The Sun. — London, England, 1849-04-24 00:00:00

GREAT GRIMSBY DOCKS. D e P i ng the last few days obtrusive handbills and imp' stun placards have been pressing, on the notice cc fse public the fact that, on Wednesday, the 18th of April, all persens desirous of availing themselves of the privilege might be conveyed at so much per head to Great Grimsby. Where and what is Greet Gtimsby? we have heard it asked ; an 1 we do not scruple to confess that it is not so very long since, uncon scious of the extent of ignorance of which we thereby stool convicted, we hazarded the very same inquiry ourselves. Great Grimby is a town in Lincolnshire, on the southern bank of the Humber. What it is now we need not trouble ourselves to describe ; what it may, and probably will, be before the world is many winters older, it might baffle the imaginative powers of railway projectors and auctioneers to conjecture. A few years ago a humble fishing village, great in nothing but its name, with a harbour silted up with the mud and sand that collects so plentiful* in the bed of the Humber, was all that presented itself, under that imposing denomi nation, to the gaze of the voyager steaming down the broad estuary from the inland seaport of Hull. But the magie wand of the capitalist has touched the spot; the genius of railway enterprise has smiled on and all the unbounded resources of English wealth, industry, and constructive skill are already employed in metamorphosing the insignificant village into a great and populous city. Within the lapse of two years, or three at most, piers and strong em bankments, running far out into the deep water, will have converted a vast area, over which the Husnber now rolls its tides, into a series of spacious and commodious docks, accessible at all times to the largest vessels. Substantial wharves, laid down with railways, and covered with extensive ranges of ware houses, will line the basins ; houses and churches will spring up on every side, and the quiet folks of Great Grimsby will find themselves surrounded by the bustle of a busy and populous seaport town. Being nearer to the sea by two hours than the port of Hull, and protected by the headland that guards the mouth of the estuary from the surges that lash the long and cheerless line of the inhospitable eastern coast, it may reasonably be expected that Great Grimsby will very soon absorb the greater part of the merthern steam-packet traffic, both inland and foreign, and become the principal place of resort for the ship ping that traverses the German Ocean. The docks will themselves form the terminus of a line of railway whieU spans the island, shooting across to Manchester and Liverpool, and entering the heart of the great web of railroad communication which is fast covering the northern counties. Thus it may be expected to become the main outlet for the exports of the manufacturing districts, as well as the focus of our large and daily increasing import trade with the Baltic and the countries of North Eaeope. The k agricultural counties of the east of England will receve through it their supplies of bones, of cake, and foreign manures, of which they have of late years consumed large quantities, and the demand fer which is rapidly extending under the influence of as improved system of tillage. It will export the salt of Cheshire and the woollens of the West Riding. In short, it will be the commercial metropolis of the east of England, the Liverpool of the German Ocean, distant (by railway) but a very few hours from its elder sister on the Atlantic. The laying of the first stone of this magnificent work was an event worthy of being graced by the presence of the illustrious personage whose visit to Lincolnshire we yesterday recorded. His Royal Highness appears to have borne his part in the cere mony with the tact and good-humoured urbanity which he invariably exhibits on such occa sions, and made, as he never fails to do, an apt and well-turned F peech. We sincerely regret that the unpropitious weather should have interfered with the cordial welcome pre pared for the consort and representative of her Ma jesty, and when he next goes down to lay a first stone or to walk over a Lincolnshire farm, we heartily wish him a bright sun and an unclouded sky. In truth, the cruel caprice of this most wintry of April seasons, seems to have shed a mast inauspicious dreariness over festivities which should have worn the air of warmth and cheerfulness suitable to the in auguration of a great undertaking. But the sober hopefulness of thie calculating age laughs at portents, and defies the malice of lowering clouds and angry skies. The new seaport, rising on the edge of a district which the ample capital and untiring industry of Englishmen have converted from a sterile quagmire into a trim and fertile wheatfield, is born under a fa vourable conjunction of circumstances over which the stars have no control. May it thrive and flourish as its founders desire, and may its promoters eat of the fruit of their ti*bours to their hearts' content ! It is in such undertakings as this that we see the most encouraging signs of' the vigour and vitality of the commercial and agricultural prosperity of England. Travel where you will throughout the countries of the old world, you meet et every turn traces of those tranecnigrations of capital. which no historian has rec ,rde'i, and of the traneitoriness of the opulence and grandeur which have been enjoyed in successive ages by different localities. As the streams of com merce have cut out for themselves fresh channels. and wandered into new courses—as the pioneers of civili zation have opened up for the inhabitants of densely populated countries unoccupied tracts of virgin fertility—the cries and countries which in their day had queened it most proudly amongst their fel lows, have lost, one by one, the pre-eminence their denizsns fondly fancied would L 3 ,ternal, and sunk, within the lapse of a few cen turi's, into dilapidation and decay. Grass has long been growing in the streets of Bruges and the great soetares of Ghent. Cologne and Venice are no longer tt,e resort of the traders of the East and West. The old Slavonian towns which lay along the now for e ,' een overland routes between Europe and Asia have e into oblivion ; Novogorod the Great is no longer et she was, and Holmgard on the Dwina is lost for „ r to the exploring inquirer among the snows of - :orsaken North. The great marts of Grecian and l'eeelician commerce, and—to remount to a still ear ; period—the vast and stately cities whose euins lie entombed under the soil of the Mesopotamian p s. leie what are they now ? Monuments of the in sta')llity of human things, abandoned by the merchant and ertizan to the antiquarian and the moralist. The wealth and industry which decked the plains of Asia and the shores of the Mediterranean, are gone to people and adorn the coasts of the far Atlantic. England, too, it has been said, awaits her allotted hour. The time will come, we have been told, when a traveller from New Zealand or South Australia shall stand upon a ruined arch of London-bridge to sketch the ruins of St Paul's. It may be so. The decrees of Providence may, in our ease as in a hun dred others, overturn the calculations of human fore sight. But, so far as we can rely on what experience and observation teach us, that time, if it shalt ever come at all, must be very far distant. With the blessing of Heaven, if we be true to our selves, we have long ages of prosperity before us. We lie on the great thoroughfare of commercial in tercourse; before the gates of the Old World, and on the highway to the New. Our accumulated capital —injurious as its concentration may prove in some respects to our social state our mi neral treasures, and the elastic energy of the Anglo-Saxon character, will keep us yet, as they have kept us hitherto, in the van of the march of industrial progress. And we may derive some confidence in the vigour and elasticity of the national fabric from observing how, as our old towns, rich in architectural beauty, and venerable from his torical and ecclesiastical associations, formerly the marts of our inland trade, become lifeless, dull, and deserted, new cities rise elsewhere, as if by enchant me et, in spots to which the flys of population and ca; ital, di,placed by new inventions and discoveries, has from time to time determined. The man of taste and sentiment may mourn over the change, and con trast Lincoln Cathedral and the noble Minster of York with the cheap churches and commodious meeting - houses which will in due time embellish the town of Greet Grimsby.. But let him console him self. He is seeking to arrest the. operation of an un varying law, which, whilst it has ruined other coun tries, has but enhanced the prosperity of his own, changing, it is true, its features, and perhaps defacing those which in his eyes were most attractive. Let him reflect that he will be better employed in im proving and refining the character and tone of his own generation than in bewailing its degeneracy. Let him, we sa y, take comfort, and not refuse to join CI-, directors of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lin e ,;nshire Railway Company, in celebrating, with the nil of Messrs. Bathe and Breach, of the London .iv.rn, the anticipated, triumphs of Great Grimsby Ducks. — Chronicle. THE BRHED or HORSES in FRANCE. At th e l as t sitting of the Academy of Sciences, M. Duvaernineey member, in the name of a committee of which he is report on a paper by M. Richard, director o f them T r, ° , a laras. M. Richard states, that horses artificially bred and trained for racing are of too delicat e a nature . to on useful fur military purposes; that the mixture of the English race-horse with the Preach breed railer io,!Rriorates than improves the latter; that the