The Sun. — London, England, 1849-03-15 00:00:00

Mbition SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock. AUSTRIA. VIENNA, MARCH B.—The Diet is - dissolved, the soldiers surrounded the Palace at Kremsier, while Count Stadion convoked a number of the members of the right and right centre. He immediately made kiown to tkem the Imperial resolution to give the whole monarchy a constitution, which he had laid before them, and at the same time to dissolve the Diet. All the Members, without exception, protested against this measure. There was an early sitting at, seven o'clock in the morning. At eight o'clock the Im perial proclamation dissolving the Diet was appended to the walls of the palace and other public places in Kremsier. Three battalions of soldiers had meanwhile arrived. The door of the hall of the Assembly was closed, and guarded by the soldiers. The Deputies were per mitted only . to go to the bureau of the President to receive their certificates, and only five Members were admitted at a time; others who attempted to effect an entrance were held back by crossed bayonets. The Deputies Fischhof and Pratz were imme diately arrested. M. Lohner and several others mere hotly pursued, but effected their escape. Reports on this point, however, are contradictory. Fischhof and Pratz arrived at Vienna on the Bth, under a strong escort. VIENNA, IVlAacu 9.—The Allgemeine Zeitung of the 10th says :—" A report is in circulation here that a blocdy battle was fought on the banks of the Theiss, in which the Imperialists were beaten."— Vienna Papers, March 10. TATTERSALL'S-THIS EVENING Six O'CLOCK. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STAKES. 7 to 4 agst The Tartar 8 to 1 agst Loup-garou 8 to 1 agst Fernhill 10 to 1 agst Velox 16 to 1 agst Giselle METROPOLITAN HANDICAP. 7 to 1 agst Lugar 10 to 1 agst Can' zou 15 to 1 agst Peep o' Day Boy 16 to 1 agst The Tartar 16 to 1 agst Do•the-Boys—taken 18 to 1 agst Executor TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS. 7 to 2 agst Honeycomb 5 to 1 agst any other CHESTER CUP. 12 to 1 agst Joe o' Sot 16 to 1 agst Halo 33 to 1 agst Cossack—taken 35 to 1 agst Rathmines 40 to 1 agst John Cosser 50 to 1 agst Ballinafad 50 to 1 agst lodine 50 to 1 agst Blaze DERBY. Offer 3 to take 7 to 1 about Tadmor, but no bet laid. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. (THIS DAY.) HOUSE OF LORDS. Their Lordships assembled at Five o'clock. Lord STANLEY presented several petitions from various parts of Ireland against the rate i❑ aid; also a petition from Ely. cowplsining of agricultural distress. IRISH TAXATION. The Earl of WICKLOW moved for various re turns relating to the income remitted to England from Ireland, and which was in consequence subjected to the income-tax in England. He was convinced that the income••tax derived trom this source would amount to much more than the sum proposed to be raised lay this unconstitutional rate in aid, and therefore it was incorrect to say that Irish property contributed nothing to the property-tax. Proprietors in the English funds residing in Ireland contributed to the property tax. Every Irish proprietor residing in Eng land for a week became liable to the income tax, but if he Rent to the continent he escaped. He hoped the returns would be granted, and he hoped the Government would instruct the authorities of the Tax-office to adopt measures to enable them to ascertain the amount of income-tax contributed by Irish property. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE did not object to the returns being male. Lord MON TEAGLE said that even this return would not present a just view of the comparative burden of taxation borne by the two countries respectively. The motion was then agreed to. PETITIONS. The Marqu's of LONDONDERRY presented several petitions against the rate in aid. He regretted exceed ingly the extraordinary excitement that existed in the north of Ireland, and the language that had been used at the meetings which hal been held in that part of the country ; but he trusted the Gr,vernment would not persist in pushing forward the measure, which was violently opposed by the proprietors, the farmers, the clergy, and the peasants of the province of Ulster. Lord MONTE AGLE presented several petitions with a similar prayer ; a!so a petition against the conversion of the Cape of Good Hope into a penal settlement. The Bishop of CASHEL presented a petition from Waterford against the rate in aid. The Earl of LITCAN presented a petition from a union in Ireland with a similar prayer. Their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly before Four o'clock. The Kingston -upon• Hull Dock Company's Bill was read a third time and passed. PETITIONS. Mr. THORNELY presented a petition from Wolver hampton in favour of the enfranchisement of oupyholds; also a petition from Chester, complaining of the present state . ot.the navigation of the river Dee. Mr. WILCOX presented petitions from Southampton in favour of the abolition of church-rates. Colonel SALWEY presented petitions from Ludlow in favour of international arbitration. Sir H. VERNEY presented petitions from Armagh against the Maynooth Grant. Mr. WADDINGTON presented petitions from Suf folk in favour of the repeal of the malt-tax. Lord RENDLESHAM presented similar petitions also from Suffolk. Sir J. TYRELL presented petitions, of a similar nature from Essex. Mr. COBDEN presented petitions from Northampton and other places in favour of international arbitration. Mr. JOHN WILLIAMS presented petitions from the city of Chester complaining of the state of the navi gation of the river Dee. - Mr. TUFNELL presented a petition from Devonpor in favour of international arbitration. Sir J. Y. BULLER presented a petition from Devon shire against the mode of rating the poor. Mr. SCHOLEFIELD presented similar petitions from Birmingham. Mr. SEYMER presented petitions from Sussex in favour of the admission of the Jews into Parliament. Mr. BENNETT presented petitions from Bury for the repeal of the malt-tax. Sir J. DUCKWORTH presented a petition from Ex eter against any alteration in the law of marriage. Mr. OSBORNE presented a petition from the Mar quis of Westmeath against the rate in aid, and com plaining of the conduct of the Boor-law Board. Mr. GLADSTONE presented a petition from Oxford against the alteration of the law of marriage. RAILWAY PASSENGERS' ASSURANCE The Marquis of COMPANY. GRANBY postponed the following motion, of which he had given notice, till to-morrow : That this House will resolve itself into a Committee, to consider of authorising the imposition of a per-tentage duty on sums received by the Railway Passengers' As surance Company, in respect of insurances against loss of life or personal injury to persons travelling by rail way, in lieu of the stamp duty which would otherwise be payable by law on tickets of insurance issued by such company. Mr. Alderman SIDNEY presented a petition from Staf ford con of the increase of county expendi ture. taining Mr. H ME presented a petition from the city of Chester, complaining of the state of the navigation of the river Dee, and praying the House to pass a general conservancy Bill. Mr. MEAGHER presented petitions against the rate in aid from several places in Ireland. Mr. FAGAN presented a petition from the mayor and ,alderm en o f C or k, p ra yi ng for the establ i shment i of a general r eg i s t r y o f marr i ages i n I re land; and also n favour of the Health of Towns Bill. Mr. TOLLEMACHE presented petitions from Glou cestershire, complaining of agricultural distress; and also petitions complaining of the state of the navigation of the river Dee. Lord CASTLEREAGH presented petitions from places in Down against the rate in aid. Mr. HERRIES presented a petition from the county of Cork against the repeal of the navigation-laws. Mr. MONSELL presented a petition from the board of guardians of the Limerick Union against the rate in aid. IRELAND. Mr. J. O'CONNELL gave notice that on a future day he should move that the House resolve itself into a Committee to consider the expediency of altering the policy that had of late been pursued in Ireland, and the introductio n of a better system, with the view of recti fying the ev il s of which the people of tbat country com plained. Mr. COBDEN ARBITRATION. be should pro pose g t Z t n i ( 3. :) e tic e that on this day fortnight Secretary of State tor Foreign Affairs be empowered to e nterin all tre a ti es w ith f ore i gn countries a clause providin settled by arbitration. g that all disputes should be SAVINGS BANNS, Mr. REYNOLDS p os tponed his mo tion on the sa v ings banks of Ireland till this day fortni gh t , the . THE NAVIGATION OF THeel t Th e ATTORNEY - GENERAL presented petitions p from the corporation and inhabitants of Chest er cow. cow. plsining of the state of the navigation of this river . THE MARRIAGE LAW. Petitions from places in Yorkshire, Surrey, and Kendal were presented against any alttration of the law of marriage. BAILIFFS OF COUNTY COURTS. In reply to an Um. MEMBER, The ATTORNEY-GENERAL intimated that the payment of the bailiffs of county courts by salaries in stead of fees, which was a question surrounded by many difficulties, was still under the consideration of the Go vernment.: THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENIN6-, MARCH 15, 1849. CHICORY. Mr. ANSTEY wished to put a question to the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with regard to the use of vegetable substances instead of coffee, by the poorer classes, in consequence of their in ability to purchase coffee. Under an Act of Parliament passed in the reign of George 111., licensed tea and coffee dealers were not permitted to sell these substances. He wished to ask the Right Hon. Baronet whether it was true, as alleged in the