The Sun. — London, England, 1842-03-10 00:00:00

Instead of the protection that the law had given them for the last hundred and forty years? (An Hon. Member expressed across the table a doubt whether the present laws had existed to long.) If the Hon. Gentleman would examine the documents that had been publisbed on the subject, he would find that Corn-laws had existed for the last hundred and forty years, from the beginning of the last century; and now that the maximum duty imeosed on wheat was 20s a quarter, it was a fair subject of praise to the agriculturists that they had surrendered nearly half of their protection. He did not believe that the agriculturists surrendered too much— (Hedle hear)—he believed that they could,affotd to part with a portion of their protection, but he would say that it was laudable sad honourable in them, standing in the position they did, both in the oountry and in Parliament, ; ,to have made that sacrifice to the other classes of their countrymen. But, after all, the question was as to their sesposed tampering with the Corn-laws. It might be like taking a brisk out of a wall, but if that brick was mouldered away, and they took it out and pet in a round one, he was not sure but it was an improvement. The Noble Lord opposite (Lord Hdevick) had said that this was but the precursor of ulterior Change; far be it from him to say that in matters of trade and production it was possible for Parliament to exercise tie gift of foresight. If they looked back on the course of. t heirdof history, they would find that they had hardly ever had a perm ten, fifteen, or twenty years, without some new law relating to corn.. The Noble Lord had also objeeted to it, tha t it was not a practical fixed duty. and be came forward with hi s old chimera o f a duty. Was not the doctrine of a fixed duty a chimerical propo sition ? if anything could be called chimerical, it was the duty of 4s. or ss. a quarter supported this your by the Noble Lord. He had alleged, also, that this was an unsettling measure, and not a final one. All firatity was comparative, but what was the finality of the Noble Lord. the Member for Sun. Berland ? (War, hear.) Last year it was Ss., but this year it was 55., and before two years were paescet he was afraid it wilted vanish altogether. — ;Loud cheers.) But suppose, if he might make such a supposition, that Parliament slimed adopt the principle of a fixed duty ; let them suppose, if their imaginations were elastic and bold enough to do so, that by some incomprehen sible means a law should pass in the present Session similar to the measur e proposed by the late Government, what would have been the consequence? Who would be pledged to maintain it ? What body would support it ? What would be the general conviction of the country with regard to it ? Was it not clear as the sun at smon-cay, that oil the Corn.laws the country was di. vided into two parties, one objecting to all protection, the other attacied to the principle of a graduated scale ? Who then were the few solitary champions of a fixed duty ? Was it riot common in that House to hear lion. Gentlemen declare, as the lion. and Gallant Member fur Merylebone had done, that they liked a fixed duty, as it was the way to arrive at no duty at all ? (Hear, hear.) If they could divide the „House in the same way as they sometimes took tee notes in anotherkhamber over the water— if they could take a poll of the House on the questions of no duty at all, of a graduated scale, and of a fixed duty, did they beileve that orie_sixth of the House would vote for a fixed duty ? (Hear, hear.) And how did the few (sham pions of a fixed duty stand among themselves? What was their consistency on this vital point ? He saw three of them -opposite; the first, the Noble Lord the Member for London, was for a fixed duty, descending suddenly to one shilling at a famine price; tire Hon. and Learned Member for Liskeard said that the descent to a minimum duty was the very spring of a sliding scale ; the Noble Lord the Member for Tiverton held the doctrine, that a protec tion duty was net applicable at all, but that if a duty was levied it ought to be a duty for revenue.—(Hear, bear.) Now, a more ex traordinary proposition than this had never reached his ears, nor one of which the Hon. Member who proposed it ought to be more ashamed. When they laid a duty on a fordo article, which came into competition with a corresponding British article, would it do to call it a revenue duty ? The Noble Lord held the doctrine of a revenue duty in words, and contradicted it in fact ; but he did not believe that any genuine free trader would be content with the Noble Lord's abandonment of the word, and his retention of the thing. Here, then, were three champions of a fixed duty, and all of them quite at issue with each other as to the amount of it, and the mode in which it should be levied. He had troubled the House much longer than he had in. tended, but he would now conic to a conclusion. The plan proposed was a measure that practical men might adopt ; on its details it had not, perhaps, the unanimous, but the general con currence of the agricultural and commercial bodies. It eves a measure of considerable relief, which had been declared even by its opponents to be a material improvement of the present law. It was a measure against which the most able and most resolute of those who were about to vote against it had said he would not take any step in opposition if he did not know that that oecoeition would be unavailing.—(Loud cheers.) Could anything more justify the position in which her Majesty's Government stood, as supporters of a measure which they believed would be acceptable to the country at large, and all the great and varied interests in it.—(Cheers.) Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, that the Right Hon. Gentleman, with all the ability which he had devoted to the subject, had no doubt felt extreme difficult,y in defending the Bill then before the House.—(Hear, hear.) He was sure if he had not so felt he would not have resorted to that mixture of political crimination and ac cusation of various kinds against the late Government, which was totally unnecessary for any other purpose except to dis guise his defence of the present Bill.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") That Hon. Gentleman knew well that a fixed duty, which he said haerso few supporters, was, in the opinion of a Noble Lord who voted for the present measure, and who was the representative of the great commercial town of Liverpool, the best measure.—(Hear, hear.) It was well known that it was a measure which reasonable men, without distinction of party, greatly approved. Feeling the pressure of that opinion, therefore, he was obliged to have recourse to political imputations, in order to disguise the weakness of his case, in attacks on the late Ministry. He knew that with re spect to the distress of the country it had been said that the present measure would afford no material relief; yet, without arguing or discussing the objections to the measure, he had spoken of it as one generally approved of by the House and by the country, and op posed but by few. He had said that he should like to test the opinion of the House regarding it, as they did in some foreign Chambers, as he should like to know how many would be for a graduated tcale, bow many for a fixed duty, and for a total re peal. Why, rf they came to that mode of expression, he (Lord J. Russell) should like to know bow many there would be on the op. posite side of the House who would be for the proposed graduated scale, and for the present law.—(Cheers.) His Noble Friend who had spoken most ably on the question that night, had said that if there was a coalition of parties against any change whatever, by which the present measure might be defeated, he should not be found opposing it ; but that was very different from what had been stated by the Right lion. Gentt'wan. The lion. Gentleman had made various charges against the late Government, as having been guilty of a political manoeuvre, and of having brought forward a Bill which they had no expe, tations of carrying. lie would tell the Right Honourable Gentleman that his opinion was, if he brought forward a measure founded on sound principles of free trade, mid if he did not immediately succeed in carry ing the greater part of that measure, if he did not immediately succeed wills respect to the Corn Bill, yet that public opinion would be so favourable to a change, that finally they should be enabled to carry a sound measure on the subject. That was his °pillion on the subject. The Hon. Gentlemaa might invent motives for the late Government with respect to their Corn Bill, but that he declared . was his expectation with respect to the proposed change. lie felt, and he believed every Member of the Government felt also, that in proposing measures founded on the principle of' free trade, they could not touch sugar and timber, and leave untouched the great question of -corn. They had felt that it would not be just to the country to leave the Corn-laws in their then state, and they had felt that it would not be just to the agricultural interest to bring forward their measures on the question of timber and sugar, and reserve for future con. sideration the measure which they might deem it expedient to propose on the subject of the Corn.laws.—(Cheers.) Now no w had they bean met?—(Cheering, and counter sheering.) Gentle. men who were attached to the Government on general principles_ he would mention Mr. Handley as an instance—(Hear, hear) — declared that as they were attached to the existing Corn-laws they should be compelled to vote against the minority on the sugar question— ( Cheers)—because the carrying of that question would lead to a change in the Corn.laws. Now what return had those Gentlemen met with ? They had been taunted with their attachmeet to the Ministry which sought to change the Corn. laws. Their constituents were called upon to deprive them of the honour of a seat in that House, not bccaese they had supported or would support any measure for a change in the Corn laws, but be cauee they had acted in general in support of a Ministry which had proposed a change in those laws—(Cheers)—and their successors had been chosen upon pledges given to maintain the existing Corn laws.—(Cheers.) lie would venture to say, that the agriculturists of Lincolnshire, who were for the maintenance of the present Corn-lave, would have been more efficiently represented by his Noble Friend near him, and by Mr. Handley, who had both votes fur maintaining the present Corn-lew, than by those who voted with the bight Hon. Baronet, who was now seeking to change the Corn. law So much with regard to the Right Hon. Gentleman's speech in reference to the political characttr of the measueee The late Ministry Lad proposed a change in the Corn-laws because they had tl,uglit the circumstances of the country required it. Lord Melbourne had always declared that the question of the Corn laws was a question o f eircuinstances, and that whenever the circumstances of th e coon _ try s h ou ld require an alteration, he would be ready to take- the subjeot into his consideration. That lime he thought had arrived, an d a ccordingly he had proposed a change. Those who were op. posed to them had carefully concealed their intentions of altering the Corn.laws. They had stated their opinion that it would be right to maintain the existing Corn-laws, and the greater number of their supporters for the agricultural districts had been returned pledged to vote against any alteration.—(Cheers, ;nd cries of N o ! Nate) He had not the newspapers by him to refer to the pledges which had been given by Hun. Members at the last election but he had heard his Noble Friend the Member for North Lin. colnshire quote the other evening, and he had never heard that any contradiction had been given to them. The Right Hon. Gentleman had, among the various particulars to which he had referred respecting this question, said " We approach this question after four successive bad harvests." For his part he (Lord J. Russell) most doubt the accuracy of that statement.