The Sun. — London, England, 1842-05-13 00:00:00

WOOLWICH-WEDNESDAY. EXPERIMENTS IN THE MARSHES.—Yesterday. morning, shortly after nine o'clock, Captain Palliser and Captain Bassett, with a large detachment of the Royal Artillery, attended in the Marshes to make experiments with powerful guns against the erection representing the side of a ship, and the coal-box for merly, described as having been placed behind it ; but, owing to the immense number of vessels proceeding up the river with the flowing tide, it was found impossible to commence practice before eleven o'clock. Previous to that hour, Lieutenant-General Lord Bloomfield, G.C.B. and G. C.H.. Commandant of the Garrison ; Major 'General Sir Hew D. Ross, K.C.8., Deputy-Adjutant General to the Royal Artillery ; olonel Cockburn, Colonel Paterson, Colonel Lacy, Colonel Cleveland, Colonel R. Jones, Colonel J. E. Jones, Assistant Adjutant-General, and Colonel Dyneley, C.B. ; Lieutenant-Colonel Dansey, C.B. ; Lieu tenant-Colonel Dundas, C.B. • Lieutenant-Colonel Blachley, Li eu t ena nt-Colonel ruttenden, Lieutenant-Colonel Choi tiler, and Lieutenant-Colonel Belson ; Major Hardinge, K. 14., Major Sandilands, Assistant-Quartermaster-General, Brigade-Major Cuppage, blajor Vaughan, and Major Hope. and Captains Bloomfield and Grant, with a great number of the officers of the Royal Artillery, had arrived for the purpose of witnessing the experiments, which appear to have excited more than ordinary interest amongst military and naval officers. Amongst the latter present on this occasion were Admiral Sir George Cockburn, G.C.8., First Naval Lord of the Admi ralty, Vice-Admi ral Sir William Hall Gage, G.C. H., and other members of the Admiralty, and a great number of officers distinguished in the service. Practice commenced at a range of 1,250 yards, with 68- pounder, and 56-pounder guns ; Colonel Dundas's 110 cwt. gun, requiring 221bs. of .powder to each charge ' • and Mr. Nook's, 97 cwt. gnu, requiring 161 bs. of powder ; each charge made excellent shots, but failed in passing through the coal-box, although the iron composing the interior portion of the case was cut for several inches where the balls had struck, and where they were retained, having evi dently expended the greater portion of their force in passing through the coals. This result was rendered certain by the effect of one of the balls which had passed through the pro portion of the erection extending beyond the coal-box, driving before it a solid piece of the wood twelve inches square, and about six or seven feet in length, and ultimately passing through a similar thickness of wood in the rear, sinking deep into the earth composing the butt. . There were other three guns, 56-pounders respectively, of 86, 84, and 63 cwt. in weight, each fired during the first six rounds, but they were then discontinued, and the practice carried on with Colonel Dundas's and Mr. Monk's guns, but they failed in destroying the coal-box to any greater extent than has been stated. After remaining at these guns from eleven until about three o'clock, interrupted to a most annoying extent, Sir George Murray, Sir William Gage, and Captain Sir Francis Collier, Knight, C. 8., and K.C.H., Superintendent of her Majesty's Dockyard, left the marshes, Captain Boldero, M.P., Clerk of the Ordnance, and a great number of the officers remaining during the time the experiments were carried on until six o'clock p.m. The next experiments were made with eight inch shells on the usual principle, but, owing to the late hour and the interruption, only two were fired from the five glAn battery, a distance of 950 yards, and did not produce any effect, as one of the shells did not burst. The men were then marched to a battery 850 yards distant, and com menced firing with percussion shells, the invention of Colonel 31illar, an officer of the Line. The first and second shots exploded at the mouth of the gun ; the third having been fired with a less charge of powder and higher degree of eleva tion to the gun, to satisfy Colonel Millar, who was present, it exploded about 300 yards short of the object aimed at, proving that the invention was of no practical benefit. As Colonel INlillar still appeared doubtful on the subject, after the fourth shot had been fired, and the shell burst at the mouth of the gun, scattering the fragments amongst the trees on the north west side, the fifth shell was emptied of its contents and fired. and the course of the shell was easily traced, until it lodged in the bu't, above the target, owing to the previous elevation of the gun. THE GEYSER STEAM-VESSEL. Admiral Sir George Murray, Vice-Admiral Sir William H. Gage, and the Right Hon. Henry Thomas Lowry Corry, on leaving the Marshes, proceeded to the Dockyard, and went on board the Geyser, where they were attended by Commander E. J. Carpenter, and remained nearly an hour on board. An accident, nearly attended with loss of life, occurred when taking onboard Porter's anchor, which, although not so weighty as others of similar power, by some awkwardness in the men taking it on board, upset the boat and precipitated five of them into the water. Three of the men -mere saved by clinging to the boat, and another by swim ming, but one poor fellow must have been lost, as the tide was runiing strong at the time, had it not been for the intrepidity of acting gunner, John Rodgers, jumping in after him, and holding him up until assistance was procured. IVLONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS. SUN.—The Money Market was buoyant yesterday, owing to some extensive purchases, and although prices at the close of business are a shade below the highest point, yet great firmness was visible. Consols left off at 925 92i for Money and for the Account ; Bank Stock, 167-.} 16S ; India Stock, 249 251 ; and Exchequer Bois, 39 41 prem. Belgian Bonds were 1011 1021 ; Dutch Two-and-a- Balf per Cents., 524 524 ; the Five per Cents., 1004 1014 ; Danish, 801 811 ; Brazilian, 67 63. The Share Market was firm ; London and Bir mingham, 180 182 ; Birmingham and Gloucester, 53 55; Great Western, 92-A- 931 ; the Half Shares, 644 641 ; South Western, 631 641 ; Go port, 631 641 ; North 3lidlancl, 65 67 ; the New Shares, 32 33 ; South Eastern and Dover, 30 304 ; the Scrip, 74 7 ; Eastern Counties, 91 91 ; Blackwall, 111 12 ; the New Shares, 91 10 ; Brighton, 36 4 361 ; Mexican Bonds were quoted, 367} 361. The howls of the insolvent Stites were marked, — Colombian, 26 261: Portuguese Five per Cents., 374 38 ; the Three per Cents. 225 23 ; Srulish Five per Cents., 224 23 ; the Three per Cents , 224 224. Advices from Hamburgh lead to the expectation that the damage caused by the late conflagration will not be so great as had been anticipated. Although many warehouses have been destroyed, yet those which con tain the lighter and more valuable descriptions of mer chandise have escaped, the fire having been confined to the opposite side of the canal. It is also known that the stocks were unusually li;ht, and it is supposed that the long cenanuanee of easterly winds, preventinc , fresh ar rivals, had caos:., , d a large portion of them to have been worked off. The municipal regulations of the city oblige cavil householder to pay a tax to the authorities equal to the insurance of two-thirds of the value of his house, which it it be burnt, is rebuilt at the expense of the city. Thus the principle of mutual assurance is acted upon, and the loss of the buildings will, in this instance, fall upon the citizens. The extent to which our offices are liable, has, it is stated, been greatly exaggerated. The amount which it is likely they will. have to pay being very s-Aall, and the Globe, which rumour pointed not as being heavily involved, has not even a policy open there. WHEAT, &c., AT HOME AND ABROAD. The highest quotation of white wheat, of the first quality, at Hamburgh is 175 rixdollars current the last, which answers to 575. 4d. the quarter. The highest quotation of white wheat, of the first quality, in Lon don is 70s. the quarter. It appears, therefore, that wheat is 2' per cent. dearer in London than in Hamburgh. The highest quotation of Zealand wheat of the first quality at Amsterdam, is 350 florins the last, which is equal to 555. 6d. the quarter ; and the highest price of white wheat of the first quality in London being 70s. the quarter, it follows that wheat is 24 per cent. dearer in Landon than in Amsterdam. I'he hihest quotation of wheat of the first quality at Stettin is ~4 7 ;70 current the wispel of 24 seheffels, which is equal to 475. Bd. the quarter ; and the highest quotation of wheat in London being 70$. the quarter, it follows that wheat is 46 2 8 - per cent. dearer in London than in Stettin ; and that with the sum of 31. 103. a man may buy nearly 111 bushels of wheat at Stettin, whereas with the t4aine suns he can buy only 8 bushels in London. 'l' he mean or average of the prices of wheat of the first quality at Hamburgh, Amsterdam, and Stettin is 535. 10(1. the quarter, and the price of wheat of the first quality in London being 70s. the (porter, it follows that the price in London is 30 per cent. higher than the ave rage price of the three above-named places. The present duty on the importation of foreign wheat int) England under the new Act is 13s. the quarter, wl -, :ch is equal to the following rates :—To a rate of 22-a per cent. on the Dime cost of wheat at Hamburgb ; to a rate of 23i- per cent. on the prime cost of wheat at msterdam ; to a rate of 27/ per cent. on the prime cost of wheat at Stettin ; and to a rate of 24* per cent. on the mean price of the three above-named places. The highest price of white wheat of the first quality at Paris is 294 f. per 1i hectolitre, which is equal to 435. 