memorial now before the Trea sury, that in 1844 the Melbourne Administration took upon themselves, by Tr easur y order, to suspend the provisions of that Act, giving instructions to Excise officers not to regard its clauses or the 501. penalty, but to permit grocers and tea dealers to serve chicory equally with licensed i dealers in that drug; and whether this has not been made a subject of complaint on the part of all the respectable wholesale dealers, and particularly on the part of colonial coffee growers, on the ground that ever since the suspension took effect there had been a decline in the consumption of coffee imported from the colonies; and whether in particular, although according to the present re turn the quantity of coffee from Ceylon last year ex ceeded by 50 per cent. any previous year, the return did not show that there was a considerable decrease in the consumption of Ceylon coffee at home; whether the chicory used in the adultera tion of the coffee did not now form a proportion of one third of the quantity of coffee an nually sold and consumed; and whether it was the in tention of Government to cause the law establishing the act to be obeyed by their officers in future? Or whether it was their intention to propose to Parliament any measure for imposing a duty on chicory in the same proportion as coffee ? And, lastly, whether Ceylon, which had suffered from the causes he had stated was not the very colony whose depression the free-traders attributed to—(Cries of " Order, order.") The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER under stood that the Hon. Gentleman intended to put this string of questions on Monday, and he should not be pre pared to answer them till then. Mr. ANSTEY gave notice that he would repeat the questions on Monday.—(" Oh, ob," and cries of " No.") were likely to accrue from the establishment of parochial libraries throughout the country, but he con fessed that he did not see any tangible reason whatever for preceding so desirable an attempt by an inquiry into the constitution of the public libraries. The terms of the motion were extremely vague and indefinite, and he could, therefore, hardly assent to it as it stood. The Hon. Gentleman had instanced the Bodleian, the library of the British Museum, and other public libraries ; but was he not aware that there was already a commission for the affairs of the British Museum in which the interests of the library were included, and a second Commission therefore could hardly be erected without the certainty of great public inconvenience. The general object of the motion was good, and he should have no objection to a Select Committee if those words were struck out of the motion which had reference to the public libraries now in existence. After an observation from Mr. HUME, recommending that there should be a conference out of the House to settle the words, Mr. E WART acceded to Sir G. Grey's suggestion, and the Select Committee was ordered. PAPERS MOVED FOR BY MR. HUME. Viscount DRUM LANRIG moved for a return of the expense the country has incurred from printing and pub lishing and collecting returns moved for by the Hon. Member for Montrose, from February, 1848, to February, 1849. The Noble Lord disclaimed that he proposed his motion from any personal motives towards the Honourable Member; but he could not help stating that it would be well if he could be induced not to move for so large a number of papers, many of which were utterly valueless. The motion being seconded, Mr. HUME, who was greeted with loud cheers from both sides of the House, rose to move as an amend ment, to insert after the word " Montrose," the words " and also by every other Member." He assured the House that there was nothing that he did within its walls that he was unwilling to be made public. He regretted that he had not heard one word of the grounds on what the Noble Lord based his mo tion; only he had selected the papers moved for by him, and not by every other Hon. Member.—(Hear, hear.) The Noble Lord fancied that he had found out some thing new; but he had to inform him that that was the third time this question had been mooted. He feared, however, be was one of those who " did nothing them selves, and who found fault with those who did."— (Hear, hear, and laughter.) Ho did not deny that be had taken an active part in moving for returns—(Loud cheers)—but if the Noble Lord would mention any returns which he had not acted upon or which had not been ofpublic service, then he would take all the blame that should attach to him for having moved for useless returns. But when many had moved for returns of which, and of the use to be made of them they knew nothing, he apprehended that they were to blame, and that he (Mr. Hume) was blameless. From a paper moved for by him, showing the number of papers moved for by Hon. Members during 1842 it appeared that in the list from 1 to 50 his name did not appear, neither did it from 50 to 69; ar d if the Noble Lord would examine the list he would find that he had moved for a variety of papers which he conceived most important, and if he would move the appintment of a Committee on the subject, and would state before it the ground on which he made his motion—(Hear) — he should be prepared to show that all the papers he had moved for were of the utmost public importance—moved for mainly to show how the money of the nation was ex pended, and he did not, therefore, wonder at the Noble Lord and ethers objecting to such re turns, because, perhaps, they were interested in its reckless expenditure. He hoped the House would agree to his amendment, and expressed his gratitude to the Noble Lord for showing the public the pains he took to instruct them on matters of the utmost importance to them, and the real object of which returns were not at all times clearly understood. Four years ago he moved for a nusober of returns in connexion with tidal harbours which took two years to prepare, and without which the Commission appointed on the subject would not hal e been so effective as it had been.—(llear, hear.) He bad, he perceived by the return referred to, moved for a re turn of pensioners, which had cost 1/. ss. preparing, which was not a great grievance, considering that it contained the names of many of the Noble Lord's friends.—(Laughter.) Many of the returns he had moved for published exposures of the mismanagement of public departments, and showed how the expenditure of the public money could be econo mised.—(Hear, hear.) He did not object to the words of the motion, but to the spirit in which it was made; indeed, he should be glad to see such a return pub lished every year. He found by the paper to which he had already alluded, that the cost of printing the evidence taken before Election Committees had amounted to from 2,0001. to 3,0001., which was only of interest to a small number of persons. Then those large blue books, two volumes for any one to peruse, had been ' printed containing the names of slaves, which could not be interesting to any one. Sir G. GREY said that the Noble Lord had declared that he did not propose the motion from any personal motives towards the Honourable Gentleman ; yet no motion of the kind could be produced, naming as it did the conduct of an individual Member. without implying motives which the Noble Lord had dis claimed. No Hon. Gentleman was responsible for the returns for which he moved, since returns could only be obtained by an address to the Crown, and it was competent for any Honourable Gentleman, if he thought they ought not to be produced, to oppose them. With regard to the matter of printing, the House per haps aware that these returns were always referred to the Printing Committee, to decide whether they merited the distinction of being put in print.—(Hear, hear.) He had no objection to this general return, but he did not think the return would serve the purpose the Noble Lord had in view, and he therefore hoped the Noble Lord would not persevere in his motion.--(Hear.) Mr. HENRIES also appealed to the Noble Lord to withdraw his motion. He entirely concurred with what had fallen from the Right Honourable Baronet, that it was the House generally, and not individual Members who were responsible for the charges incurred in printing returns; but he must at the same time be al lowed to add that he thought the Honourable Member for Montrose had rendered great service to the country by the returns he had moved for.—(Cheers.) Nor did he believe that in moving for these returns the Hon. Gen tleman was actuated by motives of animosity towards any department, but rather by an,honest desire to bene fit the people.—(Cheers.) Lord DRUMLARING disclaimed all intention of making this motion for the sake of reflecting upon the conduct of the Hon. Member for Montrose, and said he was quite ready, after what had passed, to withdraw it. The motion was accordingly withdrawn COMMONS' OFFICES. On the motion of Mr. PARKER, the following gen tlemen were nominated as a Select Committee on House of Commons offices:--Mr. Wilson Patten, Mr. Vernon Smith, Mr. Goulburn, Captain Jones, Mr. Brotherton, Mr. Cardwell, Sir John Guest, Mr. Roche, Sir Edmund Colebrooke, Mr. Sotheron, Mr. Thornley, Mr. Parker, Mr. Miles, Mr. George Hamilton, and Viscount Man deville. SAVINGS' BANKS. Mr. HENRY HERBERT wished to ask the Chan cellor of the Exchequer, whether it is the intention of the Government to prosecute any farther inquiry into the circumstances c.mnected with the late failures of certqin savings' banks in Ireland. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said it did not appear to him that any further inquiry into the circumstances of these banks was necessary. Mr. GROGAN asked if the Right lion. Member included the Cuffe street Bank in his answer. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that was a different case, and perhaps it would have to be further investigated. . . . . . . Mr. H. HERBERT wished to ask the Member for the University of Dublin whether there was anything in the present state of legal proceedings pending in the matter of the savings bank of St. Peter's parish, in the city of Dublin, which renders necessary the postponement of an inquiry by a Committee of that House into the affairs of the said bank. The SPEAKER ruled that the question was irregular, and it was therefore not answered. Mr. GROGAN asked his Hon. Colleague whether he intended to persevere with his motion on this subject. Mr. REYNOLDS could assure the lion. Gentleman that it was his intention to persevere in his motion on the day he had mentioned before. STEAM VESSELS. Sir H. WILLOUGHBY gave notice that to-morrow he should put a question to the First Lord of the Admi ralty, as to whether certain steam. vessels had been sold, and if so, whether by private contract or public auction. BRITISH MUSEUM. Sir ROBERT PEEL presented a petition from the trustees of the British Museum, praying for Parlia mentary aid. TURNPIKE ACTS. Mr. WILSON PATTEN wished to ask the Under- Secretary for the Home Department, if he could state at what period the new Bill with regard to turnpikes would be introduced. Mr. CORNE WALL LEWIS said the Road Bill would be printed very shortly, and he expected to be able to bring it in next week. CHOLERA IN LIMERICK. _ _ _ Mr. IIIONSELL begged to call the attention of the Secretary for the Home Department to the circumstance of the cholera having broken out in the gaol at Limerick, which of late had become fearfully crowded, so much so that 8 or 9 persons were found sleeping in a cell, and 215 individuals were occupying a day-room not intended to hold more than 30. He begged to ask the Right Honourable Gentleman the Secre tary for the Home Department whether he was prepared to assure the House that he would at once take steps for the removal, at all events, of 136 convicts under sentence of transportation in the gaol at Limerick. Sir GEORGE GREY said it was a notorious fact that the prisons in Ireland were crowded to a most dangerous and inconvenient extent, and a cor respondence had taken place between the Lord- Lieutenant and the Government on the subject, and it was in contemplation to remedy the evil by send ing most of the convicts now under sentence of trans portation to Spike Island. With regard to the cholera, he was not aware that it had broken out in the gaol at Limerick to so great an extent. Precautions had some little time ugo been taken to prevent its spread, and any recommendation coming from the visiting justices of the gaol to the Government on the subject would be promptly attended to. RATE IN AID BILL Sir R. PEEL asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he proposed to bring on the second reading of the Rate in Aid Bill. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said he had intended to move the second reading of the Bill to morrow ; it had, however, been found necessary to post pone it, but he should bringiton shortly before Easter. NAVIGATION-LAWS. Mr. HERRIES asked whether her Majesty's Minis ters were prepared to proceed with the Bill for the repeal of the navigation-laws ; and if so, when ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said, if the Right Hon. Gentleman thought the Government entertained the slightest doubt about this Bill he was mistaken. The time of bringing it on must depend on the private business.—(Hear, hear.) PUBLIC LIBRARIES. Mr. EWART presented a petition from the inha bitants of Birmingham, complaining of the want of public libraries. The Hoer. GENTLZMAN then proceeded to move the following resolution, of which he had given notice, viz., for a Select Committee on existing public libraries in Great Britain and Ireland, and on the best means of extending the establishment of libraries freely open to the public, especially in large towns. For several years they had introduced into this country various amendments in our system of public instruction, in emulation of foreign countries—for instance, the National Gallery, and various modes of refining the minds of the people; but there was one means of refining common; to foreign countries; which did not exist in this, and that was by means of public libra ries freely accessible to all the people. He was sorry to say, if the House compared the existing public libra ries in England with those existing in foreign countries, they would find them few indeed. In France he found, from a late publication, conducted by a gentleman to whom the public was indebted for much valuable in formation on this subject, that there are in France no less than one hundred and seven public libraries freely accessible to any one who might ask admission. Over the whole of Germany it was the same, while in London there were only two public libraries. In Liver pool there was not one public library, while in Ham• burgh there were no less than six. —(Hear, hear.) In the large town of Manchester there was only one, while in Rouen there were two.—(Hear, hear.) He thought, therefore, that the subject that he was about to bring to the notice of the House deserved its deepest consideration. Look again across the Atlantic, look to the United States. In America there were no less than eighty one public libraries.—(Hear.) It was true the people of this country had access to the British Museum. but that access was not so easy as it was to the public libraries abroad; there was not the ,means of taking the books away and pondering over them that there was in foreign countries.—(Hear, hear.) He be lieved that in a great measure these things were caused by the apathy of the people of this country; and by his motion he sought to increase in the minds— in the minds of the people of England—a desire to obtain further knowledge by means of reading the established works of the day.—(Hear.) The British Museum, the Bodleian Library at Oxford, the Library of Trinity College, Dublin, and several others taxed every author by compelling him to furnish to them a copy of his work, and such being the case he thought they ought to be compelled to open their doors to the public generally unless they consented to do so voluntarily. In all the cathedral t owns of this country there were . libraries belonging to the Dean and Chapter, and he did not see why those libraries should not be thrown open to the public.—(Hear.) Some of those establishments he was happy to say had opened their libraries to the public. It was the wise custom adopted after the Reformation to establish parochial libraries, where the means for doing so were at all feasible, and their establishment had been attended for years afterwards with the most beneficial effects. He would not adduce any numerous instances, but he thought that the inquiry might with great addvantage . be extended to Museum itself t o all parts of the kingdom, even from thethe de d t o p e r o o ti e n e terdy.i thisn He would then teastte p th a e r n och h i o a w l l h ib e ra i r n y ten in Committee, supposing the Committee to be granted. He quire into the constitution of all the pub. ic libraries in proposed in th e first place to work, in th i e . second to in the kingdom, and in the third to ascertain such data as might point out where public libraries should be d formed. He was con v i nce d if this plan where adopted that as soon as it was known at any particular place that a library was to be formed there would be a number of individuals who would readily come forward to make donations.—(Hear, hear.) He might instance the case of the British Museum itself, half the contents of which had been presented as gifts to the institution, though in making such an assertion, he must state to the House, that he of course included the muni ficent donations of Geo. 111. and Geo. IV. Nor could he conceive any more honourable object of ambition than that of an individual who wished to see his name inscribed in some prominent place in a public library and handed down to future ages as a benefactor of his kind. The Hon. Gentleman concluded by moving for the Select Committee. Sir GEORGE GREY qnite concurred with the Honourable Member in the great advantages which SCHOOL OF DESIGN. On the motion of Mr. M. GIBSON, a Select Com mittee was appointed to inquire into the constitution and management of the Government School of Design, and to report their opinion thereupon. ATTORNEYS AND SOLICITORS. Mr. GEORGE HAMILTON obtained leave to intro. duce a Bill for consolidating and amending several of the laws relating to attornies and solicitors in Ireland. SIR J. FRANKLIN'S EXPEDITION. On the motion of Sir THOMAS ACLAND, copies or extracts of any proceedings or correspondence of the Admiralty in reference to the Arctic Expeditions (in continuation of Parliamentary papers, Nos. 264 and 386, of session 1848, up to the present time) were ordered to be laid before the House. ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION. Mr. HORSEMAN said, in the present state of public business, he could not expect the Noble Lord at the head of the Government to name a particular day when he would take the discussion on the Ecclesiastical Corn. mission Bill, but as the Bill had been prepared and printed, perhaps the Noble Lord would have no ob jection to lay it on the table at once, reserving any dis cussion or statement for the second reading.—(Hear.) Lord J. RUSSELL promised to lay the Bill on the table some day before Easter.—(Hear, hear.) AGRIC ULTURAL DISTRESS.