only rac e , of horses in France which have prospered, or have not deterioratA, are those used in. agriculture, and i'od by agriculturists; that the Arabian horse, well etw.ten, is the only foreign race proper to revive the breed of light horses in Franet!, such as were used before 790, by crossing them with the breeds of Auvergne, the Limousin, and the Pyreneu. The report agrees with M. Richard as to the unfavourable results of mixing the English pure Wood-horse with the French race, and thinks his opinion in fav,Air of the exiesixture of Arab blood v er y rational. The report, which has been adopted by the Academy, concludes by recommending that the thanks of that body shall be given to M. Richard for his communication. The Commissioners for investigating the application of iron in railway structures had a meeting on Saturday at the Office of the Board, of Trade, Lord Wrottesley presiding. GREAT INDIAN PENINSULA RAILWAY. The annual general meeting of the proprietors of the shore railway was held 3 e -t-relay, at . the London Tavern, Biihopnate•street; In - rd When:elide in the chair. The report stated that, after protracted negettations with the nourable East India Company, the directors had at length obtained from the Court terms securing in the in :ail:num interest of five per cent. upon a capital the first instance of 500,0001., which they trust the proprietors will receive with satisfaction. These terms of guarantee were even more favourable to the company than what were contemplated in the pro spectus issued by the directors in July last, the chief points of difference being the omission of the confisca tion clause, a concession of interest extending over a period of 99 years in place of 25 years, and the condi tional augmentation of the capital of the company to 1,000,000/. sterling. The directors had effected the allotment of shares-70,000 in England and 30,000 in Bombay. The subscription contract (required to be submitted to the court) was in course of execution, and would be completed within the specified period. Shareholders had the option, at their discretion, of paying the whole 51. per share at once, or the de posit and calls when made, which were to be spread over three years; and the interest would accrue upon what ever sums were paid from the respective dates of pay ment into the treasury,of the Honourable East India Com pany. It was proposed, when the company was f u lly constituted, to issue share certificates carrying interest coupons in respect to such shares as may be wholly paid up. The extension capital would be offered rateably to holders of the present shares, in such manner as may be deemed most advantageous and desirable, on every exten sion of the undertaking, ing, either by pre-empti on o f f urt h er issues, or by an optionalincrease in the nominal amount of the shares proportionate to the augmentation of capital, from time to time, as the railway may progress. It would be gratifying to the shareholders in England to know, that, in Bombay, where the merits of the un dertaking, as a mercantile enterprise, may be presumed to be best estimated, the most sanguine anticipations were entertained of its succe ss . Th e li st o f shareholders thereincludes the names of almost all the principal officers of the Government, and many of the leading merchants in Western India; whilst the gentlemen who compose the auxiliary committee in Bombay in connexion with this board, and under whose personal superintendence the active operations of the company would be conducted, are gentlemen upon whose judg• ment, integrity and vigilance the utmost confidence may be placed. The directorshal only further to add that, with respect to the estimates for the first section, between Bom bay and Callian they had the most implicit confidence in their sufficiency. The sums estimated to cover the cost of works and materials were based on the most trustworthy data, and confirmed by actual tenders from experienced contractors. In regard to future extensions of the line, the directors, in conjunction with the local committee, would not fail to fortify the interests of the property by whatever means experience in the first section may afford, meanwhile adopting the improvements and avoiding the errors apparent in the conduct of existing railways, and observing the most rigorous economy in every depart ment of the business of the company. With such rules of conduct for their guidance, and encouraged by the confidence of the proprietary, the directors had no fears of being able to carry out to the fullest extent contem plated, and with the most entire success, thisimportant undertaking. The balance-sheet showed the amount received to be 22,3814, and the expenditure to be such as to leave a balance in hand amounting to 1661. The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report, expressed his gratification that they had arrived at a point when they could enter upon the execution of a portion of the line with spirit and energy, and gave it as his decided opinion that no Indian railway had been suggested which was likely to prove of so much practical importance to this country, as the one they were em barked in. THE SUN, those which were bound for Dantzic, Pillau, and Konigsberg, to Mernel, and aote for Stettin to Weimar. This answer was likewise returned by the Danish Regation to the British Ambassador and other parties who made a similar request. No party what ever has, therefore, obtained free permission. The subject now under consideration in the Second Chamber is the alien questiun, by which foreigners will receive a great extension of their privileges. The Netherlands East India mail has brought letters and papers from Batavia to the 27th of February, and Java to the 24th of February. The whole colony of Batavia is occupied in preparing an expedition against Bali ; the expedition was to have set out on the 24th, but the preliminary arrange ments not being complete, it was deferred to the 15th of March. Great and effective preparations were being made, in order to ensure complete success, and the entire conquest of the island. The commandant of the last expedition, which had such an unfortunate issue, has been recalled by General Vander Wyck, and will immediately repair to Holland to answer the charges made against him, but which he attributes entirely to the Governor-General. The inundations have been fearful in the Nether lands Indies, and entire plantations have been quite destroyed.—Dutch Papers, April 21. LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING ; APRIL 24, 1'249. Finally, for comparison with coal gas at a distance from the mines, it was stated, that while to produce one thrusapd cubic feet of gas, at least t'xo hundred pounds of coal must be transported, one gallon of' Bonzole did not weigh more than seven pounds; this, in carriage, would give Balzole an advantage of twenty-eight to one over coal as a source of light. In the discussion which ensued, high encomiums were passed upon the talent and patient labour exhi bited by Mr. Mansfield in the investigation of this important subject, which promised to lead to most remarkable results, as an extension of gas lighting to positions where it had not before been considered applicable. The paper announcee to he read at the meeting of Tuesday, April 24, was " On Locomotive Engines," by Mr. T. R. Crampton, Assoc. Inst. C. E. BELGI UM. BRUSSELS, APRIL 20.—Great satisfaction has been expressed here by the fact that the King of Hol land has conferred upon his ➢Majesty the King of Belgium the order of the Grand Cross of the Netherlands. On the 18th, Baron Bentinck was received by the King in an official audience, and presented his letters plenipotentiary, and had, at the same time, the honour of giving the King the in signia from the King of Holland. INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 1849. William Cubitt, Esq., Vice-President, in the chair. The discussion on Mr. Browne's " Account of the Groynes at the new Harbour at Sunderland," was continued throughout the meeting. At the monthly ballot, the following candidates were duly elected :—Messrs. W. B. Ulegram, J. Fenton, J. Matthew, and NV. Radford, as Members ; the flight Hon. the Earl of Lovelace, W. G. Arm strong, J. Chubb, J. Francis, Soren Hjorth, and W. Piper, as Associvtes. TUESDAY, APRIL 17. Robert Stephenson, Esq., M.P., V.P., in the chair. The paper read was " On an Application of certain Liquid Hydrocarbons to Artificial Illumination," by Mr. C. B. Mansfield, B.A. The paper first noticed, that liquid hydrocarbons had been comparatively little used for the production of artificial light ; and that, in the instances in which they had been applied, their liquidity, and not their evaporability, had been turned to account. In the use of the common volatile oils, the excess of carbon in their composition was the great diffi culty; but when that was surmounted, that excess became an actual benefit. There were two methods of rendering this carbon efficient as " light fuel," when advantage was taken of the volatility of the substances; one was, to cause vapour, as it escaped from a jet, to mix rapidly with the air. The other, to mix the vapour, before com bustion, with other gaseous matters containing less carbon. The adoption of the first of these was instanced in Holliday's recently patented naptha lamp. The second, consisted of the new arrangements described in the paper. This principle was carried into practice in two ways. The first (which was illustrated by a lamp that was burning on the table) was effected by mixing the hydrocarbons with some other inflammable spirit containing very little carbon. The mixture was described as being made in certain definite propor tions, which ensured a perfectly white light, and from which any deviation would result in a fl