The Sun. — London, England, 1842-05-27 00:00:00

tS'e_edings in the form suggested by his Right Hon. Friend. had at every gre a t o bj ection to the House directing prosecu- s all, beli ev i ng that it was not strictly a Constitutional mod e of proceeding, and that it sent parties to their trial with a ,e•rytho vonsitlerable w e i e h t of prejudice against them. At least, he ught there should be the clearest possible evidence that the partie s , if sent to take their trial, would be convicted by • the j ury. L i ord J. RU SSELL said his complaint was, not that the it° Gentleman did not tell the Chancellor of the Exchequer, •otiny other individual that it was his intention to oppose the Sleurnment of the House, but what he complained of was, that. 40 diit d not publicly announce it to the House. If he had done he had stated that it was his intention to oppose the adJournment to Monday, he, for one, should have stayed till tb,:inotion had been made, in order to have supported the mo ti . r . i .r of her Alajesty's Ministers. sa t C. NApIER said that be supported the adjournment to t r daYi and moved that the individual should be released, teer.he had heard opinion of the Attorney-General, con- Md ring it most unjust to imprison an Englishman improperly. prThe ArRANEy-GENERAL differed from his Learned ttend the Member for W o d stoc k i n hi s mot i on f or t h e ad itnrnent t oSaturday. H e a l so diff ered w i t h t h e G a ll ant 01E , r, because he did not think it Heist, without due notice, and deliberation, that a vote of the House should be set at nought. trusted that the Noble Lord and the House would ft-el sa - Ca . ed with the explanation which his Hon. and Learned Friend now for the third time given. He (the Attorney-General) , believed that his Hon - . and Learned Friend had had no inten tion in the slightest degree to abstain from giving notice, and t_lii.athe had, as f ar as he had the power of so doing, given notice ant the He -entirely concurred - in all that had fallen s Learned Solicitor-General, and also much that had ,4_lallen from his Hon. and Learned Friend opposite, as to the 37tPshoiiii.riety of the present rnotion ; but he could not concur im in the view which he had taken of the St. Alban's le. From his L earned Friend ' s remarks it would appear that .benPt o secution at H ertford had failed because the Jury had -unm indful of th e i r d uty, and had been influenced by im r! per motives. He (the Attorney-General) thought it right !to iniPute to state distinctly and explieitly that he did not think it right t ° any person serving on that Jury that he was in cfltneoe'l oY any but a desire to discharge his duty honestly zrcurnstitutionally. Believing, as he did, that there were the w itnesses for that prosecution, he could not forget that one of aor'tries"' was proved to have been confined in a lunatic 011 in within the previous twelvemonth, and that another was t .ti„e admit that h e was commonly called by a name indica nt bis utt er want of veracity.—( Hear.) Those circurn ati,z,!e had been dwelt on by the Learned Counsel for the de -11..7_(e v . in his a bl e and animated address to the Jury, in which, mark ser, that Learned Gentleman had indulged in certain re /ind e °f which he (the Attorney-General) could not approve, ght t (the At torney-General) thought that no one had any we surprise at their verdict.—(Cheers,) That * Un r _use, ° was no more the place for commenting on the verdict of iu_u_r.Z,ethan for calling in question the direction of a Judge.— dt., heera.) With respect to the immediate question before eh, "use, although he would at all times willingly 7ty the orders of the House, yet he thought that by the pre loMotion t oo great a degree of responsibility would be t7ved upon the Attorney-General. It would be devolving . 41 11 the Attorn ey- G eneral that discretion and judgment which °use e ' alone ouoht to se exercise. It ns would be placing him situation of the Hou of Commo, to call upon him to t7eide who should and who should not be prosecuted.—(Hear, 4 4 .! i a r,;) He w ou ld never shrink from the honest discharge of .. u ntY both t o t he House and to the public justice of the s,it""trYs but he m ust protest against being placed in a situation zatte h Pow d er an responsibility, power to the exercise of ,Itc it w ould be so easy to attribute corrupt motives. Great !tmonVenience arose in the case of Swan, who was named by c itr on for prosecution. When the Report was made on in ,font was d ou b tful whether there was sufficient material prosecution, and it was upon information . I"M t air b t 70tied elsewhere, th a t S wan was tried.—( Hear.) He ed the propriety of this course, and if the House been sitting at the time the prosecution was going on, he Ton°,slid certainly have come down and made a communication public the case. It was extremely undesirable to cast upon a nd ,"e officer associated with the Government, the selection of ‘...._+vidnals for prosecution, with respect to matters with which I:7 2 tY feeling Ve4S so much mixed f his Right Hon. .!'riled would bring a case before the House in which bribery ~t7'lm'ci clearly proved, he thought the House, notwithstand g the observations of the Hon. Member for Worcester, would zantute a prosecution. But it being a case without evidence, i o thout th e sanction of constitutional practice, and where the „,,,,Ote Must g i ve to a public officer the discretion and judgment . I.b s ie n ought to belong to the ouse alone, he trusted his Right s Friend would not persist H in his motion, but withdraw it, a nd present it another time, when het should have selected mou s e case s on l y i n which there was not merely a tolerable, rdr ea certain prospect of bringing the charge home to the parties. the BUNCOMBE saki that it seemed to be admitted by Eon, and Learned Gentleman that there was not a suffi tiel4ly clear case made out against any individual with regard to I F " • 1 1, 1 6. Now h e (M r . Buncombe) should say that even - "'mittli a clea r case could be made out, he would not be pre to support the motion, for he entirely agreed with the no- ~hmkingd Learned Gentleman the Member for Worcester in that that House did not stand sufficiently high in pub he not i n sufficiently good odour with the l at ldie, to enable them to institute a prosecution upon a charge ISf bribery with any prospect of success. Let them look to what „, n ati takingplace on a former occasion. During the last session HAttorney-General was directed, on th e mot i on o f t h e Ri ght ost, Gentleman, to prosecute Dr. Webster for having at tempted to brib e a certa i n e l ector at St. Alban ' s. The party io'osecuted was acquitted on that occasion, to the satisfac lien of the public. That was the result of the Right Honourable Gentleman's motion, showing that this sort of proceeding, when instituted by that House, was perfectly useless. It was not by snag proceedings that they could obtain for that House the respect of the public. He believed there was no remedy for the evil but a remodelling of the whole frame-work of that House, anti a considerable extension of the class of electors by Whom that House was returned. If the motion was pressed to Otlivition, he should vote against the Right Hon. Gentleman, lbatronly upon the ground that he had not made out a sufficient hs.e, but because he thought th e p rocee di ngs wou ld b e impar %i and unjust. tar. DARBY said that his Right Hon. F r i en d h a d no t ad •st,,ited , as the Hon. Gentleman seemed to suppose, that there tot been a st rong case ma d e out b efore the Election : nr ottlitteee of bribery to a great exte n t, a l t h oug h i n many _rVittideal cases the charge could not perhaps be maintained. l ea n respect t o a case f or prosecution, although if any person *4ll through the evidence given before the Committee, they Jilts t77.,.-G end it most conclusive, yet it would be difficult for the t•-t° to found a prosecutio n up on it. 'a N%lr.a•i4"-Y.THE said that the Hon. Member for Finsbury tlrvitZaticombe) had talked of a corrupt comp rom i se b eing -- 1 , 0 M*(1, 4 1 ,1 in the cases of Canterbury and St. Alban's. As for out L' 4 raythe), he could state that he was cognizant in no tav, — ` 1 34; 1 .,/ o f_, a compromise taking place, and he never was tli a T a ilikin 2 7° than when, oe the morning on which the peti bf...'" the his return was to be proceeded with, he learned c tt, a 7 4 er`f, - " . ",,.015ti0n of t that petition was abandoned. The Hon. a e ,l "Insbury ad no more right to accuse him of car ikran--eess than he (Mr. S.) had to charge that Hon. 414),5t. o,,,with corrupt practices in the borough of Finsbury. th e 'ONNELL said, that in Canterbury and •s t. Wis Wa s ,Y settled their accounts as well as they could ; the nnwever, that a great deal of bribery took place Rhe N ., 81 „, 11 ,°t known at Hear, hear. )He was sorry -- mist not support the motion of the Right Hon. Gen *lts • e • h it so k in Public were thoroughly aware that there never .t t . o corruption and bribery at arty election as a the i.trined.,v,, Att orney -General said he was anxious to find out Drew!bribery. Now what was the great impediment 4 tie ' to tl e t e to the investigationof b ribery ? The refusal of par ho tt chll Ira lnate themselves . Was it not possible for the hisnetidGen.eral to bring in . a Bill to indemnify all witnesses ~clest „ give evidence of bribery ?—( Hear, hear.) The :,seth th e were quite strong enough to carry any measure Ini.ght propose • and the public would not give them hr' tv a ate desiring to suppress bribery, unless they took some Many persons of high rank were guilty of Wes % '''sf‘oLit was impossible but that many of those who 5,,, t- ,'iro were involved in it. Let' them get a Bill ~ntstrs "Um facilitate the proof of bribery, and then the 2 1 144 Lotild believe them to be seriously disposed in finding a 7 0 _4%1'11_ 4 ; but until that was done it would be hard to •-"Elatiblic that that by which it was believed an over ktis, stirs Majority was returned to that House—( Oh, oh) — tha t • all the object no , Ject of their care. He had heard it calculated ~,asaittv", million and a half.—(oh, oh !) Give him a 1. 1 44 -the stm t Inquire into it, and he would prove it. Such 41 4‘.• ' l t 01 bribery, that the House was now called 11°.ribers, instead of a House of Commons. But if c e t; th. ll ta were thrown in their way in the dis c o ver y o f bri th v e4 P u blic would not cre dit th e i r p re f e . s i ons , an d i t was .P u blic v ert /4 P u,* d that those who were not tinged with bribery • it. s s el 'a'ete ready enough to avail themselves of the results ",sse believed the Attorney-General would act impar • *l t " but t s i. a:re ee are Was no use in prosecuting the poor wretches ee k Ived bribes, 'while the greater miscreants who gave u. % I . 414 a. onpunished.—( Hear, hear. ) EEL said it was a dangerous doctrine to hold that 4104_40 received br;bts ought not to be punished. He '1%4 public e,good anrne two or three pu prosecutions would have tiussmet on the cons ti tuenc i es i n genera l .—( Hear, hear.) was the not illegality without its difficthe prosecutions weighed Itty.pi. oesi-'" Yly itb. him, and he should decidedly object to the Trea lynksiststPPing up defective evidence by other te s tim on y. It kink -"lo eat the be unfort una t e if th e r e s ult o f th e inquiry' s h ou ld „tui e li , Weakness of the law, and of the power of the „sq s a „„m, Punish cases of this kind. On the whhle, he thought Lae -- we of the arguments was in favour of abstaining from ee ntinn He believed the House could not be charged "rale esire ta . shield bribery. But he should be exceedingly 1 1 ; 0 •4, --411 4. , itopr - sion went forth among the constituent body, tlio - a n n, se. w eb asunwilling to prosecute in clear cases of brihery. o'st at would be very unfortunate if the House abstained -: 441 iiii,otinga clear case of bribery, because the party was in tiell l 4 ow" lg Beth° ht it &dangerous doctrine to say that parties rufe Were exem ted, because the bribes were given by par ' t iec a i ' s ithigb In the case of the Ipswich election, the z ., - „ni 9 , 1 1 unseated the Members was unanimous, and it tie ''''''s - .lnerefore be said that the Committee were in tees4.