—ADJOURNED DEB ATE. On the question for resuming the adjourned debate on this question, Mr. M. GIBSON rose, and said he would endeavour to explain briefly to the House the grounds for the vote which he should feel it to be his duty to give upon the motion now under the consideration of the House, and knowing as he did that the House was desirous of coming to a decision to-night upon this question, he would set the example, as far as he was concerned, of brevity, for there were many gentlemen on both sides of the House who, he did not doubt, would be anxious to express their views upon this question.—(Hear, hear.) They had two pro posals before them, the one moved by the Hon. Member for Buckinghamshire, the other submitted by his Honourable Friend the Member for Montrose.—(Hear.) Those two - proposals involved entirely different princi ples. The one was founded on leaving the whole amount of the public burdens, and the public taxation, as it stood at pr e s e nt, m e r e ly tran s f er ring a por tion of the taxation from one class to another, the other proposal, which was that of his Hon. Friend the Member for Montrose, was founded on the principle of giving relief to all classes alike—agricultural and commercial—(Hear, hear)—by, first, a reduction of the expenditure, in order that the claims of cwd t h onhr e cidtion n ng a l t py i o o rie n st a bhs l yee dcearxpe expenditure ny t tor r ani gtgur m ri tee i hu g tel h ot t be duly ust ruherep surplus sd repealpre regarded oocomufmr teh ; commercial cbs ieya taxes a xair in dustry.—(Bear, dustry.—(Hear, near.) Now, he said, those two proposals that the Hous e had before them were founded on different principles, and he drew the atten tion of the House to that matter, because he wanted Gentlemen to consider strictly speakihg what was the immediate vote which the House should be called on to give. The immediate vote was nothing more than this—which, upon the whole, was the. House de sirous should be put in order that the sense of the House might be taken upon it, naming whether the proposi tion of the Honourable Member for Buckingham shire, or that of his Honourable Friend the Member for Montrose. The first vote the House came to did not involve any Gentleman in the general prin ciple eithe p r ro proposit i o n ; buti F t . a Gent leman ti saw involvedw as,there in in the ior (i his Hon. Member for Montrose, a principle which he thought was d the more in unison with his views than the principle in volved in the proposition of the Hon. Mercber for Buckinghamshire. He said at least he would vote for the amendment, in order to give the motion of his Honourable Friend at least the opportunity of being put to the House. The House had to choose between the two—would they seek relief by the reduction of expenditure, or by tra❑sferring a por tion of the local taxes to the consolidated fund. There were gentlemen who might think the House might select a better instance than the malt-tax for repeal— for instance, those on paper and on windows; but a Gentleman who was for the repeal of any one of those taxes might consistently vote at least tor the amendment of his Honourable Friend the Member for Montrose. Now he would state his reasons for preferring the amendment of his Right Hon. Friend the Member for Montrose to that of the Hon. Member for Buckinghamshire. He invited the House to go into Committee for the purpose of agreeing to a resolution which should transfer a charge of 6,000,0001. sterling upon the consolidated fund. That he imagined would be the resolution that the Honourable Gentleman would submit to a Committee of the whole House if they were to agree to this proposal. He ima gined that resolution was the foundation of a Bill, and that he merely submitted his proposal in its present orer in compliance with Parliamentary usage ; but a m of that kind should be submitted to Parliament in a Committee of the whole House. But he offered the House no security, whether if it agreed to transfer those 6,000/. to the consolidated fund, that he would be able to prevail on P arlia ment to argree in other taxation which would be necessary if he should carry his resolutions. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had last night disposed of the question of unequal local taxation in a mos t able speech.—(Hear, hear.) He thought there never was a more able or logical speech delivered in that Holuse than that of the Chancellor of the Exchequer las t nig ht it completely answered all the arguments of he Hon. Member for Buckinghamshire, and placed the saddle on the right horse. The Right Hon. Gentleman*e hen pro ceeded to show with great ingenuity that local taxation was much less upon land than upon any ()thee species of property. The Hon. Gentleman had assert d that real property ought not to bear the great weight of the local taxation, and if he was goi "g to begin at the commencement he was not sue that he should adopt the plan of local taxati on which now existed. It was an acknowledged prinerp'e that a man ought to pay his share to the support o fthe poor, accord ing to his means. What better means were there of as certaining the condition of any man . Caen by taking the house in which he lived. But then it wa s said that the institution o f a poor-rate was for local purposes, and that in order to equalise the burden throughovt the country there ought to be a rate-in-aid from the Consolidated Fund.—(Hear.) Why all the portions of the public impositions to which this country was subject, there was no one whatever more completely and entirely unjust in its character than those through which the Consolidated Fund was realised — none which pressed so heavily upon the means and exertions of the inclustrisl classes. They had at tempted to levy an assessment on stock in t rade, and if it could have been accomplished—if they could rely upon the asset .ion of a high authority, that the stock in trade of the country amounted to 20 0,000,000/.—it would have been of immense importance, but it had entirely failed. Well it might, for it would be utterly impossible to use any machinery for accomplishing such an object. Were they aware that there are at the present moment ne less th in fifty-four species of Government official comprising no less than 180,000 individuals engaged in the collection of the Government taxes. It was an utter impossibility to enter into every little village shop, and take an account of its stock in trade. And it should be further recollected that if ordinary stock in trade were to be taxed, so also must the sleek of farmers pay its a ssessment.—(Hear, hear.) He had given much and laborious attention to this subject, and he did not hesitate to say that any such etlort as that must surely and completely fail.—(Hear.) He would now beg to draw the attention of the Honourable Member for Buckinghamshire, and all his agricultural friends, to two particular points. They should remember that since the passing of the Bill for the repeal c f the Corn laws the members of the agricul tural community had been made to assume an entirely new political status. (LEFT SPEAKING.) EXTRAORDINARY SCENE AT A RAILWAY JUNCTION. (From the Manchester Examiner.) A most extraordinary and unprecedented scene oc curred yesterday morning at Clifton station, about five miles from Manchester, and the point where the East Lancashire line, midway between Bury and Manchester, forms a junction with the Lancashire and York shire Company's lines of rails from Manchester to Bolton, Preston, and Liverpool. The East Lancashire Company pass over the Lancashire and Yorkshire Company's rails between Clifton and Man chester, paying toll, and it appears that some misunder standing has arisen between the two companies as to the means of ascertaining the proper amount of toll. The East Lancashire are in the habit of running several up trains to Manchester, past the Clifton junction, without stopping, and afterwards making a declaration to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Company of the number of passengers the trains con tained, and for who m th e y wou ld have to p a y t o ll. Th e Lancashire and Yorkshire Company object to this plan, and demand that the trains shall stop at Clifton, so that the number of passen gers can b e counte d , an d g i ve up their tickets. The East L ancas hi re C ompany say, that in addition to their declaration, the other parties have access to all their books, and to the returns of their (the East Lancashire Company's) servants ; and that the demand to take tickets, or to count, is only one of annoyance and detention, adopted since the two companies have become competitors for the traffic to Bradford. Towards the close of last week the dispute assumed a serious aspect, by one of the Lanca shire and Yorkshire Company's agents at Manchester (Mr. Blackmore) threatening that he would blocked e or stop up the Esst Lancashire line, at the point of junc Lion, with a large balk of timber. The East Lancashire Company got out a summons against Mr. Blackmore on Saturday; but, notwithstanding this course, the Lanca shire and Yorkshire Company' s managers prose s d e d , yesterday morning, to carry the threat into execu ion, and despite also the presence of a large body of the county police from Bury, and of a second body from the Pendleton county police-station, near Manchester. From ten to twelve o'clock in the morning in addition to the police, bodies of the directors and servants of both companies arrived at Clifton. The immediate neighbourhood is far from populous, but as the lines o f railway from this point pass over rather lofty embank ments, it could be seen from seme distance around that there was an unusual commotion, and numbers of people were attracted to watch the proceedings. The East Lan cashire early trains were allowed to p ass u p on t h e Lancashire and Yorkshire line without obstruction, and run to Manchester ; but at half past ten in the ing, as the next East Lancashire train to Manchester was one which would not stop at Clifton, but attempt