The Sun. — London, England, 1849-06-15 00:00:00

, N FRANCE. [The following appeared in our Third Edition of 1 sit night] : We find in the afternoon edition of Galignani Messenger of yesterday (published at, half-past two o'clock) the following account of the great Demo cratic demonstration : " DZMOCRATIC DEMONSTRATION.—A manifestation composed of National Guards, students of the different schools, and a number of workmen, which had been got up by the leading members of the Mountain, and the ultra-democratic party, took place this morning. The muster was made at the Chateau d'Eau, on the Boule vard du Temple, and reckoned in number about from 15,000 to 20,000, about two-thirds of whom were Na tional Guards in uniform but without arms. Chef de Bataillon Etienne Arago marched at the head of the cortege, which directed its course towards the National Assembly. Immense numbers of workmen were as sembled on the foot pavement, as well as at the Portes St. Denis and St. Martin, but the majority of them looked on with careless indifference, not even responding to the cry of Vive la ROiubliqte!" Vive In Constitu tion!' which was raised by those forming the procession, and which was indeed the only cry raised, the Rd publique democratique et sociale' being on this occasion set aside. All the shops in the line of march were closed, but nothing like a symptom of disturbance was visible. Not a single sargeet-de-ville was to be seen, the authorities evidently wishing to avoid all excuse for collision ; but large bodies of National Guards were under arms at their resp..ctive points of muster. In the neighbourhood of the Assembly everything was per fectly quiet during the morning. About 1 o'clock, intel ligence having arrived that a large body of men were ap• proaching, troops were sent for to the Esplanade of the Invalides, and, almost immediately, four squadrons of lancers came down the quay, crossed the bridge, and took up positions in front of the Garde-Meuble, at the same time blocking up the Rue Royal, Rue St. Floren tin, and the other streets leading to the Place de la Con corde. The Tuileries Gardens were closed, being strongly occupied by the troops. At about half-past one o'clock, the Claasseurs of Vincennes were seen to issue suddenly from the Gardens, and run with great speed across the Place de la Concorde towards the Rue de la Paix. A strong body of cuirassiers came up immediately after at full trot. At the end of the Rue de la Pais, the baly forming the demonstration were met by the troops, and it being sig nified to them that they must at once disperse, the body was bro ken by the troops, one party withdrawinr , by the small streets leading down from the Boulevard, and the rest towards the Madeleine. General Changarnier was pre sent, with the Prefect of- Police, when the summons to disperse was made. In an instant the Boulevards were cleared by large bodies of cavalry, and the demonstra tion ended. Some accidents occurred whilst the cavalry was proceeding down the Boulevards; one dragoon being hurt by a fall, and a National Guard having had his fete cut with a sabre. The paosages remained inter rupted in the neighbourhood of the Rue de la Paix. The demonstration, we understand, bore with them a petition to the Legislative Assembly against the war at Home. At the hour of going to press everything was quiet." Although all the persons walking in this procession were unar.ned, and although no violence was at tempted, the Government, i, will be seen, Ins made this the excuse for proposing to destroy the Constitu • tion by giving power to the President to declare, not Paris only, but the whole of France in a Ft.-ite of siege. The Legislative Assembly met yesterday at three o'clock. It had adjourned over to Thursday, but the Ministers sent special invitations to their own friends to meet, and about 400 assembled. M. Dupin was in the chair. The greatest agita tion prevailed. All the Ministry were present. Ge nerals Ledo and Lebreton and Colonel Murat were dressed in their uniforms. Several members demanded that the names of the representatives should be called over, in order to ascertain what members were absent. This proposition was debated for some time without result, when a member ascended the tribune, and called on Ministers, in the present grave circumstances, to give explanations to the Assembly on the situation of Paris. M. Odilon Barrot said that at the sitting of Monday direct provocations to revolt had been ad dressed to the people. On being defied to carry their threats into execution their authors withdrew or explained them on Tuesday. It would now remain for justice to decide whether their explanations were sincere. Justice woald visit with condign punishment those who had assumed, in the presence of God and men, the responsibility of the blood which might deluge Paris for the third time. This morning a degree of agitation manifested itself in certain quarters of the city. Revolutionary, illegal, and seditious assemblages took place, in violation of all laws. Artizans of disorder and anarchy were mixed up with them. A. few citizens dressed in the unitorm of the National Guard also joined the groups, in which cries were uttered, and designs manifested to overturn the present Government, the offspring of universal suffrage. Those strange republicans for the third time assailed the Govern ment. The authorities, aware of their hostile inten tions against the Assembly, prepared means of repression. All the men entrusted with the peace of the city were at their posts. Those assemblages were dispersed, and vanished before the attitude of the armed force. On separating, however, they announced that they would construct barricades, and he had reason to know that such an attempt had been made. The Minister of the Interior was watching, and would apprise the Assembly of the march of events. For his part, he (M. Odilon Barrot) considered the circumstances sufficiently grave to de mand that the Assembly should constitute itself imper manence.— (Approbation.) This measure was the more indispensable, as it should be ready to provide against every contingency. It should evince neither weakness nor precipitation in the face of the enemies of the laws. If the measures at the disposal of the Government were insufficient to repress an armed insurrection, more energetic and rapid means of re pression would be demanded. M. Odilon Barrot was preparing to quit the tribune, when an officer handed him a letter from M. Dufaure, Minister of the In terior, containing the following decree, which he submitted to the approbation of the Assembly : "In the name of the French people, the President of the Republic charges the President of the Council to present to the Legislative Assembly the following project of law :—Considering that an armed insurrec tion, directed against the Constitutional power of the Republic has taken place in Paris, and that it may ex tend to other cities of France—considering the import ance of arming the Government with all the means necessary to insure the prompt and efficacious repres sion of that insurrection, to enforce respect for the laws, and maintain the Constitution : " Article 1. The city of Paris and all the territory comprised within the first military division are de clared in a state of siege. " Article 2. That measures may be extended to the cities in which similar insurrections might take place, and when the Prefects shall have established by a decree the fact of the revolt against the laws. Given at the Elysea Nationale, on the 13th of Jane, 1849. (Signed) " LOUIS NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. (Countersigned) " ODILON B ARROT, Minister of Justice." This communication was received with loud ap plause by the Assembly. M. Lagrange next rose and said, that many of his colleagues of the Left had not received invitations to attend in time to be present. The letters having only been issued at two o'clock, he thought that so important a measure as the state of siege could not be discussed with closed doors, and in the absence of the reporters of the press and that the Assembly would not vote, under such circumstances, a resolu tion which must deluge the country with blood, and probably bring about the destruction of the Republic. This address produced a lively agitation. In one of the groups M. Taschereau and General Leydet were seen discussing with considerable animation, and when the former withdrew and proceeded towards his seat, the General made a movement as if he in tended to kick him. This gesture, which was per ceived by the whole Assembly, excited universal in dignation. Several of the younger members of the Right, amongst whom we noticed M. de Morny, ad winced with hostile intentions towards the G eneral, before whom M. Bean and several others of his friends placed themselves to protect him. In the midst of the tumult, M. Pierre Bonaparte ran up to the tribune, and said that the General had yielded to a movement of vivacity which he was the first to deplore, and begged leave to explain. The President, nevertheless, called the General to order, who after wards muttered a few words of apology. The Assembly subsequently, and by an almost unanimous vote, declared itself en permanence. The President having next consulted the Chamber respecting the expediency of withdrawing into its bureaux to examine the State of Siege Bill, a Member from the Left declared that, being on the Boulevard, he had witnessed the dispersion of an assemblage of the people by a charge of cavalry, and this was the only symptom of civil war he had seen. He accordingly thought that the proposed measure was useless. M. Dufaure, Minister of the' Interior, next de manded urgency. The furious provocations, he said, contained in the journals, and which were unparal leled in the annals of the former revolution, rendered the measure indispensable. The greatest part of the population had remained deaf to them, but he re gretted to say another portion had hearkened to them, and placed the Government in the cruel necessity of dispersing them by force. The rioters had retired, crying to arms, and on some points shots were fired upon the troops, and barricades were erected. The G o _ vernment was anxious to be armed with means suffi ciently energetic to avoid a sanguinary repression, and to substitute the force of laws to the force of arms, and he trusted that the Assembly would im mediately vote the Bill. The Assembly afterwards declared the discussion urgent, and retired into its bureaux. It is said that M. Etienne Arago has been arrested. HOLLAND. THE HAGUE, the sittings of the Second Chamber on Monday a Royal Message was brought, accompanying a project of law relative to the abolition of some extraordinary taxes in the Pro vince of Brabant. The project of law fixing the Royal expenditure to a certain sum, in lieu of the method hitherto pursued, was also brought under discussion. This project, which is contained in 102 printed pages, regulating the income of the Crown lands, &c., has given very great and general satisfaction. The First Chamber of the States General was to have re-assembled on the 12th June. DORDRECHT, JUNE 11.