The Sun. — London, England, 1842-07-23 00:00:00

;~'l' tiu , f4tri plae6,of attending up the SO O l ere severslll ENT. I MI/Tidal j) f this Ho t ' Bill peinlini C h er House toned to 3f0 11 :, .Uistralicb►3` ILL. be that on •1, , ill, be sh °ll „ I been Ac e d ild be 0110 0 )Se. EtY. the distr,v - R.ll alArl ver:iiright ord, the r• ad for saY l ,l ountry vv °11 ; ! Id be abOeu, r sev'el, re fo .nd provol° :ould perc e l ic t e e present t been for ' O , v wou '0 try. I)49b* 1.0, d the P A :wand of the I de 7eadY . 11 41 its prevente: o .i that it he Was to 1(1 be iident of de , ill would ld Bill •(!tou At would eh senAaAi is Bill 0."'" was, th at r> Leping of underst.so, 0 0 iritAt" .he G"` , e :o couie, h o au doubt • thw with a v : it ;;I: to s ne tav o i n,, posseo;i, heir own P :her o' 6 o bj onest deb it s. ieir prod, Bill for bacilip,i debtors 'oble FP e o4 ally ild°Pi e b; sent for :ONS• t oP is brag". ;veal P SD o ° s' BILL' or and We re • ILL. fro m petitioo s oppo 11. Ile c ol' video!, is c otieole"o very ci jo' iess 1113 pafl the sel ee 0 1( 1 he Bill W t, npeclingo ° hi' re peate d ed ono b ugb fi bs had Por ea for on rof t until ceive er ; S did f the pat " re t he I° ll ou' h o w aFt ;ope „4 ul tinie!!" v (Satart?' 22. ;iock• a the ille".,„0 Ai aryl 11 the ing that publi c n, sig l/e( o , b, " . t' that * pr burgos a a P ht be op en t he front f, !nd the 5 ,a to )„, a gre‘ ‘ , o t, 131.11 insi'reJ re interf:'o, hat eighol , itafferd title vasion (' Ea p raj t he • e ott late va the b° r° ,' f o lloo 4 c le jou as not of aleettenbeeo have do ff L ., was Le g" from s ly' the Deb" GRAS v pd ShOta uA h ' iCO titiOn , that I t " ;ES D l-1) cto 1 WAS ref, , of of id n° t be bu it wits 1 1$!- i that th e n fro? 3 0 (1 , irts 0" ell re of the l 3 e ;; De par Ii such r 5 so Maur' , cf 11 Meat' ra ble I e ; 1 3111 Coa ls ; 1 1 he 1 ) 3(4,5 i . 0il find 1. ,0 1 jail tO' >e Bills 110 duoil fP'l° LL. of readinb ail/0 f th e };',re, e" " h ad e that a ;:e , 1 that tlw bad cllO5O N, th r till the it w th e R s h with .t- n why tbe' . ea d a thir' Tad a Ord 11 1 Hon. Ge RoP°° 4,11, sa id he iblo of the SttePISCII 'of ttlcMht -- iiimour4ble Geo ti,rilin 0 . , an isielfutilit - t'e" 6. M.-. ::ti 1 - ority. P . they put- an red to the have recourse to a go -11,1 the SOKeet At te; M at, pitiVided. by this Bill. In di- leth vertee el; et sot le, they : •e !ause the punishm en t previch4 for the 'f rg r of Ex- , sys • te e • r eels i eseertenent, and the question would • (410 Y:ter - bine .Wita'•-•seet et - yeers' tra-aporsatiou, er :rue - . it . , E.. sy . : se et . F reebie! government should be had ^.. ! ) 1 6 rtattion , for life; :While s ome other minor forgeriee rescue to, zedt;ece to it etal prejudices and feelings without were ptinished with transportation andl ; boatel bins would wish to see established; tted it' h ' ii •• The erii6TCELLOR of the EXCIItQUER said he ' epperd w e r e g i ven; he was at a loss to know its, whore the 14 ' 311 14. csitesider:, Ole point. - - appeal could be given except toe the local agistracy. , COLONIAL PASSENGERS BILL. The first was a system wit/elf he hall not heard any .„ 1 - I, "rd STANLEY postponed ft the third reading of this , ,getals. :a n aces-. It, would be a system of unruis ee l' to Tuesdey nest, on which day he gave the Hon, tigated oppression and injustice to draw ii. dis- Gentleman opposite (Mr. Hawes) notice that it would tinstion between what "ere called t"6 deserving tithe precedence of other motions. por by giving the reliefti and refusing relief POOR-LAWS.' as a punishment to thtisn who in that narrow On the, motion for.the thirdreading of the Poor-law circle would e iosider Iprobably most unjustly be , , et , -,. aiill - ' considered, As undeserving. —(Cheers.) Such a b.' 1 - 4 'reTALMERSTON wished allow the Right .system ceuld only Cheers the Most Monstrous tyranny eiti fleas nourable Baronet if he would. hint to take wia oppression.—() To give relief without ap that opportunity of adverting to his (Sir Robert peal would only be to revert to that state of the law :,.: x:eel's) intentions with regard to education.. Some which had existed from 1796 to 1834, and which had me ago the President of the Council presented produced such a state of affairs that the intervention of :-• Petitton to' the other House of Parliament from the Legislature was at the time admitted to be indispen , • the classeS at Exeter-hall, andaccompanied the presenter • sable. The Hon. Member for Rochdale made it one of 'ton of that petition by a speech of liberality of sentiment his objections to the present system, that there was no a nd e n li g h tene d v i ews, w hi c h did cre di t to hi mse lf an d t h e appea from the Board of Guardians. He, therefore, Government to which he belonged. In the course of that would object to a system of local government without speech he stated that he thought it the duty of the Go- appeal, and the Hon. Member for Oldham had taunted Vern Ment to increase the annual grant for the purposes hint (Sir J. Graham) for saying that there was an appeal °f education, and of course the general impression from .he Board of Guardians to the Assistant Poor-law created by that sentiment was, that it was the intention Commissioner, and from the Assistant - Commis °f h er Majesty's G o vernment, of which he was so promi- sinner to the Commissioners themselves. The rent a Member, to - increase that grant by proposing an Honourable Member had said that the Commissioners • 1 0'14' s • ional estimate for that purpose. The Committee themselves had no power of ordering relief. ' : ot Supply was d raw i ng t o a close, and he.(Lord Palmers. He felt bound distinctly t o admit that ther e was di rec tly to n) . t. _ would ask the Right Hon. Baronet whether it was no power on the part of the Commissioners to order re "a intention of her Majesty's Government to .propose lief, but where the relief had been refused capriciously , an ~.. s. , additional grant for that purpose; he (Lord Feltner- by the Board of Guardians, and the party appli e d t o th e !LA) at the same time would say, that if such were the Central Board, it had beet, found effectual. He vas unwil s ease, he wouid give it his full support. ling to refer to the state of the country in 1831, but as !:. _ .Sir ROBERT PEEL sa id i t so h appene d t h at h e was ' t h e H on . M em b er f or Oldh am h a d state d , t h e dis ,: subject, met the President of the Council this day on the -tress e xi s ting i n t h e coun t r y . was a great deal worse now 4 _ubject, b ut he luid not done so ; and therefore lie could than it wa s in 1821. Now, with respect to that, he would not undertake to give an assurance with respect to an read a l etter f rom B e df or d, w hi c h stated e that the distress a dditional grant, but 4 osiver to-morrow. ilis . Noble correspondent informed him that the greatest .fir. Fee , -) s the „ .4.141 LN then proposed, as an amendment to contrast ex i ste d b e t ween t h e st a t e o f th e coun t r y u nd e r v, I nor-law Bill, that it be re-committed and printed, . the old laW and under-the present in the county of Bed 'lr. S. CRAWFORD wished to know if he could pro. • ford, and that, speaking generally, there was a large de "se the amendment of which he had given nelice. - mend for efficient workmen throughout the e(4 nty, ,e. ~, , , I ne SI LAKER said he could take bet one amend- and that the happiest change ff •ct al in the condi was e , t. ete et. Al e tion of the working classes. The Hon. Member for Old e eee • FIELDEN than said, he would p ro p ose hi s h am used strong declamation against this measure, as " 4 talinent on the motion that the ill!! do pass. ' ' most unjust and. most - unfair, and said he would have to 4; , 1 1 -Tr• S. CR AWFORD then rose and said that he bad reps.nt of its fatal effects. Whet did the lion. Gentleman ,S , ` , ' l • l diel the House ,in the second reading. and ,in the want ? Did he really desire that the able-bodied man ; es inittett, and he should now divide th e H ouse i n th e should 'be dependents n the poor-rate tor his support ?-- t stage of the Bill. - He thought since the Bill had ( Hear, Lear.) lie obj;cted to the present law, but be bean alter e d if, was more objectionable than before. It did not venture to say he was satisfied with the old law. S now exposed in all .ts nuked derminity. The first Mee all which had occurred with respect to this law, it tee ti lleeti on to the Commission Was the forcing the in-door would be stitisfi.et. ry to state distinctly and explicitly f ''•-• When it was unnecessary. This had been proved by what law they desired for the able-bodied workman.-- pt.% mid those facts had situ been denied or refuted. He cave the Hon. Member credit for his kindness to „ u,e next objection was the diet. which created disease, the poor. Ile was aware that in his own neigi-i --nu they still forced it on the poor. The aged bourhoed, mid with regard to those workmen i t t e s l'e treated in the same way a s . th e . able- t, ho were iinipertiatOY dependent on .him, he was ex died poor Those chargei had not been refuted. tremelikii,ifL(Eieur, hear)—and that hisaets illustrated The clause giving the p, .or access to a committee was the sentiments tie -expresst-d in fa . vinir'ef the poor, anti withdrawn, Tiler were called tiporate retie% th e Cot e . w e r e thettisel,ss deserting /If the highe t attention; Lao kis • • - mon tor five Years, without any amelioration, what- he (Sir Jun , s Graham) should be gitid to know fruit, l• ever ') tho lass'. Tile Got ernment engaged to bring tor- the Hon. sientleinao, as he was nut sati fled with th , * eel '.‘4 a general measure on the 'subject next s. ssi o n, pi e s,•lit l a w, w h a t law lie would recommend as u substi *hid, . 4 measure was to remedy the evils of th e p resent . Lu t e , if th e l aw. a t pres e nt existing were repealed.— w • He di t ro ,,_ . dno mean to impute to the Right Hon. Be- (Hear, hear.) He had taken part in various Committees „ s uet any intention of violating.that pledge i but circum- of Inquiry ;he had read the Commission, and devoted 'leeswhich ~,.... over . the Government could exercise no much attention to the subject, but the result of that eritrul might occur to prevent them from redeeming that attention (lid not enable him to offer any measure on t i l• e lge. The present. Bill was an instance of the possi- this subject more preferable than that under discussion. e, 7 of the occurrence of such circumstances. *I he It was quite vain to sae that the Bill prevented relief t 'eht lion. Peironet had been rencatedY asked whether except in the workhouse. He must -ay that such would p was his intention to go into the whole subject of the be unjust. But it was not so. He had already stated tenor-law, or merely to renew the Commission. He had that the amount of out-door relief was enormous. te P,aatedly said that he would go into the whole subject, Th e Honourable Member. for Oxford had put t i e d S'et he had been unable to do so. That was an evi- a question to him (Sir James Graham) respeot "l:Poee f the powerlessness of the Ministry to fulfil such ing the number of widows relieved. There were tensions. Besides, it was possible that the present . 