The Sun. — London, England, 1849-06-19 00:00:00

treason and felony, and considered that the present measure was the emanation of the Government through feelings of humanity towards those convicts. Mr. FOX said that he considered the language of the Hon. Member for Sheffield (Mr. Roebuck) to be worthy of a paid advocate of the Canadian rebels, but not of a free and honest Member of the House of Com mons in support of his fellow-subject, no matter whether English or Irish. Mr. ROEBUCK said that what the Hon. Gentleman had said respecting him as a paid advocate for the Ca nadian rebels was utterly false. The SPEAKER called him to order by stating that his last expression was not Parliamentary. Mr. ROEBUCK then withdrew the expression in respect of the House and the Speaker, but for no other reason—because to the Hon. Member for Meath (Mr. Grattan) he did not think that he owed any apology. Mr. GRATTAN said that he had no respect for the Hon. Member's (Mr. Roebuck's) courage or intelligence, because when he provokes any Hon. Member unjustly, he is not willing to answer the case as it should be answered. He should say that the principles of justice should not be hunted down by a screech-owl, and in ad dition, ho believed - that the late revolution was got up by the Government to cover the desolation and misery they had caused in that unfortunate country. Mr. O'FLAHERTY said he regretted that the law yers who bad spoken on this matter had totally forgotten the principles of the Constitution in that debate. He considered that there should bo some mitigation of the punishment, though he did not mean to say what it should be; and ho felt assured that if Englishmen were equally implicated, they would not be treated as were those Irishmen who were the subject of this debate. The Howie then divided on the amendment, when there appeared— For the amendment Against it Majority —l47 Mr. C. ANSTEY said that he believed that there was a desire as much as possible to extinguish this -debate, for the only opportunity afforded the two Hon. Members who opposed this Bill was when the House was almost within counting, in consequence of the majority of the House having retired to dinner. Not one-sixth part of the Members now in that House were present an hour ago, andthey had voted without hearing the arguments against the Bill. And it was too much that they should now be called upon to affirm the principle of the Bill, and therefore he should move -the adjournment - of the debate. They were, by an ex post facto law, seeking to pass a Bill of pains and penalties against a private man. Against such a course he entered his most solemn pro test. The Bill before the House violated the preroga tive, as it violated the liberty of the subject, and he should give it his most strenuous opposition. The Hon. Member was, in the course of a series of discursive remarks, loudly interrupted. He concluded by moving the ad journment of the debate. Mr. O'CONNOR said he had purposely abstained from offering any remarks upon the subject lest he should unnecessarily commit himself, but he hoped that no attempt would be made to take the Bill out of the hands of the Hon. Member who had so ably conducted it hitherto. Mr. NAPIER said that he would be willing, after the full expression of the opinion of the House, to withdraw all further opposition to the Bill. Mr. KEOGH and Mr. ROCHE requested the Honour able Member for Youghal to withdraw his motion. After a few words from Mr. J. O'CONNELL, Mr. ANSTEY said he would divide the House. Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the House divided, when there appeared:— For the adjournment ... 9 ••• •.• •• Against it . 195 •.• Majority against it ... ... —lB6 Mr. ANSTEY then expressed his intention to take the sense of the House upon the question of the second reading. Mr. REYNOLDS observed that he was much disin clined to ad - I another word to this debate, because he stood in fear of the Hon. Member for Sheffield, who sat just below him .—(llear.) That Hon. Member as good as challenged' every Member in the House to quote law with him. In fact the Hon. Member said :—" Here I am, the Member for Sheffield. I hold in my band an Act of Parliament, and let. any Member of this House, and any lawyer in it especially, if he dare, quote law against me."—(Great laughter.) He might have added, "For I am the law and the prophets."—(Re newed laughter.) But he had listened to his speech, not with sorrow, but with horror, for the Hon. and Learned Gentleman had scorned the misfortunes of Mr. Smith O'Brien and his unfortunate associates, had raked up past events, and had done his best to have them tran sported. He had read in the newspapers that the Noble Lord at the head of the Government had likened the voice of the Hon. Member for Sheffield to the fabulous trumpet, which, having been frozen for some time, at length thawed, and emitted sweet sounds. Now, although he thought the Noble Lord was a great and successful statesman, he certainly thought him a bad judge of music.—(Laughter, and cries of " Divide.") He thought that the prerogative of mercy which belonged to the Crown would be well exercised at the instance of her Majesty's Government, and he trusted that the Hon. and Learned Member for Sheffield might never be amongst the number of her Majesty's advisers when ever the prerogative of mercy was to be called into action. In conclusion, he would remind the Right Hon. Gentleman the Home Secretary, that he had not an swered the question which he put to him early in the evening, whether or not he was aware, that on Saturday, the 9th instant, a warrant was sent from the Castle of Dublin to the.governor la the gaol in which the pri soners were confincd, which authorised the governor to go to their cells, and say that the police were in waiting to take them away with their luggage? Sir GEORGE GREY said he had not heard that any warrant commuting the sentence had yet been issued. Mr. ROEBUCK said, that after the speech of the Hon. Member for Dublin, he should beg leave to bring back the House to the question now before them. The question was, whether those men, who had been con victed by a jury of their countrymen of the highest offence of which the law took cognizance, should not be punished for it, in pursuance of their sentence, as the law directed. If that sentence were not carried into execution, he was resolved to ask—resolved to demand as a matter of right—the mitigation of the sentence of his own poor unfortunate countrymen.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) It might raise a laugh to demand the liberty of Cuffy and his associates, because they were poor and humble. Still, however, there was the law ; and he should like, he repeated, to hear from any lawyer, not from the Honourable Member for Dublin, that treason was not felony. All that they were called upon to do was to allow the Crown to forego its terrible power of death, and to commute it into transportation. He for one was quite prepared to give that power. Take the other alternative. It was said that death could not be inflicted. He said death could be inflicted, and ha wanted to relieve the Government of the embarrassment arising from this state of things. But for the soul of him he could not understand this sudden and strange sympathy for men who, according to their can confes sion, were convicted traitors. He asked the House of Commons to repudiate this spirit, and to give the Crown the power of ieflicting the severe, but still much milder, punishment of transportation. He did not appeal to Irish Members, but to his own countrymen ho did, that they would not allow ignorant and poor men to be transported without remark or sympathy, and, simply because Mr. Smith O'Brien was a gentleman, suffer him by a strange, unseemly, and disgraceful inter ference with the exercise of the prerogative, to escape. —(Hear, hear.) With respect to the Honourable Member for Dublin, he had simply alluded, in good humour, to his statement that he wanted a pull at the exchequer. Mr. REYNOLDS—I beg to deny having ever used the words imputed to me by the Hon. Member. Mr. ROEBUCK—It was in the recollection of 200 men who were in the House when these words were used, and he would leave it to them to say whether the words were used or not. Mr. D. BROWNE—No, no. Mr. ROEBUCK thought the Hon. Member was scarcely in a state to give a contradiction to a matter of fact. In that House, as well as out of doors, he would do all he could to put a stop to every measure which was brought forward to take money from the people of this country, in order that it might be extravagantly squan dered in Ireland, He was determined to oppose money being wrung from the hands of his own countrymen to support rapacity and idleness.—(Loud cries of " Oh," and " Order " in the midst of which Mr. Lawless ex claimed, " Give him rope enough.") Just mark that! " Give him rope enough 1" He said that was an ungen tlemanly expression, and one which was unfairly used to him. Mr. LAWLESS—You know the proverb.—(Order.) Mr. ROEBUCK did know the proverb, but he knew a iratno ls e m o stnhttra t a; : te a ßaH t ntuhdo i aT n ut s ts : ehi nlE.:ll:lßhe(ivse, explainedV oap a ra id s rn e ia n rob, o n,,u answer, thatroia ,h,,sh oulde a nf i e g dl n tnc o oir r tti a etp n i sou c ob e t f n, him m o r s e a dad r or g ui argu mene t; language used by the Hon. Member for Sheffi e ld was not such as could be listened to in silence by any Irish gentleman, and in that capacity he had resented it.—(Hear.) The SPEAKER said that he had not heard any words used of the character complained of, or ho should have sooner interfered. The Hon. Member for Sheffield was in order, but at the same time he did not think that the honour and dignity of that House could be main tained if such discussions as that which was then going on were allowed.