The Sun. — London, England, 1849-07-18 00:00:00

trlx IZZtttion SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. (THIS DAY.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the Chair this morning shortly after Twelve o'clock. MARYLEBONE AND FINCHLEY TURNPIKE ROADS BILL On the motion for the consideration of the report on this Bill, Mr. STUART WORTLEY stated that he consi dered the measure came before the House in a very questionable shape, and thought it was calculated to do great injustice to Colonel Eyre and the other mortgagees. He felt bound to complain of the manner in which the Committee had dealt with their interests, and he would therefore propose, as a Committee was sitting upon the subject, that the further consideration of the report on this Bill should be post poned until that Committee had made its report. Mr. WRIGHTSON defended the course pursued by the Committee, and supported the further consideration of the report on the Bill. After a short discussion, the amendment was with drawn, and the Bill ordered to be engrossed. PETITIONS. Mr. BROTHERTON presented a petition from St. Pancras praying the House to take steps to prevent the extension of beer•houses. Mr. HOBHOUSE presented a petition from a place in Lincolnshire to the same effect. • Sir W. CLAY presented a petition from the Tower Hamlets praying for the removal of Smithfield Market. Mr. HAMILTON presented a petition from Dublin praying that the Sanitary Bill might be extended to Ireland. Mr. FORSTER presented a petition from Bury in favour of the Marriage Bill. Mr. SPOONER presented four petitions in favour of the Protection of Women Bill, and a petition signed by all the clerks of the parish churches of Birmingham, stating that they had a freehold interest in their offices, and praying the House to take their case into considera tion before abolishing intramural burials. Mr. COBDEN presented a petition from a place in Yorkshire, praying the House to apply the rule of three tests to all parties who should in future be entitled to the suffr.ge. DIVORCE BILLS. Mr. BOLIVERIE gave notice that nest session it was his intention to divide the House against every Divorce Bill that was brought in. —(A. laugh.) TROOPS IN THE WES'r INDIES. In reply to a question from fir. DICKSON,~ Mr. FOX MAULS, who was very indistinctly heard, owing to the noise in the House at the time, was under stood to say that though the mortality among the troops at Jamaica had been grout, every precaution had been taken during the period that the yellow fever was most prevalent to preserve them from attacks of the disease, by removing them to more healthy barracks, and by other means; and he was now hippy to state that the troops were now in comparative good health. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. Lord J. RUSSELL said that he had to request the Honourable Members who had orders of the day iupon the paper preceding the order for going nto Committee of Supply, would consent to the arrangement which he had now to propose. It was very desirable that they should proceed at once with the ord nance estimates, and what he proposed was, that on Monday the House should sit at twelve o'clock, and that the orders preceding the Committee of Supply should stand on the paper on that day in the same order in which they now stood. He also proposed that the House should sit till four o'clock, and, if necessary, to six, but he trusted tint they would be able to finish the orders before four o'clock. The Hon. Gentleman opposite (Mr. S. Wortley), who brought forward the Marriage Bill, had stated yesterday that he could not consent to this ar rangement, but he trusted that he would now give way to the Government, and allow them to proceed with the Committee of Supply. With respect to a very important motion by the Hon. Member for Cockermouth (Mr. Horsman), which he was prevented bringing on yesterday, owing to the late hour to which another debate was pro longed, he hoped that it might be taken on Monday evening. There was also another motion by the Hon. Member for Montrose with respect to British Guiana, which he thought might also be brought on on Mon day. lie ventured, therefore, to ask the House to ac cede to the proposal which he had made. _ _ _ Mr. BOUVERIE said the first order of the day re ferred to by the Noble Lord (the Sunday Trading Bill) was under his charge; and though he was reluctant to postpone it at this late period of the session, yet, for the sake of the progress of public business he would consent to its being postponed until Monday.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. HUME said he was anxious that the Government should go into Supply, knowing that eight or ten clear days must elapse, after agreeing to the report, before the Appropriation of Aids Bill could pass through bcth Houses of Parliament; but at the same time he must say that the situation of British Guiana was one of the utmost importance, and that his views on the subject had been hardly dealt with. What, he asked, therefore, was to he allowed to state the case of the colonists to the House, and if the Noble Lord would give him an op portunity to do so, he was ready to accede to the arrangement. The Government would very much for ward the business of the House if they would state what course they intended to take with respect to the Sun day Trading Bill, the Protection of Women Bill, and the Cruelty to Animals Bill. Much time had been wasted in discussing Bills which the Government had opposed. These measures, in his humble opinion, ought to be taken up by the Government, and not by individual Members, and he hoped, therefore, if there was no ob jection, that they would be discharged. Mr. EINDLEY deprecated the unjust attack of the Hon. Member, that his Bill had wasted the time of the House. Lord J. RUSSELL said he would state on Monday how far the Government disagreed with the Bills men tioned by the lion. Member tor Montrose. After a brief discussion, Lord JOHN RUSSELL thought that when the Go vernment were arranging to give the Hon. Gentleman two hours more than he would otherwise have had, it was scarcely fair that he should express himself dis satisfied. Mr. HORSMAN proposed that the House should ad journ at five and resume again at seven, when his motion would come on. Mr. BOUVERIE could not see what the Hon. Mem ber would gain by this. Lord J. itUSS'ELL was in hopes that the sitting would be over at four, and they would then meet again at six. Atter some further conversation, Mr. HORSMAN acquiesced in the proposition of the Noble Lord. Mr.IIINDLEY wished to explain, that when he said he was tired of the Bill of which he had the charge (Preventi.n of Cruelty to Animals), he meant that he was tired of the trouble and delay he had met with in endeavouring to bring it on. In answer to a question from an HoN. MEMBER, Mr. DRUMMOND said that he should persist in his motion, which stood on the paper for to-morrow night, unless the government succeeded in giving him no House. The SPEAKER then left the Chair, and the House went into Committee on SUPPLY Mr. BERNAL in the Chair. The first vote was for 165,373/. for the Ordnance es tablishment in this country and in the colonies. Mr. HUME said that the course which the estimates were taking was such as to preclude all discussion. It was absolutely necessary for the Government to make up their minds before next session what course they meant to take with respect to the colonies. The waste which took place in the stores sent out there were so great as to jestify any complaints which the people of England might make. There was great room tor economy in these matters, both by the union of the different stores, and by putting the expense of stores upon the colonies themselves, and in this way a great relief might be afforded to the British public. Immense quantities of these stores were accumulated together, and many of them spoiled. If the Noble Lord did not attempt to reduce the expenditure, he would he compelled to do so next year, or soma one else would do it for him. The ' waste in the article of gunpowder, expended in salutes and such nonsense, was enormous. Why, he understood that a Bi.:Aop in the colonies could not shift about from one place to another without a royal salute. This was a church militant certainly. Then there was the review at Chatham, which was to take place shortly, which he was informed wculd cost an immense sum of money. Every shell thrown cost lls. 6d. These might appear trifles, but he thought that they were pay ing for war in a time of peace, and he thought that he was justified in demanding from the Government for the people of England the benefits and blessings of peace. If they exhaust themselves and run to the last shilling in the time of peace, what were they to do in time of war? A large addition to the national debt has been made since 1828, ad there was no step taken whatever to reduce it. They might have saved upwards of 500,0001. in the expenditure of the African squadron, but they had taken no step whatever to at all mitigate that evil. He was, perhaps, wasting his time in not taking individual instances, but he might have shown that the expenditure of powder in salutes could well have been saved, and he at leat trusted that the salutes to bishops would be discontinued.— (Loud cheers.) Lord J. RUSSELL said that his Hon. Friend the Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume) had found fault with a very innocent enjoyment, which Mr. Burke had stated as being a most agreeable sound, and as the only cause of regret which he experienced on leaving office, a feeling to which in his own capacity he could bear tes timony.