165,000 granted relief, and out of that number only °ltiaistry might not be in office next ses- 13,000 were relieved in the workhouse. His Hon. lo on i s , and they might be ' succeeded by a Minis- Friend then asked the number of able-bodied men in A l which was more adver te to the interests of the poor. the workhouse. He held in his hand the number of We ft) hew Ministry would not be bound by the pledges of a bodied paupers - in England and Wales during the first 4 ►t*n__ ier one. What would be the value of that pledge if quarters of 1840 and 1841. new Ministry were to come to power ?- It was said Captain PECHELL does that include the Local Acts. that if this Bill were rijected things could get into con- Sir JAMES GRAHAM : s a lon. He did not think so. He thought it would be Gilbert Unions. • The number of adult able-bodied :ueh better that the Commission should be suffered to paupers relieved in the quarter ending Ladyday 1840, stptr e at the endof deemed desirable to prolong its existence, it would be House suppose that there was one half in the workhouse e asy to introd - • • • ~_o . i . me. a Bill continuing it for one year. 'Lo —one quarter ? No, those relieved in the workhouse __Ut e a Bill he would offer no opposition. He' therefore out of that number was only 50,000. Therefore in point y o s e ll . d e on the House to do its duty at this, the last stage offect the number of persons relieved was only about that th i s l and to 'throw it out. The people considered twenty-five persons. In the quarter ending Ladysday, Bi I emanated frOm a desire Of the rich toop- 1841, the whole number was 345,656 able-bodied Press the poor,anti lie it the House • St was to 'ente rtain for the House to permit the people 50,000 of them were relieved in the workhouse.hich had ~ ain such . an opinion. 'This law also He could conceive one state of things in w • the pro we effect 'ht be necessary, and another state of fur t • of lowering wages. Another hibitury order might oit was it being f unconstitutional things • which it might be expedient to give to a union nature. T . o an in , o those, declared this law to tution it be uncons -t- the out door labour test ; and other circumstances in al, was said thatwhich it would be harsh and cruel to apply either the acquainted • h • • they had not made themselves_ • with its provisions, but that objection could workhouse test or the outdoor labour test. Under these IV,t, apply to him, for he had carefully read over the circumstances it must be evident to every one, that large , e _tus and he could point ont manyitf its clauses which discretionary powers should be vested somewhere, and ire of an unconstitutional character. The Hon. Gen- in his opinion nowhere could it be better vested than in d c ' r nan here enumerated several clauses which he consi- the hands of Commissioners. He vies satisfied on the 2 ° l :ad of 'thekind mentioned ; among them were the 15th, whole that this measure was adapted to st-cure the just t il , ( l ' 25 th, &e. ; and then went on to say—Hon. Gentle- and safe administration of relief to the poor ; for that h ut I might vote in favour of th e Lill i n the first instant. , relief, which was the distinguishing characteristic of the h e now, after seeing how injurious it Was to the people, 'policy of this country, unless checked,' was capable dici entild not imagin e h ow th e y `could support it. He of great abuse. flaying no personal fear for the tity llt (*xPect, on this occasion, to have a large majo- obloquy which might attach to him, he proposed a se et Cat he was better pleased to have his , name in a meas ure, which in his heart and conscience he believed th e i minority, voting for the rights of the poor, than in to be most humane. He had not hesitated a moment in TI N 41 '!-!est majority voting against them.--(Hear, hear.) the course which he should adopt, and he earnestly en be 1, l ion. Gentleman c ncluded by moving that the Bill treated the House to pass the Bill, by such a majority ) pld that day' six months. ' as should mark to the poor that they did not hesitate ii• 4,, t• FIELDEN seconded the motion. They might the course which they should adopt for their benefit.. tet t i l td upon it that it' the Government proceeded sith air. O'CONN'ELL— File Right lion. Baronet, who • t ' nor-law as it at present existed, for the next five had jil,t. sat down, said it would he cruel in the extreme, t ic " 1 4 their reign would be suort.—(llearohear.) The unwise in the extreme, unjust in the extreme, if no re ai(il was that there was no person on the Nlignsterial lief sl . ouid be given, under any circumstances, to able of of the House who could define what the principles beili.d labourer... t la, hoe, ver, was the law in Ire I, tt ie Bill were. It was an Act to starve the poor end t en d .; and i t wt? hi. intention, on some other occasion. litt reduce Wages. It was an Act of oppression as ainst tea speak more at length on this subjec . His objection to s s i a ' able-bodied hard-working poor man, and against the the pr e sent Bill was its continuance of the Poor-law e. ‘ 4 °W and orphan childr, n . ' Ile had received u letter Corumission. .11e rejoiced to see the liberality with which ..14n the coentry, relating the case of a labourer who the s ystem was worked out. Ile hoped thit the sy stela gone fifty miles .11 s earch of wor k, and could not pr. - could be alselierated in Ireland. He had been strong') ore any. That man had ',lmplied to get his farniki into the solicited to bring the subject torwsrd, but he would watt ahorkhouse, and had been refused. They were treating tilt the next -essiot., when he pledg, d himself not to he th e Poor worse than dogs. If they would but employ a week pass without applying for a Committee to in for a labourers there would be nu n •ed o• any (1 -orn-tees s -litre 'lnto the e erkit,g id the system in Ireland. Fo s e l f they employed the labourers they would raise food the pr e sen , , be felt bound to vote against the Bill, te C u ,gh at home to feed time people; but they would not reason of the comitinut•ce of the Commission for more that, e for that would make corn cheap. They kept up than one year. law to, make food dear, and they-kept u p a Poor- Captain BERKELEY admired the manly way in sus to keep. labour cheep.—(Hear, hear.) This law which he the Right lion. Baronet the Secretary for the p i . 3 unjust. Why did they treat the poor like Home Departure tit had taken upon himself all the odiuu. N I" B en,bssl If the man refussd to work punish ti e attached to this Bitl. W hen the measure had been ori -4 11 .1 out do not let the poor mate, who was union unale, ginally brouvt te ward he (Captain Bet iteley) had sa l 4 punished with separation fr,,ln his family ? ported it, and he now r• s• to declare his willingness t k e Would advise the Members of that House to beware share in the unpopularity whi . li was, affixed to it. 1) "le ; they would not have leir Corn-laws and their Colonel SIB Ft wit)? opposni the third reading of the nnr-laWs. lie would entreat the Right Hon. Baronet Bill, believing it to be productive of great mischief. o*t w l hdraw the present Bill. If he withdrew it, he General JOHNSON objected to giving uncontrolled uld el, have nothing to regret. If he persevered in it, he power to any three individuals, whoever they might be, i l 7r..Pielden) sincerely believed he would one day have anti therefore he opposed the Bill. Hon Gentlemen op be rt _son to repent such a course, for it would raise the posite who had opposed this Bill, must be very easily ;72' against the aristocracy ; and if they raised the poor satisfied, if they now voted for the third reading, lot - % . "anst them, their own destruction would follow. • had been garbled dmangledth that • the Bill Ild r b ad • MUNTZ said this was a most important law ; it possible to know what it was, or on what they west u e7 . already overturned and destroyed one great and voting. - Its principle was to make the people live on as Wverful Government, and it was very likely, if perse little as possible, and to constitute the Commissioners red in, to destroy the present Government. Feeling judges of how small a quantity of food would suffice to sa t° egly, as he had ever done, that this law was one of keep body and soul together. It could never enhance Yewsecrescences of an unwise legislation, which for man) wage-, it must depress them ; and as he was opposed to 1 ,, had destroyed the good of this country—that t everyteing that tended to ceettulization, he was opposed „. e etet hand in hand with the Factory Bill, the Truck Bill, to this Bill. Z_l the . Emigration Bill, he could not allow it to The gallery was then cleared, and the House divided. Zes that - House, without protesting, in a solemn For the third reading lO3 he ci serious manner, against the effect of it. If Against it , 30 . 40 had no other reason for opposing this Bill, it would Majority in favour of the third reading --73 ee sufficient alone that the Commissioners had the The Bill was then a third time.• ewer • e to interfere with all the local acts throughout the T. D. ACLAND said he should move the follow uuntrWho li. „ y. could be such good judges of the misery Sir in.- clause as a rider to the Bill :—" To enable guar ,,e,U. wants of the people in any particular town as the ee , os to appoint local committees for receiving applieti e asuabitants of that town? One of the strangest anomalies `-" this law was the su ort it met with from the Liberal tions of poor persons in parishes situated at a certain pp distance from the place of meeting of the Board of lg embers in that House. He had never been able to Guardians." He hoped the Right Hon.. Baronet would i i kertain how men who alwa) s supported local govern toetits should support this law, but he could understand be neuter on this subject, but allow the House to express its opinion on it. He had known many poor,persons go 17 r t h Y gentlemen on the other side should support it, for and 18 miles across the country to obtain relief, and after t was in accordance with their general principles. He disappointed.lf they introduced those al io all, mown were uld only repeat that he believed local governments hate good effect besides Committees, they would another the best that Could be applied. His firm btlief l• • thepour applicants ; they would be a kine re . teving . . as, that the greatest good that could be done-to this eoßoardof Guardians. s of cheek upon the nntry would be to allow the law to die a natural death, [ tad l et every un i on manage i ts own e th ers . Sir C. NAPIER seconded the motion: The Right Hon. ' ' ' Mr RASHLEIGH agreed with the principle of the • the Cem- Baronet stated that he had known cases where .. . 1 1111 • • rnissioners had obtained relief for people Who had been , but thought some of the clauses too stringent. air. IsecoTT wou ld offer nnapposition whatever to unjustly refused relief by -the guardians, and this was the third reading of the Bill, and he only hoped that it, stated as one proof of the good of the Commissioners. ""uld work much be:ter in future than it had hitherto Why , how of t e n, he should like to know, did the Com doe,. missiuners go round, and how could the poor apply to 11r. AGLIONBY should vote against the third read- them for relief; when they had been refused it by the lu g,,, but he could not agree with the arguments or ma guardians ?He had not seen a Poor-law Commissioner, .. b °ll 4 of his Hon. Friends the Members for Oldham and .or an Assistant-Commissioner, in his union for twelve ' A ochdrilP. months, and he did not care if he never saw another.