—The cholera here is still on the increase. Since the Bth 27 new cases have occurred, 11 of which proved fatal, and only six recovered. Total since the commencement of the disease, 140. Deaths 74, recoveries 27, under treat ment 39. It is considered remarkable that an aged woman, 88 years old, who had a serious attack of the cholera, is perfectly restored. THE IMPROVIDENCE OF A PEOPLE. In the eyes of foreigners we are a wealthy, money making, provident people. We labour unceasingly with our hands and with our heads; we amass wealth, we support our charities with a munificence which redeems, in a great measure, the refinement and amount of our vices; our argosies float in every sea, we are called into and sway the councils of other nations, greater in extent, but weaker in powsr, and the sun never goes down upon our vast possessions, but shines perennially upon them; yet we are not, as a people, provident. The soft stirring sounds of music from the palace fall upon the ear of the wretch languishing in poverty and rags upon his pallet, such is the proximity of wealth and squalor—magnifi cence and filth. In the highways of the sister isle, men, women, and children, whose lives have been one long, dark, bitter, night of agony and suffering, unche quered by the slightest gleam of sunshine, the amount and extent of which no pen can paint, lie down and die of disease and famine; thousands here want work, and to want work is to want bread, lodging, and raiment; yet are we an improvident people, when we have the means of being provident. To hear that a man has died and left his family without a farthing—left them to chance—to live or perish anywhere; in the work house, in the prison, or the street, is so common an oc currence as not to be regarded as such things should, as the integral parts of a disaster, which in the aggregate amounts to a national calamity! Forecast and the merest prudence would obviate this to a vast extent. The mass of the people possess no capital save their la bour, and the sustenance which it produces may. the next moment, be impaired or taken away altoge;her. It becomes therefore the absolute duty of the poorest man is provide, in however slight a degree, for the support of hiirself and his family in that season of helplessness which comes upon men when they least expect such a visitation. The curtailment of some slight enjoynat nt—a glass of beer, or a "screw" less a day-- wouti ees fei 3 a man of twenty-five years of age to pro vide, by the aid of those humane establishments which have hem formed for the accomplishment of so much good—the assurance offices of the metropolis-501. to his family on his death, or a small annuity when he reaches a ' eivsn age. The assurance of life has been esteemed by the ignorant a luxury, which the opulent classes alone could purchase. It is obvious, from what we have said, that nut only is life assurance within the means of the humblest mechanic, but that from the precarious nature of their subsistence and the poverty which their decease would entail upon those they must leave behind them, it is more incumbent upon them to make some pro vision, however small, for the future, than any other clsss of society! The man whose thoughts do not extend beyond the mere gratification of the wants of the day is on a par with the mere animal; forecast shows the mastery over the lower passions of our nature; it is our duty. there fore, to exercise it to the best of our ability; and, as we have said, there are few who cannot do so. Life assur ance, let it bs borne in mind, is a barricade thrown up against the foul fiends—want and misery ! Again: but a small portion of the industrious classes seem alive to the fact that few homes are worth more than the amount of the accumulated rent for ten years. By baoming a member of a Building and Investment Society he may buy a house outright for the ten years' rent; the money is famished by the society; he mort gages the house to it as security for his payment of the rent to it for about ten years, it is then delivered up to him intact—it is his for ever! The mass of the people know nothing of the advan tages to be thus obtained. Let those whose attention has not been arrested by these simple facts pause ere they are beyond their reach. They e.trn money, and they spend it all; show them how they can be pro ♦ident—give them an interest in their labour beyond sepplying the mere wants of the present hour, and you create better citizens, better morals, and, at the same time, a social police, who, having something to lose, would array themselves against the reckless and the tur bulent for the common benefit and protection of all. " Procrastination is the thief of time;" the boldest and the strongest often go down into the valley of death be fore the weak and dying;—the head of a family, whose labour brings present comfort and happiness,—whose death would bring misery and agony—unfathomable wretchedness,—may be btricken down among the dead this night. Let those who would lessen the agony of the throes of death recollect that they must work out their own redemption; and that if they defer the preparation for the work until the back is bowel and the head is bleached, the effort will be vain and fruitless. They will thus add to the pains of the deathbed the wild agony of despair—the thought that, by the smallest expenditure of money in earlier life, that despair would not have taken the place of happiness and peace, and that those fur whom they were bound to provide by every law, human and divine, would have been left in comfort in stead of in deplorable wretchedness !— The Reporter and Savings' Banks Advocate. PEDESTRIANISM". THE MATCH TO LEAP 500 HURDLES.—The trial of activity, speed, and strength, between J. Sullivan and J. Thomas. wherein they agreed to leap 500 hurdles, three feet six inches high, and each hurdle twenty yards distant from the preceding one, for 25 sovs. aside, was decided on Tuesday, at the enclosure of the Rosemary Branch, Peckham, in presence of many hundred spec tators. At a few minutes after four, the hurdles, 25 in number, being duly placed in a circuit of 500 yards, which, of course, had to be two hundred times tra versed, the competitors appeared in racing gear. Per sons unacquainted with gymnastic exercises can form but an imperfect estimate of the amount of muscular energy necessary to such a long and repeated call on the physical power and stamina of the performers as that which we now record. The distance to be run is 5,000 yards, three miles within 280 yards, the length being made up by the distance added in the rise and fall of the leaps, to say nothing of the tremendous tax on bodily endurance called for in the oft-recurring efforts. On going off, Sullivan led for a round or two, Thomas seeming to wait on his opponent. Towards the half of their task, Thomas passed his competitor, and went a trifle ahead, both men jumping the hurdles with perse verance and vigour. About the 400th Sullivan seemed to tire, and Thomas was still further in front—say ten or twelve hurdles. Sullivan rallied, however, and after a gallant struggle, Thomas went in a winner by three hurdles, amid general cheering. THREE MILE RACE FOR A TIME•PIECE, VALUE 5/. Six well-known runners started fur this prise, namely, Bull, Bond, Johnson, Cook, Adkins, and Perkins. The race was well contested, the handicap being thus ar sanged:—Bull and Bond from the starting place, Cook and Johnson twenty yards in advance, Adkins and Per kins 100 yards start. The first round Perkins led, Adkins, Johnson, and the other pair nearly together thus early. At the second turn Perkins was in the same position. In the third, Perkins having been passed, run off the course, and Adkins soon after followed suit. Bull now led, Jo hnson, Cook, and Bond, in close at tendance. At the fifth round Bull was ten yards in front, Cook close to Johnson, but still second, and here abouts Bond also fell out of the contest. Cook per severed and Johnson persevered, and a game struggle ended by Bull winning by four yards, Cook second, and Johnson, who gave up a hundred yards from home, forty yards behind. BIRMINGHAM, WEDNESDAY.—WOMBRELL'S ELE lANTtsse.—nwoiltuthsliystusattated by persons who have just come down ui fro m. Cov i e n n s t u r r y :d t , h i a f t n M ot r . killed,l o m by y e I onel's son f has th e been portion of the collection now in the p ab h o as v nt e city. It appears that tenenagerie left Birming ham on Sunday last, and r eache d Ccorentry in the course to a some cause the of the day, for the annual fair Mr.til h w i a m s s O w ing e d l i f un t i h sed c e a n d keeper of the elephant Womb well, jun., took upon About mid-day he went to feed him, when, beineganoinaltaoli 1 temper, it is supposed in consequence of a short delay in feeding him, he became furious, and ran his tusks into 1 several parts of Mr. Wombwell's body, after which he beat him dreadfully with his trunk. Assistance was im mediately rendered, and he was removed from the cara van apparently in a lifeless state, and his death has been reported. PERSECUTION OF TRADES' UNIONISTS.