The Sun. — London, England, 1849-02-06 00:00:00

itt WO TZtition SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock. FRANCE. A proposition has been laid before the Aseembly by M. Lucien Murat, reclaiming, on behalf of the heirs of Joachim Murat, ex-King of Naples, certain parts of the state property which had been conferred on him by the Emperor. La Liberte announces that the President of the Republic has conferred the Cross of Commander of the Legion of Honour on Colonel Vaudry, that of Officer on Colonel Bouffet-Montauban, and that . of Chevalier on MM. Bacciachi, Laity, and Bataille. The last-mentioned, after having shared th e ca p tivit y of Prince Louis Napoleon, resigned a valuable ap pointment in a railroad company to offer his services to the President as private secretary. The first anniversary of the fall of the Monarchy is fast approaching. " Y aura-t-il des fetes?" asked a person of his friend who, until some days after February last, was an ardent Republican. " Des fetes I Oui, des fetes, mais en deuil !" It is probable that there are many who participate in the same sen timent, but fear to express it. SPAIN. The Queen held a grand levee on the 30th ult., on the occasion of the anniversary of the birth of her sister, the Duchess de Montpensier. PRUSSIA. The military dictator of Berlin seems determined to play the tyrant to the very last. He has expelled Herr Rodbertus from the Prussian capital, although the latter has been officially invited to stand as a can didate for one of the districts of that metropolis. Herr Rodbertus claimed moreover the right to re main in Berlin, as he still had the title of " minister of state," having formed part of an Administration. The Police President admitted the claim, but vainly endeavoured to bring General Wrangel to the same opinion. BAVARIA. The budget for the next year shows a deficit of some five millions and a half of florins. The receipts are set down at 32,903,,262 florins, nearly every Keller of which is required for the ordinary expendi ture. But there will be, moreover, an extraor dinary expenditure of 5;789,962 florins, including more than two millions for the army. Ministers stated in the Chamber of Deputies, on the 30th ult., that they could not promulgate the laws passed in the National Assembly in Frankfort until they had received the sanction lof the Bavarian Legislature. They added that they had forwarded a declaration to :that effect to the central Ministry in the above city. MORTALITY in the METROPOLIS. EUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED IN THE WEEK E.NDING SATURDAY, FEB. 3, 1548. Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious Diseases —.346 Diseases of Uncertain Seat ••• —• 33 Turbercular Diseases... ... ... 169 Diseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Senses... ... 110 Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels ... ..• 41 Diseases of the Lungs, and other Organs of Respiration ... ... 203 Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion... ... -•• ••• Diseases of the Kidneys, &e. ••• ••• Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c. Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles Diseases of the Skin, &c. .•• alformations... Premature Birth .. •.. Atrophy Old Age Sudden ... ••• ••• ••• ••• Violence, Privation, Cold, or Intemperance Causes not specified ... DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES ... 1,137 Population Average weekly Deaths Enumerated, Deaths, 1843-7. in the 1841 Five Summers. Week. West Districts... 300,711 . . 142 ... 213 North D.,tric'a.. 375,971 .. 182 ... 192 Central Distr . ..3s 373,653 ... 178 ... 189 East Districts ... 392,444 ... 219 ... 215 South Districts.. 501,190 ... 251 ... 328 To ..... 1,948,369 Males ••• ~. Females ... BIRTHS IN THE WEEK. Males Females -. 1,137 _ 530 ~ 557 ... 733 ... 710 Total ... ... ... ... ... 1,443 *ln this number are included 37 cases of death by Cholera, 62 by Scarlatina, and 55 by Typhus Fever. COURSE OF EXCHA Alll.3terleuri 12 2% Ditl.o, at sight 12 Oy. Rotterdam 12 2% 25 75 ll,traburgh .•.X1.13. 13 11% A1t0na••........••.... Paris, 3 tlays'sight ..*.. 25 3714 Ditto, 3 months .... 25 62, 1 4 Mars illcs ........ 25 65 . 25 70 Fr.inklort on Maine., 1 9 1 1 4 Petersburgh, Sil. ltble... 36:Ai Vienna, effec. d 0...—. 11 3) Trieste, ditto.... • • .... 11 30 Madrid 48 Cadiz 49 8i1ba0............... Barcelona .N li.E.-( THIS DAY.) Gnara1tar.............. Leghorn ........ •... •• 32 30 Genoa.. •• • • .......... 26 50 liilan .. • ... .. .. .. .... Naples .. .... • • .... •• 40% Palermo, per0z........ 118% Messina .............. 119 Lisbon ................ 51% Oporto .... .......... 524 itio Janeiro • ........• Buenos Ayres .. • ..... New York, 21 days'sight Philadelphia .......... PIIICL3 OP BULLION, PEI 01 Foreign Gold in bars.. £3 17 9 Portugal Gold Coin .. 0 0 0 Spanish Doubloons .. 0 0 0 New Dollars •• .. 0 4 10% I Silver in bars ........ 0 4 111, THE LONDON GAZETTE (THIS EVENING.) WHITEHALL, JAN. 22, 1849. • The Right Honourable Sir Thomas Wilde, Knight, Lord Chiiet Justice of her Majesty's Court of Common Pleas 'at Westminster, has appointed Frederick Cbarsley,' of Amesaham, in the county of Buckingham, Gent., to be one of the Perpetual Commissioners tor taking the acknowledgments of deeds to be executed by married women, under the Act passed for the abolition of, fines and recoveries, and for the snb • stitution of more simple modes of assurance, in and for the county of Buckingham. WHI"I'EIIALL, JAN. 30. The Lord Chancellor has appointed Christopher Hicks the younger, of Shrewsbury, in the county of Salop Gent., to a Master Extraordinary in the High Court o' Chancery. BANKRUPTS. Michael Cowles, livery stable keeper, York-road, Lam• betb, to surrender Feb. 13, at one, and March 26, al eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Turquand, official assignee, Guildhall•cbambers; Smith, Furnival's Inn. Charlotte Cooper, dealer in Berlin wool, Northamp ton, Feb.l6 and March 24, at one, at the Court of Bank ruptcy. Green, official assignee, Guildhall-chambers; Slee and Robinson, Parish •street, Southwark. Robeat Cooper Chappell, wine merchant, Water-lane, Tower -street, City, Feb. 15, and March 22, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Whitmore,-official assignee, Basinghall.street ; Lawrence and Plews, Old Jewry - chambers. Charles Newum Cartwright, dresser and spinner, Leicester, March 2 and 23, at eleven, at Nottingham. Bittleston, official assignee, Nottingham ; Bowley, Not tingham. Thomas Slater, brickmaker, Wombridge, Shropshire, Feb. 17, and March 17, at twelve, at the Birmingham District Court. Valpy, official a ss i gnee , Bi rm i ngham; Smith, Birmingham. John Robert Long, linen draper, Bath, Feb.2o and March 20, at eleven, at the Bristol District Court. Acra man, official assignee, Bristol ; Jones, Size-lane, London. Isaac Booth, draper, Crewe, Chester, Feb. 16, and March 9, at eleven, -at the Liverpool District Court. Turner, officiol assignee, Liverpoal; Abb ott , Li ncoln ' s Inn fields; Slater, Manchester. Richard Myddleton Lloyd, banker, Wrexham, Den bighshire, Feb. 14 and March 14, at eleven, at the Li• verpool District Court. Morgan, offic:al assignee, Li. verpool; Raimondi and Tagart; Lincoln's Inn-fields; James and Owen, Wrexham; Evans and Son, Liverpool. Alfred John Swift, ironfounder, Liverpool, Feb. 16, and March 12, at eleven, at the Liverpool District Court. Cazanove, official assignee, Liverpool; Smith, Lincoln's Inn-fields; Greatly, Castle-street. Thomas Thompson, merchant and commission agent, Manchester. Feb. 16 and March 9, at twelve, at the Manchester District Court. Hobson, official assignee, Manchester; Keightley, Cunliffe, and Beaumont, Chan cery-lane ; Barrett, 'Manchester. Lewis Rudge, apothecary, Great Barford-villa, Bed fordsbire, Feb. 14, at heiast twelve, and March 21, Bankruptcy. at eleven, at the C ourt of ankruptcy Bell, official as • signee, Coleman-street-buildinFs, • Moorgate-strret ; button and Co., South am p to n-buildings, Holborn. - PARLIA MEN l'Ait TEES. (THIS DAY.) STANDING ORDERS. In the Examiner.' Court to-day the standing orders were declared to be complied with in the following cases:— Argyll Canal (abandonment t,f undertaking; dissolu tion of Company; r€poal of Act; and re -transfer of powers of recited Act of. Queen Anne to the proprietor of Stonefield. L eds and Thirsk Railway (power to guarantee inte rest on certain shares, regulations as to preference shares, and increase of capital). Airdrie Pace and Municipal. River ain Navigation Company (purchase of Stain forth and lieadby Cal,al). Transfer of Sheffield. Can a l to River Dun Navigation Company. The Univenal Raila ay Casualty C om p ensat i on Corn pany. Ranson moor or Doddington Fifth District Drainage Act Amendment (to amend and extend the powers; to annex other lands; to borrow money; and to levy rates or taxes). St. Alban's rates. Black Sluice Drainage Acts Amendment (amendment of Acts; extension of time for completion of works; powers to levy and raise further rates and moneys, to alter existing rates and tolls, and for other purposes). Binbrooke St. Gabriel and Binbrooke St. Mary I n _ clovare (arneadalens au t xtension Of Acts, alterption TILE SUN, LONDON, f awards, settling ti• les to lands, &c., and defining parish boundaries). St. Marv's, Whitechapel, Tithes and Easter Offerings. Whittlesey St. Mary and Whittleiey St. Andrew Union cf Parishes, and for improving the town of Whittlesey. Lough Corrib Improvement Company (incorporation and amendment of certain provisions of the public Acts 1 and 2 Will. 4, cap. 57, and 5 and 6 Vict. 105, so far as such provisions affect the said company). Rock Life Assurance Company (giving further powers to). The Great Central Gas Consumers' Company (incor- poration of the company for lighting with gas the City of London and Liberties thereof, and authorising them to purchase the works of exiting gas companies). IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. (THIS EVENING.) HOUSE OF LORDS. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Wool sack at Five o'clock. _ LAW OF MARRIAGE IN SCOTLAND. Lord CAMPBELL laid upon the table two Bills, one for am, nding the law of marriage in Scotland, and:the other fur establishing a registration of births, deaths, and 'marriages in Scotland. It would no doubt, he said, be in the recollection of their Lord ships that these two Bills passed their Lordships' House last session, and were sent down to the other House; but at so late a period as to prevent them from being passed. A strong opinion, however, was ex pressed in their favour, and be trusted their Lord ships would permit them to go through their various stages s%ith as much expedition as the forms of the House would allow. _ _ _ Lord BROUGHAM was exceedingly rejoiced to find that these B►lls had been revived. They were measures of the utmost importance to Scotland, and he trusted no delay would take place in passing them through both Houses of Parliament. _ _ Lord CAMPBELL said he proposed to appoint the second reading of the Bills on an early day, if their Lordships had no objection to his doing so. The Bills were then laid upon the table and read a first time. 20 20 52 20 VANCOUVER'S ISLAND AND THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY. Lord LINCOLN inquired of Lord J. Russell whether he would have any objection to lay on the table a copy of the charter granting Vancouver's Island to the Hudson's Bay Company ; whether he had any objection to furnish a continuation of the papers on this subject laid on the table last year, and also a copy of the rs.port which he understood was now in the Colonial- office, pre pared by the Government officer appointed by the Governor-General of Canada to investigate certain com plaints respecting the government of the Hudson's Bay Company. Lord J. RUSSELL had no objection to lay copies of the documents in question on the table. He did not know whether the report to which the Noble Lord referred bad been received at the Colonial-office, but he would make inquiry. COMMITTEE ON THE IRISH POOR-LAW. In reply to an HON. MEMBER, Sir W. SOMERVILLE said it was his intention to nominate the Committee to-night or to-morrow. ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS. Mr. HORSMAN inquired if the Government had any measure with the view of altering (as we understood) the composition of the Ecclesiastical Commission ; also, whether the Government was prepared to ietrodece any measure for the union of the Episcopal and common funds, in order to render them more efficient for the promotion of spiritual education ? Lord J. RUSSELL replied that it was intended to propose a Bill in the present session with respect to the composition of the Ecclesiastical Commission, partly in conformity with the report of the Committee of last session and the views of the Government. The Go vernment had decided on introducing a measure in the course of the present session with respect to the union of the episcopal and common funds. He could not, how ever, state when the last measure would be introduced. THE VERNON GALLERY. Mr. HUME wished to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether any steps had been taken, as recom mended by the Select Committee of the House of Com mons of the last session, to provide a proper situation in the National Gallery for the reception of the valuable and noble collection of paintings presented to the nation by Mr. Vernon. Lord JOHN RUSSELL replied that the Government were not prepared to propose at present any expendi ture of the public money on the gallery in question beyond what had been expended in providing the exist ing temporary accommodation. Mr. HUME referred the Noble Lord to the report of Committee of the House upon the subject. THE COLLECTION OFe:POOR-RATES IN IRE LAND. On the motion of Mr. FRENCH, a return of the number of military and police employed in Ireland in the collecting of the poor-ates, between the Ist October, 1848, and the Ist February, 1849, distinguishing the number of the force employed upon each oceasion. DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE LEGISLA TIVE COUNCIL AND THE SUPREME COURT OF VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. Mr. ANSTEY wished to ask whether the Govern ment had any objection to lay upon the table of the House copies of the several papers which had passed between the Home Government and the authorities of Van Diemen's Land; respecting the dispute which had arisen between the Legislative Council and the Supreme Court of that Colony ;.copies of all ; correspondence (not al ready laid before this House . ) between her Majesty's principal Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land, respecting the taxation ordinances passed by the Legislative Coun cil of that colony, which were recently declared by the Supreme Court of the colony to be illegal; or respect ing the removal of Judge Montagu, or of any ordinance subsequently passed by that Council for giving validity to any such taxation ordinances. Lord JOHN RUSSELL did not feel dislosed to give those papers. Mr. ANSTEY then would give notice that on the 15th inst. he should move that an humble address be presented to her Majesty respecting the illegal ordi nances which had been passed by the Council in Van Diemen's Land. ENDOWMENT OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN INDIA. Mr. ANSTEY gave notice that he should on an early day move an address for copies of all Treaties and Acts, or Ordinances, of the Local Legislatures of India and the Colonies, whereby or under which provision is made for the Ministers of the Roman Catholic Church in India. Sir ROBERT INGLIS was proceeding to make some remarks upon the subject, when The SPEAKER reminded the Hon. Member that whatever observations he wished to make must be made when the motion was regularly before the House. COMMERCE WITH BRAZIL. Lord PALMERSTON said that the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Bankes, we understood) opposite had asked him whether there had been any alteration made in the tariff of Brazil under the late treaties. To this he had to reply that though the alteration had been decided upon, it did not come into effect until the Ist January, 1850. Mr. BRIGHT wished to know whether the alteration of the tariff of Brazil depended at all upon any legisla tion, or any expected legislation in that House. So long ago as 1845 it was understood that there would be an alteration in the Brazilian Tariff, which had not yet taken place; and he wasatherefore, anxious to know whether that alteration depended at all on the proceed ings of the British Legislature ? - Lord PALMERSTON—CertainIy not. BRITISH FLEET IN THE BAY OF NAPLES. Mr. URQUHART wished to ask the Secretary for the Foreign Department if he woule lay on the table of the House the papers connected with the now concluded negotiations which led to the presence, in the course of last year, of a British squadron in the Bay of Naples. Lord PALMERSTON would do so at the proper time. Mr. URQUIIART wished to know when that time would be? Lord PALMERSTON could not say, but there was a " goo 1 t me coming."—(Laughter.) ASSESSMENT OF PROPERTY IN IRELAND. Mr. G. HA MILTON moved for a return, showing, as respects each union and each province in Ireland, the annual value of property rated to the poor-rates; the expenditure for the relief and maintenance of the poor; the rate in the pound on the value of rated property of such expenditure; the total number of paupers relieved ; the proportion per cent. to the population of the persons relieved ; and the rate per head on the total number of paupers relieved, for the year ending the 29th day of September, 1848; also a return, showing the total sum expended during the year ending the 29th day of Sep tember, 1848, for the relief of the poor in Ireland, under the present poor-law system; distinguishing the amount and proportion of such expenditure applied in actual relief to the poor in food and clothing, in and out of the workhouses; and show ing also the amount and proportion of such expendi ture applied in defraying officers salaries and expenses. whether vice-guardians, inspector 3, officers of work houses, relieving officers, and all other charges not com prised in actual sustenance, by food or clothing, of the poor. Sir W. SOMERVILLE was ready to grant the returns. IRELAND.