6d. the quarter, and the highest price of white wheat of the first quality in London being 70s. the quarter, it follows that wheat is 60-1- per cent. dearer in London than at Paris. The highest price of wheaten flour of the first quality in Paris is 58f. the 159 kilogrammes, which answers to 365. sd. th e E ng li s h sac k o f 280 1 b .; an d t h e hi g h est price of wheaten flour of the first quality in London is 575. the sack. It ther e f ore appears t h at fl our i s 561 p er cent. dearer in London than in Paris; and that with the sum of 2/. 17s. a man may -buy 4381 b. of fine flour in Paris, whereas with the same sum he can buy only 2801 b. in London. The price of wheaten bread of the first quality in Paris is 33 cen ts. the kilogramme, which is equal to sid. for the loaf of 41b English weight. - The price of bread of the second quality is 26 cent s , the kilogramme, which is nearly 411. the loaf of 41b. English weight. In 1840, an Englishwoman, whose rea l name was Edwards, but who assumed the title of Countess de Saint Mau rice, was prosecuted for swindling before the Correctional Tri bunal of Boulogne, and sentenced to five years' imprisonment. She appealed against this judgment to the Cour Royale at St. Omer, employing M. Lceuilleux, the counsel of Boulogne, as her advocate, and through whose exertions in her cause her punishment was reduced from five years t o one year simprison_ment. During her imprisonment at St. Omer, the pretend e d Duchess deluded a person named Catiniaux and his wife into a belief of her story, and contrived to obtain from them a sum of 148 f. , under the assurance that she was about to receive lega cies to the amount of 93,000 f., independent of an income she al ready possessed of 3,000 f. a year. Of the money obtained from the Catiniaux, 100 f. were sent to M. Lceuilleux as his fee, toge ther with four fine shirts, some India silk handkerchiefs, and an English metal dish for his table, as tokens of her gratitude, all of which M. Lceuilleux accepted. Not long afterwards, the Catiniaux discovered they had been duped, and commenced a prosecution, not only against the woman Edwards, but also including the learned counsel. The former appeared and pleaded, but M. Lceuilleux made default. A judgment was delivered against both by the Correctional Tribunal, which Was confirmed by the Cent Royale ; but that against M. Lceuil leux was afterwards quashed for some informality by the Court of Cessation, which ordered a new trial before the Cour Royale of Amiens. The case occupied this court from the 26th to the 29th ult. inclusively, during which hearing all the cir cumstances were investigated with the most carefulsninuteness. In the end, the court declared that the . accusatio n aga inst Lceuilleux was devoid of all proof, an d_ fay and honourably.ac quitted him. .1! i A few days since, early . n' the morning, a mason, warned Branger, went down into a well, sixty feet deep, at Vierzon, near Bourges, in the Cher, for the purpose of commencing some repairs. He had been only a short time at work, when the whole casing or wall of the well fell in • and buried him to the depth of at least 50 feet. His panions immediatMi gave the alarm, and • every exertion was made and persevired in till Sour Au the afternoon of the following day, when Branger was restored alive to his wife and four children, with no ether injury than a severe con tusion of one of his arms, and other bruises of minor im portance. SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. FROM THE EVENING PAPIMS OF YESTERDAY. GLOBE.—Time—the infallible test of sincerity— has effected the object of Tory hopes, by placing the powers of government in Tory hands. The New Poor-law, which at the last two elections was used by the Tory candidates as a topic of inflammatory in vective against the Whigs, on whom they charged not only its original authorship, but the severities which incidentally arose out of its administration — this much-maligned law was about to expire just as the Tories possessed themselves of the Govern ment. One of their first acts, as a Tory majority, was to consent to a Bill for continuing the law in its pristine form until the 31st of July neat. This the public were assured by the Tory organs was only to enable the Cabinet of Sir Robert Peel to mature those comprehensive changes in the law that were in con templation, by which the Bill would be so completely deprived of every stringent test and severe provision, that when it came forth from the Cabinet to the House of Commons, and was exhibited to the country, it would be a monument of praise to the new, and a standing reproach to the old Government ! It has been, we doubt not, carefully and anxiously con sidered. We do not question that each of its leading provisions has been the subject of deliberation, not merely by the department of the Government on which more immediately devolved the duty of preparing the nexßill, but by the entire Cabinet. With what result? With the exception of the bastardy clause, which is to be somewhat modified, the machinery and operation of the Bill are to remain substantially the same as under the present law. In the language of the Times, Sir James Graham's Bill is a mere copy of that brought in by Lord John Russell. The occu piers of the Tory benches, who had vituperated the law and its authors from the hustings, now listened to the announcement of a similar measure from her Majesty's Government with perfect acquiescence in its wisdom and humanity ! As though to afford a demonstration of the perfect subjection to which the loudest clamourers against the Bill have been reduced by the discipline of the Tory Premier, the " Gilbert Unions ' are swept away by the proposed Bill. Thui the united parishes, which possessed the powers of local government by the Act, generally known as the " Gilbert Act," and which powers were claimed for the parishes of the entire kingdom by those who advocated the abolition of the Central Commissioners, are brought under the general law. The invidious distinction between the " Gilbert Unions," and the " New Poor-law Unions," which was employed for the purposes of instituting compa risons between the treatment of the paupers under the two systems, and the powers of out-door relief to able belied paupers given to the guardians of the former, and withheld from the latter, will now no longer exist. The law will be, as we think it ought to be, universal in its operation. STANDARD.—The draft of the New Poor-law Bill, and the speech by which Sir James Graham in. troduced the measure last night, place us in a very painful situation—a situation which, we believe, will be equally painful to all the honest supporters of Sir Robert Peel's administration. The Bill, will, doubtless, pass, because men will prefer any alterna tive ,to a return to Whig-Radical government; but it will pass at a fearful cost to the Conservative party. All the declarations against the vices of the New Poor-law, which turned so many elections last summer, will be set down as sheer hypocrisy, and the charge will derive counte nance from too many manifestations of selfishness, made in opposition to the Corn-laws, the Income tax, and the Tariff. It will be said, and plausibly said, that the poor are thought of only on the hustings. We do not disguise from ourselves that the Ministers are placed in a position of great difficulty with re spect to the Poor-laws. They find a law in existence which has been long enough in force to have struck roots, branching through all the orders of society : to tear up this law at once by the roots would produce little short of a social revolution. That the law has utterly failed of all that was promised for it ; that, in stead of raising the price of labour, it has lowered wages ; that, instead of improving morals, by its bas tardy clauses, it has greatly corrupted the mo rals of the lower orders ; that, instead of di minishing the number of paupers, it has fright fully augmented that number—for who will ven ture to say that eight years ago every six teenth Englishman was a pauper, absolutely and totally dependent upon the poor-rate ?—that these have been the effects of the new law is noto rious, and even confessed. Equally notorious is it that the condition of the pauper class, now aug mented to more than one million of our fellow-citizens, has been made infinitely more miserable. And what has been the counterbalancing good ?—a saving in the poor-rates of a sum less than used to be wasted in liti gation under the old law, and which, therefore, might have been saved without touching the legitimate autho rity of the ratepayers, or the condition of the poor ; which might have been saved by the erection of a cheap tribunal to determine settlement cases ; or, better still, by a comprehensive reform in the administration ( f the law, rendering all law proceedings cheap. This is the history of the working of that law which Ministers have inherited, and which we acknowledge it would be dangerous to extirpate by a summary enactment; but surely between its con tinuance in all its vices, and a summary extinction, there might be found a better mean than that which Sir James Graham appears to suggest—some mean, corrective of the principle of the law, for there is its greatest vice. That principle is to treat poverty as a crime, punishable by death, or the pains of the workhouse. That out-door relief has been allowed proves nothing against the principle. Relief may mean anything—half-starvation, or three-quarters starvation, or whatever else falls short of suffering the object to die of famine; but that the out-door relief spoken of must be something worse than the work house treatment and dietary must be plain, for, as Men do not love imprisonment, were not the out door relief worse than the workhouse, every work house in the kingdom would be untenanted. COURIER.