—A public meeting of the trades of London was held at the National Hail, Holborn, on Wednesday evening, for the purpose of taking into consideration the cases of Messrs. Drury, Marsden, Bullass, and Hall, the four razor-grinders in carcerated in York Castle at the instance of the Sheffield Manufacturers' Protection Society, and to adopt such measures as might appear best calculated to assist in enabling them to obtain that justice allowed by the laws of the country, and that might tend to restore them to society. Mr. Alexander took the chair, and explained the object of the meeting. Ho said " the defence of the above men had al ready cost the Trades Union a thousand pounds, but to preserve them from the tyrannical proceeding to which they had been subjected, he had no doubt they would still extend their aid to those badly-used men." Resolu tions is favour of the objects of the meeting were proposed and !token to by Messrs. Lancaster, Roberts, Edwaras, Wood, Clark, Wilson, and Peel, who all strongly recommended the necessity of sub scribing on behalf of the men incarcerated. A vote of thanks having been passed to the chairman, the meeting, which was numerously attended, separated. Haymaking has commenced near Stamford, in the meadows where the cutting is usually early. The crops generally are pretty good, though some of them, in low, situations, were injured by the floods last week. Mr. F. Wildbore, of the Stamford Hotel, has carrieel and stacked a crop from a close in Sr. Martin's, near the railway. The hay harvest will be pretty general next week. Everywhere, seemingly, the produce will be large,— Stamford Mercury. THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING-, JUNE 15 1 1849. INSTITUTION OF CIVIL EN GINEERS. TUESDAY, JUNE 12, ]849. (JOSHUA. FIELD, Esq , President, in the Chair.) The first paper read was " A Description of the Con struction of a Collar Roof, with arched trusses of bent timber, at East Horseley Park," by the Right Hon. the Earl of Lovelace, ASSOC. Inst. C. E. The roof, which covered a hall of fifty-six feet long by twenty four feet wide, was described as being sus tained by four arched trusses, springing from stone cor bels. The ribs of these were each composed of four layers of deals, three inches thick, bent to the required form by steam heat. All the mouldings surrounding the tracery were also bent to the required forms in the same manner, thus giving great strength and lightness, as well as performing the work with greater economy of labour. The tracery was cut out from two thicknesses, half an inch each, of tub stave oak, glued together, with the fibres at right angles to each other, which facilitated the carving, and gave greater strength to the minute tracery. The ceiling was formed of half-inch diagonal board ing, and as the slate battens crossed it in a horizontal direction, the roof was strongly braced against the action of wind, and the staining of the alternate boards gave a pleasinc , variety of effect. This kind of construction was first suggested by Col. Emy, in his work on Carpentry, but he applied it to much flatter roofs of large span, whereas Lord Love lace's intention was to demonstrate its applicability to roofs for edifices in the pointed and Tudor styles, and to show that great advantage would result from bending timbers rather than cutting them to the requisite forms; tiat the thru,t of the roof might be entirely taken from the upper part of the wall., and carried far down them, and that such a construction might be adopted as would satisfy every condition of solidity, and, at the same time, admit of considerable decoration. _ _ _ _ In the discussion which ensued, the ingenuity of the design and of the mode of execution of the roof, were equally approved, and tho Noble Earl was deservedly complimented for the motives which induced him to bring to the institution the account of one of his works. The second paper was a " Statement of Observations made on the Initial and Terminal Velocities of Trains in descending Inclined Planes," by Captain W. Moorsom, M. Inst. C. E. The observations were 82 in number, and were made during the ordinary passing of trains on the Waterford and Kilkenny Railway, the gauge of which is 5 feet 3 inches, over two adjoining inclines, each falling at the rate of 1 in 100 for upwards of a mile and a halt; with a short intermediate level between them. The speed at which the descent was begun varied from 20 to nearly 44 miles per hour, and the loads varied from 32 to 94 tons. One of the plains presented for the greater part of its leeght two curves of a, radius of l 4 and 11-6 miles re spectively, and the other plane was straight for part of its length, but contained a curve of 21 miles radius. The general results in the more curved plane were, that initial velocities of 20 to 30 miles per hour, at the top of the place, became terminable at velocities of 24 to 28 miles per hour; and on the straighter plane the same initial velocities became terminable between 29 and 31 miles per hour. Again, on the more curved plane, initial velocities be tween 30 and 40 miles per hour, became terminal at ve locities between 294 and 311 miles per hour; and on the straighter plane the same initial velocities became ter minal at 304 to 331 miles per hour. Initial velocities above 40 miles per hour were noted only upon the more curved plane, and became terminal at 30 to 31 miles per hour. There did not appear to be any constant proportion between the load in motion and the terminal velocity; but the latter appeared to he de pendant more upon initial velocity than upon the weight or character of frontage of the trains. The general practical conclusion was deduced, that the question of gauge had little or nothing to do with ter minal velocity derived from gravity, and that the views generally entertained by engineers, during past years, of the great resistances experienced by trains at high velocities were borne out by the observations recorded in the paper. The proceedings of the evening concluded with a paper by Lieut.-Col. Hary D. Jones, R. E., M. Inst. C. E., descriptive of the bridge at Athlone, erected under the authority of the Shannon Commissioners, from the de signs of Mr. Rhodes, M. Inst. C. E. The paper described the great difficulties experienced from the rush of water into the coffer-dams, through the porous gravel stratum in which they were placed, and the ingenious modes of overcoming these impediments. The bridge, of three :arches of stone, and one of iron, the latter having: the means of opening for the naviga tion, was fully:described, and was admitted to be not only a beautiful structure, but to have been built for a small sum (about 24,0001.) considering its extent. A beautiful set of drawings, and the printed specifications for the work, illustrated the paper. The paper announced to be read at the meeting of Tuesday, June 19, was " On the employment of High pressure Steam for Marine Engines," by Mr. John Sea ward, M. Inst. C. E. THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON, LORD WINCHILSEA, LORD CARDIGAN, CAPTAIN DOUGLAS AND THE BULL. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SIR,—On considering the case of Captain Douglas I cannot avoid coming to the conclusion that great injus tice has been done to that gentleman. Amusing himself with others by pistol practice on the ramparts of one of the Channel islands, a bull happened to be shot, and an investigation was instituted by the civil and military authorities to ascertain who shot the animal. Captain Douglas avoided criminating himself; he availed himself of a privilege possessed by every British subject, and for so doing he was arraigned before a general court-martial and pronounced guilty of "conduct unbecoming the cha racter of an officer and a gentleman." Had the penalty for shooting the bull been merely to remunerate the owner for the damage done to his property, I have no doubt Captain Douglas would willingly have done so at once, but there exists (I know, and my pocket can testify to the fact) a most severe law in the Channel islands respecting the destruction of property. For instance, if a man breaks a lamp in the stret, he is not only obliged to pay for that lamp, but for every one which has been destroyed since the last lampbreaker was convicted; and the same with bulls, and I presume with cows also. Had Captain Douglas been convicted by the civil power of the offence of shooting the bull in question, he would doubtless have had to pay for every one of that genus of animals which had come to an untimely end since the last unauthorised destroyer was convicted. There there fore existed a much more cogent reason for Captain Douglas to have made the most of the position in which his thoughtle,sness had placed him than persons un acquainted with the customs of the Channel islands would suppose. Let me be fully understood. If it ap peared to me that he was actuated by a desire to avoid remunerating the owner of the bull, I would be the last person to advocate his cause. Even then the moral tur pitude would not be in the instances upon which the charges against him were framed. Had the Duke of Wellington succeeded in shooting Lord Winchilsea, would not his Grace have considered it a cruel hardship, had he been tried by a general court-martial for " con duct unbecoming the character of an officer and a gen tleman" without he did not confess that he had done so? And who supposes that his Grace would have made the admission? Lord Cardigan, Lieutenant. Colonel of Prince Albert's Hussars, was tried by the House of Lords for wounding Mr. Harvey Tuckett by shooting him, and pleaded "Not guilty." By a parity of the reasoning that obtained in Captain Douglas's case should not his Lordship have been tried by a general court-martial for "conduct un becoming the character of an officer and a gentleman" in having falsely stated in the House of Lords that he did not wound the said Mr. Harvey Tuckett? But, to conclude my observations and questions. Should her Britannic Majesty be disposed to imitate the Roman Justinian, and appoint commissioners to pre pare a military code from collections previously made, as well as from intermediate decisions, it would not, in my opinion, fail to strike a modern Tribonian that the addition of an article of war similar to the following is essentially requisite to preserve officers who may here after chance to shoot bulls from the dilemma of being convicted of conduct unbecoming the characters of officers and gentlemen by courts-martial:— "PROPOSED ADDITIONAL ♦RTIALE OF WAR. "Any officer who shall shoot or wound a man shall be permitted to avail himself of his privilege as a British subject in not being required to criminate himself; but if any officer shall shoot or wound a bull, and if he shall avoid or evade being led into an admission of having shot or wounded the bull, or, if he shall not at once dis close and discover to the authorities, civil and military, the whole and every part of his participation in shooting or wounding the bull, he shall be accused of falsehood, arraigned before a general court.martial, and upon conviction of all or either of the aforesaid offences she be cashiered." June a. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF L6RDS, June 14. Their Lordships assembled at Five o'clock. TURNPIKE TRUSTS UNION BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed. PETITIONS. The Archbishop of CANTERBURY presented several petitions in favour of the Bill for the better protection of women. The Earl of MANSFIELD presented several petitions with a similar prayer. CASE OF SMITH O'BRIEN. Lord CAMPBELL rose to draw their Lordships' im vediate attention to a most important subject. Their Lordships would recollect that last year William Smith O'Brien had been tried and convicted for high tretteon and sentenced to death. That judgment had been brought before the Courts in Ireland, and ultimately be fore their Lordships, and had been affirmed. Thus the unfortunate convict was clearly liable to suffer that sentence of the law, but upon a merciful consideration of the case it was thought that his life might be spared, and an intimation was given that on condition of his being transported for life his life would be spared. It might be thought that these conditions would be accepted, but, on the contrary, William Smith O'Brien, while acknowledging his liability to suf fer death, declared that the Crown had no power of making conditions, and refused to accept pardon under those conditions. He had himself no doubt but that the Crown already possessed the power of enforcing this transportation; but as doubts had arisen on the subject, inasmuch as the Crown had the power of doing so in cases of treason and felonies in Eng land, and in felonies in Ireland, yet it was contended that the Crown bad no such power as regarded treason inlreland. Although he believed the Crown did possess such power, yet, to prevent litigation, he proposed to introduce a Bill declaring and enacting that in cases of high treason in Ireland the Crown possessed the power of pardoning or of substituting transportation for the punishment of death.—(Hear.) He proposed that it should be read a first time to-day, and he should move that it be read a second time to-morrow, and that the standing orders be suspended, so that the Bill might be carried with as little delay as possible. Lord BROUGHAM, after paying a high compliment to the Irish Judges for the manner in which they had conducted the trial, expressed his approbation of the course pursued by the Government in introducing this declaratory Bill, rather than wasting time in litigation. The conduct of the convict was the last act of vanity of a vain man. Had he had the least idea that he should have been taken at his word, and have been hanged, he would have gladly embraced the offer made to him by the Government. The Earl of DEVON passed a high eulogium upon the manner in which the Judges had administered the law throughout the whole of the proceedings against Smith O'Brien and his companions. Lord DENMAN considered that there was no doubt whatever but that the C/,`WCII possessed the power of commuting the punishment of death for transportation in those cases, and he also expres3( d his high approbation of the manner in which the Irish Judges and Irish juries had discharged their duty. The Bill was then read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time to-raprrow. CANADA. Earl GREY moved for certain papers relating to Canada, and expressed a hope that the Noble and Learned Lord would liy upon the table the terms of the motion of which he had given notice on this subject for Tuesday. Lord BROUGHAM would send the terms of the mo tion to the Noble Earl in the course of the evening. PARLIAMENTARY OATHS BILL. The Earl of CARLISLE gave notice that he should move the second reaeing of the Parliamentary Oaths Bill on Tuesday, the 26th instant. PETITIONS. Earl STANHOPE presented several petitions, com plaining of agricultural distress, and praying for the re enactment of the corn-laws. The Noble Earl, at some length, urged the dangers to which the country would be exposed by a perseverance in the path of free trade, and denounced " the unexampled perfidy and shameless apostacy" which had marked the, carrying of the repeal of the corn-laws, and inquired whether her Majesty's Government intended to offer any compensation to the agricultural interests for the loss of protection, by re pealing the tax on malt or any other of the taxes affect ing farmers. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE said her Majesty's Government did not intend to propose the repeal of any of those taxes. Earl STANHOPE then continued to argue that protection must be maintained, or the real interests of the country would be destroyed. He condemned the economy which induced the Government to discharge 700 artificers from the Dockyards at Portsmouth. It they did not do justice to the people they might re sort to a passive resistance by a refusal to pay taxes, which no Government could successfully resist. The last point he had to urge was, that the labourers might be driven to destitution by this agricultural distress. It had been formerly said that low prices re sulted from a superabundant harvest, but never, until now, had it been argued that a deficient supply caused low prices. Wheat could be supplied in the port of London, all charges paid, at 259. the quarter. There was throughout the country agricultural distress and general discontent. All classes ought to meet, and with a voice of thunder, call for a redress of their grievances, and a restoration of their rights. Let them look to the state of their colonies. Their system of free trade had confiscated the property of the planters in the West Indies. When they saw such revolutionary movements on the continent, they ought to act before it was too late, for they should know that patience has its limits ; bat if the Government had the hardihood to persevere in their present system, the consequence would be a most disastrous revolution. The Bishop of OXFORD presented petitions from Macclesfield and other places, in favour of the Bill for the protection of women. The Marquis of SALISBURY presented a petition from Wisbeech and the surrounding neighbourhood, complaining of the adoption of free trade. It was signed by parties engaged in every branch of industry. He said every interest in the country was suffering from want or employment. The petitioners prayed fur pro tection to native industry. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a petition from the borough of Forces, in favour of the Police, (Scotland) Bill. PROTECTION OF WOMEN BILL. The Bishop of OXFORD then moved the third read ing of the Protection of Women Bill. He said the Bill would not accomplish all he should desire to be done upon the subject, but would effect some good, and embrace all that could be effected at present. It was also free from the objections which had been raised against the Bill of last session. Lord CAMPBELL said he would be most happy to see the objects aimed at by this Bill effected, and fully appreciated the laudable motives which actuated the originators of it, but the Bill could do no good, and might do great injury. All those who had attempted to interfere in ;his matter were placed in the alternative either of legislating for that which was not a crime, or for that which was a crime already, and which the law was ready to punish. The Earl of Mountcashel sought to make fornication a crime to be punished by law. He would point out what the Bill proposed to effect. It provided " that if any one for lucre or gain, and by false pretences, should solicit any woman for illicit intercourse with any man, he should suffer im prisonment for two years and bard labour." Now that was at present by the common law a misdemeanour. A plot to corrupt female innocence was at present held to be a conspiracy, for which a party might be indicted and punished. A case occurred in which a nobleman in the reign of Charles the Second had been tried for seducing from her home a young lady of quality. In that case Lord Pemberton laid the law down as all his predeces sors had done, that it was a misdemeanour, which it continued to be. Offecces of that description were de scribed by Lord Mansfield as misdemeanours, and the Bill of the Right Rev. Prelate did no more than what the existing law rendered criminal. It could not, there fore, have any good effect in improving the law; it did not facilitate prosecutions, the bringing forward of evi dence, or to punish the offenders. It a third party com bined to destroy an innocent female the common law punished him; whereas by the present Bill it is only