—SUSPENSION OF THE HABEAS CORPUS ACT. Sir G. GREY said he rose, in pursuance of the notice he had given last session, to ask for leave to bring in a Bill for the continuance, for a limited period, of the Act of last session for the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act in Ireland. Her Majesty's Government would gladly have dispensend with such a motion if they felt they could have done so consistently with their duty, and that the time had arrived when they felt that the ordi nary:powers of the law, with which the Government had in ordinary times been entrusted, would have been sufficient to enable the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland adequately to discharge those responsible duties which attached to his office. The Government were deeply sensible of the gravity of the proposal which he (Sir G. Grey) had now to make to the House. They were not insensible to those serious objections which might, and ought to be entertained, with respect to a temporary suspension of the constitutional rights of the people of this realm—(Hear, hear)—but they felt at the same time that there might be exceptional cases in which those objections could not obtain, and that there might be a conviction—and a conviction entertained by the best statesmen of the best times—that there were circumstances in which the very spirit of our Constitution demnnded a temporary and partial suspension of those rights, in order to enable the Government to maintain the constitution itself, and to defend it against the assaults of those men who might be seeking its overthrow. It is cne of those oc casions which was held to justify the appeal which her Majesty's Government made in July last for the Habeas Corpus Act in Ireland, to which appeal Parliament cor dially responded, thereby giving moral effect to that measure, without which it must have been compa ratively useless. But it was with a deep sense of the responsibility attaching to those to whom the adminis tration of affairs in Ireland was confided, that the Government had felt it impossible, consistently with their duty, to recommend to Parliament, that these extraordinary powers should cease. In stating the grounds on which the Government had arrived at that conclusion, and on which he should ask Parliament to assent to their proposal, he at once admitted that the circumstances under which he now made this proposal as respected Ireland were widely different from those under which the Government asked to carry out the temporary suspension of this Act in July last. Ile was not there now to state that any recent insurrection—immediately recent—had taken place in Ireland, and that there were parties now in arms against their Sovereign in Ireland. They had been told the insurrection in July last was a mock insurrection, and that the measures taken by the Government to suppress it were unnecessarily disproportionate to the occasion. It might have been a mock insurrection on the part of those who got it up—(Hear, hear)—he did not pretend to state that in any part of the last year in Ireland there was the remotest chance of the success of the insurrectionary movement in that country, for it would have been put down by the loyalty of the people of that country, and by the efficient and valuable constabulary force in Ireland.—(Hear, hear.) Although success might have attended the combined loyalty of the sub jects of her Majesty in Ireland, and the soldiery, and the constabelary force there, it was frightful to think of the horrors through which the inhabitants of that o in July country might have passed b efore that insurrection was Government which entirely rather suppressed; attachedto and he last was that they had been tard y in comin g to that House to ask for those extraord inor y p owers was to some extent merited. The House cou ld not have for g otten must the the exhibition of violent and threatening language which occurred in the papers for many months—day after day coming from persons in Ireland inciting the people to take arms against their Sovereign, and end,,a vouring to seduce her troops and the constabulary force from their allegiance, nor the details which apvar , d in pap= rs, stoay.ing how the peopl, might defeat and de stroy those soldiers and that constabit!ary force, in the execution of their duty. It was not right to trest that insurrection as a contemptible affair, because it had failed. In June and July last he could not enter this House without gentlemen putting into his hands letters from persons in that coun try, detailing the extremities to which the insurrec tionary spirit was carried, and how, in some cases, gen tlemen had had the lead torn off the roofs of their houses, to be fused into bullets for the rebels. Those were the circumstances under which the Govern ment had come to Parliament last July for increased powers, and those circumstances have been proved to have existed by every day's experience since. He felt that he should be almost wasting the time of the House by refer ring further to the circumstances that then occurred, but there was one or two documents he felt bound to allude to in order to show the fallacy of the doc trine that had of late sprung up. that the in surrection was not an insurrection at all, and that there was no! necessity for taking the precautions that had been taken. Ile would pass over the circumstances that had taken place at several of the trials in Ireland, but there was one document he must shortly allude to, es it had been the subject of great discussion else where, he alluded to the letter of Mr. M*Ghee, who took such an active part in the transaction that had taken place in Ireland. That letter appeared in the New York Morning Herald. The Right Honourabl' Gentleman then read several parts of the letter. of Mr. M'Ghee, particularly those parts in which the writer spoke of the revolution that had taken place in France, the Suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act in July last year, the harve:t in Ireland, the Confederates, the oganization of the 500 Club, and stated that their object and determination was to burn down the cities of Ire. land, as the Athenians did Athens, intimidate the troops, and render it impossible for them to do their duty to their country or their Soverei g n. Now, after such a letter as that, he must confess that he was astonished that Hon. Gentlemen should get up in that House or elsewhere to assert boldy that the insurrection was a mock insurrection.—(Hear.) He was aware that the authenticity of the letter had been denied; but he believed it had been clearly proved that such was not the case ; he believed that now the most sceptical persons did not doubt its authenticity, indeed Mr. M'Ghee himself had reasserted the authorship of it in his answer to a letter that had been written against the first letter that he wrote, and that answer had been published in the New York paper of which Mr. M'Ghee was the editor. It was towards the close of last session that the Act was passed; and s its duration was - fix e d so as to enable the Government to csrry through the recess, and to say when Parliament met again whether the powers it granted should cease or be continued. During the recess they had anxiously considered the subject, and had arrived at the conclusion which he had already stated to the House. The ques tion was, looking at recent occurrences and the spirit and organiztrion which still existed in Ireland, and was ready to flame out again whenever an opportunity was afforded, whether the House should adopt the same means which were contemplated and sanctioned last summer. He was not prepared to state that conspiracy still existed, but he would pledge himself that the most anxious devotion had been directed to tee sub ject by the Lord-Lieutenant and her Majesty's Govern ment, who had collected information from every avail able source, and they had come to the irresistablo con clusion not to shrink from recommending the con tinuance of the Act. The Right lion. Gentleman then referred to a communication which had been received from the Lord Lieutenant stating, that although the failure of past attempts had weakened the confidence of the disaffected, there still remained a feeling of insubor ordination among them which, unless timely measures were taken by the Government, might again beccme ac• sive. All the evidence which had been collected tended to confirm that opinion. Within the last few days there appeared in Dublin an advertisement in one of the pa pers, to the effect that an extraordinary publication would appear on the Ist of March next (that date having of course reference to the expiration of the Act suspend ing part of the constitutional liberties of Irelano) a most extraordinary publication would appear containing the most spirit-stiring effusions, to be d dicated to the young men of Ireland. It was described to be a publi cation the richest and most racy of its kind.—Laughter.) He (Sir George Grey) had said nothing to lead the House to imagine that the Government en tertained the least apprehension of the success of any movements of the kind referred to, He hoped that the events of the last few months would undeceive the most credulous, and shake the confidence of those who from vanity or other motives, took upon themselves to lead the people. Many were impressed with he great clemency which the Government had shown in the administration of this law, at the same time that they had vindicated the law, and maintained the peace and tranquillity of the country; and he considered that the Lord-Lieutenant was entitled to the confidence of all loyally disposed persons.—(Hear, hear.) He had now stated the reasons why the Government were of opinion the Constitution should for a further period be suspended. The powers which the suspension of the Act had con ferred upon the Lord-Lieutenant had been exercised, he was proud to say in a conciliatory spirit, with the earnest purpose of promoting the peace and happiness of the country ; and the law had been administered in such a way as to present any complaint being made in a single in stance. No blood had been shed on the scaffold in pursuance of the sentences that had been passed. The only blood that had been shed was that of the deluded victims, whom he would not say had been led, but who had been driven to their fall and who had sacrificed their lives in a vain attempt to achieve an impracticable purpose.