• b,_3l Party. He thought in all instances the Commit- Aft er .l4 °wri a strong desire to investigate charges of bribery. Wer e it W :fel, words from Mr. W. 0. STANLEY, which hri-.../Mble in the gallery, 11 , 1 - 7 ME said there was not a single . individual in that tle 6 ° fun denied that bribery had existed at the last election. be,,,,Ptliiy believed that a sufficient number of Members had th o returned by bribery to turn the . present majority. Ile returned a . •at e Motion ought to be made to dissolve the present Par ent oes,and to give the electors an opportunity of making a ""9 1 ee of r epresentatives Parliament first having passed a mah'elt would make briber} , impossible. ESCOTT nr sonse risna h rks on the speech of Mr. Yliewe'whwhiFli were indistinctly eard, said he wished to th Tr am . Y toe Hon. Member for Montgomery (Mr. Wynn) Pro see I nfl the present motion, had not done so with a vievv to ISOiltyuot;ng those individuals who might have been proved l a ° 50r giving or receiving bribes at the last elections for those gad h ee e n u ghs of Ipswich and Southampton. if the motion 4a PPort •._ framed it would have received his (Mr. Fscott's) ° li( f ramed as it was' in so general a manner, hi, must , se it , „ ht ~f7j•KNAL was afraid that a great many of the mem % moral- e constitutent body of this country were not alive to t obligation which the franchise imposed Until they n ." isslidle in the minds and eonsciences of the constituent 4 11 t ." - leehng of the sacredness of th • trust reposed in them, :41eitirtoetratkSeWpOrllipold,biteiounnavailingi to L check the evil. It was pt the proper means of s regarding .bribery, if they did not 14.4 the voter expected so suppressing it. Ever person knew ve served you, and7yething. mtubset H es e v i lv a e. ys to t y h , eM embe r Was it by h i ,_' le :t inn they were to remeady ?Jo me." danger was n nin g' a nd they should meet it, and not suffer the evil to tel such strength as would prevent them from applying any reined y. so,l%_lr'•• WAKLEY sat& he did not think it fair of the Hon. 4.'!ober opposite (Mr. Escott) to • Friend the Member for Modnitrosa Montrose the attributingmo motives s t o of h l4is tresi;xe to bring the House into n "O.:Friend were entirely unnec The labours of his asrsePatefor that purpose, for 411' °uld now disabuse the puillintnind of the belief that lieuse was foully and corr coisitituted.— (Cheers.) lust Th %recent proceedings before' tiYie ection Committees Sri 'l'`ndtbet Public in entertaining these o wasat,.deal had been said reg- riling buter He n h o e t a h r i d ng a be ! ''°". to suppress it. Was not the foundation of the bri laliY-ab4 corruption that Lad taken place to be traced to the . I.oa. itself? It °ugh began with money. The re presentative of a vras req u i re d to have so much money, and the money bLi e-' was still greater for the representation of a county. The voter was to have 10/. a year; and as long as that system was con tinued, bribery and intimidation would take place. It was mockery to pretend to dislike these, while the law from which they spring was maintained. Unless they gave the people the Suffrage, and the Vote by Ballot, the evil would still con tinue, and all their efforts would be regarded as a delusion by the people. ..4 Hear.) Mr. ESCOTT explained. Sir R. INGLIS said, that any person who had listened to the Hon. Member for Finsbury, would imagine they were dis cussing the Reform Bill—that measure which was to rain upon them so many blessings, and was to turn England into an Utopia. He had been induced to rise in consequence of the speech of his Friend, the Hon. Member for Weymouth. In much of that speech he concurred ; he had given them mate rials for thinking, but not for acting, and he had said little that had connexion with the motion before the House. He concurred with him that bribery was a sin, but it must be first decided what bribery was. His defini tion of bribery was, that it was something that induced him to vote against his conscience, whether he was a representative or an elector. He was most anxious to see men give their votes with a due regard to God and man, but the question was, how was so desirable an object to be effected. On the whole, he did not see any reason for concurring in the motion of the Right How. Gentleman the Member for Montgomery. Mr. WYNN would not press the motion against what appeared to him to be the general opinion of the House. In his opinion it would be anomalous to pass a law now against bribe!) , if they did not show a disposition to enforce the existing law upon the subject : and the only way to en force any law was to proceed against the individuals who vio lated it. He should be most happy to join in any measure that would tend to check this practice. In bribery a man might receive as much money for voting according to his con science as for voting against it. He doubted whether he should proceed with his motion with respect to the other cases. Motion withdrawn. NEW WRIT FOR IPSWICH. Colonel RUSHBROOKE moved that a new writ be issued for the borough of Ipswich. Mr. HUME had hoped that the Hon. and Gallant Member, after the proofs which had been given of bribery, would have waited till they had a chance of obtaining a better state of the law. The Committee on the Ipswich petition stated in their Report that the sitting Members were not duly elected; that they had, by their agents, been guilty of bribery; and that the writ for the borough of Ipswich ought to be suspended until the evidence had received the consideration of the House. The three last elections had clearly proved the corrupt state of the borough. In fourteen days or three weeks they would have the Report of the Committee moved for by the Hon. and Learned :Member for Bath ; he thought they should, at least, not issue the writ until that Report had been made.' The Hon. Member concluded by moving that the debate be adjourned to theft day month. Sir R. PEEL said he did not see sufficient ground for refusing to issue the writ. It would be a very bail precedent he thought, to refuse to issue any writ because an Honourable Member had given notice of a Bill with respect to bribery. In the case of Ipswich he certainly saw no peculiar circum stances which would justify a suspension. Lord JOHN RUSSELL had very great doubt whether in this case it would be right to suspend the writ. Upon the same ground which existed in this case it would be right to suspend the writ in every case of a similar kind. Mr. C. BULLER said he could not understand the conduct of the Right Hon. Baronet in reference to the issuing of this writ. The borough had been convicted of gross bribery, and the House ought at once to declare that it would not issue the writ until a searching inquiry had taken place into all the circumstrnces connected with the election. Mr. WAKLEY said he believed there was sufficient evi dence before the House to justify them in suspending the writ permanently ; and he could not understand therefore, what objection the Right Hon. Baronet could have to suspend it for a single month.—( Hear, hear.) He sincerely hoped that the Right Hon. Baronet would see the propriety of suspending the writ for the time proposed by the motion of his Hon. Friend. It was absolutely necessary that some effects ;1 remedy should be adopted for the gross corruption which was practised at elections, and was destroying the character of their legislation. Sir R. INGLIS thought that Hon. Members opposite were then endeavouring to do that by a side wind which they did not dare to do directly. Three weeks had been allowed to elapse since the Report of the Committee was made, and no one had thought of moving for the disfranchisement of the borough. Mr. ROEBUCK said the observation of the Right lion. Baronet with respect to time, appeared to him to deserve very little weight. The subject then under the consideration *of the House, and they had to consider in what way they should shape their measures. They were fully justified, therefore, in considering what had taken place, notwithstanding the time which had elapsed since the Report of the Committee was made. All that he asked was that the House should take into considera tion the evidence given before the Committee, so as to frame a legislative measure for the prevention of bribery in future. He believed that the wisest course to pursue would be to do what the Committee desired, namely, to con sider the question thoroughly, and suspend their judgment till they had framed some legislative measure on the subject, and then, and not till then, to issue the writ. Mr. CHRISTIE would most cordially support the amend ment of the Hon. Member for Montrose. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that the question was on what ground the House should interfere to prevent a place, having the privilege of sending a represen tative to Parliament, from continuing to exercise that pr.viiege. He certainly could not agree with the Hon. and Learned Member for path on this subject, who thought that because there were suspicions of corruption generally entertained with respect to various boroughs, therefore they should withhold the right of representation in one particular instance. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) thought that it would be establishing a dangerous precedent, if they adopted the course recommended by the Hon. Member for Montrose; and he should, therefore, vote against it. Mr. O'CONNELL thought that there was a clearer ground for continuing the suspension of the writ in the present in stance. Ipswich was now convicted of extensive bribery (that was the word), and not for the first time ; cases of bribery hail been proved against the constituency of that borough within his own recollection. He would to-morrow, if no other lion. Member would do so, move for a Committee to inquire whether the corruption had been so general in this borough as had been alleged. After a few words from Mr. DARBY, Mr. A GLIONBY said that his reason for voting for the suspension of the writ was his detestation of bribery, and his determination to put it down if possible. The present was the first opportunity he had, except on the occasion of the motion of the Hon. and Learned Member for Bath, of expressing his opinions on the subject. He thought the expressions of the only Member of the Committee present, bore him out in his opinion. The Committee having re ported that extensive bribery had prevailed, he thought that a case for inquiry was made out. They were treading on dangerous ground, and trifling with the feel ings of the public on the subject. He was o opinion that the borough ought not to be disfranchised, but he thought a case for further inquiry was made out.—( Hear, hear.) He hoped the Right Hon. Baronet would lend his assistance for the pur pose of suppressing bribery. Lord STANLEY said, that as the Hon. Gentleman stated he did not know bat that two Members favourable t o his side of the House would be" returned for the bor.sugh of Ipswich, and took credit to himself for his impartiality in desiring the suspension of the writ on that account, his (Lord Stanley's) side of the House ought to be considered equally impartial in moving for the writ.