tine of inferior quality—pale, if . the hydrocarbon were deficient—smoky, if the mixture were poor in spirit. The ingredients most accessible in this country were stated to be wood, spirit, and a volatile oil from coal naptha, in the proportions of two-thirds of the former to one-third of the latter. Alcohol and oil of turpentine had been similarly used on the continent, though the former was too dear fur use in England. The other adaptation of the same principle, and that which it was the chief object of the paper to describe, was the dilution of the hydrocarbon vapours with permanent gases of inferior, or even of no illuminating powers. That application might be called the napthalization of gas, or the gasizetion of naptha, according as its main object was to enhance the service of the gas, or to utilize the liquid ; the latter was the object of the new proposal described in the paper. The former had been already accomplished by preceding in ventors. The first invention was that of Mr. Donovan in 1830, who proposed to confer illuminating power on gases that were inflammable, but not lutniniferous, by charging them with the vapour of hydrocarbons ; but from the want of a sufficiently volatile fluid, he was compelted to have a reservoir close to every burner. The next application was that of Mr. Lowe, who increased the light obtained from coal gas by passing it over surfaces of naptha. Mr. Beale's air light was then noticed; its object was to use hydro carbons for illumination, by passing a cArent of air through vessels containing those liquids. There existed, however, the same obstacles to this plan as to that of Mr. Donovan, viz., the heat required to evapo rate the only liquid hydrocarbons then accessible. The paper represented that at length the difficulty had been solved, by the discovery of a liquid hydro carbon, as volatile as spirits of wine, but containing sufficient carbon for the most perfect light, and obtainable in any quantity. This h3drocarbon was procured from coal tar, and was called "Benzole." Its volatility was such as to enable i t to napthalize atmospheric air as effectually as ordinary naptha did coal gas. The system proposed by the author (which was illustrated in the room by a working apparatus) con sisted in conducting a stream of almost any gas, or even of atmospheric air, through a reservoir charged with Benzole or some other equally volatile hydro carbon ; the gas or air so napthalized being then conducted like common coal gas through pipes to the burners. It was stated that the system was applicable on any scale, from the dimensions of town gas works to the compass of a table lamp. In the apparatus exhibited, a small gas-holder, filled by a pair of bellows, supplied common air through pipes. The gases formed by passing steam over red hot coke would answer well for this purpose, and it would depend on local circumstances whether this mode of generating the current would be preferable to the expenditure of the mechanical force necessary for driving atmospheric air through the pipes. Pure oxygen charged with the vapour would explode on ignition ; it was therefore suggested that this might prove a useful source of motive force. It was, how ever, stated to be difficult to form an explosive mix ture of the vapour with common air. By decom posing water with the voltaic battery, napthalizing the hydrogen with Benzole, and burning it with the aid of the equivalently liberated oxygen, a simple light of intense power might be obtained. The sys tem was shown to be a great simplification of the ordinary system of gas-lighting, as no retorts, refri gerators, purifiers, or meters were required, and the products of combustion were as pure as those from the finest wax. It was expected that the elegance of the material and the simplicity of the apparatus would induce its introduction into buildings and apartments where coal gas was not now considered admissible. The apparatus and conditions necessary for the success of the method were, a flow of cheap gas, or of air, driven through pipes by any known motive power, and a reservoir of the volatile spirit through which the main pipe must pass in some convenient part of its course ; these pipes and reservoirs being protected from the cold. It was stated, that though the liquid did not require to be heated above the average temperature of the air, it was liable to be come cooled by its own evaporation, so as to require an artificial supply of warmth. This was readily HOLLAND. effected by causing a small jet of flame of the gas THE HAGUE, APRIL 20.—The Sleets Courant itself to play upon the reservoir, and by a simple con publishes the comparative table of receipts and tri ance, called a " Thermostat," by which the flame e xpenditure for the first three months of 1848 and was shut off when necessary, the temperature could be 1849. The receipts, which, in 1848 , amounted to fal lmade self-regulating, so as ' n ever to rise above or below a proper degree. The cooling due to the 12,587,483 ff., have been, in 1849, only 12,482,305f1. evaporation would, of course, be inversely propor - In the first three mont hs of 1849, as com p ared with tionate to the quantity of liquid in the reservoir. If the corresponding period last year, there has been atmospheric air was used as the vehicle for the vapour, an increase of 271,28511. (4,297,467f1. against 4,026,19011.) on t he direct taxes ; of 112,69511. the jet holes in the burner, from which it escaped for combustion, must be slightly larger than those for coal (1,005,283f1. against 892,587f1.); on entrance and gas. Some burners, contrived for the purpose of accu rately adjusting the size of the orifice to the quanity of o x e , i B t dues, navigation du es, &c. ; of 176,308f1. 89ontheexcisL; luminiferous matter escaping, were exhibited and of 2,17311.,969 ( 11 2 . 9, a 6 g 0 a 7 i fi n . s t against4,7l3 27,43311 .) ,660.), on patents described; they were made so that by moving a part gold and silver work ; and 30011. for the lottery ; of the burner, any required quality of flame, from on the other hand, there has been a diminution of lightless blue to smoky, could be obtained, there be -636,7991 on registration, stamps, and succession ing a medium point at which the most perfect bril taxes (4,927,91811. against 2,564,7181); an'l of Haney was arrived at. The burners would answer 31,1426. on postage (331,560fi. against 362,70911.). equally well for coal gas, though that material could The exact diminution for the first three months of not, even by them, be made to evolve so white and 1849 is 105,17711 pure a light as that from Benzole vapour. The Stoats Courant of the 21st contains an an- In conclusion, some data were given on which a nouncement by the Minister I' . of Finance that a capital calculation of price was founded. of 7,995,4008. in treasury bills agallo n of Benzole, of the de the has been issued to It was stated, that 31st of March, in accordance with the laws of the gree of purity requisite for t h e purpose, would cost 20th Dec. 1840, and the 30t h Oct 1848• about two shillings and sixpence; to this, the expense Accounts of the 14th, from * the Netherlands ambassador Copenhagen, s. state that of the air current and the interest of the original out• Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs applied to the lay on apparatus was to be added. This the author for all the Netherlands vessels, whichhia°dr permission presumed would not raise the cost to more than four Sound since the 21st of March, to proceed the shillings fur the consumption of a gallon of Benzole. unrn block- °- It was stated, that one ounce of t hat li q uid would lested to the - various Prussian ha r b ours now aded, for which they were bound. Thi s re give a light equal to four wax candles, of four to the has been refused by the ambassador, i n consequenc e q uest pound, for one hour, or one gallon for about one bun of which those vessels must run into the h ar b ours dred and twenty hours. It was inferred that a gal nearest to the blockaded harbour of their destination ; ion of this material was equivalent to about one thousand cubic feet of coal gas. The report was unanimously adopted and resolutions were agreed to in accordance with the recommendations it contained; after which a gratuity was voted to the directors for their service.; from the commencement of the company. Thanks were then voted to the Noble Chairman, and the meeting terminated. LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF QUEEZ'S BENCH, April 23. :SittiaKs in Banc before Mr. Justice PArrnsoN, Mr. Justice COLERIDGE, and Mr. Justice ERLE.) MARSEY V. LUNN. Mr. WILLIS moved fur a rule calling on the plain: tiff to show cause why further proceedings should not be stayed until he proved his debt before the Master i❑ Chancery. The action was brought against the defendant as one of the eontributaries of the Universal Salvage Company, the affairs of which had been wound up under " the Joint-stock Companies %Vinding-up Act" (11 and 12 Vic.) This Act, wltch passed pending the proceedings, provides, amongst other matters, that the plaintiff should prove his debt befora the Master in Chancery, and that it was allowable to the defendant to make an application to a judge in chambers to stay proceedings until the debt were proved. The application was made to Mr. Justice Coleridge, who thought the question of suf ficient importance tocome before the Court—the question at issue being, whether a plaintiff having obtained judg ment against one of the cunt! ibutaries of a joint stock company, could be compelled at the winding up to prove against the company g4-nerally. The Court granted a rule. AUSTRIA. The Allgenzeine Zeitung has a letter from Vienna of the 15th inst., which contains some particulars of the occupation of Waitzen by the imperial troops under General