—Sir Jam - es Graham, ably prepared and courageously primed, ventured last evening to approach the most momentous question of all the Session. After a speech of unquestionable power, and remarkably disciplined temper, he asked and obtained leave to bring in the Bill long talked about, yet ever shrinkingly postponed till now, for the con tinuation and amendment of the new Poor-law. He preluded the motion and the main argument of the measure by a laboured dissertation on the history of poor-laws, and he cited carefully, as the chief au thorities in support of the new system, two names of very opposite character, of opinions very dissonant in general, of talents strangely contradictory, and of weight in the mind's eye of the nation most unequally dis proportioned, but who yet, on this one most important question of questions were singularly unanimous in accord—we refer to the Great Duke and exsLord Chancellor Brougham. On almost any subject to which he may . apply the extraordinary acuteness of his comprehensive mind, we need not say that we are disposed to bow with almost unquestioning de ference to the conclusions of the Duke of Welling ton. Therefore it is always with the deepest re gret that we feel ourselves conscientiously compelled to withdraw, as it were, our allegiance on the pre sent, as on all occasions, where the new Poor-law and its administration are the order of the day and of dis cussion. Our own minds have long been made up on the fact that the new Poor-law system is neither more nor less than an unconstitutional abrogation of the rights of the subject, for, in despite of Lord Brougham, we hold that the right to relief's abstractedly a right as sacred at the least as that of property, however practically it may be abolished, or cut, carved, and crippled in its proportions by legislation. And the new system moreover is as unchristian in its provisions as it is unconstitutional in principle. And what does the argument of Sir Janies Graham, amount to, when labouring to show that the sys tem has not worked with the unvarying hardships charged upon it, but that in, truth the system, as a whole, has not been applied in all its naked hide ousness of uniformity. Why, such being the fact, one of the great and leading features of the new Poor-law, one which in Lord Brougham's eyes, and in the eyes of all its eulogists and advocates, constituted its chief recommendation, has been abandoned, vitiated, violated, at will or dis cretion, by the very authorities to whom its enforce ment was delegated. That leading feature was its boasted uniformity ; its chief beauty was said to be; that by one simple law, and by one uniform and un-; varyin g administration in practice, the 12,000 hete rogeneous and differing systems prevailing in as many parishes an o d f the kingdom, would at once, with all their abuses be remedied and harmoniously replaced. The General Steam Navigation Company's vessel, the Giraffe, from Rotterdam, arrived off the Custom-house this morning, with the Dutch papers of yesterday. They contain an account of the conflagration at Hamburgh, which, however, does not come down later than that already published in The Sun. A letter from Vitteaux, in France, appears in the Journal de la Haye, which gives a lamentable description of a storm of rain and hail that occurred there on Saturday even ing. The whole place was suddenly deluged with natei, reaching to the tops of the houses, so thatthe country appeared like one large lake. The storm broke with so much rapidity, that no assistance could be rendered to the inhabitants, the greater portion of whom took refuge in the highest lofts and garrets, but several were afterwards found dead in their houses. One of the bridges was carried away, together with some of the adjoining houses. Two similar storms have occurred in this place, one in 1789, and the second in 1832. BRUSSELS, MAY B.—A person who has just visited our communes on the frontiers of France, has observed with regret that emigration to a considerable extent is taking place anions the families of our weavers. In the little village of Templeuve alone there are more than 100 houses of emigrants to be let. It was at Tureoing, Roubaix, and other places in the department of the north that they found employment and subsistence. A workman who could not gain more than Bd. a week in Belgium, by working 15 hours in a day, gains 3f, in France in a week by working only 12 hours a day. It said that if this continues 25,000 Flemish families will have passed the frontier by the end of the year. THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 13, 1842. IMPEKIAL PARLIAMENT . HOUSE OF LORDS, May 12. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at Five o'Clock. THE ADJOURNMENT. The Duke of WELLINGTON said, he should to-morrow move the adjournment of the House to that day week, the 20th May. Messengers from the Commons, brought , up several private Bills. The Earl of ORFORD, who was introduced by the Earl of Rosebery and Lord Stopford, took the oaths and his seat. The Earl of MOUNTCASHEL moved for a re turn of all resolutions passed ?Sy the Boards of Guardians, under the Poor-law Commission, in Ire land, since sth May, 1841.—Ordered. Earl FITZWILLIAM presented a petition from Halifax against the Corn and Provision-laws. POOR-LAWS.. Lord WHARNCLIFFE laid on the table the Eighth annual Report of the Poor-law Commission. DUBLIN POLICE BILL. On the motion of Lord WHARNCLIFFE, the Dublin Police Bill was read a second time. The Noble Lord said, the object of the Bill was to place the Dublin police force on precisely the same footing as the London police. HOPS. The Earl of WINCHILSEA presented a petition from Maidstone, praying for an alteration in the bas tardy clauses in the Poor-laws ; also a petition from Kent against the reduction in the duty on foreign hops. The petitioners stated that the reduction con templated by the Government of 21. per ton would ruin their trade. He was happy to say that it was not the intention of her Majesty's Government to pro pose so low a duty as 21., for if they did so it would entirely annihilate the trade in this country. Earl FITZWILLIAM said that, supposing the reduction in the duty on hops would injure the trade, the land would remain capable of being turned to any other purpose. Now, what he wanted to draw the attention of the House and the Noble Earl to, was another point. The other night a conversation arose respecting the employment of per sons in mines. His Noble Friend then expressed great anxiety concerning the' morals of that part of the population, which he said was seriously injured by the employment of females and children in those mines. Now, as his Noble Friend was so exceed.. ingly desirous of protecting the morals of the inhabi tants in the manufacturing districts, he would recom mend the Noble Earl to look a little more to the morals of the persons in the districts with which he was more immediately connected. He (the Earl of Fitzwilliam) would turn his attention to what occurred in the grounds during the time of hop picking.—(Loud laughter.) If he would look to the females there, it would be more useful than his turning his attention to those who delved in the bowels of the earth. The LORD CHANCELLOR—They sovent from London.—(Laughter.) Earl FITZWILLIAM—Yes ; they went from London to corrupt the fine morals of the districts with which the Noble Earl was connected. Now, surely the Noble Earl ought to endeavour to prevail upon the Government, to which he gave his support, to put an im port duty upon those articles which were brought down from London into those very pure places; lest they should corrupt the morals of the females, and it might perchance be of the males—(A laugh)—in the very pure districts of Kent and Sussex. The Earl of WINCHILSEA said the injury in flicted by taking away the protection from the hop grower would not affect the hop-groweronly but would be very detrimental to the agricultural interest. There were thousands of acres of wood-land in the county of Kent, which would be utterly valueless if it were not for the hop-gardens. He himself sold about 125 acres of wood- land. yearly. It was cut down and used for poles for the hop gardens. If the hop gardens were destroyed he should not sell more than 35 acres, for ash poles, and elm poles, and all these poles were of no use except for the hop-gardens. Now that would be a great loss to the labouring classes who were employed in these wood-lands. Great numbers of labourers were likewise employed in the cultivation of the hop-gardens ; it was true in some districts they had induced an artificial increase in the population, and if the duty was taken off foreign hops, they would all be in a state of distress. The Noble Earl had recommended him to look to the morals of the population in his own immediate neighbourhood. He begged to state that there was no district in which he had not established schools capable of affording edu cation for the whole of the population. All he asked was, that the hop-grower should have a fair protec tion, such as was given to other classes. Earl FITZWILLIAM said that it appeared then that the protection was to be continued, not so much for the sake of the hops, as for the sake of the wood-lands. The Earl of WICKLOW: rose to order. If Noble Lords made speeches on the presentation of petitions in this manner, they would never be able to get thr,ough the business. Earl FITZWILLIAM would move that the House do adjourn, and thus put himself in order. If the Noble Earl opposite had always interfered when any thing disorderly had occurred—whenever any conver sation had taken place across the table, on the . presentations of petitions, he would have bowed with submission to the Noble Earl's interference. In moving that the House do now adjourn, he should make one one or two observations on what had fallen from the Noble Earl on the subject of these woods ; it appeared that they were to protect the hops, not for the sake of the hops, but for the sake of the growers of the wood —where woods became less valuable, it was customary to destroy them, and he had no doubt the Noble Earl had himself been a great destroyer of woods ; so in the case of woods cultivated for the sake of hops, if they became less valuable they might be destroyed, and that should he the case instead of protecting the hops for the sake of the woods. He would beg to direct the attention of the House to the alteration about to be made in the duties on foreign timber, which he apprehended would have more effect in deteriorating the value of woods—"and he did not regret that, be cause he thought timber ought to be cheap—than any alteration in the hop duties would have in diminish ing the value of woods grown in the counties of Kent and Sussex. He had some knowledge of the woods there—some of them might be cultivated for the purpose of hop-poles, but he thought by far the greater part was the natural produce of the coun try. He begged to move that the House do now adjourn.