—(Hear, hear.) In elite - ling to the temperate way in which the Lord-Lieu tenant had exercised the powers with which he was vested, he felt that he should not ren der him all the justice that was due to him if he did net read an address which had been presented to him from the Corporation of Dublin, a body not very likely to wish to take away unjustly any of the rights which their felloW-subjects possessed. The llor.ourable Baronet then read an address, which compli mented the Lord-Lieutenant, upon the temperate spirit with which he had acted in an unpre cedented crisis. There was one point, however, which he should not omit to mention in stating the grounds on which he was asking the Douse to continue the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act— namely, that at former periods on which Parliaments had agreed to the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act for a given period, severe measures were either in ex istence or were at the same time put in force. For instance, in 1803, when the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act was renewed, a Bill empowering the proclamation of martial law in Ireland was passed at the same time; and again, in 1817, the Insurrectionary Act was passed simultane ously with the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, in order that parties having arms in their possession might be compelled to give them up without delay. Such an Act was not now, however, in force; and, therefore, if the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act were not granted, the Government would not be in pos session of the requisite powers to rely upon for the preservation of the peace. The Honourable Member for Limerick alluded last night, with consider able displeasure, to the passage in the letter of the Lord Lieutenant which dealt with the evils of political agita tion. He had had, of course, no communication with the Lord Lieutenant since the speech of the Honourable Member, but he might observe that he was necessarily in constant communication with that Noble Lord, and that the House would agree with him when he stated that he did not object to political discus sion, but to that unfair discussion for impracticable objects, which was the bane of Ireland the bane of her industry, of her agriculture, and commerce, and of every other improvement and to w hich he thought, a check ought to be given because be thought Ireland should now enjoy repose from exciting agitation, and that the minds of the people should be objects directed otno whichth e p pursuance, o d f ep m en o d re ed. Be was permanent e anxious to read the reply of th e . Lord -Lieutenant to the f a . u n tcue;welfare ins t ead, addresses of the Corporation of Dublin. The /lon. Bart. then read the address, which stated, in effect, that there existed on the part of the Queen's Government, and on his own, a sincere desire to inverting ;all the causes of the discontent of Ireland, and to remedy the evils of which she complained to the best of their ability. Such were the sentiments of the Lord-Lieutenant, and they are sentiments in which he cordially concurred. It was on these grounds that the Government considered that the limited powers for which they asked should be entrusted to the hands of the Lord-Lieutenant, with a view to the preservation of the peace and welfare of Ireland. There could only be one opinion as to the spirit of the advice of the Lord Lieutenant ; not to look to a g itation to cure the evils of that unhappY country, but that they would come to the consideration of those evils with an earnest desire to promote the development of her resources, industry, and, is brief, raising her in the scale of nations, which no one would be more .delighted to see than himself; to achieve which her Majesty's i Govern ment would render all the assistance n their power. Instead of casting blame upon the Govern ment, and blaming them for not introducing measures . of relief, those who really entertained sincere feelings towards Ireland to stimulate each other to pro mote that end. For these reasons he asked the House to give, for a limited period, the powe rs which the Government believed necessary, for the due and usefnl administration of which by the Execu tive they had thee guarantee that the same care would be shown in their exercise as during the past. They had the responsibility of the Lord- Lieutenant that the powers now sought would be exercised in a temperate spirit, if the Lord-Lieute nant had acted' in an enlightened, manner and with an earnest desire to promote and con serve the best interests of the country.—(Clear.) When last year the Government had asked for the con tinuance of the act for seven months, they hal done so in order to allow a certain time, with a margin for the meeting of Parliament, in order that the Legie• lature might judge whether the Act should expire. The time which they now asked for the continuance of the Act was six months, with a view to enable Pal lia ment to judge before it again separated whether the Act should still be continued, whether this Act shou ld e xpire or whether any other Act should be passed to increase or modify, or alter the powers of this Act. He should therefore now only move that the Act for the continuance of the suppression of the Habeas Corpus Act should remain in force for a limited period. Mr. J. O'CONNELL rose to move the amendment of which he had given notice.—(Hear.) He trusted that when the House was about to pass a Bill for the continu ance of au Act by whi c h all the power o f the CW121329135 House of Parliament were to be passed into the hands of the Executive, that they would at least con sider what they were about to do, and what objects they were about to serve, and whether indeed those objects to any good purpose practicable. The only point which he had observed in the speech of the Bight Hon. Gentleman was, that if any Member of that House shoul I presume to say that he would do this, that, or the other, that they should not do it simply because ho thought it was wrong. If the British House of Commons were prepared to assent to any such principle, they would ho assenting to one of the most tyrannous proceeding that could possibly be adopted. The only effect indeed of such an Act was to deprive the poeple of all political rights. A Gentleman in that House had told him only yesterday that the people were altogether pre vented from the right - of' petitioning, for a meeting had within the last few days been held, the object of which was to petition the Crown respecting a matter which had nothing whatever to do with politics. But such was the effect of this Bill, that no meeting of any kind could be held without first going cap in hand to the Lord• Lieutenant to ask him whether he thought it was advisable that such a meeting should tile place. One thing they must remember that what they were doing with regard Ireland was equally applicable to England, and that if they confided such a power to any man, they might, by the agency of a wicked Minister, be equally subject in their own country to evils similar to those which they were inflicting upon Ireland. Was it because a graceless and disreputable telllw like Garcy M‘Gee chose to write seditious letters in America, that the whole country was to be oppressed? ( LEFT SPEAKING.) RETURNS. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE laid upon the table returns relating to the management of certain unions in the west of Ireland, and papers connected with the Royal Mint. THE NORTH WALES RAILWAY. Lord MONTEAGLE said he understood the officer of the House who served their Lordships' order relative to the North Wales Railway upon the Board of Trade, and the Secretary of the Board of Trade were in attend ance, and with their Lordships' permission he would move that they be called in. The motion having been agreed to the parties were called in and examined by the Noble Lord relative to the service of the order directing the North Wales Railway Company to return their accounts to the Lord MONTEAGLE elicited from the officer of the House that he served their Lordship? order upon a clerk of the Board of Trade, and from Captain Harness and other officials connected with the Board of Trade ; that in pursuance of that order a summons commanding the chairman of the North Wales Railway to produce the accounts of the com• pany was forwarded by post to the company's office. One of the messengersi of the House: proved .that be served a subsequent order on Mr. Chadwick, the chair man, and Mr. Mariner, the secretary of the company, late in October. The parties were then ordered to withdraw. PROTECTION. The Duke of RICHMOND presented a petition from the farmers of the county of Pembroke, complaining that they were suffering distress from the effects of free trade, and praying their Lordships to return to a system of protection. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. The LORD CHANCELLOR informed the House that pursuant to their Lordship's resolution of last session, ilia Assistant-Clerk had been in communication with the Clerk of the House of Commons on the subject of en grossing Bills. Lord MONTEAGLE said it would probably be in the recollection of the House that this resolution was passed to enable the officers of the House to communicate with the House of Commons preparatory to the adoption of some plan for putting an end to the inconvenient, dilatory, and expensive system of engrossing Bills:and in transmitting them from one House to the other, and for adopting in their stead Bills in a printed shape. He would propose now that a Committee be appointed to take the result of that communication into consideration. The LORD CHANCELLOR agreed with the sug gestion, and a Committee was accordingly appointed. Their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAJLER took the Chair shortly before Four o'clock. A gentleman from the Bank of England appeared at the bar and dolly( red in certain papers which had been ordered by the House. STANDING ORDERS. On the motion of Mr. WILSON PATTEN, the Standing Orders Committee were appointed. The Cora mittee will be composed of the following gentlemen:— Mr. Wilson Patten, Mr. Ord, Sir Robert Ferguson, Mr. Greene, Sir John Yarde Buller, Mr. Agliouby, Captain Jones, Mr. Home Drummond, Mr. Wrightson, and Mr. Crumpton. ECCLESIASTICAL LAW. Mr. WALTER presented a petition, praying for an alteration in the ecclesiastical law, so as to enable cler gymen seceding from the Church of England to officiate as dissenting ministers. IRISH POOR-LAW. Colonel DUNNE presented a petition from a grand jury in Ireland, praying for an amendment of the Irish poor. law. An lIoN. XfustnEa presented a petition from the grand jury of the county of Galway, complaining of the prevalence of distress in Galway in particular, and in Ireland generally, and attributing it to the operation of the poor-law. _ _ Lord ASHLEY presented a petition, praying the House to suppress the sale of intoxicating drinks on the Sabbath. NEW WRIT. On the motion of Mr. TUFNELL, a new writ was or• dered to issue for the county of Stafford, in the room o Viscount Ingestre, called to the Upper House. TRANSPORTATION. Lord MAHON gave notice that on an early day be should call the attention of the House to the system of transportation and the treatment of convicts. LIFE ASSURANCE. Mr. FAGAN gave notice that, on the 22d instant, he should move for leave to bring in a Bill to make life policies of assurance assignable at law. PUBLIC LIBRARIES. Mr. EWART postponed his motion for "the appoint ment of a Select Committee on the existing public libraries in Great Britain and Ireland, and on the best means of extending.the establishment of public libraries, especially in large towns. FINANCIAL REFORM. Colonel SIBTHORP gave notice that when the esti mates were brought forward ho should take the earliest opportunity of obtaining the sense of the House with regard to the reduction of the salaries of the high civil officers of her Majesty's Government to one-half their present amount.—(Laughter.) SUB-DIVISION OF PARISHES. Lord ASHLEY gave notice that he would move for leave to bring in a Bill to sub-divide all parishes in England and Wales the population of which exceeded 4,000. OATHS. Mr. PAGE WOOD gave notice that he would on an early day move for leave to bring in a Bill to substitute an affirmation for an oath where parties objected to take an oath on religious grounds. COLONIES. Mr. MACGREGOR gave notice that he would move that day fortnight for certain returns with respect to trade and navigation with the colonies and foreign countries. OATHS OF MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT. Lord J. RUSSELL gave notice that on Monday, the 19th, he would move for leave to bring in a Bill z,o alter the mode of taking oaths of Members of either House of Parliament.—(Bear, bran) GIANA. Mr. lIUME gave notice that to-morrow he would move for a copy of all dispatches which had been passed between the Governor of Guiana and the Colonial Office since the date of that laid on the table of the louse yesterday. N. MEMBER pCrEesYenlteOdNa. T petition from the inha bitants o i O f Ceylon, entering into a long catalogue of griev ances whichi they now laboured under, complaining, that the amount of taxe s levied last .3earamounted to two thirds of the whole gross produce . iz i ) i f eh th th e island ; that s e c y n c t conceived e i andve d the conduet of the Government, which was arbitrary and unfair, h a d produced discontent rebellion, and concluding by a prayer that some redress might be afforded ,to them. The Hon. Member stated that he would call the attention of ithe House to the prayer of the petition when it was printed. LANDED PROPERTY (IRELAND). In reply to an Hon. MEMBER, Sir WILLIAM SOMERVILLE stated that a return of the value of landed property in Ireland sold by an order of the Court of Chancery in Ireland would be laid on the table with the least possible delay. THE BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. Mr. lIUSIE gave notice that he should to-morrow propose the renewal of several orders adopted, on his suggestion, last session, but which had not been com plied with. Board The 0 1 I f oc SERVICES IN INDIA. sE o as medal s h ave b een g i ven f or retrospective military ser vontrol in his ices id, he ring w i t s h b e e d P t r o e a s i s d k e , n w t he f t h t e h r e , in. the Peninsula, and to the navy for exploits at sea, the wetprans of the armies of the Crown and of the East ludi a Company are to have a similar attention paid to them :Tor the battles of Assye, Laswaree, Titabuldee, Mahadpo or, Kirkee, &c., &c., and, if not, the grounds on which swch honours Were not to be presented ? Sir J. 'C. 11 013110 USE replied that the medals could not be, granted in the cases to which the Hon. Gentleman allude 4d. It had been expr,ssly ordered in June, 1847, that t boy should only be granted to generals command ing ai id other officers, which order had been complied with. If it was thought necessary to extend the gifts to all act/ ,ally engaged in these battles, it must be ac complish.c ' by a fresh regulation. Mr.. 1111 ME wished to know why the honours had not been miler red on all? Sir J. . llobbouse gave no reply. MARKET INTELLIGENCE. (From the London New Price Current of Feb. 6.) SUGAR.—To-day prices ruled firm for both free and slave labour Sugar. West India Muscovado was in quired after for both the pan and grocery purposes, whilst the rates obtained are fully equal to those of Fri day. Of Barbadoes 150 !Ads went readily at firm prices, fine yellow realized 41s to 435, good 39s 6d to 40.6 d, middling 38s to 395, and low 36s 6d to 37s 6d per cwt. The total quantity of Sugar sold to-day amounts to 300 hhds and tierces. _ Yv REFINED.—To-day Refined Goods met with a ready sale for home trade purposes, brown grocery lumps at 49s to 49s 63, standard at 503 to 503 6d; thr market has alto a firm aspect. Bonded Crushed Sugar 28s to 29s per cwt. MAIIRITIIIS.—This afternoon the market was plenti fully supplied with Mauritius Sugar; the quantity offered at public sale amounted to 12,024 bags; the whole sold with readiness, and at firm rates. EAST INDIA.—This afternoon a public sale of 1.530 bags of sulphury Madras Sugar went off at stiff rates. 01 Bengal 1,422 bags were sold at lull rates, good and fine white Benares 41s 6d to 435, damped and washed 39s 6d to 40e. 147 baskets Java went at good prices. 1,208 bags Ceylon fetched stiff rates, low and middling greyish syrupy realized 34s to 35s 6d, and good yellow 38s Gd per cwt. FOREIGN.-To day the market exhibited a firm aspect for Foreign Sugar, but the stiff rates asked prevented sales of moment by private treaty. Of white Havannah 1,300 chestt of good colour, but rather soft, were sold on speculation at 30s 6d, in bond. COFFEF.-This afternoon Ceylon Coffee met with less attention. and at public sale 3,437 bags 38 casks were only in part disposed of at rather lower rates, Plantation, good middling went at 59s to 595 6d, middling 53s to 57s 6d, low middling 49s to 52a 6d, fine fine ordinary 44s to 48s 6d, fine ordinary 395 to 433, good ordi nary 35s to 38s, damaged 32s to 495, fine sound was taken in at 75s to 84s; Native, real good ordinary in part sold at 355, and good ordinary of old importation at 345. Of Jamaica 43 casks 15 barrels and bags went rather cheaper. 153 bags Madras, fine fine ordinary pale unclean 475, fine ordinary 33s to 425, damaged 35s to 41s, and 355 bags Manilla, fine ordinary pale rather mixed 32s 6d to 33s percwt. TEA.-For Black orders continue to get upon a large scale; indeed in some cases a small advance has been obtained for Congou, and sound ord clean is not to be purchased generally under 8i per lb. No rise is yet visible Green. Prices for Tea now rule as follow:-Con gou, sound common clean 8d to Bid, good ord 9d to 9d, but middling to mid 10d to 11d, good mid and good is to is 2d, fine is 3d to is 6d, Pekoe flavour Is 6d to is 9d, Souchong common 9d to 11d, mid is to is 2d, good Is 3d to is 6d, and fine is 8d to 2s 4d; Twankay common 5d to 6d, mid and good 7d to 11d, Hyson sort is to is 2d, Hyson ordinary is 3d to is sd, middling to good is 6d to 2s, superior 2s 2d to 3s 6d, Young Hyson low and mid 3d to is, good mid and good Is 2d to 2s 4d, fine 2s 6d to 3s 3d. Gunpowder Canton Is 4d to is 6d, Hyson sort is 7d to 3s, fine 3s 6d to 43 6d. Imperial Canton is 2d to is sd, Hyson sort Is 6d to 3s, plain Caper catties 8d to 9d, in chests 7d to lid, scented is to Is Bd, pekoe black 8d to is Ed, flowery 10d to 3s,- scented orange is Id to 2s, and plain ditto 9d to is per lb. RICE.-To-day the quantity of Bengal Rice offered at auction amounted tp 4,160 bags and 400 packets, the demand was brisker for all sorts, and the whole sold at full rates. SPICES.—To-day, at public sale, 100 robms of Mala bar Pepper sold at steady rates—light brown 211 to lid, prey 2-id to 2id, damaged 21d; 11 bags Atrican Pod taken in at 50s, being above the value ; 10 bags Ginger sold at 31s 6d for good quality, which is rather higher ; 80 pockets Malabar went at 18s for small rough, 21s for middling, and 16s for damaged, being a reduced price. SPIRITS.