Czorich. It would appear that this movement of the Austrian army is less the result of a victory than of a fault. The Hungarian General Georgey, after taking Waitzen in that memorable engagement which caused the death of the veteran General Got; followed the retreating Imperial army across the Danube, and proceeded on the road to Comorn, leaving \% aitzen (ot which the sole importance consists in its being a crossing-place on the Danube) garrisoned by but one battalion of Honveds. It appears that Georgey's troops moved against Comorn in a totally different direction from that which the Imperialists anticipated, and that the latter were consequently misled by a delusion of Georgey's corps having fallen back upon Waitzen. General Czorich resolved to follow up his good luck, and, rallying his troops he led them back upon Waitzen, which was taken by so slight an engagement that it must have opened the eyes of the Imperial General. The present positions are such that General Czorich's corps is indeed in possession of Waitzen, but that it has no means of preventing the march of the Hungarians to Comorn, being in fact in the rear of the latter at the very moment when they thought they were confront ing Georgey's forces. Georgey himself has advanced to Gran, where he is opposed by 10,000 Austrians — fresh arrivals from Bohemia, who are in possession of the pontoon bridge over the Danube. The last news is that a smart cannonade has been heard in that direction, but nothing has as yet transpired of the re sult of the engagement. Some battalions of the Hungarians have lately made strenuous efforts to cross the Danube at St. Andre, below Pesth, the place which was distin guished by the engagement of the 10th instant. They have occupied the island of Pletten, in the midst of the river, and make frequent excursions into the country on the other bank, but they are held in check by the Imperial Colonel Horvath and his bat talions. The cannonade from either bank is kept up with great spirit. The bulk of the two hostile armies is still in front of Pesth. The late rumours of a retreat of the Hun garians prove incorrect. Count Schlick, the Austrian General, and the Hungarian commander Dembinski, are each in their respective positions on the plain of Rakosh. It appears that the insurgents intend pre venting General Schlick's corps to interefere with the battle which the Austrian and Hungarian troops are fighting at Gran, while the Imperialists, in their turn, seem disposed not to press the point, but to wait for succour from Austria. The Hungarian forces which crossed the Danube near Foldvar have not marched from Weissenburg to Buda as was expected, but they have gone down the banks of the river to assist in the operations of the Hungarian army against the Servians, and to fight the Austrian blockading forces at Peterwardein, The Servian Patriarch has fled to Semlin, and the whole of the Woywodina is in the hands of the Hun garians. Kanisha, a large town in the county of Z3lad, has taken up arms and espoused the cause of Kossuth. There is no news from Transylvania. COL. FRENIONT'S EXPEDITION. The disastrous accounts from Colonel Fremont, which have so painfully excited the public mind for some days past, have induced us to inquire at the source most probable to have the best information, or the best opi nions, in relation to his position. The result of this inquiry authorises the belief that some of the most pain ful of these reports must be unfounded. All that to lates to the perishing of the party by hunger and starva tion are certainly so. Colonel Fremont wrote from the Pueblos, near the head of the Arkansas, when about to cross the first range of mountains on the last of Novem ber, that his supplies were ample to carry him through —that he had more flour than he wanted, and left some behind—plenty of meat, and a reserve of sugar and coffee, and maccaroni for hard times, and for the sick or disabled. Thus he had abundant provisions, besides the resource of above one hundred horses and mules, which, dead or alive, would be a support to 35 men. If frozen to death these animals would remain in that state until spring, and conti nue soun d ; so t h a t there was no danger of death by starvation. That they perished of cold is another of the painful rumours. This is improbable, though the cold must have been dreadful, and the snows fearfully deep. All accounts, as he ap proached the mountains, from Indians and traders, repre sonted the winter as premature and unusually severe. So much snow, so early in the season, all agreed, had never been seen. It was in the last days of November that he began to climb the mountain range (above the Spanish Peaks) which divides the valley of the Upper Arkansas from the head of the Rio del Norte, la titude about 36k, longitude about 106. The snow was about breast deep to the horses when the party was last seen, about five miles from the summit. Up o this point the accounts are authentic, two men from the Pueblos having followed to join Colonel Fre mont, but whom he did not receive—probably not know ing them, it being his rule to take none but reliable men, whom he knew, i n t h ese d angerous ex p e diti o ns. There is no doubt b u t th a t C o l one l F remon t go t over this first range of mountain s , and thus entered the valley of the Del Norte, near the head of the river, and about 3 deg. north of Santa F 6. A greater obstacle was still before him—the great central chain of the Rocky Mountains, there called Sierra Madre. He knew the difficulty of crossing this great barrier, there reaching the region of perpetual snow, and, if unable to do it, expected to winter in some core or valley where there might be forests of evergreens, cedar especially, which would furnish shelter, and probably game, with some dried grass and soft wood for their horses to live upon. The account of his coming to Taos, which is about a degree north of St. Louis, is proof that he did not cross the Sierra Madre; and, as he came in for horses, he had probably lost all his by the cold and deep snows which he encountered after getting into the valley of the Del Norte. To judge of that de gree of cold and depth of snow it is necessary to refer to what they were known to be at Santa F 6, on the 16th of December, say two weeks after Colonel Fremont had crossed into the valley of Del Norte. The Santa Fe Re publican, received up to that day, says that the thermo meter (Fshrenheit) was 20 deg. below zero—(s2 deg. be low the freezing point); that the snows were over the backs of the horses in the gorges of the mountains; that a detachment of troops with four guides, which had gene out in pursuit of some marauding Indians, had become in volved in these snows, and with difficulty extricated them selves; that all travelling was stopped; that persons had been frozen to death; and that such prematurity and in tensity of cold and depth of snow had never been wit nessed. This was at Santa Fe, about north lat. 35 deg. 40 min., long. 106 deg., and at an elevation of 7,000 1.-et above the level of the sea. At that same time Colonel Freenoet and his party must have been 3 deg. further north, and about deg. fut ther west, and at an elevation (supposing the valley to continue rising to near its gorge in the Sierra Madre) of near 8, 000 feet. The cold , there fore, must have been greater, and the snow deeper , than at Santa Fe—greater and deeper than the cold and snows w hich killed the 30,000 horses of the French army in oue night in Russia. It is probable, then, that Colonel Fremont's animals were all killed near the head of the Rio Grande del Norte. But the same pro bability does not hold with respect to his men. They had resources which the poor animals had not. Be sides, they knew their danger, and were prepared for it. Colonel Fremont wrote from Bent's Fort—in sight of the mountains—that he had his party in the most perFect order, and every precaution taken for their safety. They knew what cold was. Part of them had climbed the Sierra Nevada with him, when half the horses perished, but no men. Part had cro&.ed the Santa Barbara mountain with him on Christmas day, 1846, when above 100 horses (Californian horses) perished in a day, but no men. It is probable, then, that none of his men perished in this terrible cold, and that is the belief of the best authority on the subject. That he came alone, as it was said, to Taos, is no sign that his men were dead. It was his custom, when his party were in danger, and needed relief, to go himself arid bring it, first making them as s.fe as possible, taking two or three men with him (of whom his faithful servant Jacob, new a messenger to the senate, was always one). That ho was on foot only proves the loss of the horses ; that he made 350 miles, as re ported, in nine days, is proof that his feet were not frozen; that he went back with Major Beale, who went out with relief; is proof that he expected to relieve his men, and enable them to come in. It is probable that. early in February he had them refitted, and remounted in the settlement of New Mexico, and renewed his expe dition, crossing the Sierra Madre lower down. This is the probable state of the party—horses lost, but no men, and the expedition baulked or delayed two or three every hour, thoug whhheree had dy sever were. been lie k months. The supposition that the p ar ty l ost t h e i r way is wholly unwarranted. Colonel Fremont mar k e d out his whole route before he set out, and h e an d hi s men l t c h n ne s er w we , everybefor e .