--(Cheers.) Captain BERKELEY wished to say that he had sat close to the Hon. Gentleman during the whole of his speech, and he must say that the interruption he had suffered made it no matter of wonder that the lion. Member for Sheffield had spoken in the manner he did.—(Hear, hear.) The SPEAKER repeated his entreaty to cease the discussion, but Mr. J. O'CONNELL (amid cries of " Ohl") said as the Gallant Captain had been so ready to give his tes timony respecting the interruption to the Honourable Member for Sheffield, he begged to say that be also had sat close to the Lion. Member, and considered that the interruptions were perfeetly justifled.—(Order.) Mr. ROEBUCK resumed, and complained of the of fensive and personally i ns ulting attack upon him b y the Hon. Member for Meath, and also of that of the Hon. Member for Clonmel, amidst cries of " Question," and "Hear." The Hon. Member said he had discussed an important question fairly and honestly, and ho was not to be put down when he was discharging his duty. hear.) The Hon. Member concluded by re peating his determination to support the Government. Mr. REYNOLDS and Mr. D. BnoWNE rose together, and were met by loud cries of " Divide, Oh, and Browne," in the midst of w hi c h Lord J. RUSSELL rose only for the purpose of put tin!-t it to Hon. Members whether it was desirable that this discussion should be continued. The course taken by the Hon. Member for the 'University of Dublin was one to which there could be no reasonable objection, but iu the count) cif the debate bethought spn, Alembers had far the contiguity of the United States with that colony May have operated on thgpolicy which has been adopted by the Imperial Government. But this he would say, that it would be an act of justice and expediency that mercy should be extended to the men involved in the present measure. Not until the last moment, and when every hope of redress seemed to be at an end, did Mr. O'Brien determine upon a course of conduct which had led to so unfortunate a result: Notwithstanding all that had been said upon the subject, he was firmly of opinion that but for the paising of the Bill suspending the Rabeas Corpus Act in Ireland, and which compelled Mr. O'Brien and others to take measures to avoid being arrested, he believed that but for the passing of that Measure no outbreak whatever would have occurred. The Hon. Member declared himself opposed to the pro- Posed Bill. Mr. GODSON said that by the common law the Queen had the power of inflicting the punishment of fine and imprisonment in lien of the extreme penalty which svaS attached to the offence of high treason. If that punishment had therefore been inflicted, the present bill would never have been heard of, and it was alto gether unnecessary. The effect of the present Bill would be to increase the punishment. The Lion. and Learned Member then referred to the Act of the 12th George I, and proceeded to contend that under the common law the punishment of transportation was un known, and that not till the time of Elizabeth had that Punishment been inflicted. The Crown having the Power of enforcing the punishment of fine and impri sonment, the Hon. and Learned Member said he was of, opinion that had the attention of the law officers of the Crown been drawn to that subject, the House would never have heard anything of the present Bill.—(Bear.) Mr. MONSELL said it would be admitted by every gentleman who had spoken, that the sentence of death could not be carried into effect—of that every gentleman Was convinced.—(Hear.) The Government, it appeared, had the power of imprisoning for life, and the practical effect of the Bill was to enable the Government to in crease the punishment to transportation. Under these circumstances he could not but look upon the proposed Bill as an instance of ex post facto legislation. lie would, therefore, submit to the Government, considering the !limber of parties who had come forward soliciting the extension of mercy to the prisoners, that the best inte rests of the country would be consulted by pursuing the More merciful course, and that the present Bill should not therefore be persevered in. Mr. REYNOLDS said it seemed to be the opinion of the lawyers who bad spoken in the debate, that there was no necessity for the Bill. If no doubt existed as to the law, why, he would ask, had the Bill been introduced ? Her Majesty, and her Ma jesty's advisers had determined that the sentence of death should not be carried into effect; but he did not agree with the Honourable Member for Reading, that therefore the people of Ireland should be grateful for the act of ,mercy contemplated in the present BilL Ile would remind the House that one hundred and fifty thousand persons in Ireland had signed the petition in favour of the extension of mercy to the State prisoners. That petition had been signed by the nobility and gen try, and by the clergy of all denominations, and such a petition was oue which should not be without its effect upon the Government.—(Hear, hear.) He denied that, strictly speaking, the late event in Ireland could be called a rebellion. He had, however, listened to a de bate in that House, a few nights ago, with reference to what was really a rebellion in Canada, when life and property suffered to a very considerable extent, and where a reward of 5001. had been offered for the appre hension of a gentleman named Lafontaine, who was now Attorney-General of that colony.—(Hear, hoar.) Had there really been a rebellion in Ireland on the late occa sion, it was not a force of 40,000 men, nor four times that number, could have put down the determination of the people of Ireland. He denied that there was any rebellion in Ireland; and, so far as the measure now before the house was concerned, he did not thick it was at all re quired. The law officers of the Crown seemed to be at doubt upon the subject. The order for the transporta tion of those gentlemen was regularly sent to Dublin, and on the 9th of June a po sse of police and military Were assembled around the gaol where these gentlemen were confined; but suddenly another order arrived, and they were at once dispersed, and the prisoners were sent back to their cells. That showed that the Government had not their minds made up on the subject. There were certainly great hardships perpetrated on those pri soners; not so much upon them as upon their families. There was his friend Mr. Smith O'Brien, who had a wife and seven children, the oldest only nine years of age, and how were they to be provided for? But, besides, the Bill had been introduced the other morning, when it was read a first time at half-past one o'clock. Sir GEORGE GREY—It was no such thing. Remits brought down by a messenger from the House of Lords bef ore six o'clock in the afternoon, and presented to the Souse. Mr. REYNOLDS —It might have been that, but it was not read a first time until the hour he had mentioned, and at the time it was so, there were only 27 Members In the house. He was not aware that it was coming on for a first reading on that evening, otherwise he would have at once moved its rejection. Sir 3. GRAHAM said, he could not give a silent vote on so important a question. If he had consulted his own feelings, he would not have said a word on the subject, for during many years he had had the pleasure of the intimate acquaintance of Mr. Smith O'Brien, as well as those of his nearest and dearest relatives. — (Hear, hear.) At the same time, however, and in coming to that opinion he was actuated not a little by the speech he had just heard—(Hear, hear)—that he could not bring forward any argument which would in the least justify the conduct of that I-lon. Gentleman.—(Heur, hear.) Ile felt bound to say that he thought it would have been well bad Mr. O'Brien thought more of his wife and family than he appeared to have done. The question so - far as he could understand it was one of law. He had had the honour for many years of being the adviser of her Majesty in regard to this, the mightiest, the noblest, and the most exalted attribute which appertained to the Crown—he meant the attri bute of mercy. There was that about that attribute of the royal will which could not be strained, for in re spect of mercy the royal prerogative could not be too much extended ; but in respect to the measure now before the House, it was, in his opinion, simply a means of carrying out the mild and merciful intentions of the Government. Without any such measures as the present, there was, in his opinion, grounds suffi cient for commuting the sentence of these men, as had been done, as the Act of George the First, chap. 12, explicitly stated what was rebellion was felony. That statute was, in his opinion, quite di stinct on the sub ject, and while he did not deem another measure ne cessary, he would not hesitate supporting the present Bill. He thought the Government had shown a wise discretion in commuting the capital sentence which had been passed on these men, and he considered that in the circumstances the present measure was required. Mr. ROEBUCK said he should vote for the second reading of the Bill. There could not be a doubt as to the propriety of the Bill itself ; for although he con sidered that the law, as it at present existed, was suffi • cleat to meet the case, he thought the enactment of the Present measure would show the lenient manner in which the Government wished to deal with those gentlemen. Every one knew that the crime of treason was a felony —that those convicted of treason were liable to b a pu nished on that crime, provided the capital punishment of treason was not carried out. The question then was, did treason amount t 3 a felony? And on that subject he could not do better than refer to Blackstone, who stated that the one crime included the other. There was, then, no doubt, about the law ; but then it was said that the law proposed to be introduced was a retro spective law. That, however, was no argument. The law at present in existence was sufficient to carry out the sentence of the Government, and it was only as a means of showing the leniency of the Government that such a measure was introduced. He had, however, heard it said that the punishment they had been sub jected to, transportation for life, was severer than the punishment of death.