is pass on to Manchester, so as not t o a ll ow t h e Lanca shire the latter heg Company's a serv ants to count t h e passengers, 5k to take active m e a s ur es t o stop up the East Lancashire line, an d ra i se a sufficient and obstruction to the passage of trains to their own line. A number of labourers were set at work for this pur pose under the direction of Captain Laws, maaaging director of the Lancashire and Yorkshire line ; Mr. Blackmore, superintendent of the traffic on the Button line; Mr. flinmers, superintendent of the goods traffic; and Mr. Hurst, superintendent of the locomotive department. Their first step was to lay down across the Lancashire and Yorkshire Company's down-liue of rails to Manchester an immense balk of timber—laying it close to the points of the East La ncas hi re C ompany ' s ra i ls forming the junction, and opposite the Semaphore signal house of the East Lancashire Company. Behind this balk of timber, at either end, were driven down into the bed of the railway two heavy, long iron crow-bars, to hold it to its position. Then again, behind thi s b a l k of timber, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Company brought up a t ra i n of six empty carriages , withits engine at the Manches ter end; and this may be said up to this time to hay e completed the blockading scheme. The train of empty carriages was understood to have been for the double purpose of blockading the line, and of carrying forward to Manchester any of the passeng ers f rom the E ast Lan casshire train who might choose to l eave i t an d go f or ward, over the Bolton line, to Manchester. The East Lancashire train was due in Manchester about 10 40, but it was nearly that time before it cam e up to Clifton, and when it came in sight it was signalled to stop, of course, rather than allow the engineer to break his own and the passengers' necks by running upon the obstruction. Immediately the East Lanca shire train stopped, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Com pany's servanis went and demanded the tickets from the passengers. This demand, however , was fruitless, in asmuch as the East Lancashire parties had taken th e tickets from th e i r passengers at the previous station— Ringley—a course which they are said to have now fol lowed for three months past. This was the signal for retaliatory measures by the East Lancashire party, who had till now walked in silence on either side their own line, as the servants of the other company had done on their own property. The police, meantime, looking on at both, from the window of the railway station-house, situated in the cleft of the fork formed by the two railways branching off . to Bury a n d Bolton. Th e fi rst act o f t h e East Lancashire Company's servants was to remove the balk of timber, and this they did without hindrance. The next proceeding of the East Lancashire party was to run forward their train and attempt to force .be fore them the L ancas hi re a nd Yorkshire blockading train. This, however, the others appeared to have anti cipated, and having put on their breaks . and brought another engine up i n f ron t of their train, which they had detached from an express train from Manchester, that bad come up while the previous proceedings were going on, th e y were a bl e to maintain their ground. The East Lancashire Company by this time havin g brought up a h eavy : tra i n laden with stone, on their other line now caused it to run forward and take up a position on the shunt across the Lancashire and York shire's up li ne to Manchester , exactly abreast of the blockading train on the other line of rails. Thus the Lancashire and Yorkshire Company's double line of rails was now completely blocked up—one line by their own train, and the other by the stone train Of the East La ncas hi re Company . In this position mat ters remained till near twelve o'clock ; and in the mean time the affair every moment assumed a more serious aspect. The Lancashire and Yorkshire Company's trains, either way, as they came up, kept accumulating the means of blockade; and added to these were the trains coming to the spot belonging to the East Lancashire Company, and th ose belonging to the Blackburn and Darwen Company, which come u pon the Lancashire and Yorkshire rail s at Bolton. By a little before twelve o'clock there were altogether eight trains on the doubl e lines of rail s o f the two companies' extending side by side for more than half a mile. Many of the passengt rs, ,n some alarm, got out of the trains to remonstrate with the companies' servants, and one party are said to have sent to Pendle t on for a postchaise, threatening an action fir detention. What occurred to break up the blockade we have not a c,curately learnt; but we are informed that the Lancashire , and Yorkshire blockading train having been lett in a u i sole charge of Mr. Blackinore, at a li 31e before twelve o 'clock he withdrew the obstruction, paid the various tr s Sins were allowed to pass onwards, fortu nately witho, ut accident or injury to the passenge though it mu ',e.t be confessed to have been a dangerous experiment. No doubt tl 5 e ultimate decision of the matter will, 'licit most other s u ch disputes, have to come before a civil tribunal, and furnit•h employment and fends for the " gentlemen ff the long robe." It is but fa - i r to say that the servants of the various; companies LIL I laved with admirable temper and coolnt ;ss, and that ther a was no necessity for the interference of the police. FLTRTIE. LER HOSTILE PROCEEDINGS. (From a Sec a nd Edition of the Manchester Examiner. In our fife. a page we give an account of some novel proceedings 't .etween the managers of these two com panies, yest sirday, at the Clifton Junction. We had supposed the acts of hostility had ended here, but we fi ad that in the evening of yesterday the East L roricashire Company proceeded to obtain forcible poss s scion of a hoist belonging to the other com pany, at the. Salford.station, and this led to another scene of a , r. ery exciting and strange character. The Lancashire ;wad Yorkshire Company sent a message. soon after f our o'clock, to the Salford police-stati,.n, stating that the East Lancashire Company had broug hf up a great nJimber of navvies from a .distance, armed with pickax es, crowbars, shovels, &c., and that they appreheadet 1 a breach of the peace, and desired pro tection. Mr. Neal se, chief constable, finding there was truth in this state unenth, and that there were sixty or seventy navvies down at Salford station, belonging to the Eas.it Lancashire Company, and an equal number of the nav vies or ser' rants of the other company, sent down a large holy of the- police, under Superi n t en d ent T ay l or, to pre serve the peace. He also communicated with Captain Willis, of the Manchester force, to obtain a reinforce ment if net wssary. The brief facts of this portion of the dispute are these:—Tin , Lancashire and Yorkshire Company balm an immetwe yard for goods in Irwell-street, Salford, on a level below the railway, where the goods are first put in to the railway waggons, and then hoisted waggons auc 1 all upon the railway. In this yard the East Lancashire,. on payment of toll, have an accommodation for loading: and hoisting their goods on to the line. It has bee n customary for the East Lancashire Corn pany to as , eigh their goods before passing them for ward town rds the hoist, and then passing wiih them a declarat ion of particulars. The Lancashire and Yorkshire then pass the goods over a weighing machine to test the declaration, and proceed to hoist the goods. Latterly, however, the East Lancashire Company have refused to make the declaration until their goods have been hoisted on the line. With this refusal, we have nothing to do; we can only presume, as parties urn nixed up with either of the companies, that they have, or suppose they have, some legal warrant for this tours a of proceeding. Yesterday, however, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Company having given them notice that they would not hoist their goods, unless aecompanie d with the declaration, the East Lancashire proceeded to enforce the hoisting vi et armis, by their own servile its ; force being necessary in order to remove the Lances hire and Yorkshire Company's servants, who had possession of the hoist, or at least the goods and waggons t he latter had in the way of such a proceeding. It was u ruler these circumstances the servants of the companies were collected in something like hostile array, and that the police were culled in. The E tst Lancashire Company proceeded to run their car riages up towards the hoist, and to block up the ap proaches, at d it was necessary for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Company's servants to remove these obstruc - lions before they could proceed with their own work. For a time the latter suspended operations, but a little before six o'olock they set to woe k, at the commanp of Captain Laws, managing director of the Lancash ire and Yorkshire Railway, to clear away the obstrucltion. In doing so, they were resisted by the East Lancashire Company's havvies. A scene of great exciter aent followed, each party using their crow bars as levers to move or prevent the moving of the waggons. The police, under the direction of chief con stable Neale, looked on until they feared that blows were likely to ensue, one of the East Lancashire men having wielded his weapon or implement round his head, so that it came rather roughly in contact with the superintendent of police's arm (though, it is believed, accidentally, and through the excitement) and then he gave orders for four of the East Lancashire men to be taken into custody. These men were locked up, and here, so far, ended the contest. An amusing scene occurred on