an offence when done for the lucre of gain. It only applied when corruption took place under false pretences. These foul practices were carried on very often not under false pretences, for promises had been often made, and sometimes carried into effect too, of parties getting settlements, carriages to ride in Hyde-park, and the offence committed; but the measure of the Right Rev. Prelate did not meet such cases. He believed, with the Lord Chief Justice of England, that nothing more could be done in connexion with this subject bylegisla tion—that no remedy could be found, except by improv ing the morals of the people; but not wishing to treat the Right Rev. Prelate with discourtesy, he should not m sa o y v n e o t t ha c t on i t t en b t e t r o hetade motion. thatday six months, but simply The Bishop of NORWICH observed' that it was simply to the infamous traffic carried on that the Bill was directed, and their Lordships had no idea of how that was conducted. It was well known that persons were engaged throughout the country fo o r nea n nw o da o so t bn h so e et r rve p erdi u m rp tihn o aa se lt but to seduce and ruin innocent young persons. For his own part he should certainly give it his support to put an end etilehaßtyaoieti in such au d psc mobs thegt ual r coa a hwc ci aa, s f sE u es l o andnr OXFORD neither seductionat nh c oetitrc replied,be ,ya. cih h noe e ul T td h hn h , a ec d the authority of several eminent lawyers who m as ou s n e t du to ct e io o n ns b p y ira t:o . fact dec declare e osnedeucbeing criminal, to bu a t n t o h t e her's fl pe i r s s ß on d s l . did Th n e ot in famous traffic which so frequently took plac ' e. Innocent young females arriving in that great metropolis were_ often entrapped into the hands of others, and without any previous intention on their part completely ruined, and subjected hereafter to a living death. It was to meet such cases that his Bill was intended. If the mea sure did not go far enough, it was in consequence of the entreatl li a o n n d s d they did h n e o hi tra had received s i p u s c hona not case tthoer . e subject,te t h w obtuhulotdu, to oa t n h pd e a r s e sp f o re, difficulties th a t presented t h emse l ves; and their Lord ships ou g ht t o remember that t h e common law of Eng the Bill, and, if possible, to remedy one of the greatest evils with which a state can be efilicted. Their Lordships then divided, when there appeared— Contents Non-Oontents ... 19 Majority ... •• The Bill was con sequent ly carr i e d. Their Lordships then adjourned. -4 HOUSE OF COMMONS, June 14. The SI'EMEER took the Chair at F•air o'clock. THIRD READINGS. The following Bills were read a third time and passed:— Lancashire and Yorkshire and London and North- Westorn Railway Companies (Transfer of Interest in the Preston and Wyre Railway, Harbour, and Dock, and Regulating Management of the Undertaking ) . . Renfre;v - shire Justice of Pexce Courts Bill: Surrey and Sussex Roads (Amendment of Acts and Alteration of Tolls) Bill. Westhead's Pat: nt (for Improvements in Manufactur ing Fur into Fabrics) Bill. CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS. The following• Bills were considered and agreed to:— East Lancashire Railway Acts Amendment and De viation (Connecting Lines in Preston and Walton le Dale, Irish South-Eastern Railway (Amendment of Acts) Bill. Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (Extension of Ash ton Branch, of Clifton Branch, &c.) Bill. SECOND READING. The Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company Bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed. PETI noNs. Mr. WILLIAMS presented a petition from a place in Wales pm) ing the House to take step; to prevent cler gymen from being appointed to Welsh bishoprics who were not conversant with the Welsh language. Mr. FAGAN presented a petition from Cork praying the House to take steps to investigate the sufferings of the Irish people. Mr. THORNELY presented a petition in favour of international arbitration. Mr. FORSTER presented a petition to the same effect. Mr. C. BRUCE presented a petition from the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, praying that no alteration may be made in the present marriage law of Scotland. Mr. W. PATTEN presented a petition from Taunton praying for the establishment of a county-rate board. Mr. BATESON presented a petition praying for an alteration of the Trish Poor-law. Mr. B. OSBORNE presented a petition from the Pro testant Dissenters of Brentford praying the House to abolish war. Captain PECHE LL presented a petition from Brighton in favour of the Bill fur the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Mr. W. BROWN presented a petition from a place in Lancashire, praying for the establishment of financial county boards. Sir J. PAKINGTON gave notice that he would to morrow present a petition from the House of Assembly at Jamaica, and also a petition from the West Indian body in this country. RETURN. Mr. BREMRIDGE moved for an address for return of the number or additional Commissioners of the Court of Banks uptcy appuinted for the country districts, under the Act 5 and 6 Vict. 122; of the names of such Com missioners, and the dates of their respective appoint ments, and the district to which each Commissioner has been appointed ; the number of sittings in each week in every district court for tt e last five years, and the num ber of hours occupied at each sitting; and the amount of salary paid to each Commissions:.—Agreed to. PROGRESS OF PUBLIC BUSINESS. Mr. DISRAELI took that opportunity, as he had stated to the Noble Lord (Lord John Russell) the other night, of making some inquiry respecting the probable progress of a number of measures during the remainder of the session; and perhaps the House would permit him to refer to a document which had been put before Par liament as one of the principal reasons which had induced him to make those inquiries. It appeared by a Parliamentary return of the business of last session, that in the month of June there were 19 Government Bills introduced, of which 13 passed; that in the month of July there were 33 public Bills introduced, of which 26 passed; and that so late as in the month of August 42 public measures were in introduced, of which 35 !sassed—(Heer, hear)—so that in the months of Juue, July, and August, 94 public Bills were introduced, and 74 were passed, the greater proportion of which passed in the month of August. He believed it vs as the feeling of the House, and he was sure it was the feeling of the Government, that it was by no means desirable that the general conduct of business in that House should afford a premium to precipitate legislation. At that moment, he observed thrit the Government had intro duced during this session 64 Bills, 32 of which had passed, two of which had been withdrawn, and 30 still remained on the table of the House. As that was nearly the middle of the month of June, and as they could ferns some conception now of what probab'y may be passed during the remainder of the session, he thought it was most important to inquire of the Govern ment what were their intentions with respect to the 30 Bills now on the table of the House. —(Hear, hear.) There were eleven on the table with respect to Ireland, of which six only had been read a second time. There was the Poor Relief Bill, the Qua lification of Voters Bill, the Election and Polling Places Bill, the Estates Leasing Bill, the Dublin Rates Collec tion Bill, the Dublin Improvement Bill, the Irish County Cess Bill, the Municipal Corporations Bill, the Turnpike Roads (Ireland) Bill, and the Punishment for Assault Bill. Six of these had passed a second reading. He would remind the House that 16 Government measures respecting Ireland had teen passtd during the session, and after that he thought he might legitimately inquire whether it was the serious intention of the Noble Lord to proceed, for example, with the Qualifica tion of Voters Bill and the Election and Polling Places (Ireland) Bill, which was connected with the preceding one. The Noble Lord, he was sure, would agree with him that this inquiry was upon a subject of the highest interest and impor tance.—(Hear hear.) The House would agree with him, that it was of the utmost importance that those Bills should not be proceeded with at the fag end of the session; and he hoped the Noble Lord would consider it consistent with his duty to tell the House explicitly whether he intended to proceed this session with those two important measures with regard to Ireland to which he had adverted. There was another class of measures connected with Scotland. He was not very familiar with the details of those measures, but they appeared on the face of them and from tneir titles to be measures of very great in terest.—(Hear, hear.) There were at that moment six mess :res in almost the first stage with respect to Scotland. He thought it was nut unreasonable to inquire of the Government—and he thought Scotch Members must take an in erect in the inquiry—(Hear, hear)—which of those Bills it was intended to proceed with, and when they would probably proceed with them? But besides those two important classes of Irish and Scotch Bills, there was a third more numerous awl still more important class of Bills remaining on the table, which ho might call miscellaneous Bills. He found in that the Clergy Relief Bill, the Charitable Trusts Bill, the Administration of Justice in Metropolitan Dis tricts Bill, the Ecclesiastical Commissions Bill, the Joint-Stock Companies Amendment Act for 1848, the General Quarter Sessions Procedure Bill, the Stock-in- Trade Exemption Bill, the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction sill, the Loan Societies Bill, the Marriages Abroad Bill, Railways Amendment Act, the India Desertion Bill, and last, but not least in importance, making 11 Bills, the Australian Colonies Bill. Now, he might very fairly inquire of the Noble Lord which of those 30 measures he intended to proceed with ? It was certainly of great importance that the House should understand whether or not, for instance, the Australian Colonies Bill would be proceeded with, and when. He should have great objection to a measure of that importance being introduced at the end of August or even late in July.