—(A laugh.) Then, with regard to the shots and shells to which his Hon. Friend had referred, al though he might himself equally object to the salutes in which the powder was expended, and especially as respected that which was expended i n sa l utes to bishops, he was certainly quite ready to throw them aside. But his Hon. Friend should remember that during the last war no peer went on board a man-of-war without being saluted.—(Hear, hear.) With regard, however, to the expenditure for stores, it should be also recol lected that it was only in the time of peace that they could prepare for war, and what would his Honourable Friend think, if any opulent London merchant who had his warehouses well stored with valuable property, a n d who had had his premises watched for a series of years by a watchman, who walked about the premises with a blunderbuss in his hand, and yet because the property had never been molested, because nobody had broken into the place, refused any longer to retain his watch man.—(Hear.) The property might in future be safe, but if it was not, what would be thought of his prudence?— (Hear, hear.) The Government had acted upon this principle, and had prepared for any contingency that might arise. —(Hear.) Then with regard to the com plaints of his Hon. Friend on the point of reducing the national expenditure, he would refer him to the speech of the Right Hon. Gentleman the Member for Tam worth (Sir R. Peel) on the estimates, which had made a great impression upon the House, and in which he had reminded them that upwards of 39,000,000/. of taxation had been removed from the burdens of the people since the termination of the war, so that while providing for the public safety, the Government had not been negligent of economy. Mr. V. SMITH did not think that his Noble Friend at the head of the Treasury had treated the observations of the Hon. Member for Montrose with fairness. What that Hon. Member complained of was not that there was a sufficient quantity of stores for warlike operations, but that while there was a sufficient stock they were conti nually adding to it.—(Hear, hear.) Now every one knew that just in proportion as the stock increasad the establisment must increase. —(Hear, hear.) Besides, in this age of science and civilization new discoveries were continually being made which entirely superseded the old ones, just as the application of detonating locks had thrown aside the old flint and steel.—(Hear, hear.) Then, besides this loss, there was always the waste of perishable materials to increase the expense and reduce the value of the stock. Much observation had been made upon the defence of the colonies, but it should be recollected that in those dependencies which could pro perly be called colonies there was now a maturity of inherent vigour which quite enabled them to take care of themselves. And when such a stage was reached in all private relations the system was adopted of leaving those who were able to take care of themselves; so it ought, in his opinion, to be followed in all matters of public moment, and the troops, therefore, which were retained for the defence of the colonies ought to be paid by those in which they were garrisoned. As to those places which were only fortresses, in which troops were sta tioned for the general advantage of the empire, of course the expense of sustaining them ought to come out of the Consolidated Fund.—(Hear, hear.) But he did protest against their keeping up an armament that was capable of exterminating all Europe; and looking upon the present state 15f our foregn relations, the esti mates appeared to him to be greatly disproportionate to the requisition of the public service. —(Hear, hear.) He was aware that the report of the Committee, of which he had been a member, was not intended to take effect this session; but he sincerely trusted it would not be lost sight of, and that it would be carefully considered before it was entertained in another. Lord J. RUSSELL explained that he meant to throw no imputation upon the assertions of his Hon. Friend, t na he i g e h o t u b n e i b o u c t u h r r e e d o l i y t w m a e s an b t e t t t o e r s a t y o s t h o ff a e t , r t t h b o a u t g t h u a e o x p l e e a n v s o e try without sufficient means of defence. Mr. HTJME also wished to explain, that though he was by no means opposed to every necessary requisite provision for defence, yet he thought that there need be no needless outlay for that purpose. And he would take the Noble Lord's own illustration for the purpose. If the London merchant had found one watchman quite sufficient for the protection of his premises, why should he increase the force from the apprehension of a danger which might never arise? for if from any such groundless fear he added three or four watchmen to the establishment, he would be justly chargeable with an extravaganee from which no possible benefit could arise. —(Hear and laughter.) The instance was the more striking as the money to pay for it came out of other people's pockets —(Cheers.) Mr. COBDEN believed that Government could ob tain every article they required cheaper from private enterprise than they could manufacture it.—(Hear, hear.) The Government were about to bring in a Bill to take railway stock, he thought they had better take their own stock first.—(Hear, hear.) He thought to keep up large ordnance stores was totally unnecessary, and ought no longer to continue. The Eon. Member deprecated in caustic terms the desire that was displayed by the Government to create establish ments on every barren rock in the world, and particularly alluded, as evidence of that, to Hong-Kong and Labuan. Ho thought the ob servations of Mr. Sidney Smith with respect to the Tories was doubly applicable to the present Government. The Honourable Member then referred to the ex travagant stock of stores that was kept, and de signated it as not only useless, but improper. Now, why keep such an amount of stores always in stock, when any extraordinary supply could be obtained at a fortnight's notice, if they chose to give a small additional price? The effect of keeping this enormous amount of stores was, that last year a quantity of old stores were sold for 760,0001., which he had no doubt had originally cost upwards of three millions. A notice had already been given, that in the course of a year or two the Australian c olonies would be expected to provide their own stores for the forces engaged in the colonies. That he considered was an ex cellent system, and Government ought to be encouraged in carrying it out. He for one would extend it to Canada and all the other colonies who claimed the righ of self-government. The colonies themselves were no averse to doing so, but what they objected to was, adopting the policy of the Home Administration. They objected to taking to the existing stock of stores and keeping up the forces upon the present extravagant scale.—(Hear, hear.) He did not suppose that the colonies could take this responsi bility upon themselves now, but what he contended for was the principle that the time must come, and COM soon too, when the colonies must not expect any contri butions from the Exchequer of th e mother-country towards the support of their forces. Since 1835 the ordnance forces had been doubled; bat then, said the Noble Lord at the head of the Government, "we have reduced the taxes." Now, that argument was a glaring fallacy. The taxation had not been diminished ; it had only been shifted from one shoulder to another, and so far from the taxation having been reduced, he was prepared to prove that since the Duke of Wellington's Government it had increased five millions. He hoped, therefore, the Noble Lord would not com plain of the tone and temper of these remarks, or con sider him unjust, when he told the Government that by the commencement of next session they must be pre pared with proposals for large reductions in the ex penditure if they wished to retain the eonfidence of the people.—(Hear, hear.) Lord JOHN RUSSELL could not complain of the tone of the Honourable Gentleman's remarks, or of the principle ho had laid do wn , th a t before the Government undertook the manufacture of particular articles the onus probandi rested with them to show that the articles could not be supplied to greater advantage by private individuals; but he eould not agree with him that it was not neces sary to keep up the present amount of stores. The Hon. Gentleman's principle was, that a great part of the defence of our col on i es s h ou ld be thrown on the colonies themselves. Now, Earl Grey, when he entered into office, adopted the principle; and he (Lord John Russell) thought that, in many instances, it might be carried out with great advantage. If, however, they were to say that they intended no longer to undertake the defence, for instance, of the citadel of Quebec, he was afraid that such a declaration would ho looked upon as a virtual abandonment by this country of Canada. The true wisdom was to steer between two extremes, via., taking upon ourselves the en tire defence of the colonies, and refusing to con tribute any assistance whatever for that purpose, which he thought would show that we cared no longer about our colonial empire. Very large and serious questions were connected with this subject, which would be maturely considered by the Government, with a view, ott the one hand, of having no unnecessary expenditure, and, on the other, of endea vouring to act fairly and with goodwill towards our colonies, which, he believed, would not only enhance the greatness of this empire, but the cause of civiliwition. IMr. COBDEN said ; h e h a d a hi g h op i nion of Earl Grey, and he looked to him for great and beneficial changes in the constitution of our colonies. Mr. ELLIS had had the honour, during Lord Mel bournea Administration, to be one of a Commission along with the Noble Lord at the head of m the present w e n se o nt Government, appointed to inquire into this beforo