—N ational to g dayo to and T aoe , Int e lli gencer, March 30. t h e Amphitrite, C a p t . S . T. Grave van Linburg COLLISION. — The Dutch m an o f war corvette, of arrived at Spithead on W e d nesday evening, at s2s seven vy g er u nu °M o s: Clock. She saluted the garrison with twenty one guns, and the Commander-in -Chief, Admiral Sir B. Capel, with seventeen guns, yesterday morning, at nine o'clock; which salutes were replied to by the Vic tory and Platform Battery. She was afterwards towed into harbour by the Echo steamer. She is from the the 17th bound to w o the he West :s an t l in n g ddieso.wn Channel, Aboutm between t ec o n n the Ness and Beachyhead, she came in contact with the Mary Ann, schooner, of London, from Cadiz, bound to London, last from Plymouth, laden with wine. The night was dark and the wind blowing fresh. The crew of the Mary Ann, consisting of the captain and five men, took refuge on board the Amphitrite. The former vessel last her masts, and was stove in. The Amphitrite lost jib-boom, part of cutwater, and, we hear, makes water. The Mary Ann did not sink, and when last seen was drifting over towards the coast of France. She will, no doubt, be a good prize for some of the fishing boats, us her cargo (about 90 tons of wine) wiK prevent her sinking. Captain Grave, accom paniedwaited. on the Commander-in-Chief after the Amphitrite .She will be refitted at the dockyard, by M. Van denbour g , the Consul for Holland, came into and will, probably, go into dock before she proceeds on to the West Indies. _ SUICIDE AT THE DUKE OF DEVONSIIIRE'S.—On Friday, Mr. William Pell, who had fur many years held the situation of secretary to his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, in addition to an office in the Board of Green Cloth, drowned himself in an iron tank sunk in the garden. The tank was only three feet in length, and about eighteen inches in depth, and was filled with water.—Yesterday afternoon an inquest was held on the body, when the jury returned a verdict of " Tem porary insanity." PRESTON AND LONGRIDGE.—At the half-yearly general meeting of the proprietors of the Preston and Longridge Railway, held at the office of the Fleetwood, Preston, and West Riding Junction Railway Company, 01 Thursday last, C. Swainson, sen., Esq., in the chair, a dividend of 12s. per share (clear from income-tax) was declared, for the half-year ending 30th June next.— Preston Chronicle. ROYAL MUNIFICENCE.—At a meeting of the go vernors and committee of the Adult Deaf and Dumb Institution, 26, Red Lion-square, Bloomsbury, J. Michael, Esq., in the chair, it was stated that a commu nication had been received from George Maule, E 51., the solicitor to the Treasury, announcing a very liberal gift from her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen. The letter of Mr. Maule stated that the property of the late Thomas thine, Esq., who died intestate, having reverted to the Crown, her Majesty had been pleased to sign a warrant, directing a dona tion of two hundred pounds to be paid out of the said estate towards the purposes and objects of the institution for the adult deaf and dumb. J. G. Simpson, Esq., to whom the above had been addressed, observed that the munificence of her Majesty was a most timely aid to the funds of the charity, not alone as re , ards the want of funds for general purposes, but as indicat ing, he hoped, an early increase in its operation,t, for which it was to be regretted too great a necessity existed. STATE OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY.—It has been stated that the Dean of Westminster has, with his well known liberality and enthusiasm, resolved to apply a considerable portion of his income to the repairs and im provements of the Abbey ; but the following extra ordinary circumstances have not yet been made known to the public, though they are deeply interesting. Dr. Buckland having determined to set a noble example, very judiciously began by a close investigation of the actual state of the edifice; and lo! it has been discovered that buttresses and other essential parts of the building are in a dilapidated, and even imminently dangerous condition, so as to threaten with destruction some of the venerable Royal chapels, and the unequalled national relics they contain. It ia, indeed, fortunate that the appointment of a dignitary alike remarkable for rare acquirements in science and a generous disposition, has saved the country from the impending misfortune, and the Abbey authorities from unavailing reproaches,-- Builder, IMPERIAL P tRLIAMENT. HOUSE 0]! LO RD S , Apr il 23. LonD CIIA.NCELLOR tOOk ;1201 010 Wool sack at Five o'clock. The Bishop of WORCESTER, prc-s-nteJ F_::: , vc,r.l peti tions in favour of the Pr: , vention of Seduction Bill. Tbe Earl of H II,OW BY prevnted several petitions prayin for an Atnendmeot, of the lawa regulating beer shop;. :3ALE . OF LANDS (NEW SOUTH AVALEI'i) BILL. Oil the motion of Earl GREY this Bill was real a second time. ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND, REBUILDING BILL. Earl GREY moved the second reading of this Agreed to. AFFAIRS OF ROME. Lord 13ROUGIIA NI asked if it was true that the Roman and Tuscan Republicans had laid a sacrilegious hand on the works of art, and had sold them. He hoped that those rumours were false ; indeed, he knew that the rumour that one of the greatest of the works of art had been bought by an agent of the linit,l States, was incorrect. Ile had also heard that a member of their Lordships' louse had purchased the Transfiguration; this he believed was false, and he could nut believe that any person in the station of their Lordships would purchase such works, unless for the purpose of restoring them; but he feared some of the lesser works of art might be purchased by persons in this country, and he hoped some measures would be adopted to pre vent these works from being disposed of in this country, as the want of title to dispose of them was notorious. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE believed that the reports were very much exaggerated, and that the great works of art had not been touched, nor had any attempt been made to dispose of them. With regard to the smaller works of art, he was not able to speak so positively, but he agreed with the Noble and Learned Lord in denouncing any attempt to dispose of them, and he did not believe that any person in this country would disgrace himself by purchasing them. Lard REDESDALE said that he hoped that no person would purchase these works of art; but if ever there was a de facto Government, it was the Government of Rome, and no thing but foreign intervention would put it down; and he believed, if speculators chose to purchase, that Go vernment could give a good title, and as to its having been established by murder, every revolutionary Go vernment had been so established. MESSRS. MARRINER AND CHADWICK. Lord BEAUMONT moved that the petition of those gentlemen to be released from custody be taken into con sideration. Lord MONTEAGLE thought their Lordships had sufficiently vindicated its privileges, and therefore would not object to their release. Earl GREY thought their Lordships were indebted to his Noble Friend for the steps he had taken to vindicate the privileges of their Lordships' House; but he hoped it would be understood that, should a similar case occur again, the parties would not be so leniently dealt with. Lord BROUGHAM, having understood that both these gentlemen were labouring under severe indisposi tion, would not oppose their release. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE thought if they were released, that release should be accompanied by a solemn reprimand. He thought the House was greatly indebted tot his Noble Friend who had! brought this subject forward. Lord BEAUMONT would not attempt to palliate the misconduct of these parties, and he moved that they be reprimanded at the bar, and then discharged on pay ment of their fees. The motion was agreed to, and Messrs. Chadwick and Marriner were br.uht to the bar. The LORD CHANCELLOR then took his seat on the Woolsack, and, putting; on his hat, reprimanded them, after which they were ordered to bo discharged, on payment of the fees PETITIONS. Earl POWIS presented several petitions against (as we understood) any alteration in the law prohibiting marriage with a deceased wife's sister. POOR-LAWS (IRELAND) COMMISSION. The Earl of DEVON asked whether the report of the Poor-law Commissioners of IrelAnd would be laid on the table, or whether the Government intended to act on the recommendation of the report? The Marquis of LANSDOWNE was understood to say that the Government were prepared to recommend certain alterations in the sense of the report ; hut his reply was so inaudable that it was scarcely possible to catch its purport. NAVIGATION LAWS. The Marquis of LANSDO WNE presented a petition from the Mayor, Aldermen, and Town Council of Man chester, praying for a repeal of the navigation-laws. AFFAIRS OF THE RIVER, PLATE. The Earl of HARRO WBY moved for copies of all instructions given to British envoys to the repuilics situated on the River Plate since the instructions issued to Mr. Ouseley in 1846. Since that period we have had no information officially of what was going for ward on the affairs of the River Plate, although we had two formal missions to and two irregular communications with General Rosas, the President of the Argentine Republic. The mission of Mr. Ouseley, who was sent out in conjunction with a French envoy, was unsuccessful; the missions of Lord Howden and of all the other envoys had been equally so. The last envoy, Mr. Southern, had not been officially received, although he had been permitted to reside in a private house, and the President of the Argentine Confederation had offered all insult to Great Britain such as had never before been offered to her. He wished to have official information on this subject, and that was the reason why he now moved for those papers. At present they knew nothing offi cially. All they knew was, that the interference of the two most powerful nations in Europe had been treated