The Sun. — London, England, 1849-06-27 00:00:00

tUtttn SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock. STEAM COMITIUNICATION WITH AUSTRALIA.—(TfiIS DAY.) A public meeting was hold this afternoon at Willis's Booms, St. James's, to determine on the most desirable steps to be taken for promoting steam communication with Australia; the Right Hon. the Earl Talbot in the chair. _ _ _ The CHAIRMAN expressed the great interest which be felt in the colony of Australia, which was growing day by day of greater importance, and therefore required a more direct steam communication with the mother country. One route =suggested was by Singapore, another by the Cape of Good Elope, and a third by the Isthmus of Pa nama and the Pacific; but it would not be advisable to en ter into a discussion upon the comparative merits of them, for that was a mere matter of detail, and ought to be left for after consideration. Their sole object now was to force upon the attention of the public and the Le gislature the necessity of a quicker communication with those distant dependencies of the empire. To show the increase of commerce with them he might state that, while in 1800 the quantity of wool im ported from Sydney was 650 pound 3, it had since then gradually increased until, in 1848, it amounted to 46,612 pounds. The exports from this country to Sydney of German wool amounted to 17,000 bales. The whole of the wool imported from Sydney amounted now to within 1,000 ba'es of that brought from foreign countries, thus showing how much the trade of our colonies would in crease by a rapid and more regular communication with England. The Hon. FRANCIS SCOTT, in rising to propose the first resolution, said that this important subject had been played with by the Government, that they had dealt with the dependencies of England as mere baubles and toys, and in a way totally inconsistent with the cha racter of a great empire. Every one connected with these colonies had felt the great inconveniences which arose from the delays inseparable from the present mode of intercourse. This subject had been cast about from one department of the Government to another, between the Post-office and the Admiralty, the Admiralty and the Treasury, and between the Treasury and the Exchequer office, until at last those who had subscribed their capi. tal, to carry out the object which they had met to pro mote, turned away in disgust. It was calculated that each inhabitant of Australia consumed eight or ten pounds worth of goods, the produce of British industry, while the inhabitants of foreign countries did not take more than at the rate of a shilling a head. The relationships between these two sums would at once show the advantage which would arise from a more prompt intercourse, because by that means they would offer an inducement to men of capital, intel ligence, and influence, to settle in Australia. With a little zeal and energy, and determination, however, they might expect to ultimately force the Government to grant them some assistance to accomplish that object. The Son. Gentleman concluded by moving that the rapid increase and importance of the Australian colonies Yen. eered the establishment of a steam communication be tween them and England highly desirable. Lord LYTTELTON seconded the resolution. He had, some years ago, been connected with the administration of colonial affairs, and he had then seen enough to take a most lively interest in everything connected with the colonies, but more especially with Australia. There could be no more doubt that a steam communication would ultimately be established with Australia than that the sun would continue to rise. It would not only benefit this country, but would eff,-ct a considerable improvement in the political and social government of the colony. _ _ Mr. MONTGOMERY MARTIN supported the motion. He said that Australia was the only portion of our transaaarine dominions which had no direct communi cation; and it was the only colony which had been called upon by the Government to contribute to the establishment of mail rackets. India and North Ame rica had not been called upon to contribute a single shilling towards such a❑ object, r.nd )et Australia had scarcely put the English Exchequer to any-expense. The resolution was carried unanimously. Mr. Sergeant MEREWETHER propcsed the next reso lution—" That the inhabitants of the Australian colo nies having, through the medium of their respective Legislative Assembtrei, evinced the deepest anxiety to approximate their dependencies will' England by steam, it is advisable to co-operate will them in this country for the attainment of that important object." Be would not have intruded himself upon the meeting if he had not been in constant communication with several dear friends in the colony and kt.ew something about it. They told him that there ware wide extended pla.ins in the rude productiveness of nature, ready to yield all the riches which they con tained, and waiting only for labour to be applied to them. The means of the country were unbounded, and there was scarcely anything useful which it could not produce if we transplanted there the skill and enterprise of the British charac'er. Mr. MARK BOYD seconded the resolution, which, after a few observations from Sir William Vernon and other gentlemen, was put and carried. Mr. MONTAGUE GORE moved a resolution to the effect that it was the opinion of the meeting, that an appeal should be mule to the Government, and peti tions presented to Parliament, pointing out the expe diency on imperial as well as ( n colunial grounds, of establishing a direct system of cuminunicltion' between this country and Australia. The resolution was seconded by Mr. MAcanzuoß, P., and carried. A resolution wa; then passed appointing a cm:intake to carry out the chjects of the ine,ting. Earl Talbot was compelled to leave the meeting Ee fore it terinfrwed, owing to an eng,gerrient, and he was succeK!ed in the chair by Sir W. Vernon. After a a vote of thauk3 to both of those gentlemen, the meeting separated. A great nuaiber of influential gentlemen were present many of whom were largely interested in the colony o Australia. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. (THIS DAY.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. • The SPEAKER took the Chair at Twelve o'clock. NEW WRIT FOR THE CI ry OF LONDON. Mr. JOHN ABEL SMITH moved that a new writ do issue for the election of a Member for the City of London, in the room of Baron Lionel Ds Rothschild, who had accepted the office of the Stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds.—Agreed to. PRIVATE BILLS. The following private Bills were read a third time and passed :--- Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway Acts Amend ment (powers to alter tolls and for appointment of officers). Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway (Consolidation and Amemirnet.t of Acts). The report of the Committee on the following Bill was considered anti agreed to:— Lanarkshire (East and West Lice) and Glasgow and Shutt Turnpike lioads (Amendment of Acts, &c.) DUBLIN IMPROVE..viENT BILL (No. 2). Mr. REYNOLDS moved that Mr. William Fagan, Mr. Thomas Meagher, Mr. John O'Connell, and Mr. Tennent, be added to the Select Committee on the Dublin Improvement (No. 2) Bill. Sir W. SOMERVILLE objected to this motion, on the ground of its being an unusual procedure. The SPEAKER reminded the Hon. Member for the city of Dublin that his motion was not seconded. AI. REYNOLDS would, therefore, move the follow ing:—That the repors and evidence of and before the surveyiue. officers in the years 1847 and 1848, in the case of the Dubin Improvement Bill, and the minutes of evidence taken before the Committee on the Dublin Im provement Bill in the last session, bo referred to the Select Committee on the Dublin Improvement (No. 2) Bill. —Agreed to. Mr. REYNOLDS then moved that the petition of the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of Dublin, against the Collection of Rates (Dublin) Bill, together vith all other petitions, praying to be heard against the said Bill, be referred to the Commit tee to which the Dublin Improvement (No. 2) Bill stands referred.—Agreed to. Sir WILLIAM SOMERVILLE moved that the mi nutes of the evidence taken before the respective Com mittees which sat on the Dublin Improvement Bills in the sessions of 1847 and 1848; and also the reports of the :•urveyito.; 0---cees appointed under the Preliminary Inquiries Act, toge ther wrcia the , v id ence taken before them in relation to tie Dublinimpeoeemeat hats in the sessions of 1847 and 1848. be referred to the Cornraituse. on the Dublin Improvement (No. 2) Bill.-,--Agreed to. PRO ITC nos OF WOMEN. Mr. G. HAMILTON presented a petition from several Dissenting coegregatiefs in Dublin in favour of the Bill for the protection of women. Mr. S. CRAW FORD presented similar petitions from Dissenting coegregationa in Rochdale. Sir T. BIRCH presented similar petitions from Wes leyan Methodists in Liverpool. IRISH SAVINGS BANKS. Sir H. WILLOUGHBY gave notice that on the House going into Committee of Supply he would call the attention of the House to the state of the National Debt, and especially with reference to the savings banks in Ireland. _ PROTECTION OF WOMEN. Mr. CHARLES PEARSON presented petitions from the congregations of Grove Chapel, Camberw,ll, and of several other Dissenting Chapels in Lamb e th, i n favour of the Bill for the protection of women. Lord GEORGE MANNERS presented a similar pe tition from a place in C:imbridwshue. Sir E. IaLX TON presented similar petitions from Waltham Abbey arid several r places in Essex. BAN KR UPTCY LAW. Mr. CARDW ELL presented a petition from bankers, merchants, and others in L vicrpool, in favour of the Bill for the consolidation of the Bankruptcy laws. IKISIi MAILS. Mr. GROGAN inquired the reason why the Govern ment afternoon Irish mail was net to be allowed to carry newspapers? The greatest inconvenience would result if this order of tho Postmaster was to be carried out. pe,,ple of Ireland were deprived of six hours later n'e than they might othe rwise receive. • I Mr. HAYTER entered into an explanation, from tipt!