—(Hear, hear.). The Right Hon. Gentleman had said that it was their duty, in discussing that question, to seek to avoid eery fallacy, and he (Lord J. Russell) could not but consider the statement that we had had four consecutive bad harvests as a fallacy. He knew that during the course of some of those years he bad often found that in certain districts the harvests had been good, in certain ether districts it had 1 ern an average harvest, and in others it hod been unfavourable but, upon the whole, it had been found that the harvests had been insufficient for the maintenance of the population during the last four years. But it should be recollected, that as our population had increased, it had become necessary to cultivate wheat on lands which were less fa voueably situated, both with regard to soil and climate, than land formerly cultivated.—(Hear, hear.) The consequence was, that a larger period of fine weather was required to get in the harvest 030 had been formerly.—(Hear, hear.) Now that was a conse quence of the CM n- laws. It was not an occasional occurrence, but it was a permanent cause, affecting all average years.—(Cheers.) The Right lion. Gentleman had said that this was a labourer's question rather than a landlord's question, or a farmer's question. He (Lord John Russell) believed that with respect to the effect that wou'd be produced upon the agricultural labour by an alteration in • the Corn-laws, great exaggeration had been practised. Even if the Corn laws should be totally repealed, he (Lord John Russell) did not imagine that any great extent of land would be thrown out of cultivation. The imputation of this country had increased to such an extent during the last twenty years, that in America 'writers of authority had calculated either that an immense lin provement must have taken place in the productive powers of the land formerly in cultivation, or that 2,400,000 additional acres of land must have been brought under cultiva tion, to support the addition which had been made to our population between 1838 and 1841. Now if that was the rate at which our population i nc r ease d, a lth oug h a grea t er erenortatlon of corn might be required firm foreign countries to ,-;upport our addeional pol , uhaion, it Ly no means followed tt at ahs large extent of !alai woad Le thrown out of cultivation—(Cheers) —and with a moderate Lard duty he entsrteined no such appre- Checre.) Now considering this a labourer's question, Jf no great quantity of-land were thrown out of cultivation, the ad (Elie"; quantity of corn n tech would be provided for the con sumption of the country from foreign countries would be of great advantage both to the agt ;cull ural labour and to the artisan. There fore, loc king at it as a labrancr's question, he was cf opinion that as a c hange in the Corn-laws was very d es i rable for the labourer engaged in agriculture, was with respect to food, in the tame condition as the artisan i* the manufacturing tow ns. — (Cheers.) Now what was the state of the country at the present moment ? The Right Hon. Gentleman hzd said that they had heard less of foreign competition as affecting our manufactures. He (Lord J. Russell) believed that it would not be denied that for a great many years past, foreign manufastures had increased, fo. reign machinery had been improved, and uow capital in Continental countries had been devoted to manufactures.—(Hear, hear.) Could they forget the oft-quoted assertion of Mr. Huskisson in the year 1830, that England had no means of meeting foreign com petition but by diminishing either the wages of la bour or the cost of production ? One means of, diminishing the cost of production, was by the introduction of machinery s *substitut e f or manua l labour.—(Hear, hear.) Another means was to rower the wages of labour. Mr. Huskisson was right in his THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 10, 1842 principle. The English manufacturer went to the foreign market sucha disadvantage as Dantzic and some other places. He 1 but be could not demand for his g oods the price which he might wished in wh a t h e now s t a t e d, considering the length of the de choose, but he must reduce the cost of the production of his menu- bateg, t o con fi ne hi mse lf to t h e p ar ti cu l ar su bj ec t th e y h a d dis factureto the cost for which the foretn manufacturer could pro. cussed, the relative merits of the fixed duty, and the fluctuating and if the Noble Lord had wished to enlighten the House di,uucfaectauresrimainladr arritillra.uwfascutfruerree,dan_d(iiineatrii,athweaary)thelt Ehnagdlisahlwmaya: upon the subject he would have explained what he meant by been said in former debates, that the manufacturer could : j us ti ce t o th e agr i cu lt ur i s t. Th e N o ble Lo r d stated that he did trust to the home m arket ; that would supply all deficiencies nut expect that a Is. duty would diminish the price of corn— in the foreign market, and that in the home market the manufac. I low, therefore, he would ask, could it be considered as a settle_ curer would find his best safety. But when, in consequence o f th e I merit o f t h e C orn .l aws ? Th ose w h o were f or th e re p ea l o f th e Corn-laws, corn was at such a price that the labourer was obliged Corn-laws said that the Bread-tax was odious and unjust. The Noble to spend the greate r p art of his earnings in food, then the dimi n ution I Lord told them they did not think that a fixed duty would materially in the sale of manufactured articles was so great th a t , i n some reduce the price. It, therefore, could not be expected that such djstricts, they found thousands of artisans, as was the case last a proposition would act as a permanent settlement. The Noble Lord • yea r, were reduced to a state of the greatest possible distress.— who spoke early in the debate, the Member for Sunderland, not (Hear, hear.) Thus there were two causes operating to produce I only admitted that the proposition was an improvement on the distress, the first, foreign competition, which was gaining on us old system, but that it would be 'productive of an increase year by year; and secondly, the diminished quantity of food in 1 to the revenue; he alio drew a favourable contrast between the country, as compared with the population—(Hear, hear)— i the proceedings of the present and the late Government, in re arid both these circumstances tended to produce distress among tke spect to the measure now before the House. Having determined people of this country. With such causes existing it was to be' lon the alteration of the Corn laws, he (Sir R. Peel) had thought it expected that the effects would not have been wanting, and un- duty to put it in her Majesty's Speech, and they had brought it happily they knew too well of the existence of intense distress at the present moment, unhappily they knew too well that in certain districts of the country there were thousands of persons wanting em ployment, and whose Ciminished means enabled them to consume only so much food as with difficulty kept them alive.—(Hear, hear.) While such was their condition, it was the duty of the Legislature to provide some remedy that should be potent, immediate, and effectual, and what could be a more important remedy than an alte ration hi the import duties on corn ?—(Cheers.) He could not agree with the Right Honourable Gentleman in his his view of the state of the country. It seemed that the Right lion. Gen. (lowan cons;dered the present was one of those ordinary transitions in commerce and manufactures in which, after a period of great trade and production, distress naturally followed. He (Lord J. Russell) attributed the distress to the operation of causes, which would not pass away in that manner. He attributed that distress to the operation of the present Coin-laws, and of the sliding scale, and ha could only look to the removal of that cause for an efficient remedy.—(Hear, hear.) The Right Honourable Gentleman bad seemed very anxious throughout the discussion to weaken the force of the argument respecting the trade in corn with America. He had felt the great disadvantage under which the corn trade of America laboured as compared with the corn trade of other countries : he had felt the impo:tance of not discouraging the corn trade with that country, but he had felt likewise that the sliding scale was a great obstacle to that trade. With a duty of eight shillings a merchant might be enabled to send his corn to this country, and to obtain a profit on the transaction, but if on its . arrival in this country he found a duty of 18s. or 205., he could not enter it for consumption except at a loss. In order to get rid of that difficulty, the Right Hon. Gentleman had been obliged•to make allusion to voyages of unexampled raai- dity which had taken place two years and a half since. Under fa vourable circumstances, it might, no doubt, be possible occasionally to make the v..yage in time, but he would ask the House ifthe better way would not be not to make a law interposing a difficulty. There were largeland fertile regions in the country producing corn in abun. dance, from which the starving multitudes in this country might bel supplied, which was anxious to supply us and to take our manufactures in return. What must be thought then of the Par. liament sitting here and of the Congress in America—of the Legis latures of the two most free and enlighted nations in the world legislating as if their objects were to interpose obstacles to prevent the enjoyment of those blessings?—(Cheers.) The Right Hon. Gen tleman had spoken of a price of 725. offering a greater inducement to the importer than could be offered with a fixed duty of Ba. But if at the price of 565., with the duty of Bs., the merchant could import corn so as to obtain a profit equal to that which he would obtain on any other commercial transaction, was it to be supposed that he would abstain from doing so?—(Cheers.) No doubt the Honourable Gentleman's 725. would hold out a great induce ment, because he might make one hundred per cent. profit by that transaction, while by the next he might lose fifty per cent. (Hear, hear.) That was not the trade that oughtto be encouraged.—(Loud cheers.) The Right Honourable Baronet was right to hold out that inducement with the sliding £cale. It was the only way in which the Bill could do good ; be- cause the merchant would calculate that though upon one transac tion he might be obliged to sell at a loss, another time he might be enabled to make an immense profit. But this was the very fort ing on which they ought not . to put it. It was the very induce ment which they ought not to hold out. He must beg pardon for referring to what had been the policy in 1804. It was to have three duties—one a prohibitory, the second extending over a large number of prices, and another which was merely nominal. Rut looking backwards he found that in the year 1703 the duty was Bs. 6d. from 555. to 82s. That was the rate of duty in the reign of Ctarles the Second. But in 1774 a change was made, by which the duty was reduced to the nominal one of 6d.—(Hear, hear)—and during the period of 134 years, from 1640 to 1774, the rate of duty was under 9d.; and in that period the price of corn remained more steady than it ever had been since. Instead of a sliding scale, the policy of all former times was to have a fixed duty of about es.—(Hear)—and now the Right Hon. Baronet pro. posed an average duty of 18s., coming down to 75., which he called a modification of the law.