—(Hear.) He considered the grounds on which these men were advocating their case was a perfect quibble, and he did not hesitate to say that he would have them hung to-morrow rather than allow them to get off on such a miserable quibble as they were now putting forward.—(Cries of " Oh, oh!" and " Hear, hear.") lle was as much opposed to the punishment of death being carried out as any man; but he would never be a party to prevent its being put into execution in a case where the law and the circumstances of the case demanded it.—(Hear, hear.) He had heard the Hon. Gentleman the Member for the county of Meath (Mr. Grattan) that night say that Smith O'Brien's proceeding was a ridiculous attempt at rebellion, and if he had not made that false move other gentlemen would have been found ready to join in the same cause, and that he himseif would have been amongst the number. Mr. GRATTAN—I said no such thing .—(Hear.) Mr. ROEBUCK —Perhaps what the Hon. Gentleman says does not remain long on his own memory ; but he did not think that his remarks on that subject would have so soon been lost sight of by those Hon. Gentlemen who heard them. It so happened that what the Hon. Gentleman said had remained on his memory, and in the recollection of that be said that the Hon. Gentleman had said that the rebellion of Mr. Smith O'Brien was a ridi culous project, and that if it had not been made a more rational movement would have taken place. Mr. GRATTAN—I deny that I used any such words, and if allowed an explanation, I will state what I did say. The SPEAKER—The statement of the Hon. Gentle man having been called in question he is at liberty to explain what he did state. Mr, GRATTAN—What I did say was, that I con eeived Mr. Smith O'Brien had vulgarised sedition. I think that was the term I used, and that, in con sequence, it was not likely that any one would follow his example. Mr. ROEBUCK—WeII, take it on the Hon. Gentle man's own words. He said that Mr. Smith O'Brien had so vulgarised sedition that Hon. Gentlemen opposite would not be anxious to follow his example; but that was no reason why such a measure as the present should not be passed, in order to meet such a case. The mea sure was simply an exemplification of the humanity of the people of England in regard to those men. It was doing away with the higher sentence of the law, and substituting in its place that milder punishment of trans portation, which even the law as it at present existed warranted the Government in carrying out. He was totally at a loss to know how the Honourable Member for Meath (Mr. Grattan) would oppose this Bill, as being one of mercy and favour. He requests of the House, for the sake of those convicted men to allow the Bill to be read a second time, for he considered that this Bill was worthy of the consideration, not only of England, but of the whole world, as being an act of mercy. li e was certainly opposed to capital punishment, but yet, as long as the law to that effect existed, he considered th:it it slwuld be c.trriA out, under present einum. stances, and he asserted that it was not a retrospective Act, as had been stated . by those who called it an ex post facto Bill. Mr. QQDWIN rose to explain the difference between THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EV lost sight of the merits of the question, and were en g ige.l in speeches and answers which it would be much b tter to ebstain from.—(Hear.) Mr. D. BRO WNE—(Divide, divide)—observed that he bad no desire to interrupt the division, and only rose to explain. It was to be regretted that the Hon. Member for Sheffield had been interrupted in the way he had been, but ho was afraid that, S 3 long as that Hon. Member pursued the course he did of aspersing the character and attacking the motives of Irishmen, the remarks of which he complained would be made by those who felt that they were unjust.—(Cheers from the Irish Members.) Ho must add that, before the Hon. Member appeared in that House that session, these sub jects, though important in themselves, and gave rise to great difference of opinion, had at least been discussed without any of those angry remarks and personal attacks.—(Renewed cheers.) He thought it would be well for the Hon. Member to maintain in that House the arguments which he was so well disposed to maintain out of doors.—(Hear, hear.) For his own part, he did not know why a matter of such importance should be made the medium for introducing personal questions. Upon the measure itself it had not been his intention to say anything had he not been called upon by the attack made on him. Although he had not signed the memorial to the Lord Lieutenant, ne had great objections to this Bill, and he trusted the House would discuss it in a decorous manner.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. REYNOLDS—(Spoke, Oh, Divide)—The Hon. Member for ,Sheffield had accused him of using the words—" I want another pull at the Exchequer" in the debate on the Attachments Bill. He did not do so. It was in the debate on the Rate in Aid Bill, and with refe rence to the Shannon job. Mr. LAWLESS said the Hon. Member had passed three personal insults upon Irish Members. He had charged the Hon. Member for Longford with falsehood —(Oh, and Order)—and the Hon. Member for Mayo with being intoxicated, and— The SPEAKER called the Hon. Member to order. It was contrary to the rules of the House to repeat words which had been denied or retracted. Mr. LAWLESS quite agreed with the Speaker, that a great deal bad been said that would not redound to the dignity and honour of the House. The Sheffield blade, he was afraid, was like some that were made more for show than work, and he thought the people of Sheffield would soon find that out.—(Oh and Divide.) The House then divided, when the numbers were— Ayes Noes l9 -• _ Majority in favour of the second reading-156 The Bill was then read a second tiule, and ordered to be committed to-morrow (this day). On our re-admission, we found the House in Commit tee (pro forma) on the Poor Relief (Ireland) Bill. Major BLACKALL suggested that they should ap point a morning sitting for some not distant day, for the purpose of proceeding with the Bill. After some con versation, Lord 1. RUSSELL assented to the proposition, and Thursday, twelve o'clock, was fixed for that purpose. On the motion of the LORD ADVOCATE, the Com mittee on the Marriage (Scotland) _Bill was postponed till Monday. The Soap Duties Bill was read a second time, and or dered to be committed. On the motion of the LORD ADVOCATE, the order for the second reading of the Lunatics (Scotland) Bill was discharged. The Mutiny and Desertion (India) Bill was read a second time and ordered to be committed. The Railway Abandonment Bill was read a second time. . _ _ _ . The County Cm (Ireland) Bill and the Loan Socie ties Bill were severally read a third time and passed. The Bankrupt Law Consolidation Bill was read a second time. Sir H. WILLOUGHBY observed that this Bill seemed to be framed in an odd way. It contained very few clauses, bet the schedule was enormous—as big as a dic tionary. There was one provision in the Bill which gave the Commissioners perfect legislative power to make rules for their own courts, and any person who did not obey those rules might be imprisoned for life. The ATTORNEY•GENERAL said it was true the Bill was drawn in a rather novel form, and that was the reason he proposed that it should be referred to a Select Committee. The Hon. Gentleman then moved that the Bill be referred to a Select Committee, consist ing of the following Members :—The Attorney-General, Mr. Walpole, the Judge-Advocate, Mr. Masterman, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Frederick Peel, Mr. Bouverie, Mr. Miles, Mr. John Williams, Mr. Mullings, Mr. Brown, Mr. Alderman Thompson, Mr. Edmund Denison, Mr. Forster, and Mr. Heat'ncoat.—Agreed to. The Sites for Schools Bill went through Committee. The Palace Court (Westminster) Bill was read a second time, on the motion of Lord DUDLEY STUART, and was ordered to be committed on Friday. On the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL, leave was given to bring in a Bill to extend the pro visions of the Acts . for the more speedy trial and punishment of juvenile offenders, and to apply the same to the trial and punishment of larcenies of small amount. _ The Bill. as brought in and read a first time. On the motion of Mr. ROEBUCK, the following Members were appointed the Select Committee on Debts from Foreign Governments :—Mr. Roebuck, Mr. Glyn, Mr. Disraeli, Mr. S. Wortley, Mr. J. A. Smith, Mr. Charteris, Mr. Henry Drummond, Mr. A. Matheson, and Mr. Cardwell. The House adjourned at a Quarter past One. E N 0- 5 JUNE •n 1849. STATE ..OF THE STEAM NAYY -- e—TO LORD JOHN RUSSELL. My Lord—When Lord Mulgrave, a General in the Army, was First Lord of the Admiralty, the late Lord Melville, conceiving that the affairs of the navy were not properly administered, addressed a letter to the Prime Minister, rightly judging that he was responsible to the country for the acts of his subordinates. It is for this same reason that I now address your Lordship. For six years that I sat in the House of Commons I endeavoured to draw the attention of Government and of Parliament, and, through them, of the country, to the enormous waste of public money in the Naval Department, and more especially in the construction of steam ships of war ; the then Board of Admiralty and their predecessors being equally culpable, successfully resisted all inquiry; and, on one occasion, when I warned