-- Captain' PECIIELL rose amidst cries of " Divide." (Laughter.) Ile firmly believed that the Coimnissioners e s , tri ne; said that if Hon. Gentlemen wished to go off to prevented the guardian . s from making the liter so good as they often teat inclined to do. He should recommend ' l 4 ,:ae; they could do so, and let the subject be discussed 3 ' those who remained, and who, he trueted, wou ld that the people . should give their money towards the fse ~,trlpoorhouses, and, instead of calling 'la h fi g h t out the matter, arid decide it by a division. support of the unien.po „ ad, a t a ll even t s , cue gratification,' that when he them " Union Workhouses," he would call them '•Uuiou ur tet • ned home he would have the satisfaction of saying - Citios."—(Hear.) . th at the Gilb er t U n i o ns w, re safe fur a certain The claeote was then read a first time. Period. He had done his duty in attending on to ety - •Ou the motion that the clause be read a second time, (e c asion in the House when the subject was brought Captain PECHELL app roved of the clause. He )le 'ew'ard. He had not been actuated by any factious thotieht it would lie desirable if the extent of the unions Intel in • ves his opposition to the Bi.l, but solely by a sense could be eircionseeibeil. of 'duty,. . . . . Mr. Ps HOWARD trusted the clause would be received After few words from Mr. R . YORKE, which were Inaudible a .T. by the unanimous vote of the House. Mr. P. BO RTEIWIt 'K. supported the clause. in the gallery, Si r J. GRAHAM said, that after what had fallen from Mr. HARDY would be very glad to see thi s clause th e lion. Member for York, he did not think it his duty Pa"' d• to local Committees General JOHNSON thought the . _ remain silent on the present occasion. He was bound to ought to have the power of ordering relief at once ; for , Say that, if he consulted the popularity of the Admi nistrat' whichrepot tin : roses was a very long process. ton of he was a Member, nothing could hat c . GRAHAM soonl. mitre agreeable--nothing more ea y, than fur 'him Sir J. highly approved of the clause which t, t " 4 " Yielded to the forcible appeals made to him n ot to ht-: thought it would be most ue,trabie to insert.—(Hear.) proceed with the Bill. He had fur man Y years taken At the same tune that he coasented to the cl :u5..., he ' r a r 4 ll the local administration o f th e la w; h e h a d b een a wished it to be understood that he could not delegate to - PS - ''' to the measure of 1834 ; he had most anxi o u s ly the Counnittee Power to order relief.— (Cheers.) h .ittehed the progress of that measure, and he should feel The clause was then agreed to, and ordered to be at taelf guilty of a gross direliction of duty if he were to tached to the Bill. • ,ge'd te any solicitation of Hon. G en tle men o pp ose d t o Sir T. 1). ACLAND returned thanks to the Right e to ; and, if he did not counsel the House ear- Hon. Baronet and the House for having acceded to his ues tiS and anx i ously of this anxi to consent to the third reading motion. ' the Bill.—(Cheers.) He felt confident that The Bill was then read a third time. 0 , ivhole scheme of government by unions for the relief ' On the question that the Bilt s do pass, • th e' Poor would fall to- the ground ; that it would be - Mr. FIELDEN moved that the Bill be printed. ~.„. akixpotuble .. ._ , _, . , . :...;_. to carry it out ii it were not controlled by , 4, 4 bal. maissik DecolWu W 04104014 . ..--: :*.,,,, . .., :.,,wini.ok ~,,,,.,..,,. • ..,...,.. Adt.-qid., - - ' . ~ : .„,, r., .. !..".:..1 i.:“. THE SUN, LONDON, SAIITAPAY 3 rangers were ordered to ithdraw, and •he House divided, when there appeared— For the amendment Against it -•••• 1 4 DISTRESS OF TIRE COUI4TRY. In the motion being puts that the House go into cohl inittce of Supply; Mr. M. GII3SON moved that tl.e Hotise should resolve itself into 4.c64i4iittee of the whole House, to take into 'C'OtiMderation the distressed state of the country. It might be said that such a motion was useless, as Parlia ment had shown that it would not take any step for the relief of the distress, which all upon every side and of every opinion admitted to exist, although the sup porters of the Government denied Its extent. lie had been, and was so continually pressed by those who sent him to that House, to represent their sufferings to Parliament and the Government, that he could not omit any opportunity of bringing the distressed state of the country under the consideration of those who were re garded as their representatives. 'The Hon. Gentleman then went into detail to show the falling off in the sale of butter, coffee, candles, sugar, butcher's meat, and other necessaries of life, by the retail dealers of Manchester during the last year. He knew that there were men in every position of life who were so sanguine as to hope that their fortunes, however desperate, were sure to retrieve themselves ; but the present state of things in this country allowed of no such indulgence to the feelings of the most sanguine. The predictions which were made in the petition of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce in the year 183$ had been fear fully verified. The Hon. Member read also an extract from the annual Report of the United Society of Cotton brokers of Liverpool to the same effect. The Right Hon. Baronet opposite (Sir R. Peel) had said that the improvements in machinery caused human labour to be superseded. But was it not the fact that the restrictive and monopoly laws kept away those means of absorption which nature had provided for the superabundant labour? He read extracts from returns to show that the increase of exports was no proof 'of increased prosperity in manufactures ; oa the contrary, the increase of exports in gotten was a proof of the distress and the decline of mane factures.—(Hear.) He complained of the attempts made on the other side of the House to throw a false co louring over the present state of affairs, and to give a hope to the agriculturists that an improvement was about to take place. A benevolent and talented preacher, much admired by the . party represented on the other side of the House, and In close connexion with Members of the present Government, in preaching a sermon in obedience to the Queen's Letter, said to his congregation that it was necessary to put a check upoil the progress of manufactures, which were superseding agriculture, and collecting the people in dense masses. He (Ur. Gibson) deprecated the issuing of party politics from the pulpit of the Established Church. The Rev. Gentleman de precated the competition of industry with industry and labour with - labour, whilst he poured out all his eloquence to eulogise the competition of 'nations in war and blood. l'here was a majority in the House that believed that distress did exist in the country, and that nothing that he Right Hon. Baronet. had brought forward would mi tigate it. 'lnquiry, therefore, was - necessary; and'hotli aides of the House were bound to look into these matters Ti a dispassionate .way, in order to ascertain the best mode of alleviating the evil. There could be be, pos ,ible excuse for not going into the inqttiry.— (Hear.) The Honourable Gentleman had stated that he had submitted all his measures to the House, and there was, therefore, not a more fitting Opportunity than the present for going into the inquiry. Was the inconvenience of detaining a few Members in town to he compared with the wants of the millions ? The coming harvest. according to all accounts would not be an average one. There was nothing to plead against inquiry, but the lateness of the session, and that plea hid no foun dation.—(Hear, hear.) Parliament was bound to in quire into the distresses of the people, and Government would incur an awful responsibility if they allowed Par liament to separate without doing something to alleviate the distresses of the people.—(Hear.) He could not conceive that the House would do its duty unless it re solved itself into a Committee of Inquiry. The days of the Corn-laws were numbered, and the tune was at hand when the Corn-laws would be erased from the statute book, and it 'would be a wonder that such disgraceful laws were ever allowed to exist.— ( Hear.) He believed if the manufacturers had only full scope, the country would have full prosperity, and the landlords would ensure a greater. rental. Dr. BOWRING seconded the motion. It was ob vious that all that had been done by the Right Hon. Ba ronet had had no effect in alleviating the distresses of -78 the'country. All that was required by the industrious classes was that the markets of the world should be thrown open to them. It was his belief that the distress that had hitherto existed in the lower classes, was ex tending itself to the _middling ones, and ,it was the duty of the House to consider the suffering that existed in the country, and endeavour to relieve it. He believed that the country was never so much burdened with misery as at the present moment; and he could not conceive how Hon. Members could retire to their homes, and consider that they had discharged their duty in voting certain supplies, when they had altogether passed by the wants of the people.—(Hear, near.) When thousands of human beings were starving, could it be said that the Howe of C.mimons had done its lay, unless it took their case into consideration ? (Hear, hear.) In conclusion, he trusted that the House would agree to the motion. Captain BERKELEY hail never shown an improper . . or hostile . feeling towards the present Government, but he felt hound to vote for the present moton. He was sorry that the able and powerful speech they had just heard uas not delivered on another occasion. When he came into that House, he made up his mind not _ _ o vote for the motion of the Hon. Metiil;er, but when • he heard the speech of the Hon. Gentleman, he owned to was staggered in his determination. He did not think ,he Hon. Gentleman was doing any good to his own cause. Then was a - great, deal of necessary business to )e yet done, and he thought it would be better to leave he responsibility with the Government of rejecting all aeasures for their relief.—(Hear, hear.) • He thought it would be wiser to do as the Irish coachman did, when tis tour horses ran away with his coach tor ten miles, :nd he was not able to stop them, he threw the reins on -.he horses back, and said, " Take the responsibility amongst you, I have nothing more to say."---,(Laughter.) ['he coach, to be sure, was . upset. And though he did D ot wish that anything should occur to the coach -nun, guard, or cad, of the Right lion. Baronet's coach, 'u rejoiced to see the coach itself upset.—(Laughter.) Sir J. EASTHOPE felt with the Hon. Member for 'lloucester the inconveni lice of interrupting the public 4usiness ; but very extraordinary circumstances justified 1. deviation from the common 'and customary course.— • jiver, - hear.) The simple question was, whether the ~resent state Of the country was such' as to demand from the Mcmbers who represented suffering districts a ~!e v ia, ;ion from that course which, in other cases, they should adopt. He did not believe that the indomitable deter nination of the Hon. Member for Stockport—that all the --urage and energy he had shown in these debates, .vould be sufficient to carry on the discussion, were it not or the general and very stringent distress which per :tided the country.--(llear, hear.) It would be impossi- Jle fiir him, discouraged and discountenanced as he was within the walls of that House, to carry on the discus sion, were he not aided by a pressure from without, that pressure arising from distress unparalleled, misery with out example, which threatened the disorganisation of society, and held forth to them calamities which.they lared not meet, and the consequences of which they dreaded.