the House, and that Commission had seen the necessity of some central control over the expenditure. He must press upon the attention of the Noble Lord the necessity of reform, unless they wished to have a renewal of these disunions. Mr. HUME called the attention of the House to the increase of the vote for barracks during the last few years. In 1835 and 1836 the vote was 85,0001. Since then it had been increasing gradually until this year, when it was 183,0001. As long as they maintained the immense number of soldiers they had at present, with the preposterously large staffs in all direction, they must keep up a proportionate areouut of artillery. There never had been such a lavish expenditure in such items in this country before. Until there was in this country, as there was in others, a Minister of War to whom the entire responsibility might be entrusted, there would always be a great waste from the divided authority of our present system. Colonel ANSON said the position which ha held forced him to say a few words. He thought that his Honourable Friend bad not stated correctly the increase in the votes for this year and former years. The expense had certainly been increased, but the Government had thought it requisite to increase the strength of the army, and he thought the House would be inclined to support them in their determination. The expenses of the establishment at home had decreased, but those abroad bad increased owing to the addi tional colonies which they had aeqbuairrteacd.ksAs thete the increase in estimates for Government had been forced to extend barrack accommodation from the many complaints which had been, forced upon them from all quarters. He did not stand there as an advocate for keeping up large quantities of stores, and if would eGoe reduced. vernmen w Government thought it expedient not to do so, they be ground old guns rcood of f would economy i n t o ,s t .o fe u t i c d h 21. a not be t ton; so expedient; t toon Bell them. The Government, during the recess, would the whole of the report into consideration . lie trusted, therefore, the vote would pass without further discussion. Tho vote was then agreed to. 71,3301. was next voted for the wages of artificers in the United Kingdom and the colonies. 163,4181. was next voted for ordnance land and sea stores. Colonel ANSON, in reply to Mr. Hume, intimated that there was every probability of the quantity being reduced. Sir J. GRAHAM had already said that the report required much time for consideration by the Govern ment. The cash accuunt of the navy, ordnance, and army was very satisfactory; but the naval a n d or d nance store-books were most improperly kept. --(g ear. The Committ ee h a d re p or t e d th a t thi s su b ject s h ould b e early attended to. He hoped, looking at the cost of these stores, that next session they would find an alteration in these things ; and he trusted the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who was eouvereaut with the mode of keeping the Admiralty accounts, would attend to it. lie had intended, when connected with the Admiralty fifteen years ago, to make the alterations he now proposed, but circumstances pre vented his doing so ; but at the present time the books were in the same unsatisfactory state. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the subject was a most important one, and that he should direct his attention to it with the assistance of Mr. An derson and Mr. Hopkinson. Mr. J. B. SMITH said, in the event of war, many of the old stores would be valuless. For instance, there were flint guns of the value of 145,0001., which, as per cussion guns were used, would be worthless. The Go vernment should be careful not to get an accumulation of useless stores. Colonel ANSON was understood to say that the guns referred to could be rendered available. The vote was then agreed to. 236,4364 was next ;proposed for works at Bermuda and in the Mauritius. Sir WILLIAM MOLESWORTH complained of the expense which these works had entailed upon this country. During the last few years they had paid 2,000,000/. -on account of them. This vote was for works at Mauritius, Bermuda, and the lonian Islands. It was said that military works were required at the Mauritius, because the inhabitants were hostile to us, and that if we once lost it, we should have great difficulty in regaining it; but this he de nied. Already 10,000/. had been expended on the works at Bermuda, and 5,0004 more was now proposed to be voted; and as the works would require altogether 216,000/., it followed that it would be 40 years before they were completed. He objected, therefore, to both these votes, and hoped that the works would be discon tinued. He objected also to the vote for the lonian Islands, which had already put this country to an enor mous outlay. Colonel ANSON supported the vote. Colonel THOMPSON, as a matter of curiosity, wanted to know the good of Corfu. He had been up to the Gulf of Venice, but had never seen Corfu. Sir DE LACY EVANS deprecated the present vote, and trusted that it would be the last required for such a purpose. Mr. HUME thought that this vote required revision, and that a great deal of money had been wasted in use less fortifications. Mr. V. SMITH thought this fortification question ' ouott to be considered before next session, with a view to its revision. He found fault with a system that prevailed in the ordnance department of applying the money voted for postponed works to the construction of emergency works, as it had the effect of reducing the Parliamentary superintendence over the expenditure to a mere farce. Mr. MILES was glad the Right Hon. Gentleman had called attention to the system of applying to one pur pose money voted for another. It could not be too strongly condemned, and he hoped the Chancellor of the Exchequer A ould take steps to put a stop to it. Sir J. GRAHAM said the Committee, in the report which had been referred to, had not only pointed out the evil, but suggested the remedy. They recommended that where auy sum was expended for unforseen services or urgent works, of which Parliament had no cognizance, the Treasury should be called upon, when the estimates were proposed next year, to record the reasons which had induced them to make the advances. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said there could be no doubt that there were cases of urgency, in which it would be absurd to say that persons on the spot should not be allowed to take upon themselves the re sponsibility of incurring expense. There were only two modes of meeting such an expense—first, to vote a sum annually for unforseen contingencies; secondly, to postpone other works for which sums had been voted in order to meet the expense of these unforeseen circumstances. He was sure he should have the con currence of the House that it would not be advisable to vote a sum annually for such contingencies. It would be a much better plan for the Treasury to make a re turn every year of the advances which they had made in cases of this kind. Sir JAMES GRAHAM bore witness to the excellence of the form in which the estimates were laid before the House, but complained that there were occasional mis takes in filling up the different columns. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER had had his attention already drawn to this. He was fully cog nizant of the importance which attached to the correct ness of these papers. Mr. COBDEN observed that the subject of the lonian Islands had been brought before the House by an Hon. Member—and he wished to inform the House that many high authorities, including the Marquis of Lansdowne and Lord Brougham, had objected to this country taking possession of these islands. The estimates of the works in these islands were, even on the evidence of Sir John Burgoyne, i the ,Inspector-General of Fortifications, not much to be relied on. The only way in which they could avoid such lavish expenditure was to make up their minds not to expend any more on foreign for tification. He thought that there was very little need to keep on adding to the fortifications of such places as Malta and Gibraltar. He thought that our naval pre eminence, which was put forward as an excuse for so doing, was of itself sufficient to pre serve them. The Marquis of Wellesley in 1816 had made a speech which entirely supported him in this doctrine—a speech which, if he, Mr. Cobden, were now to make, would lay him open to the attacks of Honour able Gentlemen opposite, who would charge him with wishing to abandon all the colonies. The only way to reduce the expenditure in this quarter was to stop our hands there altogether. The vote was then agreed to. On the question that 49,8594 be voted for the scien tific department of the Ordnance, Mr. HASTIE was very much rejoiced that the debate had taken place to-day. He bad no doubt it would be productive of much good. He should be glad to know, in reference to this vote, what progress was being made in the Ordnance survey. Colonel ANSON said money was being applied to from time to time. Mr. COBDEN and Mr. RUNE complained that the pubic had great difficulty in procuring the Ordnance maps. C.;01. ANSON said they could always be had at the Ordnance office. Mr. COBDEN suggested that a central depot should be established in London, where stationers could procure these maps without difficulty. The report was then agreed to. On the question that 86,6691. be voted for defraying the expense of the non-effective civil and military ser vices attached to the Ordnance, Major BLACKALL complained that more colonels retired from the engineers and artillery on full pay than from all the 146 battalions of the line, owing to some undue regulations having been made in their favour. Mr. F. MAULE was understood to say that the Gallant Major was mistaken in his latter conclusion. Mr. HUME took that opportunity of recommending Government to reduce the expenditure on cadetships. After some observations from Colonel ANsoN and Mr. COBDEN, Lord JOHN RUSSELL said that the disputes in the River Plate were now near a termination. The vote was then agreed to. The House then resumed, and the report was ordered to be brought up on Friday. ADVANCE OF MONEY (ATHLONE TO GAL WAY RAILWAY) BILL. This Bill, as amended, was considered in Committee. Several verbal alterations were made, and the Bill was agreed to. — On tho motion that the report be brought up, Sir JAMES GRAHAM said he had given a very reluctant assent to this measure, believing that it was dangerous to give outdoor relief in Ireland; but as this advance of 500,0001. was the second that had been made for railways in that country, he thought he was justified in asking the Chancellor of the Exche quer to give an assurance that this would be the last advance that he would propose to make for such spe culations. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he was not prepared to give the assurance which the Right Hon. Baronet required. Ho considered that much good would be done to Ireland in encouraging enterpriza by making such advances. After a few words from Mr. F. FRENCH and Sir H. WILLOITGHBY, Mr. GROGAN suggested that all the enactments of railway Bills in Ireland with regard to taking land should be re-considered. The motion was agreed to, and the House resumed. The Relief of Distress (Ireland) Bill was read a third inie and passed. _ The report of the Customs Act was received and agreed to, after a short discussion. DISEMBODIED MILITIA BILL. The House then went into Committee on this Bill. Mr. HUME wished to see the militia disbanded alto , gether. It had cost more than 8,000,0001. of late years, and was of no earthly use, except to provide berths for colonels of regiments. He objected to the principle of conscription by which the militia was filled up. Mr. FOX MAULE thought that the Hon. Member was wrong in calling the system of filling up the militia a system of conscription. The Bill went through Committee, and the report was ordered to be brought up to-morrow. The Administration of Justice (Vancouver's Island) Bill was read a third time and passed. Mr. HAYTEIt obtained leave to bring in a Bill to authorise her Majesty to appoint Commissioners to in quire into the claims over the New Forest and Waltham Forest. On the motion of Mr. HASTIE, an account was or dered of the declared value of the various articles of British produce and manufactures exported to the Bri. tish West India Colonies, for the years ending the sth day, ofJanuary, 1840 to 1849, with the rate of duty on each article in the colonies; and of the quantities of the prin cipal articles of the growth and manufacture of the Bri. tish West India Colonies imported into the United King. dein; and of the quantities cleared for home consump tion, and the rate of duty charged on each article, with the Gazette average price of Sugar for the year ending OD the sth day of January, 1848; also, the number of ships, distinguishin g British and foreign, with their ton nage, that have entered and cleared fur the Bri:ish West India colonies from the United Kingdom, during ttie same period. Similar returns for the East India Company's territories and Ceylon. Similar return for China; similar return for the Mauritius. Similar return for the British North American Co lonies. Similar return for New South Wales and the Australian Colonies; similar return for the United States of America; similar return for Cuba; similar return for the Brazils ; and similar returns for Mexico and the other ports of South America ; Alio. returns of ports or creeks in the United Kingdom approved of by the Honourable tie Board of Customs, for the warehousing in bond of tea, coffee,:sugar, wines, spirits, and tobacco. Of the amount of the above- mentioned goods in pounds and gallons warehoused at THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 18, 1849 each port, for the year ending the sth day of April, 1849, distinguishing the quantities of those warehoused directly imported into such ports, with the quantities removed under bond from the ports of im portation, together with the number of duty-paid entries made at each port during the above period; and of the amount of customs duty received in the United Kingdom for the year ending the sth day of April, 1849, showing the payments made for services specially connected with the collection of the revenue, together with payments made for services not specially connected with the collec tion of the revenue. The other orders of the day were then disposed of. and the House adjourned. g A T y M .) IN S TER LONDON B AND HALF-YEARLY MEETING. BAND. — (THIS A special general half-yearly meeting of the directors and proprietors of the London and Westminster Bank was held this day, in the premises of the Bank, Loth bury; Thomas Chapman, Esq., F.R.S., one of the di rectors, being in the chair. There was a full attendance of the directors and shareholders. The CHAIRMAN called upon the Secretary to read the report of the directors, which the secretary did as fol lows: " The directors have to report that the net profits of the bank. during the last half-year, have amounted to 32,7291. 17s. 43. Out of these profits they now declare a dividend, at the rate of six per cent. per annum. After the payment of this dividend, there will remain the sum of 2,7291. 17s. 4d. to be added to the surplus fund, which will then amount to 105,4531. 14s. 3d. LONDON AND WESTMINSTER BANK, JUNE 30, 1849. Dr. £ s. d. To proprietors for paid-up capital 1,000,000 0 0 To amount due by the Bank for de posits, circular notes, &c. To rest, or surplus fund ... 102,723 16 11 To profits of the past half-year ,, 32,729 17 4 £4,528.310 17 10 X o. d. Cr. By Government stock, Exchequer bills, and India bonds By other securities, including bills discounted, loans to customers, &c. 3,010.867 15 2 By cash in hand ... 964,800 13 7 £4,528.310 17 10 PROFIT AND Loss, 30TH JUNE, 1849. X B. d. Dr. To payment of the dividend, now de clared, at the rate of six per cent. per annum, on a capital of 1.000,0001., for the halt-year ending 30th June, 1849 30,000 0 0 To balance of unappropriated profits lO5 453 14 3 £135,453 14 3 X fl. d. Cr. By balance of unappropriated profits on 31st December, 1848 By net profits of the past b.sif-year,after, &fraying the total expense of man agement, paying the income-tax, and making provision for all bad and doubtful debts 32,729 17 4 £135,453 14 3 By balance of unappropriated profits .£105,453 14 3 The CHAIRMAN said, in rising to move that the report which had just been read be adopted, printed and circu lated among the shareholders, he would occupy their at tention but for a very short period. They would permit him, in the first place, to congratulate them, which he did for the first time, that the paid. up capital of the com pany amounted to 1,0(.0,000/. That was a guarantee to them hereafter that they might consider their capital account as closed, and that no probable contingency might arise when it would be necessary to appeal to theta for further capital. It was further satisfactory to have this capital, because it was an assurance to the public, that however large the undertakings that might be entered into by the company, they would still be under that reservation, which be trusted the board of directors would ever discreetly exercise. Although during the past year there bad been no very great en couragement to holders of money to invest their capital, if the company had not received a large amount of re turn for the outlay of their money, they had at all events done a safe business. Three per cent. for the half-year would be the dividend they bad to declare, and they were still able to add a small amount to their reserved fund. He was happy to say the business of the company still continued to in crease both at their branches and their head-office. Their accounts were now second to none in this metro polis, and were of the greatest possible respectability. —(Applause.) He regretted that he had it not in his power to state that the directors had made any progress in the matter of the " clearing." Matters remain pre cisely as they were; the Joint-Stock Banking Companies, and their own among the rest, were still excluded from the privileges of the clearing. In those days of freedom of trade, he could not have thought th a t th ere could have existed in this metropolis a monopoly which was as great a private interest as it was a public wrong. —(Applause.) Justice, like truth, must in the end pre vail; and he trusted, ere long, they would be admitted to the privileges of the clearing. He would not detain them longer, but would simply move that the report of the directors be adopted, printed, and circulated among the shareholders.—(Applause.) Mr. PERRY seconded the resolution. Mr. N. CROUCH said he found by the report that the directors had 4,500,000/. of working capital. It had always appeared to him that a large sum of money like 4,500,0001. ought to raise more profit to the shareholders. Taking it at 4 per cent. that sum ought to raise 160,000/. and that was deducting the 500,000/. cash in hand. But, instead of 160,0001, the profit had dwindled down to 60,0001. That was too little, he thought. Either the directors did not use their money to advantage, or their expenses were enormous, or their losses excessive. He expected to-day a bonus of a very considerable amount would have been announced.—(Hear, hear.) It had been promised over and over again. He did think with a capital of 1.000,0001, paid up, with a capital of nearly 5,000,0001. at their command, and with a rest of 100,0001., the directors ought to afford the shareholders a greater advantage than they received.