them of the folly of building five or six iron steamers without trying one, I was met by the Secretary exultingly exclaiming " We are buildiag forty." When your Lordship came into office you found it necessary to propose an addition to the income-tax ; then, and not till then, were the eyes of the House of Commons opened, and they clamourously called for a Committee on naval - and military expenditure. Your Lordship acceded, a Committee was appointed, and they began with the navy. On this Committee there was not one naval officer, but there were many interested in preventing the truth coming before the country. Nevertheless, a tolerable expose was made of the manner the public money had been wasted. I shall not now enter into the whole of the report on naval matters, but will confine myself to what I con sider the most important point, because it is the one on which the safety of the country depends—l mean steam. After a long and patient investigation it was discovered that in no instance since the formation of a steam marine had the constructor of the ship, the maker of the engines, and the seamen been brought together to consult on one of the most difficult points of naval archi tecture. It never entered into the heads of the Admi ralty, the constructor of the vessel, or the maker of the engines, that a steam vessel of war was comparatively useless unless her engines, and, above all, her boilers, were protected from enemies' shot; nor did they even think that it was necessary to have the main deck ports in frigates sufficiently high to use their guns when loaded even with the small proportion of coals they were enabled to carry; the main deck was in consequence never armed; but, nevertheless, the Committee of the House of Commons reported that we had twenty steam frigates, when I shall shortly show we have only three. Publicly and privately,, fur nearly twenty years, with all- Admiralties, and all parties, lin vain endeavoured to correct these evils. Although I had more experience in the construction of steam vessels than most naval officers, I had not the presump tion to suppose that all my views were correct; all I asked at different times, in and out of Parliament, was the appointment of a committee of naval officers and en gineers to weigh well all the difficulties, and come to some system, instead of groping in the dark and wasting the public money. All my efforts were useless, till in 1825 Sir G. Cockburn, with, I believe, the sanction of Sir Robert Peel, invited me to build a steam-frigate, which after much consideration I undertook to do, and chose for my builder Mr. Fincham, and for the engine maker Mr. Seaward. Plans were drawn of the ships and engines, the builder and the engineer were brought together ; the plans were considered for months; officers who had commanded steam-vessels of war and steam merchant ships were consulted; and finally the Sidon determined upon. The great difficulty in steam vessels of war is the stowage. Hitherto the proportion of coals to the horse-power had been too small, and even then when full, the wheels were buried in the water, and the frigates were incapable of carrying their main deck guns, and thus became only overgrown corvettes, mount ing six or eight guns, miscalled frigates because com manded by post- captains. In the Sidon those evils were corrected; she carries upwards of 700 tons of coals; her main deck ports nearly seven feet out of the water, and a complete armament of 14 guns, 32-pounders in her main, and four 68-pounders in the upper, which are now being changed to 24 68-pounders, having a clear main deck, with the excep tion of the shaft, the boiler and engines below the water line, and the coal boxes so fitted that when the coals are expended water ballast is taken in to prevent the wheels being too much out of the water; but, notwithstanding all the care and attention, the Sidon was by no means per fect, and, in the first instance, required considerable alteration in her machinery. A plan, proposed by Mr. Seaward, to work the standing gear and the eccentrics below the water line failed, and was obliged to be changed, and her boilers were much too small to pro duce steam; in fact, though propelled by an engine of 560- horse power. the boilers were only equal to 350; she is now about being supplied with boilers of larger dimensions. Before the Sidon was built the Terrible and Retribution were produced—the former of 1,840 tons and 800-horse power, scarcely carrying 500 tons of coals, a large part of which occupies the main deck, and theboiler ' and engines take up the greater part of the hold and lower deck; she carries a good ar mament, but her bow and stern are so badly arranged that the longest guns that could be found were put in her and even then they were so far inside the cells of the port that they were fired with great difficulty and dan ger, and the after guns occupy the greater part of the captain's cabin. This vessel has great speed, and sails - well, but she has neither room for troops or stores, and is rather an expensive advice boat. The Retribution is of 1,680 tons, with an 800-horse engine, carries no main deck guns, and is so ineffi cient that her power is about to be reduced to 400- horse. The Sidon was followed by the Odin, of nearly the same dimensions and the same horse power, but 2 feet 9 inches less depth of hold. She carries little more than half the coal, fewer guns, and these guns too low. Her main deck is not clear. The lines of both are the same, with long flat floors, and they have proved themselves excellent sea boats. Captain Henderson's evidence may be seen in the Committee on Merchant Steamers. About the time the Odin was ready for sea I was ap pointed to command the Channel squadron; the Sidon, Odin, Dragon, Avenger, Stromboli and Vixen were put under my orders. With coals in proportion to the horse power the Odin was first, Sidon second, and Dragon and Avenger nearly alike; with 700 tons of coals in Sidon, and about half in Odin, the latter beat Sidon a mile an hour. Both were so steady they could work their large guns in a heavy swell with ease; the others, with the exception of the Dragon, could not cast them loose. Before the trials, I suggested that the construction of the Leopard should be suspended, which was acceded to; but, owing to want of concert, the engines were forgotten, and they were finished, though the vessel is still in frame. After the trials were over, I urged the Admiralty to make the Leopard an improved Sidon, by adding a foot to her breadth, and 10 to her length; but by some unfortunate fatality their Lordships took • a middle course, and instead of her being superior to both, she will be better than the Odin, , and the engines will require and inferior to the Sidon to be raised at least a foot to make them agree with the th e vessel, water line;thereby a tlg losingatstrange n th e e advantage of being under as it may appear at the ve ry moment I um writing, not w i t h s t a nding the report of the Committee of the House of Commons of the want f presence a t n h and, , s w a h v a ya t nb i s da a s; on i l in l nt m t n o h g r e e po out tw x t e : r a hn o af r t d a i ni n sm a nrmye summoning ne sins the ag r ty S h ue to 0 - of concert between the shipbuilder and the engineer, they have never been to this mo men t b roug ht o ff i cially to cgivnoeetnto'hsoethrirtiosu; constitute a steam ship of war. During the two years I commanded the Channel mw way; h ; a reports nds. squadron no less than 29 st eamers h ave passed through madeall been tried th ied e in m Query possible ssible ela borate table describing both vessels and engines, to the most minute parts, submitted to the Admiralty; but, notwithstanding, we are still working in the dark, and the four or five steamers now on the stocks will be little more efficient than those already in the water. They are too large for corvettes, and too small for frigates; the depth of hold is the same as in the Odin, and though it has been proved that the Odin can carry main deck guns, these new vessels, though within a few tons of the Sidon, are positively being constructed without main deck ports, I have before stated that the Committee of the House of Commons has reported that we have 20 steam-frigates. Where are they? We have three—the Terrible, Sidon, and Odin; all the rest are steam corvettes, mounting six guns, commanded by post captains, and misnamed frigates. Even the Penelope, a lengthened frigate, has been obliged to give up her main deck guns. In addition to these we have three line-of-battle ships and four frigates with screws, but they are only auxiliaries, and have not the speed of paddle steamers. I have been obliged, my Lord, to go into these details to enable me to show that with such an inefficient steam marine the country is not safe. The French have a much more efficient steam navy than we have. We have more horse power, and, I believe, more tonnage; but my Lord, France has 20 steam frigates capable of mounting 32 guns each, and of carrying 2,000 troops with ease. These vessels were ostensibly built for packets, but were afterwards turned into me n-of-war ; and though different Admiralties have been told of this over and over again, they either did not, or pretended not, to believe it. I have seen them, been on board of them, and reported on them; and I presume it is now beyond a doubt, as it is known than in less than 30 hours some of them have carried 2,000 men from Toulon to Civita Vecchia, and one, with a vessel in tow, took a regiment of cavalry there. I will not ask your Lordship what the French are doing at Rome ; it is enough for my argument that they are there; and that they went there without telling the Romans they were coming. I advise your Lordship to look at the chart not at the distance from Toulon to Civita Vecchia, but at the distance from Cherbourg to Port land. Expeditions, my