\ it appeared that the train in q uest i on—the .. n etyst Western five o'clock rat express —was Mit, is mail in the strict sense of the t erm, attr`ivas not in any way under the cont r ,d '01) Vie Post-office. Letters were, however, sent 'i't in order to facilitate their conveyance; and it was fought by the Postmaster that the bulk of the news- capers would be too heavy to be conveyed by that train; if, however, additional facilities were proved to be ne cessary, the Postmaster-Genera; would take the matter into his consideration; but at present he did not think it right to incur additional expense. There was no inten tion to put an additional mail train to Edinburgh and Glasgow. He had r.O objection to produce the cones pndence that had taken place on the matter. The matter then dropped. PRISON DISCIPLINE. _ _ The adjourned debate upon this Bill was resumed by Mr. BROTHERTON, who said that the systems of prison discipline that bad hitherto been tried had failed to repress crime, since at least 3,500,000-1 in 7i or 8 were paupers; 1 in 133, criminals; and 2,000,0001. a year were expended in the punishment of of fenders. The number of criminals was on the increase, and he feared that they must erect additional cells for their reception. When the money expended in wine, beer, and spirits amounted to 19,000,0001.—greater than the whole of their exports — when the public-houses outnumbered our churches and schools—they could do nothing by prison discipline to repress crime. They could do nothing unless they struck at the root of the evil, the suppression of intem perance; and the upper classes set the example, as he did, of temperance, crime w ould continue at its present amount, and all their reformatory works would be altogether abortive. Sir HENRY HALFORD said, having been a visit ing magistrate in Leicestershire, he could state that there was a less number of prisoners in the gaol which Was built in 1845 at the present time than when it was originally opened, which he attributed to the silent sys tem recently introduced. He thought the necessity for a purative system had been shown by the crowded state of the gaols of the country, and no one could doubt that the separate system was not inconsistent with hard labour. He thought the more the subject was considered the more necessity there was for a system of separation. Was it to be tolerated that a poor boy for robbing au orchard was to be made the associate of the worst felons; and that a poor servant girl for leaving her place should be made the associate of procuresses and prostitutes? The Honourable Member concluded by moving the ap pointment of a Select Committee to inquire into the prison discipline of England . and Wales. Mr IRE WEN opposed the motion and supported the amendment. Mr. Alderman SIDNEY thought that nothing was so prolific of crime as the state of the prisons in this country, and the sooner their state was altered the better. He would vote for the amendment, believing that if it was acceded to it would effect everything that was contemplated by the motion of his Hon. Friend the Member for Lambeth. Lord MAHON thought it impossible to refer to the subject of prison discipline without congratulating the country on the great improvement which had taken place of late years. lie thought that great praise was due to the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Home De partment, and also to the Right Hon. Baronet who had preceded him in that office. The system of inspection and of frequent returns being made to the House had been productive of great benefits to the prison system. He wished,to call the attention of the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of the Home Department to one particular point. He had said that great praise was due to the system of frequent returns to the House, but he ques tioned whether these returns were not often so volumi nous that they discouraged Hon. Members from look ing,into them.—(Hear, hear.) With respect to the plan of the Honourable Member for Lambeth, he though that a self-supporting prison would be a great desideratum, but ho agered with an observation which had fallen from the opposite side of the House, that the Hon. Gentleman had not suf ficiently considered the question. He also thought that the Hon. Member for Leicestershire would much better serve the purpose he had in view if he withdrew his amendment, and renewed it at the beginning of next session. Mr. DENISON wished to read a report from the visiting justices of the West Riding of Yorkshire, by which it appeared that the num ber of committals had been much reduced under the adoption of the separate system. Much had been said about the increased expenditure on the county rates, but he must call the attention of the House to the fact that this increase was not cawed by the greater amount of crime, but by the expense of building these new prisons. He thought great credit was due to the Secre taries of State for the last 10 years. He thought it was absurd to appoint a Committee in July for such a pur pose. He should vote against the original motion. Mr. HARRIS entirely concurred with the Hon. Member who had just spoken. Mr. R. PALMEit read to the House a comparative statement of the present and past expenditure of the dif ferent prisons in Berkshire, which showed the great superiority of the separate system. He thought this system had worked well, and he should be very sorry to see it ran down. Sir G. GREY said that as be had stated his views on a former occasion, in reply to the Hon. Member for Lambetn (Mr. C. Pearson), he should not trouble the House with many observations, but there were one or two points to which he must advert. In the first place then, with regard to the system of prison discipline, it had now had several years of trial under every variety of circumstances, and the result bad been one which was quite satisfactory to the public officers. Then as to tee two objects of reforming the offender and the repres sion of crime, the report was equally advantageous. The Hon. Member for Berkshire had taken the opportunity of giving from his personal experience a comparison of the different expenses of the old system and that which was at. presAant_ it was ascertained that the several cells of York Castle cost 1,2001. per cell, and those of Milibank cost 5004 per cell, while the cells in Maidstone gaol cost only 300/. per cell, and those of Reading, of which so much had been said, had only cost 200/. per cell, while he believed that the prisons of Manchesti , r, Birmingham, and Leeds had not cost more than from 140/. to 1502 per cell. This statement would show the difference between the old and the present systems, so far as expense was concerned. Mr. B. DENISON—And that was not an annual expense. Sir G. GREY—That was a very important observa tion. The expense incurred was incurred once and tor ever, and thus the benefits were annually increasing. Then with respect to the representations which had been made with regard to the moral condition of the pri soners. his attention had just been very strongly drawn to this subject, and he had only just issued a circular to the inspectors and superintendents of prisons direct ing that their reports should be confined to the facts which came under their notice, and not contain any observations of their own upon those tacts, observations which tended to impair rather than to enhance the value of their reports. For his own part, he had no objection to the appointment of a Select Committee for an examination of the whole subject, and if that suggestion were adopted, he would take care that the matter was made one of the first con sidered in the ensuing session. —(Hear, hear.) Mr. HUME said he believed that during a long expe rience there was hardly a gaoler of old standing with whom he had not conversed on this subject, and he was sorry to say that the replies derived from the whole of them went to show that, whether under the silent or any other system, that there was very little hope of the reformation of aft-nders. The greater part of the committals were, in three cases out of four, those of offenders who had previously been intimate wi h the rules of prison discipline.— (Hear, hear.) By far the best plan would be to prevent rather than cure the evil; and it would be far better to send those persons who were usually the inmates of prisons out of the country with credit and at their own expense, rather than in disgrace, and at the expense of the country. He thought it was absolutely necessary that some system of general education ought to be adopted, compulsory, if necessary, but voluntary if it could be obtained, and paid for by a rate levied on the owners of pro perty if the resources could not by any other means be procured—(Hear, hear)—for he believed that in the end such a rate would prove to them the cheapest remedy that could possibly be adopted.—(Hear, hear.) Then he thought by far too much attention was paid to the comfort of the prisoner, who in fact enjoyed more of the benefits of life than the hard-working man, who refrained from any breach of the laws.