—(Hear, hear.) It was to be remembered that when the attempt was made, in 1815, to raise the protection, it was in a depreciated currency (Hear, bear)—but now that by the Act of the Right Honourable Gentleman (in 1819) the country had got a currency payable in gold, theyought to go back to as liberal a principle as their ancestors had pursued. But he would ask, why Cid they think it ne cessary that in these days it was necessary to uphold a protective system ? It had been for a long while the favourite principle of politicians to extend protection to every part of industry. But Mr. Huskisson and Lord Ripon abandoned that view, and saw that it was a mistaken policy to continue such protection. They changed the system of protection in respect to cotton, silk, gloves, and other articles of manufacture, and instead of injury, those engaged in the manufacture a those articles had ul timately derived the greatest advantages.—(Hear, hear.) Those who proposed such changes were not deterred by the apprehensions of the manutacturcrs.—(Hear, hear.) Neither ought the Legisla. forward as early as possible; the question affected great interests, in respect to which the minds of Hon. Members were divided. In dealing with the question, he felt that it was desirable to bring it to a practicable conclusion. He did not wish to bring forward a measure stating general principles, which, upon consideration, could not be carried into effect. He wished to bring forward a treasure, not to give universal satisfaction, for of that he despaired, but to give to the rational portion of the community—(lronical ilieers from the Opposition, and cheers from the Ministerial side of the House.) Yes (continued the Right Honourable Gentle mem) , and I have done it; and what makes your debate so dull P it is because the country has decided in its favour. Lut he was speaking of the agricultural community, and he be. lieved that among the trading, manufacturing, and commercial c'asses there was a strong conviction that the measure which he proposed, looking to the distressed state of the couutry, was a lair and just arrangement.—(Loud cheers.) If it had been other wise, he would have found the debates in that House carried on with vigour and a little more courage—(Continued cheers.) Well, the question was, what should be done with this law upon the second reading of the Bill. The proposal was to reject the Bill. Why, the division that night would be no indication of opinion on the subject of the Corn-laws, because it would be his mis fortune to find opposed to hiT those who were with the Noble Lord In favour of a fixed duty. Was that the fixed duty of last session or ' the fixed duty of this ?—(Loud cheers and laughter.) He would tell the Noble Lord that when he said he spared his agricultural friends from being threatened with the ghost of the late Govern ; rnent in " Palace-yard," if that Government were an indication of ture now be deterred by the apprehensions of some of the land holders from applying the same principle to the production of corn—(Hear, hear)—fer in the end these would find their inte rests as little damaged by the change as were those of the menu tacturers by the change to which he had referred.—(Hear, hear.) With respect to the agriculturists themselves, what had been the effect of modifying other protections which they had enjoyed ? One of their valued protections was that of the duty upon the importation of foreign wool. His Noble Friend the Duke of Itiehri.ond—(Hear, hear)—applied himself to that subject, and assisted in procuring a repeal of the duty ; and so far from a dimi nution of the value or quantity of the home production, there had been a great increase. —(Hear.) Why, then, was it not possible that all which theory taught, arid all that experience confirmed In respect to other products, should not be verified in the Cage of corn ? There was, however, an objection to the perfect ameliora tion of the law, which depended more upon political than commer cial considerations. It depended more upon the state of parties and the wishes of the Right Hon. Gentleman to conciliate his sup_ porters, than upon any commercial grounds.—(Opposition cheers.) The Right Hon. Gentleman had to some extent carried an altera tion of the law, which many of his supporters disapproved. But by what argument was it carried P Not on account of the impolicy of the law; not because, as the Right Honourable Gentleman himself had admitted, the present law was, to a certain extent, a cause of the distress of the country, and of the manufactures especially, but because the failure of the Right Honourable Gentleman's-proposition would cause what was worse still, another change of Government.— (Hear, hear, and laughter.) That class of the Right Hon. Gentleman's supporters were told, that if the measures of the Right Hon. Gentleman were not car ried, they could not pass through Palace yard without meeting the ghost of the late Government —(Hear, hear, and great laughter.) It was by such argument that Gentlemen opposite were induced to support the proposition. If such argu ments were good for anything, they would be good for another and a better change.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) If such a change could be made, then the late Government would be glad to remain in abeyance until it was carried through.—(Cheers and laughter.) A gentleman in Liverpool had said that the (pies_ Lion at the general election was not whether the late Government should remain in power, but whether the Right Hon. Baronet, even under the auspices of the Duke of Buckingham, would be able to form a Government.—( Cheers ) But he should not so much complain of that course of electioneering policy, if he could see a sound commercial principle introduced in legislating upon other questions which at the present time were before the House, —such as the law of marriage, &c. The object was avowed to b. the removal of an evil. But in legislating upon this subject, the argument was that corn ought not to be reduced so low as 4s. a quarter; that it was horrible for food to be provide.: from foreign countries in too great abundance. For Ilia part, it was not his wish that corn should be at 545. or 565.•; but that it should be at the lowest price at which it could be obtained with due protection to the home producers of this commodity. He would not have the farmer bring his corn to market loaded with imp-rts, to which those of other countries were not subject. But, he thought that, without lowering the remuneration to the farmer, there would he a great increase of trade, and all the financial diffi culties we had to contend with would be overcome.—(Hear.) He thougtot that with such an increase of trade, the landlords themselves would greatly benefit. S'r R. PEEL then rose to address the House amid much cheer ing. He must first offer his acknowledgments to the Noble Lord for the liberal offer he had been good enough to make him of the Ss. duty.—(Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord had said that he was perfectly welcome to take possession of it,and that probably, if lie adopted it, his Friends and supporters would be compelled to sanction it. He would not adopt it because he totally disapproved of it. He disapproved of it when in Opposition, and he disapproved of it now. The Noble Lord was no doubt aware that he (Sir R. Peel) would, in the present session, propose an alteration in the Corn-laws, and he therefore need not taunt him with inconsistency in bringing forward the measure he had done. If he (Sir R. Peel) had proposed the Bs. duty, he could not defend it on the principles of the Noble Lord, because he had told the House that he did not wish corn to he lower in price than was consistent with justice to the agricul. turists. Now, having made that statement, it was, in his (Sir R. Peel's) opinicn, incumbent upon the Noble Lord to inform tie House what he considered to be justice to the . agriculturists. He apprehended that, in doing so, he would labour under pretty nearly the same difficulty that he (Sir 11. Peel) laboured under, as he was Lot aware of the distinction in principle between himself and the Noble Lord. He had been blamed for stating that corn would probably vary between 545. and 585., and the Noble Lord had said that if he adopted his Bs. duty, he did not apprehend there would be any material difference in the price of corn. —(Hear.) In speaking of the present price of corn he could not go along with the Noble Lord, because his opinion was, that under his proposition a considerable reduction would take place in the price of corn He (Sir IL Peel) should not have thought it necessary to have adverted to the speech which he made in bringing forward this measure if the Noble Lord had not taken notice of it. Ho (Sir R. Peel) had been told that in bringing for ward this measure he had stated that he did not contemplate any relief to commerce from it. Now, this was what he did state ; he hail not cettrected it, but he must express his surprise at the fide lity with which reports had been falsely given in that House. He found from the document he held in his hand that he stated that when he brought forward the Corn laws that he ' found great attempts had been made to create excitement by declaring that distress was attributable to the present Government, the apparition would net be an uncem. fortabla one.—(Cheers and laughter.) Would the Noble Lord, when he made that offer, tell hint ? As he said before, when the the Corn-laws. lie found that there was great distress, and that Noble Lord made that offer, he was bequeathing to him (Sir Robert I'eel) one of those legacies the late Government on their death bed left to an admiring country. He did not tell him (Sir R. Peel) whe ther he meant the fixed duty of Ss., which was to be the amount proposed by the late Government, whatever might be the price of corn, in order to insure a permanence of commercial ar. rangements, or whether it was a modification- of the fixed duty, which it appeared the Noble Lord had proposed, in the course of the xt Sesrion—the presant one, which adopted the average—for it was necessary to the working of the system, and which provided that when corn should arrive at 735. there should be a sudden drop in the scale from Bs. to a nominal duty. Therefore the Noble Lotd, when he made that offer, should distinctly explain the nature of it. tie was saying whom he should have the misfortune that night of having opposed to him, and w he were the advocates of a fixed duty. All those who thought there ought to be a fixed duty as counter- vailing the burthens on land; and those who were with the Noble Lord, the Member for Tiverton, thought there ought to be a bread tax upon foreign corn imported, not for the purpose of protection but for revenue.—(Hear, hear.) Those who opposed the Noble Lord, and were for a fixed duty of 55., and those Ho- nourable Gentlemen opposite who opposed any duty whatever. Then he was afraid he should be opposed by those who, differing with him in the details of the measure because they thought that proposhl endangered the prosperity of agriculture. Then he efforts had Leen made to inflame the passions of the people with the was afraid he should be opposed by some of the Hon. Gentlemen ftom the sister kingdom—(Laughter) —who are the loudest advo cates of free trade, and who gave the support to the measures of a Government when it was only the ghost of a free trade principle. The Noble Lord had proposed a duty of 3s. 9.d. on oats, when the price was at the highest, and yet his (Sir R. Peel's) measure was considered inadequate, and pregnant with danger to the interest of the grower ; at any rate, the protection he offered was prefer. able to that of the Noble Lord. Now, he asked Hon. Gentlemen entertaining these different opinions if they could agree with the Noble Lord ? He did not think the Noble Lord would vote willingly, for he knew that he was in a minority. He thought the advocates of increased pro tection in Ireland, and those Gentlemen who thought that there should be increased protection to wheat—although they might think he did not go far enough, yet they would see in the present state of parties, and the state of the public mind, it was not possible that any increased protection would give general satisfaction. If they found amongst the most intelligent of the agricultural community an opinion that increased protection could not be maintained, he hoped they would add their influence, and that his Hon. Friends, if not agreeing in the details of the measure, yet he hoped they would themselves give it their support. The Noble Lord ridiculed the prejudices and ap. prehensions of the agriculturists. Now the Noble Lord ought to be sparing in his ridicule. He was perectly right. He ( Sir Robert Peel) did not question his rigfit to com. plain, but he ought to do it in a manly and courageous manner on those men of more extended views. The Noble Lord ought to have some mercy on the ignorant farmer who had prej udices and apprehensions as to agricultural affairs, because if ever there was a public man who wrote in a manner calculated to excite those apprehensions, that man was the Noble Lord. The Right Hon. Member for Dungarvon was all for oats.