Lord, are not what they used to be before the invention of steam and railroads. It took months to collect transports and troops, and months afterwards to move them to their destination. The French are no w b es i eg i ng Rome—th e y mos t pro b a bly will carry it; and we, most probably, shall remonstrate m of s b p e i i t n h g ea d d e w cla ai r t e i d n , g and for —if we dare. has y our L or d s hip f orgo tt en th e a ff a i r o n f u S r y a r b i i a p , a w w h e e r n e w ly ar ing wes en th on e tphosin a tt for men, and the French so superior to us that we might have been beaten in detail? If your Lordship has for-. gotten it e r have not. Has your Lordship forgotten the affair at Otaheite, when we were powerless, and even forced to patch it up, and I doub t if the indemnity is paid to this cloy? Has your Lordship forgotten that we q to intercept the uadrou war? Has your Lord shipsent a fleet to Copenhagen and stole the Danish fleet in profound ffounnrdgnpteteancet,hwaitthwoeutsenta s declaring a S h p i a p n f i n s r h gn tt e galleons, n with out this w country declaring s war? Has your Lord howabamboozled by France about the Spanish marriages, and that by a regular Go vernment, notwithstanding the entente cordiale ? and has your Lordship forgotten the Duke of Wellington's letter, in which he exposed the defenceless state of the country ? I have not forgotten, these occurrences, and I look upon our present position with the greatest op- prehension. Lord Lansdowne says we hive - not remon strated as yet with France anti Austria: I ask your Lordship if we are in a conditi on to remonstrate. When Rome is taken—which I fear it will be—if we offer any threat, if we say ono offensivo word. what is to hinder the French collecting the vary steam vessels that trans ported the French army to tile capital of the Catholic world, at Cherbourg, and transporting an army to the capital of Protestant England "? It may be argued that the French have their hands. full already; that they are quarrelling amongst thenise Ives. What, my Lord, would unite them so soon sac a war cry ? It appears the Government have got the better of the Red Republi cans. The President, in hie speech, tells France that they have an army of 450,0(10 men; they have a sailing navy nearly equal to our own, and a steam navy far su perior. The army seem stanch to their colours, and if we dare to remonstrate—if we dare to say an offensive word, were Louis Napoleon to hold up his fingers, and pro. nounce the name of Englan d,, I verily believe the whole army, Red Republicans and all, would throw up their caps, and rush to the sea coast, just as the gold diggers do to California; they would. find a rich harvest here, and easier reaped than by digging; and what, my Lord, have we to prevent them? If in 1847 it was thought advisable to have a Channel. fleet of six sail of the line, and as many steamers, when. ;France was quiet and under a strong Government, is it not more necessary now when all France, and indeed all Europe, seem to have run mad? If, my Lord, there seas a bridge between Dover and Calais,, and France was: quiet, would you withdraw your sentinels? Far less of tght you to do it when Louis Philippe is hurled from his throne, and the country in revolution. There are bri ages, my Lord—moveable bridges. Ono has already loassed from Toulon to Rome 30,000 men; another may pass a still larger force from Cherbourg to Portland; and yet, my Lord, you have withdrawn your sentinels, and, at the bidding of Mr. Cobden and his arhitratio a party, have turned adrift 4,500 seamen. The First Lord of the Admiralty says the reductions are not so lee •ge as was supposed. He is mistaken; your reductions are larger; apparently, it is 3,000 men; in reality, it is; 4,500, because you had at least 1,500 men above the es timate. It may be sail I am exposing the nakedness of the land. The Duke of Wellington's letter has done that already; but his Grace's let ter was not necessary. The French Government know j asst as well as we do the force of every ship of war in the service, the station of every regiment, the number of our guns, and, I dare say, the number of the muskets in ail our arsenals. I may be called an alarmist. I confess it ; I am alarmed at our defenceless state ; and I hope to God I shall alarm the Government, the Parliament, and the people. Let Mr. Cobden and his party arbiir.ate if they will. Let them go to Paris now, and ask the French to withdraw from Rome—ask them to reduce their enormous army—and no man will be happier than I shall b© to see all our establishments reduced. But, until he has got his arbitration into play, let us„ for God's sake, take care of ourselves. Your Lordship may say we have already a reserve steam force which has cost the country millions. That is true. But what a contort:Table force it is—a force that is quite unequal to con tend with France. Your Lordship may ask what I propose. I will tell your Lordship. Put the whole strength of your dock yards on the steam-vessels (such as they are) now on the stocks, and get them ready for service. The Queen has beeia commissoned—man her and fit her oat as fast as possible; complete the crews of the Superb and Ganges; man Ile Blenheim and Ajax screw steamers out of the Excellenot; fit out and arm your best steam-vessels; and - do this at once before your sailors go to Denmark and Germanys; let this squadron assemble at Spithead. You will then, be in a position to arbitrate or remonstrate if you will. Watch well the progress of events in the Mediterranean, and if any war take place, order the fleet home for the protection of our own shores. Parliament cannot object to this; Mr. Cobden could not object to it, It is a precaut ion; it will not be an expen sive precaution. If you do not want to press for money at present, you may susper.d works in progress in the doclzyards, that are not pre: wing. Search closely into all your departments; ransack the dockyards, and you will find the means of saving thousands and thousands of pounds ; appoint a committee of experienced steam officers to decide how your future steam-vessels shall be built; give up cutting and carving and changing ships' bows and sterns; give up t:onverting good sailing ships into bad steamers at au enormous expense; and look more strictly at the expense of your dockyards: and you have no occasion to go to Parliament for more money. I remain, your Lordship's obedient servant, CHARLES NAPIER, Rear-Admiral, And late Commander-in-Chiet of the Channel Squadron. THE WATER LOO BANQUET. Last evening the Duke of Wellington gave the annual banquet at Apsley House, in celebration of the battle of Waterloo, to the officers who participated in the honours of that memorable achieve neat of British valour. It has been for many years past customary for the no• bility to make congratulatory visits to the venerable Duke on this anniversary of one of his most signal vic tories, and yesterday ahoy& one thousand calls were made at the ducal residence. His Excellency the Prussian Minister and Madame Ba, leen, his Excellency the Bel- gian Minister and Madame Van de Weyer, the Austrian Minister and the Countess Colloredo, his Excellency Prince Castelcicala, and his, Excellency Count Kielman segge, being among the Foreign Ministers who made complimentary visits ;. and ' among the aristocracy the Duke and Duchess of Richmond, the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, the Duchess Dowager of North umberland, the Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury, the Marquis and Marchionees of Ely, the Marchioness of Cony agham, the Marchioness Dow ager of Downshire, the Marchioness Dowager of Ely, the Marquis of Winchester, the Marchioness of Sligo; Earls Aberdeen, Jersey, Jermyn, Kinnoull, Craven, Strafford, Chichester, Sandwich, Delawarr, Verulam, Nelson, Ellenborough, Bendon, Grey, Brow, nlow, Had dington, March, Mulgritve, Normanton, and Weide grave ; Countesses Jersey - , Craven, Verulam, Nelson, Dowager Nelson, Haddington, March, Kinnoull, Brown low, Sandwich ; Viscounts Beresford, Combermere, Maynard, Strangford, Somerton, Villiers; Viscountesses Beresford, Hardinge, Combermere; Lords Colchester, Braybrocke, John Russell, Ernest Bruce, Henniker, Seymour, Colville, Willoughby de Eresby, De Ros, Southampton, George Moaners, Elphinstone, Forester, Norreys; Ladies John Russell, C. Villiers, F. Hay, H. Somerset, Seymour, Colchester, Colville, Fuller, Wil. loughby de Eresby, Braybrooke, de Ros, Southampton, Emily Drummond, Rolle, Norreys, Henniker; Sir Robert and Lady Peel, Sir John and Lady Shelley, Sir Hugh and Lady Hume Campbell, Sir J. Buller East, Sir F. and Lady Lewis, Sir John Cam Hobhouse, Sir Arthur Ayton, Sir J. W. Riddell, Sir J. M`Gregor, Sir J. Kirkland, Sir W. Verner, Sir C. W. Thornton, Sir J. and Lady Antrobus, Sir H. Floyd, Sir F. and Lady Thesiger, Lady Maria West, Mr. and Lady Mary Ross, &c. As is invariably the case, a vast crowd of curious spectators congregated in Piccadilly to witness the arri val of the gallant veterans to the banquet, but on this occasion the assemblage far outnumbered what had been previously seen, for there could nut have been less than 4,000 individuals mustered. At both entrances to the courtyard of Apsley House a great many equipages of the nobility and equestrians had collee;ed, among which were numerous members of the nobility. Notwithstand• ing the public interest without, and the occasional stop page of public vehicles, the best order was enforced by a powerful body of the C division of police, commanded by the able Superintendent Beresford, and consequently no interruption occurred. The gallant and distinguished personages invited to this purely national entertainment began to arrive at seven o'clock; and when the Marquis of Anglesey and Viscount Hardinge arrived they were recognized by the populace and warmly cheered. The band of the