—(Hear.) Taking the whole matter; ha conceived that education was the best remedy; and if by being made compulsory it was an interference with the liberty of the subject, it was fur the benefit of the subject.—(Hear.) He should be sorry to vote against inquiry, but seeing the disposition evinced by the Right Hon. Baronet the Home Secretary, and the readiness he had mani!'ested to grant a Committee, he would recommend to his lion. Friend to withdraw his motion. Mr. ADDERLEY said there was such an overwhelm- in g amount of crime in this p country, rt..4 t et h i a ,,c t lac s 3r t si a m t o e er s dmwp:egae: s feltpersons the greatest possible difficulty how to act, and, there fore, they adopted that course always which promised 1 D-nY, the slightest, mitigation of the evil ; and hence of the infelicity of thelegislation on this sub ject. 7gt„ ~veld recommend that the prison at Park- h m rned into a penitentiary for the hurst should reception of that ini l s of offenders called juve ,tiu be called l effe: dteh n re s a n:le misdemeanants , who se o c u la t s , at all, but dealt with as an ought t io n r o tu t thrown upon this country for present system of prison discipline, virtue w.„ 13- by being placed on a par with crime, and degraded by nified by being put on a par with virtuous misfortune. r c , she uld have much pleasure in voting for the amendment before the House. Sir JOSHUA WALMSLEY entirely concurred with all that had fallen from the Hon. Member for Montrose on this question. It was the great mass of juvenile de linquency that they had to deal with. In the gaol of Bolton, which he was in the habit of visi tin g , there were from three hundred to four hundred young persons confined, from nine to twelve years of age, and most of whom were committed to gaol eight or ten times in the course of a twelvemonth. They could obtain no means of livelihood when they came out of prison, from the bad character which attached to them, aad they had no alternative but to commit frksh depredations, :o that they might be agt:in 'alien tob prison, or starve. The dealing with that class of persons was a mutt important question even in a pecuniary point of view fur this country; and there was no way of dealing with it satisfactorily and effuctually but by a well-digested scheme of edu cation. Mr. WODEHOUSE gave it as his opinion that this que,tion bad been too long delayed, and hoFed it wcaild be taken vigorously up by the Government on the cum- mencement of an, ther session. Sir JOHN PAKINGTON said the separate system of imprisonment was at variance with our common law. Or all the systems of prison ditc!pliae the separate system was the very best that bad y - c t been discovered; yet at the same time he could not lit 1p regarding it with very great jealousy and doubt. It had been said the sepa rate system made very good prisoners, but not very good men after they were released, He thought this a proper Subject for a Committee of Inquiry, and he w fluid vote for the motion of the Hon. Member for Lambet h, but on this understanding, that by doing so, he did no.t wish to imply any reflection on the separate system.. Atter a few words from Sir GEORE Garr, who explained with reference to giving his assent t;o a Commit tee of Inquiry, that the Committee would not be limited to the consideration of one system only of prison discip line, but would embrace a liberal consideoation of the whole question. Sir HENRY HALFORD, in deference to the wishes of the House and of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, would withdraw his amendment, but on the understanding that the same objections should prevail against the motion of the Hon. Member for Lambeth. Mr. C. PE ARSON rose to reply. The separate system was one of great cruelty, and had the effect of increasing the number of criminals. Under this system no hard labour was allowed; the only approach to it was a crank wheel, at which ten persona worked, this being just the amount of labour to employ the mind. Education was the great work carried on there, as appeared from the examination of a visiting magistrate at one of those establishments. The prisoners were too well treated. It would be seen that a great number of offences against the prison discipline consisted of destroying the food which had been given them in too great quantities. It was not right to inflict a punishment upon a man which left him at the end of the punishment less able to earn an honest living than ho was before, and this was the effect of the separate system. He was prepared to prove that whatever might be the effect of the grega rious system, they were not to be compared with those of the separate system against which he raised his voice. At Reading gaol, where they had a trades instructor dressed out in all the accoutrements of official dignity, the whole amount of the year's labour in the gaol was 6/. 2s. Bd. The Right Hon. Baronet had told them the cost had been 2001. pee cell, but he thought the Right Hon. Baronet was wrong ; that might be the first cost, but many ad ditious had been necessary. From the reports of the inspectors they would find that in this gaol great attention was paid to the comforts of the worthy gentlemen who were confined here. They had yards to exercise in, and contrivances by which, if it rained or the sun shone too strongly on them, they could cover themselves, and walk without allowing the wind of heaven to blow too roughly upon them. The great names of Howard, Burning, and Bentham had been used in favour of this system. Bat he could not think that this was fair. It was not unlikely that in the voluminous works of gentlemen some sentences might be caught up and converted into arguments in favour of this system. If the House would give him a Committee on this subject he would stake his seat in it upon the fact of proving all that he had stated. He would not divide the House upon his motion on the present occasion, but he would in the first week of the next session renew the motion in its present shape. During the ensuing recess he should visit some of the principal towns in the kingdom, in order to ascertain their opinions upon the subject. After sump observations'from Viscount BARRINGTON and Sir J. FAILING roN, the motion was withdrawn. BANKRUPT AND INSOLVENT MEMBERS BILL. The House then resolved itset into a Committee on this Bill. Mr. GOULBURN objected to the further proceeding with the Bill. He thought if the House _were to pass this Bill, and deprive Members of Parliament of their privilege of being free from arrest for debt, they ought not to legislate with respect to the payment of debts of Members, but leave them in that respect on the same footing as other persons. Mr. HUME took the same view of the subject. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL thought such a pro ceeding would be worse than the one proposed, for a Member might be arrested and left in prison, and his constituents remain altogether unrepresented. Mr. C. WYNN thought they were proceeding rather too fast. If they passed the present Bill they would place themselves in an inferior position to the other House of of Parliament. He thought the further consideration of the Bill should be suspended, and that a resolution should be passed to the effect that they would not enforce their privilege of freedom from arrest. Mr. LAW moved that the Chairman report progress. —(Loud cries of " Divide, divide.") After some discussion, Mr. MOFFATT appealed to the law officers of the Crown to state their opinions. The ATTORNELGENERAL thought it would be well that the Chairman should report progress. The galleries were cleared, but no division took place, the motion being agreed to. The House resumed, the CHAIRMAN reported progress, and asked leave to sit again. BENEFICES IN PLURALITY BILL. Mr. FREWEN moved the second reading of this Bill, and stated that its object was to apportion districts to the population. Mr. HUME said this Bill raised the whole question of pluralities, and he should be glad to know if the Bill bad the support of the Government. He had moved for returns on the matter, to show the numb: r of plurali- ties granted since the Act. He opposed the Bill because it recognised the existence of pluralities, which he con. sidered should not longer exist. Sir G. GREY was not prepared to assent to the Bill, the principle of which the Hon. Gentlemen had nut stated. The only restriction proposed to be introduced by this Bill over the present system was in regard to the value of the benefices. At present a clergyman was permitted to hold two contigious benefices of small in- come. Mr. FREWEN, after some observations, withdrew the Bill —Bill accordingly withdrawn. The House went into Committee on this Bid. Mr. BAINES said that he proposed to establish an official board by which the claims of one parish upon another might be enforced; and this he proposed to du by an order of the Magistrates of the Qua' ter Sessions, equivalent in those respects to an order of the Court of Queen's Bench. This he would do by striking out the 16th clause altogether, and making such an alteration in the 17th clause as would render it applicable to all purposes. The 16th clause was then struck out. Mr. BAINES then proposed the words by which this alteration was to be effected. Atter a few observations from Mr. W. Miles, who called the attention of the Attorney-General to the subject, and some observations in reply from Mr. Baines, with a suggestion from Mr. Beckett Denison, the clause, with the amendment of the Learned Commissioner, was passed. On the 18th clause being read, Sir J. DUCKN ORTH suggested that in cases of bastardy, after the evidence of the woman had been given, that an opportunity should be afforded to the putative father of waking an appeal. It had happened that before the usual time for making the appeal the woman had died, and the man had no remedy, but bad been saddled with the expenses without any prospect of remedy. The suggestion was adopted, and the words being embodied, the clause was passed. The other clauses of the Bill were then passed with out comment, and the Chairman was ordered to bring up the report to-morrow. The House then resumed. PROTECTION OF WOMEN BILL. Several petitions on this subject were presented from the women of Stroud by Mr. BUNBURY and other Members. Mr. SPOONER rose to move that this Bill be read a second time. In the first place this Bill originated and had come down from the I iouse of Lords. Further, he would state that this Bill had received the autho rity of, and, he believed, had been framed by the Lord Chief Baron. The object of the Bill was, to remedy a great and notorious evil, the extent of which could not be known except to those who had charge of the Bill. Its purpose was to enact that any person who had been convicted of having been guilty of causing the seduction of any female for the sake of lucre should be severely punished. Having stated this, he proposed to go into a Select Committee, and submit to such alterations as would render it pract i c ally useful. _ _ Mr. ANSTEY said that he believed that it had been condemned by all the law Lords in another place.