—(Laughter.) The question was then put, and after a few words from the Earl of WINCHILSEA, in explanation, Earl FITZWILLIAM said, with regard to ;he employment of females in mines, he did not run into such extravagant opinions as he had seen expressed.. The condition of those employed was influenced by the width of the coal seams • perhaps it might be desirable to prohibit the employment of children in mines, but the necessity of employing children arose from the thinness of the seams. If Noble Lords would read the Report with any knowledge of mining, they would see that the employment of children was almost entirely confined to the thin seams of the coal-mines of the West Riding of Yorkshire and Lancashire. The Earl of WICKLOW rose to explain that he meant no disrespect to. the Noble Lord, when he called him to order ; it was caused by the Noble Lord's irregularity ; if they were to take the House collectively, there were no three Members of it who were guilty of so much irregularity as the Noble Lord. On a recent occa sion he had made no less than five speeches on a sin gle petition. Lord REDESDAL,E said, in the discussion the other night, the Noble Lord had himself got up in his place and observed, that he hoped a new rule would be established, in order that the proceedings might be more orderl7. Earl FIT ZWILLIAM—Make a rule. Lord REDESDALE—The Noble Lord said, make a rule. There was a rule already in existence, which was for general purposes sufficiently strict, but unques tionably that rule might be abused. He thought that when a Noble Lord was called to order he should bow to th e ca ll, an d not put himself in order, by moving an the House, and caus i ng gre at inconvenience. adjournment, thus evading the rule of The LORD CHANCELLOR then put the mo tion for an adjournment, which was negatived without a division. —_ INCOME-TAX. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said he rose in conformity with:the notice which he had put upon the paper, to move for certain return s relating to the ex emption of foreigners from the operation of the tax, commoply called the Income and Property-tax. In doing t) he did not wish to engage the House in any premature discussion with regard to the me rits of the property-tax. Upon the contrary, he would confine himself strictly to the point to which these returns related ; and if he deemed it hi s duty to make some observations in moving for such returns, his justification must be the great importance of the subject . The rea son why he called their attention . to this sub deiaernl t i sub ject was, that unquestionably . this was the first time the income enjoyed by foreigners . in other parts of the world, arising from property in this country, had been made the subject of taxation. There was, he believed, soon after the Revolution, an at tempt made to place a duty e qu on itab m le c , onl or e in the course of the first French war, Mr. Pitt intro duced an Income-tax upon all incomes enjoyed by Mr. Pitt ititn thatEn England, but b ju u s t t, it never occurred to income, but ; determined to include foreigners in the operation of that tax. Subsequently that . tax . was with the . war with which it originated Lord Sidmouth. proposed what was ca ll e d a Prolicrty.-tax, wit . which did . not materially differ fr(n":1 the .;titcr tux;. and that imposition was not ex tended to foreigners. Two years afterwards it fell to his lot, in concert with the Government with which he was connected, to propose an alteration and modi fication of the Property-tax so introduced ; but it never occurred to those with whom he had acted, that it would either be expedient or just to extend the Act to foreigners possessed of property in the funds. He might here say that a very natural change did take place in the measure, which so far altered its form and appearance with re spect to the funds, as to suggest the idea of fo reigners being taxed. By the consent of all parties, and the Bank Directors, they were enabled to act as Commissioners, and they received at the Bank that portion of the fund which was subject to taxation, and subject also to go into the public purse. But they did so as Commissioners. It was a deduction made from the tax on incomes, which they would find was gradually and carefully provided for in a clause of that Act, constituting the Directors to act as Commissioners under the Income-tax, showing that it was not a tax on the funds, but a tax on incomes, for which purposes they were made Commissioners. It was then suggested for the first time that it would be ex pedient to include foreigners in other countries, not being subjects of his Majesty, under the operation of the tax. But he (Lord L.) recollected that the sug gestion was resisted with the very general concur rence of the House, and in the course of what had passed very strong opinions were given that it would be both unjust and inexpedient to subject that species of property to the tax. He adverted to this, because he heard that Mr. Fox, whose opinion was naturally considered to be of great importance, had objected to the inclusion of foreigners in the tax as a matter of expediency only, and not as a matter of justice. He (Lord L.) entirely differed on that point, and he referred to the report of Mr. Fox's opinions, the words of which he would read to their Lordships, and he would leave them to judge whether they would consider Mr. Fox's opinion to be one founded on expediency. Mr. Fox said, " that he differed from the opinion expressed by the Honourable Gentleman (Sir P. Francis) on the subject. For his part, he considered a tax such as he recommended a shameful confiscation. The Bill under the consideration of the Committee was not one for taxing foreigners, but British sub jects. He thought such a measure was a flagrant breach of faith, and that if the revenue was to cease, yet he thought it :his duty to reject it." Now whether right or wrong, he apprehended that the opinion of Mr. Fox was opposed to the injustice, and not alone to the inexpediency of the tax ; and let it be recollected that Mr. Fox was giving his opinion conformably with the course of conduct pursued by Mr. Pitt, and again by Mr. Addington, and which, when Mr. Fox unhappily ceased to exist, was pursued by Mr. Percival when the question was brought under the consideration of Parliament. He affirmed that there was here a mass of authority against the inexpediency and injustice of including foreigner, in the tax ; and when the Bill for taxing the property of England was first introduced, the declarations successively made in Parliament were calculated to give foreigners an inducement to become creditors to this country, and that the property which they placed in the funds would be free from taxation. These foreigners should be treated in the same way as a mortgagee in this country should be treated by his mortgager. They said, if these foreigners who were their creditors were dissatisfied theymust sell out. That was an argument which might be carried a great deal too far, because, it might be applied some day to the English creditors, and it might be said to them, if they were dissatisfied, that they might sell out. It all those cases, howeier, where the English creditor should be hurt it would! be his own fault, because he was represehted in Parliament;•but the foreigner had no means of being represented. in Parliament; he had lent them money on the promise that he should receive the dividend free, and without de duction. That ,was the opinion he entertained as to the justice, or 'rather, the injustice of this proceeding ; and if he entertained. so strong an opinion as to the injustice of the proceeding, he also entertained a strong opinion of its inexpediency, be- Cause he could not see that , the adding of some 10,0001. or 20,0001. or 30,0001. a-year to a tax of many millions, was to be in the least compared with that reputation and established credit for which this country had been so long distinguished in all parts of the world. A case might occur at some distant period, when they might be called upon to uphold the security of British capital in other countries ; and then they might employ, if they could, the argument that they had, in the midst of all their distresses, carefully guarded them selves against the slightest deduction of that in terest which they had to pay to the foreign creditor. He bad seen with great sorrow any attempted deviation from that course which had been adopted for so many years in this country, and which had the sanction of so many Parliaments. 