the line above, subseqbently ; the East Lancashire party having brought an engine and goods train and backed it against the top of the hoist, leaving it there, with breaks on and engines reversed. The other party then brought three engines and hooked them to, dragging away the obstructing engines. The men here, however, on both sides, exhibited great for bearance, and the polio did not interfere. The four " navvies" were brought before Mr. Trafford, and the Mayor of Salford, this morning, when the former commented in strong language on the conduct of the parties, who, he said, ought to have been brought before him; but said he must make those who suffered themselves to be made their tools responsible, it they proceeded to a breach of the peace. He discharged three of the men, however, binding only one of them, Taylor, over to keep the peace for three months. RETURNS of the BOARD of TRADE. The returns of the Board of Trade for the month ending the sth of February were issued this morning. As regards exports, they do not maintain the increase of the preceding three months, the total being 216,5991 below that of the corresponding period of last year. Compared with February, 1847, the deficiency, however, is only 67,371/. It will be observed that the falling-off has been principally in iron and steel, which, as well as machinery, have now for several months been largely on the adverse side:— DECLARED VALUE OF EXPORTATIONS. Month ending Feb.s: Increase. Decrease, 1848. 1849. X. £. X. X. Butter .. .. 14,123 k1i,939 1,816 - Candles .. .. 2,804 6,201 3,397 - Cheese .. .. • 1,481 953 - 528 Coals and Calm - 69,970 61,0 •8 - 8,872 Cotton manufactures 1,271,395 1,249,357 - 22,038 Cotton yarn .. - - 258,809 293,848 35,039 - Earthenware.- • . 57,984 51,627 - 6,357 FisB, herrings 1,481 1,714 233 Glass •• • • •• 14,049 15,049 1,000 - Hardwares and cut- 1 4 lery • • - - • 161,528 112,687 - 4.8,841 Leather, wrought and un wrought.. .. 12,774 21,272 8,498 - Linen ..anufactures 277,302 195,709 - 81,593 Linea yarn .. - • 44,511 48,400 - 1,111 Machinery • . • • :39,560 28,239 - 11,321 Metals. - Iron and steel .. • • 313,405 190,101 - 123,304 Copper and brass 86,663 114,991 28,328 - Lead - - 3,849 8,674 4,825 - Tin,unwrought • • 16,103 7,359 - 87,44 Tin-plates .. 45,969 28,007 - 17,962 Salt .. ~ „ 9,220 12,134 2,914 - Silk manufactures .. 56,433 46,083 - 10,350 Soap • • • • .. 15,238 13,592 - 1,946 Sugar, refined .. 39,009 29,327 - 9,682 Wool, sheep and lambs' .. .. 19,271 26,764 7 , 493 - Wo.dlen yarn .. 38,355 54,056 15,701 .- Woollen manufactures 355,852 382,658 26,806 - 3,227,133 3,010,939 136,050 352,619 In imports there is no very particular feature, excep the quantity of grain taken for consumption, in conse. quence of the expiration of the duty on the Ist o February. _ The following are the comparative imports and ex• ports of raw material, showing a large increase in silk and cotton, and a diminution in wool: Imported. , Exported. r ________..___.--, Month ending Feb. 5. Month ending Feb. 4. 1848. 1849. 1848. 1849. Flax, cwt. .. .. 16,411 30,402 Hemp, cwt. .. .. 35,101 26,918 Raw silk, lb .. .. 101,189 261,085 30,149 15,158 Cotton, cwt... .. 222,698 671,693 9,230 16,180 wo,l, lb. • • • • 1,294,933 876,888 329,640 545,365 Tallow, cwt. • • • • 106,323 92,591 Of silk manufactures the totals stand thus:— Imported. Exported. r — 4 Month ending Feb. 5. __, Month ending Feb. 5. 18111. I 1849. 1848. 1849 : Silk manufactures of Europe, 1b... • • 27,756 21,246 28,875 32,900 Ditto of India, pieces . • • • 19,739 20,555 11,104 15.0 s t 15,081 With respect to other articles, in dyes and dyeing stuffs there is not much alteration. In hides there is a decrease in untanned wet, and a great increase in tanned. In metals of all kinds there is an increase. In oils there is a great decrease in palm, and an increase in the other sorts. In timber there is a decrease in importation both of British and foreign, but again a large increase in the consumption of foreign and a decrease in the consump tion of British. EMIGRATION OF THE POOR. The following are the conditions which are inserted by the Poor-law Board in their orders sanctioning the emigration of poor persons :- 1. The party emigrating shall go to some British colony not lying within the tropics. 2. The guardians may expend a sum not exceeding 3d. a mile in conveying each emigrant above seven years of age to the port of embarkation, and a sum not exceed ing lid. a mile in conveying each child under seven years of age. 3. The guardians may give to each emigrant, the place of whose destination shall not be eastward of the Cape of Good Hope, clothing to the value of 11., and may also expend a sum not exceeding lOs. fur each emigrant in the purchase of bedding and utensils for the voyage. 4. The guardians may give to each emigrant proceed ing to the Cape of Good Hope clothing to the value of 21., and to each emigrant to places eastward of the Cape of Good Hope clothing to the value of 21. 104.; and in either case may expend a sum not exceeding 11 for each person above fourteen, and 10s. for every child above one and under fourteen years of age, and in cases of free emigration 21. for a single man above eighteen years of age, in the purchase of bedding and utensils for the voyage. 5. If the emigrant, be not conveyed by or under the authority of her Msjesty's Government to the place of destination, or provision be not otherwise made in a Manner satisfactory to the said commissioners for the maintenance of such emigrant on arrival at such place, a contract, to be approved by the commissioners, shall be entered into for securing a sum of money to be supplied to the emigrant on such arrival, according to the follow ing bc,fle:— s. To each person exceeding 14 rars of age 1 0 To each p,rson not exceeding 14 years of . age 0 10 6. It the emigrant be not conveyed by or under the au thority of her Majesty Government to the place of d. sti nation, arid the cost, or any part thereof, of conveying the emigrant from the port of embarkation to such place 41,111 be defrayed from the fund above directed to be provided, a contract shall be entered into for conveying the emigrant to such place, to be approved by the said Commissioners. STATE OF TRADE. (From the anchesier Guardian.) MANCHESTER, MARCH 13.—The checks that business received last week, from the accounts brought by the American packet and the overland mail have been felt in a somewhat diminished degree to day. But though cotton has recovered much of what it then lost, there remains, on the whole, a strengthened impression that the present range of prices must eventually be rather lowered by the weight of the supply, and this impression tends to produce caution in our market. In the letters received to-day from Italy, previous orders are countermanded in con-. sequence of dist usted paper having been put out by the Leghorn Bank, and of a depreciation of the Tuscan and Roman currencies by forced issues of inconvertible paper on the part of the Provisional Govern ments. While, therefore, a slightly improved feeling is perceptible, as compared with last week, still business drags heavily, and not a little irregularity exists. The transactions of the day have been of very limited amount, buyers having shown no disposition to operate. Prices have, consequently, been very imperfectly tested; but it is evident that, although the quotations are gene rally the same as those of a week ago, yet, in most things, sales could be effected only through some con cessions. Goods are, on the whole, firmer than yarns; and, of the latter, spinnings for home manufactures are better than those for exportation. ROCHDALE, MARCH 12.—We have had a quiet market to day, and the merchants have purchased very sparingly, at last week's prices. In the wool market there is no change to reporvirom that of the preceding Monday. HALIFAX, MARCH 10.—The state of trade, in our Piece Hall and in the warehouses, is about the same as last week. The demand is not brisk, and is chiefly for lastings, which go off at rates nearly equal to the ad vanced cost of the raw material. Yarns are firm, at late rates, and the spinners are fully employed o❑ old orders; but the shipping houses are extremely shy of giving out new orders at the improved rates. There is no altera tion to quote in wool, which maintains its price with considerable firmness. HUDDERSFIELD, MARCH 13.—Tb0 market keeps up the character of the last few weeks, and everything indi cates a steady, improved state of trade. A good business is doing in the warehouses. In ves ti ngs , we h ave not heard o many orders being yet received. LEEDS, MARCH 13.—We cannot report any material change hi our cloth market since last week. The amount of business done at our halls to-day was about the same as last Tuesday, and prices were unaltered. There is little doubt the higher prices asked by the manufactu rers interfere with the business in some degree, and check the merchants in their purchases. THE COUNTRY MARKETS. EDLNISURCH MEAL MARKET, MARCH 13.—There were in in the market to-day 85 sacks oatmeal, each weighing 2&)lbs imperial, whereof 73 sold thus :—1 at 117 s 6d, 49 at 117 s Cd r 20 at 1/ Gs 6d, lat 116 s Od, 2at 115 s Od. Average price of the whole, 116 s 93 7-12ths. 14 sacks flour, whereof 2 sold at 335, 1 at 31s, and 6 at 303. 4 sacks barleymeal, whereof 2 sold at 255, and 1 at 245. 18 sacks pot-barley, whereof 9 sold thus: lat 1110 s Od, 3at 119 s Od, 2at 115 s 6d, 3at 115 s Od. 3 sacks brosemeal, whereof 2 sold at 28s. EDINBURGH HAY AND STRAW MARKET, MARCH 13. Supplies large. Oat straw, from 6e to 7s per kemple of 16 stones tron ; wheat do., 6s 6d to 75 6d; barley do., 5s to 60. Hay from 7d to 9d per stone. CORK, MARCH 12.