—(Hear, hear.) He should be sorry to see an important Bill sent up to the other House of Parliament on the Ist of September, which happened last year. There was another question to which he wished to invite the attention of the Noble Lord—namely, whe ther the Noble Lord had taken into consideration any method by which that spirit of precipitate legislation, to which he (Mr. Disraeli) had referred, might be re tarded in that House. and prevented for the future. He wished to know whether he had any objection to support a regulation which should define the term for the introduc tion of public Bills, similar to that established with refer ence to the introduction of private Bills. It would be ad visable to know at the commencement of each session the number of Bills on all subjects which, on a fair prescience of public affairs, Government, before Parlia ment mot, or in an early period of the session, should feel that they might be called on to legislate.—(Hear.) Mr. E. B. ROCHE said the Irish Members had been promised at the early part of the session a Bill by the Government for the amendment of the grand jury r no t t he . H H o e u t s r e usted that system in Ireland. Ile wished to know whet her it l° a t tak ing steps, should it be found n e cessar y , to pass measures to alleviate the apprehended sufferings of the people o f nothingto be brought might interferein t his session to o prevent Ireland. Lord J. RUSSELL was obliged to the Hon. Gentle man for putting the questions be had. He quite agreed with him that they should not take important measures at a late period of the session; but he did not think the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Roche) need be under any appre hension that the session would be unduly diminished in its length.—(Laughter.) Only last week 480 Members voted in. one division, and it was but reasonable to suppose, judging from this, that at least 500 Members were in town. Therefore it could not at present be said that there was such a paucity of attendance on the part of lion. Members as to lead to the conclusion that the House could not properly proceed with the business before it. For this reason, and for others, he should postpone any reply with regard to some of the measures about which the Honourable Gentle man had inquired; but before the Ist of July he should be prepared to state what course the Government in tended to pursue. He should first enumerate the im portant measures which the Government felt it their duty to proceed with. It would be naturally expected that the Irish Poor-law should he the first. They had gone into Committee upon it: it stood for discussion to-night, but should not much progress he made with it this evening he purposed taking it the first thing on Monday next, and to then proceed as rapidly with it as its importance would allow. With respect to the observations of the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Ruche) regarding au apprehended famine, he had to state that though there was doubtless a partial failure or the potato crop, they did not justify very serious apprehen sions with respect to it.—(Bear.) The Government felt it necessary to proceed with the Municipal Bill for the relaxation of rates. In regard to the Scotch measures, he had to observe, th a t t h e M arr i a ge and Registration Bills had already passed through the other House, and were ready fnr consideration in that House, and he trusted these Bills would be proceeded with this session ; as he did not think they could accuse Scotland of occu pying any great portion of their legislation.—(Hear.) The same remark would apply to the Bankruptcy Bill, which though not a Government measure was neverthe less of an important character.—(Hear, hear.) As it would consolidate many existing laws he was sanguine enough to hope that it would not occupy so much time as the House might conceive. Ho proposed to read the Bill a second time on Monday, and that it should then be entrusted to a Committee of Gentlemen acquainted with commerce, and the working of the bankruptcy laws, who he trusted would come to a satis factory result with respect to it. It would be necessary in Supply to ask for the whole of the grant to the Irish Colleges. He proposed to do so when the estimates came on. The Ordnance Estimates, the Honourable Gentleman was aware, were not 3et taken; they would occupy some time. With respect to the Bills which he did not intend to proceed with, he might say that they did not intend to proceed with the Irish Franchise Qualification Bill and Polling Places Bill. With regard to the other Bills to v, hich the Hon. Gen tleman had alludes, although they were numerous, many of them were Bills relating to former Acts already passed, and with respect to which no doubt there would be very little discussion. The great importance of some of the other measures by no means formed a good reason for postponing them, in the event of their going beyond the month of July. If it were the opinion of the House that these Bills were sound in principle, and required but trifling alteration, it would of course be for the public benefit that they should not be de layed in subsequent stages by the absence of Honourable Members. With regard to the suggestion which the Honourable Gentleman had made, that public measures should not be introduced after a certain day, in the same manner as private Bills, he cer tainly could not assent to that proposal. He felt as strongly as any one that the public business suffered by the dispatch ot measures in August, when there was but a small attendance in both Houses of Parliament, while he admi ted that no less inconvenience would arise from Members being kept away from their different local duties, but if they were to adopt such a rule its inconvenience would be very soon felt. There were instances where Bills had been brought in on an emergency such as those which related to the peace of the nation. For instance, with regard to the peace of Ireland, he trusted it would not be necessary iu the course ot the present session to ir.troduce a measure of a restrictive nature, but should occasion arise for the introduction of such a measure, it would be quite im possible to adhere to such a rule. He had further to observe that there was one measure of some importance, which it was proposed to delay till next session; he alluded to the Bill for the regulation of the mercantile marine, which it was desirable should be considered by the parties whom it effected before it passed.—(Hear.) Mr. M. O'CONNELL understood the Noble Lord to say, with regard to the measure for the im provement of the franchise of the people of Ireland, that it was not his intention to pro ceed with it this session; but the Noble Lord made a reservation as to measures of a coercive nature. — (Oh, oh I) Would the Noble Lord be good enough to state what he intended to do in reference to the im portant question of the relation between landlord and tenant in Ireland?—(Hear, tnd ? : -(llear, hear.) Lord J. .RUSSELL was afraid there would not be time to consider that question this session. FOREIGN AFFAIRS. Mr. HUME, in reference to the former subject, observed that the Honourable Member for Buckingham • had given notice of a motion relative to the state of the nation. He hoped the Hun. Gentleman would lose no time in laying his resolution on the table of the House, and that it would embrace the financial position of the country.—(Hear, hear, and a laugh.) He begged to repeat his question to the Noble Lord the Secre tary for Foreign Affairs with reference to the French expedition to Rome. Was the Noble Lord prepared now to produce all the communications which had passed between Engla❑d and France on the subject? Lord I'ALMERSTON would lay on the table to morrow the communications which had passed between the Pope's representative at Paris and her Majesty's Government and the reply of Government; but with regard to the communications which bad passed be• tween her Majesty's Government ar:d the Govern ment of France, he thought the House and the Hon. Gentleman would agree with him, that in the present state of things in France, it would be more pro per that he should abstain from laying before the House matters which professed to contain the views of the French Government on the subject to which the Honourable Gentleman referred, and leave it for the French Government to state their own case.—(Cheers.) BRITISH GUIANA. Lord J. RUSSELL wished to know whether it was the intention of the Hon. Member for Montrose to press his amendment with respect to British Guiana, on the motion for going into Supply to morrow? Such a course was unusual, Vbpecially as it was the intention of the Chancellor of the Exche quer to-morrow evening to bring fon% ard his Budget. He had received only yesterday a long letter from the Governor of British Guiana, in answer to certain in quiries which he made of him before he Lett this country, and he stated that he had paid most serious attention to the constitution of the colony, but as he had not sufficiently matured his opi nions, he did not think it proper to give them in an official shape. He (Lord J. Russell), at the same time, conceived the views contained in that letter were of very great importance, but did not think it advisable at present to lay them before the House. He hoped the Hon. Gentleman would not proceed with his amend ment. Mr. HUME admitted that it was an unusual circum • stance to make such an amendment, but he was placed in an unusual situation, and probably the history of the British colonies did not record an instance of anything like that which was now taking place in British Guiana. There was a dispute between the constituted authorities and the Colonial-office, and the Committee to whom the matter was referred had come to no incision; the consequence was, that all sup plies in the colony were stopped, and he was anxious that the House should et-me to a decision, aye or no, upon the matter before the packet left on the 16th inst. He would withdraw his amendment if the Government would fix a day fur the discussion to come on. Lord J. RUSSELL did not think the Government was called upon to fix a day for the Hon. Member. BALLINASLOE UNION. Mr. CONOLLY rose to ask the lion. Baronet the Secretary for the Hume Department whether he bad seen a paragraph which appeared in one of the leading public journals, attributing the horrors of the Balling.