—Brandy has not risen in value; there is, however, a good trade doing, and at firm rates. For Geneva the market is in a quiet state. British Corn Spirits 9s 10d cash, and 9s 9d for Spirits made from Sugar; the demand is also greater. To-day there is more de3ire manifested to operate in Leeward Island Rum, and sales were made at Is 4d to is 5d proof. Of East India some par cels fetched Is 3id. For low and mid Jamaica the sale is brisker at former terms. All fine rum is much wanted. Ons.—Cod 231 lOs to 241 per tan. Seal 261 lOs to 271. At auction 35 tuns w're sold; tinged went at 251 5s to 251 10s, straw and yellow 241 to 25/, brown 221 to 23/ 10s, and. very ord 20/ lOs to 211 104. Southern, mid to fine quality realise 251 lOs to 27/ 10s, and inferior 241 to 25/. At auction 26 tuns Newfoundland Whale went at 251 ss, and 30 tuns Blubber 51 to 5/ 15s. Sperm is not much wanted, and can be ob tained at rather lower rates. Palm, fine quality realised 31s 6d to 325, inferior 28s to 31s. In Cocoa Nut little business has been concluded by private treaty, and prices are still receding. At public sale 15 tons of Sydney sere taken in at 36s to 37s per cwt for good quality, being above the value. Lard Oil is offered at 36s to 40s, and Ground Nut at 31s to 31s 6d. For Olive the market is firm. For Rape Seed Oil an active demand existed, prices still incline upwards, and the supply fall ing off. Linseed met with a good sale for home trade purposes. TALLOW.—Prices have again declined for Russian on the spot, and sellers are willing to accept 38s 6d to 39s per cwt for fine P Y Candle, still few purchasers are to be me t with,: and a further reduction is looked for. There has been little passing for delivery. and 40s is the quotation for thclast- three months of the year. Home melted at 39s to 39s 6d nett cash Other sorts of Tallow are likewise cheaper, and the sup ply is greater than the demand. At auction 736 packages of South American were only in part sold. Rough Fat 2s 3d per stone. THE WAR IN THE PUNJAUB. (Extract of a Letter.) "Ileelab, Trans-Chenab, Dec. 15, 1848. " The whole army remained at Ramnuggur in front of the enemy till the Ist of December. when a detachment under the command of General Thackwell was dis -latched to Vizierabad ford, 23 miles up the river, to en deavour to effect the passage of the river Chenab. After a long and harassing march the troops arrived at Vizierabad late in the evening. Though the shades of evening bad closed in, half the troops were transported across, the rest passed over in the morning. The guns were conveyed over in boats which had been collected at the ford owing to the great exertions of Captain Nicholson, the political agent. On the 2d this force marched down the river once more towards Ramnuggur, though on the enemy's side of the river. They made that day a march of 12 miles. On the 3d they resumed their march, and had scarcely progressed 10 mites when the flower of the Seikh army, under Shere Singh in person, was down upon them. They advanced with the greatest courage, and opened such a well-directed fire of artillery on us (I was an eyewitness of this en gagement) :as to cause astonishment to old soldiers. Our distinguished General—who, I believe, served throughout the Peninsula and at Waterloo—deployed the infantry into line, and posted his guns at intervals of brig ides. The brave foe was permitted to come close to us, when suddenly our guns opened. The cannonade was most fierce. The enemy obtained our range very soon, and had not the infantry been ordered to throw themselves on the ground our loss must have been very great. The enemy in the heat of the action endeavoured to turn our flanks ; but a demonstration of the 3d Dra- goons, aided by a few guns on our right, kept them in check. We had communication with the river on our left ; just behind our left was a ford, where some of our reinforcements were attempting to cross at the time. The enemy made every endeavour to gain this point but the brave 3d Irregulars, and some com panies of foot, assisted by guns, drove them back. After a fire of two hours and a half the enemy ceased firing, and as we afterwards discovered, fled with precipita tion. Their front was covered with high, thick fields of sugar cane, which prevented our quickly ascertaining their movements. We knew so little about their strength and position, and it was getting so late in evening, that it would have been the height of imprudence for us to have attacked them with our small forte when they ceased firing. Thus, in a few hours, with a loss of only 80 killed and wounded on our side, was the whole Seikh army repulsed. Our artillery fired with the greatest precision. Every credit is due to them. They committed ft arful havoc amongst the enemy. The Seikhs have lost ten times as many men killed and wounded. A wounded Seikh soldier just picked up states that they lost nearly as many men as at Ferozeshah. This immense loss on their side, while ours is comparatively tliffing, is owing to the fact that our guns were pei witted to silence theirs. There was no charging with bayonets of awkward look ing batteries. Where you have good artillery why not use it? This action, in which so much military skill has been displayed, was fought near a village named Soodalapore. This success was attended with great re sults, viz. :—driving the enemy away from the Ram nuggur ford, where they were opposite Lord Gough's camp, and a royal salute of twenty-one guns, with heavy guns, were fired by his Excellency in honour of the affair. Sir Joseph had a narrow escape or two. An orderly close to him was killed. One orderly officer close behind him bad his horse wounded by the were lying doyn, the staff; being niewited, attracted the enemy's fire. Brigadier-General Campbell com manded the infantry, the brave old Brigadier White the cavalry, and Cokeel Grant the ar tillery. Lord n -oug-h _s tit itamr,:ggnr, with General Glib! rt's division. Sir Joseph Tileckwell commends the fore, s here. This is fourteen mil, s from Loid Geugh's imsition. The enemy are only twelve mihs from this. They have a ver/ strong position, co vered with jungle. They have several regular regiments that have been di illad by us. Their guns are manned by experienced men. In Edwardes' actions there was not one regular regiment opposed to him—nothilig but raw levies. Since that time the whole Punjaub has risen in insurrection, and several regular corps that were in our pay have gone over to the enemy. They were disciplined by our officers. These, being na turally brave, are formidable enemies. Their cavalry are not to be feared. In a few days we may expect a grand fight, but as yet nothit.g has been determined on. It is said that Lord Guugh is awaiting instructions from the Governor-General, who, according to acme reports, was opposed to our' crossing the Chenab. But here we are ; therefore we cannot retire whilst the enemy is so close to us. We must push him across the Jhelum river ; then it will te decent fer us to cease operations. We all wish the Seikhs would come down as boldly as they did on the memorable 3d of December. Thackwell's force, since he has b ee n re- iniorced, consi3ts of four brigades of infantry, the 3d and •.14th Dragoons, the 9th Lancers, the sth ' and Bth Light Cavalry, and 31st Irregulars, with six troops of Hulse Artillery, and three light field batteries. GAMEKEEPER SHOT.—A gatne watcher, named John Harrison, in the employment of the. Earl of Ripon, and stationed at Hatton Moor, was found dead, from the effects of a gunshot wound received in the breast, on the 25th ult. On that day the keeper returned from the Ripon market soon after the middle of the day, got his dinner, and afterwards, in the afternoon, went out with his gun. In this perambulation he seems to have heard that. a man answering the description of one blathers, a great pest to the gamekeepers, had been seen in the neighbourhood. Harrison, after he bad got some tea in the evening with his wife, again went out between four and five o'clock to take a round of inspection, having no other weapon with him than a walking-stick, and he was no more seen alive by any of his family. Being missed, a search was commenced the next morning, and his corpse was found lying in a plantation about a mile from his own house, with a dreadful wound in his breast. The body bore the appearance of having been dead for some hours. A post mortem examination has since taken place, from which it appears that the greatest part of a charge of shot was found lodged in his lungs and the immediate region of the heart. Some of the shot, it is said, had even perforated the heart itself. blathers, who is a labouring man from Boroughbridge, has been fully ' committed to York for trial, charged with wilful murder. —Leeds Int,lligeneer. SEVEN LIVES LOST.—lntelligence has been re ceived in this town this morning of au accident which has occurred at Pillau of a most shocking nature, and by which several families in this town have ben thro:‘ n into a state of the greatest distress. Letters from Piilau of Jan. 24 state that Mr. Tucker, master of the Whim, Mr. Ru berth Nuthard, master of the Garnet, with two foreign gentlemen, and three of the crew of the Whim, were,out shooting in the boat belonging to the Whim. From some cause, unexplained by any letters we have seen, the boat was upset in the surf, and all in her were pre cipitated into the water. We are sorry to have to add that not one escaped. This event has thrown consider able gloom over the town, and is of course felt most keenly by all those connected with the ch ceased. The vessels, we believe, were entering at Packet. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 5. SESSIONAL ORDERS. (Continued from our Third Edition of last night.) Tho resolution was then put and carried. Sir EDWARD WILLOUGHBY really thnught there should be some limit to the time occupied iu the dis cussion of questions by individual Members, especially when he recollected how much time was occupied in fruitle6s observation: , , and that a great portion of the business of the House WAS transacted between the hours of twelve a , :cl two. Ile well remembered the case of a Bill with a hundred clauses, which paksed through Committee in what appeared not to be more than ten minutes. Mr. EWART thought that the Government ought to have power to order the taking of their own motions, with a certain restriction as to the interest of the other Members. Mr. G OULBURN thought that the order ought to be altdgether left out. Sir G. GREY said that this resolution was simply similar to that of last year, from which no inconvenience whatever had been found to arise. • Mr. HUME conceived that some regulation should be made by the Government for the greater expediting of the public busintss. He thought, for instance, that the Government ought to be prepared with theii Bills, and a day ought to be fixed after which they should have no right to introduce a Government measure. He believed that much of the defective legislation by which the statute-books were disfigurtd and which bad caused much dlssatisfation, was owing to the late period of the session at which these Bills were introduced. The Hous,3 was in fact taken by surprise, and he thcught that the Government ought to take into consideration all the measures which they intended at all events to push through, and to lay them on the table at an early pe riod of the session. lie felt quite assured that such a mode of proceeding would tend miverially to expedite public business. Sir R. PEEL conceived a great disadvantage would arise by the institution of any such rule. There was, in the first place, the great probability, that from unfore seen contingencies the rule would have to be set aside. Say that the Ist March should be the day, who could say what might arise before the time of the dissolution? ne thought, too, that a great disadvantage would arise from laying a great number of Bills on the table at once. Such a mass of legislation would prove a great inconvenience, cud tend to a greater deficiency than that which ensued from the present plan. Mr. 11 - UNIE did not care whether it was the Ist o' March or the Ist of July, all he contended for was that a certain time should be appointed, beyond which Go vernment Bills should not be introduced. The 4th resolution was passed after a few observe tions. On the sth resolution being proposed, which was to the effect that the House should meet on Wednesday, at twelve o'clock, for the purpose of private business and ,orders of the day, Mr. LAW moved, as an amendment, to except such Bills being considered on that day as involved the repeal of public statutes. Colonel SIBTHORP seconded the amendment. He thought Wednesdays were generally selected by the Government to smuggle in Bills and vote away impro perly the public money in a House consisting often of not more tha❑ twelve or thirteen Members.—(A laugh.) Mr. EWART could not see how the Recorder's pro position could be adopted without going further. Lord JOHN RUSSELL proposed an amendment to the resolution, to insert notices of motion after orders of the day. The Noble Lord's amendment was agreed, to, and the Recorder's negatived without a division. The 6th resolution was also agreed to without any comment. The 7th and Bth resolutions were carried without any discussion. Upon the 9th resolution being proposed—that when a Bill shall be presented by any Member, or shall be brought down from the Lords, the question, " that this Bill he read a first time," and "that this Bill be printed," shall be decided without amendment or debate, _ _ Mr. VERNON SMITH said that these resolutions proposed to alter many old forms and stages of prop ceding, but did not deal with the protracted dist ussions which were the subject of so much' complaint. He wished that they should diminish the number of discussions and re-dis cussions upon Bills, but not to alter the stages of the Bill. He thought one of the most expedient modes for facili tating business would be to adopt the suggestion of an Hon. Member, for no adjournment of the debate to be permitted, unless the motion was moved and seconded, and unless 21 Members stood up and said " aye " in favour of the adjournment. He did not offer this sug gestion as the very best mode that could be devised ; he only referred to it as :affording a means of expedition far beyond those which would be effected by the proposed resolutions. He wished to know, if the resolution were carried, whether it would be competent to have a division on any Bill when brought forward? Mr: BROTHERTOR said, if the House would adopt the suggestion which he had furnished to his lion. Friend, he would propose it at once. Mr. DRUM MOND considered this was the only place where monster meetings were permitted, and where individuals were obliged to listen to matters which they were not disposed to hear.—(Laughter.) With re gard to the forms of legislation, he would just ask what was the use or meaning of debating the Queen's Speeches ? They had been summoned together last Thursday to debate something, but he wanted to know what practical good had resulted from the two nights' discussion which had taken place? (Hear.) He conceived that one of the principal duties of Members of that House was to audit the public ac counts, and it was this duty which, in his opinion, de manded the utmost latitude of debate. After a few remarks in a low tone of voice from Lord J. RUSSELL, Mr. W ALPOLE would suggest the expediency of going back to the old practice of the standing orders— namely, that of not allowing any public Bill to be pre sented to the House, unless it had been lift three days with the Clerk of the House. Mr. GOULBURN said the Hon. and Learned Mem ber, he believed, had misunderstood the order in ques tion. If the proposition were adopted he was afraid it would lead to protracted discussion at the early stages of the Bills. Sir R. INGLIS thought his Hon. and Learned Friend only intended that Hun. Mt mbers should give a little more attention to the construction of their own legisla tion, for it was the crude state in which Bills were broght forward that often caused so much needless delay. The resolution was agreed to, as were the 10th, 11th, and 12th, with trifling verbal amendments. The 13th resolution having - been put by the SPEAKER, " That with respect to any Bill brought to this House from the House of Lords, or returned by the House of Lord 3 to this House with amendments, whereby any pecuniary penalty, forfeiture, or fee shall be authorised, imposed, appropriated, regulated, varied, or extinguished, this House will not Esist on its ancient and undoubted privilages in the following cases:- 66 1. when the object of such pecuniary penalty or for( iture is to secure thn execution of the Act, cr tha puLishinent or prevunoon suet' fees are imposed in respect of benefit _ service rendered nutlet- the Act, and in order tt xt'eution of the Act., and aze not made pa3able itit4 .;:nry or Excht:cpier, or in aid of the public re. venue, anti do not form the ground of public accounting by the parties receiving the same, either in respect of defic t to surplus. “3. Wlitn such Bill shall he a private Bill for a local or personal Act." " 2 When: Cll 01 o Trva Sir R. ING LIS said, that before the Speaker pro. ceeded to put the question, he wished to draw attention to an amendment which he should propose—he referred to the resolution as adopted by the Committee of 17th July, which he should move should be inserted. The House weuld recollect that they had the fact on . the Speaker's own high authority, that the House was per petually waiving its privileges in respect -to Bills which were brought up from the other House. He thought, that considering the truth of the statement made by his Right Hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, that great interest had been excited abroad in reference to the mode of conducting public buSiness—that the way in which it was conducted had excited great dissatisfaction, and excited a feeling almost of indignation, as to what was called the vasty of the public time—he thought it very desirable that they should give the other House of Parliament an opportunity of introducing Bills, even though some of the provisions of the Bills might seem to trench on the privileges of the House of Commons. The Speaker had stated before the Select Committee a number of cases in Ns hich they were compelled to waive their privileges; and it would be better to allow the other House to interfere with the money privileges, so long as they did not defect the general burdens of the State or the public service- It must bo quite obvious that such money clauses must only be applicable to pri vate and personal Acts. The Hon. Baronet concluded by proposing words providing that such moneys should only apply to caws of local property, or purposes not affecting the general burdens of the State. He proposed this as a part of the Isesdonal orders which the House was about to adopt. The amendment having been put, Mr. 