'He had taken the opportunity of stating his opinion on this matter, in moving for these returns. lie did not know whether the papers for which he moved could be produced ; he knew it was very likely that a great part of them had been involved in that sort of auto da fe which had caused such de struction amongst the papers. If, however, they were not destroyed, they might, perhaps, be obtained from some returns which had been moved for in the other House. The Noble Marquis, concluded by moving for a return of the exemptions given to foreigners from the Income-tax on former occasions. _ Tin- Earl of RIPON did not apprehend that there could be any objection to the motion of the Noble Mar quis, or any difficulty in complying with it. The sub ject was undoubtedly one of great importance ; and the Noble Marquis was perfectly entitled in forming with respect to it the opinion to which he had come. He (the Earl of Ripon) confessed, however, that he had not been satisfied by the reasoning of the Noble Marquis, that the proposal to subject the property of foreigners to the same impost as other property was an unjust proposal. He did not think that there would be any violation of the principles of justice in calling upon all parties who had an interest in the maintenance of the public credit of this country to contribute to the public burdens. Mr. Pitt had no doubt ex empted the property of foreigners from the Income-tax ; but it appeared to him (the Earl of Ripon) that in doing so he had been influenced, not so much by considerations of abstract justice, as by considerations of policy and public expediency. At the time when Mr. Pitt's Property-tax was imposed this country was subjected to great and unusual burdens ; and it was thought admissible, under those cir cumstances, that every possible means should be resorted to for the purpose of raising the credit of the country, in order to give increased facility for raising public loans. The same remark applied to the circumstances under which subsequent Property taxes were imposed. Although he was ready to admit that Mr. Fox seemed to have gone upon the prin ciples of abstract justice, he confessed, however, that he did not see how the principles applied in the case. The Property-tax was imposed for the purpose of avoid ing perpetual borrowing, consequently in that point of view the foreigner had the same interest in any measure that might have the effect of avoid ing that necessity in the holders of that property, as Englishmen had'? He had the same interest in the welfare of the public credit, as any other person who had property in the public funds. He (the Earl of Ripon) could, therefore, see no grounds of abstract injustice, in calling on the foreigner to contribute his share to the tax. Lord MONTEAGLE would take that opportunity of saying a few words on the subject. The Noble Earl who had just sat down had made no answer to the observation of the Noble Marquis behind, him (the Marquis of Lansdowne,) in respect to the altered cir cumstances of the country since the time of the first enactment of the Property-tax. He (Lord Monteagle) would admit, for argument sake, and for argument sake alone, that foreigners had een exempted upon selfish grounds, for the mere purpose of keeping up the funds. Assuming this, the foreigner would expect that he would be protected by the Legislature, as he had been previously. With respect to a case of expediency, the expediency was now felt more than ever. This course must affect British invest ments in foreign stocks. Let the Noble Earl compare the list of the funds in 1797 or 1798 to 1803 or 1804, in 1814 or 1815, with the list now and he would then find the enormous mass of British capital which at the present moment was in vested in the foreign funds, all attendant upon the fate of foreign Governments. Anterior Governments had been scrupulous on this point, and he thought the present Government ought to be equally scrupulous. And what was the sum to be raised:by this course ? The Noble Earl estimated it at from 10,0001. to 30,000/. a year, but it would certainly be below the mean of that sum. He thought this course would . endanger British capital abroad. Lord BROUGHAM said he did not wish to pro long the discussion which had been so pro perly introduced. He entirely agreed with his Noble Friend that it would be exceedingly unwise to extend the Property-tax to foreigners, that it would be highly inexpedient, for the sake of the trifling sum which could be obtained from foreigners by means of this tax, to give a pretext to other countries to deal in a similar way with funds of ours which were under their control. He thought unless the justice of it was so manifest that no argument against it could be adduced, it would be exceedingly impolitic, especially when he consi dered how much larger was the stake of this country in foreign funds than the stake of foreigners in English funds. He thought the authorities which his Noble Friend had cited on the subject--the authority of Mr. Fox, of Lord Grey, and of Lord Grenville, entirely established the point, and he hoped that after what had been stated the motion would be acceded to. If the matter was delayed until the Bill came up for discussion, it would be too late fir his Noble Friend's purpose. . The Earl of WICKLOW could not see any in- FOREIGN MA ILS. - - - A numerous and highly respectable meeting took place yesterday at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, pur suant to advertisement, for the purpose of considering the best measures to be adopted for effecting the more speedy delivery of the mails from the East and the West Indies, the Mediterranean, the Levant, and the Peninsula. Several Members of Parliament were present, and some of the most influential gentlemen of the City. W. CRAWFORD, Esq., the late Member for the City, on taking the chair, observed that before they pro ceeded to the business upon which they had met, he had to express his deep regret that the Chair was not filled by a gentleman who had given his pointed attention to the subject of their proceedings that day—he alluded to Sir G. Larpent, whom he was sorry to say was confined to his house by indisposition. He (Mr. Crawford) had, in that gentleman's absence consented to take the Chair, in the hope that the proceedings of the present meeting would, at an early day, be productive of much good. It was the wish of those through whose instrumentality the present meeting had been convened, to impress upon her Majesty's Government, by the weight of such an as semblage as the present, the necessity of their interfer ence in the topics for which the meeting was called. The coarse that was proposed to be taken to-day was, merely to confine themselves to the fact, that for the purpose of communication with the Peninsula, the Mediterranean, the East and West Indies, and the Levant, the port of Southampton was by far more convenient for the arrival and departure of the mails than the port of Falmouth. It was not proposed to enter into any discussion with respect to the question that had been brought forward elsewhere, with respect to the port of Dartmouth, because he felt convinced, that if it could be shown that that port was preferable to Southampton, there was no gentlemen present who would not gladly accede to tat. That was a matter in embryo, but this he might say, that his own opinion was, that the expec tations in that respect would never be realised. The object of the meeting that day was clearly set out in the circular which had been issued, showing the advantages that would be obtained on the receipt of letters brought di rect from Malta to Southampton. It was not disputed that with respect to the Peninsular mails, great advantage had been derived, particularly in the change of the day. Under the present system, persons engaged in commerce with the Peninsula, if they chose to evade the Post office regulations, could carry on their correspondence with greater facility than those who obeyed the law.— (Hear, hear.) With these observations he would call upon the gentlemen entrusted to move the resolutions that had been prepared for the adoption of the meeting to do so. Mr. BAGSHAWE then rose to propose the first resolu tion. It was so comprehensive that he need not apolo gise to the meeting for any inability on his part to do it justice. He thought he could not do better, therefore, than read it to the meeting. The numbers and respectability of which the present meeting was composed, and the fact of the requisition being signed by the members of every house connected with the Mediterranean and Peninsular and Eastern trade, gave hope that what would emanate from that meeting would have the desired effect. A memorial had been drawn up to the Lords of the Treasury, pointing out the advantages derivable from the removal of the Packet-station from Falmouth to Southampton, and re questing that object might be carried into effect. The resolution, which he should have the honour to propose for the adoption of the meeting, was as follows " That it appears to the meeting that the existing arrangements, by which the contract steam-vessels em ployed in the transmission of the East and West Indian, Mediterranean, Levant, and Peninsular mails are compelled to take on board and deliver their mails at the port of Falmouth, is productive of very serious detriment to the public interests, inasmuch as nu merous instances have been and continue to be furnished by the arrival of the vessels, to prove beyond contro versy, that were they permitted to proceed direct from and to Southampton, and there receive and deliver the Mails, the letters would, under ordinary circumstances be delivered in London considerably earlier than they now are, in consequence of being landed at Falmouth. That the alteration is the more important, from the fact that whereas the Mails are now necessarily dispatched from London on the last day of each month, another day would, by the contemplated