—( Cheers.) He did not see any sufficient grounds for suspending the writ. It had been already suspended a month, and a motion was now made for a further suspension. He thought that the Hon. and Learned Member for Bath, when he made his motion, ought to have included Ipswich, as he now contended the writ ought to be suspended. Mr. ROEBUCK—The case was not reported to the House. Lord STANLEY—It was not, but' the Committee reported that extensive bribery had prevailed ; and by the addition which the Hon. and Learned Member made to his motion, he included boroughs which were guilty of bribery.—( Hear. ) Why did not the Hon. and Learned Gentleman, who acted as inquisitor-general, and who certainly acted with fairness to wards all parties, include the borough of Ipswich? The other suspected boroughs enjoyed the benefit of representation, and he did not see why the borough of Ipswich should not pos sess the same advantage. It was not contended that, because Southampton, Nottingham, Lewes, and Reading, were under suspicion, they were not to have the benefit of representatives. These boroughs were to be considered innocent till they had been convicted ; and why was it proposed to take a different course with regard to Ipswich. Unless they were to reverse all principles of English law and justice, by punishing before conviction, he did not think they would be justified in sus pending the writ. Mr. HAWES thought there was no difference between the present case and that of Nottingham. In the case of the latter, a special inquiry was appointed on the statement of an Hon. Member of that House. In the former case, the borough was twice convicted, and the Committee who tried the last petition, reported that extensive bribery had been practised. and yet, in this case, they refused to suspend the writ. Where was the consistency of grantinginquiry in one case, and refusing it in the other? There was no injustice in suspending the writ, because, if Ipswich were deprived of representatives, it was the act of the electors themselves.—( Hear, hear.) Mr. H. HINDE, who spoke amidst loud cries of " Divide, divide," supported the motion for the issuing of the writ. Sir T. WILDE said that, if the borough of Ipswich had a right to be represented, the country also had a right that Mem bers should not be in that House owing to corrupt means. ( Hear, hear.) The grounds for suspending the writ in the present instance were not slight, and it was proposed that it should be suspended until the House ascertained whether it ought to be issued at all.— ( Hear, hear, hear.) If that inquiry were prolonged for an indefinite period, was that any reason why it should not take place at all? Now, what were the grounds? The House had thought it right to grant a Committee for the purpose of inquiry into certain corrupt compromises which had been entered into for the purpose of preventing inquiry into bribery. That Committee was granted upon the statement of an Hon. Member. It was said those places were not without Members. That was true ; but the House had done nothing to give them Members. The House had not acted. In the case of Nottingham they were com pelled to act, and they had suspended the writ. So far as the cases were analogous at all, that would justify the suspension of the writ. When in the case of Nottingham they had re fused to issue the writ, was the present case, he would ask, dif ferent from that? In what state would the House stand with the country, when it suspended a writ upon the suspicion of an Hon. Member, but would not do it upon the;Report of a Com mittee?—(Hear, hear.) The Report of that Committee was, that they were satisfied that extensive bribery had taken place. They had not stated the extent of the bribery, and if, there fore, the House was sincere in wishing to know the extent of it they would refuse to issue the writ. Would it be decent to issue a writ to a constituency, whom a Committee of the House of Commons had found to be guilty of bribery? It had been said why was not a motion made on the subject before? To that question he would answer, was the country to be injured be cause the House had neglected its duty?—( Hear, hear.) If it had done so, let it perform it now. If any Honourable Member had neglected his duty, was that any reason why a corrupt constituency should return Members to Parliament ?—( Hear, hear.) A tribunal of that House had re ported that bribery had prevailed, and in the face of that was it to be said that the House would issue its writ? The Report of that Committee was a constitutional ground for staying the writ, and he trusted, therefore, that the House would adopt the pro position of the Hon Member for Montrose. Mr. REDHEAD YORKE rose to address the House, and was met with cries of " Question, question," and " Divide, divide." He said he rose to address the House, and was inter rupted.— ( Laughter. ) He represented a large constituency, and was entitled to be heard.—( Laughter.) He insisted upon justice, and if the House would not deal it out to him he could assure Hon. Members that they should be visited with some tedious specimens of his oratorical powers.—( Great laughter.) He threw upon the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Government the whole of the odium of this discussion, because in October last he stated that bribery existed in the country to a most enormous and odious extent, and that it was the duty of the House to institute an inquiry with respect to it. Was the Right Hon. Baronet in earnest when he stated that, or not? He thought, at first, that he was ; but he doubted it extremely after the statements he had made that night. He (Mr. Y.) believed the House to be generally tainted, and he entertained that belief upon the faith of the statements of the Right Hon. Baronet ; and strong as he was in political power, after the statement he had made in October last, if he was not the respectable man he (Mr. Y.) knew him to be—(Laughter) —he should say that he Lad acted most disgracefully— (Cries , of " Order, order ")—must disgracefully in not taking an ex tensive Radical initiative upon a point that affected the morality and demoralization of the people.—( Laughter. ) Mr FERII AND rose amid cries of " Question, question," arid " D:vide, divide." All he would say was, that a rumour was abroad that the Hon. Member who had just sat down had spent many thousands of pounds in corrupting the worthy electors of the city of York.—( Great laughter.) Mr. R. YORKE was religiously in earnest—(Great laughter)—he was sorry that a religious allusion should cause laughter in the House—ke was religiously in earnest in his desire to purify the abominations of that House—((sreat laughter)—and he could assure Hon. Members, if the circum stances connected with the election for the city of York, whe ther with reference to himself or his colleague, should be made the subject of investigation, he would lend the House every possible assistance in his power ; and if, for the purposes of pu rity, which that House much wanted, he could have a guaran tee that that purification could be affected, he would apply for the Chiltern Hundreds to-morrow.--(Great laughter, and cries of " Question.") Mr. W. W YNN did not think the House would do its duty in suspending the writ unless it' had some ulterior mea sure in view. Colonel RUSEIBROOKE replied. Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the House divided. The numbers were— For the postponement Against it ... Wfi Majority against the postponement ... --19 On tlye Gallery being re-opened, Mr. O'CONNELL was addressing the House on the question that the writ do issue. He begged to call the atten tion of the Reuse to the Report of the Committee appointed to try the petition from the borough of Ipswich. Tney had before them a distinct Report that extensive bribery had been committed; and was not that a prima facie case for an inquiry ? He would not repeat what had already been so strongly urged on this subject in reference to the Nottingham petition ; but the Hon. Member for Bath had procured his Committee on mere surmise, on these statements. He stood before the House to ask for a Committee, supported by the decision of seven of its Members, sworn to investigate the subject.—( Hear, hear.) He did, therefore, respect fully cad upon the House to follow up that imeniry. In forming this Committee, they would have the advantage of the one they had already appointed; no seven individuals would be so fit to conduct the investigation as those who formed the Committee, and those who were added to their number would have the advantage of their knowledge. It might be said that this motion ought to have been made sooner, but all he regretted was, that it had fallen into his hands at all. It was but a brief period since the paper had been issued, and was that a reason for refusing that Committee? If the House decided against the inquiry, would the public believe that they were anxious for investiga tion ? They would consider their declarations as mere asser tions. Ile was anxious to see their words followed up by deeds. He wished the Report of that Committee to be read by the I clerk at the table, aed concluded by moving tl.at a Committee be appointed to investigate the bribery that had taken place at the sloe ion for Ipswich. 1 The Report having been read, Lord SEYIIIOUR said the question before the House was, whether they should inquire or not into the existence of bribery, and whether a writ should be issued ? They had heard the Right Hon. Baronet say he was anxious to put an endj ot bribery. Why then would he not inquire, and take this oppor tunity of putting an end to the practice? He believed that it was no advantage to any party in the House, and he should like to see an inquiry, in order that it might be suppressed. He should like to sic the Right Hon. Baronet, instead of making long speeches on the subject, agreeing to the inquiry agreeing to let them know bow far this bribery had extended. The public would not otherwise believe he was in earnest, and lie wished to see whether the Right Hon. Baronet would assist this side of the House in putting an end to such practices. Sir B. H. INGLIS did not know where the Noble Lord had been for the last two or three hours. He could not have been listening to the debate, or the last complaint he would have made would have been that her Majesty's Ministers had been silent on this question. Cabinet Minister after Cabinet Mi nister had risen to give their opinion on the subject. Notwith stancing all that had been urged against the motion by the Noble Lord, he was prepared to divide against him, and in doing so Ise would have the concurrence of some of those who cheered the observation. The Hon. and Learned Gentleman laid great stress upon the fact, that the Committee is as a sworn Com mittee ; yet he now wished to refer the matter from the deci sion of the seven sworn Members, to eleven who were not sworn—to the evidence of witnesses not sworn—to a Com mittee that had not even the power to compel the attendance of witnesses. Under what circumstances did the case come before them. On the 23d of April the Report was made ; On that day the House sat. On that day the lion. Member for Durham made a motion that a writ be issued. A motion was made on the opposite side of the House that the writ should not be issued until the sixth of the next month. That motion and the amendment were withdrawn, and the question was left an open question for the House to take up. With all submis sion to that House, and respect for a great majority of them, he still felt that the House was not a competent tribunal to inves tigate