— (i iear, hear.) The principle of this Bill was to punish any woman, who had caused any man to have carnal connexion with a woman—(Laughter)—with two years hard labour. But this was a one-sided Bill, for it did not provide any punishment for any man having connexion with a woman.—(Great laughter.) It did not provide in any way for the punishment of seduction.—(Laughter.) Nuw it was directed against those unfortunate females who were already seduced, and had no other means of gaining a livelihood than that which they now pursued. It was notorious that the Bill was directed against certain houses, and it was we'll known that these acts arose out of false pretensions. It arose only out of a morbid feeling, and the passing of it would only gratify that feeling, and he was only discharging a duty to society and to humanity in doing anything which would prevent the position of those females to whom he bad alluded from becom ing more intolerable than it was at present. If the Bill had been levelled against seduction it should have had his best support. But seeing that nothing of the kind could be effected, that the law was already stringent enough, and if the magistrates refused to administer the law as it stood, how could it be expected that they would put a new statute into force. Seeing this, he should certainly divide the House on the question, and ovo that the Bill be read this day three months Mr - 111 3 t IVi o Bt..re the care, a certain religious society was reported e de,cr j o o r t ° a n t eli e s t t possession,hoy wanted o f houses of a this k sh t o h u o . l a d go to the universi ties,e ‘n wlto re w ligl ece n th in e tahee have a law of this kind, they and take the opinion - of knowledged authorities on morality country. He should certainly vote with the H on. mEm.. ber who had just sat down. _ Sir J. JERVIS said the Bill was not only directed against these who, fur lucre or gain , procured a eArrle.l ci,mmunication between any man and any woman, but there must also be the consideration of false pretences. This Bill did not seem to him to be necessary, nor did he think it was at all calculated for the protection of women. He should certainly vote against it. After a few words of explanation, Mr. SPOONER proceeded to call the attention of the House to a number of cases which he held in his hand, of women having been seduced by false representations, and who were now sunk into the lowest rank of society. The object of the Bill was to put down all such traffic. The Hon. Gentleman quoted the autho rity of Mr. Baron Parke, that the present common law wa s not sufficiently comprehensive. He contended that the principle of the Bill would embrace many offences which now escaped unpuuished, owing to the imperfect state of the law. A'tcr a few words from the ATTORNEY- G ENERAL, Mr. ELLIS begged the House to allow the Bill to go into Committee. Pilr. LAW hoped that the House would not throw out the Bill, imperfect as it was, because it was capable of great improvement, and had a most important object in view. Mr. NE WDEGATE trusted that the objections that had been raised to the Bill would not prevent the House from acceding to its principle. Sir G. GREY opposed the second reading of the Bill, considering it _one that was confessedly intfficient for its object. It the Hon. Gentleman who had the charge of the Bill would give him an assurance that he would make its provisions effective, he would not oppose the second reading of the Bill. Mr. SPOONER would most readily give the Right lion. Baronet the assurance he required. Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the House divided, when there appeared— For the amendment 6 Against it ..• 130 Majority against the amendment... -124 On our admis,ioti to the gallery we found Mr. M. GIBSON on his h-gs, expressing a hope that as the Governmet had supported the second reading of the Bill, they would do all in their power to make it effective. Mr. HUME thought the course pursued by the Go vernment was a strong proof of moral cowardice. „ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL defended the course pursued by the Government. After some observations from Mr. C. Anstey, Mr. H. Berkeley, and Mr. Spooner, Colonel SALWEY moved that the debate should bo adjourned. Mr. HUME seconded the motion, andlin the course o? his speech, the hour of Six o'clock Laving arrived, the House adjourned amid much laughter. NEWCASTLE RACES. (THIS DAY.) (BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.) The Grand Stand Stakes. Post-tempore ... Osbaldestort ... Luxury ... ... The Free Handicap. Miss Ann Malton .. Licentio .., 2 ... 3 ... 2 LLOYD'S SHIPPIN G--(THIS DAY LONDON, JUNE 27.—Wind this day at noon W., light breeze and fine clear weather. DEAL, JUNE 26.—Wind W.N.W. to N.N.W.; nine PM., nearly calm.-22d, Arrd. Hendrik Jan, Wap, Batavia fur Roth rdam; 23d, Progreso, Whitteveen, Africa for Antwerp; 26th, Labelle, Lanfesty, Buenos Ayres. Arrd. from the River, Tamar, Stayner, Sydney, New South Wales; Lima Tall, Moreton Bay, New South Wales; City of London, Balls, Ceylon; Monarch, Stephen, Coquimbo; Solide, Westerrnark, Rio Janeiro. Arrd. from the River and sailed. Cheapside, Lewis, Adelaide, South Australia; Eliza , Dixon, Puri ash. FALMOUTH, JUNE 26.—Wiod W N.W., fresh breezes. —2sth, Arrd. Valleyfirld , Dougal, Sierra Leone; Con cordia, Ekerman, Havannah; Triton, Von Barger°, Porto Rico. LIVERPOOL, JUNE 26.—Wind N. W.— Arrcl. 25th, James Stewart, M'Fr.rline, Macao, sailed 9th May; Herald, Macao; London, Fish, Antigua; Sultan, Dea con, New Orleans; Euphrasia, Bunting, ditto; Retublic, Marshall, ditto; Huguenot, Gardner, Mobile; Isabella, Briggs, Savannah; M. A. Peters, Brown, ditto; 26th, Georgina, Williams, Calcutta; Kyaeite, Lister, Antigua; Douro, Arica or Iquique; William Putout], Dicker, New Orleans; Calcutta, Cruillard, ditto; Maryland, Berry, ditto; Rochester, Weeks, ditto; Lancashire, Hadley, Mobile; Shoodiac, Porter, ditto; Rowland, Norcross, Apalachicola; Caleb Grinyihaw, Hoxie, New York; Indus, Carlo, Cumberland, Nova Scotia. Sld. 25th. Friendship, Honduras; 26th, Victory, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Argo, Quebec. Off port, Frances, Ceylon; Ro bert Finnie, Bahia ; Orleans, Orleans; Solon, Apa lachicola ; Irene, Erin-go- bragb, Uriel, Glenswilly, Devonshire. SHEERNESS, JUNE 25.—The London Merchant steamer was i❑ collision with the Providence smack . Bullinaria, of Rochester, near the Mouse Light yester day. The Providence sank on the Cant shortly alter wards; crew saved. FALMOUTH, JUNE 26.—Acrd. Alexander Barclay, Brumerkoop, South Seas, for Bremen, out forty-six months, with 2,600 brls.; Louis de Geer, Hanson, Rio Janeiro; Vater Gruner, Kehrmann, Porto Rico, for Bremen. 25th, Off port, Ocean Queen, Jewell, Callao; Anna Louisa, Koster, Jeremie, for Antwerp. GUERNSEY, JUNE 22. —Sld.Dispatch, Bahia. MARLBRO'-STREET—(THIS DAY.) James O'Loughlin, John O'Loughlin, and Thomas Macarthy three stout, able-bodied Irishmen, were brought before Mr. Hard wick, charged with begging. Horsford stated that on the previous afternoon, about six o'clock, he observed the prisoners following several ladies in Oxford-street. He watched them into Hanway street, where he saw them go up to some ladies who were looking in at a shop window, and in a most impor tunate manner demand money from them. The ladies were so much alarmed at the prisoners' appearance, that they ran into the shop for refuge. Witness, having pro cured aszistance, took them into custody and conveyed them to the station, where they were searched, and 2s. 2d. found upon them. The prisoners, who denied the charge, were severally cc "' ,:747 Yia f r4 l a i r T ed i th e er7n r e eeto Sullivan r I w 4 er d e"Ctarged with obstructing the officers in the execution of their duty, when (aking the above prisoners to the station. llorstord stated that as he was taking the three men to the station the two women came up to him and as sailed him with the foulest abuse. On requesting there to go away, they called him " a b- thief, and said he ought to have been hung years ago." He then called a policeman and gave them into cthaody. Mr. IlAttpwicK _find them si. each, and, in default, committed them for seven days. PRUSSIA. The trial of the , political prisoners implicated in the affair of May was brought to a conclusion at Berlin on the evening of the 23d. The following was the sentence of the court year's imprisonment against M. Gercke for violating a d ecree i ssue d f or t h e main tenance of the public safety; three months' imprison ment against the members of the Democratic Com. mittee, Schonemann, Cubitz, Herzfeld, Dr. Waldeck, Berends, Weiss, Koch, and Pfeiffer; Steide, Petersen, and Schildknecht were acquitted. AUSTRIA. VIENNA, JUNE 22.