Grenadier Guards was in attendance in the inner vestibule, and as the Waterloo heroes passed through, played suitable martial airs. His Royal Highness Prince Albert arrived at twenty minutes past seven o'clock, attended by the Marquis of Abercorn, Colonel E. P. Bouverie , and - Colonel Buckley. Immediately on the royal carriage approaching the man sion, the illustrious consort of our beloved Sovereign was welcomed by repeated bursts of applause from the crowd of persons. The Duke of Wellington, attired in the full uniform of a field-marshal in the British army, came to the portico to receive the Prince, and the greeting was cordial in the extreme. The Noble Duke conducted his illustrious guests to the saloon, in which the whole of the Waterloo officers had collected previously to the banquet, to all of whom the Prince bowed his respects. The Prince was in the full review uniform of the Scots Fusilier Guards, and this year the Marquis 'of Anglesey wore the uniform of the Royal Horse Guards, the Marquis, on other occa sions, having appeared in his old venerated habiliments as Colonel of the 7th Hussars, which he seemed to have been loath to doff. It is quite unnecessary to enter on any detail of the gorgeous embellishments of the sumptuously arranged gallery in which this banquet annually takes place. The banquetting board was illuminated chiefly from the valu able candelabra presented to the Duke by the late Emperor of Russia, and in the centre was the magnifi cent silver plateau, the gift of the Portuguese nation, as an acknowledgment of the Dake's great services to that country. Some costly china vases (filled with flowers), the gift of some defunct Conti nental sovereign, Count D'Orsay's equestrian statues of Napoleon, the Duke, and the Queen, and massive can delabra, were the principal features on the table, if we may except two luxuriant dwarf vines, bearing a super fluity of fruit of the most exuberant culture, a present from a Mr. Beaufoy, and some enormous• pines the Duke was presented with from an equally kind admirer. At each end of the gallery was a be.aufet, crowded with gold plate, in the shape of gold salvers, candelabr, &c. Flaxman's celebrated shield was among the consist cuous objects that met the eye, and also the handsome tribute, the candelabra presented to his Grace c her the citizens of London, and the superb gold vase, he gift of the nobility of his native country. We aro gratified to say the mortality among the " gay soldiers" who shared the glories and dangers _of Wa terloo, has this year not been so serious as might have one general officer has passed been anticipated, for only to "that bourne from whence no traveller returns " ex cept the lamented King of the Netherlands. The guests of the Noble and Gallant Duke, in addi tion to Field-Marshal his Royal Highness Prince Albert, and the Marquis of Abercorn (groom of the stole to the Royal Prince) were all Waterloo officers, and included — His Excellency General Prince Castelcicala, the Neapolitan Minister. His Excellency , Major-General Count Kielmansegge, the Hanoverian Minister, and of the British army. Field-Marshal the Marquess of Anglesey, K.G.. G.C.8., and G.0,H., colonel of the Royal Horse Guards, General the Earl of Strafford, G.C.8., and G.C.H., colonel of-the 29th Foot. General Sir Colin Halkett, G.C.8., and G.C.H., colonel of the 45th Foot. General the Right Hon. Sir Frederick Adam, G.C.B. and G.C.M.G., colonel of the 2lstFoot. Lieutenant-General Sir Edward ' Kerrison, Bart., G.C.B. and G.C.H., colonel of the 14th Light Dragoons. Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew F. Barnard, G.C.B. and G.C.H., colonel of the Rifle Brigade. Lieutenant-General Sir Alexander Woodford, K.C.B. and G.C.M.G., colonel of the 40th Foot. Lieutenant-General Lord Fitzroy J. H. Somerset, G.C.8., colonel of the 53d Foot. Lieutenant-General Sir James Macdohell, G.C.B. and K.C.H., colonel of the 7lst Foot. Lieutenant-General James W. Sleigh, C. 8., colonel of the 9th Dragoons. Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur B. Clifton, K.C.B. and K.C.H., colonel of the Ist Dragoon Guards. Lieutenant-General the Earl of Cathcart, K.C.8., colonel of the 3d Dragoon Guards. Lieutenant-General Viscount Hardinge, G. C. 8., colonel of the 57th Foot. Lieutenant-General the Hon. E. P. Lygon, C. 8., colonel of the 13th Dragoons. Lieutenant-General Sir George Scovell, colonel of the 4th Dragoons. Lieutenant-General Sir N. Douglas, K C.B. and K. 0.11, colonel of the 72d Foot. Lieutenant •General Lord Saltoun. K.C.8., and G.C.H., colonel of the 2d Foot. Lieutenant-General Henry Wyndham, colonel of the 11th Hussars. Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Bowater, K.C.H., colonel of the 49th Foot. Major-General Sir H. W. Itooke, C.B. and K.C.H. Major - General H. D'Oyly, colonel of the 33d Foot. Major-General the Hon. H. Murray, C. 8., colonel of the 7th Dragoon Guards. Major-General T. Dalmer, C. 8., colonel of the 47th Foot. Major-General James flay, C. 8., colonel of the 79th Foot. Major. General Sir Hew Dalrymple Ross, R.C.B , deputy-adjutant-general to the Royal Artillery. Major-General Douglas Mercer, C.B. Major-General John Reeve. Major-General Archibald Money, C. 8., K.C. Major-General E. Parkinson, C.B. Major-General R. Llewellyn, C.B. Major-General Richard Egerton, C.B. Major-General Sir Wm. Chalmers, C. 8., K.C.H. Major-General James Boteler Parker, C.B. Major-General James Claud Bouchier, K.C. Major-General James Grant, C.B. Major- General Thomas W. Taylor, C.B. Major-General Felix Calvert, C.B. Major-General Sir De Lacy Evans, K.C.B. Major-General A. Macdonald, C.D. Major-General Lord James Hay. Major-General. James Shaw Kennedy, C.B. Major-General Lord Sandys. Major-General George Bowles, Master of the Queen's Household. Major-General F. W. Robbins. Major- General Roderick M'Neil. Major-General W. L. Waken. COLONELS.-11. Dawkins, Michael Childers, C. B:, Thomas Wildman, Lion. H. Hely Hutchinson, John Martin, Sir J. Maxwell Wallace , K.H., W. G. Moore, Sir H. Floyd, Bart., Edward Keane, James Simpson, Hon. G. Anson, S. Stone, Lord Hotham, C. P. Ellis, Hon. G. Cathcart, F. P. Buckley, Charles Yorke, Ber keley Drummond, C. F. R. Lascelles, E. W. Bouverie, Lord Rokeby, J. C. Chatterton, and A. C. Kennedy. LIEUTENANT-COLONELS.—The Right Hon. George Lionel Dawson Darner, Hon. George T. Keppel, Mar tin, and G. W. Horton. The illustrious Duke was supported on his right by his Royal Highness Prince Albert and Field-Marshal the Marquis of Anglesey, and on the reverse side by their Excellencies Prince Castelcicala and Count Kiel mansegge. Covers were laid for eighty persons, and we believe there was only one vacant place, which arose from the sudden indisposition of a Gallant General. The fine military band of the Duke's regiment was stationed in an adjoining saloon, and performed during the banquet a varied selection of music, among which was— Overture—" Fra Diavolo" Aria—" Nebuccodonozar " Waltz —" Die Mozartisten" Lanner. Polka—" Cavallay " Selection from the "Barber of Seville" Signal March Kuhner. The repast being concluded, and the dessert having been placed on the bauquetting board, The Duke of WELLINGTON rose, and gave the health of "The Queen ;" and his Grace, with energy of feeling, said the British soldier had ever been distinguished for the love he bore his Sovereign, and his friends were all aware how our revered Queen was beloved by all grades of the British army, as well as by her subjects. The toast was drunk with all honours. After the applause of the general company , had subsided, Band—" God save the Queen. ' His Royal Highness Prince ALBERT then rose, and said it was a high gratification to hear the enthusiastic greetings that welcomed the loyalty of the Duke, and on behalf of her Majesty he had to offer the gallant com. pany his most grateful thanks. He would avail himself of the opportunity to propose the health of the great man at whose festive board they had assembled—" The Duke of Wellington."—(Loud applause.) The toast having been drunk with three times three, the band played " See the conquering hero comes." The Duke of WELLINGTON, bowing to all his friends, merely said he was delighted to see so many old familiar faces around him, and most cordially thanked them all. The Noble and Gallant DUKE gave next in order, " The Army that fought the battle of Waterloo." Band—" The dashing Sergeant." His GRACE then rose, and proposed—" To our friends and companions in arms who tell at Waterloo." The toast was drunk in solemn silence. The Noble DUKE on rising to offer the next toast, having previously ordered the company to fill their glasses, said he bad the pleasure to propose—" The health of the excellent Prince who had honoured them with-his presence, and had to request them to drink hia health and that of the Royal Family." The toast was received with loud applause, and was drunk with three times three. Band—" The Coburg March." His Royal Highness Prince ALBERT said that he had to apologise to the brave officers present for the inter ruption his name had occasioned in the toasts appro priate to the day. He could not more than express the great value he attached to the privilege of the Noble Duke to attend at the banquet to commemorate so glorious a day. He begged to thank them for the honour they had conferred on him in so warmly responding to the toast of the illustrious Duke.