—(Hear, hear, , ) He thought a great deal might oe said in excuse of those representatives of large menu acturiug places for pressing this motion beyond what ' was ususlly and ordinarily done.—(Hear.) They retired not to amusements, to relaxation from lathehrs, with the pleasure and delight which usually follows attentive labours, but they went to the abodes of misery and suf fering, which they could not contemplate without feel ings of commiseration and sentiments of pain, at their inability to alleviate them.—(Rear, hear.) They did not come before the House with topics of oratorical de clamation, but with a painful detail of distressing misery and suffering wretchedness, He had himself the honour —he said the honour—he might say the misery—of re presenting. a large constituency, who were suffering to ' an extent he could not describe, but which, if he did not detail to the House, before the chise of the Session, would be, an abandonment of his duty. The Right Hon. Bar,,net told them that Government had done all it He gave them credit for imagining they had done all they could do. Many of the supporters of the Government thought that too much had been done, but they, on his side of the House, who, notwithstanding their Corn-law and their tariff, were pressed with the misery of those whom they represented, felt that very little lead been dope to mitigate the wide-spread distress of the country. —(Hear.) The people, too, say that they can have but little dependence on - a House of Commons that tells them, while in their present condition, that all has been done that can be done. lt had been said that the increase of inhabited houses was a proof of the thriving condition of the country. He wished that the number of inhabited . houses was calculated for the last two years, instead of the last ten. The number of inhabitable houses in the town of Leicester was 11,000, and of these 1,600 were now unoccupied, rather more than one-in seven.—( Hear.) There were 4,000 frames employed in the staple manu facture of the place. One-half was now laid by. Houses were depreciated from 30 to 35 per cent. in value, and no sales could be effected even at that reduction.—(Hear.) The value of machinery had fallen 40 per cent., and those persons who subsisted by the hiring out of property were failing. The poor-rates for the first quarter of the pri:,ent year, as compared with those 01 1840. were doubled.—(Hear.) In le4o the', rate was 2,745/. 1 in 1841 it was 3,8981. ; in . the present year 5,1201.—(11ear, hear.) When such was the state of things in the towns, could the agricultural districts remain long unaffected by the same distress ? Within the last two days he met with a person who was• a constituent of his at the last election, who described himself' and his family to be in the greatest Misery and distress. he did mot, tie said, want t rbeT, but he desired he might he admitted into • an hospital,' as he had not eaten bread from the previous morning. He went into the hospital, and he was now gone to agricultural employment.—(Hear.) That was one case ; but he had no doubt that many more might be adduced when the population of the towns went to the c ountry to seek relic by competing with the agricultu 7 ral labourer , who were not themselves u bit too well oil. — (Hear, hear.) So that it was likely that rural districts, instead of being the fanciful resorts of delight and gaiety which they were described, would be soon as unseemly as the wretched towns which were now-so much depre eated.--(Hear, hear.) 'He Would repeat 'the•question of the Hon. Member, for Manchester, and ask whether every thing that ought to be dune had been done ?—(Hear.) What bad been done in the way of emigration ? He thought that the fleets of the country might bee benefi cially employed in carrying out to richer localities the poor of this country who could not obtain employ inent at home. The Honourable Baronet then referred to 40 hll4 0004 do= by the lie& fiber for RNING, .JULY 23, 1842. carry that principle out to demonstrate its absurdity. If the inhabitants of the country were to export thkir whole household furniture, undoubtedly it would increase the amount of the exports, but it wokid at the same time impOverish the country. With art destitution in Manches rwf showing the t et° increase of r,, he would state that in 1835 the poor-rates amounted , 24,0611. and in 1842; to 45,835/: The rate was now increasing at the rate of lOU for out-door relief, and 2001. for relief in the workhouse: A great deal had been said of the immigration of the agricultural la bourers into the manufacturing districts, but a reference to the Report of the Poor-law Commissioners would show that the amount of that immigration had been greatly overrated. He trusted the House would not reject the. motion, No other Member rising to address the House, strangers were ordered to withdraw, but no division on the main . question took place. Mr. COBDEN having (as we understood) moved the adjournment of the debate, en which motion the House divided. The numbers were— For the adjournment gg Against it .. 188 Majority against the adjournment - —155 On our tntrance to th,o gallery, Mr. lIINDLEY was on his legs, and moved the itti-, journment of the debate, amidst loud cries of " Oh, oh," and " Question, question." . Mr. G. BERKELEY said he was sorry he could not vote for the motion of the Hon. Member if he pressed it to a division. Mr. HUME said that his lion. Friend had expected that the Right Hon. Baronet would have spoken, and he was anxious to have an opportunity of making an expla nation upon what might be said. He did not think the Right Hon. Baronet had treated those who brought the subject forward as he ought. Sir R. PEEL said that if regular attendance at the House was any proof of sensibility 'to the distress of the country he had •certainly given that proof. —(Loud cheers.) He ventured tel say that for one night that the Hon. Member for Ashton was in his place, he (Sir R. Peel), was there three.-,(Cheers.) The llon. Gentleman was absent during most of the debate, and as a justification fur moving the adjournment of the HouSe, he said that he (Sir R. Peel) had' not answered his question, whether, if corn rose to about 50s. or 545. the quarter, he would promise to open the ports. With regard to those debates, he had shown no impatience to those whose opinions were adverse to his own. He tnig4t.have complained of delay, but iielarve attributed the conduct of , Honeurahle Gentlemen opposite to any improper motives, or to any desire to obstruct the public business. He had taken a part. in the discussions upon this sub ject when it was brought before the House on various occasions, on one of which it was debated for three suc cessive nights. A motion had been made that an hum ole address be presented to her Majesty, that she would be pleased to reftise her consent to the prorogation of Parliainent till a searching inquiry had been made into the unprecedented distress which prevailed throughout the kingdom. That motion was negatived by 165 to 84. (Hear ' hear.) He had on that occasion, as the organ of her Majesty's Government, stated, what preiented him from 'assenting 'to' that . iiiotion; - : Since that mso.ion was made by the Hon. Member for Aberdeen, to the effect that her Majesty's Government should open the ports, which was almost the same as the present motion, and on that occasion he and others of her Majesty's Government bad discussed the question. Last night another debate had taken place on the subject, which exactly embraced the same topics which had been adverted to this evening, and on that oc casion also he stated what his opinions were.—t. Hear, hear. ) No intention had been shown yesterday by the Members of the Government to treat their opponents with any disrespect.— ( Hear, hear.) His Right Hon. Friend the Secretary if State for the Home Department and himself had spoken in the eourse of the discussion. Previous to the division the Honourable Member for Manchester had stated that he should not persist in moving an adjournment of the debate because he would bring forward the question again in going into Committee of Supply. Now, what inference could be drawn from such a statement, but that the present discussion was practically a continuation of the debate of the preceding even ing.—( Hear, hear.) It appeared to him that it must have been considered in that light even by the Members of the late Ad ministration, inasmuch as he saw but two or three of them pre , sent that evening. He felt assured that there would have been a larger attendance on the part of those gentlemen, if they had thought the present was a separate discussion of an important subject. lie had himself, as he had already said, spoken yesterday, and he had not addressed the House that evening. because he had no new statements, and no new explanations to make.—( Hear.) Mr. EWART was bound to admit that the Right Hon. Baronet had not manifested throughout the discussions in that House any personal disrespect towards his opponents. But it' appeared to him that it would have been better that the Ri"ht Hon. Baronet should have given the explanation he had just made before the House had proceeded to a division that even ing. He did not, however, wish that the question of an ad journment of the House should then be pressed. Mr. COBDEN contended that the question before the Houae that evening was not the same question which they had considered yesterday. He should support the motion for an adjournment of the debate until Monday, in order to give lion. Members further time to consider the question. lie believed that the majority of that: House was held in utter disgust throughout the country.—( Cries of " Hear, hear," and " Oh, oh.") He was much mistaken if the truth of that statement was not proved before six months had elapsed. Mr. HAWES regretted to find himself obliged to differ with -his Hon. Friend the Member for Stockport; but it certainly appeared to him, that to resist the deliberate opinions of a majority t,f the House, was altogether contrary to the princi pies of representative Government.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") He thought that they had more reason to complain, that on a motion made, and supported by the Members of such im portant places, no Member of the Government should have risen and answered, however briefly, the arguments used on the occasion. —(Hear, hear.) Such a thing had never occurred before, and he thought his Hen. Friend had some reason to complain. But, on the other hand, he must repeat that if such motions were pressed he must resist them, on account of the important constitutional and represen tative question that was involved in it. Mr. COWPER urged his Hon. Friend to withdraw his motion. _ _ Mr. FIELDEN said his answer was, that the people we e starving for want of food, and if no remedy were provided by the Government, he should like to know what Government was? Government in this country was an expensive affair; they raised sixteen or seventeen millions from the people, and coutil they complain of being obstructed in the votes of supplies or any other measure, when they were prevented from robbing the people while they were taxing them? He was rejoiced to throw every obstacle in the way ; he told them that the people had no money to pay them. The Right Honourable Baronet was not doing his duty to the people of this country, that he would tell him plainly. The Right Honourable Baronet had granted him a personal interview, and had received hjm very courteously, and at that interview he (Mr. Fielden) had communicated some important facts to him ; he had called his attention to the state of the country, and bad asked him to do something to prevent the people from starving for want of food. But all his entrea tries had been of no avail; never since he had been in that House, had he been able to procure any relief for a suffering people. The Right Hon. Baronet had talked of ma chinery being the cause of distress ; now he had a petition in his pocket from a poor flannel weaver of Rochdale, and he did not wonder that that individual considered ma chinery as the cause of his distress. In his petition, he says—what does he say ?