—(An cry of the Corn. laws, and that the distress in the great agricultural Hon. Member on the Ministerial Benches here made a suggestion to Sir R. Peel, which was understood to be to the effect that the interests of the_ country was inflamed for the purpose of keeping up the Corn-laws. Now the language which he made use of was this, that he felt it to be his duty to declare, that he could not re commend the proposal he was about to make by stating that it would tend materially to mitigate commercial distress; and the Noble Lord stated that in that respect be took a view not presei.t Member for Dungarvon was representative for Tipperary at the time the Right Hon. Baronet alluded to.)—That was exactly so (continued Sir Robert Peel); the Member for Tipperary was then all for oats, and the Noble Lord (J. Russell), then Member for Huntingdonshire, was all for wheat. Other Hon. Members had their agricultural partialities, and the maxim of each Hon. Gentleman would Eppear to have been troque prior, to paree—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) What would be the consequence if the measure then proposed by him (Sir R. Peel) was rejected, he offered, immediately upon the passing of it, a great mitigation in the amount and extent of distress at present suffered throughout the country. Reject that Bill, what other would be proposed. 'Was the Noble Lord opposite (Lord J. Russell) able to propose or strong enough to carry out any other measure ?—(Ldud cheers and counter cheers.) Was there any other party able or strong enough to carry out a better measure than that now before the House ?—(Cheers.) No, —the only result, if it was attempted, would be that the question might remain the subject of long discussion ; that it would dis turb that connexion which should subsist between landlord and tenant, making it impossible for any man to know what were the circumstances in which he was placed. Upon the whole he be. lieved that the measure he proposed was as large as any man could propose. He believed that the agriculturists of the country were anxious for the passing of that Bill; and that they were anxious for a practical proof of the working of it.—(Hear.) That being the case, although he could not anticipate the support of Hon. Gentlemen opposite, ha did hope that the Bill would have the support of a majority of that House ou the present and future readings.—(Cheers.) Sir CHARLES NAPIER rose amidst loud cries of " Divide, divide," and gave way for Lord WORSLEY, who addressed the House in a very inaudible tone of voice, said he would not have hesitated to give way to the Right lion. Baronet, but that he was anxious to move for the ad. journment. He (Lord Worsley) might have adopted the Caine course last year, but he felt that he should no'. have been acting as an independent Member of Parliament if he voted for the Inca. sure proposed by her Majesty's Government. He was afterwards called inconsistent, because he recerded his vote to express confidence in the Government, and when he was asked by his constituents if he would withdraw his confidence from the then Government, he said he would not, because, from what lie knew of the political conduct of the Right Hon. Baronet, he could not be depended upon. It might be said now that the House had pledged itself to inquire into the subject of the Corn.laws ; but who made that pledge? There was an amendment to the address, moved by the Right Hon. Baronet. It stated a willingnesl to inquire into the subject of the Corn-laws. It was moved by the Hon. Member who before objected to the measure proposed by her Majesty's Government, and, with the single exception of the Right Hon. Baronet, those who opposed that measure did so on the ground that there shou'd be no alteration in the Corn-laws. This Bill, in his (Lord Won ley's) opidion, was not calculated to promote the interests of the agriculturists, and he did not think that the manufacturers con sidered it as contributing twards their welfare; and then it could not be denied, and it was the general feeling throughout the country, that this would not be a final measure. But the Right Hon• Baronet said that the country was equally wining with himself to adopt this measure ; but that was only because the country knew that the Right Honourable Baronet had power to carry any measure he brought forward. He (Lord Worsley) did toot think that the Government of the country showed that Interest in its welfare which had hitherto characterised its proceedings. It had been said that if Gentlemen could not agree to the measure of the Right Honourable Baronet, they must either take the fixed duty, or revert to the old law. He (Lord Worsley) wanted to ensure a plentiful supply of corn in this country, but unless they put on such a duty as would prevent corn coming in when there was plenty at home, they would be doing that which, whilst of little benefit to the consumer, would greatly injure the honest grower of corn at home.—(Hear, hear, hear.) He had received a letter from a gentleman at Manchester, recommending this Bill on two grounds—first, because it would lower the price of corn on the Continent, and secondly, because it would not secure a regular supply here; but these were the very grounds on which he (Lord Worsley) thought this Bill ought to be opposed, because if it were enacted, and if such were to be the results, much of the land in England now employed in agriculture, would go out of 'cultivation, and the agricultural labourers suffering in consequence, would be driven to the manufacturing districts, and universal distress must ensue. The Noble Lord concluded by withdrawing his motion. The SPEAKER having put the question, Sir C. NAPIER said that he wished to observe, in reference to the papers for which he had moved the other evening, in the pas. age from Liverpool to America and back, fifty-one days would elapse before the merchant's order for corn could be executed; why, then, he wanted to know, should not the duty be paid accord ing to price that existed when it was shipped.—(Cries of " Divide, divide." The House then divided, when there appeared._ For the second reading Against it Majority for the second reading . RAILWAYS BILL. ,This Bill went through Committee, pro forma, and is to be taken into consideration on Monday. To be reprinted In the mean time. The Orders of the Day were then proceeded with, and the House adjourned at Two o'Clock materi .11y diftient from his (Sir 11. Peel's). He then went on to say that he thought lie should prlctice a delusion if he stated that if an alurmion in the Corn.laws he proposed would make a material alteration in commercial distress. He then added that he admitted the existence of commercial distress, and deplored the sufferings occasioned by it, yet he felt bound to declare that he could not attribute that distress to the extent to which it was sup posed by some to be caused by the operation of the Corn-laws'. Such was the statement he made, and he adhered to it. He thought that the eff'ect of the Corn.laws had been greatly exaggerated. He stated that there wire many other causes of the distress, but that he did not despond. That was one of the misrepresentations which, in the course of ten nights' debate, had been made with respect to what had been stated.—(Hear, hear.) It was said that he had brought forward the measure without the - 104 JACK CADE.—A work under the title of " London Legends," has just appeared, and a more attractive title could scarcely have been selected—for where is there one that gives promise of greater variety, or appeals to the sympathies of a larger class of readers? Not a public building of any note—hardl , indeed, even a street—in ancient London, but has some interesting legend attazhed to it. Southwark is pecu iarly rich in this respect ;it was there the notorious Jack Cade took up his head quarters, and kept the city in state of constant alarm by his insurrectionary movements ; arid there, too. Ilenry the Eighth indulged in some sit* his ma'ldeet freaks. 'I he author of " Loudon Legends" has, we understand, given a most graphic portrait of the rabble_ leader, Cade, and described all the horrors of his insurrection, with a minuteness and tnergy unsurpassed even by Walter Scott in his account d the exce,ses committed by " the Wild Boar of Ardennes," William tie la Marck. Nor has he done less justice to the wi!d vagaries of "Bluff Hal," whose noctur nal adventure, in disguise, are described with not less humour than spirit. The reader of romantic fiction will find a rich treat in " Loudon Legends." OFFICIAL POSTPONEMENT OF TIIE EARTHQUAKE. —Yesterday Messrs. Blaby and Ellis, the ushers of the Thames Police Court, received a letter b, aring the seal of the Police Commissioners, and enclosing a printed notice decorated with the Royal arms, which they handed to Mr. Broderip, the Magistrate, who laughed heartily at the joke. The letter was to the following effect :—" Commissioners of Police-office, Great Scotland-yard, March 8, 1842. Gentlemen,—l am di rected by the Commissioners to request that you will affix the enclosed notice in the office, that it may be as serviceable as possible to the subjects of her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen. cry order, R. Ellerby, clerk . To Messrs. Blaby and Ellis." The notice, w hi c h was printed in large type, was as follows :—" Important News to the Public.—The earthquake, which was to have taken place on the 17th of this month, is put off till the 25th. By authority." -.— slightest hope that it would do any good. Then with respect to importation of corn, the Noble Lord had said that he (Sir R. Peel) had taken a practical instance with respect to the imports from the United States. He admitted that he did take an instance of imports from the United States for a short period, and the Gal lant Commodore, the Member for Marylebone, wished to have same information with respect to the period which vessels took in coming from New York to Liverpool. Now he (Sir R. Peel) had an ac count of thirty vessels that sailed from New York in 1841, and the average duration of each voyage was twenty-three days. Now if that was the case—if they permitted, by an alteration of the duty, a . more regular t ra d e i n corn t h an un d er the existing law, he thought It would appear clear that the United States was not placed at THE W EATHER—N oon, MARCH 9. 11.• YY A L GALLERY OF SCII'NCE, AD FLA I:ET 41 , :,.:., ...... „, .. ... 34 , [11,1 , r .S.W.