—(Hear, hear.) The CHAIRMAN said the previous speaker considered that, from the amount of capital placed in the hands of the directors, the return they made ought to be larger, and if that return were not larger, it arose from excessive loss or excessive expenditure. From neither of those causes did it arise. Really and truly the cause arose from the very low value of money in the money market.—(Hear, hear.) It was true ir capital of 1,000,0001 might be invested at a larger rate of interest; but, if they did so, the time might come when they wanted their 1,000,000/, and might in vain seek for the means of realising it. They were compelled to have their capital available. The money was in their till, and he trusted it would long continue there. Whenever an opportunity arose of investing their money at a fair rate of interest, he assured them it was always the anxious desire of the directors to avail themselves of it. Their first care was security, and he hoped the board would ever maintain that as one of their leading principles.—(Applause.) Mr. LEVY thought the directors had exercised a very sound discretion in not giving more than 61 per cent., that was all he had to say; he approved of short speeches, re membering the old adage, that what would cure a car penter would kill a bricklayer sometimes. He thought they had better let well alone, and not trouble them selves about the Scotch banking system, or investing money in Ireland, all which was what he called hum bug.—(Laughter.) A SHAREHOLDER asked what was the comparative expense of working the branches ? The CHAIRMAN said their branches were extremely well conducted, and gave the greatest satisfaction to the directors; but entering into particulars at that moment would be injudicious. The SHAREHOLDER said a rival establishment had been said to succeed better than their own, because that establishment had no branches. The CHAIRMAN said he should regret exceedingly parting with any one of those branches. Mr. W. BROWN hoped a portion of their reserved fund would be added to their dividends by way of bonus. The CHAIRMAN said he was aware there was a feeling among the shareholders that whenever the "rest" ex ceeded 100,0001. they should not give to posterity that which they themselves had earned. He did not think the directors differed much from that feeling; but he was quite sure the shareholders would not wish the directors to declare a paltry bonus. Mr. Baowx suggested the formation of a "settling house" among the joint-stock banks themselves, since they were excluded from the " clearing" system. There were great privileges to be derived from a " settling house." The Chairman could not deny that it was greatly to the interest of private banks to keep the joint-stock banks out of the clearing system; yet even tually he hoped they would admit joint-stock banks to the clearing, and that without having recourse to the pressure from without." The resolution adopting the report was then put and carried. Mr. HADDO moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman and directors, and the meeting separated. STATE OF TRADE. (From the Manchester Guardian n of this day.) MANCHESTER, TIIESDAY.- 1 he requi rement of higher prices for yarns wa', last week, partici) , succe ss f u l. To day a more decided move has been made in the same direction. Stimulated by the still buoyant state of the cotton market, the spinners have claimed a fu rt h er ad vance of 4d. per lb., generally , and in many in stances o f There the can d beey with u 130 doubt T tiu thattohi.g firmness ), th i s e 1:w (maintained throughout e 8 s ) , has con siderably restricted the amount of business ; y e t, i t h as been so far acceded to by some class es of b u y ers , as to render the transactions of moderate, if nut of fair extent, on the whole. The principal purchasers have been the home manufacturers and tau Ge-rtnan merchants. The latter have paid the advance most readily fur warps and pin cops. The ILdia h ou se, however, h ave continn,d to stand aloof. An addit ional advance has also been demanded upon goods, and here again, the effect has been a limitation of business. The makers of 7-Bth and 9.Bth printers and shirtings have, however, secured another. lid. per piece. The some time their value was undulyea accounted depressed, want of demand ; and now sudden and considerable rise which has receently taken place in 34 inch and 36. inch printers and shirtings, is that . tae demand has revived, it is found that the produc uon has been very much abandoned for that of 40-inch fur. through a fabrics. India and China goods are decidedly firm from their scarcity, and the degree in which the manufacturers are under contract. In some of the heavier cloths, suit. able for shipping, there is a little improvement; least of all in the batter qualities for the home market. We anderstaad that in soma establishments at Black- burn the weavers have demanded an advance of 10 per cent. in their wages, but without success. We are sgrry to learn that a Mr. BAtomheim has left the town without discharging his liabilities, which are said to amount to about 10,0001., and to fall principally upon the calico printers. R0011)11.1E, MONDAY.—There has been another to lerably good market to day, and the demand for flannels is quite equal to that of the previous week. The manu facturers have asked a small advance for pieces, to meet the higher prices demanded for the raw material, which has had its due weight in limiting the number of pur chases. The wool market has been dull, with little doing. MACCLESFIELD, TUESDAY.—The throwing depart ment of the silk trade is in rather a depressed state, owing in a great measure to the excessive use of foreign thrown silk. Some of the small throwsters have com mtnced working short time, others are stopping rooms, and otkers fratnes, as they cannot get work on com mission. A few are turning off hands, and offering a reduction in the wages of those who remain of from 8 to 10 per cent. The manufacturing department is the handkerchief line is somewhat dull for the present ; but tho manufacturers are very sanguine in their expecta tions of a good autumn trade. The piece-trade is brisker than for some time past ; but the power loom branch is not so brisk as it has been during the summer. HUDDERSFIELD, TUESDAY.—CODSiderabIe business has been done in the Cloth Hall, and the warehouses during the week have been fairly employed. The close of the war between Germany and Denmark has caused great satisfaction, much inconvenience having been ex perienced in the transmission of goods to and from Ger many. Every description of Wool continues to advance. • HALIFAX, SATURDAY.—There is still a good inquiry for most descriptions of worsted goods, and especially for lastings, which are scarce, and the manufacturers are unwilling to take orders for them at the present low rates. The demand for yarns for export continues, and prices are improving. The sales of wool are not so extensive, and holders are asking a small advance. LEEDS, TIIESDAY.—Not much business doing to-day. The stock of cloths exported for sale was very small; the buyers could with difficulty meet with goods to suit them. Prices are as last week, and there is a large business doing in the warehouses. FRAIS CE. The Commission charged with deciding on the proposition of M. Lestiboudois, which has for its ob ject the securing a retiring pension to workmen who have passed their labour, has concluded its task. The following are the most remarkable paragraphs of the project of M. Lastiboudois The retiring allowance ought to be pecuniary. Nevertheless, it were well that the workmen who are so isolated, or who only receive an allowance of a very small amount. should be enabled to live in common, as more economical and more agreeable. It would therefore be advantageous to establish hotels capable of receiving men, women, and children. The stopp age i s t o b e ma d e on the produce of labour as well as on the wages of the employed; and the supplementary sums indispensable to the amount raised on wages ought to be turnish-d by industry itself, which is bound not only to maintain the individual while it employs him, but also when he has exhausted himself in its service" The sum estimated by M. Lastiboudois for the support of a man is 182 francs per annum; of a wo man, about two-thirds of that sum. The saving from wages should, he thinks, begin at the age of eighteen, and terminate at that of sixty, when the party is en titled to a pension. The commission has recommended that the project should be taken into consideration. AUSTRIA. The young Emperor of Austria profits by the in structions of his fellow Emperor Nicholas. It appears from the Vienna papers that certain Austrian ladies of rank offended in some manner or other the young Emperor Francis Joseph, and whereupon this boy of 18 ordered them to be arrested and flogged, which was done. It may become a question whether or not the representatives of these women- floggers ought to he received at the Court of a Queen on the same footing as the representatives of civilised nations. At all events, no man of any decent or honourable feeling can henceforth mix in their society, and the ladies, of course, must in self-defence avoid them. ITALY. The Piednsontese Gazette, of the 13th inst., quotes a letter from Venice, stating that, during the night of the 6th, the beseiged had taken by surprise a bat tery erected by the Austrians on the bridge of the railway leading to Venice. The assailants consisted of volunteers from the different regiments under the orders of Captain Buell. They advanced along the embankment, and having invested the battery completely surprised the Austrian cannoneers, several of whom were killed. Captain Buell, who first en tered the battery, was shot dead. The 'Venetians, after spiking