—The Wiener Zeitung of this day states that the Emperor has conferred upon the Prince of Warsaw, Count Paskewicz von Crindon, Field-Marshal and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, the Gra n d C ross o f Steph en ' s , an d h as sent hi m the Russ ianOrde Imperial of fri the insignia of the order set in b r illi an t s . I t also appears from the Weiner Z e it ung th a t th e brigade Pott and feissing were attacked by a superior pal St. Ar force in the Island of Schutt, and were driven back to Pered and A- Szelly ; the Russian division Panintin has gone this day to reinforce them, and to-morrow the Imperial army will begin to act on the offensive. Several other movements took place on the same day, and co-operated with the brigades of the reserve corps on the Wasg. Two field-pieces were taken from the enemy, and thirty men were made prisoners. A corporal of the Uhlanin regiment, and another corporal of the light horse, immediately received gold medals from the Master General of the Ord nance, for having taken the field-pieces. The loss on the side of the Imperialists is not stated. INSPECTION OF THE 11TH LIGHT DRAGOONS (HUSSARS) BY PRINCE ALBERT.—This day being ap pointed by Prince Albert for the review of the 11th Hussars, on Wimnledon•common, soon after nine o'clock the regiment, consisting of about 350 mounted men, arrived from Hounslow and Kensir gton Barracks, and took up the position marked out by the Brigade-Major and Staff: Shortly after ten o'clock the Earl of Car digar, Colonel of the Regiment, arrived, and took the command about a quarter before eleven. Ills Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by Colonel Bouverie and Lieutenant-Colonel the Honourable C. B. Phipps, arrived in an open carriage and four, anti was received with the customary honours. His Royal Highness wore the uniform of a Field-Marshal. The regiment having formed into open order, the Prince and Major-General Brotherton, Inspector-Genera: of Cavalry, attended by their suite. 'Raised through the ranks, and minutely inspected both men and horses, after which, having marched past at a trot, several evolutions were performed with surprising rapidity and precision. The regiment having been again formed into line, a royal salute was given, and the men marched back to their quarters. MOVEMENTS OF THE COI:MT.—It is `now pretty well understood in circles likely to be correctly informed, that her Majesty will proceed to Ireland about the 4th of August next, going from Bristol to Cork, and thence by Killarney to Dublin, where it is expected her Majesty intends holding a Levee and a Drawing-room, and subsequently will visit Prince Albert's shooting quarters in Scotland. There can be no doubt of the enthusiastic reception our beloved Queen will meet with in the "Sister Isle," and we feel confident of the graatest benefits resulting from the arrangement. —Evening Paper. POSTPONEMENT OF THE CHATHAM REVIEW.—In fo otfhettbmanseqnuieotr corm quence of the serious onediness .ti o o f ns which were intended to be carried on there on the 30th o il.nn ifi sptah e iltu r eA s tE o AsaDiro t eNu e .nll g a a vo r ou r is i d s ta o b. n ly o T f ph C oes h t a pin t o b vn a iet m da , the siege operations, Egyptian u A LI C I D this ENT evening, o NIE are SOUTH-WESTERNf r s een o'clock precisely, at which hour dinner will be announced RAILIVAL—Last night, abPut ten o'clock, an accident oc curred on the South- Western line. It appe,red that one of the porters, while enga ge d by t h e s i le of the line between Richmond and London, slipped off into the road, and, unfortunately, an upward train was proceeding towards London, when, before any person was aware of the poor man's sit ua ti on , a port i on of the tra i n h a d p asse d over him. He was tak en on a stretc h er to Guy's Hospit a l, o h n anlo office o but his death i s h our l y expecte d. Dispatches were sent off last evening from the Co lonial ce l f f o trhe E the c x h Governor .eguer Gibrahar. Mr. Tidd P ratt h ad en i nterv i ew y ester d ay w i t h t h e C Dispatches were received yesterday at the Colonial. TWO& office, from the G overnors o f t h e N or th Ameri can pro- SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. TIMES.—In Drury-lane, not quite a stone's throw from the Royal Italian Opera, is a spacious and gloomy pile, which still retains the traditionary name of. a '• Theatre Royal." In the last generation it was used for the legitimate drama ; and to keep up the: prescription it was opened, wo believe, once for that purpose last year, and once again, for the benefit of an ex-lessee, on Monday night. Such a place must inspire souse melancholy reflections on the fate of British talent and the worth of aristocratical patriotism. Insensible, however, to that omen, or nothing (hunted by it, a troupe of dukes, and lords, and squires yes terday thronged the neglected stage, and obliged the public with a gratuitous entertainment. The subject was a " Midsummer Day's Dresm," or " Protection Revived." As the story was founded on the Shaksperian model, it will not surprise the reader to hear that Britannia was represented in love with an animal much beneath her legitimate regards. The order of nature was inverted throughout. For a story so preposterous the adjuncts should have teen equally fan ciful, the personages goblins, and fairy land the scene. Usduckily the performance was spoilt by the utter unfitness of the characters and circumstances. In an unprotected theatre, ruined by the competitii n of foreigners and the foreign predilc c:ions of our No eility, under a canopy of all but unprotected calico, and on an equally unprotected drugget, clad in fo reign linen and foreign wool, assembled the mem bers of the National Association for the Protection of British industry and capital, and, to the best of their ability, proceeded to lay the foundations of that patriotic design. Britannia, of course, was in the pit— the Duke of Richmond in the chair. As the only objc ct was to amuse, it would be vain to look for facts, or any re sereblapee to facts, or indeed any serious design in the ex hibition. There was nothing in the proceedings that bore any resemblance to this waking world. Though the se b jset was the present distress *ot the country and the most likely remedies, we did not hear from first to last the re motest allusion to those miserable realities with which we are actually surrounded. There was not a syllable about the failure of the potato crop, which has now for three years deprived several millions of their usual food. There was not a whisper of the railway mania, and the fact that scores of thousands in trade arid out of trade have been ruined by indulging in that folly. There was not a hint at the universal war which is destroying or impoverish ing our customers abroad and blockading their ports. There was no allusion to the fact that within four years we have had to pay forty millions for foreign corn. which we should have had to pay, will, or Hill, under any legislation whatever, even if Lord Stanley had been leader in the Lords, Lord George Bentinck in the Commons, and both Houses had been under their thumbs. In fact, though some elaborate historical reviews were attempted, the real history of this empire, as known by every man, woman, and child in it, and as entering into the experience of every British adult, was as utterly ignored arid put out of the question as if the purpose of the meeting had been to send Bibles to China, razors to Timbuctoo, or milkmaids to Rio Janeiro. The assembly met with closed eyes as well as closed doors. They stopped their ears to realities as reso lutely as if they were passing the shore of the Sirens. A stranger unacquainted with our history—if there ex.. ists any savage so remote or so stupid as not to know our unparalleled calamities—would certainly learn nothing from yesterday's speeches, except that we had enjoyed an unbroken tenour of prosperity, and should still be en joying it but for free trade. If in our remarks on such a farce it is worth while to ask any question or draw any conclusions, we will just ask why the terrible. events which darken the present page of history, and which a thousand years hence will be inscribed in a few simple words on the years 1846 and 1848, have been so industriously and so ridiculously suppressed. Why— if not because they negatived the factious conclusions the movement was intended to palm on its dupes? A theory cannot be good for anything when it requires all the facts of the case to be kept out of sight. Hai pily these serious omissions are rendered of very slight moment by a similar absence of practical conclusions. It a man fancies himself a lion, it matters very little so long as he eats nobody; or, to come nearer the present case, a lunatic may think himself the victim of conspiracy, yet be quite harmless if he ciatents himself with burning the effigies of his supposed enemies on paper. What is to be done to restore protection? Long did we wait for a reply. A list of vice-presidents was read as long as Homer's catalogue of heroes and ships, and their names were freely offered in pledge for the reality