—Freezing Deg, ;11(111 WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. THIS, DAY. Morning §Ain etpy.,lo,--, 4 ,0 SUN ObTICE, Three DEPARTURE TROOPS FOR INDIA. We have great pleasure in announcing that the Go vernment is about to send from eight to ten thousand troops to India immediately. A more numerous force may ba expected soon to follow ; so that the Governor- General will lave troops enough at his disposal to re venge the injuries sustained by our arms in Affgh.,n istan, and particularly the murder of the British Envoy, Sir IV3I. MACNACHTEN. The Government is deserv ing of the highest praise, for the promptitude which it manifests on this great national occasion. We delight to see Ministers remembering only that they are English men, and have the honour or their country to sustain. The regular mails from India have now arrived, but we regret to announce that a careful examination of them, and a comparison of four several private accounts from Bombay, all dated the Ist of February, has but served to confirm the terrible news from Affghanistan, published in The Sun of yesterday. The murders of Sir ALEXAN DER BURNES and Sir WILLIAM MACNAGHTEN the compulsory return of Major M'LAREN to Candahar, after a vain attempt to relieve the camp of Cabool—the inabi lity of Major-General Sir ROBERT SALE to form a junc tion before March or April with the late General EL- PiUNSTONE'S army, reported to be in a periAing condi tion in the month of December, are official facts which justify an apprehension of the dreadful results currently reported and believed in Bombay at the departure of the Indian mail. Some exaggeration there un- deal: tedly is in. the report of the total massacre of from live to six thousand British troops. No doubt that if compelled to fight their way from the camp at Cabool to Jellalabad, a distance of ninety miles, through an almost impassable country, and surrounded by ene mies, the loss of our troops would be very great ; but it is rational to suppose that two-thirds would es cape. Not that we should not regard such a result as a very awful calamity, and one calculated to give a sad blow to our dominion in India. The desperate condition of the Camp at Cabool was - known to Sir R. SALE, and Were the troops to evacuate it he mi:lht be expected to push on a light force ft. distance of from thir:y to forty raij.es to meet them, and cover their retreat. Their great difficulty would be in getting through the Khoord Cabool Pass, where 500 men could prevent the passage of an army of 50,000. A re-inforcement of 8,000 men were on their march to Jellalabad to reinforce SALE'S brigade ; 10,000 men, under General Norr, were at Caudahar, so that with the first melting of the snows a British force would be at hand to revenge the murder of our Ambassador by laying the city of Cabool in ashes, and passing the plough over its very foundations. • But we doubt whether we should gain anything by this. The Affghans are a wild, fierce, warlike race, strangers to fear, and indifferent to danger. With them revenge is a virtue, and to die fighting against an enemy ' the most glorious death. We may devastate the coun try with fire and sword, but the inhabitants, who subsist by their flocks, will betake themselves to their mountain fastnesses to descend upon our armies with the eagle swoop o destruction when lost in unknown defiles, and perish ing for want. of food. The experience of the last cam paign in Affghanistan ought to teach us that we have not here the effeminate races of HindoAan to cope with. The Affghan mode of warfare was then nearly as fatal to the army of Lord KEANE as was that of Russia to the grand army of NAPOLEON in 1812. So late as Octoberlast the Belochees burned and destroyed Gundava, Dadur, and the plains of Cutchee. To revenge these outrages General Now, with 4,000 troops and a heavy 'train of artillery, marched a distance of 300 miles upon Khelat, their capital, And what did he find when he arrived ? A town without a single inhabitant ! In the Oc tober following this Gallant Officer, at the head of 230 men resolved to attack the Affghan insurgents in the valley of Tereen. To move his artillery over the heights, and through the deep ravines that inclosed the valley cost him a month's incessant toil, and when he had reached there was not an A ffghan to be seen They had all fled with their flocks to the mountains, only appearing when there was a gun to be seized, or a few stragglers from the camp to be picked off by their marksmen from behind rocks. Their mode of warfare is to fly before the enemy, and destroy every thing behind them. In this way they can destroy any army without fighting, which is not • provided with the means of supplying • itself with provisions, provender, and sometimes even water—for every well is filled. Notwithstanding the general indignation in India on account of the murder of Sir WILLIAM MACNAGHTEN, who bore the sacred character of an Envoy, a respectable and influential portion of the Anglo-Indian Press, is strongly opposed to a war with the Affghans. The Bombay Times, for example, contends that all our mis fortunes arose from the unfortunat?, and criminal blunder of setling up a cruel and detested fool, the SHAH SooJAH in the room of the popular King DUST MOHAM MED, who offered us his friendship, if we would only prevail on RITNJEET SIGH to restore him Peshawur, the key of his domininions on the side of the Indus. " The Affghan's," says that Journal, are defending themselves a:;•ainst the invaders of their country and enemies of their faith, who desire to impose a :iovereign on them whom they despise and detest ; and to subject them to burdens which they never brooked to boar at the hands of their most populous Princes. The cause of Afighan vengeance is the same in which the Spaniards fought for eight centuries against the Moors ; which called forth the heroism of Saragossa against the French ; which foiled the First and Third Edward in their at-• tempts on Scotland ; which made the defence of Antwerp against the Spaniards the admiration of Europe ; and which for centuries made the nervous arm and mountain hold of the Swiss peasant too strong for the serried legions of France and Aus:ria !" Much of this is beside the real question -at issue, which is, c a n w e retain India, and not take signal vengeance on the Afighans ? If th© murderer of UKIITAR KHAN escape, shall we not have parodies of his crime at half the native Courts of India, and first of all at that of Burnish, should we again think •of sending one there ? It is not a little singular that in the nineteenth cen tary-, so remarkable for discoveries and improvements in art end science, one class, and a class too that claims the right of dictating . to all others, should be described by one of their own body as little .better, in one respect, than barbarians. Lord Ilowicx, last night, denounced the system of agriculture in the greater part of England a; " barbarous and neglected;" prac tical men cheered his Lordship, and the accused tried to keep one another in countenance by shouts of laughter. But facts are not to be disproved in this manner. All who have attended care fully to the different systems adopted in the northern and southern parts of this island, can come to no other conclusion than that they are as differ ent as light is from darkness, - and that till a material change takes place, the land in the south must remain but half cultivated, the farmers be little better than serfs, and the landlords continue to cry out for pro tection from the Legislature. What has made the com paratively barren land of Scotland valuable but the ad mirable systemof improvement, which has been entirely created and fostered, by granting the tenant a large in terest in the profits, w ithout the fear of being disturbed, by the caprice or cupidity of the proprietor ? So .con vinced were intelligent landowners in the north of the vast benefit they derived from the system that it was no uncommon practice to grant leases for thirty-eight, some tinrs fifty-seven years, and not unfrequently for three lives, n a heavy outlay was required to bring the land into cultivation. And what was the result ? The land in some ten or fifteen years was brought into a state of' high cultivation, roads were made, plantations sprung up on :he i and whole districts that were little better than wastes or common:, were converted into arable farms )ielclin3 a rental ten times greater than at the coin inenccinent of the lease. With such examples before them, and with such certain advantages, the English landlord who adheres to the old exploded system is justly denounced as little better than a barbarian. He cries out for protection solely because he is idle or sluggish, and allows others to outstrip him. The late election was a noble exemplification of the fact. While in England the ignorant tenants joined in the selfish shout of their masters for monopoly, and• returned monopolists for nearly the whole of the counties, in Scotland the cry was " Leave us alone, leave us to our own exertions, untrammelled by Acts of Parliament," and suited the deed to the word by re- turning Repealer& for several of the most agricultural counties. England must como at last to this system. o pi - cticiiccs of a ',articular class, llonr.aT el: EL, nor any Minister, can continue law!, ii li:ch are found alike injurious to niallufas:turrs and lantliurcls. The Paris papers received this morning arc destitute of other news than is supplied by the Overland Mail. 5..1 FA MA RV OF NE 'S AND it;titatr Olinnien• " Who runs may read." s`l3sb~i. ssT~ By the Overland Mail from India we have received a number of Chinese Reports and Proclamations, for which we have not space in our columns of to.day. The Journal des Debuts has an attack upon The Sun, our com mentary upon which must stand over till to-morrow. The French Opposition Jsurnals cry out that England and Spain are leagued together against Spain. There were interpellations in the Madrid Cortes on the Ist. Senor Mendez Vigo questioned the Ministers about Cabrera and Narvaez's miivements and machinations, and the doings of the French Government. Ministers replied, they were on the alert. The affairs of Portugal were, also alluded to; the Minister declaring he had no right to interfere in the affairs of other countries. PATLIGIAMETZTAILY. The Peers did not sit yesterday. Mr. Hutt, in presenting a petition from the Mayor and Al dermen of Hull, stated that the Corporation of that city had electe I their own Magistrates from' the time of Edward M., but Sir J. Graham had lately altered that by inserting the names of eight gentlemen in the Commission. A new writ was issued for Southampton. The Commons were almost exclusively occupied by the Corn-keeping-out Bill. On the motion to read it a second time, Lord Ebrington moved that it be put off for six months. A long debate ensued, in which Lord Howick, Sir C. Knatchbull, Mr. C. Buller, Mr. Shiel, Mr. Gladstone, Lord J. Russell. and Sir Robert Peel were the principal speakers, and which terminated at half-past one o'clock in a division, when the Bill was read a second time, and the House adjourned. 