this case. Mr. C. WOOD said no one could accuse the Hon. Baronet of inconsistency, but it surpassed his comprehension to dis cover how any person who assented to the appointment of a Committee to inquire into bribery—how they could assent to the suspension of the writ of Nottingham, on the ground that a Committee was to be appointed; he said it passed his comprehension how these gentlemen could resist that inquiry, and resisting that inquiry urge the issuing the writ for Nottingham. Bribery had been alleged at Ipswich and Nottingham; so far as they knew, except from rumour, the Hon. Gentleman had no knowledge that bribery had taken place at Nottingham. They had the report of the Election Committee that bribery had prevailed at Ips wich, and, on the strength of rumour, the House had appointed a Committee to inquire into the existence of bribery at Not tingham, and he asked how could they refuse to appoint a Com- I solace to inquire into bribery at Ipswich, which was known to exist, by a Report of their own Committee ? With respect to the motion of the Hon. Member for Berkshire, he admitted they might support consistently that motion. But he asked whether her Majesty's Government was consistent in refusing a Committee to inquire into alleged bribery at Nottingham upon the unsupported assertion of one Member ? If they had the slightest regard to the character of that house—if they were to act on an intelligible rule which the people could understand—it seemed to him to be perfectly im possible for them to do so. It might be well to say the Govern scent would support any reasonable Bill that might be brought forward, if they were not prepared to take the first step to inquire into the bribery, and upon that to found a measure. That would be an intelligible course, but he would say that anything more grossly inconsistent than the course . proposed was never submitted to that House. Sir R. PEEL said, the other night lie gave his vote for the inquiry moved for by the Hon. Member for Bath, as he wished to give all the assistance in his power for the purpose of for warding the object of the Hon. Gentleman, and he voted for the suspension of the writ in the case of Nottingham on those grounds. The Hon. Member charged certain Members of that House with what he called corrupt compromises, for the purpose of avoiding an inquiry into bribery. He stated that he was enabled to establish certain facts, and he would prove them to the House if a Committee of Inquiry were granted. It was need less to refer to the four other cases, which were included in that motion. The Hon. Gentleman stated that a bond had passed in the case of Nottingham, and that money had been given in that case that no opposition should be offered in the event of the sitting Member vacating his scat, and a new election had. The Hon. and Learned Member stated that this motion did net rest upon his unsupported assertion, but that there were facts in corroboration, as the Committee had declared that the election of the sitting Member was not void, but that he was entitled to the election. Yet, notwithstanding the Report of that Committee, affirming the election to be a good one, one of' the Members accepted the Chiltern Hundreds, and vacated his seat. Under these circumstances the House assented to appoint a Committee, and he (Sir R. Peel) gave his vote in favour of the suspension of a writ issued under these circumstances. The Committee having stated that the election was a good one, the seat was vacated next day. He ( Sir R. Peel) therefore thought that these facts were strongly confirmatory of the charge of the Hon. and Learned Gentle man. The Noble Lord opposite expressed his intention of op posing him (Sir R. Peel), and that he should do so from his own conscientious views of the case. He (Sir R. Peel) never charged the Noble Lord with snaking plausible speeches against bribery and then giving his vote for it. If he intended to give his ( Sir R. Peel's) vote against his view of the case, he would submit to the imputation. But he knew absolutely nothing as to the result of the election. It probably might end in the return of an Honourable Gentleman professing the opi nions of gentlemen opposite, and it might end in the return of a gentleman of opposite opinions. He hardly thought it necessary to say that no consideration of that kind influenced the vote which he intended to give. He had said, from the first, that he thought the House ought to be care ful how they interfered with the rights of c nstituencies to have representatives in that House, and that the less inter ference in those rights the better. But he thought, that if a majority of that House agreed to this course, there would be no sensible limit to it. It was a power lodged in that House to be exercised on individual authority. Notice had been given the other night by an Hon. Member, that he should move for a new writ, and his Hon. Friend gave notice of a motion for an early day, to direct the Attorney-General to prosecute; and he had been willing to consent to the suspen sion of the writ until the sense ot the House had been taken on that motion. But still he retained .his . opinion, that if the House acted in conformity to the mode it had hitherto acted, it would not then withhold the issuing of that writ under the present circutn stances. A Report had been made by an Election Committee, then nearly a month since, in the case of the Ipswich election, and that Committee recommended the House not to issue the writ until the evidence was published. On the motion for the suspension of the writ until the printing of the evidence, the Hon. Member for Droitwich, shortly after that public intima tion had been made, said that it was not the intention of the Committee to move the suspension of the writ. For the purpose of avoiding further proceedings that public intimation was given to the House of Commons. He (Sir R. Peel) did not think himself justified in proposing any measure for the disfranchisement of the borough. He presumed that was the conclusion to which every individual Member of that House had come also. No other Member of the Committee gave notice of any proceedings with reference to further in quiry, and it was not until that night that a motion for an inquiry was instituted. They had also notice of another motion. They came to the discussion of that question, and the debate began by the Hon. Member for Montrose pro posing an indefinite postponement of the writ; and he then proposed that it should be postpored for a month, as it was proposed to bring forward the Bill for the prevention of Bribery; and he consequently wished that the election might not be held until alter this Bill was passed. The Hon. Gen tleman supported the suspension of the writ on those grounds. He said that a Committee had been appointed for the purpose of conducting an inquiry, and on the result of that inquiry a Bill would be framed ; and that it would be material for the House to know what were the characteristics of that bribery in the several cases to which reference had been made, and that the issuing of the writ should he suspended until the result of that inquiry was known, and some legislative measure founded on it. He said no notice had been given of the intention to introduce the Bill. He thought the Noble Lord and himself had expressed a desire to co-operate in measures for the preven tion of bribery. No such measures were now, however, before the House; it would therefore be thought unfair to prevent a constituent body from returning a Member to that House until the proceeding had received the sanction of both Houses of Parliament. He thought it h l ghly improbable that the Bill would disqualiey individual voters, arid he did not see what bearing the Bill had with regard to Ipswich; at a late hour of the evening, all of a sudden, influenced, he supposed; i by the arguments which had been advanced, gave notice that ' weight. It s (Siru esuch R . Peel) circumstances, thought w s t he should mo v e f o r an g in iv q e u n iry u . nd il er e appeared as if the House that not a e n n t o i t t i i c e e d f o t r n i n n q ut u e i r h y i was determined to suspend the issue of the writ, but having no very plausible grounds for such a proceeding, a motion was made by an Hon. Member for an inquiry.— . ( H ear .) That was the history ot the circumstances under which the suspension of this writ was to take place.—(Hear. ) i He believed it was quite possible so to constitute a Committee i that their inquiry should be satisfactory and complete : he did i not -distrust the Committee; he only referred to the cir , cumstance of no notice having been given as a strong ; proof that they did not feel their case to be suf . : 1 ficient to warrant them in disfranchising the borough. That -THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY MORNING, MAY 27, 1842. was the opinion he entertained. He thought that to suspend the issuing of this writ, on a notice riven under these circum stances, would not be acting nccortilig to precedent, would be ccntrary to justice, and would be to me great prejudice of the public interests. Ile believed that bribery had been committed at Ipswich. He was satisfied of that. He believed the decision come to by the Committee was a just one, but he did not think that there were sufficient grounds to deprive the lowest portion of the constituents of that borough c f their fran- chise, and they had no evidence to show what number had been guilty of bribery. He thought the danger of the precedent of suspending the writ overwhelmed the arguments for an inquiry, and on these grounds, therefore, he must oppose the suspension of the writ. Capt BERKELEY would give his vote for the suspension of the writ. The House then divided. The numbers were— For the original motion 133 For the amendment Majority Mr. MILNER GIBSON moved, pursuant to notice, for leave to bring in a Bill to prevent persons in England and Wales from losing their votes at an election, by removal after the pre ceding registration." The SPEAKER was about to put the question, when Mr. BAG GE rose to object to the motion, and was about to proved to state his views on tine subject, when the lion. Gen tleman was interrupted by Mr, FOX MAULE rising to order. He said, the Speaker had put the question, and the motion had been, agreed to, and therefore, that it was not competent for the lion. Gentle man now to oppose the motion. '1 he SPEAKER said that he understood the Hon. Gentle man had risen befo:c the question had been put, but that ha had not. perceived hint. Mr. BAGGE then commenced a statement of his objec tions to the measure, but owing to the noise in the body of the House, the llon. Geatleman's observations were not distinctly heard in the gallery. Mr. Al. GIBSON hoped the Hon. Member would not di vide the House against his motion. Sir J. GRAHAM was not prepared on the present occasion to resist the motion of the Hon. Member for Manchester (Mr. M. Gibson.) lie (Sir J. Graham) thought the patter well worthy of discussion, and he hoped his lion. Friend vi euld not ess his opposition to it. Lord I'OLLINGTON trusted that the Hon. Gentleman would not press his objections to the present motion, which he thought was a very reasonable one. Mr. BAGGE said, that after what had fallen from Hon. lion. Gentlemen, he would withdraw his opposition for the present ; but, on the second reading of the Bill, he would enter into a statement of the grounds of his opposition. Leave was then given to bring in the Bill. The SPEAKER having calld upon Lord Stanley in the Notices of Motion, Lord STANLEY said, that if the Hon. Gentleman oppo site (Mr. C. Buller) chose to bring forward the motion