of the undertaking. But what was the mode of operation? Ilow was anything to be done? What was the first step? Nut subscriptions, for they were judiciously postponed till there shall be something to show for them. At last we seemed to hear something to the purpose. We could not be mis taken. A twoteld plan was suggested. The tenant farmers were recommended to stop payment en masse, and petition the Queen to dissolve Parliament. A general election and a general repudiaticn to gether would set up the country. As the project was received with tremendous applause, and a Thousand burly figures stood up to cheer the prin ciple of repudiation, we presume it was understood. For ourselves, we must confess to being rather in the deik. Is it seriously proposed by an association founded and governed by landlords, that the farmers shall bilk all their creditors in order to give weight to their demand for a dissolution ? Or are they to escape payment of just claims by means of a general election ? What is the plan ? Good reader, do not perplex yourself ; there is no plan at all. These gentlemen are all sound sleep. They know nothing, and mean nothing. They have not heard of the famine or the war ' and their I.teiiiiona are equally ores i my and unreal. stop . merit and petition the Queen! You dream your house is attacked by cannon, and try to catch the balls in your hands. Happily it is only the postman's knock. We will not wi-h these gentlemen wiser, so long as their methods are harmless. We have n o f ear fur their pro deuce and patriotism. His Grace the Pres:dent is much too good u subject to allow any dangerous excesses, and we feel perfectly sale so long as the cause remains in his hands. STATE OF TRADE. (From the Manchester Gua> dian of this day.) MANCHESTER, THESDAY.—The facility with which speculators in cotton can raise money for payment, on the security of their purchaq s, has again led to conside rable operations by that class, and their course has been freely followed by consumers, the result being a rise of 1. per lb. in Americans generally. This movement has had an effect in our market to-day—among spinners a rather stirring effect. An advance of i. to id. per lb has been generally and firmly demanded; and merchants have found themselves obliged to accede to O. upon the limited transanctions of the day, in low numbers of water twist. Higher prices have also been obtained for 40's and 60's doubled; and the manufacturers of such gocos as are at present in request, have shown a willingness to purchase at some further rise, but the India and China merchants, finding no encouragement to operate in the accounts just received, have stood aloof from the market. And the Germans, with their warehouses literally crammed, at lower prices, have folded their hands and done nothing. However, encouraged by the comparative lightness of stocks in their own hands, the spinners have stood resolutely upon their advanced quotations, de termined that the miserable difference betwixt the price of cotton and that of yarn shall not be made still less without a hard struggle. In goods, the India houses are giving orders for madapollame, for low jacconets, and for 40-inch shirting s, especially in 64 and 66 reeds, at some addition to the previous rates. And fur other markets than tho , e of the East, there is also a fair inquiry. We arc likewise glad to find that a rather increased business is doing for home consumption. The aggregate trans actions of the day, however, both in goods and yarns have been restricted within narrow limits by the rise in prices. - ROCHDALE, MONDAY.—We have bad a fair attend ance of buyers in the market to-day, but the business transacted_ has been much the same as the preceding Monday. The demand for kerseys has not been quite so gocd, but there is no change in prices. I n t h e woo l market there prevails the same inactivity, with no desire to purchase by the manufacturers, except for immedi ate use. HIIDDERFIELD, TIIESDAY.—The market, to-day, may be considered satisfactory, and business in the ware houses during the week has been brisk for the season. Great inconvenience is experienced by our wool mer chants, in not being able to receive their German wools by the way of kW, and they are necessitate d to pay a much higher rtate of carriage, in consequence of the blockade of the Elbe. HALIFAX, SATURDAY.—The improved inquiry for worsted goods, which we noticed in our last, has been sustained to-day ; and there is a better feeling amongst the manufacturers. Prices are still low; but the stocks on hand are, in general, far from large, and much that is done, is to order. There is a good trade in pans of middle qualities; but not much cluing in the lower counts, and still less in high numbers, The wool market is more active; and prices are low, but steady. SURVEY OF THE SEVERN:A " crow's nest," very similar in structure to that recently seen on the top of St. Paul's, has just been completed on the tower of Gloucester Cathedral, for the purpose of taking obser vations for the survey of the river Severn, in accordance with a recommendation by the Admiralty surveyor on a recent preliminary inquiry upon a p ro p ose d Bill f or t h e furtherimprovement of the navigation of the Severn. The scaffolding is raised to a considerable height above the tower of the cathedral, and is surmounted by a small house or cot, which is reached by means of a long ladder. fhe survey, which is being made under the direction of the Admiralty, will comprise the whole of the estuary of the Severn, and all above it within the influence of the tide, extending to above Tewkesbury. At this point it was recently proposed to erect a weir, but the Admi ralty reported against it. A REAL RELISHER OF A JOKE.—A man lately re ceived twenty lashes well laid on, at the whipping post at Delaware. The culprit instead of bellowing when the constable applied the lash laughed immoderattly, which made the angry officer lay on still harder. On giving him the twentieth blow the angry officer could stand it no longer. " Well, here mister," said the offended officer, " I've done my duty, and I can lick ye no more, but I'd just like to know what it is that's so funny?" " Funny!" roared the other. " Funny I why it's the best joke I ever heard oil" " Funny! Well what is the joke?" " Joke!" roared the other, ' why, it's excellent. You've got the wrong Smith 1 I ain't the man that was to be whipped! li's the other one! Now you'll have to go it all over again! Really it's too good! You must lick the other man! Ha! ha! CITY COMMISSIONERS OF SEWERS.—Yesterday a Court was held, Mr. Deputy Peacock in the chair, at which it was determined that certain localities, having been seriously attacked by cholera, they should be im mediately examined by the inspector for the district, and the works necessary to render them healthy at once undertaken. LITERATURE. EXCITEMENT : a _Tale of our Own Times. 2 Yds. One circumstance greatly propitiates our favour towards this fiction by an anonymous authoress—and, that circumstance is modestly mentioned in the pre• face, to the effect that " the writer's share of the profits is to be appropriated to the funds of a -charit able institution, An Establishment fur Gentlewomen during Temporary Illness.' " That this benevolent purpose may prove eminently successful, we ackaow ledge ourselves to be really solicitous ; yet a feeling of this character never interferes in any manner with our estimate of a work merely as a literary com position. Interested as we should ever be in an effort so peculiarly laudable, we should nevertheless have abstained altogether from directing attention to the performance, had we found it - , on perusal, to be unworthy of some commendation.. For, supposing the two volumes to have proved in a striking degree devoid of merit, we should have fiaind our heart go against emblazoning its faults or its woi thlt ssnees in the broad glare of criticism. Rather than raise such an obstacle to the diffusion of the book, and cone sequently to the enhancement of the funds of a charitable association like that of the establishment for the aid of distressed gentlewomen during sick ness, we should have allowed the story to have passed unnoticed, and to have worked its way through the ordinary channel of advertisements. As it is, however, we have read the two volumes with no small amount of entertainment; and for that reason regard "Excitement'' as no unfitting subject fer re view. The narrative throughout is of a strictly domestic kind, notwithstanding the endeavour of the writer to associate the attractions of her fiction with those connected with the stirring political events of the last three or four years—ranging from the Anti- Corn-law agitation of 1845 to the revolutionary movements of 1848. Whatever allusions have been interwoven with the plot in reference to public occurrences, to Parliamentary changes, and to Euro pean explosions, are so entirely of an incidental description as in no manner to impede the progress of the incidents, or to allay the curiosity excited in the mind of the reader as to the fortunes of the imaginary personages created by the fancy of the novelist. The tree-trade orations of Mr. Cobden and the democratic harangues of M. de Lamartine alike fail to diminish the charm of inquisitiveness enveloping the fate of Constance Devereux, the heroine, and of Edward Tremaine, the hero of " .Excitement." From first to last the interest in the destiny of the two principal characters of the tale is cleverly and ingeniously sustained ; and that we take it is a sufficient guarantee that the volumes are readable. Nor is the end accomplo heti of securing the attention from