the guns, retired without experiencing any further loss. T he Milan Gazette of the 12th states that the Austrian steamer Vulcan had run aground on the night of the 3d, within gunshot of the Venetian fort Monfrin, whence a terrible fire was opened upon her, ' which however did little damage, owing to the dark ness of the night. At daybreak the - Vulcan opened her fire upon the batteries of fort Monfrin, and silenced them. The Venice Gazette of the Ist inst. publishes a letter, dated the 20th, from Lord Palmerston to M. Manin, in which he expresses the interest he feels for Venice, but regrets that the conditions of the Treaty of Vienna do not permit him to do anything in favour of it, without the consent of the Imperial Government of Austria, which had already expressed its determination on the subject. The Oesterreichishe Correspondent states that ac cording to private letters whim had reached Trieste on the 9th, the Austrians on the night of the 7th had got possession of the Venetian battery on the Lagoon Bridge, and spiked all the can nons which they found. They were, however, ob liged to retreat with a loss of twenty men and two captains. There was an earthquake at Ragusa on the 30th ult., which lasted from three r.. four minutes. CITY toURT OF sEWERS. Yesterday the Cemmissioners assembled at Guildhall, • Mr. Deputy Peacock in the chair. THE STATE OF THE SEWERS, DRAINS, &C. A memorial was presented from the ward inquest of St. Sepulchre's parish. It stated that although con siderable improvements had been effected in several parts of the parish, still there were most offensive odours con.. stantly assailing the inhabitants, that numbers of houses, in each of which two or three families resided, were supplied with no more than a few gallons of water daily, and that one of these houses actually contained as many as eighty-one human beings ' • that the slaughterhouses about Smithfield contributed much to the stench which existed, but as that question referred to a matter in con troversy, the memorialists did not think it necessary to go generally into its merits; that they would have ap plied to the Court of Aldermen, but that they were pre vented by the apprehension of delay, which they were aware could be obviated by their appeal to the Court of Sewers, to whose exertions the public were already so much indebted. The CHAIRMAN said the Court were obliged by the communication, and were ready to adopt the most ad visable course of proceeding to meet the wishes of the inhabitants. With respect to the supply of water they had every reason to believe that the directors of the New River Company were determined to prevent any well founded complaint as to that most necessary article. The manager of the company had informed the commis sioners that there should be no deficiency if application were made to him for flushing the poor neighbourhoods. The inquest having repeated that they relied upon;the energy of the commissioners, The CHAIRMAN said, the gentleman who represented the parish had submitted their case to the proper autho rities, and immediate attention should be paid to it by the officers of the Court. Mr. WooLLEn appeared upon the' part of the Ar tesian Well " in the neighbourhood of Farringdon-street, about which an extraordinary statement had been made at the last meeting of the commissioners. Upon that occasion it had been stated that the well in question, which had been dug at a great expense us an experiment, by a company at the unfor tunate period of the panic, and which was capable of supplying an immense quantity of the very finest water, was a nuisance to the neighbourhood, and calculated to engender dangerous maladies, in consequence of having been made a depository for dead dogs and cats, and other matter in a state of revolting decomposition. Now, that well had been, in consequence of the panic, left in an unfinished state; but instead of being a nuisance and an offence, it was serviceable to the neighbourhood, and it was only to be regretted that an experiment of so beneficial a kind bad been checked, instead of being generally adopted, as a means of adding to the health and comfort of the City. Mr. G. WALTER said, that be had made the represen tation, and not without good cause. Since he had made the complaint, which had been brought forward by several of the inhabitants of the vicinity in the first in stance, and confirmed by his own observation, and that of the inspector of the district, some improvement had been effected by the removal of the superficial filth, but he apprehended there was no such change made as would answer the general requirement. Mr. Wooiii.R said - ne had seen the well himself, and he believed that a finer spring c,tuid not be found. It had been dug to an immense depth, and was capable of producing a supply of 1.000 gallens a minute. The digger of the well was then call e d. fi e said he had been employed by air. Stoptord, the cretary to the projected c..mpany, to sink the %sell, and that tin water was pure and good, only the lads used to throw things into it . . The CHAIRMAN—That 13 the very thine,* of w hi c h we complain. Cats and dogs thrown into it must occ u .i ut . a nuisance, and we must put a stop to th at. The pro. prietor was with me eaten:ay, and he assured me that he would do ull we might require. Ald, , rman LAWRENCE said the commissioners wen not disposed to advertise the company to which the well belonged. Mr. G. WALTER said the foreman of the inquest, Mr. Turner, the inspector, and himself, had gone to examine the well very recently, and they found, us he had stated, en improv, went as t the surface, but it was surrounded by smsll houses, from which it could be readily supplied with the very matter which constituted the nuisance in the first instance. The CHAIRMAN and Alderman LAWRENCE did not consider that Mr. Wooller bad st locus standi it he came to the court as the "advocate of the well," according to his representation, and that he was bi,und to name a client with a human habitation and a name. Mr. Wooller then ,produced Mr. SLupturd as the pro prietor._ The CHAIRMAN—Why, this is the gentleman who has been represented as the secretary to the company. Mr. Stopford—l am secretary and proprietor. The CHAIRMAN—TbeD, Mr. Stoptord, you will be so good as to take care that this nuisance, if it be one, shall be speedily removed. If 3ou do not we must remove it for you. It must be covered over. Mr. Stopford—l have the authority of medical men of eminence to say, that if it be covered over it %ill be much less serviceable than it is now. COFFEE ROASTING. Alderman SIDNEY said, the neighbourhood of St. Bride's had been in some degree alarmed by an ob servation which had been made by one of the com• missioners, to the effect that danger of cholera might arise from the process of coffee roasting upon his pre mises. Now, nothing could ba more erroneous than such an opinion. He had consulted two medical gen tlemen on the subject, and they had concurred i❑ opinion that the essential oil which was thrown off by the process was calculated to weaken the effects of cholera. That opinion received additional strength from the fact that his men, who bad been in the constant habit of roasting coffee for 20 years, were in excellent health. Mr. Deputy CORDER said be bad been a coffee -roaster for 30 years every week from Monday morning till Sa turday night. After some desultory conversation as to the state of the sewers leading to Blackfriars-bridge, directions were given to the surveyor upon the subject. The question as to the experiment of Mr. Walker's traps, as a substitute for the traps now in general use, and pronounced to be exceedingly defective, VI as referred to a committee to examine and report. REPORT OF THE OFFICER OF HEALTH. Mr. SIMoN, the officer of hualth, reported the cases of cholera in the City to be rather less than the numbers named last week. This result he ascribed to the zealous conduct of the commission and the inspectors and police on duty reporting the condition of the several localities, and in promptly attending to the sanitary precautions in the same. Ordered that the report of the medical officer be en. tered upon the journals. DRAINAGE IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF PRINTING• ROUSE SQUARE. A gentleman from the Times' establishment appeared before the commissioners to complain of the condition of the drains in the immediate vicinity. lie thanked the commissioners for the exertions they had already made to serve the locality, but !here still remained an intole rable nuisance which all that had been dune by the corn mis.ioaers and by the proprietors of the Times had not succeeded in abating. Such, in tact, was the stench pro ceeding from the bud drainage, that those who were em ployed were frequently obliged to leave the office. There were between 200 and 300 persons in constant occupa tion in the establiuhtn, nt, so that some idea might be formed of tho serious inconvenience and annoyance to which thov were suljected. Mr. HAYWOOD (the Surveyor of the Commission) said the neighbourhood to which the gentleman had called their attention was certainly not so perfect as it ought to be as to drainage, but the sewer was kept clean and all the lanes and alleys were flashed and swept with the utrn.st care and attention. The complainant admitted that such was the case, but he had no doubt that the nuisance proceeded frost the undrained condition of some tour or five houses behind the premises, which houses had no communication with the se.er, and, consequently, disgorged their filth into the most abominable cesspools. He bad nairowly ex amined the neighbourhood, and was prepared to give every information the commissioners might require on the subject. The 'CHAIRMAN said, the commissioners were much obliged by the communication, and