change, be gained, inas much as they would then be forwarded on the evening of the first of the ensuing month, as shown by the state ment before the meeting." DALLAS; Esq., seconded the resolution, which he observed was so full in details, that little was required of him to say on the subject. Previously to the formation of the Government contract with the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, great delay oc curred in the dispatch of the Mediterranean and Eastern Mails, one day was lost at Falmouth, four at Gibraltar, and three at Malta. All this was now done away with. But still a delay which might be guarded against occurred even now at Falmouth, where the letters for the East which were transmitted in bulk from London, were assorted for Alexan dria, Bombay, Calcutta, and other parts of the East. The delay thus occasioned could be remedied by having the letters assorted in London, and transmitted at once to Southampton. E. DrVETT, Esq., M.P., would trouble the meeting with a few observations, and at the same time suggest an amendment to the resolution now proposed. The point on which he was at issue with the gentleman who had just preceded him, was the indication of any particular port. He thought that their object ought to be to con sider the best means of ascertaining by an impartial exa mination what might be the most eligible port at which to establish the mail station. His opinion was that it would turn out on examination that some port consider- ably to the west of Southampton, would' be found the most eligible. It was of the utmost importance to have the letters carried as far as possible by land, and if they could have a port at Land's-end it would be the best place. The Honourable Gentleman concluded by moving an amendment to the effect . " That the importance of the rapid and early trans mission of the mails to and from this country, the East and West Indies, the Mediterranean ports, &c., be made the subject of earnest representation to and from the merchants of London to her Majesty's Government, in order to the selection of a port which should best secure that object at all seasons of the year ; and that letters, wjiich should arrive after the departure of the ordinary mails, should be forwarded by mails established- espe cially for that purpose." Mr. HUNT, in seconding the amendment, observed, that if they persisted in pointing out Southampton as the best station, they would not have the whole country unanimously with them. It would be otherwise if they left the selection to the Government. Captain THORNTON, R.N., trusted that as Director of the Universal Life Insurance Company, and also of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Com- pany, he might be permitted to make a few iibservations on the present subject. Those Companies considered a rapid communication with India as of paramount im portance to them. At present they obtained their let ters via Marseilles, but as they expected their commu cations with the East would greatly increase, they were anxious to promote the facility and rapidity of the trans mission of letters to and from that quarter and this coun- try. He said it as a seaman, tnat it was of the utmost importance that there should be one point only selected from which letters should be transmitad, to and at which they should be received from both the East and the West Indies. To have two ports for that purpose was not only unnecessary, but was attended with great danger to, and frequently great loss of, life. Freedom from great danger and much in convenience would result to the Company of which he was the director, if their vessels had not to call at Fal mouth, after having left Southampton. He trusted that such a representation of the matter would be laid before Government as to render nugatory the influence of any local interest in the matter. After a few words from Mr. BAGSHAWE, to the effect . of his being convinced that Mr. Divett was incapable of being influenced by any private or interested views in the course which that Hon. Gentleman had adopted on the present occasion, the amendment was put from the Chair and negatived. The original resolution was then put and carried with but one or two dissentients. The next resolution, proposed by Mr. Foster and se conded by Mr. Scholetield, was as follows : " That with regard to the Peninsular mails, besides this disadvantage in retarding their delivery, the addi tional and very serious evil of a week's delay in the course of post is incurred, as there would be ample time, were the letters delivered at Southampton, to re ply to them by the outgoing mail of the same week, whereas, by the existing arrangement, the letters are de livered never less than two days after the departure of the outward mails ; and that an alteration in the day and hour of departure of these vessels is required to be made simultaneously with the change in the port of arrival and departure." Mr. ThvErr, M.P., said, that as he must now leave the meeting, he would take the liberty of departing from the usual course, and now move the thanks of the meet- ; ing to the Chairman. Mr. BAGSHAWE seconded the motion. The CHAIRMAN observed that he should acknowledge the compliment at the proper time, namely, the close of the proceedings. On the motion of Captain MANGLEF, the memorial re ferred to was then read by the Secretary, and adopted by the meeting. S. BIGGS, Esq., seconded by HUNTER, Esq., moved a resolution, thanking the Pacha of Egypt for the facili ties which his Highness afforded for the transmission of English letters through his dominions.—Carried. After the dispatch of some routine business, the Chair man returned thanks, and the meeting separated. CORONER'S INQUEST.—Yesterday afternoon an in quest was held at the sign of the George public-house, in George-court, Strand, before Mr. Higgs, the Coroner for Westminster, on the body of Michael Sullivan, aged seven years. 'The deceased was the son of labouring parents, living at No. 9, Shelton -court, Bedfordbury, Covent-garden, and on Thursday afternoon last was standing before the fire, when, owing to the door of the room being suddenly thrown open, his pinafore was carried by the draught of air against the bars of the grate, and instantly caught in a blaze, which, com municating to the rest of his apparel, the child, in a few became entirely env e l o p e d i n flame , and before the could be extinginfhed, was burnt and scorched in a manner too c d n r desadful to desoribe. He was directly taken to Charing cross Hospital, where he died on Wednesday night. Verdict— " Accidental death." A gentleman in passing through a village in De vonshire, asked a boy if he had been taught the Church Ca techism, he replied, " Yes, Sir." " Do you know what is meant by your ghostly enemy?" " Yes, Sir, my mother says that our jack-ass is my ghostly enemy, for he is always trying to kick me." The village schoolmaster is, indeed abroad. We have reason to believe that her Majesty's Mi nisters are in possession of a late dispatch, forwarded by Major Pottinger to the authorities at Calcutta. The dispatch in question, we understand, addi nothing to what was previously known of the state of affairs in Affglianistan ; but it completely exonerates General Elphinstone, assigning the blame of the late disaster to a different quarter, or rather to different quarters —for the council of war comes in for a share.—Evenlygg Paper. justice in taxing the foreigner who had money in our funds ; and he thought, if foreigners were exempted, a door would be opened to fraud, inasmuch as Englishmen residing abroad would put money into the English funds in the name of foreigners. If they escaped taxation it must fall heavier on our own subjects; and with regard to the precedent set to other countries, he thought they would not hesitate if they imposed a property-tax, in making foreigners contribute to it. Lord BROUGHAM explained, that he did not allude to foreigners resorting to a measure of a precisely similar nature. But human nature was so unfortunately constituted, that if we did one unjust act, the probability was that they would resort to another still more unjust, and quote our own injus tice as the precedent. The Duke of NEWCASTLE objected to the im position of the Income-tax. He could not agree with the Noble and Learned Lord in considering it expe dient, and was surprised at his approving of it. Lord BROUGHAM—I said it was unfortunately necessary, and that I yielded to the painful necessity. The Duke of NEWCASTLE could not see the necessity of it. He thought they could do without it, and although he was glad to give his support to the Government, he objected to the Property tax and the Tariff. Lord MELBOURNE owned that he had some doubts as to the justice of exacting: from fo reigners having money in our funds, a tax for the protection and advantage they received in this invest ment of their property. They did not receive the general protection and advantages which the natives of the country obtained from the Government, and he (Lord Melbourne) entertained considerable doubts as to the wisdom, the policy, and expediency of impos ing such a tax upon them. Indeed, in the present circumstances of the country, he thought it both im politic and inexpedient to impose this tax on foreigners. It was the expectation of foreigners that the same course should be pursued on the present occasion as had been hitherto, when foreigners were exempt from the imposition of the tax. Mr. Rose and Mr. Huskisson had both doubted the policy and expe diency of subjecting foreigners to this tax, and if he recollected aright, Mr. Long, late Lord Farnborough, concurred in their opinion. He thought it was not advisable to discourage the foreigner from taking advantage of the security that belonged to the finances of this country. On all