which he had upon the paper, he (Lord Stanley) would give him precedence. Mr. C. I3ULLER said, that the House would understand that this was a matter in which he could not act solely with re gard to himself. Much was due to the position of the Hon. Members for 137.1dport (Mr. B. Cochrane, and Mr. Mitchell). Mr. B. COCHRANE objected to going on with the motion at that. late hour of the night. Mr. MITCHELL said, that he and his Hon. Colleague would have pretty long statements to make on the subject, and one Hon. Gentleman, at least, was, he was aware, to reply to them. He, therefore, objected to the motion coming on at so advanced an hour of the evening. Sir R. PEEL said, that he would be willing to give the Hon. Members precedence to-morrow, for the purpose of their giving personal explanations on the matter ; but he could not r:o that without trenching . teo much upon the time which should be necessarily given to the tariff, and on Monday they must take the Income-tax. After a few words from Mr. MILLER and Mr. MITCHELL. Sir R. PEEL said that the hest course wai to b r i ng on th e tariff at five o'clock, and let it continue till ten to-morrow evening, and then that this subject could be brought or:. He trusted lion. Gentleman would have the goodness to study coin -1 ression in their arg uments. —(Laughter . ) Mr. MITCHELL expressed himself satisfied with that ar rangement. The conversation here dropped. NEWFOUNDLAND. Lord STANLEY rose to move for leave to bring in a Bill to enable her Alajesty to make further provision for the govern ment of Newfoundland. The Noble Lord said he would not trespass long upon the indulgence of the House. A constitu tion had been first granted to the colony of Newfoundland in the )car 1831, upon the declaration of the colony that they were willing to take upon themselves the expenses of adminis tration. '1 he Noble Lord who had preceded him (Lord Stanley) had, in accordance with a recommendation con tamed ita a Report of the Governor of the colony, authorised the suspension of the Representative Assembly of the colony till time was taken to consider the state in which the colony was. The qualification which he had to propose, in compliance with the recommendations he received, on which he thought he might rely„ was a 404 freehold in counties. lie also proposed intro iuce a provision that a certain period of residence would be necessary. In towns he took the qualification at 5/., and he was given to understand that that would give the franchise to all persons who possessed anything better than a mere cabin, and would not exclude any person who ought to he possessed of the franchise. These were the regulations for the qualification of electors. With regard to the qualification of candidates he proposed that any person possessing luOl. a year might be a candidate. He also proposed to introduce, in compliance with the constitutional practice in this country, that the initiation of all money votes should be reserved for the Crown, which was the more necessary in consequence of the state of parties in the colony. Another important provision he meant to introduce was to combine the elective principle with that of nomination on the part of the Crown in the comp )sition of the Council. He meant to propose that ten persons nomi nated by the Crown, and fifteen chosen by the House of Assembly, should constitute the Council, and that they should meet together. He thought the adoption of this course would azit beneficially in preventing both Houses wasting the public time upon discussions of their respective rights and privileges. In small colonies, and even in urger ones, the public business was better conducted by the elected and nominated Members meeting together; and it was with this object that he proposed to introduce into the Bill this novelty in the constitution of Newfoundland. He had stated very imperfectly to the House the mode of proceeding with respect to this Bill, and he had confined himself merely to the provisions he intended to introduce, and he would not take up the time of the House further, but merely move fur leave to bring in the Bill. Mr. O'CONNELL implored the Noble Lord to bring in a Bill to annihilate the constitution of Newfoundland, and allow the people to take the Government into their own hands. He ' thought the people of New.oundland had been treated through out in an unfair manner. There were large London houses connected with Newfoundland, and this legislation was for the benefit of those houses, wh o exerc i se d t h principal power in Newfoundland. The Noble Lord might tell him that it was not his intention to make this a religious ques tion ; but the effect of it would be so, because it would be only the poorer classes of the Catholic population who would be affected by it. Although he would not divide the House at the present moment, it was his determination not to allow the Bill to pass another stage, without taking the sense of the House upon it. Mr. C. Iit.ILLER believed the Bill was calculated, instead of producing harmony in the colonies, to perpetuate feuds and disturbances. Mr. P. HOWARD said it was impossible to over-rate the importance of the colony of Newfoundland; it was one of the best nurseries of their seamen, and it was altogether well calculated to devolope the hardy energies of this country. He thought that they might, with respect to its constituencies, very safely adopt the system of household suffrage. He thought, too, that they ought to increase the allowance given to the Catholic clergy. Mr. S. O'BRIEN asked the Noble Lord whether he had any objection to lay before the House the papers which justi fied his bringing in this Bill? There were a great many Members very imperfectly acquainted with the subject. Lord STANLEY said he was not imposing any re strictions whatever; he was, in fact, proposing a legislature which his predecessors had placed in abeyance. The evidence taken before the Committee appointed by the Noble Lord the Member for London was not printed, because it was ex parte ; he aid not rely on it, and therefore did not wish to produce it, or revive; the dissensions which its publication would cause. The papers he relied on were the papers of the Noble Lord the Member for London. Leave was then given to bring in the Bill. NEW SOUTH WALES. _ Lord STANLEY moved for leave to bring in a Bill for making farther provision for the government of New South Wales. The Act by which the colony was governed expired in 1836, and had been continued by successive Acts since that period. He had founded his Bill on that of the Noble Lard who preceded him, with some altera ions and amendments, and he had reason to hope that the measure would be approved of by many different interests in the colony. Leave was given to bring in the Bill. CORK ELECTION. Lord BERNARD moved that the minutes of proceedings and evidence taken before the Select Committee on the County of Cork Election petition be laid on the table. Mr. O'CONNELL seconded the motion, which, after a short conversation, was a greed 10. PAY.MEN l OF WAGES COMMITTEE. On the motion of Mr. FERRAND, Sir B. Hall was added to this Committee. SELECT COMMITTEE ON COURTS OF LAW AND EQUITY. _ _ . On the motion of Sir T. WILDE the following gentlemen were nominated to this Committee :—Sir T. Wilde, Sir James Graham, Mr. Attorney-General, Mr. Solicitor -General, Mr. Pemberton, Sir Ear,'ley Wilmot, Mr. Ilayter, Mr. Strutt, Mr. Villiers ' Mr. Aglionby, Mr. Richards, Mr. T ancre d , M r . C. Buller, Mr. Parker, and Mr. Ralph Bernal. NEWFOUNDLAND BILL. This Bill was read a first time. NEW SOUTH WALES BILL. This Bill was also read a first time. MANSLAUGHTER BILL. Sir T. FREMANTLE moved the second reading of this Bill, which was agreed to. WITNESSES INDEMNITY BILL. Mr. ROEBUCK moved the second reading of this Bill. Sir R. PEEL said he did not intend to oppo se the second reading, but he should have to propose a verbal amendment in Committee, in order to make the Bill conformable with pre cedent. After a few words from Sir R. Notts and Mr. ROEBUCK, in explanation, the Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed to-morrow. The House then adjourned at One o'Clock. C:Bulkeley have s e t :o k m s m o f o dir a e l oft beingh e °iOtt'illhr:lest,;evil will of course extend to work h at the reduction of bßeoeiina, The recentlyieNv E ess a tt arelrt n Yacht Club. The state few days, unless the most of the iron works will things at Dudley, Stourbridge, and the neighbourhood, is, it possible, becoming more gleomy than eolfecit'le.liicirdoWddorltitanvinaie ever. The colliers o fth h i :iv have refused and the pawnbrokers' nearlyoc"o.falgi necessityieesi. s e p r x r :h s p a u o u n i s s b e t ee e d d t b , ch Y l i eo t i closed; es theirdo e;c e u believed m apn P adt i speedily to other trades and interests. The appearance of the shops are now closed against them.— Worcester Journal. It is in contemplation, says the National, to form a working classes is abject in the extreme, General Railroad Committee, to be composed of a delegate from the members of each of the Railroad Directors, so that all may profit by a communication of the improvements derived from the experience of each. We hear that W. A. H. Arundel], Esq., has lately purchased the Trebur,ye estate in Cornwall, formerly the pro perty of the Earl of St. Germains, by whom the mansion was built; and that Mr. Arundel' intends very shortly to reside again in his native county. It is also said that Lilton Park, and a portion of his extensive and beautiful demese in Devon, will be offered for sale.— Western Luminary. Their Royal Highnesses the Princ e de Joinville and the Duke de Montpensier, sons of the K ing , --- of the French, are not expected to arrive on a visit to her Alajesty until the middle of next month. THE TARIFF.—Again the Corn Exchange market note affords proof of the groundlessness of the cry of the Wnic- mongers against Sir Robert Peel's slidin g sca l e . heat and oats rose in the market this day --the former Is., the latter 6d. a barrel. This is cheering news for the farmers.