would pay imme diate attention to the complaint, for which they regretted there existed so much cause. Mr. HARVEY (the Commissioner of the City Police) who was in attendance on a matter connected with the force, said he bad been given to understand that the warm water which proceeded from the working of the machinery of the Times was in itself a cause of annoy ance and inconvenience. The complainant said he could most satisfactorily prove that there was no ground whatever for such a supposition. Mr. Deputy GODSON said, he could not see how the warm water which proceeded from the Times' machinery could be offensive, when the warm water which pro ceeded from great manufactories in much greater quan tity gave occasion for no complaint whatever. The CHAIRMAN then issued directions to the surveyor and inspector, aud repeated that everything should be done to remedy the evil. Mr. HARVEY said, he attended to state to the commissioners the amount of service rendered by the City police in furtherance of the sanitary intentions of the Court. They had minutely inspected 7,064 houses, and they had specially reported 119 houses which had been in a bad condition, but were now in progress of sanitary correction. Their attention had been particularly directed to the houses of the poor, and he trusted, when their exertions in the present emergency should cease, their labours would be still made available in order that the condition of the indi gent classes, as to water and other sources of cleanliness, might be clearly ascertained. He had also to state that the police had the best means of ascertaining the extent of the cholera. They had reported that 151 cases had occurred in the City within the months during which their assistance had been rendered, 95 of which had been fatal, eight had recovered, and of the remainder nothing decisive was known. Now, the reports of the Board of Health did not include that number, which he feared was smaller than the actual amount, for the poor were incommunicative upon the subject, from the ap prehension of the removal of the bodies of their relatives and friends. Upon the motion of Mr. Deputy CORNET, the thanks of the Court were given to Mr. Harvey. STATE OF PARTIES IN ENGLAND. (From the Paris Constitutionnel.) The session of the English Parliament is drawing to a close, the sittings of the House of Commons will hardly be prolonged until the latter end of July. Oue single Act of importance will have marked this session—the abolition of the navigation-laws, which, although it has excited less pas sionate opposition and provoked less striking debates than the abolition sf the corn-laws, is not the less a revolution quite as serious and qaite as eemplete in the commercial and maritime system of England. A few secondary laws, a few Irish reforms, have, with this great measure suf ficed to occupy the time of the session. In politics these last few d_ty. will have witnessed the accomplishment of a fact, the consequences of which will hereafter produce very important results—the dissolution of the party of Sir Robert Peel. Since the abolition of the corn-laws for ever sepa rated Sir Robert Peel from the Tories, and uecessi rated his retirement from power, some 100 or 120 Members of the house of Commons have remained faithlul to the fortunes of the ex- Mini: ter, and regulated their conduct by his. This compact phalanx took up an intermediate position between the Whigs who occupied the Ministerial benches and the obstinate Tories; sometimes the Peelites offered to the Ministry a sort of semi-opposition, and sometimes they assumed the part of its protectors. On several occasions those 100 votes alone prevented Lord J. Russell's Cabinet from being left in a minority in the House of Commons. This state of things has now lasted for two years and a half. Sir Robert Peel, weary of having ministerial views imputed to him which did not even enter his imagination, and of bearing the responsibility of a party leader without having the advantages of the Mi nistry, or the hopes of the Opposition, was desirous of putting an end to all commentaries. Re loudly ad vised his friends to dissolve as a party, and to enrol themselves according to their own personal predilections. Sir Robert Peel could not disguise the divisions which were springing up in the bosom of his party; he was not blind to the value of the hopes which his friends per sisted in conceiving; he was unwilling to lend the au thority of his great name to enterprises which he deemed Utopian; he was unwilling that the men of talent who had followed him into retirement, should continue to lose, and as it were annul themselves in a sort of third party without a future. He has always preferred clear and open situations, for others as well as for himself. The youthful and active section of the party long re sisted this advice. The Peelites believed in the strength of their position, and their small number did not frighten them; they included in their ranks almost all the old colleagues of Sir Robert Peel, that is to say, men of un questionable capacity, and in a condition to make head against the Whig Cabinet; neither the science of public business nor the power of eloquence was wanting to their leading men; they knew that they were an indis pensable adjunct to the Ministerial majority whenever the Tories voted in a body; it appeared to them impos sible not to derive great advantages from such a posi tion; they were convinced that they should at length batter a breach in the Ministry, and conquer several positions by force or stratagem. They accordingly wished to march alone under the guidance of Lurd Lincoln, and to turn to advantage both their own personal influence and the prestige of Peel's name. Instead of Effacing themselves as during the first year, they took an active part in the debates of Parliament, and it must be admitted that they alone were capable of commencing or sustaining any struggle against the Ministry. In order to curry on the war with more energy and effect, they hired the Morning Chronicle—long the organ of the Whigs—and which, under their influence, has carried on an incessant warfare against a portion of the Ministry whilst it has exhaused its powers of coquetry to win the good graces of the Tories. The campsign was an animated one, because they who carried it on telt that it must ba decisive. Twice a sort of armistice was concluded, and negotiations were opened with the Whigs for the eff cting of a fusion and the for mation of a coalition Ministry. Twice, a; we before explained, the negotiations were broken off. The Peelites, by exacting the immediate sacrifice of Lord Palmerston, and tho ulterior sacrifice of Earl Grey, required Lord Russell to decapitate, not only hi s Mi n i stry , b ut hi s party, the kern e l of hid) consiits of a few aristocratic families united by alliar , c, s. They demanded before the battle as much as after a viwory. Lord J. Russell, who felt that, under present circumstances, public opi nion was disposed to support his Cabinet at all hazards, in order to avoid a Ministerial crisis, and who perceivLd that the mass of the Tory faction was more incensed than ever against the Peelites, saw at once that he had no coalition to fear, and refused all extravagant conces sions, preferring to try to win over individually the men that he could not conquer combined. It was remarked, in fact, that notwithstaneing the resumption of hostilities, Lord J. Russell persisted in treating the I'eelites as friends. tieverai impor tant offices became vacant, as well as some of .h high ecclesiastical prererinents and rich preben d, iheift gof the Cr own . T hese advant , ige - 4 were co , furred with out so l ic i tat i on. and as it were, haphyl*T (ll' o ; on the friend s o f the PeeNes, and fieished by fl 2 " ° l some of them as staunc h supporters o f the Min i str y • li d , enemy enemy who loads y ou w i t h benefits is not to be resiW Fatigue arid the ennui of the c o ntest t h re w the Party into con!usion, an d t h e di v i s i ons which always arise from failure completed its disorganisation. ht The Canada q ues ti on exh ibi ted i n broad clay.'l4- the hesitations and the dissensions of the faction. We have already related how the Tories eu i. braced with ardour the cause of the Canadian " loyal i ists," who pr o t este d aga i nst the indemn i ty gr anted to the rebels o f F renc h C ana d a ; how they burn„ of the legi s l a ti ve chambers, and drove out k representative of the Queen from an excess of fidelity to her Majesty. The English Ministry (lid not hesitate support a measure regularly passed by the Colonial k e ; gislature, and declared its intention to sanction tb Bill and to maintain Lord Elgin as Governor-60 1 E 1110 f Canada. Hereupon Mr. Gladstone, a colleague of Sir It r ee .,„ l a man of vacillating ch aracter an d a rather myst i ca l tuna'" . of mind, thought he saw an opportun i ty of atta cka Earl Grey, the Coloni a l Minister, and resolved to t a k e the part of the Canadian "loyalists." He u ndertl to present their petition, an d supporte d i ts praye r 01E , all his talent, amidst th e applause of the Tyri(si he was about to achieve a victory over the Mirth% when he himself wa s se i ze d w i t h a pan i c at the probable consequences of his su ccess . H e was terrified ay, responsibility th a t was a b out to devolve upon him )) upset the C a bin e t, and so occasioned a mi n i s terial Crinl a He prayed Parliament not to go so far as himself, as withdrew his moti on . Th e next day he resumed ~'; urged by th e so li c i tat i ons and the reproaches of lr Tories. But the next day it was too late. Sir R. Peel hak i d e ; tided to s u pp ort t h e Ministry, and addressed to n` Gladstone an overwhelming reply, which the rale?: brance of their former connexion rendered more I s nificant and peremp tor y. T he attitude thus sa dde assumed by him whom all acknowledged as their n.