—Flour—Firsts 1456.1 to 15s; extra 16.; seconds 13s to 14s Od ; households lOs to 12s ; thirds 8s L.) lOs per cwt. Meal= Oatmeal Ila to lls 6d; Indian meal 8s ; wii.at meal lls per cwt. Indian corn 7, Os to 7 12s 6d pen- ton. Bran 4t lOs per ton. Hay Farmers 24s to 42s Od; average 38s ; dealers 30s to 48s ; average titis Od per ton. Str .w—Farmers 15..1 Od to 23s Od; average 005; dealers 27s Oil to 00s Od; average 00s Od per ton. Bread—Wheaten :loaf sict to Id; household loaf 5d to 6d per 41b. Fresh butter, 8d tO lod per lb. Coals—Newport I 7s; Lydney 18s; Landore 17s', best Neath Culm 16s per ton. Tallow 43s 6d to 44$ per cwt. Whiskey, 25 o. p., 6s Od per imperial gal-' lon. Meat—Beef 4d to 7d; Mutton bd to 6d; veal 5d to 7d; pork 4d to 50 ; bacon 7d to 8d • sausages 6d per lb. Hops 61 lOs p er cw t. B angor s l ates 3/ 2s 6d to 8/ ba per ton. Bark—Barbary 61 to 71; Valonia 11/ to 131; French 61; English 61 per ton. Fleece Wool lOs to 12s per stone. Hemp 35/ per ton. Fish—Scotch herrings 185 to 00s; red ditto 25s to 27s per barrel ; Newfoundland 10/ 10s to 121 pet ton. Timber—New Memel 4/ 105; old scarce; red pine 3/ 15s ; yellow pine 3/ per ton ; deals, first quality, 20' • s econd quality 171 per 120. Hid es —M ar k et lls to 16s; salted lls to 18s per cwt ; calf skins 2d to 2id ; market 2d to lid per lb. Potatoes, white 10d to 12d; Minions 18d to 19d; Guano Peruvian, 10/10s; Ichaboe 9/ per ton ; Tar—Archangel, 185 per barrel. Eggs, 4s to 4s 2d per hundred. BELFAST, MARCH 12 .—Butter—Firkins, first, 94d; crocks, 80 ; firkins, third, 7d ; crock, 60 per lb ; shipping price, 630 to 80a per cwt. Potatoes, per stone, 8d to 10d; ditto, per cwt, 4s 6d to ss. Butchers' Meat— beef, per lb, 4d to 70; muttony 5d to 7d • veal, 6d to 7d. F is h—T rout, 6d per lb ; brett, 30 to 4s; soles, Is to is 6d per pair. Poultry—Fowls, 2s 6d to 3s a -pair ; chickens, is 6d to 2s per pair, ducks, 2s to 2s 6d per pair ; turkeys, 3s to 4s each ; geese , 2 s 6d to 3s 6d ; eggs , Hay,per dozen, 7d. ls 2d to is lld ; straw, oat, 8d to 15 ld ; ditto, wheat, 7d to lld per cwt. BANBRIDGE, MARCH 12.—Prices to-day are as follow:—' Oatmeal, from 9s 9d to lOs 3d per cwt ; Indian meal, 8s Od to 8s 9d per cwt; flour, first, per 1121bs, 16s Od; second, 1456 d; third, 12s Od ; fourth, 10s Od ; bran, 4s 6d ; wheatmeal, 12s 6d to 14s Od; wheat, from 8s 9d to 93•9 d per cwt of 1121bs; oats, 5s 6d to 6s 9d ; barley, 6s 6d to Os Od per cwt ; American flour, 28s 6d to 30s Od per brl; best butter, firkin, at the scale, 9d per lb; second, Bid; lump, 8d to 9d ; beef, 3d to sd; mutton, 4d to 6d ; potatoes, 4s Od to 7s Od per cwt ; hens, 10d to Is Od each ; chickens, 10d to is 4d per pair ; ducks, is 10d to 2s 4d ; turkeys, 2s 9d to 3s 9d each ; geese, 2s 6d to 3s 3d ; eggs, hen, 5d to 6d per dozen ; duck, 6d to 60 per dozen ; tur key, Os to is Od per dozen; hay, upland, from is 4d to is 8d per cwt; ditto, lowland, from is Od to is 2d; straw, from 8d to 10d; turnips, 8d to 10d; p or k, f rom 4 3s Od to 4 , 7 a 6d per 1121bs. Weight of bread at Hamilton Moore's bakery, 41bs for 51d. Old grain whiskey, at Mr. Robert Bell's, 6s 3d per gallon, duty paid. BALLYMENA, MARC, 10.—Oats, 5s 6d to 6s 2d; oatmeal, 10s Od to 10, 6d per cwt ; butter, 8d ; beef, 3d to 6d per lb ; mutton, 3id to 7d ; flour, first, per cwt, 18s Od ; second, 178 Od; third, 15s Od 1 - inferior thi r d, 13 s O d ; fourth, 10s Od ; bran, 5s 6d to 6s 6d; Indian meal, white, per cwt, 8s Od to 8s 6d; yellow, 8s Od to 8s 6d; potatoes, 3s Od to 8s 6d per cwt; hay? ll d to Is 6d per cwt ; American flour, 30s per barrel ; 4s Od to 5s 4d per stone ; flax, 4s Od to 5s 10d ; straw, 8d to Is; hides, 2s 6d to 6s 6d each ; pork, 37s 6d to 47. 9d per cwt ; turnips, 9d to is per ditto; carrots, Os to is per ditto ; being, 5s 9d to Os 6d ; grey peas, 6s 6d to 7s 6d. COAL MARKE'I Bate's West Hartley 14s Od Carr's Hartley East Adairs Main lls 90 New 'Fantleld l3s 6a North Percy Hartley lls 6d Ord's Redheugh Canfield Moor .... Walker's Primrose %.1, est Hartley Wall's End, &c. Bewicke and Co. Brown's Framwell Gate ..... Gosforth ..... Gibson Hedworth ..... Hilda l3s tad South Killingworth Eden Main Braddyll's Hetton lss Od • YESTERDAY. Bell .. 14s 3d Hetton Haswell l6s 3d Lambton Morrison l3s 6d Russell's Hetton Stewart's Whitwell Caradoc ..... Cassop .. . Flartlepool l6s Od Thornley Trimdon 4Vhitworth l2s 6d Adelaide Tees Hartley Nixon's Merthyr 2os 6d Whitworth Coke Ships at market, 178. RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. BRISTOL, Ilaxcu 14. STOCK EXCHANGE.— The market was rather flat, being settling day.—The sales are —Midland Stock, 82—Great Western, Quarterly 214 dis.—Ditto, New 171. Shares, 11. 17s. 6d. dis. LIVERPOOL, Mascu 14. STOCK EXCHANGE. —The market to-day is very 'tame, and WI/ business doing. Prices are again on the decline.—The sales are- - Lancashire and Yorkshire (late M. and B.), Fifths, 3 dis.—Dittor Halves (late Liverpool and Bury), 10 dis.—London and North - Western, 135 ex dly.—Ditte, Quarters, New, 5 4 ex in. p.—Mldlsni Stock, 79% c. ex div.—Ditto, New Halves 7% dis.—North Union (A) , 216 —Shrewsbury and Chester, Now 101. fereference, guaranteed S per cent., 1 Shropshire Union Railway and Canal, ;21. 6s 3d. dis.- - South-Eastern (N.. 4), Thirds, 7% —York, Newcastle, stnd;Berrvia (Nos. 1 and 2), 1 dis. ex div.—Ditto (G. N. E. Purchase), 6 Pet cent. guaranteed, 3s. 9d. dis. GFIAM, Mason 14. STOCK EXCIIANGL—The sales are —Birmingham, Wolverhampton , and Stour Varney, 11M c.—North Staffordshire, 3 dis.—Shrewa bury and Birmingham (A), dis.—Ditto (B), 68s. 9d dia. ex Shropshire Union, 2 1 4 dis.—South Staffordshire, 314 dia. NE WCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, MAACK 13. STOCK Excnatiox.- The business done in the Stock Exchange tO' day has been as follows :—Midland Stock, 82% —North British. Thirds, 4%—York, Newcastle, and Berwick (original N. and B). 25%—Ditto (G. N. E. Purchase), 19%. THE MERCHANTS' AND TRADESMAN'S MEV:TAD ASSURANCE SociETT.—The first annual meeting of this society took place at the office, 5, Chatham•place, Bla,ck friars, yesterday, J. Mac Gregor, Esq. in the chair. The report of the directors was submitted to the meeting, and the accounts for the year were passed. It appears that the society was incorporated in May, 1847, and that the number of policies issued since that period up to the 31st of January last, at which time the annual account was made up, was 183— represent i ng an income 0 f 1,8781. 19s. 5d., an d i nsurances to the amount of 6,130 ' Since the 31st of January, the society appears to have rapidly increased its business. In the last six weeks, 5 0 policies have been passed, covering 16,0001. in insurance , and 48W. 2s. 4d. in annual premiums, and there still re mains before the board for approval 26 proposals, repre senting 7,5001. for insurance, and 2051. 2s. Bd. for pre: miums—making the number of policies 244; the amount assured, 84,5301.; and the annual income up to the time of the meeting, 2,564/. 4s. sd. Resolutions, electing gr. Mac Gregor chairman for the ensuing year, and re-elect ing the gentlemen who vacated their seats by rotation 0 directors, were unanimously passed, and the meeting the' dispersed. PRESERVATION OF LIFE FROM SHIPWRECK.—CORg MATTRESSES FOR SHIPS.—A number of experiments were last summer exhibited on the Thames and in the basin in Woolwich Dockyard, to prove the efficacy of att invention by which the lives of sailors and passengers slips, &c., could, in the event of shipwreck, b e sa ved. The invention, which was very simple, consisted in sub' stituting cork cuttings or shreds in the place of horse" hair, wool, or flock as the stuffing for mattresses, pilloWs• &e., to be employed in ships and nautical craft of all kinds. The experiments were perfectly satisfactory , and were approved of by Sir G. Bremer and by mini persons connected with the navy and by scientific mot who witnessed them. The cork was cut into small vet' micular shreds of various fineness, and a few pounds of this material were found to possess a most extraordinarl bue) ant power. The difficulty at that time was to pro cure the article so manufactured in such quantities as tO render it generally serviceable; the instruments on' ployed to cut the shreds, from the toughness of the cork, not possessing sufficient power, or being sufficiently adapted to cut large quantities, except by very slow process. The consequence was the invention did not be* come very generally known or used. Since that time machinery has been contrived and is now at work on the premises of the patentees, at the City Saw-mills, Rs' gent's-canal, by which the cork is cut with the greatest dispatch and facility, and can he furnished to any extent. The recent lamentable loss of 170 lives on the coast of Es; sex, would not have happened had the unfortunate vessel which was wrecked had mattresses o/ this material onboard; The majority of the sufferers might probably have escaped by means of it.—The Times, March 7. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—The Surpassing Excellence of Holloway's Ointment and Pills in the Cure of Old Wounds or Scrofulous Sores.—Four years since, Thomas Watkins, cotton-spinner, at Manchester, received a severe wound in the arm by its coming in contact with the machinery; for a coma' derable time he was attended by several medical men a t the Infirmary, who decided that nothing could save the poor man's life but amputation. To this he objected, whereupon he Wes, discharged as in cura bl e . A t t hi s crisis his friends subscribed:, a trifle to purchase some of Holloway's Ointment and Fills , which remedies in a few weeks healed the wound, after so long a period of suffering.