— Dublin Packet. THE DISTRESS IN THE MANU FACTURING DISTRICTS. THE QUEEN'S LETTER. TO HIS GRACE TILE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, FOR A COLLECTION IN AID OF THE SUBSCRIPTIONS ENTERED INTO FOR THE RELIEF OF TILE WORKING CLASSES IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. Victoria R. Most Reverend Father in God, our right trusty and right entirely beloved Councillor, we greet you well. Whereas, in some districts in England and Scotland, many of the working classes have suffered, and con tinue to suffer, severe distress; and whereas many of our subjects have entered into voluntary subscriptions for their relief, a-al have at the same time humbly prayed us to issue our Royal letters directed to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Lord Arch bishop of York, authorising them to promote contri butions within their several provinces for the same benevolent purpose : We, taking the premises into our Royal consideration, and being always ready to give the best encouragement and countenance to such humane and charitable undertakings, are graciously pleased to condescend to their request ; and we do hereby direct these our letters be communicated by you to the several suffragan Bishops within your province, expressly requiring them to take care that publication be made hereof on such Sunday in the present or in the ensuing month, and in such places within their respective dioceses, as the said Bishops shall appoint ; and that upon this occasion the ministers in each parish do effectually excite the parishioners to a liberal contribution, which shall be collected the week following at their respective dwell ings by the churchwardens or overseers of the poor in each parish ; and the ministers of the several parishes are to cause the sum so collected to be paid imme diately into the hands of the Bank of England, to be accounted for by them, and applied to the carrying on and promoting the above-mentioned good designs. And so we bid you very heartily farewell. Given at our Court at Saint James's, the 11th day of May 1842, in the fifth year of our reign. By her Majesty's command, J. R. G. GRAHAM. To the Most Reverend Father in God, our Right Trusty and Right Entirely Beloved Councillor, William Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England, and Metropolitan. London House, May 20, 1842. Reverend Brother,—ln obedience to file commands of her Majesty, I require you to read from the desk in your church or chapel the Queen's Letter, a copy of which I have caused to be transmitted to you, on such Sunday before the Ist day of July next as you may judge most convenient, immediately after the Morning or Evening Prayers. You are also desired to cause the Queen's Letter to. be read in like manner in every place of worship be longing to the Established Church in your parish (if there be any besides the parish church), and to com municate this letter to the minister or ministers thereof. The accompanying statement will supply authen tic information in regard to the distress which pre vails in the places therein mentioned, and which unhappily extends to many other populous districts similarly circumstanced. I trust, therefore, that you will feel it your duty, as a minister of Christ, to give full effect to her Ma jesty's gracious intentions, by earnest exhortation from the pulpit, and to make known and enforce, as widely andSktrongly as possible, the claims of the sufferers on the charity of their Christian brethren. The amount collected is to be paid, within three weeks after the collection, into the Bank of England, or its branches in the country ; or by Post-office orders addressed to and made payable to the cashiers of the Bank of England, London. From your affectionate brother, C. J. LONDON. TIIE STATEMENT.—STOCKPORT. Stockport, in Cheshire, is one of the principal seats of the cotton manufacture, and a large portion of its population is dependent on that manufacture for support. During the last three years many failures among the mill-owners have occurred, but distress among the working people did not assume a very aggravated form until within the last eight months; since that time a large number of the manufacturing workmen, accustomed to constant industry, have been reduced by the stoppage of mills to want of employment, and to a dependence on legal or voluntary ahns. Their privations have been borne, by a population not ac customed to such dependence, with fortitude and re signation, and the virtues which they have exhibited under such severe trials, not less than the sufferings which they have endured, and are still enduring, entitle them to the sympathy and consideration of their fellow countrymen. Mr. Waddington, the Secretary of the Relief Fund in Stockport, states in the Official Report upon the distress in that town, that the great majority of the distressed families have no visible means of support ; that for some weeks they had subsisted by credit; that when that had f;iled their next resource was to sell their furniture, their wearing apparel, their bed and bedding, and in many instances women had been com pelled even to part with their marriage rings; and that their dwellings were found literally stripped of every ar ticle of comfort. lle subsequently proceeds to state, in reference to the district of which he acted as visitor, The greater proportion of the inhabitants of that district were in as lamentable a state of destitution as it is possible to imagine; I am convinced that the Relief Fund has been the cause of saving hundreds in the borough from a premature grave." BURNLEY. Severe distress likewise prevails extensively at Burnley in Lancashire, and in the neighbouring dis trict, owing to the same causes as the distress at Stockport. In this district less efficient assistance appears to have been atlorded to the settled poor from the poor-rates, and moreover many destitute persons who had migrated thither from other parts of the country have been deterred from applying for parochial relief, by the fear of removal in consequence of thus becoming chargeable. The funds provided by the law for the relief of or dinary destitution in England, however ample they may be, can scarcely be expected to suffice in the de pressed state of Stockport and Burnley, inasmuch as the resources of the rate-payers themselves are dimi nished in nearly the same proportion in which the de mands of the working-classes upon those resources are increased. PAISLEY. Since the month of July in last year the labouring population of Paisley has been suffering from distress, caused by the stagnation of trade, and the consequent failure of a large number of firms in that borough. This distress continued with great severity through out the winter, and the spring has not brought that increased demand for goods which might have been expected. Some of the more skilful weavers have indeed pro cured employment, but a large portion of the popula tion still remain dependent on charity. ' As many as 12,000 persons have been maintained for several months from the contributions collected in England and Scotland, and even in India. The poor-law of Scotland, as now administered, confers no effectual right to relief upon men who are able to work, or upon their families ; at present, therefore, the legal provision for the relief of the destitute in Scotland Is not applicable to this class of persons, and even if it had been so applicable, the pressure of so large a number of men without work must soon have absorbed a considerable proportion of the property in the borough. The subscriptions raised in this county, in the county of Renfrew, the city of Edinburgh, and parts of Scotland, are all expended. Thus no legal mode of effectually relieving this mass of destitution exists, and the charitable feelings of those connected with the place have be en taxed to the utmost. It may be added that these sufferings have for the most part fallen on a class of workmen whose general earnings, even in prosperous times, are insufficient to allow of any provision for future difficulties, and that they have been borne with patience and fortitude. May, ,1842. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops of London, Chester, and Ripon, Lords Stanley and Russell, Sir R. H. Inglis, &c., are members of the Manufacturers' Relief Committee. We are also happy to announce that the following contribu tions have been already received : Her Majesty the Queen , 500/. ; the Queen Dowager, 300/. ; Sir Robert Peel. Bart., 2001 . ; Sir James Graham, 100/. ; the Duke of Buccleuch, 2001. ; Sir Edward Knatch bull, 100/. ; the Earl of Aberdeen, 100/. ; Lord Stan ley; 100/. ; the Right Hon. Henry Goulburn, 50/. ; Lord Fitzgerald and Vesci, 1001.; Earl of Hadding ton, 100/. ; Lord Lyndhurst, 100/. ; the Earl of Ripon, 100/. ; Sir Henry Hardinge, 50/. ; Earl Howe, 1001.; Lord John Russell, 501.; Sir T. D. Acland, Bart., M.P., 1;01. ; Rear-Admiral Bowles C. 8., 20/. ' • Alderman Lucas, 261. ss. ; Benjamin B. Cabbell, Esq., 501. Bell's Life in London , of May 29, will give the most copious particulars of the four days of Epsom Races, with a portrait of the Winner of the Derby. The price of Bell's Life is Fivepence, pub:ished in time for the Saturday afternoon railways. Bell's Lift of Sunday, May 22, (copies of which . can yet be had), contained four of their long folio columns of the latest preliminary matters, movements, programme, and names of horses connected with the Epsom races. HOSTILE MEETING.—At an early hour on Tuesday morninz ahostile meeting took place near Hounslow, between L—l, Esq., and Esq., in consequence of a dispute in which the name of a lady was concerned. At the first fife Mr. L— received his adversary's fire in the wrist, in consequence of which the affair terminated without a reconciliation having been effected. A letter from Lubeck, 13th inst., in the Commerce, states that the flakes from the fire at Hamburgh were carriedby the wind as far as the Baltic, and that some of them, falling upon a Danish steamer, exposed it for some minutes to great danger of being burnt. The circumstance appears to us to be rather improbable., EPSOM RACES. YESTERDAY. The showery state of the weather intile - morning increased the apathy that invariably follows the Derby day, thinned the attendance down to a handful, and deprived a most excellent day's sport of all its interest. The running commenced at half-past two, and from the number of heats into which the plates were spun, did not terminate until six. The following is a sketch of their results : Sweepstakes of 10 sovs. each, h It, with 50 added ; 3 yrs old, 6st 101 b ; 4 yrs, Bst 121 b ; 5 yrs, 9st 51b ; 6 yrs, and aged, 9st 10lb ; winners twice in 1841, to carry 31bs ; and th ice, Sibs ; winners twice in 1841, and once in 1842, 51bs extra; winners thrice in 1841 and once in 1842, 7lbs extra; maidens, 4 yrs old and upwards, and horses which ran on Wednesday, allowed Sibs. Mile and quarter. (14 Subs.) Mr. Herbert's Teetotaller, 3 yrs, allowed 21Ibs ...... (Evans) 1 Mr. Goodman's Miss Fidget, 4 yrs allowed 211bs The following also started, but were not placed :—Lord Exeter's Revision, 3 yrs ; Sir. May's Master Aaron, 4 yrs (allowed 211bs), Mr. Nightingale's Ajax, 4 yrs (allowed 91b8), Mr. Treen's Haitoe, 3 yrs ; Captain Ives's Folly, 5 yrs (allowed 211bs); Sir. King's Tommy, 3 yrs (allowed 141bs) ; Sir. Forth's Vib r ati on , 3 yrs ( a ll owe d 91b - s); Mr. Phillimore's Rochester, 3 yrs (allowed 9lbs) ; Mr. King's Dahlia, 5 yes (allowed 21Ibs). No betting. Rochester took the lead at a good pace, and with Folly at his heels made the running to the turn where both gave way ; Miss Fidget and Teetotaller took their places and made a capital race home, the colt winning by a head; Revision and Vibration were up at the finish. 501. (free) for any horse entered for any of the races on Tuesday and Wednesday ; others to pay 3 sovs. each ; 3 yrs old, 6st 10Ib ; 4 yrs, Bst 71b; 5 yrs, Bst 121 b; 6 yrs and aged, 9st Ilb ; mares and geldings allowed 31bs. The winner to be sold for 200 sovs., &c. Mile heats. Fulwar Ciaven's That's-the-time-of-Day, 3 yrs 3 3 1 1 Mr. Balchin's Dromedary, 5 yrs 6 1 2 2 Mr. Phillimore's Finchley, 4 yrs ...... Mr. Sherrard's b f Lady Mary, 4 yrs ... ..... 5 2 dr Sir. Lucas's Traitor, 3 yrs Mr. King's Exton, 3 yrs The first heat was closely contested by Finchley, The Traitor, and That's-the-time-of-day, and was won by about a neck. Second heat—Lady Mary made all the play, but ran out near the cords, and was beaten by a length. Finchley did not go for the heat. Third heat.—Finchley cut out the work to the distance, where he was passed by the other two. An indifferent run in ended in favour of That's-the-time-of-day, by a length. Fifty Pounds, free for any horse which has been entered for any of the preceding races ; others to pay 3 sovs. each ; three yrs, 6st 101 b; four yrs, Bst 71b ; five yrs, Bst 121 b; six yrs and aged, 9st llb ; mares and geldings allowed 31bs. Winner to be sold for 1501. Mile and quarter heats. Mr. Shelley's bc by Glaucus, out of Malibran, 3 yrs 0 1 1 Mr. King's Exton, 3 yrs Mr. Falconer's Miss Emily, 4 yrs 3 5 3 Mr. S. Lucas's The Traitor, 3 yrs 2 3 dr Mr. Balchin's Affrction, 4 yrs Mr. Dockeray's Dispatch, 4 yrs ...... 