- sloe Union to a Noble Relative of his (Mr. Cunolly's) own, Lord Clancarty ? Sir G. GREY said he was happy to state that he had seen a letter in one of the newspapers of this morning on the subject of the Ballinasloe Union which spoke in the highest terms of praise of the conduct of Lord Clan carty in reference to the unfortunate state of things in that union. He (Sir George Grey) could add that he had never heard Lord Clancarty spoken of but with the most unqualified respect and esteem.—(Hear, hear.) BIS I - 10PS W EARMOUTH RECTORY. In answer to a question by Mr. HORSMAINI, Lord J. RUSSELL said he must reserve, for the present, stating what proceedings he meant to take with respect to the rectory of Bishopswearmouth. The Bishop had mad© certain proposals, which had been considered in Council, and had been submitted to the law officers of the Crown. When definitely settled he would state the result to the House. RETURNS FRO NI THE BOARD OF TRADE. Mr. DISRAELI inquired if the Hon. Gentleman the President of the Board of Trade could explain to him the mysterious delay that had occurred in printing and circulating a return which had been moved for eight days ago? Mr. LABOUCHERE reminded the Hon. Gentleman that when returns were laid on the table of the House, they were beyond the control of the Board of Trade. He was surprised at the delay, and would make inquiry. SUPPLY.—BRITISH GUIANA. Sir R. PEEL appealed to the lion. Member for Mon trose to allow Supply to have precedence of his motion tomorrow night. Mr. HUME said, by the leave of the House it was his intention to bring on the motion as it stood on the paper. THE ADMISSION OF STRANGERS AND THE PUBLICATION OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE HOUSE. Mr. J. O'CONNELL inquired when the Noble Lord intended to bring on his motion with respect to the ap pointment of a Committee upon this subject, and if the propriety of rescinding the rules against the publication of the debates would be referred to it. Lord J. RUSSELL proposed to bring on the motion in its regular order as it stood on the paper for to-night. He meant to refer the question as to the propriety of rescinding the rules against the publication of the de bates to the consideration of the Committee, who would report upon it. THE NAVIGATION LAWS. Mr. LABOUCHERE said the Navigation-Laws Repeal Bill had come down from the other House almost in the shape in which it went up. One very trivial amendment had been made, and he trusted the House would at once accede to the Bill as it now stood. The Right Hon. Gentleman concluded by moving that the amendment be now considered. Mr. HERRIES regretted that the House of Lords had introduced so few amendments into this fatal measure. Had those changes their Lordships had made been more extensive, he should have agreed to them with greater pleasure. He had op posed the measure throughout, and he still retained his objection to it, and though he hoped those who had introduced it would not soon have cause to re. gret the proposing of the Bill, he was ♦ery much afraid that a very short time would prove the apprehension of its opponents, that it would result in disaster to the commercial interest of the country, to be well tounded.—(Hear, hear.) Captain HARRIS thought it would be better to pro vide for the manning of the navy in a bona fide measure than by the proviso which the Lords had introduced into this Bill. Mr. WAWN inquired if it were the intention of Go vernment to introduce any measure for the amelioration of the shipping interest? Mr. LABOLTCHERE replied that he hoped to lay on the table of the House a Bill which should be the foun dation for a permanent improvement in the condition of that interest. _ _ _ Mr. HUME remarked, that when this Bill passed an assurance was given by the Government that such bur dens as the timber duties and the marine insurance duties, which were borne by the shipping interest, and not by the foreigner, should be abolished. It would, therefore, have been more satisfactory had the Right Hon. Gen tleman given them some hope of the Bill being passed this session, instead of a promise to lay it on the table.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. LABOUCHERE was ignorant of any such pledge baring been given. Lis was ttnX/9118 10 pass the Bill tp which he had referred at the earliest possible period, but he was afraid there would nog be time to do so in the present session. —(Hear.) The amendments were then considered and agreed to. STATE OF CANADA. Mr. GLADSTONE then rose for the purpose of call ing attention to the state of Ginad e He thought the prsent time afforded a good opportunity for doing so. As Le had placed on the paper simply an intimation that he would call the attention of the House to an Act passed by the Canadian Legislature, in reference to giv ing indemnity for certain losses sustained during the rebellion in that country, and as calling attention to that Act might be construed into an implication et censure on his part in resp.:ct to it, it might be asked why he had not proposed a distinct aad ep , cific motion on the sub ject. He considered, however, that in adopting that course, he might have still further excited those preju dices which existed on the subject, and he thought it better simply to call the attention of the House to it. He did not think that any man in the House was such a slave to party feeling that he should think that Parliament should be divided in their opinion on so important a question as that of colonial legislation, because what affects one country must consider -. ably affect the other. He considered that if a further step were to be taken on this question to bring it to an issue, that it should be so taken as not to cause any pro- jtolice against any party without due in-• vestigetion, and to avoid as much as possible any divi,ion in so important a question. He hoped the' many miscellaneous questions that had already engaged the attention of the House were not such as to exhaust• their patience, because the present was a question that affected the principles of government and social order.. He did not mean to allude to Lord Elgin but as briefly' as possible, nor should he in that brief allusion attempt to give any judgment on that Noble Lord's conduct, not from his admiration of that Nobleman's distinguished talent, not because of his personal feelings towards hits. but because he has all the responsibility on himself, and had been called upon to do more than he could; do, when so far apart from the advisers of the Crown , He might be wrong, but yet he should say that he drew' the inference from the words of the Under-Secretorea for the Foreign Department, who stated that it was not right to interfere in any legislative measure that was progressing in the Canadian Legislature until it had reached its completion.—(Hear, hear.) He was of opinion that the Governor-General should not have his character involved until he had sent home to know• whether the measure proposed would be agreed to or not by her Majesty's Government; but such to the know ledge of that House and the country was not known, for they had not heard of any dispatches being received from Canada. He considered, from all that he knewe that on the whole the office of the Governor-General could not be discharged adequately and independently, as he was obliged on most occasions to attend to the counsel of Government, and when that counsel could not be immediately obtained he was liable to being charged' with neglect or carelessness of duty. He thought that those matters to which he alluded should be left in user hands of the Imperial Legislature, and that a distinction. should be drawn between matters that should be sub jected to the local legislature and those belonging to the' Imperial, and that the local legislature should know how far they should and could act on their own authority. Ile' did not mean to say how far the Canadian Government should act on questions of such vital influence as that to , which he was then alluding; nor did he mean to allude. to the Montreal riots, nor did he think that it was the duty of that House to interfere with their local legida tune in the case of private Acts, no matter whether just or unjust, as such only appertained to themselves, ac cording to the laws of their constitution, which he con sidered to be not only a necessary but a sound maxim• He recollected that the Noble Lord (Lord J. Russell), when Secretary or State, in a letter to Lord Sydenhatn, Oct. 14, 1839, stated that it was not safe, in certain cases, to delegate authority to any officer when the in fluence of the Crown or the safety of the people might be involved. There arese three questions on this subject , first en Act of Indemnification to all connected with the rebellion cf 1837 and 1838, and that Act related to those who bore arms against her Majesty's forces at that time; the second question was, foreseeing such to be the case , were they to be iudemnified in a local or imperial leg's' lature ? And the third question is, if such be the case, it such a proposition was contemplat e d by a n Act of Parliament, whether it was consistent or at variance with the honour of the Crown that those rebels shou ld be indemnified ?