—( Laughter.) The gentlemen Nvlio laughed had much better go home to bed to their rives.—(Roars of laughter.) Ha says in his petition that he commenced work at about seven years of age ; that in the year 1825 he laid out 8(11. in such machinery as ho re quired for his own house, and saved 40/. besides ; that man was now ruined, and had nothing but the workhouse staring him in the face. That flannel weaver sent his petition first to the Right Hon. Baronet, who sent it back to him wishing he would place it in other hands, and the weaver had sent it to him (Mr. Fielden). Here was a ease of great hardship, and were they to tell him that there should be no relief? It was the old constitutional practice to insist, to demand a redress of grievances before a shilling of the supplies was granted, and this practice he should pursue. They had voted twenty millions for the emancipation of the slaves, yet the slaves were better taken care .ot than the manufacturing operatives. Why not vote twenty millions to relieve them? They should have his vote' for that purpose. And he would tell them how to do it. Let them go into the manufacturing districts and buy up the stocks in band, and keep them till there was a demand for them. If they, continued as they were, the public credit would be shaken—the funds would not be worth two year's purchase. If the Government refused the relief he would continue to ob struct the voting of money ; and it.would remain to be seen if the people would support him. The people in the manufac turing districts would support him. What he did he did con scientiously, and he did not care if they called him factious, or accused him of obstructing the public business. If the Hight Hon. Baronet and his colleagues did not give them some hope of a better state of things, he would divide against going into a Committee of Supply, if he stayed there until five o clock in the morning. 31r. T. DUNCOMBE thought that if the Hon. Member for Stockport, when he moved the adjournment, had stated the reasons for his so doing, that the Right Hon. Baronet would have given the explanation he had since given, and the debate %%odd have been continued. After that explanation he trusted the motion would be withdrawn, and that the Hon. Member for Stockport would address the House. Sir R. PEEL said that what the Hon. Member for Fins bury had stated was the fact. He was surprised at tke Hon. Member for Stockport moving the adjournment of the debate at so eat lyan hour as twelve o'clock ; and, if the Hon. Member had stated his reasons for the motion, he (Sir R. Peel) should certainly have given the explanation which he had given since. Mr. Si. GIBSON said his motion was one of a different nature from that which had been submitted to the House last night by the Hon. Member for Finsbury. It had not been brought forward in consequence of the debate of last night not having been adjourned. He had a motion on the paper on the subject for some time past, on going into Committee of Supply. Sir 11. PEEL had misunderstood the Hon. Gantleman. The motion the Hon. Gentleman had had on the paper was, on the motion for going into Committee of Supply, to draw the attention of the' House to the shopkeepers of Manchester— a very different motion from the present.—( Hear, hear.) Mr. MUNTZ trusted the motion for adjournment would be withdrawn. Mr. HINDLEY, in withdrawing his motion for adjourning the debate, said that in reply to the taunt of the Right Hon. Baronet on his (Mr. Hindley s) absence from the House, he I:e.eged to congratulate the Right lion. Gentleman in not having had the same cause for absence from the house that he ( Mr. Hindley) had—severe domestic calamity.—( Hear.) Mr. COBDEN said that the proposition before the House was one calling on them to make an inquiry into the causes of the distress of the country. It was the duty of the House to institute that inquiry. The country was not now in the condition it was at the commencement of the session. Every week, every day that e'apsed since that time had added to the misfortunes of the country: When the Right Hen. Ba ronet came into office he asked for time to consider the facts of the case, and pronised to devise some measure of re • lief for the country. The Right Hon. Baronet had ample op portunities of knowing the increase of the distress—he knew-, wee:: attcr week, the progress in the increase of the poor-rates --he knew the decrease which had taken place in employment, in wages, and profits throughout the whole country, and how had he fulfilled his promise ?—( Cheers. ) He had never once condescended to bring the state of he country before the House. —( Cheers.) The Noble Lord, the colleague of the Right Hon. Baronet, had moved for a Committee to inquire into the state of the relations between master and labourer in the West In dies—another Committee had been Eitting:the whole session, to inquire into the state of the negro population on the coast of Africa—but no Committee had been appointed to take into consideration the distressed condition of our own population, (Cheers. ) Hon. Gentlemen opposite, who represented agri. culture, thought that by remaining silent they should induce k & beget 440 i 4 4, agricalturawistgict&wero itito Q 4. AI tress. Why, he would ask the Right Hen. Baronetthe repre- r sentative of North Devon, if the rate of wages in his county exceeded 7s. a week ?—( Cheers.) He would put the same ' question to the Members for Dorsetshire, Somersetshire, Glou cestershire, Wiltshire, and Hampshire, and yet they told them that the Coin-law was for the benefit of the agricultural popula tion. If the inhabitants of Bolton and Stockport believed that their sufferings conduced to the comfort of the peasantry of the agricultural districts, it might be some mitigation of their mis fortunes, but it only aggravated those misfortunes, to know that the robbery that was committed on them was of no earthly advantage to the labouring peasant, but was solely for the benefit of the landlords.—(Cheers.) It was a subterfuge to say that these laws were maintained for the benefit of the la bouring population.—(Cheers.) The county representatives did not come there with clean hands. It was gross hypocrisy to pretend that these laws benefited the labouring popula tion. Why, the lowest rate of wages, • for unskilled hands, in the manufacturing districts, was twelve shil- 1 bugs a week ; and they would fain , by their land- I lords' legislation, bring i down the rate of wages • for skilled I hands in those districts to Ps. a week, and reduce them to the same permanent state of distress to which they had already re duced the agricUltural districts. He hoped the distress in the manufacturing districts was only temporary *in the agricultural districts he knew it was permanent, as far as the labourers were concerned. Did they think that their sitting in silence there, as tf their la bourers were well paid, would screen them from the indiguation i tif - the people ? By no means. There was a class of men in Lan- 1 cashire, :he unworthy successors of Watt , and Ar kwri g ht, and Peel, who hung tike parasitical weeds at the feet of the aristo- 1 cracy, and who, the mere they were trampled on, the more they flourished in their debased position. It was such men that told the Right Honourable Baronet that the present distress was but al passing cloud. Against the assertions of those men he wariste the Right Honourable Baronet. They but deceived him. Bat there was a class of men whose statements as to the real state ot the country the Right Honourable Baronet might and ought to believe—the Delegates now in London, from various parts of the country, seeking to devise a remedy for the existing distress. If they looked to America they would see a means ot alleviating the distress by opening an outlet for the manufactures of this country. Presi dent Tyler had vetoed the high tariff which had been proposed in Congress. He saw the Hon. and Gallant Member for Li verpool (Sir . Howard Douglas) shake his head e but he could tell the Gallant Officer that President Tyler had vetoed the tariff: Sir 1-1. DOUGLAS—President Tyler has not vetoed the tariff, he has only suspended it temporarily. Mr. COBDEN continued—Hatt he not been interrupted he was just going to say what the Gallant Member had stated. President Tyler had vetoed for a time the high tariff upon our manufactures, and thtes eta otttletTor our roductiens was created, which ought to be utel:: similar spirit by our It thig Goierisment with respect to laws reg e ing the import of corn. It had been said that they were obstruc the public business. That public business was the voting of the militia estimates, to put down, he supposed, the starving people. He believed they , might be better employed in finding them food.—(Cheers.) Their shopkeepers acted more wisely than they did. The shopkeeper who had a house at the corner of a street, opened windows, to catch the tide of traffic.--( Hear.) Far otherwise, and far less wisely, they acted with regard teAmerica.—( Hear.) They commenced the business of the session- with a Cora law, and they had that night Fussed the Poor-law. • There was something like poetic justice in the sequence. They had passed the Poor-law, which he believed never would be necessary if they only allowed' them to have recourte to the markets that might be, but were not open to them. • The Poor-law was originally devised to find raw material for the people to work wit!:, but now they might have the raw material of the new World, and they'woeld not take it. If a person had the malice of a fiend, he might rejoice at the .mode in which they were proceeding. The New Poor-law would not save their estates. Their present policy would create an amount of po verty which would burst the workhouse walls.—(Hear, hear.) The people were now lying by the sides of hedges and walls, but when the winter came, where would they go to? If they were driven ,from the ditch side by the terrors of the bastsles, they would become banditti, or they must be put itsto the workhouse.