0 6 dr First heat won by a neck, after a good race between the three, second heat won by a length, and the third heat woa easy. _ THE OAKS (THIS DAY.) The following is a list of the fillies expected to start Riders. Lord Jersey's f, by Touchstone, out of Adela Robinson Lord Chesterfield's Dil.bar Scott Mr. Rqvvlinson's Coral Lord G. Bentinck's Firebrand Topsail Duke of Richmond's f by Elis, out of Ballino Mr. Forth's Lucy Banks Mr. Shackel's Meal Mr. W. Ridsdale's Eliza Mr. Marshall's f by Bran, out of Fury Duke of Grafton's Utopia Mr. Shaley's lole ........ ..... .................. F. Butler Mr. Newton's Ma Alie Lord Exeter's fby Touchstone, out of Ami ma .. Mr. Osbaldeston's Sister to Alexandrine Wakefield Mr. F. Thompson's Phatmacorceia Natt LATEST BETTING ON THE DOWNS. 5 to 2 agst Adela filly—taken 15 to 1 agst Meal 10 to 3 agst Dil-bar—taken 15 to 1 agst Ma: Mie S to 1 agst Fury filly—taken 25 to 1 agst Pharmacopoeia—t S to 1 agst Firebrand—taken 30 to I agst Eliza 12 to 1 agst Lucy Banks—taken 33 to 1 agst Topsail—taken 12 to 1 agst Amima filly—tak e nl4o to I agst lole—taken The betting was very heavy. INTELLIGENCE EXTNA.-AkOT ' HEATH, 1842. ACCEPTANCES FOR THE ASCOT STAKES. Ilyllus, 6 yrs, 9st 71b—Potentia, 4 yrs, Bst 71bLCruiskeen, aged, bat 41b—Tamburini, 6 yrs, sat 21b—E. 0., 4 yrs, ist 91b —Mosque, 4 yrs, 7st 71b-I{hodanthe, 5 yrs, 7st 41b—Monops, 5 yrs, 7st 41b—I-am-not-aware, aged, 7st 21b—Una, 4 yrs, 7st —zmowdrop, 4 yrs, Est 121b—Revoke, 6 yis, Est de Fortibus, 3 yrs, Est 101b—Fidhawn, 4 yrs, Est 41b—De cision, 4 yrs, Est 41b—Music, 3 yrs, Est Ilb—Vibration, 3 yrs, sst 10Ib—Lady Fuiford, 3 vrs, sst 71b—and Haitoe, 3 yrs, sst. NEWMARKET JULY MEETING, 1842. Tu ESDAY.—Lord Albemarle's Nuncio, 3 3re, 9st, agst Col. Peel's Rook's Nest, 2 yrs, 6st 101 b. First half of Ab. Mile. 150 ; hit. FIRST OCTOBER MEETING, 1842. TuESDA v.—Duke of Bedford's John o'Gaunt, 4 yrs, Bst 71b,. agst Mr. Osbaldeston's Skipton, 3 yrs, 7st 41b. AF. ; 200 ; li ft ; and 25 ft if declared on or before the 12th of September. • Lord A lbemarle's Ralph, 4 yrs, Bst, agst Colonel Peel's.. Garry Owen, 5 yrs, ist 121 b. 'l'. Y. C. 200 ; h ft. PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS. (From the Votes and Proceedings of the house of Commons.) WEDNESDAY, MAY 25. CUSTOMS ACTS.—( In the Committee.) 1 nsteadi,l 1/. per cwt. on Butter, Question put, That th^ blank be tilled with 10s. : MINORITY—AYES, 59. Guest, J. Seymour, Lord Hill, Lord Marcus Stanstielil, \V. it Howard, C. W. G. Strutt, Edward tiow.ck., Lord Thornely, Thomas Hume, Joseph Troubridge, Sir T. Hutt, W. Tufnell, Henry Labouchere, H. Turner, E. Lemon, Sir C. Villiers, Charles P. Loch, James Wakley, Thomas Marsland. H. Ward, H.O. Martin, John Wawn, John T. Mitcalfe. Henry Williams, Wm. Morris, David Wood, Benjamin Napier, Sir Charles Wood, C. Ogle, S. C. H. Wood, O. W. 0 d, W. Wrightson, W. Parker, John Yorke, H. Redhead Philips, G. R. Philips, Mark Rice, E. B. Russell, Lord John Aldain, 'William Barclay, David Ilarnard, E. G. Isowrilig, Dr. Browne, W. busteild, W.; Byng, George Childers, J. W. Clive, E. B. Colleen, Richard Cowper, Hon W. Craig, W. Gibson Crawford, W. S. ')ivelt, E. Duncan, Lord Ebrington, Viscount Escott, Bichkam Evasn, William, kielden, J. Forster, Matthew Gill, Thomas TELLERS. Buller, C. Duucombe, T. S. Acton, Colonel Allix, John Peter Ashley, Lord Willie, Colonel Bankes, George Baring, W. B. kell, bl. BernardiViscount ~ rainston, T. W. Broadley, Henry Broadwood, H. Bruce, Lord E. Burroughes, N. N. Chelsea, Viscount Chute, W. L. 1 Clayton, It. R. Cave, R. H. Colville, C. ft. Connolly, Colonel Cresswell, Baker Cripps, J. Darby, George Denison, E. Beckett Dickinson, F. H. Douglas, Sir Howard Douglas, Sir C. E. Drummond, H. H. I)uncombe, A. Egerton, W. T. Egerton, Sir P. G. Eliot, Lord Einlyn, Viscount Esmonde, Sir F. Estcourt, T. G. B. Farnham, E. B. Ferguson, Sir H. A. Kilmer,Sir E Fitzroy, Captain Frolliott, John Follett, Sir W. W. JORITY—NOES, Fuller, A. E. Gaskell, J. M. Gladstone, W. E. Glynne, Sir S. It. Gordon, Hon. W. Gore, W 0. Goulburn, H. Graham, Sir J. Greenail, Peter Grogan, Edward Hamilton. W. J. Hardinge, Sir H. Heneage, G. W. Henley, J. W. Hepburn, Sir T. B. Hervey, Lord . A. Hodgson, R. Hogg, J. W. Hope, Charles Houldsworth, T. Ingestre, Lord James, Sir Walter Johnson, W. G. Johnstone, Hope Jones, T. Kemble, Henry Knatchbuil, Sir E. Knight, Henry Gaily Legh, George C. Lincoln, Earl of Lowther, .1. H. Lygon. General Mackenzie, Thomas MacGeachy, F. A. Mahon, Lord Manners, Lord J. Marsham, Vi:icount Martin, C. W. Master, 'l'. W. C. 115. Miles, W. Morgan, Octavius Murray, C. R. S. Nicholl, J Norreys. Lord O'Brie , A. Stafford;, O'Brien, W. Smith Parke, C. W. Pakington, John S. Palmer, R. Palmer, G. Patten, John Wilson. Peel, Sir R. Plumptre, J. P. Polhill, F. PoWilton, Viscount Price, Richard Pringle, A. Pusey, Pnilip Reade, W. M. Repton, George J. Richards, Richard Rose, Sir George Round, C. G. Rushbrooke, Colonel Scott, Hon. F. Shaw, F. Somerset, Lord G. Stanley, Edward Stint, H. C. Thompson, Ald. Tollemache, John Vere, Sir C. B. Wortley, J. .Uuart Wyndham, Colonel Young, John TELLERS. Fremantle. Sir T. Clerk, Sir G. MINORITY of Thirty-nine (Tellers included) who voted in, favour of Sir J. Guest's Motion, to reduce the Duty on Fo reign Cheese to ss. per cwt. Barclay, David Gibson, T. M. Baring, F. I'. Gill, Thomas Barnard, E. G. Hume, Joseph Bowring, Dr. Lemon, Sir C. Browne, Hon. W. Marsland, H Busfeild, William Mitcalfe, Henry Cobden, Richard Mitchell, 1. A. Craig, %V U. Morris, David Crawford, W S. Pendarves, I:. W. Divett, E. Philips, M. Duncan, George lice, E. B. .v..vans, W. Stansfield, V. R. C, Fielden, J. Strutt, Edwiird Forster, Matthew Thornely, Thomas Turner, Edmund Villiers, Charles P. Wakley, Thomas Ward, H. G. Wawn, J. T. Williams, W. Wood, B. Wood, G. W. Yorke, IL R. TELLERS. Guest, Sir Joh n Parker, John $1 INORITY of Nine (Tellers included) of Mr. Turner's Motion relating tc Acton, Colonel I%forris, David Gill, Thos. l'endarves, E. - IY. Hay, Sir A. L. Vivian, J. E. Lemon, Sir C. who voted in favour lo Copper Ore. TELLERS Turner, Edmund Stanley, lion. W. 0. LEVANT: MAIL. CONSTANTINOrLE MAY 7.- —lt appears at last to be pretty well decided that Ashkar Pacha, the Governor of Tripoli, in Barbary, whose conduct kr: rL long time past can hardly have ' given satifaction to his C ourt, is about to be removed. Lord Ponsonby, long before he left this embassy, had to make known to the Porte severe comp) aidts against his tyranny and corrup tion, and on several occat ions it 'was thought that he would be put down ; but the Por to had enough of other matters on its hands at the time, and h e remained fer a more favourable op portunity, which has non v, they say, occurred. Azmi Bey, whe went to Tripoli, with funds to pay the troops, on his ,return b.rought with him a rept •esentation, signed by some of the principal people of the regency, (nig:aging that, if Ashkar Pacha were recalled and replaced by a Governor collecting the revenue on fixed principles, the: v undertook that it should amount annually to 40,000 pus ses (200,0001.) which would, after the expenses of administration were retained there, yield the Porte a handsome s' urplus to go into the Treasury, in stead of drawing large ;ums from it, as heretofore, and the Government, who could not be averse to this salutary eco nomy, has taken the is atter upon the footing recommended. I have heard that Si id Pacha, of Adrianople, has been in vited to Constantinoplp, where, it is possible, he may be made even • mushir of the y ,glace, in the place of the Riza Pacha, whose health, though he is young, is materially suffering. He will be sent elsewhere for "change of air." Some speak of the change of Ries Effendi ; S arim Eff en di, the present in cumbent, being ",too.. much of a Turk" to agree well with the anti-Turkish Frank enbassie . The Sultan is undoubtedly acquiring great firninevs of character. He has declared that he is determined to emu borate the state of his country, morally, fmaneially, and political ly, and to this end will devote the major part of his private revel rue. The Custom-house of Constantinople is up at auction, and although it has never yet rendered the Porte more than oti3OtiO purses annually; , already are 80,000 purses bid f or . it. T his would yi e ld a di fi ii rence o f about 120,00 01 . a year i n favour of the Government, 'iv hich, in addition to their profits, the contractors are to rep/lace by the pr evention of smuggling. The affair, if th us 4eci s led on, will be a grand thing to the fair traders, at the li ead of whom are certainly our own countrymen here. C. ntraband will still tak e . place, but not to the enormous extra it that has existed hitherto. It was quite time to see a stop. put to it. Another point has still to be looked t o , viz.: the. atlvant ages enjoyed by the Russian mer chants over others by the pa ”nent of higher duties and supe rior protection. Whilst other traders have for some time past been losing money, or, at b est, hardly making head against their current moderate expel tses , the Russia ns flourish extra ordinarily.. I mild mention the instance of a hessian pro tege at Adrianople. who, in a short period, has realised 8,000/. or 10,000., whilst his less rtunate neighbours are all drop ping into the backgroun d . They pay duties on silk , and so doei he, but less by 18 past/ es per oke, or exceeding 10 per cent. on the present value. •Dn other goods he has equal ad vantages, and besides enjoyssa protection which knocks down all obstacles in his way, whilst others make complaints which fre quently go unredressed. ALEXANDRIA, Alav 6.—The principal news is naturally the arrival of the Pacha on the Ist, and with him his sou, Said Pacha (fatter than ever) who will assume the command of the Egyptian fleet., In the meantime, however, his time has not been unprofitably employed, and the system of supplying the want of native capital, energy, and enterprise, by the appro priation of shifliks in the hands of the great officers of that state has succeeded well. Said Pacha, with Abbas Pacha, and Ibrahim Pacha the younger, have already entered the market as the sellers of aportion of the produce of their agricultural labours, and have contracted for the whole of their growths of sessamun seed, now about to be sown, at most flattering prices, deliverable in November next. Ibrahim Pacha, the elder, re serves to sell when his produce will be ready for the market. There is no longer any question of the free trade which is officially (verbally) announced by the Minister to be in force; and that of the coming harvest, and the cotton now planted, all persons who wish to do so, may proceed to purchase on the spot. Many European agents of commercial houses here have already proceeded to the interior to make purchases. The Paella on his arrival here told the merchants it was his inten tion to sell his present deposits and the future produce of his own shifliks, by public auction at regular in tervals, as formerly practised. We were not, therefore, a little surprised to find, after three days of expectation, it was rumoured that two merchants had privately bought from the Government the greater portion of their pre sent grain deposits at the very yrices so long up held by the Minister, and which, in the absence of the Pacha no person would pay. The sale was announced of 115,000 ar debs beans, at 36 piastres, and 60,000 ardebs wheat, at 65 piastres, payable, however, on treasury assignments, which assignments, owing to the want of proper organisation in the Egyptian finance department. are always to be purchased at a very heavy disccunt, dependent upon the prospect of their prompt or remote payment by the Government ; for instance, a week ago these