with contumely by the President of the Argentine Con federation. Those negotiations were now over and completed, and there could, therefore, be no ground for withholding information. They had heard mysteri ously, from papers communicated to the Legislatures of ether states, that the contending parties were willing to accept certain bases, termed " Hood's bases," with cer tain modifications; but what those bases or modifications were they did not know. It had been the policy of the President of the Argentine Confederation to create a feeling of jealousy between the two mediating powers, and he feared that to a certain extent he had succeeded in sowing discord between the two nations on that question. Lord Howden ha I gone over to Buenos Ayres in the beginning of 1847, remained there in nego tiation with the President Rosas for a considerable time, and at last, being dissatisfied with the ill-progress of those negotiations, had crossed the water and gone to Monte Video. There he communicated with the Presi dent of Monte Video, and announced to him that having failed in effecting a settlement with Rosas, he proposed to address himself to the military commander of the army besieging Monte Video. He accordingly went to Gen. Oribe, and proposed a convention, to which, however, chat General refused to accede, except on certain modi fications being made. Lord Howden, then, without fur ther communication with Monte Video, declared his mis sion at an end, and abruptly quitted the River Plate. This was most extraordinary conduct on the part of Lord Howden. In a letter which he sent to the English Government, one of the grounds he alleged was, that the Government was in the hands of foreigners. But it had been known fur a long while that there was in Monte Video a great num ber of foreigners, but that had not caused interfer ence on the part of the English Government. Looking at the result of that interference, ha thought he was en titled to ask for information. All that he knew at pre sent was, that two of the most powerful Governments In Europe had been compelled to give way to General Rosas in a way in which they had never done before. President Rosas distinctly stated that the blockade was raised with the approbation of her Majesty's Govern ment; but, from all he had heard, that approbation was not felt in France, where the intelligence had caused very considerable dissatisfaction and discontent, and it was also rumoured that this dissatisfaction had been ex pressed to Members of her Majesty's Government. The House, therefore, had a right to information on this point. Another point which ha found stated in the papers was, that before we could even gain an admission for the representative of her Majesty he must make certain modifications in the very basis of the t erms on which ho was to treat. As far as he (the Earl of Harrowby) could learn of the nature of these modifications, they were the very terms which caused Lord Howden to put an end to the negotiations before he would admit them. He asked, therefore, if we were really to humble ourselves before this transatlantic State, and submit to the rebukes contained in some of those papers? He asked whether we were to agree to the compensation of two millions sterling, for damaging ships and property in the course of the blockade? He wanted to know in what conditi on th e a ff a i rs w e re in those countries commanded by Oribe? These were the questions to which he wished to have an answer, and upon which the House were entitled to information, in order that it might know how our interests were now placed in that country. The Noble Lord proceeded, in a nearly inaudible tone, to refer to the nature and the un portanie of the trade with these countries. In the year 1842 tha value of English commerce alone amounted to three millions sterling, and if the common course of nations had been pursued our trade in the River Plate must now have been very much greater. In 1845 the value of one convoy which went out to Psrana was estimated at sixteen million dollars, and this was an entirely new kind of commerce, showing how greatly it might have been increased and developed by proper tnea• sures. It was, therefore, no trifling matter, looked at merely in a commercial point of view. But it was more than this. It was important to the welfare of the people that treaties should tad observed, and that we should not allow these two great nations to give way . to one power. liosas had shown no desire to make concessions; on the eoutrary, he had increased the limitations upon com merce in these great waters. The whole conduct of the Noble Lord at the head of the Foreign office, in this matter, led him to the conclu sion, that it was his wish to substitute an entirely different policy for that of the late Givernruent; and he was afraid that the object of the Noble Lord would not be realised, but, on the contrary, attended with dis appointment. In order to show that we were not un tniudful or indifferent to the vast interests at stake— that the present state of our relations with the Argen tine Republic might be understood—that it might be known whether we were going to support the obligations of treaties, or for the purpose of removing the impression that we had abandoned our ancient policy, he asked for these papers. The Noble Earl concluded by moving his motion. _ The Marquis of LANSDOWN E (who was very indis tinctly heard) said that, in rising to oppose the motion, he wa s a t th e same ti me p e rfectly ready to give any in formation in his power that could promote the welfare of the large and increasing commerce with the countries on the River Plate. But the state of affairs at the pre sent time was entirely different from that which ex isted when the Noble Earl (Aberdeen) held office, and was succeeded by his Noble Friend nose at the head of Fcreign Affairs ; and looking at the present position of the pending negotiations, it was not a tint) at which all secret instructions issued to those engaged in it, should be laid on the table. With the nature of these, instruc tions generally the Noble Earl did not seem so unin formed as he would lead *the House to infer. The basis on which the negotiation was now proceeding, and which had latterly assumed a very promising as pect, was, he could assure the Noble Earl, approved of by foreign nations. With respect to the progress of these negotiations, Mr. Ouscley was sent out in Jan., 1845, and the negotiation was commenced in May, and was in part brought to a satisfactory conclusion. Mr. Ouseley determined to carry on a series of opera tions against Rosas, which created disapprobation in this country. That disapprobation was participated in by the Noble Lord at the head of the Foreign-office. Lord Howden was sent out in May, 1846, but was not able to bring the affair to a satisfactory conclusion. Subse quently, his Lordship was commissioned, in conjunction with a representative of France, to make another at tempt at a satisfactory settlement. It was certainly true that that attempt failed in its purpose. He did not suc ceed in all that was asked. General Rosas agreed to some portions, but they failed also with the Junta of Monte Video, who did not agree with some other points; and until these parties agreed among themselves, Lord Howden did not consider himself in consistency war ranted in proceealine; further. But the statement that Lord Howden's conduct had met with the disapprobation of her Majesty's Gbvernment had no foundation what ever. He bad never heard or known of anything which could give the slightest countenance to that statement. The Noble Earl spoke of the raising of the blockade as if its continuance would have been a great benefit to Buenos Ayres and to England; whereas it certainly was a state of things which was not very desirable in itself. It must be to some extent unfavourable to Monte Video, but not to so great an extent as would appear at first sight, when they took into consideration the system of smuggling which had been introduced under its opera tion, and which no doubt some of these Monte Videan parties were very unwilling to lose. But the trade of Buenos Ayres was one of great importance to England, and with respect to General Rosas, he was of opinion that if those who took so many objections to his conduct were looking to the general benefit of trade instead of a partial benefit, they would not indulge in these objec tions. At no time had trade been more beneficially carried oa than under the absolute government of one who was described as opposed to European commerce. The treatment he had given to Mr. Southern was of the most distinguished and kindly description. The man ner in which he had been received, the way in which he was lodged and attended, were all calculated to give Ts greatest satisfaction to the nation he re present d. With respect to the speech Rosas had deli vered to his Parliament, or by whatever name the As sembly might be called, he preferred to take his opinions from the authorised communications of the President of the Argentine Republic to this Government; and cer tainly he must say, from these communications, that there was a desire—he had almost said an intention, on the part of Ruses to coma to an amicable settlement; and the *latter was in a fair way, as far as the state of the river was concerned; and it would undoubtedly be a source of great satisfaction to her Majesty's Govern ment, if they were enabled to conclade honourably and satisfactorily such a protracted affair. It was with the highest gratification that he had to state on the part of the present Government of France, that a perfect un derstanding existed with reference to this affair; and that there never was less reason to apprehend any dis turbance of these relations. Under these circumstances, and especially keeping