these grounds he regretted the course taken by her Majesty's Government. Lord WHARNCLIFFE said that the imposition of the tax appeared to have so little effect on the funds as a discouragement to investment, that they were at the present moment unusually high. He considered the advantages that would arise from taxing the foreign fundholder would outweigh the objections that might be made to it. With respect to the general question, the present was not the time to enter into discussion upon it—they ought to wait tiP the • - -re was fully before the House. meaiu BRIBER i INQUIRY BILL. Lord BROUGHAM moved that the House should go into Committee on the Bribery In quiry Bill. He did not intend to go into any details upon it, but he should propose to add a clause that would not only embrace the Com mittees of general inquiry into bribery at elections, but the cases in which corrupt compromises had been made. In these inquiries all parties should cordially unite. In conducting an inquiry of such immense importance and interest, everything like party and personal motives should be sedulously avoided. Lord WHARNCLIFFE did not rise to object to proceeding with the Bill, but he doubted very much its regularity, as the other House of Parliament had instituted a Bill upon the subject. Lord BROUGHAM said that no Bill had been introduced, but a notice had been given. The present Bill had been introduced before the slightest notice or intimation had been given on the subject in the other House. Lord WHARNCLIFFE doubted whether the other House would not think they were interfering with that which was strictly their privilege. Lord BROUGHAM explained. The Earl of WICKOW said that the House of Commons could not be considered to have their privi leges infringed by the present Bill of the Noble and Learned Lord. It was a Bill showing the House of Commons the willingness of this House to co operate with them in putting down one of the great est evils of this country—one that was increasing every day, and was productive of immorality, perjury, and bribery.—(Cheers.) He thought the House of Commons, the country, and the constituency of the country ought to be grateful to the Noble and Learned Lord for bringing forward this measure. Lord CAMPBELL would not object to the pro gress of the Bill. He would candidly and zealously promote the object of his Noble and Learned Friend to put down bribery, which was now so much re sorted to. But he confessed he was rather disap pointed that his Noble and Learned Friend did not produce something more effectual. The Bill of the Noble Lord, however, would produce no harm, and he would not therefore oppose its progress. Unless his Noble Friend inserted words which would make the Bill applicable to the Committees appointed in the other House, he thought no advantage could be de rived from it. Another objection which he enter tained to the Bill was, that it did not make it com pulsory upon witnesses to give evidence. That omis sion arose from a desire to prevent the witness from criminating himself. But it was a settled point in Courts of Law, that when a party had been guilty of contempt, he was bound to answer ; and he appre hended that unless it were made compulsory upon the sitting Members and agents to answer the questions put to them, the Bill would be little better than waste paper. It was, in his opinion, the only way by which bribery could ever be detected. He was afraid that their Lordships would legislate in vain if they legislated on this principle. It must be by rendering the offence unavailable that bribery only could be stopped ; by asking every one to tell all he knew, at the same time indemnifying him, would be the only way to get at the truth of this matter. The second clause of this Bill he thought was very unconstitutional, and in many respects ob jectionable. On these grounds he thought this Bill would not answer the expectations of its proposer, and he thought it would be much better if his Noble Friend would exert his great talents in the framing of another Bill on the subject, more general and more extensive. Lord BROUGHAM said, that while he admitted the force of the observations of his Noble Friend, he could not bring himself to insert a compulsory clause in the Bill. Such a clause would be opposed to the general principles of our Legislature ; it would be unjust and oppressive, and would probably only lead to perjury in self-defence on the part of those who might be subjected to its operation. The Bill then went through Committee, and was ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. CATHOLIC GRIEVANCES. Lord CLIFFORD presented six petitions from Norfolk and other places, complaining of Catholic grievances. NATIONAL EDUCATION (IRELAND). Vord CLANCARTY presented a petition from a place in Ireland against the present system of National Education. Their Lordships then adjourned at Seven o'Clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Mayl2. The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour, but there being only 32 Members present, the House adjourned. LAW INTELLIGENCE. HOUSE OF LORDS, May 12. The House sat to-dey to hear writs of error. The Peers present werethe Lord Chancellor, Lord Brougham, Lord Cottenham, and Lord Campbell. The greater part of the Judges were also in attendance. • SIR F. BURDETT V. DOE. The arguments were resumed this morning on this part-heard case, and not•haring concluded at four o'clock the further consideration of the case was adjourned to Friday week. COURT OF QUEENS BENCH, May 12. Lord DENMAN disposed of a few short causes this morning of no general interest, after which the Court discharged the jury ► and adjourned at half-past twelve o'clock. COURT OF EXCHEQUER, May 12. CLOVE V. DENT AND ANOTHER. This was an action framed in several counts, the principal of which were, that the defendants had im prnperly disposed of certain goods, the property of the plaintiff ; that they had continued illegally in possession of the plaintiff's house ; and that they had assaulted the plaintiff's wife and imprisoned her. It appeared that the plaintiff rented a house from the defendant Dent, in Seymour-place, Bryanstone-square, in which he carried on the business of a publican. An arrear of rent, to the amount of 18/., having become due to the defendant on the 25th of September last, he levied a distress on the goods of the plaintiff, and employed a person of the name of Morgan, who was the second defendant in the case, to distrain the goods. Morgan continued for a week in possession, without being authorised to do so, it was contended, and con trary to the Statute. An arrangement (the precise cha racter and attendant circumstances of which it was very difficult to determine from the evidence given on both sides) was entered into between the wife of the plaintiff and a person of the name of Woodgate, who was to become the new tenant of Mr. Dent, by which it was agreed that she should give up possession of the house and the fixtures, on condition that this should be accepted in payment of the rent due, and that she should receive a sum of money in addition, for any goods that might be on the premises. On the Monday following the day of this agreement, the plain tiff's wife came to claim of the defendant the money which she supposed was due to her. There arose on that occasion some misunderstanding between the par ties ; the woman became very violent in her conduct ; and she was then given into the custody of two police men, who deposed to her having been drunk at the time. The charge against her, on her removal to the police office, was abandoned on condition that she should not return to the house, or molest the defendants. She was then dismissed ; but having again returned, and.secreted herself in the house she was again removed to the sta tion-house. The Jury, after a short deliberation, found a verdict for the deteudant in the sum of 51. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. OLD COURT. Ellen Thomas, described as a spinster, was indicted f or feloniously cutting anti wounding John Wilk s,' with intent to, flo him some grievous bodily harm. Mr. Howarth defended the prisoner. John Wilks, a little boy ten years old, stated that he live& with his mother in Parker-street, Drury-lane, and the prisoner lodged in the same house. On the 23d of April the prisoner called him into her room, and sent him for some gin and solve beer. She was at this time smoking a pipe, and was intoxi cated. When he returned she locked the door. and told him to take off his handkerchief from his neck, and she called him to her, and with a razor inflicted two severe wounds upon his face and throat. The prisoner before this had been very kind to him, and he had not aggravated her in aay manner. The boy's mother stated that upon hearing an alarm she went into the prisoner's room, and found her with her arra round the boy, and in the act of nutting his throat. The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty. Baron ALDERSON then ordered the prisoner to be kept to hard labour for three years. 