the - outset to the conclusion by any exaggerated efforts at the romantic. Occasionally, it is true, the authoress merges into mere sentimentality, but that is only at rare intervals; and on the whole her production may be viewed as a natural and agree able fiction, drawn partly from her imagination, which is inventive, and partly, we might say princi pally, from her " observation," which appears to be shrewd and vigilant. Love is the staple of the story— of course it is! We should like to know, indeed, what any fiction would be worth which was found to be deficient in its reference to the tender passion. No, no ; Love, and Love alone, is the essential theme of the writers of the Novel and the Romance. Heroism may be all very well ; and Patriotism may be still better; and Morality may be fascinating, as, thanks be to God, it undoubtedly is, and as it will, with His good blessing, always continue to be so long as the human heart remains alive to the charms of the True and the Beautiful. But Love! Lova is the essence of Fiction—its vitality; the air it breathes, or rather exhales. It is to fiction what na ture is to reality, what the blood is to the body, what the sap is to the plant. And upon this understanding the novelist will continue to chaunt to the end of time with that merry blade, Sir Pandarus (for whom see Troilus and Cressida, passim)— " Love. love, nothing but love, still more! For, 0 Love's bow Shoots buck and doe: The shalt confounds, Not that it wounds, But tickles still the sore. These lovers cry—Oh! oh! They Yet that which seems the woand to kill Doth turn oh! oh! to ha! ha! he! So dying love lives still." So sang to the best of our recollection the Pandarus of Shakspere, when striving to entertain Helen and her paramour. And so, too, have carolled all our English novelists, from Richardson downwards— from Clarissa Harlowe to Fanny Trevanion. Where the writer of " Excitement ' appears to us to have displayed the least power of invention is in a very subordinate point, namely, in the names of her fictitious character. She finds no better name for the rascal of the work than John Shepheid! and the names of both the hero and heroine, Tremaine and Devereux are familiar to every reader of the works contributing to those emp,,riums of intellectual amusement the cir culating libraries. Common place, however, as the mere titles are, the personages are so far from being common place, that they each possess a dis tinct individuality. The father of Constance, indeed, Sir Stephen Devereux, is quite sui generis. But brute as h© is, coarse as he is, swearing us be does, not unfrequently before bis daughter, and giving way to all sorts of ferocious tantarurns and diabolical pa roxysms of fury—he is neither the squire of " Tom Jones," nor the squire of "Barnaby ltudge." He is one of a class yet distinct withal nevertheless. As to the plot of the story we shall follow our usual custom by allowing that to develop itself to the reader, with out any of those anticipations which tend so mate rially to mar the effect of a production like the one under consideration. Several of the scenes we may, however, particularise as peculiarly dramatic. In stance—the rejection o Tremaine; the incidents in the gambling-houses in London and on the continent; the pic-nic ; the incendiarism ; the apopletic sei zure ; and especially the account of the different occurrences leading at last to the denouement. Is that denouement fortunate or miserable ? Neither upon that question shall we be explicit. Supposing the reader to be incorrigibly curious, so curious indeed, that for the life of him he cannot resist " skipping" pages and chapters, so as to arrive more speedily at the result, he can satiate his inquisitiveness as to the nature of the close of "Excitement," by turning at once to the end of the second volume , and by so doing, dispense with our eclai rc i ssemen t. Before closing our notice of this veryagreeable " story of our own times," we may mention that without pretending to anything like a prudish morality, its aim is good, and its influence must prove eminently beneficial. It is no homily, and yet it is as humanizing as a homily. It is no sermon, and yet is its text visible through out—that of mutual forbearance. As a graceful con tribution to the floating literature of the age, " Ex citement" is far from being incommendable. May its addition to the funds of the chartable association be as copious as its own spirit is kindly, natural, and generous ! THE IRISH POUR-LAWS. The following is the 13th report from the Select Committee on the Irish Poor-laws:— " 1. That boards of guardians should be instructed to employ the able-bodied paupers on such useful and pro ductive works of a public character as the Commis sioners may sanction, avoiding all interference with the ordinary independent industry of the country. " 2. That all technical difficulties in proceedings at sessions and before magistrates in respect of the collec .. Lion of the rates should be taken into consideration with a view to their abatement or removal. " 3. That boards of guardians be empowered to send young persons who shall have been over one year in the workhouse into private service, with p.wer of control, as in cases of apprenticeship; and also to place them in the land or sea service. " 4. That persons obtaining relief under false pre• tepees ' be subjected to the same punishment as is pro. vided for a vagraut under the 10th and 11th of Viet. cap. 84._ 5. That it is desirable that the tenement valuation, under the 9th and 10th Vict., cap. 110, be introduced into each el( ctoral division as the valuation is completed, but that the proportion of the establishment charges, end those on the union at large, shall be divided among the electoral divisions according to the previous valua tion of each. " June 22, 1849." THE MERCSIANT SEAMEN'S SOClETY.—Yesterday the annual general court of the governors of the above corporation, founded for the relief of seamen in the mer chant service, and for the widows and children of such seamen who have died or been maimed and disabled, aas held at the offices, in Birchin-lane, Cornhill, George Lindsay, Esq., in the chair. After the transaction of general business, George Lyall was re-elected president, and a committee of twenty-one gentlemen were ap pointed to act for the ensuing year. During the past year several thousand persons, both in London and the outports, including widows and children, have been placed on the pension list, or had received te-mporary relief. The committee subsequently proceeded to con sider, and place on the books, upwards of fifty new cases for pensions and relief. Thanks were voted to the chair man, and the court broke up. At an annual general meeting of the proprietors of the South Australian Banking Company, held yestcr. day, the report of th e di rectors was re ceived and adopted, and a dividend declared for the past half-year at the rate of 6 per cent. per annum. Some discussion upon points of management took place, and it was proposed to ap point a committee to investigate the accounts, but the motion was lost. recently discovered on the walls MURAL PAINTINGS AT ST. CROSS.--Coloured dr aw . i Cross, wer e exhi b ited by Mr. " IF r g : t n h e oe i t s tC B h ii a Bu i e g r : P n ha t i , ro" a fi t nBg a ts: recent meeting of the Are!, ea logical Association. Some are exceedingly elegant in design, and apparently of the early part of the fifteenth century. Mr. Baig.-lit was stopt in his efforts to obtain complete skcteht a, as the Earl of Guildford ordered the walla to be immediately r e - wkitewathed, as already mentioned.—The Builder, THE WEST LONDON ;S YNAGOGUE On elonday the new Synagogue in Margaret-street, Cavendish-square. was consecrated with great pomp, according to the Jewish ceremonial law. The proceed ings were very interesting, not only from the novelty attending a celebration cf the kind, in this Christian country, but also from the circumstances under which this place of worship has been erected by the section of the Jewish community to which it belongs. The building itself is very tastefully fitted up and decorated internally, presenticg a singular ,contrast to our churches, and reminding the visitor at once of the Ori ental origin of the people for whose peculiar religious observances it has been set apart. It is lighted from windows placed immediately under the roof, is quadran gular in shape, and has a gallery extending round the sides and entrance, and the front of which is not boarded in, but protected by a light and elegant railing. This gallery is supported on wooden pillars, painted in imitation of variegated marble, and which ex tend to the roof, giving the whole interior a very graceful and airy appearance. Ilere the femme part of the con gregation are seated, while below the males are piaci d ranged in benches extending on each side of the Syne gigue, and con:eructed in a very commodious and simple manner. The centre is al open space, having the bar neonion and readtng.desk at the end next the door, and the altar, the ark, and the pulpit at the other extre mitt'. Highly embellished as every part of the building is, these last mentioned objects form the principal attractions. The effects of colour, of Lich gilding, and of costly velvety have been combined upon them with praiseworthy taste, and the coup of cell produced is really very striking. The pulpit was very ably filled on the occasion by the Rev. D. W. Marks, who delivered an address therein, praise worthy for the spirit of liberality and intelligence which it breathed, for the propriety of language and grace of manner with which it was delivered, and which