—(Cheers.) The Gallant DUKE rose and said, he begged leave to propose a branch of the army that achieved so much at Waterloo, with which he would couple the name of a noble and gallant friend near him, " The Marquis of Anglesey—(Appiause)—and the cavalry that fought at Waterloo." Band—" Cavalry Quick March." The Marquis of ANGLESEY briefly returned thanks. The Noble DUKE then gave, " The Infantry at Wa terloo, and the Earl of Strafford." Band—" Military Quick Step." General the Earl of STRAFFORD returned his gratefu acknowledgments in a short address. The Noble DUKE then proposed, Guards that fought at Waterloo." The toast was drank with three times three, the band playing " British Grenadiers." Lieutenant- General Sir A. WOODFORD said he was delighted to have the honour of returning thanks for the Guards, and by the mere fact of the Noble Duke so favourably mentioning their services, it was a reward for the present, and an encouragement for the future. The DUKE then gave, " The Artillery that served at Waterloo, and General Sir Hew Ross." Band—March. Major-General Sir HEW DALRYMPLE Ross returned thanks for that department of the army. The DUKE then rose, and said he had to offer as the next toast, " The health of those old allies who had as sisted at Waterloo." He spoke in high terms of the services rendered by the Hanoverian army, and those of our other allies, and with this toast ho would introduce the names of General Halkct, Count Kielmansegge, and Prince Castelcicala. Band—German military sir. Lieutenant-General Sir COLIN HALKET and his Ex cellency Count KIELMANSEGGE respectively returned thanks, when His Excellency Prince CASTELCICALA rose and said— My Lord Duke, I humbly return you my most heartfelt thanks for the honour you have done me in drinking my le n i invited t h e i d s to to history commemorate, health. This is the thirty-fourth ann i versary of your lastand I greatthi think k I may b at tl ew safelyhic arehweehal show a n other conqueror whom it has pleased Providence so long to have preserved to his country's service, after a series of victories attended by all the honour and circumstances of war except defeat.—(Cheers.) I pray your Grace may, for the public good and your own particular happi ness, see many returns of the day.—(Cheers.) The Noble DUKE then said that his friends were all aware of the services rendered by the officers of l the . staff, and the active duty in which they were emp eyed_ He would give them, " The Staff oft e Army at Water 100, and the Earl of Cathcart." The toast having been responded to, The Earl of CATECART rose and returned his Grace and his brother officers his sincere acknowledgments on behalf of the staff at Waterloo. The DUKE then rose, and stated they had drunk the health of the Infantry at Waterloo, but they were bound not to forget their friends of the Rifles.—(Laughter and applause.) They had done their duty manfully, and had proved themselves a credit to the British army, and he would couple the names of Generals Adam and Barnard. General the Right Hon. Sir F. ADAM, and Lieu tenant-General Sir ANDREW BARNARD both returned thanks. The Noble DUKE then proposed, " the Prussian Army at Waterloo," on whose timely assistance the battle had much to depend. He would give with that toast the name of his friend Viscount Hardinge—(Chcers)—who had subsequently been called on to fill the highest offices to his country. Lieut.-General Viscount HARDINGE said—My Lord Duke and Gentlemen, nothing could give me greater pleasure than associating my name with the Prussian army, and, after adverting to the,remark of the Duko of Wellington as to his conduct in India, he was glad to say that since their last meeting Lord Gough had achieved an important victory, and he was glad to say that Gal lant Friend of his would shortly return to this country crowned with the laurels of victory. At this period of the proceedings Prince Albert, ac• eompanied by the Duke and gallant company, retired to partake of coffee. At a quarter to eleven the Prince Consort, Attended, by " The health of the PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS. (From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons.) MONDAY, JUNE 18. STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE. The following Resolution was reported from the aboie Committee :-- That in the case of the Eastern Union and Eastern Counties Railway Companies (Amendment of Acts and Power to lease, sell, or amalgamate to or with the Eastern Counties Railway Company) Bill, petition for additional Provision, the standing orders ought to be dispensed with: — That the parties be permitted to introduce their additional Provision, if the Committee on the Bill shall think fit, on the insertion of a Clause, providing that fourteen days' previous notice of any meeting at which power shall be sought either to issue shares or to create new shares, setting forth,the pro posed mode of issuing such shares, shall be given by circular to each shareholder.—Resolution agreed to. PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS. (From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons.) MONDAY, JUNE 18. TRANSPORTATION FOR TREASON (IRELAND) BILL. Order for Second Reading read ; Motion made, and Ques tion proposed, "That the Bill be now read a.second time."— Amendment proposed, to leave .out from the word " That to the end of the Question, in order to add the words " William Smith, O'Brien, Thomas Francis Meagher, Terence Bellew M'Manus, and Patrick O'Donohoe, be hoard at the Bar of this ,house, by c )uns..l, agents, and witnesses, upon their Petition against the said Bill," instead thereof:---Ques tion put, " That the words proposed to be left out stand part of the Question." The llouse divided : MAJORIT Y—AYES, 178. Fitzpatrick, J. W. Mullings, J. R. Fordyce, A. D. Norreys, Lord Fertescue. Chichester Ogle, S. C. Freestun, Colonel Ord, W. Frewen, C. H. Paget, Lord A. Goulburn, Henry Paget, Lord Clarence Graham, Sir James Parker, John Granby, Marquis of Patten, J. W. Greenall, G. Feel, Sir Robert Greene Thomas Peel, Colonel Grey, Sir George Pigott, Francis Grey, R. W. Pinney, William Guest, Sir J. • Plowden,'W. H. Harris, Richard Plnmptre, J. P. Hastie, Alexander Price, Sir Robert Hawes, Benjamin Pugh, David layter, W. G. Repton, G. W. J. Ileadlam, Thomas Ricardo, Osman Hcathcoat, John Rice, E. R. Henry, Alexander Rich, Henry lorries, John C. • • Roebuck, J A. Vey wood, James Romilly, Sir John Heyworth, L. Russell, Lord J. Hobhouse, Sir John Russell, E. Hodges, T. L. ' Rutherfurd, A. Hope, Sir J. Salwey, Colonel Howard, Lord E. Sandars, George Howard, CW.G. • . Scholefield„William Howard, E. G. Shell, It. L. Jervis, Sir John Smith, Vernon Jolliffe, Sir Smith, M. Tucker Jones, Captain Smollett, A. Ker, Richard Somerville, Sir W. Kershaw, James Stanley, B. IL Kildare, Marquis Stansileld, W. R. C. Labouchere, Henry Stanton, W. H. Lascelles, W. S. Talfourd, Sergeant Lemon, Sir C. Ihicknesse, R. A. Lewis, Sir T. Thompson, Colonel Lewis, George C: Thornely, T. Lindsay, Colonel Trelawny, J. S. Lockhart, W. Vane, Lord H. Mackinnon, W. Vesey, Hon. T. M`Naghten, Sir E. Vivian, J. E. Maitland, Thomas Walsh, Sir J. B. Marshall, William Watkins, Colonel Martin; John Wawn, J. T. Martin, C.X. Wellesley, Lord C. Martin, Samuel Will West, F. R. Matheson, A. yams, H. Matheson, James Williamson, Sir 11. Matheson, Colonel Wilson, James Mauls, Fox Wilson, Matthew Melgund, Viscount Wood, Sir Charles Milner, W. M. Wood, W. P. Milton, Viscount Young, Sir John Mitchell, A. T. Morison, Sir W. Morris, David Mostyn, E. M. Mulgrave, Earl Abdy. T. N. Aclaud, Sir T. Adair. R. Shaft.) Alcock, Thomas Archdall, Captain Baines, M.' T. • Baring, Sir F. T. Barnard, E. G. Bass, M. 1!.. Bateson, Thomas Bellow, B. M. Berkeley, Captain Bernal, Ralph Bernard, Viscount Birch, Sir Thomas Blackall, S. W. Blair, Stephen Bowles, Admiral Boyle, Colonel Brernridge, Richard Brisoo, M. . Broadley, Henry Brocklehurst, John Brooke, Sir A. B. Brotlierton; J. Brown, W.' ' Bunbary, William Bunbury, Edward . Busfeild,William Campbell, W. F. Clay; James Clay, Sir W. Clements, Charles Cobbold, John C. Coke, E. Colebrooke; Sir T. Corry, H. Cowan, Charles Craig, W. G. Crowder, R. B. Currie, Henry Davie, Sir Henry Davies, D. A. S. Deedes, W. Denison, W. J. Dick, Quintin Drummond, Henry Drummond, Home Duckworth, Sir J. Duff, James Duncan, George Duncuft, John Dundas, Admiral Dundas, G. Dundee, Sir D. East, Sir J. B. Ebrington, Lord Edwards, H. Fergus, John Ferguson, Sir R. Fihner, Sir E. TELLERS. Taftell, Henry Hill, Lord Marcus MINORITY-NOES, 31. Anstey, T. C. Grattan, Henry O'Connor, Peargus Butler, P. S. Greene, John O'Flaherty, Anthony Caulfeild, J. M. Hamilton, G. A. Reynolds, John Devereux, John T. Keogh, William Roche, E. B. Dickson, Samuel Lawless, Cecil Scully, Francis Dunne, F. P. M'Cullagh ,W. T. Sullivan, Michael Fagan, William Monsell, William Tenison, E. K. Fox, R. M. Moore, George 11. Fox, W. J. Norreys, Sir D. TELLERS. French, F. Nugent, sir Percy Napier, Joseph Godson, R. O'Brien, J. O'Connell, John Grace, 0. D. O'Brien, Sir Lucius Question put, "That the Bill be now read a second time, The House divided : MAJORITY-AYES, 175. MINORITY—NOES, 19. Browne, R. D. Milnes, It. M. Somers, J. P. Butler, P. S. Monsell, William Sturt, Henry G. Devereux, J. T. Moore, G. H. Williams, John Fagan. W. O'Brien, Joha Fox, Richard M. O'Connell, John TELLERS. Grattan, Henry O'Flaherty, Anthony Anstey, Thomas C. Greene, John Reynolds, John Lawless, Cecil Keogh, William Scully, Francis The quantity of Irish spirits brought to charge for home consumption, in 1848, amounted to 7,022,758 galls., and the amount of duty received thereon to 81,0031. Of this spirit 507,23 0 gallons were distilled from malt only, 6,433,250 gallons from a mixture of malt and unmalted grain; 71,246 gallons from sugar or molasses and un mated grain; and 10,982 gallons from sugar. 77.c7r, tti S hole'oT the the Marquis of Abereorn, retired, when the company separated. The Noble and Gallant host, after seeing th Prince in his carriage, bade farewell to his gallant companions' in arms, and lionour,d the Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury by his presence at their fete to the Duchess of Gloucester. AMERICAN NEWS. LIVERPOOL, MONDAY.