assignments were to be bought at 30 per cent. discount, while to-day the discount is only 14 per cent. This discount, however, enables the buyers to resell in the place for cash at the very price which the merchants would have paid the Government in the cash they so much wanted many weeks ago—they have only nominally obtained a price which it was ridiculous to pretend to; but the Minister has carried his point, and has shown the Paella that the prices he exacted were really obtainable, while the Pacha can be easily kept in ignorance of the extent of the discount to which his " promises to pay" are subjected. The cry ing evil of this country, the incubus upon its progress in the scale of nations, has been a perpetual succession of financial blunders, and trying to do too much, taxing the country far beyond its powers; but an unprejudiced observer may already perceive the progress a few months of peace and the direction of the energies of its ruler to its internal develop ment have already produced. Two or three years of peace and quiet government will change the face of the country, and al t hough the amelioration . of the condition of its people may be more sloe, it will nevertheless be sure, and in their present unsettled state the shiflik system will work bettter than any other. Innumerable canals, unused for centuries, have been already opened under the immediate superintei.dence of the Pacha and his superior officers, and immense tracts of formerly uncultivated lands have thus again been brought into cultivation, which will, with a favourable Nile this year, snore than treble the average produce of the country, while the Pacha, shorn of the glory of the possession of Candia, Syria, and the lledjas, is spared the exhausting drain upon the Egyptian treasury and the cultivators of his soil, which crippled the noble resources of this country ; and by continuing to direct for a few years longer his mighty energies in their present channel, Egypt may yet hope to live in wealth and civilisation, with its former position in the scale of nations. Orders have already been given for the re-commencement of the " barrage," at the head of the Delta, fur the better irriga tion of those provinces—a plan long since abandoned as im practicable, atter immense outlay ; and so it will, I fear, again be found. Egypt is not yet the country in which similar gigantic operations can be attempted. Similar attempts may be considered the errors of a great mind ; but still they are • errors most prejudicial to a State hardly emerging from the exhaustion of protracted foreign wars, and most imper;ect in ternal administration. Adventurers will not be wanting to suggest the facility with which unprecedented undertakings can be carried through, as long as they cars thereby ensure' profit able employment for themselves • but surely the signal failure of the previous attempt to carry through this undertaking ought to have been a sufficient warning. MALTA. MAY 15.—SHIPS OF WAR IN PORT.—The Queen, 110, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir E. W. C. R. Owen ; Ceylon, 61, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Sir John Louis ; Impregnable, 104 ; Vanguard, 80 ; Calcutta, 78; Cambridge, 78; Phcenix, Devastation, and Vesuvius war-steamers; and Alecto. Polyphemus, and Prometheus steam-packets. DISPOSITION OF THE REST OF THE FLEET.—The Howe, 120, bearing the nag of Rear-Admiral Sir F. Mason; Thun derer, 80, and Savage, 10, on their way to Tripoli, in Barbary ; the Rodney, 92, on her way to Alexandria and Beyrout ; an d the Cyclops steam-frigate at Beyrout. The Formidable, 84 Lizard, steam.tender ; and the Java, 16, at Gibraltar. The Monarch, 84, and the Vernon, 50; Medea, war-steamer; and Beacon and Magpie, surveying -vessels, on their way to the Piraeus of Athens. The Belvidera, 38, at Catitz. The Incon stant, 36, and Hecate, war-steamer, at Beyrout. The Magi cienne, 24, at Suds, in Candia. L'Aigle, 24, at Smyrna. 'I h e Stromboli, war-steamer, and Locust steam-tender, at Constan tinople; and the Scout, 18, and Snake, 16, at Corfu. Iva vat, MOVEMENTS.—The Vernon sailed from Malta for the Piraeus of Athens on the 26th ult., to relieve the Monarch, which vessel, accompanied by the Medea, which took her de parture from Malta ou the 28th ult., proceeds to the mouth of the Xanthus river, to remove the sculptured marbles from th e valley of the same name, which the Monarch will convey to Malta en route for England, where they will be deposited in the British Museum. The Rodney sailed for Alexandria and the coast of Syria on the 29th ult. The Phrenix arrived at Malta from Beyrout (after touching at Syria) on the 6th inst., bringing moat deplorable accounts of the state of Syria. Anarchy and confusion reign throughout, and nothing short of the restoration of the Emir Beschir is likely to bring about peace and tranquillity, as the Sultan's officers are intolerable. The Magpie sailed on the Ist, and the Beacon on the 7th, both for Athens, from whence, after picking up their boats and ten ders, they will repair to Port Nassau, in the Grecian archipe lago, to resume their surveying labours in that vicinity. Some serious misunderstandings have taken place between the Pacha of Tripoli (in Barbary) and Col. Warrinotrm, thißritish Con sul thereat, rendering it necessary for the latter to apply for the protection of a ship of the line. On the '2Bth, the De vastation was dispatched thither with a supply of coals fur the Locust, which has been employed in i Conveying , the Consul along the coast, dists ibuting appeals to the native Arab chiefs, with a view to stop the inhuman traffic in slaves, in which it is said he has been successful, so far as promises can be relied upon, though strongly opposed by the Ottoman, or Sultan's officers at Tripoli. On the 18th the Devastation returned to Malta, with the Consul's application for a ship of war. She was rent back again on the 2d inst., and returned to Malta nu the 4th with a reiterated request from the Consul. On the Bth the Vesuvius was despatched to Tunis and Tripoli, from which ports she returned on the 14th, bringing accounts of fresh in sults having been offered, indirectly, to the British Consul. On the 12th the Howe (bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Sir F. Mason), with the Thunderer and Savage in company, took their departure from Malta for Tripoli, and will no doubt speedily bring the Pacha to his bearings. Meanwhile the Lo cust (which arrived from Tripoli on the 30th ult.) has been sent away to Constantinople with despatches relating to this affair, for Sir Stratford Canning, and provisions and stores for the Stromboli, war-steamer, stationed thereat. The Com mander-in-Chief granted a passage by her to Lieut. Sir Bruce Chichester and lady, whose mansion at Malta will in their ab sence be occupied by Captain Rich, of her Majesty's siiip Queen. The Scout. left for Corfu on the 10th inst. It is said that the Admiralty Board has, in consequence of an unfavourable report of the Commander-in-Chief touching the sailing qualities of the Queen, as compared with the For midable, ordered an experimental cruise to take place, to try her against the Vanguard and some other ships. MAILS.—The Alecto arrived from the lonian Islands and Patras on the 26th ult., and will convey to Gibraltar to. morrow the mails for England. The Great Liverpool, which arrived from Alexandria on the 26th ult., with the Bombay mail of the Ist proximo, proceeded on her voyage to England on the 27th. The Prometheus, which conveyed the Overland mail to Marseilles, returned with the London mail of the 6th inst. yesterday at noon. The Polyphemus arrived from Gib raltar, with the London mail of the 15th, on the 29th ult. ; was despatched with the mails for the lonian Islands and Patras on the 3d, and returned on the 13th inst. The Oriental ar rived from England on the morning of the 12th, and pro ceeded en her voyage to Alrxandria on the evening of yester day, the 14th. fhe Plicenix war-steamer conveys to-day the mails for Greece and the lonian Islands, as the Iberia con tinues under repair. DUTCH PAPERS. THE HAGUE, MAY 24 —The Committee of Rotterdam for receiving donations for the sufferers at Hamburgh, announces in the Rotterdam Courant that it has already been able to place 25,000 florins at the disposal of the Senate at Hamburgh. AIiNHEIM MAY 23.—We learn that his Majesty King William Frederick, Count of Nassau, was to leave Berlin yes terday, and to arrive at the Loo about the 29th. The new church is to be consecrated on the sth of next month in the presence of its founder. A letter from West Prussia. of the 12th of May, says, that some bands of Russian soldiers had deserted with their aims and baggage into the Prussian territory. They were imme diately arrested, and given up to the Russian authorities. HANovEa, MAY 6.—His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Hanover will probably return to this eity by the 27th, which is his birthday. His intended marriage with the Princess Mary of Saxe Altenburg, will not be officially announced till the expiration of the mouthing (June 20). SiUTGARD, MAY 19.—The first Chamber of the Estates of Wertemburg has adopted the proposal of the Second Chamber, to reduce the interest ,of the public debt. It can hardly be doubted that the Government will sanction this measure, since it would effect a saving of 90,000 florins per annum. The Austrian Observer announces that her Royal High ness, the Archduchess Sophia, consort of the Arch Duke Francis Charles, was happily delivered of a Prince on the 15th of this month, who was baptized on the following day, with the usual ceremony, by the names of Louis Anthony Joseph Victor. ... DUTCH FUNDS.—AntsTERoast, MAY 24. Money. Rims. Actu,AlD.br. •.Z% per Cent Jitto, ditto 5 per cent. Linen Syndic, 4N, per cent.... ii:i bSt„ Ditto. ditto, 3X, per cent 77 775, Commercial Company, 4 5 ., t or cent 152% 153 1 / 4 ,, Ditto (1835 and 1837) 5 per cent. ..... .Loan ld3l, 5 per cent. 9O 49)i, Exchange on .Lorlcm One month l2 IN '." Two months ...... 12 05 H am burgh, One month 25 81 1 4 Two months 35 43% Dutch Papers,May 25. BEL GIUIVI. BRUSSELS, MAY 22.—Last night at ten o'clock a violent ou fire broke; ity o imm e nsef inflammablewarehouse substance. canal, which contained a gnat in an The gu an originated among the hay a n d oats i n the loft, where th ere were likewise some hales of rags , part of which were, however, a thrown out of the windows. The fire soon s p rea d t h rough the whole building, an d great appreh ens i ons were entertained for the adjoining houses. Happily, the great exertions that were made, succeeded in confining the conflagration to the magazine where it began. On the ground floor there was a large pan tity of beer, belonging to different persons, and in the cellar 2,000 casks of beer, belonging to a N. Van Haelen. • The fire having reached the ground floor above, 2,500 casks of beer were lost ; the beer flowed into the streets. That in the cel lars was saved. Several persons were severely injured while assisting in checking the progress of the flames. They were, however, going on well. The fire was net subdued until mid night; only the bare walls remain. The loss is estimated at above 100 ,000 francs, and it is said nothing was insured.. h ONUS—BRUsSELS, Met Actual Debt, 2!..i per Cent. Itothsalild's Loan 5 per Cent.*.. . ...... Itt3 Loan ofThirty Millions, 4 per Cent. V3) 9 3per Cent. .'l'hirty.scveu• --(LAO) 1043( Loan of City, 1 . :3:2,4 per Cent. 143% Socivry et Comm , rce, 4 y,', per Cent.. ...... Bank of Belgium , 5 per Cent ..............».«« 7 44 N. tional .!'iciety .. — Exchange on Londam (shot') ...... —. —Brasses Papers, May 24. the