‘ i i , ter, threw the y oung T or i es i nto confusion. Lord , coin durst not vote either for or against the MinialrL; others either shirked the division or voted on eithersisci; the rout was complete. When, a few days aftervear Lord Lincoln a t tac k e d E arl Grey on his own annetiniP• on the subject o f t h e H u d son ' s Bay Company, then 1.1 hiletion of th e f act i on was proved by the untimely ueln of the debate. and t h e necess i ty to which Lord Line ° was reduced of avoiding a division. It would be difficult to predict what will becoine. s. the remains of th e d ispersed party. It appears ce rtat h / however, that Mr. Gladstone goes over decidedly te l i r Tories, and that he is about to enlist under Mr. Diorite who has much need of such a lieutenant. Lord Lincoln is going to travel in the East for a le at least, and will decide upon the course to be adeP os ; whoa affairs have taken a turn. As to the two nil able men of the party—Sir J. Graham and Mr. Gard e —there is every reason to believe that they will join ei Whigs. Sir J. Graham was long a member of tu ei , party, with which he broke on the Irish Church q e tt . tion, and Lord R usse ll h as made more than ons " tempt to induce him to accept a place in the MinistrPie As to Sir Robert Peel, be has resolved not to Mil l i any more in active politics. He will content bini'` with being th e f avourite orator of the. House of 0)(5 mons—with all ow i ng hi s authority to be inso,l-ej by both parties, an d w i t h acting as a dr es io p censor to both. Thi s great personal bitn it " es suffices the at e biti on o f hi s o l d age. His time wu` sur devoted to his magnificent piclure gallery and the . veillance of his sc h oo l s at T emworth ; and when t h e 2 -,j 0 ; sion clues he will go an d shoot pArtriclges and • deer in Scotland. He has lain d from Lord Lovet whole island —the islaud of Aigus, or "•''' l „ - s cl Aigus," five leagues from leverness, s tg near Beaufort and Erchless Castles, the g i f ! e if of the Ileauforts and Chisholm& Sir R. Peel pu ba t he proclaimed his inte nt i on at a l ate dinner given by Lord Ma) or (Sir J. D u k e ) to the members of his P f ! r ifto He there pronounced the funeral ortvion of his Adole rr tration, and his expli c i t speec h a d m i ts of no d ou bt specting his determination. The dissolution o f t h e P ee l party will reduce op number of sections i n t o w hi c h t h e H ouse of CO2IIOIO divided from four to three. There will be none t o Tories, Whigs, and Radicals. The accession of i pr j Peelices will fortify the feeble majority of 0 John Russell, and as the Radicals ca nnot 0 4 yet act by th e i r own strength, and almost sitiorl vote with the Government, the old contest of Wh n .ig s ,4o) Tories is about t o recommence. The latter (the -1: ! -- will will be more f anat i ca l than ever, whilst the Whig:ici) be more libe ra l t h an they have been of late. Bn'f,stt only next sessi on that th e consequences o f this net which dates from yesterday, and which cannot sn ° produce any definite result, will become apparent. . 4 0 The fusion of the majority of Sir R. Peel's fr l ';ro with the Whigs may have a hapy effect in Englan d ' s ear peculiar char ac t er o f t h e P arliamentary history of Oar neighbours is this—th a t w i t h t h em po li t i ca l ( 11 ' e s scions have alw a y s b ean , an d st i ll are, a due l bete of parties, and not a contest between different classe society. Two fractions of the aristocracy, leanink,bs preference, th e one on t h e agr i cultural, the other ou',, commercial inter es t, con d uct the Tories and the Wbigoi but in the bos om o f eac h party there is no interruptily continuity from the first steps of t h e soc i a l scale t o last. Since electoral reform has given so much oil influence to the manufacturing interest, a eet,i, number of the representatives of the large tot ! , such as Manchester and Birmingham —Mr. Ceb",... 1 , Mr. Bright, and others—keeping aloof from Po r h tys although generally voting with the Whigs, 7 0 1, affected to int ro d uce new classifications into Ballo:poi and to repre s e n t t h e ma j or i ty of the Whigs as att ach to aristocrati ca l interests aid themselves as more 7,,e a . cially the organ s o f t h e popular party in the This classification tended to identify the " t i e s. with the Tori es , an d to b reak up existing Prod Here was the germ of those ridiculous odious distinctions of class which only end in divided. what ought to be united and to scatter the se o o of civil war. The accession of the Peelites to the 0 11 of the Whigs, by constituting a great party, in W , lll ,, e molif,, per.ons who wish to satisfy the exigencies of their — * ill pepre by refitternents, subtleties, and distincti°,, ll %bee oe 10.,r, will stifle these Vers.parti attempts, and• culpable endeavours to substitute class rivalries for CO tests of opinion. -------- .11 , 1URDEU OF TWO UIIILDREN Br THEM, tr: 1 1 0 . LEEDS. JULY 14.—A n event of the most laPP': ie nature has just o ccurre d at the village of Knotting le Pog the West R i di ng of Yorkshire. The brief but shoelace facts are as foliows:—Yesterday.forenoon, a labou r named Benj a mi n H ea l d, aged twenty years, re el r t e with his p a r e nt s a t K nott i ngley, too k two o f hi s brother. fur a childreninto shorttime, t he g h a ,, r d d e e n s i f r o e r d a th w e al children dAfter tol beingeavetilterbo d,s, garden, which they manifested a disinclination to He then took op a bottle (it is supposed i n a fi t o f l% sanity) and beat out the brain s o f t h e li ttle boy, ia;l years old. He then imm e di a t e l y kill e d the little /4::; three years old, by beating her over the head vvlt : l stick. This d rea d u l trag , tty accomplisued, be rid into the house and told ho, mother that he believed be had had killed the t wo Child ren; and alleging, with a-o greatest apparent coolness, that he had done so bececo he was afraid th e y wou ld come to want. He thea sh e home, and went into the town, his residence being in 00 , outskirts, and inq uire d f ur a surgeon. He was 5 % however, taken into c us t o d y; but seemed little .0 w 0 cerued, as may be i mag i ne d f rom the fact that, wibis a short time afters, ards, he wa s sound as l eep s bed. All the family o f t h e prisoner are remit d s teeraeddy childrenand indu i s t t rio appearedus pe(ip t l h e, at onanndte of towards the bathetwo greater kindness and affection than prisoner. d o father of the child ren Icst his wife about six te ° • tlt ago, and h a d, w i t h his two children, gone to residel 1,11. his par en t s , w i t h whom his brother (the prisoner) - resided. h SO t RED RA IN . --E ar l y on Saturday morning, the "IV ult., a shower of rain as red as blood fell near village of Bonvilstone, and extended from thence l ic a westerly direction over Liantrithyd, Fletningston e, ifev towards Lantwit-Majer—it was so manifest that “ li ke pregnated the c l o d s o f eart h , many of which vvergwera ruddle. Several country people who witnessed it of dreadfully alarmed, imagining it to be some owe a ii coming misfortune, and very many, who did not ° e re ct fall, came in the course of the day to see the disceic ti n to soil. A phenomena of this kind has been kil i evi : ( lo' occur on the south side of Mont Blanc, between u e ",ar mine and Motet, where it left red spOts on the ; and the natives called it La pluie rouge (the red roi° oo Again, in the iron districts of this country small etr efi t o have been so impregnated with ehalybeate, t l36 nc e, ater was of quite a deep red colour for some di sLs „„"oll' Another traveller says that red showers are very cote.- in the Alps:— „ e al° .‘ Quis rubidum gutter miratum in Alpibus?"—o tl "„i ii A very severe blight took place the same ree r- g P which has left its marks on the p otatoes bea ns : e l 1 • fruit trees, and h ung over the country till ' past W . fl day.—Cambrian. • BIRTHS. On the 13th in s t . , i n U pper Berkeley-stree t, Portrat r square, the lady of C. B. \Vale, Esq., of a daughter. v e 0 On the 14th inst., at East Bergholt, the wife of thw Dr. Badham, o f a son . On the 4th inst., at Sto rey ' s •gate. S t. JammesTark , t wife of J. A. Radcliffe, E , q., of a d aug h ter. 1 Ediv i iff On the 14th in s t., a t W el b eck-street, the wife of King, Esq., of a son. On the 16th i ns t . , at Brompton-crescent, Mrs. G. °II 1151 I/ ' of a daughter. MA/a/ED. At Bridport, on the 17th inst., by the Rev. T. w °repel Mr. Richard H ayward, of Bridport !tabour, to Mis 9 Swain, third d aug h ter of Captain Swain, Downe-s"° Bridport. On the 14th inst , at St. Matthew's, Brixtonti ° r„ e r young)-et son of It Broughton, Esq., of Brixton, to Li v ar , --- )1 youngest daughter of the late John J. Yardley, I ' 6 ' 4 Blackheath. DIED. f On the 12th in s t., t h e R ev. John Mickleburg h, ° Macy's, Platt, aged 41. k On the Ith inst., at Clapham New-park, Charles It°r( jf Kent, Esn., aged 74. ds r • On the 14th inst., at .uorningside, near Edinburg/191/o SO geret Ballantine, eldest daughter of the late Rev. Tr' Leckie, of P ec bl es . r fil 1, A On the 14th inst., M r . G eorge Saggers, of the Dove." ,° On the I-Ith inst., at I street, e r k e l e y.square, C." or Clements Blaktly, only child of r. Blakely Brown. N'' On the 15th inst., at Claremont -terrace, Pentonville,, Joseph Morris, aged 62. On the loth hist., suddenly, a ge d 3, in Roupelt..-2 1,1" et, Cornwall-road, Miss E. P. ole, of Bath. London: Printed and Published by MUIWO YOU , 11 Na 112, Strand, P r i nter, at The Sun Office. 1 - 44 ° ° Strand, in the Precinct et the s,„ vo y, iIl the cow Aliddleoes, Wednesday, July 18,1849. , , ( 1 i " this pert whi in i Spei eves A Oi; Wit SCI that 11 2 t is r, effe, acts And litre Will Itee(