—(Hear, hear.) Such were the fruits they had in store for them. He would say one word to the Right Hon. Baronet before he sat down. The Right Hon. Baronet was all powerful in that House, but he might become so in the country, and he might be able to cot off that bigoted section who now acted as adragehain on his career if he. altered _ his policy. It had been said that the Right Honourable Baronet did what he could. That, he must say, was an equivocal compliment, for it was at the expense of his honesty. He (Mr. C.) believed that the Right Honourable Baronet was acting consci entiously. He was in principle a free trader, but practically he was opposed to it. But the time was now come when those principles should be adopted, and he believed that the Right Honourable Baronet was the only person who could carry them out without incurring the, risk of a revolution. The Right Hon. Baronet might carry out the principles of . a liberal commercial • policy if he pleased to do so. 4 great respon sibility, therefore, devolved on the Right Bon. Baronet. It was his (Mr. Cobden's) belief that if the 'House separated without adopting some measure calculated to alleviate the gene ral distress, a state of confusion would inevitably follow during the coming winter. The Right Hon. Baronet had it in his power to remove that distress ; and if he took the course which would lead to such a result, however much he might be accused of deserting his party, let his answer be that he found i distress and relieved it, that he found trade depressed and re vived it, that he found the people famishing and that he gave them bread.—( Cheers.) 'l lie House then divided, and the numbers were— For the motion ..... 156 Against it Majority in favour of the motion --92 The House then went into Committee of Supply pro forma, and immediately resumed. The Committee of the Court of Exchequer (England) Bill was postponed till Monday. BONDED CORN. The Bonded Corn Bill went through Committee, the Re port to be received on Monday. The Fisheries (Ireland) Bill was read a third time, and passed. MANCHESTER, BIRMINGHAM, AND BOLTON PO- Northampton and by the late Lord Egremont in pro viding the means of emigration for their tenants, and the prospetotis donation in *hid) they tiow lived, sending home money to their friends, and Advising them tO emigrate and partake of their ewn blessings: The Noble Lord at the head of the Colonial Department fttd not;, he slipposek overlooked this subject; but he (Si J. tasthOpe) did hot think it hid been sidlidientlt attended to ; at least it was 'not tried as a means of relieving the distress of the Country, and therefore it could not be said that all had been done for that; pur pose which could be done. He did not think that a long period could elapse under the present pressure without bringing danger to the country, and therefore he thought that something ought to be done to relieve the distress of the people. • Mr. HUME said that the argument urge 3 on the other side was the necessity of giving atrial to the pre sent Corn-laws. The Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Government looked forward to the admission of corn under his Bill, but though a million and a half quarters of corn were in the home market, the working classes were unable to avail themselves of the supply in consequence of the want of means to purchase, which resulted from the low wages that were received in the present depressed state of commerce. He admitted that the tariff would be ultimately productive of beneficial results to the trade of the country, but in its immediate effects it could furnish very little advantage to the working classes. The dis tress in the country was appalling, and could they sup pose that such state of distress as h a d b ee n laid before the House, so freqnently durin g the present session, could Possibly continue. Certainly no t. The time was not-far diSiant when the landed interest would be swept away by the evils which their own selfishness had generated. The monopoly sustained, for the ad vantage of the landlords, would be found even tually io be, the most ruinous policy that could be brought to bear upon their interest. the remedies for the evils under whieh the country was suffering: had been pointed out by gentlemen on that (the Opposition) side of. the House, and the responsibility of the con sequence of those evils must be borne by the GoVerturieht that had rejected the remedies proposed. Heviould only request of the Right Hon. Baronet fairly to carry out his own principles. He was sure that lie might 'thus provide food and employment for the people. Three4ourths of our population were now restricted in their consuption, and nothing could_ remedy the evil but an extensive change in our commercial policy. By un fettering the trade of the co ntry, the Right —Hon : Baronet might dispense with the Income-tax, which was a measure that could only tend further to aggravate the national embarrassments. From the hour that our ports would be permanently opened to foreign corn, destitu tion would cease, mills would be set to work, employ ment would be found for our distressed operatives, and every class of the community would be extensively bene fited. If no such measure were adopted, with the Govern ment would rest the responsibility of the consequences. . Mr. FIELDEN, who was very indistinctly heard, could bear his testimony to the deep distress which per vaded that portion of the manufacturing community with which he was acquainted. It was - his firm impression that unless some alleviation of,that distress were soon to take place, it would be impossible to maintain the peace of the country (luring the approaching winter. He im plored the Right Hon. Baronet to take some steps whirl would give hope to our distressed operatives. it was his wish to find employment for the artisans in his service; but how, he would put it to the Government, could he ric complish that wish, if no step were taken to relieve the depressed state of the trade of the country? Sir CHARLES BURRELL, who rose amidst cries of " Divide " from the Ministerial benches, wished to re mind Hon. Gentlemen on the opposite side, that if the agricultural interest were depressed, that could only tend further to diminish the home market for manufactured goods. Mr. VILLIERS rose amid loud cries of "Divide." He said the Hon. Gentleman who had just sat down, had stated that if all the Liberal Members were like the Member for Oldham, the question would stand in a better position. He could retort the compliment, by say ing that if all the Members of the agricultural interest., were as bold and manly as the Honourable Gentleman, Members, of the opinions he WaS expressing, would be better acquainted with their arguments. But he believed he was the seventh Member on this side the House who had spoken cn the question, while .gentlemen opposite had preserved a portentous silence. He should not make any apology for such motions as the'present. The apology ought to come from those who compelled this course. If They had "Instituted anyinquiry, or suggested any remedy, they should not have impeded the progress of public business, but receive their remedy, if they had any, with gratitude. But no such thing had been done. It was absurd to ascribe distress to the capriCes of fashion; they really had a right to expect something more comprehensive than that from the Ministers of the. Crown. They were reluctant to trace it up to the Corn-laws, which they were so unwilling to repeal. if they had any inquiry the unsound nature of the laws would be detected, and the fallacies by which they were defended exposed. Their arguments might do for quiet and prosperous times, but would not apply now. They had promised much to the - people, but where was the fulfilment ? How could they tell the labourers now that high bread caused high wages. when the workmen were living on a halfpenny a day ? Did they dare deny that the ma nufacturing towns were in the deepest state of misery ?—(Hear, hear.) What had become of their excuses that these laws were for the public advantage now ? They denied their past arguments by their pre sent - silence. He defended .these discussions. The Right Hon. M,mber for Dot tester (Sir. J Graham), had stated that the landed proprietors were a small body, all-powerful when backed by public opinion, but if .not supported by that would, if they insisted on monopoly, bring on national convulsion. He believed that this was their present condition. They were accused of stopping the course of public business ; what encourage-• ment had they to go on with the public busi ness ? They said they were an impotent minority. What were the grounds of this conclusion ? All that the Government claimed credit for, was owing to the impo tent minority. Every body now was anxious to prove that he' had always been 'a free trader. Had the Import Duties Committee done nothing ? There was nothing abusive, in either H.ouke of _Parliament, that was not heaped on that Committee, yet it was the basis of the new tariff. Every debate produced some advantage, some admission from the opposite side, or some exposure of the evils of the law on this. He could justify the motion on another ground. Nothing had been proposed by the Government that could benefit the people. That was a sufficient justification of such motions as the pre sent. They were required in the present state of things, for that the people were starving was something tangible: Nothing of , that sort had been offered. The tariff had been conceived in the spirit of that French. Prince whc., when informed that, the people were, starv ing fOr want of bread, expressed his surprise that they dia not .purchase cakes. The people were starving for the want of . that bread which they had not the means of purchasing, and the,Government told them they should have meat and perfumescheaper. The Government had done nothing to relieve the distress. The people wanted a, , free trade in food, that the masses might have the means of obtaining 'the necessaries of life. His object in agitating this question had always . been that the people should have the means of living by their labour, and should be placed . as much above 411 anxiety on the score of obtaining the means of subsistence as possible. All that could •be done for the moral improvement of the people—all that could be done for the improvement of their education, must fail, unless they were well fed. —(Cheers.) The first. care of a Government ought to be to see the people fed. If they were well fed, well clothed,- and well educated, they might safely be en trusted \Vial the exercise of political privileges. His object had always been to - feed, to clothe, to educate, and to enfranchise the " people.—(Hear.) They were at present pursuing a sinister and unwise course of legisletien. if the people were poor and dependent, what ever might be the form of government under which they lived, they must be slaves.