1 he moment the sentence was pronounced, the prisoner be came very violent. She exclaimed—" I will kill myself, I will. I won't be there a week." She was then removed from the dock, and as she was going down the steps she screamed out— " So help me good God, I'll kill myself—where there's a will there's a way. I won't be there a week." POLICE INTELLIGENCE. WORSHIP STREET. Emma Buller, a respectable-looking married woman, was finally examined upon a charge of having stolen nine sovereigns the property of Mr. Wells, ,of Wellington-place, Stoke Neva ington. It appeared that the prisoner had been for a considerable time past on terms of intimacy with the prosecutor and his family, and was a frequent visitor at his house, where she al ways met with the most hospitable reception. On several oc casions, however, when the prisoner had been his guest, the prosecutor missed different sums of money from a box which he kept in a cupboard in the sitting-room, and in order is arrive at the thief, he marked a number of sovereigns, which he deposited in their usual receptacle. The prisoner took tea with his wife on that evening, and before she went away the prosecutor took an opportunity of examining the box, whets he discovered that nine sovereigns had been abstracted. He made no mention of the circumstance until the prisoner left the house, accompanied by his wife, who offered to see her part of the way home, when he followed them, and asked his wife if she knew what had become of the money. She answered in the negative, and the prisoner, in affected ignorance, inquired ' what money he alluded to, upon which the prosecutor directly' charged her with the robbery, and having met a policeman, he gave her into custody. The prisoner admitted her guilt to the policeman, and the nine marked sovereigns were found upon her at the station-house. The prisoner (who declined saying anything) was committed for trial. LLOYD'S SHIPPING VESSELS SPOKEN WlTH.—Jane Prowse, Liverpool to Val paraiso, March 10, lat. 3 S., lon. 20 W. ; Courier, London to the Cape, March 9 ; Brig Hope, 6th instant, lat. 47, lon. 20, steering eastward, by the City of Cork, arrived at Cork. Vesta, Liverpool to Odessa, 3d instant, lat. 43, Ion.1I; Hin dostan, 4th, lat. 44, lon. 11, by the Samaritan, arrived at Falmouth. Moffat, Bombay to London, ou the Line, March 28, lon. 22 W., by the Mona, arrived in the River. Peter Edward, Surinam to Hamburgh, 19th ult., lat. 23, lon. 56, by the Triumph, arrived at Bristol. Zulieka, of Dublin , for Londom, 20th ult., in Gibraltar Bay, by the Betsy, Bs' bertion, arrived at Cork. Anglicans, Poole to Quebec, Ist instant, lat. 49, lon. 17, by the Cathetine Greene, arrived Is the River. Leen*, Boer, Rotterdam to Batavia, 24111 sit., 141. 47, lon. 7 ; 6cheroid, St. Vincent to London, 20th ult.., lat. 34, lon. 56, by the iZewallan, arrived in the Clyde. A baxir! , supposed the Calicornia. bound Westward, 26th ult., hit. lon. 45 ; Industry, Sligo to Quebec, 29th ult., lat. T lon. 36 ; a large ship, Opposed the Compton, of Liverfkle" steering N.W., sth inst., lal. 51, lon. 5, by the Christi& 0, arrived in the Clyde. Meeas, Van Wanny, Calcutta to 13A; tavia, 3d January, in the Straits of Sunda ; Fourteen, bowls to Batavia, 11th, off the entrance Pf the Straits of Sunda Alice, bound Westward, 3d April, lat. 20, lon. 39; Mariann e and Pauline, Hamburgh to Havannah, 28th, lat. 50, lon. by the Menado, arrived at Browershaven. THE MARKETS. COUNTRY CORN MARKETS. 2. at' Wheat. Barley. I Oats. Beans. I - 4 -.—........ -..... Per Quarter s. to s. a. to a . a. to a. a. to s. ,s. Boston liraintree 52 70 27 34 93 29 33 38 3 A Brighton 57 72 27 31 20 28 38 42 33 Cambridge — 60 25 -... 16 29 Chichester 5B 65 26 30 20 24 34 36 5 4 Dunmow 45 55 2 t 31 19 25 26 40 28 Grantham Grimsby 56 74 28 33 lb 2L 36 40 -- Hailsham 66 72 26 32 19 21 30 34 29 Hitch in 5O 67 27 34 '2O 30 34 45 -- Ipswich 5l 60 22 28 21 26 29 30 2 6 Lewes 5B 68 27 28 111 20 34 36 33 Lynn 54 64 24 29 16 20 20 32 3G Maidstone 59 67 36 39 26 32 38 40 Norwich Pet worth Rom ford 56 62 24 1:8 'A : 6 2b 38 26 Sandwich 6l 71 23 34 25 30. 33 50 36 Tnetford 6l 64 32 36 24 28 40 44 38 Wisbech Witham . . ... - 52 62 21 28 90 25 26 32 28 iwrmouth 6O 69 30 32 24 30 38 40 3 9 LIVERPOOL CORN MARKET.—May 10. WHEAT, English, White, per 701 b. arr. Red ---- Scotch Welch, and Manx 0 ---.. Irish. White 7 0 --- ---- Rea 6 6 j Foreign 8 6 OATS, Suglish. Welsh, and Scotch, per 451 b '2 --- !rid. - .... ,) 10 - o ° 313 .! S 6 33 . 4 28 34 36 26 40 36 40 36 40 30 34 34 45 29 SO 34 36 03 92 38 40 32 34 33 40 2b 38 33 C 9 40 44 31 34 26 32 38 40 .May 10 qs 9J. 9, ,5,4 t° 06 9 3 0 0 " g!3 7 0 2 ' 0 6 0 0 8 6 3 2 .9 • 30 34 33 3 4, 3G _ 32 34 39 3 1 9 4 '26 99 35 41 34 , 92 98 go 39 'a ° ---- Ira ~ -. 2lO 0 - Foreign 3 A RLEY, English, Malting, per Imp. quarter . 30 a L' D - Scotch and Irish, pet 601bs. 1 0 - Feedin BEANS, English, g per Imperial quarter 3B 0 40 ;', - Irish, la. - Foreign - PEASE, English, per Imperial quarter 4ll 0 4. 4" " , 36 0 -- Foreign FLOUR, English, per 2801 b. - Irish OATMEAL, English and Irish, per 24tIlbs .. tIS 0 ''' INDIAN CORN , per -1801 b. ........, 000000000 • •....• • • 3i 0 . 40 0 " Itire, per Imperial quarter MALT, per Imperial quarter ending MAYS ~.' .. To r ver'•-• X. 16 Wheat,perbarrolUt. stone 3 8 o 3r2 o f •• Pere .,., . l6 stone — it --. s , 131 Barley 2,373 Oats '4 stone.... 11 11 15 0 I" 0 Flour, per cwt. :46 0atmea1,................... 8 stone ll 0 14 13 5 Sold to Bakers only. n i Vii 6,487 Cwt. Flour. .......... _,-......... .. , . 9 0 24 0 .. Average price a V. heat and Flour 53- 4:1 per sack Receipts of Flour, 9,840 ~,r Firsts. ..... ...... from 17s. Od to 2 4s u"- Vales of Do. B ' 79d ). T Se tTi n rls " =....... ~,......from 1 9 5 5. g. 01 to 13 7 : .01 IRISH MAR: OUBLIN MARKET NOTE for KETS. the Wce] From I 24 0 PMCF OF BMW , . Quarterr. Loaf ..... 1 Halt Quartern 434d. CORK MARKETS.—May 7. Wheat (per 20at.).'.8.z 01. tuns. Od. oats (per List. . S;.6d. ton's- 0 Barley (per 1( ist.)10 6 12 I 6 Floi.r (per cwt 7ti Oatmeal (per Od. to 139, 01 Reef, 6d. to 60.—Glutton, bd. MM.—Veal, 40 to Do York, 4d. to sd.—Fre th Butter, 11d. to —d per lb. PRICE OF Herron. 0 To the Merchants. To the Cou' d First Quality • 75* ... .. 65 s Second .. 71 .......... third .. ......... .. . ,,0 Fourth . ......... •..• ~ 46 .........e........, ...„.....•• 4 5 Fifth Sixth 22 ..-....-....-.. ............ 36 CLON MELL MA RKETS.....May 7 Per Cwt.. ti• .4. A. 8 . d. o l i, 0 09 0 Hideo traw)..- ..... •-• ,‘ 0 , 0 14 6 15ac0nP..4 , ......,.....,44 b 2 J deeds 2e -- Per E. 0 ° 40 .' IFlour,Triacio....., - 0 „... ' 1 38 0 1--- Founns 16 6 0 s. d. New Butter .... 9B oto Oatmeal 0 Rendered Lard 0 Fleur, Second --Household...-- aapeseod 2C 0 barrel. 0 S Barley l6 0 J . Guts • td MARKETS. Beef "per I t - . si 0 bluttisn 0 5 0 a Pork 4.,•••••• • •••••• " 4 „ Vey` . 0 6 Crest? Banat 0 0 !kit 0 6 I , V Potatoca(perst.) L 9 ,4 SUICIDE THROUGH DisTßEss.---Between 2 0 1 4 , 1 110 ten o'clock on Wednesday night, a poor old man naMea:';csi Hannell, who for several months past had occupied an st "" No. 6, King's Head-court, Tothill-street, Westminste r 'die, common lodging-house of the lowest description , wag, sel f covered to have terminated his existence by suspending hltbe by the neck with a piece of cord to one of the rafters ° be efs ceiling. The body was quite- cold, and he had evidentlYto tie dead two or three hours. He had stood up on c a sto°,4 l himse:f up, and had then kicked it from un er 11;111• last seen alive about three o'clock on Wednesday' at';elslo,i He was by trade a shoemaker, but an affection of the 13) 0 , O f of late years prevented him from working at his busitre lately he had become exceedingly distressed, so much 041,,h,011 a he frequently went for two and three days together I'oAl`.o tasting food. The attic he occupied was in a most w r p e , r ol;' • state, not a vestige of furniture in it, the ceiling and roo f :, ral;' . through so as to admit the weather, and a heap of d ir t) ( 1 serving the wretched man for a bed. The only food Si": ed? the room was a very small piece of stale bread, and W.; tr. full of cold tea. The deceased on Wednesday marlin . . tbd marked to a female who lodges in the same house , t '';,:ooll distress he was in, and what he suffered from hunge r lor very soon induce him to make away with himself. As will be held on the body this afternoon. TO; A CALL TO RESIST THE INCOMEAX.---.,,d-, should be some associations got up—some anti-in c " l 'lle associations. What are our old Reform friends about ? tie ,; 5 0 6 they sunk under the sudden success of poor nusliosiP_,,' Robert Peel ? Let us have associations and g ood f Ra ,;( and kindly feeling, and an understanding as to whet do when the tax is passed, and we shall soon make a l ? 0 11; Sir Robert Peel and his tax—let him politically alg r i itie • ll his tax about his neck, and go into private life P° 4 hanged, and so he will do, and we shall be again hafp. o l4 reasonable and reforming Government. Let us ha: or iet t i ; Income-tax associations—let us begin them. We wete_.o6 4 famed for commencing any great reform in the GovvL o e, this town particularly poured its whole strength into tie sition to the Income-tax being again laid on. t tryitonce more, and we will cordially j oin there.' Mercury. Per 13 gl KILKENNY Wheat n pvrbarrel)2Bl.od.to Ws. Od. Barley 12 0 19 0 Vats." ..... l4 0 15 I. Flour (perirag . ) 25 0 :39 0 Butter(perewt.) 0 0 98 0 Bacon Pigs 45 0 46 0 Coals 1 0 1 2 Beie 00000000 00000 Loudon : Printed and Published by kW RD V ° 4 :ior .ll Nt'• 112 , Strand. at 'Mg S" Office, No. 11' • 'the County of Middlesex, Friday, May ljt tO"' mercury. I3IRTHS. On the lOth inst., at Lower Beeding, Sussex, the i r p the Rev. J. M. Chrneley, of a son. On the 11th inst., at the Vicara g e, Barkin g , the Li°l3' Robert Liddell, of a son. MARRIED. .c P AAO rtb 1 .' le' On the sth inst. , at C hrist Church, Liverpeoit Alice, only son of Edward Gibbon, Esq., of Liverpool, ofd`3erte!a cond daughter of the late Nicholas Aspinall, Esq., s‘lo` ri , On the 10th inst., at St. Mary's, Islington, Willia to •lo - uf eldest on of W. Newton, Esq.. of Queen,quare, yics' Ann, eldest daughter of the late Rev. James CaPor n ' d Takely, Essex. o ° o On the 10th inst., at St. John's, Margate, M r ', t he le Gibbs, of Stourinouth, to Charlotte, eldest daughter Charles Charriere, Esq., of Greenwich. L et. DIED. On the 3d ult., at Madeira, Sir Wellesley Alexander Bart., eldest son of the late Sir George Leith, On the 9th inst., Mr. W. Blissett, of Holborn -bars , • .f 8„ b, t e , oel kt,