1.113L1C OPINION. The Times remarks, with reference to the late disastrous news from India:—" This moment, so critical to ourselves, the Govern. ment have chosen for exciting a mutiny in °Le of their fellow corps at Madras by a sudden reduction of pay. It makes one believe that there is a fatality attending our present-efforts in India, to hear of such madness. Except cowardice, almost every fault of which men in command could be guilty has already been committed. The adoption of the cruel and contemptible Shah Soojah, instead of an alliance with the popular Dost Mohammed, whom the ad. dress of Sir A. Burnes had conciliated—the haughty and ill. judged behaviour (though we do not now wish to dwell on that) of the late Envoy—the reckless massacre at Khelat i Ghilzie—the neglect of the warnings given to Sir A. Burnes by Captain Gray of the intended rising the unfortunate departure of General Sale's brigade from Cabool at the very mo. ment when his presence was most required—the neglect to secure the magazines of provision, which fell a prey to the first rising of the insurgents, and whirls would else, after all other mistakes had been made, have saved our troops—crime—negligence—miscalcu. lation— one upon another—ending in the terrible catastrophe which people seem to apprehend has now broken upon us, would indeed remind the superstitious that ' Quem Deus volt perdere prigs dementat.' We cannot, however, yet believe the account which is put forward. It is too terrible. It seems, not an event of the English empire in the 19th century, but a hideous dream, a horrible tale, when we read of 6,000 men massacred almost in cold blood—a British Envoy treacherously murdered, and 16 of our countrywomen (as is asserted) carried off by an army of savage enemies, with sickening details which we could scarcely bear to write, feeling, as we do, that there are those in England: to whom such particulars are not, as to ourselves, mere frightful barbarities —a fearful page of history brought nearer—but piercing appeals to their own personal recollections and affections. These accounts, however, at the least have made our own course more clear. Any thing less terrible might have left us still hesitating from shame at our original aggression, and the consciousness of the ill deserts of our country. But by the treacherous murder of our officers, and the settled determination with which they are pursuing, and are said to have effected, the wholesale slaughter of our men, the Affghans have at least released us from any debt to them, and left us free to pursue that course which the blond of our countrymen and the safety of our empire demand. They have yet to learn what it is that they have provoked." The Post says :—" The intelligence from India, which we were enabled to pub:ish at considerable length in our impression of yes. terday, can excite but one feeling. The stain on the national honour, the brave men sacrificed in vain attempts to sustain it, the miseries endured by their survivors—all concur to stamp these ac counts with a character of the steepest melancholy. It would give us unfeigned satisfaction if we could encourage our readers to de rive any comfort from the comparatively cheering manner in which the intelligence is treated by a contemporary. But this is out of our power. Our correspondent at Bombay is so intelligent and cautious, ani has always proved himself so well-informed, that im plicit reliance may be placed on his communication ; and if it were necessary to confirm his statements by additional evidence, such corroboration would, unfortunately, not be wanting; for we are enabled to assure our readers that the accounts received by Govern ment are, if possible, of a more disastrous nature than those which we have been the medium ofgiving to the public." The Herald thus alludes to the rumoured massacre of the Bri. tish troops by the native tribes of Affghanistan :—" In the depth of a Siberian winter they have slaughtered a British army, mur. dared two British civil authorities, and hem in three thousand Bri tish Indian troops in a frontier town. They first half starved the force in Cabool, and then cut it to pieces. In the midst of their successes they offer terms ; they are the immediate evacuation of their country ; and they make this offer with a perfect knowledge of the strength which the Supreme Government of India can in the spring bring against them. They acknowledge that British artillery can open the passes to Cabool, and clear the defiles ; they are aware that they cannot withstand the power of the British nation ; you may,' they say, ' again occupy our cities, and by brist-, ling our hills by your guns preserve them from our attack ; but In so doing you do not conquer the Affghans; you can subdue us only by extermination.' We may level the cities and scour the plains, from Jellalabad to Herat—our reward will be famine and pestilence ; the Affghans will destroy all provisions, and drive their flocks into the mountain recesses; each succeeding summer may witness our dearly-bought victories, but winter will yearly restore to the Affghans their triumphs. Will, then, the British nation enter into a war of extermination ? Will the British Parliament sar.ction such a war ? Have we become such emzmous hypocrites as to censure the barbarities of the French in Algiers, and yet enact similar scenes ourselves in CentrA Asia ? What injury had the Affghan tribes ever done to our empire in India, or to British subjects, before we invaded their country ? What right had we to occupy Afighanistan, and to disturb its Government, save that which might gives to us ? If Persia carried on war in disguise against us at Herat, could we not have diverted the strength of the Shah from Ids eastern to his western frontier, by debarking an army from the Persian Gulf ? If Russia intrigued against us in Central Asia, why did we not countermine her intrigues in the Black Sea 2" The Advertiser, alluding to the disastrous reports from A fFghan. istan, says :—" The right divine' in the East is practically the right of the strongest, and therefore England ought, instead of snaking a revolution in favour of an outcast Prince, to have conso lidated around herself the powers already existing. This ought to have been her policy. Now, however, there is no choice left. Our authority in Affghanistan must be asserted, and the treacher ous murder of Sir W. H. Macnaghten must be avenged, even if the whole resources of our Indian empire were necessary to accomplish such results. There is no middle course open through which Eng land may retreat. She must unflinchingly maintain her autho rity in its widest latitude, so far as is consistent with native institu tions, or altogether abandon her eastern empire." The following are the observations of the Chronicle, on the sub ject of the recent news from Affghanistan :—" In the dates to which some of the events are assigned, there are discrepancies which it is difficut to understand. Thus intelligence is published in the Delhi Gazette, which says that Major Pottinger as the successor of Sir W. hlacnaghten, commenced negotiations un the 24th of De cember: while all accounts agree in assigning the murder of the Envoy to the 25th of December. At the dinner of the Seaman's Hospital Society yesterday, Captain H. Tuckett, who may be re garded as an authority in Indian affairs, stated that he had had letters by the last mail, a month ago, announcing the death of Sir W. Macnaghten, and we believe the death of Captain Trevor was announced by a Contemporary at that time. We are not, of course, disposed to refer to discrepancies of this kind for the pur. pose of throwing doubt upon the general accuracy of the intelli gence ; but until we shall have more authentic details we shall not regard the position of our force in Affghanistan as so desperate as it has been represented." mabwErsr—TißADr.—coniramacr. The lace-manufacture at Taunton is in a very decayed state more so than it has been during the last seven years. The opera tives are all working on short time. The Hon. Hanbury Tracy has beetT;;;;dOn the Reform side for the Brighton contest, and Lord Alfred Hervey, the Marquis of Bristol's son •n the Conservative. SIIVa7O MILITAILY. The anniversary of the campaign in Egypt, under Abercromby, in 1801, wns celebrated yesterday at the United Service Club with the usual splendour. Twenty-five officers of both services, and of al: arms, sat down to dinner. There will be three launches of vessels this season on the Thames; the Worcester, 50 guns, building at Deptford; the Chichester, 50 guns, building at Woolwich; and another smaller vessel at the latter dock-yard. At a meeting of the Seaman's Hospital Society at the London Tavern yesterday, Admiral Bowles stated that since its foundation upwards of 60,000 seamen of the Port of London had been relieved. Among the subscriptions received, the more prominent were, her Majesty (annually) 105/. ; the King of Denmark, 1001.; Trinity Corporation 121st donation), 300/. ; Merchant Elder Brethren (16th donation), 100/. ; the Hon. East India Company (10th dona tion), 1051. ; together with numerous others, amounting on the whole to 1,003/. 10s. LAW AND POLICE, At Salisbury, on Tuesday, Isaac Smith was indicted for the murder of Ann Little, a woman with whom he had cohabited for several years. The unfortunate woman had received three deep cuts in the abdomen which caused her to bleed to death. The Jury at first returned a verdict of "Guilty of murder," but on some observations being made by Mr. Justice Coleridge, they al.. tered it to manslaughter. At the same assizes, a fine respectable looking man, named Robert Crook, was indicted for the murder of his wife ..n the 7th of February. It appeared some dispute had arisen between them about the payment of a bill, and that the pri. softer had struck her, and she bad fallen with the back part of her head on the Ground with great violence, which caused her death afi w hours after. The prisoner was convicted of manslaughter, and sentenced to be kept at hard labour for twelve months Several new arrests of sawyers, making eleven in all, have been ade in Cork, on susplcion of being connected with the late out rage of throwing vitriol on Mr. Wilson. At the Worcester Assizes, E. Maiden, a tailor, was indicted for the manslaughter, of J. Fisi,er, an ostler, on the 26th of July last. It appeared the deceased had applied an offensive epithet to the isoner when a scuffle took place, the deceased was knocked down and his head struck against the curb stone. He died three days after. The prisoner was found guilty and sentenced to imprison. ment for one month. AND serzyvrxr/c. Among the present relics at Strawberry Hill, is the red hat of Wolsey. Bishop Burnet found it in the great wardrobe; it then passed into possession of the Bishop's son, the Judge, and from him to ihe Countess of Albemarle, by whom it was pre_ sented to Horace Walpole. The valuable library and collections of the late Aylmer Bourke Lambert, Esq., F.R.S., have teen left by him as a bequest to the British Museum. At a recent izneting of the Entomological Society, Mr. Newport stated that a friend of his at Sandwich had produced the Acorns Crossii from a mineral solution, by a current of voltaic electricity, continued for eleven months. 1"1-.V.F.,11.TRICAL. Her Majesty and Prin;CAlbertvisTtedCovent-garden Theatre last night, to witness the new comedy of Bubbles of the Day and Comus. Now that her Majesty has affixed her imprimateur on this brilliant comedy, hundreds of the servile, would-be fashionable middle classes will discover excellencies in it, who before were stone-blind to them. • COURT-PA5111,'17.113335E. His Grace the Archbishop of York arrived in Grosvenor.square on Tuesday. The Marchioness of Lansdowne had an evening party last night at Lansdowne House. Marqu.s 01' th.: Duke and a select circle at dinner, on Tuesday, in Arlington-street. Earl Fitzhardinge has removed from Eerkeley Castle to his villa at Cheltenham. 7e , r—e /2.-*CY.ITAX.ATWEOITS.; On this day, in 14:32,1N1dzi0 Clementi, the celebrated musician, died, aged 80. So early as his ninth year Clementi passed an exa. mination as an organist, and before he was twelve he had written a mass for four voices, which established his fame. _ _ At a meeting of the creditors of the Newton Bank, held at Exeter a few day. since, it was stated that Mr. Baku*, one of the partners, went into the concern with 17,0004, and had not now a shilling. A funeral took place at Hempstead last week, at which a baker's cart was used Instead of a hearse I riATIV/OURS or TilE DAY. It is generally rumoured at the C übs, that the earthquake has consented to delay its approach until a certain Noble and Gallant Marquis pays his tailor's bill I Both extraordinary events are ex pected to take place on the same day. Mr. Benjamin D'lsraeli is, we learn, nic-named at the Clubs, the "‘ .Hypnologist" of the House of Commons. LAW INTELLIGENCE. VICE-CH 4NCERY.-(T MS DAY.) (Before the VICE-CHANCELLOR OF ENGLAND.) BRYDOES V. BRANFIL. The Court was occupied during the morning in healing the reply of Mr. Bethel! in this long.pending case. (Before Vice-Chancellor WIGKASI. POWER V. TIPPINO. , This case was mentioned on a question of costs, which his Honour decided in favour of the plaintiff. The cases which came before the Coutt were generally of an uninteresting nature. SHERIFFS' COURT.