—(Cheers.) It was a great mistake to seek to invest the people with political rights, and at the same time to neglect to better their physical condition. It was impossible to maintain the present law; the people were increasing at the rate of 1,000 a day, and the object of this law was to place thod out of their reach. An ignorant people might submit to this, but an educated people ' never would; and in a country where the people were educated, and every one had a right to express his opinion, it would be impossible to 'Maintain a law passed for the purpose of keeping them wretched. In the present state of the country there would be great danger in proroguing Par liament without passing some measure for the relief of the distress, and the Government was taking upon itself a great responsibility in 'refusing all inquiry into its . causes. . • i Mr. MUNTZ did not altogether approve of the prac- 1 tice of bringing forward one question, and debating another. '1 his bad been a Corn-law debate to all intents and purposes, and it would have been better if the Hon. Gentleman had brought it forward as a Corn law debate at first. But although be did nut altogether appreve of the motion, he did not wish it to be understood that his constituents were in an eas y and comfortable state. He had been' dow n there two or three times k y im n p trade so : persobad, or so slightrovementa week fOr the last mon th ; he had in quired of every n he met, and a ll, old and young men and women, stated Vhigtb Tory. and Radical, without excep tion,at they had a hope neverof f an known H e h a d hi mse lf a notice of motion for an inquiry into the distress next session ; he thought - the present was not the time for that inquiry. The country was never so disturbed as at the present moment ; but neither the country, nor the house, nor the Ministry, were i n a .condition to inquire—they had not been half punished enough yet to make them seek for the truth. He was 'in the point of establishing a new business in the neigh ly:urliood of Birmingham, a nd the applications that were made to him for employment were mortifying in the ex treme. Persons did not come to him boldly as English men ought to do, and say I will give you a fair day's labour for your money ; but they came trembling lest they should be refused —asking for work k, as for cuartty. He would not make one remark as to the cause or the remedy. lle believed a full remedy might be found. With regard to the remedy, he would only observe on one passage in the speech of the Right Hon. Baronet, when he brought forward the Budget. The Right Hon. Baronet had said, " When we restored the circulation in 1819, we took time to do so." There was a vast deal in this. They did take time, for they had not restored the circulation yet. They had restored the coin only, and he begged the Right Hon. Baronet to consider that point when seeking for the cause of the distressed condition of the country. Mr. MARK PHILIPS was for an immediate inves tigation into the causes of the distress, and on that point he differed from the Hon. Member who had just sat down. No less than 62.900 of his constituents had requested 'lira to state to the House the distress into which they were plunged, and the destitution by which they were. cirrr,:anided. It 'bad been said that the inc r ea se i n the ._ .• "i'.‘,414 w, , r ye'' Of r3Perq. Whey 444, c aly to LICE BILL. The amended Report on this Bill war received, the amend ments agreed to, and the Bill was ordered to be engrossed. STAMP DUTIES BILL. 46 The Report on the Stamp Duties Bill was brought up. ASSESSED TAXES BILL (No. •2). • The Report ou this Bill was brought up, and certain amend ments in the Bill proposed and agreed to. The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the House adjourned at a Quarter to Three o'Clock. LAW INTELLIGENCE. ADM !BALT Y COURT—Thu/ sclay. TIIE LITTLE WESTERN-SALVAGE. This was a claim for a reward for salvage services rendered to the Little Western, a steamer of 7:22 tons, by the Belfast, another steamer of 80 horse power, belonging to the General Steam Navigation Company, on her passage from Calais to Londois, with a valuable cargo, 80 passengers, and a crew of persons. The Little Western had lelt Ramsgate for Lon don, with 90 or 100 passengers, en the morning of the 4th of April last, the wind blowing hard from the N.E. by E., and when off Kingegate was struck by a heavy sea, which damaged her machinery, and she was drifting towards the shore, when she was discerned by the Belfast, off the North Foreland, and the master, observing a signal of distress, or for assistance, on board tha Little Western, put back and proceeded to her aid. He found that she was only two cables' length (a quarter of a mile) from a rocky shore, and had but a small bower anchor, which had a cable bent to it., and which did not hold. He ran under her lee, and taking her in tow in about lour hours brought her into Alargate Roads, whence she was conveyed to London. Tne value of the property salved was 12,0001. The action was entered for 3,0001. Dr. LUSIIINGTON said the principal foundation of the claim . was the danger in which the property had been placed, and, looking to the value of that property and to the value of the vessel rendering the service, a steamer of SO-horse power—a class of vessels which were always regarded by this Court in a favourable view—though 3,0001. was a demand which he could hardly characterise otherwise than as a preposterous one, he thought 7501. was not too much to meet the justice of the case. 811E1?111E.S" COUR7'. Before R. GILLAM, Esq., Under-Sheriff, and a Special Jury.) SEDUCTION.-POWELL VEKRIN. This was an action brought by Mr. Edward Powell, as plain tiff, against the defendant, Mr. Edward Perrin, to recover colai ensation in damages fur the loss of his daughter's services, in comequenee of her having been seduced by the defendant. Mr. F. V. Lee and Mr. Huddlestone conducted the plain tiff ',ease ; and Mr. Allen appeared for the defendant, who did not.fleny the facts of the case, and had put no plea of justifica-i tion upon the record. Mr. Huddlestone opened the pleadings, and Mr. Lee stated the case, which will be best gathered from the evidence. 1 lie plaintiff was a mineral, land, and coal surveyor, residing with his wife and two daughters at Hagley, r.ear btourbriclge; and the defendant, with his father and brother, carried on busi ness as extensive chain and nail manufacturers, near the same place. Elizabeth Ann Powell (a delicate and sickly-looking young woman, but who appeared to have once possessed eonsiderabl personal attractions) was called and examined by Mr. HUDDLE STONE.-1 am the daughter of Mr. Edward Powell, and a twenty-two years of age. I know Mr. Perrin, the defendant. My father is a land and mineral surveyor at Hagley. Perrits is a chain and nail-maker and manufacturer at the Lye.! I became acquainted with him about four years ago, when b was on a visit to Miss Good's, at the house of her brother,( who is a surgeon. I arid his sister met him and his cousin out the Kidderminster road, on Good Friday, 1541, when he asked me if 1 was engaged. I told him I was nut. He made; me an offer, to which I replied I would consider of it ; he then said " I hope it will not be long first." He was in troduced to my mother, and afterwards visited at ourl house. The first time he came he said he was a bachelor,i but he did not, know how long he should continue so, as it all depended upon Miss Elizabeth (meaning me).l This was on Easter Suth - tay. My father, who had been out' of town, returned on the' c 1 of May, and Perrin came from that time up to the 18th, when be went to Hagley. He used to come twice a week, and he always asked rue whether I was engaged, and if I would have him. On the 18th of May I met him at the Post-office, when he asked me to take his arm, and go for a walk by the Monument. I said " No." He re ' plied, " You had better go; it is a nice walk, a beautiful even ing, and no further than through the street." He at last pre , willed on me to ge, and when he got to a wood near there he put very improper questions to me, which I did not at all like. said I would have nothing more to say to him, and that I was surprised at hint, and went away through the wood. I had got about twenty yards, when he overtook me, threw me down, and took advantage of me, while I was in such a:state that I did not know what I was doing. He begged me to forgive him, and not tell a soul on earth, and he would marry me whenever 1 pleased. He swore he would not do so again, and said 1 could hang him if I swore against him. I saw him at our house on the fol lowing Sunday, when he was tatting to my father for nearly three hours about the iron trade, and said he had a large stock, and a contract for two years. He was in partnership with his father and brother, and they were all as one. He paid his men 100/. per week. He was introiu':ed to my father as a lover, and received by him as such. Oil the 12th of July he walkedvvith me in the garden, and said, " I am frightened yeti are ill." On the 24th he sent a man to ask me to meet Pint at the Monument, which I did, when lie said I did not meet him with that affection that I used to do. I had seen some one at Stourbridge who had put me against him, and he then took advantage of me again, saying, " I have spoiled you now, and you can have no one but me. I was confined to my bed sonic days after, and was attended by Mr. Evans. Perrin came on the Monday ; saw me in bets, and brought some oranges. On the Bth of August he asked me to walk with hits in the garden, when he said he was frightened out of his wits that I was in the family way. 1 said I could nut tell; and he replied, I suppose not, but if it is so, tell me, for the sooner we are married the better. He visited at our house continually after, and dined there as my lover, on Christmas day. On the 25th of January my mother took me to Dr. Davis, as I had a pain in my delivered of a male child on the 23d of March. have been side, and was very I was in a weak state of health ever since. I have been employed in the management of my father's house. at great length by Mr. The witness was e a r s o e ss li - c er edt ? Thd t g t, weaken her evideude, Allen, but nothing was OS 1441010ialligter• ... .. Mary Powell, sister of last witness, a very handsome girl , was the next witness examined by Mr. Lee, but her evid was not material. Several letters were here put in and read, beinc , correspnt 'd ew!e between the defendant and Miss Powell, and her fat* !'Jr. Jones, his attorney, and Mr. Pargitter, the defendant & solicitor. In one of the letters the defendant wrote to ask ht r to meet him, and she wrote back a very feeling letter, in An affectionate style, telling him her father would not let her, thLtt he had ruined her, and that it would be better for him to repent':' before it was too late, pacify her father, and make them all happy. Other K itnesses having been examined, and Mr. Allen having addressed the Jury for tilt- defence, they returned a verdict fur the plaintiff—Damages, 500/. COURT OF BANICiiirPTCY.—JuIy 21: (Before Sir C. F. WILLIAMS.) DAVID HANNAY'S BANKRUPTCY. This bankrupt appeared to-day on his adjourned final exami--- nation as the manager of the late Mar3lebone Joint. Stock , Bank. He was opposed by Mr. Wordsworth for several of the- Sharsbolders, and supported by Mr. Clarkson. After a long and tedious conversation, which elicited no facts of public in terest, it was arranged that a further adjournment should be made to the month of November, the opposing creditors giving the bankrupt notice of the objections they intended to raise one month before he appeared. (Before Mr. Commissioner FONBLANQUE ) OSBALDINTON'S BANK It UPTCY. The bankrupt, described as a horse dealer at St. Alban's. but who in reality is the attorney of that name, and one of day Coroners for the county of Hertford, also appeared br-fore this Court on his final examination. Mr. Commissioner FONBLANQUE said, in passing him, that although no objection was made to the bankrupt's rigkt to the rule of Court, having furnished the best accounts he could, yet it was impossible that. the assignees could be satisfied with the state of affairs pres , .nted in his balance-sheet. His trana.c tions as a horse-dealer showed about .50/.. while his profits as an attorney, who was really the person before the Court, was, wilh .‘ official fees," 4,5b6/. ; his expenses of business were put down at 4,2781., and his family expenses 4,0001., so that he had in the ten years, the period over which these accounts reached, just managed, what with business and family expenses, to double in expenditure the actual amount of his profits.