'HUME recollected that a long discussion had taken place before. the Select Committee on the propriety of rescinding this resolution, and many objeCtions were urged to such a course of proceeding. Many objections were raised to the resolution proposed by his Hon. Friend below him (Sir R. Inglis).- For his own part, he thought the House ought not hastily to pass a reso lution which Hon. Gentlemen must recollect involved questions of the taxation of the public to a considerable extent. He hoped his Hon. Friend would postpone his resolution for the present. Lord J. RUSSELL said that when this question first came berore the Committee, he thought the resolution proposed by his Hon. Friend would not be objectionable; but the more it was sifted and t xamined, the more diffi cult it became for the Committee to recommend its adoption to the House. For instance, the House of Lords might, in respect to some Bills, propose to intro duce taxes, which, though they appeared applicable only to local objec.s, and not to the general service of the country, would tax the community in a manner not con templated. Suppose a case occurring in Scotland, where moneys were raised for building schools, and those schools were confined to certain si cts, or to Church purposes ex clusively, that case might involve a considerable tax, which would excite great opposition. Sir R. INGLIS said he was ready, with the leave of the House, to withdraw his amendment. Resolution as originally proposed agreed to. The SPEAKER having put the 14th resolution— " That after Tuesday, the Ist day of May next, orders o' the day shall have precedence of notices of motions on Thursdays, the right being reserved to her Majesty's Ministers of placing Government orders at the head of the list, as on Mondays and Fridays." Mr. HENRIES said this resolution was one which was distinct from those which had preceded it. It was proposed on the part of her Majesty's Government to invite the House at this early period to declare that on and after the Ist of May the power of giving notices of motions should be surrendered to her Majesty's Govern ment. Now he thought there was great objection to this. When, indeed, the state of the public business should be such as to show the propriety of this step, then it would be time to adopt the suggestion made. He thought her Majesty's Government were asking too much, and he wou d put it to the House whether it would not be better in this, as they had done in former sessions, to leave the master to the discretion of Parliament. Lord J. RUSSELL begged leave again to call the attention of the House to the very great changes which had taken place in the mode of conducting business in that House. In the beginning of this century no liminess whatever had precedence of orders of the day. It would be found that then, on Monday, Tues day, Thursday, and Friday, the Government could take any orders they pleased; and it was only now and then that notices of motions interfered with Government business. But it was afterwards found that the notices of motions reached so far that it was no longer possible to carry on the business as it had been conducted, and the House appropriated Mondays and Fridays, allowing the Government to have precedence ; but since that was done, fur the purpose chiefly of Com mittees of Supply, and such Bills as were then intro• duced, there had been still a greater change in the mode of conducting Bills in that House. Thus, when measures of importance were brought in, whatever might be . the Government in office, it was the general opinion that if there were to be legislation on any great subject it should be undertaken by the Government, and that individual Members had nothing else to do than to approve or to criticise the merits of such measures. That being the case, the House enabled the Government to introduce 'the estimates, and the supplies for the year ; and not only this, but they allowed them to introduce all Bills of importance. This, then, was not a fair distribution of t• - ai business. It was not fair that the Government should have only two days, and individual Members three days; or rather, in other words, the Government should have eight days in the course of a month, and other Members twelve days!—(Hear.) He thought, therefore, that either by some resolution of this kind at the early period of the session, or else at some future period of the session—by giving up the Thursday to the Government—the House would give a more equal distri bution of the time to those who had to conduct Govern ment business. It was necessary that the Bills sent up from the other House should be sufficiently early. Ho thought it would be found that the Government business would not make due progress while only two days were allowed to the Government, and that it would be for the public convenience generally to make some difference in the present arrangement. At the same time, by print ing this resolution he did not wish to press it now, if the Right Ben. Gentkman thought it would be better to postpone it till a future time; but would leave it to the House when the time came on, when he should again bring forward the subject, and ask the House to consent to his proposition. He did not wish to take the House by surprise, and would withdraw the resolution. Mr. M. GIBSON said this, he believed, was the time to make a proposition for regulating the length of speeches of Hon. Members in debate, and he wished to submit to the House a most moderate proposal—it was a novelty! He did not seek to limit the speeches to half an hour even, though be thought forty minutes was sufficient, but he proposed one hour as the commence ment of the system. He begged to move as an addition to the last resolution the following words :—" And with a view to the dispatch of public business, that the speeches of Hon. Members be limited to one hour each; but this rule shall not apply to those who may introduce an original motion, or to a Minister of the Crown speak ing in reply." The SPEAKER—Does the Hon. Gentleman object to the Noble Lord withdrawing his proposition ?—(Hear.) Mr. GIBSON—No. Resolution withdrawn. Mr. GIBSON said that perhaps the House won'd raise no obj, etion to his moving his resolution as a sub stantive proposition. He was aware that this was rather irregular, but as the subject was before the House it would be better to discuss it at once. Question put. Mr. HORSMAN said they had a great deal of hurried legislati..an in that House, and the result was that many Acts got into the statute-book in a very imperfect and cruel state. In the last session 49 Bills were read a first time after the Ist of August, and between 70 and 80 were read a third time in August. He could not see the validity of the objection of the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite to imposing a restriction upon the days on which Bills should p iss a certain stage. The qbestion " that the motion be withdraws," hav ing been put, Mr. M. GIBSON said he would move his amendment in such a way as to enable the House to divide on it as a new proposition. He, therefore, moved the omission of all the words after the word " That" in the original mo tion, fur the purpose of inserting the following :—" the speeches be limited to one hour, but that this rule do not apply to those who may introduce original motions, or to a Minister of the Crown speaking in reply." Mr. COBDEN seconded the amendment. The of ig,inal words having been negatived, The SPEAKER put the motion as proposed by Mr. Gibson. Lord J. RUSSELL said, that when the matter was fully discussed in Committee, the majority certainly thought it would be inconvenient to introduce any such rule. He admitted that the time might come when some limitation would be necr s<ary, but he thought it would be a great sacrifice of the public convenience. He did not think it would be fair to say that a Minister of the Crown, or a Member opening a certain question, should be allowed to exceed the hour. Suppose the case of an individual Member introducing a question alleging cri minality against some Member then in office, or having lately left office, or against any other Member, would it be fair that the mover should go through the whole con duct of a public board, extending over a very long period of time, and insisting upon his charges with every ad vantage of eloquence he might possess, and then, that the person accused should not be at liberty to occupy an equal length of time in defending himself ?---(Hear.) He did not see how it was possible to make a definition calculated to do justice to all parties. It would be a better rule to confine all parties to one hour than to allow any exception.—(clear, hear.) But, he begged to submit to the House, what a loss it would have been on many occasions when a great subject was to be opened— + n a great financial plan was to be developed—when a considerable change was to be proposed in the consti tution of the country, if the Member making the propo sition should not have been allowed more than an hour. —(Hear, hear.) Unless they were to limit everybody to an hour they would hardly do justice to the indivi dual; and if they did limit every Member to an hour, they would hardly do justice to the subject..—(Hear, hear.) It was possible that such a resolution might be come desirable, but he trusted that the discretion of the House would render any such step altogether unneces sarv.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. TYNTE said that if that valuable body of gen tlemen to whom the country were so much Indebted 11 w, P~ c. E:~