Gentiles as well as Jews might have listened to with edification. The preacher took as his text, 11. Chronicles, c. xxviii., v. 20, and having shortly referred to the scriptural meaning of the pas sage, he proceeded to point out how the religious observances of the Jewish people had fallen into a state which imperatively required reformation ; how it had become necessary to secure such a modification of the ritual as would produce a more solemnizing efiect on the congregation, and, particularly elevate the female sex from the degraded position which they had hitherto occupied. He showed that this was to be done by omitting the Talmudic and Mesnaic passaged hitherto included in the service, but sot required by the. ceremonial law which the Bible imposed. That law he professed his desire to adhere to, but the forms which®an from age to age had laid for giving ex pression to the spirit of the Bible ought, be contended, to be modified by circumstances. He bad, therefore, also omitted parts of their ritual relating to times of persecution. On these principles the West London Congregation of British Jews had been established seven y ears ago, and on these principles, having ascertained by experience that they met with the ap probation of a large number of the Hebrew ccmmunity, the new synagogue was, he said, consecrated for publics w, rship. He alluded to the persecution which he and his associates had undergone in their undertaking, but said that all hostility was now passing away, and expressed his hope that the reforms which had been effected would be found in the end to have strengthened Judaism against infidelity on the one hand, and apostacy on the other. The only other points of striking interest in the ceremony on Moud ty were the procession with the scrolls of the law and the introduction into the ritual of a prayer for the Queen and the Royal Family. THE EFFECTS OF THE DANISH BLOCKADE UPON THE TRADE ON HULL.—HuII is still suffering, from the continuance of the blockade, a degree of mercantile de pression unprecedented during a number of years. Week after week have the foreign correspondents of some of the daily journals vultitied themselves by reiterating on diti of the certainty of an immediate suspension of hostilities. This fact renders the repetition of the same statements within it day or two past utterly valueless. Meanwhile our noble steamers are laid up, as if it were the middle of winter; the quays, at this season of the year gene rally insufficier t fur the temporary di,posal of the bales landed upon them, now present vacant areas ; and the hundreds of labourers ordinarily engaged in the lading. unlading, or transhipping of cargoes, stand all the day idle for the want of employment necessary to the support of themselves and families, apart from parish rclicf. It has been ascertained, by actual inquiry, that there are upwards of 2,000 men out of work in this port at the present moment, and on these not fewer than 4,000 women and chidren are dependent. During the lust week we have had neither ay rivals from nor departures for Hamburgh ; and the vessels which were recently refused an entrance to the Elbe have had tleir cargoes unladen. Every day adds an it , calculable amount of individual distress, suf fering, and want, to the already vast aggregate with which the working classes in Hull are now afflicted, and the baneful influence of which is rapidly extending to the tradesmen and middle classes at large.— Hull Advertiser. ABUNDANCE OF THE APPLE CROP.—As proof of the teeming i.ruspect presented by the apple trees in this comity, there was on Monday brought to this office a small shoot from a tree growing at Grafton, upon which were no fewer than fifteen of the young fruit, all promis ing well. Such a specimen we never saw before, and if other trees ore at all like this, and no untoward weather occurs, the crops must be large indeed. Thus, although the pear trees have tailed, it seems probable that a large quantity of cider will be made this year,—.Hereford Journal. The Farnesian Gardens at Rome are formed upon the slope of the Palatine-hill, and crown the ruins of the Palace of the Caesars; Cardinal Alexander Farnese caused them to be executed simply as a place for agree able relaxation, and not for an abode. The captivating nature of the spot chosen fur the execution of this grace ful at chitectural scheme, rendered it very eligible tor the purpose to which it was to b e a d a pt e d. Th e various parts consist of an ornamental entrance, a covered walk, a semi-circular court, flights of steps, and sloping walks leading to grottoes, terraces, and pavilions, decorated with fountains, niches, and statues, the whole enriched with varied and luxuriant foliage, re lieved and contrasted by mar bl e f ragmen t s t as t efully arranged—the latter (hewn from the inexhaustible mire of antiquity upon which the gardens are neared. The garden entrance is the work of Vignola, to whom are also attributed the grotto and its approuches ; the magnificent fountain, forming the back ground to the third terrace, with its semi-dome and rick-work basins are considered to be the work of Michael Angelo, as also the flights of step which, wilding round on either side of the pavilions, lead to the upper terrace. The pavilions them• selves, which served as aviaries, and crown the summit of the gardens, are the work of Rainaldi. Ttw buildings are placed obliquely, in order to enhance the beauty of the perzpective view, as seen from the entrance gateway below. The Italian architects fre• queutly adopted this peculiar mode of grouping build. in; s, with the view to add to their picturesqueness ,of effe ct.—Builder. Itosizir MARKET.—The premium on gold at Paris is 12 per mille, which, at the English Mint price of 31. 17e. 100. per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of 25.45; and the exchange at Paris on London at short being 25.42 k, it follows that gold is 0.10 per cent. dearer in Paris than in London. By advices from Hamburgh the price of gold is 438 per mark, which, at the English Mint price of 31. 17s. 100. per ounce for standard geld, gives an exchange of 13.111; and the exchange at Ham burgh on London at short being 13.111, it follows that gold is 0.06 per cent. dearer in London than in liamburgh. The course of exchange at New York on London is 109 per cent., and the par of exchange between England and America being4lo9 23-40 per cent., it fAlows that the exchange is 0.58 per cent. against England. But the quoted exchange at N e w York being for bills at 60 daps' sight, the interest must be deducted from the above difference. The report that the Lyceum Theatre will close in a fortnight is entirely without foundation, the theatre will not close till the usual time—the end of July. A new street waterer has been patented by Mr. Salter of Birkenhead. The tank is of cast-iron, mounted on cart wheels, which in rotating work a force pump, projecting the water into an a i r c h am b er, an d thence in a stea dy stream Into pierced pipes as usual. A breadth of 30 teet, or only one-half, can thus be effectu ally watered, or the force pump thrown altogether out of gear, by treadles at the driver's feet and handles at his side. The cost of the forcing apparatus is 15 guineas, and of the whole 45 guineas. The machine, it is said, can do the work of three ordinary water carts.—Builder. PUBLIC PETITIONS.--The 53d report of the Select Committee specifies 488 petitions against the Marriages Bill, signed by 14,286 pereons ; 196 petitions in its favour, signed by 37,806 persons ; 10 petitions against the Sunday Trading Bill, signed by 1.837 persons ; 17 petitions iu its favour, signed by 4,013 persons. 483 petitions for agricultural relief, signed by 56,047 per tiOnF. 15 petitions in favour of the Bankrupt Laws Con solidation Bill, signed by 8,361 persons. 172 petitions for the suppression of promiscuous intercourse, signed by 7.683 persons. 151 petitions for an alteration of the Beer Act, signed by 20,011 persons. And 1,136 petitions for referring disputes to arbitration, signed by 208,318 persons, Wight, the Wife of TrinitY Church BLUTH& At Carlton-tern - cc, on the 23d inst., the Countess of Arundel and Surrey, of a daughter. Re ( d. n the A th r e th 2 u O r th j. itv a . , , le a , t i l o s3 o • u d ol e, b l o t o l t e ( o f f , Ryde, of a daughter. On the 22d inst., at Donnington, Sussex th e wife of the On the 22d inst., at St. Andrelv'S•plaC lady of R. Hume Middlemas, Esq 2 of a s e, Regent's -park, the On the 23d inst., at Cavendish -au on. joribanks, jun., of a daughter. -square, the wife of E. Mar. On the 23d inst., at St. Mary's, Lambeth, Henry Weeke Esq., of Lower Be!grave-square, to Eliza Alice, only &ugh% ter of the late Charles Burrows, Esq., of Coburg-place, Ken nington. At St. John's Church, Waterloo-road, London, Lieutenant Lieutenant William Snell, R.N., to J ane Augusta, widow of the late Robeson. 91st Y.egiment. On the 19th inst., at Cas:le Strathallan, Perthshire, the Viscountess of Strathallan. On the 19th inst., at Bridgewater, Somerset, Captain John Harvey, late Captain 9th Regiment, age - I 28. On the 22d Inst., at High-street, Oxford, Mr. Charles R. Hickman, aged 45. On the a. th inst., at Norwich, aged 85, William Smyth, Esq , Professor of Modern history at the University of Cam bridge On the 22d in,t., at Clapham-road -place, Kennington, aged 67, the Rev. John Style , D.D. ondon : Prink(' and Published by MURJ)O YOUNG, of 4)4 112, Strand. Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 112, strand, in the Precinct et the Savoy, in the county of 14 iddlelex, Wednesday, June 27, 1/42. THE SUN, LONDO, WEDNESDAY EVit'itlNG, •JUNE 27, IMO.