in view the promising aspect of the negotiation, he should be sorry to lay any commu nications upon the table which might have the effect of preventing a satisfactory conclusion. On these grounds he must oppose the motion. Lord BIiAUMONT hoped that the Noble Earl would withdraw the motion for papers. If he would go back to the beginning of these affairs he would find he was in error. The object of the persons who were getting, up an agitation was to continue to benefit by the original error, which altered the Customs until the year 1850, and which was a source of profit. The Noble Earl spoke of Parana as a water open to all nations, whereas it was entirely an inland river, subject to internal regu lations, as much as the Thames. Again, with respect to the blockade, it was not as the Noble Earl suppceed, a close one. Vessels were not prevented from going farther than Monte Video, the worst that could befal them was to pay double duties, and they were then al lowed to proceed. But, as he had stated, it was the alte ration of the customs in certain parts of the country that was the cause of all the agitatior. He had, however. told their Lordships that the proceedings from the first had been an error which could not be too strongly cna demned. The Noble Lord, after taken a brief review of the successive attempts that had been made by the Go vernment to bring this matter to a conclusion, said, from all he learnt upon the subject, he believed that Lord Howden had acted in the most friendly manner, and had exercised greater influence over Rosas than any who had preceded him, and there could be no doubt that all his terms would have been agreed to had it not been for the conduct of Witlewski, with whom he had been asso ciated. He was quite convinced that all might have been settled—that England would have obtained all she wished for, had it not been for the working of foreign faction. He could not see how Lord Howden could be blamed for any part of his conduct. He was appointed to act with Walewski—compelled to act with him, and did act with him—until the armistice was entered into, when all joint interference terminated. It appeared from the speech of the Noble Earl, that he expected the result of all our interference to be something extraordinary; that atter all the injury we had done to Rosas; after we had acted contrary to the laws of nations; after all that, if we got out of the scrape in the manner expected, it would, to say the least of it, be creditable to the Noble Lord, the present head of the Foreign-office. Lord COLCHESTER was of opinion that the great error in all our negotiations throughout this affair was, that we did not simply attend to our own interests and those of our country men, who were in the country. In stead of steadily doing that, ►se united with another European power, whose alliance in European affairs was a matter of great importance to the whole world, but with whom, in such a case as this, we should have had nothing to do, because France stood in a relation to Buenos Ayres which prevented her from acting the part of a mediator with any hope of success. He had heard with great pleasure that we were now about to act sepa • rately; had we done so from the beginning the whole matter would have been settled years ago. Great error was committed by our commencing hostilities when there was not a state of war, and he was glad that in that affair the conduct of Mr. Ouseley had not received the sanction of the Government. The Earl of HARROWBY said a few words in reply, and the motion was then withdrawn. On the motion of the Marquis of CLANRICARDE, the Prisoners' Removal (Ireland) Bill went through Committee. The Spirits (Ireland) Bill was read a third time, and passed. Their Lordships then adjourned, at Half-past Seven o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS, April 23. The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly before Four o'clock. UNIVERSAL RAILWAY CASUALITY COM PENSATION COMPANY BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed. SUNDERLAND DOCK ACT. ___ The report on the Sunderland Dock Act and River Wear Commission Act (Amendment, &c.) Bill was con sidered and agreed to. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were read a second time, and ordered to be committed : Alford and Boston Road Bill. Brompton and Earls Court, &c., Roads (Continuation of certain Turnpike Road Acts) Bill. Commercial Road (comprising the Cannon-street Roads, the Commercial-road, the Horseferry Branch of Road, the East India Dock Road, and the Barking Road) Bill. Flitnwell Vent to Hastings Turnpike Road Bill. Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company Bill. Marylebene and Finchley Turnpike Roads Bill. New North Road (Continuation AO) Bill. Sheffield and Tmsley Road (Extension of the Tinsley and Doncaster Turnpike Road to Sheffield) Bill. Surrey and Sussex Roads (Amendment of Act and Altera tion of Tolls) Bill. Truro Turnpike Roads, Penryn and Redruth Turnpike Roads (Consolidation of Trusts, Alteration of Tolls, Forma tionof New Roads) Bill. _ Wisbecb, Chatteris, Tid Gote, and Downbam Bridge Turn pike (Continuation of Act, Alteration of Provisions relating to Repair of Waldersay and South Side Banks, Abandonment as to Turnpike of Road over same, Construction of New Turnpike Road) Bill. SEVERN NAVIGATION IMPROVEMENT COM MISSION, AMENDMENTS OF ACTS, NEW WORKS, AND FURTHER POWERS BILL. Sir J. PAKINGTUN moved the second reading of this Bill. He trusted that he should be able to persuade the House to allow the Bill to pass this stage, although as he understood, its second reading was to ba,opposed three grounds; first that there was a report against it, under the Preliminary Inquiry Act; secondly, that the town of Gloucester entertained strong objections to the Bill; and, thirdly, that the county of Shropshire also had great objections to the measure. The Hon. Member after condemning the practice of canvassing Members, with respect to their votes on private Bills, said, with respect to the first objection to the Bill, namely, that the report under the Preliminary Act was against the Bill, the evidence against the Bill had been published, while that in its favour had been suppressed. He thought, there fore, the House would not pay much attention to that report to the Admiralty against the Bill. With regard to the second point, which related to the objection of the town of Gloucester, he might sum it up by stating that it arose out of nothing more than a feeling of local rivalry. Gloucester was afraid that Worcester would get some of the good things she had so loug exclusively enjoyed if this Bill passed. The third point was involved in the objection raised to the Bill of the people of Shropshire, who thought the Bill would prove detrimental to their interests; but it had been proved beyond all doubt that the measure would greatly benefit them, and as the Bill would accomplish a great public object, he trusted the House would assent to the second reading of this Bill. Captain BERKELEY said these measures, instead of improving the Severn, servedl to impede the progress of the tide, and to damage the trade and commerce of Gloucester. Besides, this Bill contained the very clauses that were rejected by the Committee of 1842, and he could see no reasons for referring them again to a simi lar tribunal. Mr. CLIVE said as the Commission itself were di vided upon the expediency or printing the Bill, and as it would seriously injure the - upper part of the Severn, he should vote against it. Mr. FOLEY supported th a Bill conditionally. Mr. LABOUCLIERE saj d he supported the second reading of this Bill last year, because he thought it in volved matters off' an important public character which ought to he inquired into by a Committee, and fur that reason he should support it again. Mr. IIUME could nut see in ,what way this 13i11 could benefit the public; it would have the effect of re tarding the flow of the tide above Gloucester. Perbopi the Elouse was not aware that the Bill propcKed to authwise the erection of a solid weir, about fourteen miles above Gloucuster, which, it tot csticaL4tcd, would prevent the flow of 14,000,000 0 , cubic feet of water which pasted above Gloactbter , without any ob3truetion whatever. Mr. SLANEY opposed the Bill, as injurious to the in• Wrests of the public. Mr. LITTLETON supported it. After a few words from Mr. 0. GORE, Sir J. PAKINGTON replied, and the House divided, when there appeared— For the second reading ... ... 137 Against 171 Majority against the second reading —34 The Bill is consequently lost. BURIALS IN TOWNS. Lord DUNCAN, seeing the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary of State for the Home Department in his place , wished to ask him whether the Bill which had received the sanction of Government for the regulation of burials in towns was likely to have reference to other cities besides the metropolis. Sir G. GREY said that so far there was no intention, of extending the provisions of the Bill to any other places than the metropolis. PROSECUTION OF MR. DUFFY. Mr. HUME said, that seeing the. First Lord of the Tresury in his place, he wished to ask whether, after Mr. Duffy had been prosecuted three times, it was ,the intention of Government to institute a fourth action, and if so, whether it was the intention of Government to lay the account of the costs of the prosecution on the table.