-(THIS DAY.) CLARKE V. PINKERS. The case occupied the Court until this afternoon. It was an ac tion for 181. Is. for alterations made in a machine for propelling boats on a new principle. The defendant is an inventor; the plain tiff and his partner are modellers and mechanical engineers; 101. ss. had been paid into Court. The whole question for the Jury was whether the plaintiff was entitled to the difference; but the details of the case were very complicated. There were several mo dels on the table, but little was given in explanation of the plan, of which, however, it appeared the object was to propel boats on canals without steam or horses. A number of witnesses were examined for the defendant, but they could not clear up the dispute; and the Jury found for the plaintiff for the balance claimed. INSOLVENT COURT-(THIS DAY) RE WILLIAM READF. The insolvent in this case had, up to the latter end of the year 1839, carried on business as an ironmonger in Liverpool, and subsequently in the Whitechapel.toad. He had been bankrupt in 1837, when the amount of debts appearing in his schedule was 3,4501. ; and the sum from which he now sought to be discharged exceeded 1,4001., while the debts due to him was about 3501. Most of the debts appearing in his present schedule were contracted for goods supplied in the way of trade., His petition to be discharged was opposed by Mr. Ingold, on the grounds of having fraudulently contracted a debt of 971. without any ostensible means of repayment. It appeared from the state ment of the opposing creditor that the insolvent, when he first came to London, bought a quantity of furniture from him, for which a bill of exchange drawn by a pers m named Walshe, and iccepted by the insolvent, was given, and which was dishonoured upon presen. tation. Upon inquiry it was found that Walshe had gone to Ame rica a short time before the bill became due, and had not since been heard of. Several other creditors having entered their opposition, the far ther hearing of the case was ordered to stand over, A number of unopposed petitions, possessing not the slightest features of general interest, were heard during the morning, upon all of which the applicants were ordered to be discharged forthwith PO LICE INT ELLIG ENC E. BOW-STREET. -(THIS DAY.) An old offender, a sharp.looking white headed child, only twelve years of age, whose head was just visible above the bar, was chatged with stealing three cotton cravats, value 6d. each, corn the shop of the Misses Parker and Thornbury, haberdashers, &e., High Holborn. George Thornbury, shopman in the employ of the Misses Parker and Thornbury, stated that about half-past eight last evening, a cus tomer went into the shop and left the door open. He had no sooner entered, than the witness observed the prisoner snake a snatch at some cravats which were hanging on a wire near the door, inside the shop. The prisoner then ran away; witness pursued him, and, after a short run overtook him, and found one of the cravats in his hond. The prisoner's mother, a respectable looking woman, here came forward, and stated that the prisoner was a most incorrigible lad, though so young, and though he had a comfortable home to go to, and plenty of victuals, he had been twice sent to the House of Correction, once for a month for stealing a toy, and another time for six weeks for stealing some figs; in addition to this, about three months a:;o, he was tried at the Old Bailey and found guilty bs the Jury, but acquitted by the Judge on account of his extreme youth and promises to amend. She thought if he were put out of the way for two or three years it might do hint some good, per haps. She had given up all hopes herself of being able to reform him. The prisoner here comrAenced crying in most piteous tones, and turned imploring glances towards his Mother, but they were of no avail. Mr. HALL said it was very evident that the prisoner was a bad boy. He was fully committed to take his trial at the next Mid dlesex Sessions. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. (THIS I)AY.) John Allen, a young man of respectable appearance, by trade a coach carver, and Harriet Harwood, a woman with whom he cohabited, were placed at the bar on the following charge. Mr. Ludwig Kluths, of No. 8, Church-street, John square, tailor, stated that several months ago the pri soners, who passed as man and wife, took furnished apart ments, and continued to reside there until yesterday even. ing, when, having gained access to the rooms while they were out, he found that every portable article of furniture had been removed, and about 21. worth of feathers taken from out of the bed. He therefore gave them into the custody of the police. On te..rching them at the station-house, twenty-eight pawnbroker's duplicates were found relating to the missing property, which altogether is valued at between 151. and 201.—The prisoners were remanded until Saturday week. UNION-HALL-(TIIIS DAY.) James Collins, a porter at a wharf in Tooley-street, was filed 205., or seven days' imprisonment, for a savage assault on_ a man, named Thorp, by biting him in the face. A distressed-looking object, named William Brown, was charged with stealing a loaf of bread from the shop of a baker, in Union street. He went into the shop and said that he wanted bread, and without further ceremony took up a loaf and ran gev ay . He was followed and taken into custody, and was identified by the com plainant as having taken two loaves on a former occasion, under similar circumstances. The prisoner was committed for seven days, and to be passed, t the expiration of that time, to his parish. Scarcely had this case concluded before three other ragged men were brought up for stealing three loaves from another baker's shop. The prisoners 114 d entered the shop, and taking up a quartern I..af, proceeded to break it, and divided It between them. They were also committed for seven days. WORSHIP-STREET-(THIS DAY.) Gaoss OUTRAGE.—WiIIiam Weldon, a young man of respectable appearance, who stated that he was a surgeon's assistant, living in Het rietta-street, Covent garden, was charged with having vio. lently assaulted Mr. William Reilly, a warehouseman, in Queen . street, Cheapside. The complainant stated that on the preceding night, he was passing along Goswell-road, when he met the prisoner in company with another " gentleman," both of whom .were very much in.. toxicated. As he was passing them the prisoner pushed him vio lently aside, and on being expostulated with for his rudeness, he exclaimed, " You b-, I'll smash your b=y head," and imme ciiate y struck him a severe blow under the eye, which was dis coloured and swollen from the effects of it. He seized the pri soner by the collar, and held him until the arrival of a policeman, into whose custody he consigned him. In his defence, the priscner said he was provoked to commit the assault in co*iscquence of his being taunted and defied by the complainant. Mr. BINGHAM said that he should endeavour to check these street outrages, so as to enable quiet and respectable people to pass along without being subjected to insult and molestation. He should order the prisoner to pay the extreme penalty of 51., or be committed for two months to the House of Correction. NORTH BRUNSWICK AND NOVA- S& OTIA LAND COMPANY. A meeting of the Directors and Prop' ietors of this Company was held this day at the George and Vulture Tavern, Conlinll. One of our Reporters was in attendar.ce from 12 till 1 o'Clock, when he was informed by the Secretary of the Company that the proceedings were private. 0 MONEY and COMMERCIAL N i E ,,,, !S: I tvraanna C.TTON ATARI:I:T. "A wry 9.—"Th , -;•- -- alierat on to notice in the iNia: kat. Wo continue very 113 . t ' mg though prices cannot be ❑qtn ted lower, Ow Market is in tuscur of the buyer, from 013 large quantity laaaieht. ferw_ar'' for Itai eliaiee. ;he sales to day are 4,600 bales, St . o American and ;00 Madras for export. The business con sist. of 50C Surats, 31 to 4a; 60 Bahia tia to 64; 100 Maranhasn 6 to bit; 700 Egyptian 71 1 to 74; and the remainder Arnericaa 41 to 7. Id LIVERPOOL SHARE MARKET.—The Market closes dull a . heavy again to-day, with a tendency to a decline in prices , _ astern, London and Birmingham Quarter Shares MI; 1 Counties 94; Midland Counties Twenty-five Pound sh,!en 194; Great Western Half Shares 61 3-10 ; Grand June?. ISO ditto Half Shares, 90i ;' ditto Quarter Shares 24 3 4 t including Lorsion and Croydon 124. The . MANCHESTER STOCK EXCHAN GE MARCH 9. , lOW ket is very quiet, and stock is mere freely offered. INlan elie l t , and Birmingharns, 284 28 ?, - ; London and South Western, aS 59 ; North Mid:and, 69 70 ; M anc h es t er Assurance , 9i 1;.,,, 'I he accounts from New York reach to the 20th ult. 0 1, Moaey Market was without any material change. lb° b ' ra . discount sparingly, and appear determined to continue a___ dent and cautious policy. Stet-lino' Exchange continued r..; and uudoub.ed bills were freely taken. ' Thee transactions A; hoa ever light on London. The States ranged from 71 i 00 a, don Paris, from sf. 281 to sf. 2:4. Domestic exchangeilsoi dull ; on one o a r two mast points were places, Par li rd en gs Philadelphia, an improvement had taken place, more con ie . being felt in the stability of the remaining banks. Thf ti fg , tuations in stock had not been to any great extent, and ° so fa provement had generally taken place, especially ig!_ 0 1 Stock. The quotation fur New York Five per Cerma joh 764 ; Indiana, Five per Cents. 19 to 194 ; Illinois, 0 19 to li. ' th° 'the accounts from Yew O r l e a ns , via New York, stat e d ig a everal moderate, and one large failur e bad taken place, an is Capesrepreented that money ws excesively scarce. bee ° of Good Hope Paper a s to the s 1 9 th ofJalllll l l h afe _„ received this morning ; they contain no news of importaago„o, The accounts from Mau r iti us , v i a th e C a pe of Goodf m : r .. reach to the 23 of December. The rate of discount on ros e chit bills ranged between 6 and 9 per cent. per annura• n og total quantity of suaar exported for the eleven months e bi g November was 173,499 bags, 612 cas k s , 64 CAWS, W ei g, e tt t nett 23,651,6521b5., against 190,666 bags, weig hing 25 The exported to 30th November, 1840. der The advices from Sydney, via the Overland Mail, are . e dto favourable nature with respect to trade, which is represemoto be in a most distressing state, and that there was nearly' thi cessation of business. The accounts from all the town , 1011 . interior are of a most appalling description, nor w as °Y ear: provement anticipated. Importations were still going °T o er via ly of sprits and wine, the shipper imagining tbst coa r trente low prices of these a r ti c l es wi ll ena bl e co nsignee' to of h e Pete with old shipments not disposed of, which would D e o t ealised, as these articles were totally unsaleable, and tb lopor . too large for any spernalato rs t o enter t h e mar k e t. The ' w ad tation of spirits by the thr ee l as t vesse : s f rom London art i er! to 40,030 gallons of all kind s , an d severa l l arg e shiprot - t alla still to arrive. No alteration had taken place in Wu — Flour. The English Securities opened flat, with but lilt b f u e si lli el doing in them. Consols are 894 Money, and 8 9 g . Atcount ; Exchequer Bills, :As. 3d. tiel ln. The Foreign Seen, itie s are alio flat, with a tendeoel SI ward ; Spanish Active St oc k i s 244 to 24a ; PLirsi°,l. r : 51 ; Deferred, 124 to 12i ; P or t uguese Fi ve per 5 . ,; 7 4 to o'' to 34 ; Ditto 'lhrees, 191 t o 204 ; M ex i can Bonds, ''': Columbian, 241 to 24g. B. PRICES OF SHARES THIS DAY AT ON It AILWAYS. Paid. Per Share. t 0 1 4 Cheltenlian and Great W es t ern . 