MANCHESTER, MAY'IB. STOCK EXCHANGE. — The transactions to-day were as follows : Leeds, Fifths, 4% dis.—Dover (No. 4), 7—Ditto (Registered), 6 15-1 —Dover (Old), 22—Manchester and Birmingham, (C), Quarters, 3' P p.—West Riding Union, 5 5-16 dis.—Sheffield Preference, 11—Ditt Eighths, 4% —North Staffordshire, dis. YORK, bier 17. SToCK EXCizaNGE —The bushiest transacted to-day was as . e 0 lows :—Great Northern, 10% —North British, Preference, 1/. 04. , —York, Newcastle, and Berwick Ext ens i on (G . N . E. PUICIIaSe N 4/. Is. 3d.—York and North Midland, 24. GLASGOW, MAY 17. STocx EXCHANGE.—The business done in the Stock Exchange t" day has been as follows :—Aberdeen, Preference, 41. 5s. —Clyde dale Junction, 61—Edinburgh and Glasgow, Halves, 15% —31 01,1 " r land, 62.—North British, Preference, 21s. DEATH OF THE REV. HENRY BREWER. -- W i kt , regret to state that this much respected a n d zeal'' ous Roman Catholic clergyman died at the bow 0 of his aunt, Mrs. Davies, Carlton terrace, per Parliament-street, on Tuesday afternoon la! The deceased was, for two years, minister ( St. Anne's Church, Edge bill ; but, in consequent `I of ill health, he was compelled to relinquis ti his arduous duties at the end of September laS' Since then his health has continued to decline, thoug ti up to the day of his death strong hopes were entertainer of his recovery. His first ailment was disease of the , ' heart, succeeded by dropsy, of which be died. The Rev Gentleman received his early education in GernaanY,. but, upon the institution in which he pursued his studies: breaking up, he was removed to England, and finished• his education at Ampleforth College, near York, where I he was ordained. He was removed from that institutio , $ to St. Mary's Chapel in this town, where he reMaiDe ti about two years. He was afterwards appointed to Brownage, near Preston, and remained there for Cr . wards of twenty live years. From that place ho wat appointed to St. Anne's, Edge-hill, on the opening 01 ; that church, and remained there till the termi nat i on ot. his ministerial c aree r. Th e d ecease d was. fifty-sevat years of age.—Liverpool Mercury. rADVERTISEMENT.j—THE EARL OF ALDEcatorrau' AND IHOLLOWAY ' SPmts.—An astounding cure by this ndraculd, 4 ' , medicine, alter every.other means had failed. See extract from ti,, Lordship's letter, dated " Villa 31ess1na, Leghorn, Feb. 21, 184 5, Professor Holloway—Sir : I bag to acquaint you that your pills have Of fected a cure of a disorder in my liver and stomach whi c h all the mot eminent of the faculty, at house and rill over the continent, had 110 ' been able to effect; nay, not ever the waters of Carlsbad or }D,r; rienbad. (Signed) " ALDBOKOrGIi." These wonderful pills w I L cure any disease of the liver or stomach.—Sold (also lionewaY Ointimmt) at Professor Holloway's Establishment, 244, Strand, Po i by Cl medicine vendors throughout the civilised world. BIRTHS, On the 25th ult., at Quebec, Lower Canada, the wife of Major Norcott, Rifle Brigade, of a son. On the 11th ins;., at Westwell Rectory, Oxon, the wife of the Rev. John E. Bode, of a daughter. On the 15th inst., in Upper Seymour-street, the w:fe of G•• T. Ellison, Esq., of a daughter. On the 17th inst., the wife of Ralph Allen limey, of `'West• bourne-terrace, Hyde-park, of a son. MARRIED. On the 12th inst., at St. Botolph's, Bishopszate, Jam e* *. Joshua Whited, of Hackney, to Jane, only daughter of J. Salter, of Steward-street. On the 12th inst., at Christ Church, St. Mary!about' , George Taylor, Esq., Clifden Marine-parade, Gravesend, t ( ? Jane, eldest daughter of the late Robert Purves, of Kelso. On the tsth inst., at Ch r i st Church, Sca r b or ough, John Edward Walker ' Esq., of th e Inner Temple, barrister-at-laor and Fellow of Oriel C o ll ege, to Mary Friederica, eldest daughter of John Bury, Esq., of Scarborough. On the 16th inst., at St. Margaret's Church, Westminster , the Rev. Herbert Wilson, rector of Fritton, Norfolk, to Bar" riot Ficklin, daughter of Thomas Amyot, Esq., of James street, Buckingham -gate. On the 17th inst., at Totnes Church, the Rev. George_ Selby Hele, of B r i g h ton, second surviving son of the l a te Rev. R 11. Selby Hele, rector of Brede, Sussex, to ErnilY' only daughter of the late John Wise, Esq., of the Rectory, Totness, and of Wonwell-court, Devon. lED. On the 14th ult., at East-s D treet, Kent-road, Ann, relict Of the late Mr. Alfred S. Ravenscroft, surgeon, R.N.: On the 7th inst., at Sydennham, in the 84th year of her age, Mary, widow of the late William Holness, Esq. On the 1 , , th inst., at Greenhithe, Kent, Henry George Shute, R.N., Inspecting Commander of the Coast-guard, aged 40. On the 13th inst., at the residence of her nephew, A. D• 111‘Kellar, Esq., Bat. - ersea, Catherine Pilkington, relict of the late Robert Pilkingto.), Esq., in her 76th year. At Brussels, on the 13th inst , Wary, second daughter of Archdeacon Hodson. On the 14th in t., at Gloucester-crescent, Regent's•Par, k ' Elizabeth, relict of the late John Latimer, Esq., of Gray 0" inn, and Cheltenham. Isle On the 14th inst., John Powell, Esq., of Quex-Park , (of Thanet, aged 79. a London Printed and Published by MURDO YOUR 1 ,12 N 3. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Bun Office, Na 1 1 Strand, in the Precinct of the envoy, in the conti ° Middlesex, Friday, May 19, lea