--The royal mail steam-ship, Caledonia, Captain Leitch, arrived in the Mersey shortly after noon, with advices from New York - to the sth, Boston to the 6th, and Hallifax to the Bth instant respectively. . The Niagara, hence, arrived at New York on the 2d instant. The Europa, hence, reached Hallifax on ;he sth instant. The following are the chief diplomatic appoint- ments of General Taylor : For Minister to Great Britain—Abbot Lawrence, of Massachussets, vice George Bancroft. For Minister to France—William C. Rives, of ,Vir- ginia, vice Richard Rush, Pennsylvania. For Miniaer to Chili (full mission)—Ballie Peyton, of Louisiana, vice Seth Barton, Louisiana, Chargé, the place being promised by Congress. Charge to New Grenada—Colonel M'Clung, of Mis sisbipi. vice B. A. Bidlack, decease& of Pennsylvania. Chargé to Venezuela—Colonel Foote, of Buffalo, New York, vice B. G. Shields, Alabama. Consul to Rio Janeiro—Governor Kent, Maine, vice Gorham Parks. Consul to Liverpool—Thomas L. Crittenden, of Ken tucky. For Minister to Constantinople—George P. Marsh, of Vermont, vice Dabney S. Carr. For Minister to Mexico (as reported)—Ex-Governor Letcher, of Kentucky, vice Nathan Cliilord. For Minister to Spain—Ex-Governor Graham, of North Carolina, vice Romulus M. Saunders, North Carolina. Domestic politics are totally devoid of interest. We learn from Canada that on the 31st ult. Gene ral Rowan (the Commander of the Forces), in the character of Deputy-Governor, proceeded to the Parliament building, and prorogued the Legislature. General Rowan was enthusiastically cheered by the multitude present, the majority of whom were of British origin. Several Bills were assented to, in cluding that for incorporating the Lake Champlain and St. Lawrence Canal Company. Property to the amount of 60,000 dolls. was de stroyed by fire at Mobile on the 27th ult. A correspondent says—" The cholera continues its ravages, and the mortality is great in the south and south-west—at New Orleans and St. Louis; but more especially among the emigrants overland, at California. You will form some idea of the number of these emigrants, when I inform you that up to the 18th, 2,850 emigrant waggons had crossed the river St. Joseph (Mo.), and at several landings thence to 'Council Bluff, 1,500. There is an average of four persons and eight oxen or mules to each waggon. Whole number now on the plains from St. Joseph and points above-4,350 waggons, 17,400 men, and 34,800 animals. The deaths are supposed to be fifty per day. One company of thirteen, from New York, lost twelve of the number by the cholera 1 In New York the deaths are not more than from six to eight per day, and average about one-third of the cases. In this city there have been but four deaths to the present time, and every pre caution necessary is adopted by the public authorities. The weather thus far has been remarkably cool for the season, a fact which we can hardly wonder at, when we read that a few days ago the island of Newfound lan I was hemmed in by a belt of_ice from sixty to eighty miles wide, so that passengers from ships had actually been obliged to walk over fifty miles of ice to reach the land. The hot weather, must, however, soon set in, and then it is feared that the mortality by cholera in the large cities will be considerable. The crevasse above New Orleans has not been stopped, and nearly two-thirds of that city are now under water, varying in depth from one to four feet. The damage to property has been immense, while bad health and many other evils will naturally follow the inundation. To show that afflictions seldom come singly, I clip the following brief paragraphs from two of the leading New Orleans journals. A plague of serpents ! Who would have dreamt of such a scourge? These poisonous reptiles are described as " gangs of deadly serpents." The New Orleans Bee says : " We learn that on Sunday last a man who was walk ing barefooted in the inundated portion of the First Municipality was bitten in the leg (propably by a mocosin snake), and shortly afterwards expired. On the same evening a little lad was either bitten by a similar animal or a congro, and died soon afterwards from the Effects." " The New Orleans Bulletin advises all who live in the inundated districts to beware of the gangs of snakes, which, driven out by the water, seek the shelter of houses. Already we have heard of several persons having been bitten, and in consequence we deem it proper to advise our friends to keep a bright look out for the reptiles. All who know their habits, understand well their penchant for a comforable coil between the sheets of a bed, or a snug retreat under the pillow." The accounts from California all agree that the gold is inexhaustible; one writer says—" one hun dred millions will be taken out annually in the course of two years !" Lieutenant Beale has exhibited spe cimens of lumps of Californian gold to the President of the United States, some weighing several ounces, and one weighing 71bs. Still, with all this, it must be admitted that the amount which has reached this country, thus far, is by no means large. In a circular issued in California by General Smith, " Head. Quarters, Pacific Division, San Francisco, Upper California, April 1,1849," there is the following passage: —" It would be well to inform all adventurers coming here in search of gold, that trespassing upon the public lands is punishable by fine and imprisonment, that al- though the position of affairs here, incident to the change of Government, has hitherto prevented action under these laws, yet they will be enforced as soon as the means are organized." Advises from Porto Rico to the 10th of May state the crop on the Island fell short full one-third of an average, owing to the great drought which prevailed during the spring. At the above date there were only two or three cargoes yet to be procured for this year, in the vicinity of Mayaguez; and in other parts of the island, scarcely any at all. During the pre vious 12 or 15 days it had rained continually, which caused the detention of vessels waiting for a cargo, owing to the very bad state of roads in the country. A lot of prime sugar was sold on the 16th at 3 dolls. 75c., this being about all in the market. We have dates from Rio Janeiro, via New York, to the 28th of April. It was reported at that city that the United States storeship Lexington had been spoken on her passage to New York, with 350,000 dolls. specie on board. From St. Domingo we learn that Soloque had re turned to Port-au-Prince from his expedition against the Dominicans, with the remains of his army, much reduced by starvation and loss sustained by the enemy. Coffee scarce ; logwood high in the market. We have accounts from Havannah to the 24th ult. The stock of rice in store was 221 casks, snd sales have been made of 80 casks old crop at 82fr rials. • We have dates from Buenos Ayres to the 7th of April. It was reported that Rosas and the French Government had agreed upon terms of settlement. The highest price for doubloons was 3.30, lowest 3 22. LATEST COMMERCIAL NEWS. NEW YORK, JUNE s.—Our money market continues to be abundantly supplied, and United States securities and good state securities consequently maintain high prices. Exchange on Europe is also advancing. For bills on London of the first class 109 is asked, and to some extent obtained. The average rate is Bi. On France. at short date, 5.20. For United States Sixes of '6B. with coupons, 114 was paid to-day, and as the transfer books closed on the Ist inst., this is ex dividend. Previous to the arrival of the news per Niagara Steamer on Saturday last, the market for flour was dull and inactive at former rates. There has since been more fi b r r m an n d e s ss of w s i t t a h te ou a t nd an i iv y e n s t c o r r e n a s e s e 1 0 l i f n g pr a ic t e 4 , d t o h l l e s. common brands of State and W e stern selling at 4 dol ls. .50c. to 2 t o 5 c 4 4 d s o o d l u l o s t l h . is e i r s s : 6 . k i ; 81. c. ic"nol'PsuarnaedreGhbeeelntdteesarstege47 d olls. dggdaotl . 7s4: 7 5c. t t o o dolls. 4 d s dolls. 87c., dolls.with moideractoorsnalmese.al soli aflto2urdoilnls.faB7lc.emfoarnjclearstey2 yellow. Wheat.—Holders are firm ; Ohio mixed bringing ooc. to 106 c., and Genessee white, 125 e. to 127 c.; rye, 58c. to 59c.; oats, 34c. to 36c. Indian corn, early in the past week, was quick at 63 to 63ic. for round yel low; but, on Saturday, the favourable news per Niagara caused an advance of one or two cents. One sale was made at 651-c. to fill a vessel. The market closed yes terday quite dull—there being no transactions for ex port; 64c. to 65c. was the asking price for round yellow Southern white brought 580. ; mixed Western 580. to 59e., and Southern fat yellow 60c. Holders now offer freely at the annexed quotations: N. Orleans, Texas, and Mobile. Florida. Uplands. Inferior . . none none 6 Ordinary ... Good ordinary Middling ... Good middling Middling fair Fair ... ..• ... 7 7 6il 4 ... 7-1 7 7 ... 71 7- 71 to 7i ... 7i to 7i- 7 71 71 ... 8 ... El tone 8 1 ' ni . es • market t i o s 9 better no f n o e r pork, B tid the Fu p ll r y oy fa is i i r ons sales are to a fair extent. About 600 bbls. changed hands at 9 dolls. 87ic. to 10 dolls. 12ic. for mess—the latter for extra brands; and 8 dolls. 25c. for prime. Beef is in moderate demand, with sales to the trade, at 11 dolls. to 11 dolls. 50e. for city and country mess; and 8 dolls. sc. for city prime. For lard the market is firm, and the sales are 300 bbls., at 6c. to 6lc. for common to good; and 61c. for prime; and 100 kegs, at Cut meats continue in demand, and quotations are firm. The sales are-100 casks dry salted shoulders, at 4*c.; 150 ditto pickled shoulders, at 4*c.; 40 hhds. plain hams, at s*c.; and 50 ditto ditto, extra, at 6ic. Butter and cheese are steady, with good inquiry. THE Ducurji• CORNIVALL.—The income of the Duchy of Cornwall for the year 1848 amounted to the sum of 67,521/., and the expenditure to 62,7321, leaving a balance in the hands of the Receiver-General of 4,7894 Os, 5i d. 1 1 1 I