— The banl:rupt was then passed. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. NORFOLK ClRCUlT.—Cambridge, July 20. (Before Mr. Baron ALUEaSON and a Special Jury.) FIEHER AND ANOTHER r. LILLEY. This was an action for the sfleaking certain slanderous words of the, plaintiffs impeaching tlieir credit in their business as bankers, to which the defendant pleaded ' 4 not guilty " att. Mr. Kelly, Mr. Andrews, and Mr. Sanders conducted the case for the plaintiffs ; Mr. Byles that of the defendant. The plaintiffs, Messrs. Fisher, carry on the business of bankers in this town, and had been in partnership with their late Mier, who had conducted the business for half a century. The defendant is a brewer, living in the village of Grantches ter, about a mile from dinbridge. In the beginning of the present year there had been two or three extensive failures iu the town, and some alarm and panic was caused by that cir cumstance. No suspicion, however, attached to the plaintiffs, viliose credit was and is beyond all exception ; their resources and their respectability in their business being equal and un doubted. _ . . It appeared by the evidence. that a Mr. Balls, a currier in Cambridge, keeps an account with the plaintiffs, and that about nine o'clock on the evening of Saturday, he 26th of March last, the defendant called at his house, and knocking at his door, desired to see him. Mr.., Balls accordingly went to the door, and the defendant, who was on horseback, asked him if he did not keep an account with Messrs. Fisher? Mr. Balls replied he did, whereupon the defendant continued, " They have stopped payment, and cannot go on," and asked if Mr. Henry (.tlr. Hells's son) banked with them, to - which that gen tleman answered he did not, but his other son did, Mr. Balls then told defendant that what he was saying was a mcst-serious matter, and he ought to have it from good authority, which the defendant said he had ; he was satisfied about that. Mr. Balls, upon this, asked the defendant what was the use of telling him what he had done, as he could not at that time of night tin anything, if the fact was true, and the parties thereupon sepa- , rated. For the defendant, it was contended by Mr. Byles that this was a privileged communication, and his client entitled to a verdict. Mr. Balls was a custoiner of the plaintiffs, deeply interested in the communication made by the defendant, if true ; and if the jury were satisfied that it was made bona fide, and not with the intention of injuring the plaintiffs, the de fendant was nut liable to this action. He admitted without the least reserve that the statement inade by the defendant had no foundation in truth, and the defendant deeply regretted having made it. Mr. Baron ALDERSON told theijury that the plaintiffs must satisfy them that the defendant had uttered the words imputed to him ; that they were spoken of them in their business as bankers in the sense given to them in the declaration, and that they were spoken maliciously. Now, the speaking of words injurious to the character or trade of another, without litaYing a justifiable occasion or excuse for doing so, Constituted sexch a malicious" speaking as the law required, in order to refiner him liable to an action of this nature. The words meat bo injurious,; they must be spoken by , the defendant, and spoken without a laVaul excuse. There was a large class of cases in which the uttering of words injurious to the character of an other becomes justifiable by the occasion on which they are uttered. Thus, where a party is applied to for the character of a servant, and the master in answer bona fide makes use of defamatory words, he_ is not liable to an action, unless he is actuated by express malice. The interests of society required that this should be so. In like manner, where the plaintiff was paying his addresses to a lady, and the defendant, a near connexion of hers, wrote a letter to her to warn her against marrying him, stating as his reason certain matters highly injurious to the character of the plaintiff, it was properly left to the Jury to say whether, con sidering the near relationship of the defendant to the lady, and the immense importance to him and herself of the step she was about to take, he was actuated by malice in writing the letter, or whether he had used the occasion as a cover and pretext for making a malicious statement. In that case the Jury foiled a verdict for the defendant. In the preent case, however, the defendant is not applied to by Mr. Balls, he is a volunteer ; and lie tells him, not that the plaintiffs are " about" to stop payment, in which case the etn:lomer might perhaps withdraw his account, but that they 14 4 already stopped. This communication, even if it had been tree, could not have benefireA Mr. Balls ; and being false, it would be for the Jury to say whether the plaintiffs were not entitled to yecover com pensation in damages for the unfounded and injurious u tatement. The Jury retired, and in a levy minutes found for the Islaintiff, with 1001. damages. OXFORD ClRCUlT'—Worcester, M g 20. In order to lighten the labours of the Judges, Mr. God Arne Queen's Counsel, sat to•day in the Grand Jury-room, and tried by about live o'clock between 15 and 20 prisoners. Lord Chief Justice Tindal, however, has not entirely disposed 'd the calendar, and one or two cases yet remain. Mr. Justice Erskine has made great exertions to get through the civil business, but cut of the whole 2b causes entered for trial, only one or two have as yet been undefended, and those which have beets heard have been principally long " fighting" causes. CROWN COURT.—(Before Lord Chief Justice TINDAL.) Kiehard Taylor was indicted for having, on the 2d of July last, feloniously fired a loaded gun at Hannah Taylor, his wife, with intent to murder her. Mr. F. V. Lee conducted the case for the prosecution. The prisoner had no Counsel. It appeared from the statement of the Learned Counsel, that on the night iu question the prisoner, whe is a black smith, and lives at Old Swinford in this county, came home at a very late hour very much intoxicated, began to abuse his daughter, and threatened to thrash his wife, who, to avoid him, ran round the room several times. The prisoner, being unable to put his threat into execution, took dow n a gun from the wall, which was loaded with shot, and present ing it at his wile, fired. The charge, providentially, lodged in the wall, a few inches above her head, and upon this the prisoner let loose a savage dog, turned all his children naked into the road along with tneir mother, set the dog upon them, and closed the door. The prisoner's wife, however, who had been committed for refusing to find sureties for her appear ance at the Assizes to give evidence against her husband, flatly contradicted all that part of the case which went to establish the capital charge; but a neighbour who resided in an adjoin ing cottage deposed that she had heard the cries of the unfor tunate woman, and the prayers for mercy which she made to her brutal husband, and she also saw the dog set upon her. When apprehended, the prisoner made a desperate resistance, and attempted to set a large and ferocious lurcher at the officers, declaring at the same time he would never be taken alive. The prisoner was found Guilty of au assault, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. George Lester was indicted for having, on the •25th day of June, at Kidderminster, assaulted Hannah Thomas, with in tent, &e.:- Tl:c prisoner was found Guilt), and sentenced to twelve ca lendar imprisonment, with hard iabcur. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. Ll3O le G Sl7? E 71 Elizabeth Morris, a decently-dressed middle-aged female, was charged with being drunk and disorderly, and breaking a window at the residence of the Baroness Rothschild, No. 146. Pic,adilly. Police-constable, No. 105, of the C division, stated that on Thursday afternoon, between one and two o'clock, he found the prisoner bitting on the steps of the dour of the Baroness's resi dence in a very intoxicated state, so much so that she was not fit to be brought before the Magistrate, and was, therefore, obliged to be locked up in one of the cells of the station-house till yesterday morning. Alr. Twogood, steward to the Baroness Rothschild, stated that, a short time before the prisoner was taken into the custody of the police on Thursday afternoon, she came down the mea steps, to the window of an apartment where he wag sitting, ant.i solieited"charity ; but he, seeing that she was very drunk at the time, ordered her to go away, but she continued her im portunity, until he was obliged to shut down the window task to get rid of her, upon which she "rammed her fist through one of the panes of glass, and blowed him up through the hole," making use of most abusive and obscene language. She was ordered to be committed for one month to West minster Bridewell. UNION-11ALL. A Sheriff's officer at Hastings was brought up under the followi of.; circumstances. On the preceding night the defendant was taken to the station-house in the Southwark-bridge-road, intoxicated, in a cab, the fare of which he had no money to pay, and was lucked up. When brought before the Magistrate, the defendant said that having a daughter in town whom he was apprised was badly treated, he came up by the coach to see into it. He, however, dined with a friend on his arrival, and having drank too much, he was robbed of a gold watch, brooch, and rings off his anger, besides his purse containing all the money he brought up with him from the country. He therefore trusted that he would not be further punished. The Magistrate discharged him. , , i` ------ F —Mademoiselle Ceritu's I I Ili MtmisTY s _LITEATIIt...the Opera on Thursday. The benefit drew a crowded with Luc ia di Lammermoor, in which . intr oduci ng her in a It obini appeared as but Cerito -,1 Enrico, Was the evening "mmencedE"dgardl for _the .. first . time this season. Signor Giorgio Rouconi .) _ payed thee d s:a iye e rt , i 4 ssement b rought out on • de characterc, called the I a; sovtenne. All the corps new " ' the dress of the Polish dance, and formed a de ',add were in ecaosifo:lwieaesrpeunrineig.y. k . . . . 1, _. .. number of sparkling groups. At last came Cerito, glittering heroinetthe o in a coatume of the same 'itind, and in company with Camille, bounded away in a series of fascinating figures, that scented as so many natural outbreaks of delight —each more fascinating than the former—till the two danseuscs advanced along the lamps, saluting the applauding audience in military fashion. They were loudly called fur at the tall of the curtain, and came forward hand in hand, courtseying to the house. DEsTitUCT iv h; F1R17..--I.`cst;2l - .lav niornin:.z . , at half., past two o'clock, a ti re b ro k e out on t h e prem i ses of Mr. Pres cott, stationer and tobacconist, No. 209, Upper Whitecross street, St. Luke's. Several engines were, soon after the alarm v , "' , given, t a the spot, but, notwithstanding every exertion, the house ut Mr. Prescott, together with the stock and every article of furniture was consumed. :Sir. Prescott, togethec v. ttil his favnik , had to make their escape into the itzeet in their night-clothes. The prentistis of Mr. Harper, ratton.maler, next door, was also mach injured, awl,kevella others- Iva* giainly 4044- _ - -