—(Hear, hear.) With respect to the two first he believed there could be no d ou bt, and wit h respect to the last he believed that it was vtell known that no Act of Parliament would be just in indemni Ta ir ing those rebels of Lower Canad a i n 1837 an d 1838. v": considered that nothing wa s more j ust t h an t h e measure proposed iu February, 1845, f or i n d emn if y i ng the Joys subjects of Canada, as had been frequently done before. when the churcees, which had been in the possession of the rehels, bad been necessarily razed, and also in 're' land in the time of the rebellion, when the Roman ,e tholic chapels had been destroyed to prevent the rebels in that country from taking possession o f them. If t he present losses alluded to had bet n equally just as tho se . to which he had adverted, he would not offer the slig ht . est opposition, but in this case he knew of nothing Ost was just or equitable. The Right Hon. Gentleman kart' read the proviso, excluding persons who had been guilty, of the act of rebellion from right t o com p e nsation, sa d proceeded to argue upon it, to the effect that if the con victions had not b een l ega ll y b roug h t a b out so , the pro viso, the convicted would sa y, must b e regarde d as et' ceptional. Now, if that w e r e so , th ey m i g h t d e pend upon it that the question would be rai se d b y t h e 96 P er' sens out of the 108 who were convicted, and of wboue eight pleaded guilty, and were sentenced as transports' tion. In a petition which had been presented to that House, in 1839, from an individual in Canada, the Pe: titioner took occasion to protest against and denounce n' e illegal, the tribunal of courts-martial, and there wa: no doubt that if that were so, and they had high 11 ,. e thorny that it was so, then it would be said that t ,!" d _ convictions under those courts-martial were not valid, and that if there was an exception to the conviction_ there was an exception to the proviso, which went to e l e e elude them from compensation. There was a case .. 1 '; 400 persons who claimed compensation for their gu ns lost in an unsuccessful action with her Majesty's tr° ° P to —(Laughter.) Now the question which he wished aa raise here was, whether, in the case of those parties vial s ' lost their guns in the rebellion, or in the case of a n a J e. other parties who had been engaged in it, compensalf.„ was to be given. With regard to property lost b,f P. 70 ties engaged in the rebellion, it had been said 10 House of Assembly by Mr. B a ld w i n , that it was never the intention of the Government or the Legislature t hat e such parties should be compen sa t e d. B u t there ri great difference of opinion on the subject, and great_i_7o biguity in the Act. The Right H u n. Gentleman !!` ehe referred to the opinions of Mr. Jones, a Member 01 : 0 / Legislative Council, on the subject, and to the analvel, Lord Elgin, the Lieutenant-G o v e rnor, to a memorial him on the subject, which conveyed the intimation IPri; it was not his Excellency's intention, i n g i v ing his u p lion to the Bill, to imply th a t p ersons w h o h a d taken arms against her Majesty's G o vernm ent s h ou ld be co. 0 at pensated. Now he (Mr. Gladstone) was o f o pi n ion ttl ie the 'act of a man taking up arms against the laws of l: 01 Government was of itself of a character to exclude from the benefit of the laws. He thought that the Ol e . of Assembly, in the exceptions they had taken in re e , Lion to those who were guilty of participation in the beo hellion, was justified, although there were some wk e te a s that the act of mere implication ought not to operate an exclusion to compensation. He might refer the anyto an amendment submitted by Mr. Wilson, of t „ er an y vincial Asie mbly, the words of which were ha g person who has been implicated in the rebellion b be excepted." But that amendment, he was sor d ry ifa . say, was unfortunately lost. It was said that it wa s to cult to distinguish between tho se w h o were engage Was the rebellion and those w h o were not. Now w"" ose the course pursued i n I re l and in relation to th in who claimed compen sat i on f or their alleged loess,; - the rebellion in th a t country I t was an a i aa i e l putable fact that every person who then put for" - t h :f claims to compensati on f or losses, was put to his o in the matter; and the person, he might say, wu" put himselt forward, brought upon himself the 00 08 . 5 iequiry and strict scrutiny into his conduct. But it en that now said, that an "Amnesty" bad been granted, F t , that under that amnesty there were no rebels in Ca' nada; and it was further said, that the sense 01.4 he people of Canada was understood to be in favour ct . ,i7 o Act for giving compensation. Now, he respected much as any man could, the sense of the peel:" t ied tbs.- nada; but he might say that if it even so baPe ,nada had it were true that the sense of the people of C been distinctly expressed in favour of this he could not see that that ouht to lead to a refus.vLt, inquire into a question like Ibis—a question v.or ark' imperial considerations. With respect to the add e s e v . that had been presented to Lord Elgin, it was a r e w m h o re able fact, that those addresses had scarcely anY bera ° I been agreed to at public meetings; and the Blew og, the House which he now had the honour of addres ime s measurer s , : , were very well aware how petitions were se me t t , e Dot got up in this country. Now, petitions which vie, eaut o the emanation of Public meetings, were to be P": 6 0,0 under such circumstances, as the sense only of the Pe re re whose signatures are appended to them. It was (font markable fact that there was not a single address „d to excepted) of the forty pages of addresses presentea.ivg. Lord Elgin, that had been agreed to in public 1 13 e A og e Now, one of the four addresses voted at public Ineel' hot o had only 24 signatures appended to it. Were they , ,, s is he would ask, to look at the Government as advocate t he this matter? or rather, were they not to expect fti o te G ove rnment a frank statem ent o f t h e w h o l e of the city of the case? He was informed on indisputable authotio, that the petitions against th e Bill were far mor e ere merous than those in f avour o f i t; an d t h ose which co ed against the Bill emanat e d f rom p u bli c mee ti n gs, coi' v r eed by the constituted au th or iti es . H e t h ere f or e denat ile ae to the assertion th a t t h e sense o f t h e peo pl e of 0 1 0 0 was in favour of the Bill. A difference of OP oo esi prevailed as to the feelings of th e two pre v ' es aile but he did not hesitate to sa y that, " 0 0 the majority of the inhabitants of Lower Cans° 6 e e said to be in favour of the addresses, the great b 0 "00 the people of Upper Canada was against them. gain Right Hon. Gentleman said that the statesmanlik e ro g io lilies of Lord Metcalfe were only equal to the k e , so eet; which marked his general conduct under circtonn o d to of the most trying description. He then procee ds of of observe on Mr. Daly's two letters of the ', 055 e0 February and of December in respect to the as which occurred to parties during the late rebtaf et je Canada. He contended that the last letter was ' t l ees accordance with the former; but, at all eventsea e ti r clear that the Crown was not at all affected by the th e rangements that had been come to in respect. _tu j3 O I parties engaged in the rebellion in Lower Canan ti ' o pet it was said that the Acts of the Legislature 11 , 1 , au ' a sott Canada granted to persons actually convicted Or * he re' compensation for losses sustained by them during the bullion. But he denied that this was a fair contra _ t i e s of the Acts in question. It was true that certainpnai to who had given up their houses to facilitate 10:0-01, operations had been eorapenntedi AN OLD OFFICER. ROYAL GEIcERAL DISPENBAILY.—A proceedings of reading meet ing of the govern ors general e t Vair. After the usual formal day morning .. e _o . f this charity was held on Wednes referring to the report of e th minutes, Bco., the chairman, Mr. J. Atk f n a s t ou tn in D t rensary-house, Aldersgate- street, anxiety at the rapid increasee committee, expressed some patients and applicants t i h e a n d t s b , e e 4 for relief. From the Ist of Jalury an t s the let of March, n .o fr 2 o 4 m the Ist of 4,572 patients, Ju l 8 a 4 r 9 c , h t h u e p r et o were that t at the rate of 18,000 per year. This did n'obteate'g nearly unusual prevalence of disease, for the report of t i rer apothecary on that head state d no disease was . pecu r - Early predominant, and that all of them in the city of London were of a mild character; but it arose from the institution being the oldest, the largest, and the most central of all institutions of a similar nature; and it was a well-known fact that a great many patients refused to go to any other institution, rather preferring to remain without attendance. Their funds were perfectly inade quate to meet this great demand, and being unwilling to retrench their charitable exertions, they had no alter native but to present the emergency . to the public, and to appeal to the advocacy cf the press in aid of the oldest and most useful institution of its kind in or near the metropolis. The efficient nature of the services they had rendered had caused this great influx of patients, who flocked to the dispensary from within a circle of twenty miles round it; and though the committee were unwilling to refuse any, they were painfully alive to the fact that their expenditure exceeded their income on an average of 3501. per annum. The report also mentioned the precautions taken by the committee to insure instant attendance on cases of diarrhoea and diseases of the bowels. No objection was offered to the reception of this document, several gentlemen corroborating, from their own experience, some of the facts above stated.• The meeting separated after thanking the chairman. Mr. Peto paired with Mr. D. Waddington (slaldon) on the County Rate Bill.