724 164...a* to Edinburgh and Glasgow 5O - Great Western Ditto Fifths Liverpool and Manchester ... ..100 lB3 ...... I° to•* - ". London am Brighton - Ditto Lean Notes - ~,-4 k to y London and Birmingham 90 .....175 •••••• to ..... Ditto Thirds . to Manchester and Leeds - Ditto i Shares ...... Midland (' aunties .. - 100 North Midland ... ..100 - i i ........... to 26 S)uth Eastern and Dove r 4B JOINT STOCK BANKS. •... tn London and Westminst er . ... .. 20 u `' IP HALF-PAS t 0„w A very limited amo un t o f b us i ness h as b een trange e 4; o 0 ..... ai 1.-- English Funds this morning; the Markets continue heZ2preri, for Money, 89, and Account 894 4 a Exchequer Bills "„ Ilroi°'i In the Foreign_Market the operations have also hee i i ld and prices exhibit no alteration. Mexipan Stock is veer ' Columbian, 24 1 / 2 ; Spanish Active Stock, 244; Pr 12 a; Dutch Five per Cents, 1024. bee it 00 In the - Share Mark e t L on d on an d B r i g hton hav e fo ol •-• at 35 3 4 ; London and Bi rm i ng h am 174 1 / 2 ; Live . ' Manchester 188 ; Midland C oun ti es , 794. 0 0 1 0 QUARTER TO SO Consols, 89,!,891 ; Colombian, 244 0 41 ; Mexican, Siianish, 24% 244. ,-, A .Y.) TIIE MARKETS.--(THIS v • oi WHITECHAPEL. • b fluS o The Market was b ut mo d erate l y supp li e d wit of 0 Clover, and the demand middling fo, all qualities. 0 ., ii• 0 , • 45t11j..e68sssu..prliicy la m oy, i e i s l r d e l es i d n e g ,ed2 a , ;: 2 d it.o th i e 3ols t . ra it t ro le 4 g 1 0 . 0 1 1 5 . 9. F? Firsti i t . C i o n h i i .a aL , v . . 41 : . , . aS. ; S traw, COLONIAL MARKET. 1 e 4l/31 i,orH Prices were firm f or mos t ki n d s o f pro d u ce, but ; i o ta r, - .0 of business done was limit e d f or export. The ho m° ' o r 0 W: ever, had buyers to a f ,ir e x t en t ; they entertain m ore as to the future state of trade. TEA MARKET. t b 0 1, The Market became dull for F r ee Trade Tea, bug veilrake were firm, and obtained full rate s ; Is. Ild. was tb ih. la , Common Congou, cash, and Company's Is. 11/d- P er oll• large public sales declared tend to keep_ th e market TALLOW MARKET. rof b ° ' Prices were firm tor Tallow, but the am 000• 4 84.• transacted was limited. Yell ow C an dl e o n the spo t es e,f.,,l, 495. 3d. for delivery, in th e l as t th ree mon ths of the I ~ ' if il I , stock of Tallow was larg e . ' il CORN A VERA G=. 4 • ' iti y i d GENERAL AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH °d For the Week ended March 4, 1842, made up from tht n sls o the Inspectors in th e diffe rent Cities and 'foowns in '"- Wales, per Imperial ( hurter. :Si• 6 0 ' Wheat G's. 9d. {fats b..rley 2 83 I 30. Rye I ns 3. 4 Peatie..«. - jos , AVERAGES OF THE LAST SIX WER KS : k S. 1 :4 W"ek ending WHEAT. BARLEY. OAT% RYE. 1 i ri - - ..........! 11. 0 3. • 0 Jan. - 28 6O 7 2B 3 20 1 37 4 04 - 1 4 0 Feb. 4 63 6 28 5 20 1 36 1 f' il 0 1 11 18 6O 0 28 5 19 8 37 1 ~:', 10 op 23 ro 10 28 6 10 H 3 t 10 •"„ 0 " '9 .0, March 4 6O 9 28 3 19 1 3: 3 '';scl' 7, IMPERIAL AGGREGATE AVERAGES OF THE 7 ' ~ ''': P Wheat ...... ... (.0/. 541 Oats .......... 19: 101.1 'Bean s ' .......... Itarley. 233 4d. I Rye ..i . 0 W DUTIES ON FOREIGN COEN. . s heat 261 80. I Oats ..., Barley I& . LLOYD'S SHIPPING—(T.• torf• LONDON, MARCH 10.—Wind this day at noon ye -DEAL, MARCH 9.—Wi n d S. S. W., fresh bre e wbiteu m al• Lord Lynedoch, Humble, Mazakan ; Olrnlng' bi It dras ; Mary, Bombay ; C amerons , Y o ung ' P e n /. e i s 4l ll ' om the River, Lady Sa ra h B ay l ey , Jamaica; " New York. Put back John Ilullett for Mauritius. 0. LIVERPOOL, MARCH 9. Wind W. S. are Phmnix, Shaw, Bombay; Theodosia. CushirP,,, of , _Ser Statesman, Queller. Marinham ; Rothschild, e J,ssie Barker, Mribile ; Sarah and Orsila Charlestirn'eral,,,lo ter, Woodhouse, New York, sailed 1941 ult. ;, ( ;o.;:fax shore, Leslie, do. ; Mexican packet, Chaplin, e ff,P F j oat 4 l/ Jan. 20. Sid. Henry Winch, La Guyra. Ar, r ," * The,„e Barbadoes ; England, New York, sailed 19th 01 " sOP" Stanton, Wilson, hence to Baltimore, was Cape Henry, 13th ult., crew The Ge t . g i st s saved. ;o w pt New York to the Clyde, was abandoned in s ' ..; ult., in lat. 41, lon. 57, crew saved. The Welliei/ t WI bler drilen bor pe, hence to Charleston, a sloop, a barque, and se e sol t ° into Belfast Lougli, yesterday. A severe gale at Ferienced at New York, 17th ult. ; OFF DOVER, MARCH 9.--Mary, Me 1 5.41, Hansen, Bahia, f o r Alt ona . g s • W•e:„, . PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 9. Wi n d W. to and squally.--Arrd. Katinka, London, for Jate si liail°"' Bordeaux, for Mauritius ; Alexander Robertson, be Montserrat ; Belgiq ue , Antwerp, for Havannah•A 19/41; PLYMOUTH, MARCH W.N•Mr• -- f,, r A nt London, for Hoba r t T own ; E mera ld, ditto, " elv Clara, ditto, for Jamaica. re la hre oe f' FALMOUTH, MARCH B.—Wind S.W. to —Arrd. Preciosa, Crt,a, Bahia, sailed Jan. 0; London, for Sierra Leone, with damage. „ 101, virh a rtelie OFF SCILLY, MARCH 7.—Adelaide, se t Arrd. off, S sr i ngapatam, C ourtney , Sydney' t Wales, sailed Nov. 7. COWES, :MARCH 9.—Arrd. L oc hiel, Slaw '0,07, leaky, and mu s t di sc h arge ; H arr i ett, Shield% f°r o i, for KINGSTOWN, M ARCH B.—Belgrave, Live r e with bowsprit sprung. SPORTING INT ELLIGEricS• , a (RECEIVED THIS DA -`'', 11 1 ., op , COVENTRY RACES—WEnras Dv . 11 - 1 The Craven Trial St a k es o f 10 save . each , ". 41) 9 Once round and a di e . (10 sub s .) 04; 0 -6 ) Mr. Goodman's Si s t er t o Gl encoe , 4 yrs, 85t 4lb . l ... eln Lord Warwick's ro cby C ame l, 4 y r s, Bst 7 1 h ~.. . e 14 j ' T, 8 followinge st 71b ; Mr. B also started:-111r. st te p t: 7 - 3 11 A I I r v . t l h u r s o a o , k e e l i t e lt Ilb ; 411 f i t 4 yrs, Skerratt's Lydia, 4 yrs, Bst 41b liandicap of 10 sous . ach . , with 30 ad ded ' ' A p e 0 1 . t 4 T . h e e oli e followingla n d ' s C w h e a r n e t i n l l o y t , : 1 11; rnr . es s,,7ss t, Collett'ss 121b—Air. e 2 rib t_o Moonbeam !F C") ; 4 su y b r s s e , riber. ) Mr. W. Fox's Miss Kitty Cockle aged, . 8..5.t..1.0..1.b....• . %.. . ~......11 /30 yet 0 10 1 0 b;;k7 thoroughbredr3list. p 6 la v e r e s a , B ._ st A6-11br. .......... ic,..iiiistitit 1 1 aPPY -go- Lucky A ß: r 3 r . oa S tltt r h it , t 4 '.A 11417esbtrrb4, y ain r %.l 7l4r. ~' yrs., 6st 51b. yrs, , f o r hO eg it The City Stakes of 5 sovs. each,' with 20 adele. , l • o , - t 71b1 0 9 mre.x.itr(am.esll,:lbbg; ; Isli t xe h n r yl e er e ysi y s r l s l , ysrt 9 s s l t .2. 7 l.b l . b .;.. ; ............ r a..g Y . ,1,411 . 2 9 . :::: .,.), ; Mile and half. (9 subs.) (J tjfie , Air. SA eatrnan'i bfby D fence, 4 yrs ••• ............. ..• . ; ..... Mr. Wilder's b g The Tiger, aged ................ ,_ cy j. 111 .. 1 . The following also started, but were nob ,s Wheeldon's b e try Giovanni, 4 yrs • Mr. Jortchi ' 4 yrs , , 3 yrs ; Mr. Clarke's ch gby Napoleon le Gran ' l e Mr. Robinson's Tamwerth, 5 )rs. ea ch, a n ui I A Silver Cup, added to a Handicap of 3 so vs • os ubs• I l the second. Two-mile heats. c i ,l'',o,y) 1 0 Mr. 1 angley's Rancour, 4 yrs, 7st 1216 ••• (-" ra $ Mr. Jobssn's Frank, 6 yrs, Bst ....................... :: 0 0 11/ Mr. Samwell's The Knight, 6 yrs, Bst blb .............. 0 jr , 5.:r. ‘Villiarns's Anvil, 4 yrs, 7st 121 b ... ......... . 2 jr. Mr. Collett's Moonbeam, 4 yrs, Bst 121 h ............. . 0401. 1 , Mr. F. Robins's President, 4 yrs, Bst ... ........ ri ,.. c i ....... ad 0' The Hurdle Hare Stakes of 3 sovs. each, I , .... . .... - 0 Mr Ekins's I)uenna, aged ... ...................... .....• Mr. Ratot e's Sam Weller, aged ................... .• ft(The stakes were di vide• , : .................r... , ..... ww.• ~.e oso , vver w WHAT 1)0 WE TOIL FOR ?--The G— he d it ir- Aio l the read he risks his life to win : that whie,_ l ! 3 000 r;jef ° l ,] obtain, decks some proud Court beauty. The ric e te a d A i the parent adorn the daughter with e very , g b i o od, _, l tit ' i The V 7 ti: r r e,, ,gt , :e , s ,_e li t i t s lro ll , re : e gee t" bs* 00 ' stranger's f 7 r i sTre e ' laurel. h who sow are seldom those who reap. BIRTHS. P il , fS i i .a , la d o On the 9th inst., in Eaton squisre, th e - •," 1 horold, Hart., of a son and heir. lady 0f 1) On the 4th inst., at the Cedars, Putney., th e _ , , / I , sol v tlf, n.nt-Colonel G. Hutchinson, Bengal Engineers I.doic,, On the sth inst. ,at Biggleswade, Mrs. woo ,Gri ef. w i On the 6th inst., at Cheltenham, the lady or, al° ff 11 , 4weg, of a daughter. .: . r --. 1 •7 7 . 1 700 6 Y 'l . ,tittoo , 1-1-rated <aid Published by AIIRD?, 0 Stra g , :q^. 11 . 6 tran.:, at The Sux Qttee, No. ":" 1 841. the County of Middlesex, Thvaday, March lvf ANTICIPATED EARTHQUAKE. The delusion of the earthquake appears to increase as the time approaches when it is expected to come into operation. Tester. day two of the Irish steamers, which left London in the course of the day, were literally crowded with passengers, and the Captain of one of them told the writer that the only living creatures they brought to London were pigs. Many a man, and woman too, has turned their pretended alarm to good account, by moving from one part of London to another in a great hurry, leaving the landlord to reconcile himself to his loss of rent and empty houses. The Magistrates at the Thames Police-office have been more aen once or twice required to adjust the differences between indi viduals arising out of the popular delusion. Yesterday one Owen Matthews, from Cork, complained of what he called an " an attack of the earthquake," perpetrated by Mike Donnolly, a countryman of his. Mr. Matthews having given some offence to Mike, the latter took a " dthrop o' the cratur," and waited on the com plainant to tell him his miud, when he took occasion to hint that it was such as him (the complainant) that the earth quake was coming to swallow up. At this Matthews became very much enraged, and pushed Mike and his wife out of the house, which operation brought the nose of the one and the fist of the other within a very unpleasant proximity of each other. At this moment Tim Casey was passing, and of course could not resist the temptation of joining in the row. Mrs. Mike Donnolly, seeing this reinforcement opposed to her husband, took part in the melee herself, when all the lot, either by the shock of an earthquake or some other force, found themselves embracing tlfeir kindred mud in the street. A worthy po' iceman then interposed, and caused operations to be suspended. The Magistrate seemed to think the affair was no more than an Irish row, " everybody pitch into everybody," and dismissed the case. ENGLISH NAVY.—Captains Alarryat and Glasscock have each given us very interesting sketches and scenes, drawn from actual observation, of our gallant tars, but Cooper, the celebrated author of " Tne Pilot," i n hi s new story, " The Two Admirals,' just published, for the first time places before u-, in h.s own unrivalled manner, a fleet of Eng lish men-of-war. it. is impo sible to jrn3gine a finer theme for such a writer. His new story the scenes of which are English altegethtr, and the time the midele of the last century, will possess even m ire interest than his previous far-lamed romances, which have made his name familiar as housM.old words in England as well as in America, as the greatest writer of Laval stories who has yet appeared. ALARMING EXPLOSION IN LAMBETH.—Some alarm was created in the Lower. marsh Lambeth, this morning, at about 11 o'clock, in conserinence of an explosion of chlorite of potash, and in the manufacture of lucifer matches, on the premises of Mr. Thomas flag, oil and colourman. Mr. Hall, who was mixing the composition at the time, had his hand s burned in a dreadful planner. The fire occasioned by it was extinguished before it had done any serious mischief.,. This morning, between seven and eight o'clock, a man named Jahn Concrief, forty years of age, in the employ of Air. Williams, builder, of No. 57 Museum-street, Blooms bury, met with a h orr ibl e death, by being crushed between the wheel of th e cart h e was driving and a ga t e -post in S i yard. The instant the calamitous coccuiree was, by the police observed was placed on a stretcher aud emsveyed ce to Cb4rnig.erp.s Hospital, b u t lif e Iran found to be exto!t! . _ tip 07Q Ntr i, o