—(Cries of " Hear, hear," and laughter.) Sir G. GREY said he was to be brought up again Si the next Commission. Mr. HUME hoped then that the House should have an account of the expenses of the next prosecution. IRISH RAILROADS. Sir H. W. BARRON said, that before Easter a depu tation bad waited on the Noble Lord at the head of the Government with regard to certain advances made to Irish railroads, and the Noble Lord stated that he would after Easter make known to the House what the determination of her Majesty's Government should be on that question. The Noble Lord bad' mated that certain advances should be made to some railroads, and for drainage and arterial drainage , and he (Sir H. W. Barron) wished to ask what sum would be advanced for those purposes, and when the subject would be brought before the House, inasmuch as there was an increasing distress in Ireland, and great numbers of the population out of employment. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, with regard to the sub ject of an advance for the purpose of arterial drainage in Ireland, it would not be long before he stated a pro posal to the House. It was necessary, however, that the House should proceed with the rate in aid before he brought that other question before the House. THE NAVIGATION-LAWS. 0.1 the order of the day "having been read for the third reading of the Navigation Bill, Mr. BERESFORD presented a petition from the tenant-farmers of a plaoe in Ireland aga i nst t h e re peal of the navigation-laws. The Earl of MARCH presented a similar petition from the tenant-farmers of the county of Sussex. Mr. RICE presented a similar petition from Dover. Mr. MOFFATT presented a petition from Derby, in favour of the repeal of the navigation-laws.—(Hear.) , Mr. LABOUCHERE presented a similar petition from the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of Manchester . Mr. HERMES said he had expected that the Righ t Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Labouchere) had risen to make 9 speech, but he was disappointed.—(Hear, hear.) Se (Mr. Ilerries) should have be e n rel uctan t i n d ee d on thi s occasion to ask for the renewed indulgence of the House , but for the great importance of the question before it' He would not address them at any great length: but he could not but advert to some of the material topics of the question in moving, as he intended to do on this occasion, that this Bill be read a third time s this day six mouths.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") This Bill with respect to its details, and all the peculiar circumstances affecting the different interest' involved in the question, had been so fully discussed upon previous occasions that he thought the House would e%' cuse Lim on the present occasion from entering into the minute details involved in the question. He conceived they were now arrived at that point of the proceedings 1 1 , 1 i this most important Bill which req u ir e d th a t th e y s hould look at it ou the broadest principles of national policy' He• conceived this to be a most dangerous measure' They had now done with columns of fi gures o f th e dif' ference between this company and others—they b° A " done with the ten folio blue books of evidence—they bi t !: done with all those minor ground s u p on w hi c h t°' question must be ultimately decided. The question must now be dealt with upon the broad grounds. Not would he, upon that occasion, insist that a gr e at n ationa l marine was the great foundation of the value of the nu": gatioia-laws. They could, no doubt, produce all thing' and sell them at a cheaper rate than any other of the nations; but if they took away that protection t° o which our artisans were entitled, great injury Ow l not only result to them, b u t t o t h e i r em ployer , : Having no faith in the expediency of the Bill, the; could not consent to propose amendments but in Cop', mittee. The House would observe that the object °: the Bill was to abolish entir e ly a ll navigation-laws; 10I" had it been simply to am en d th ose l aws, the OlT°', sition might have m a d e sortie suggestions for i t s improvement. They had already discussed at c onsider; able length the motives which influenced Governmel in introducing this measure, and he need no t sa y yule i uoou that point; but he thought that in the i n tervo, Which had elapsed since the Opposition h a d induce d Government to postpone this measure, cir cu mstance s had occurred, which proved bey o nd do u bt that I° e grounds on which they rested the measure had 0 1 foundation in truth whatever. Ti me h a d s h own tb t . t , the great stream of public opinion was against 1 1 Canada and North America had protest° . against it, as had many of the o th er leadiq colonies, and the result of ref using the pr of those pstitions was beginning to be seen in tu n events that were happening in Canada. The House, 11 ,:f doubt, would well remember th e d ec l ara ti o n i ll. Government upon the i n t ro d uc ti on of t`'.." measure, that Canada and th e ot h er N ort h .10 0 :i rican colonies were favourable to it, bi'd the delay which had occurred had enabled him 101 others to present petitions from Canada, Quebec, Ni°,,. 13 -: treal, and the West Indies, d e nyi ng t h at t h e i n bnu . tants of those parts of the B r iti s h possessions w ere ,; at all in its favour, while the same de l ay had given the commercial and trading classes of t" 0 erother-country an opportnnity of expressing their 0 5 compromising opposition to it.—(Hear, hear.) Portal has said, in reply to the communication of the Gover n ment on this subject, that they would not make al alteration in the institutions of their country, and hop% that the British Government would not press their O l t on them, as they must necessarily decline. Next, wh ti has Spain said on this matter? Spain has said nothingj and he should say that if the Government 10111 persevere in passing this Bill, th at i t wou ld fi n d c o 0 3; ,‘, derable difficulty in enf orc i ng t h ose states to con iq i with it. In fact, his fir m b e li e f was that they vv°l.l:g not comply. He would then a s k w h a t was th e opioL°--d of the United States of America? The House b e . been informed, on the se con d rea di ng o f t h e inesenr7, that there was a disposition on th e p art o f t h a t c ountry to acquiesce with the British Government; but he feu% that since that there had b een a great c h ange in feelings of the United States of America, and that I they were to judge of the speeches of the most ems pent statesmen of that country, it would be feu ° , that it would be necessary for the Minister to p r e duce more authentic doc uments than any as ra produced, before he could believe that the Uni te : States would part with their cons ti tut i ona l advants,c and he, therefore, asked for m ore i n f ormat i on o n Int subject. He thought that th e G overnment were boun d to inform the House whether Mr. Bancroft's letter M e i been confirmed by the subsequent conduct of the 1 3 .0i t. 0 . States Government, and he should add, th a t he aPP',I hended that those reciprocal advantages would be bes v- e d on a sandy foundation. The President of the IJD U O States, in his inaugural speech, has stated that he ! f t° prepared to introduce such measures as would tend nd the advancement of the commerce, agriculture , Pi o manufactures of that country, which declaration (s e deemed worthy of such a statesman ; and M r , Webst e. has declared, in his place in the H ouse o f Assemb l yi that Mr. Bancroft should not have acted as he did w e re regard to this measure. He wished t o h ear w hat w e s t the opinions of the great commercial body of this Jobs )mmercial kingdom. The Noble Lord (Lord 0 ., b , Russell) should have accurate information on that s" 0 , ject, as he represented the greatest commercial comet 00 nity in the world; and when that community has Ito called on to express their opinion, he would ask Wfo was that opinion? Ho would ask the Noble Lord %Til o s were the opinions of his constituents, and should ~1 51 : 0 that ho had no other means of knowing them tf p a through the numerously and respectably signed petitl,te that had been laid on the table of the H ouse from 0 cons tituents against this meas ure . T hese pe tition, signed by Messrs. F. Baring, C. Baring Young, F ee derick Cooke, Lawson, Dennison, Small, Master, SP 00 "03 and Fletcher against this Bill, ought not to be overloolthe or slighted. And who were these personages? most eminent merch ants i n E ngland, in Europ e,--,13-d in tl.e world, and th e const i tuents of the Noble -ngil (Lord J. Russell). I n lik e manner the most influen:de merchants of Li verpoo l , B r i sto l , N ewcastle, Hull, Vire"-t ford, Belf as t, S un d erlan d , and Glasgow, petitioned agtrlie it. He knew that it would be said, as it had beh o l been said t o hi m , t h at i t was necessary to rePioe these laws for th e car rying ou t t h e f ree - tra de Pr o ciple ; but he should say to that, that there 1 0 . 9 l necessary connexion between free-t ra d e an d the eeril y of the navigation-laws, as they were W n s. independent of each othe r , an d t h at the e, i t e jr riment on free trade has not yet b ee n f u lly t r i e d. -Li were told that the nations of the continent would f r iy procate trade and commerce. But upon what authl o 00 was this advanced? Th e y h a d interrogated V I I eot countries, and the answ e r s f rom th ose na ti o ns 01 '" r of justify the co nc l us i on . —(Hear, hear.) The ene w ..' o ,ol France did not j ust ify th e expectat i on . F rom Ger ms the answer was, that at some f u t ure ti me the eY-free might be adopted. The result at home was, tha t • trade threw the agricultural and l an d e d interest t ee doubt and dismay, and caused a system of ag itati o 2 l .l3 o• extent of which they could not measure. If they tr" e b e i ened changes for which they were not prepared , o l iv e were disturbing men's minds, and making them li ti r iv s. tors. That was really the course they were W 6 400 If they persevered in this course they would be an he ft of indignation at home, and the laughing stock oft" D. ell t ebd enemies and rivals abroad. He moved the Dill the third time that day six menthe.