—Sold by all Druggists, and at Professor Holloway's Establishment, 244, Strand, London. BIRTHS. On the 12th inst., at Chatham, the wife of Captain Charles Fanshawe, Royal Engineers, of a son. On the 10th inst., at Leyton, Essex, Mrs. Charles Dawes , of a son. On the 10th inst., at Wembden, near Bridgewater, Mrs- Henry Codrington, of a daughter. On the 11th inst., at Radnor-villas, Folkestone, M r s. T. Lucas, of a daughter. On the 12th inst., at Grove-road, North Brixton, the wife of J. E. Giles, Esq., of a son. On the 12th inst., at South Lambeth, Mrs. E. B. Hewitt, of a daughter. On the 12th inst., Mrs. Allison, of Regent-street, of twine —a girl and boy. On the 13th inst., at Glocester-terrace, Hyde -park-gardener the lady of W. Logan, Esq., of a son. MARRIED: -- On the 10th ult., at the Palace of St. Michael and St' George, Corfu, lonian Islands, C. B. Greenhill, Esq., Ordnance Storekeeper, to Mary Jane, only daughter of the late J. J. Russell, Esq., of London and Limerick. On the 12th inst., at St. George's Church, Hanover-square , by his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Captain Cockburn, of the 11th Regiment, eldest son of the late Walter Cockburn, Eeq., to Emma Georgian& Eleanor, eldest daughter of C. D. H alford, Esq., of Grosvenor-square, O a of West Lodge, in the county of Suffolk. DIE. On the 11th i nst. D , at Westhorpe-house, near Marlow, Field - Marshal Sir G eorge Nugent, Bart., G.C.8., aged 91, Colonel of the Bth R eg i ment of Foot, and Governor of St. Mawes. On the Bth inst., at the Firs, Kenilworth, aged 15, Ann Ilassard, eldest child of Lieut.-General Thomas Stewart, of the Madras Army. On the 9th inst., at Old Brentford, Middlesex, T. Smith , Esq., aged 76. At tiru_es. on the llth inst., Emily Catharine, youngest daughter of the Rev. Charles de Coetlogon, aged l7. On the 12th inst., in A, ]ton-street, Dorset-square, Mari , relict of the late W. Whitehead, Esq. At Sawbridgewortb, _Hefts, on the 12th inst., aged 71, El zabeth, rel ct of Mr. W. Beaumont, late of Bishop Storttord. On the I.:.th inst., at Lewes, Charles S. Cooper, Esq. •)ndol; ; Printed and Publit.lied by MURDO YOUNG, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the county Of Middlesex, Thursday, March 15,1849. FOREIGN FUNDS. AMSTERDAM, MARCH 9.—The inland funds were very firm to-day. but there was not much business. The same may be said with regard to the Spanish debt; but the French and .Portuguese, as well as the Austrian, were in much demand. Russian without fluctuation. The very considerable purchases in Peruvian funds, both old and new, again occasioned a rise of 2 per cent. DUTCH FUNDS.—AMSTEaDAIN, MARCH IL Money. Actual Debt, 2% per Cent • • •• ••• • • 48% Ditto, 3 per Cent • ••••••• • • • • • • 57% Ditto, 4 per Cent. • ••••••• • • • • • • 77% Amort Syndic, 3% per Cent. •• • • 75% Commercial Company, 4% per Cent .. Spanish New 5 per Cents. • . .... Ditto, 3 per Cents. .... ........ . East India Loan, 4 per Cent • ... Exchange on London, at sight •• •• • • 12 97% Two months. ••• • • • 11 92% On Hamburgb, at sight Two months.• ••••••• • • • • • • On Paris, at sight.. • Two months. PRUSSIAN FU.NDS.—BEaLtN, MARCH 8. Bills. Money ,• ••• . • • 80% 79% 101 Bills ... 11% 22% St•Schuld Sch., 33y per Cent Prussian 6 per Cent Foreign Exchanges On London, three months •••••••• •• • 6 24% 6 24% On Hambargh, two months ..... 15014 On Paris, two months... ... • • .... 81 1-3 80 1-6 BELGIAN FUNDS.—Blitsms, MARcu 12. Actual Debt, 2 1 ,4 per Cent • • .... Rothschild's Loan, Five per Cent ........ -- Loan of Thirty Millions, Four per Cent • • Ditto Threeper Cent • • Ditto Thirty-seven Millions, ditto ...... Ditto,ditte,lB4o ••••• • • • • •••••• • • • • • 90% Ditto,ditto,lB42.• • • • •• •• ••••• • • • • • 907 8 Ditto, 1844... •• •• • • ••••• • • • • 82% Ditto, 1838. • • • • .• Ditto of the City, 1832 •• •• •• Ditto, 1843 • • • • Bank of 8e1gium...... .• •• •• •• •• 71N Issue of 1841 • • • Exchange on London, 2.5.45. EIAMBURGH FUNDS, MAacit 6. ••••••• •• -581 i 111 s. Hanoverian New Loan, 5 per C'ent. .. •• 1 13 03 103 Money, Ditto, 3% per Cent. .......• ••• • • • Bank Prussian 5 per Cent. .. •• .. .. •••• • • • ICO% 100 Russian Certificate ................ Anglo-Russian Loan • • .....• ........ 102 .;", 102 Ditto, Certificate .......... ••..•• • • 96 4 - Russian 4 per Cent....... • • .......... New 5 per Cent., Hope and Co. ...• .• 91% Ditto Stieglitz .. • . ........ •.•.•• • • • 82iz 82 Belgian Loan, 2% per Cent.... •• • ....• 46 4 Anglo-Danish Loan, 3 per Cent ...• • • 65 ..... . . _.... Ditto, in 1001. shares Anglo-Swodish Loan Ditto, Transport Loan ........ ••• • • • Norwegian loan, 1848 •• • • ..... •• • • 97 % 97 Spanish New 5 per Cent • ..... •••• • . 10% 10 1 ,6 Ditto 3 per Cent .......... •••• • • • • 22y. 22 Ni Ditto, 1816.. .... .. .... .. • ....... . Anglo-Portuguese Loan, 2% per Cent • . Dutch Actual Debt, 2% per Cent.... • • Ditto 3 per Cent. •. —.•....• . • • • . National Bank Shares ............ American, 6 per Cent. .......• .. •• • • 106 105% RAILWAYS. __ _ 96 Hamb. Bergd. •• • • •.••••• • • • • • • • 67% 67 Ditto, Priority Shares ... .... •• • • 100 Berlin and Hamburg . 50 49% Ditto, Priority Shares .. ••• • •• 92 Cologne and Minden •. • • • •• • • 77 IA 77 Ditto, Priority Shares •• • • 9 2 34 Mecklenburg...... . ........... • 34% Altona and Kiel . . . Gluckstadt ...... . • ••••• • .. • 25 Hanseatic Steam Company •• • • 92 AUSTIIIA.N FUNDS.—VIENNA, MARCH 5. 5 per Cents. ...• .• . •• ••••••• • • • • • • • 83 1 A 4 per Cent.......................... • • • 66 3 per Cent............. 2% per Cent. I per Cent.. Loan, 1834............ Ditto, 1839....... Bank Shares..... Esterhazv's Loan . • •• •• •• •• •.1,115 THE WEATHER.—Since our last, we have bad one or wo frosty days; but succeeded by cloudy skies, and warm rainy weather. On Friday evening, there was a slight fall of snow ; on Saturday more snow tell ; there was a sharp frost in the morning, and tie, day through was bright, with a keen biting air. Sunday was cloudy, windy in the afternoon, and rainy at night. Both Mon day and yesterday were cloudy, with occasional showers on Monday; but yesterday was fair. The following returns from a considerable number of places, by , electric telegraph, yesterday morning, show the va riableness of the weather, with the predominence of cloudy skies :—Glasgow, S.W., fine; Edinburgh, W.S W., fine; Newcastle, fine; Leeds, N.W., very fine; York, N.W., very fine; Normanton, N.W., fine; Hull, S.W. cloudy; Bradford, windy, fine; Skipton, windy, fine; Liverpool, N.W. cloudy; Holyhead, N.W. fresh breeze; Manchester, N. unsettled; Derby, W. fine; Rugby, N.W. cloudy; Leicester, boisterous; Lincol n , W. fine; Rotherham, W. fine ; Chesterfield, W. fine; Nottingham, W. fine; Crewe, N.W. cloudy; Hertford, W. fine ; Brandon N.W. cloudy; Birmingham, S.W. cloudy ; Gloucester, W. fine ; Chelmsford, N.W., cloudy ; St. Ives, W. fine ; Yarmouth, N.W. cloudy ; Lowestofft, N.W. cloudy ; Norwich, N.W. cloudy ; Dereham, S.W. cloudy ; Cambridge, N.W. cloudy.— Manchester Guardian of yesterday. MRS. JERMY'S HEALTH.—It is with sincere regret that we are unable to continue the same favourable ac counts which we have hitherto given as to Mrs. Jermy's state of health. The general shock given to the whole nervous system of the patient, has, during the last few days, assumed a character which occasioned great anxiety to her medical attendants; and Mr. Nichols conceived it expedient again to call in Mr. Key, the eminent surgeon, from London. On Thursday afternoon, Mr. Key met Mr. Nichols, in consultation, at Stanfield Hall. Since the above was written, we have received the following communication:—"Friday morning. We have much satisfaction in stating that Mrs. Jermy way decidedly better last evening. Many of the alarming symptoms had much abated before the arrival of Mr. Key, who had been telegraphed for." We believe that Mr. Key and her constant medical attendants express great hopes of Mrs. Jermy's ultimate recovery.—Norwich Gazette. ROYAL LITERARY FUND.—The annual meeting of the friends of this excellent institution was held yester day at their premises in Great Russell-street. Present —Rev. Dr. Russell (in the chair), Sir Henry Ellis, Sir R. P. Jodrell, Mr. C ro ft on C ro k er, M r. C. Dickens, Mr- Dile ' Dr. Frazier, Mr. J o h n F orster, M r. Peter Cun ningham, and others whose names are known in litera ture. It appeared by the report that the sum of 1,4801. had been distributed in fifty grants last year for the relief of distressed authors, in sums varying as follows: —Eight were of 101. each, four of 151., twelve of 201., six of 251., five of 301., three of 401, seven of 501., three of 601., and two of 751. The report having been adopted, the meeting proceeded to elect the officers fur the ensuing year, who were—President, the Marquis of Lansdowne; Vice-Presidents,_ the Archbi s h o p o f D u bli n , Marquis of Northampton, Marquis of Nor man by, E ar l of Arundel and Surrey. M.P., Earl of Ripon, Earl of Ellenborough, Earl of Ellesmere, Lord John Russell, M.P. Lord Stanley, Lord Brough a m, Si r R o b er t Peel, M. , P., Sir John Cam Hobnouse, M. P., Sir R. H. Inglis, M.P. Sir W. Chatterton, M r . !J o h n T. Hope, Mr. H. T. Hope,i M.P., Mr. A. Spottiswoode, Mr. H. Hallam, and Mr. B. Bond Cabbell, M.P. The council were re-elected, with the addition of the Bishop of Durham and Viscount Palmerston, M.P. The annhersary dinner having been fixed, and the other usual business transacted, the meeting separated. SACvAGB.—The Admiralty Court at Dublin has awarded to Captain Hall, of her M;jesty's steam-vessel Dragon, at Kingstown, 2601., and to Commander Kirke, of her M4,t) 's steamer Trident, 90/., fur salvage to the .I+ , l the remainder of the 8001. ~nfongst the crev of the Trident. Mr. Webb, chid' officer of the Wex ford coast guard, and crew, have been awarded 731., the salvage of the French lugger Le Jenne Adolphe. ?co for i COT COM, Perf, ........ for 22, of sous tir ,_° 9 . 7i e, the c - --Fui - Guild To 1 3 Pot Sue blree for si Of Si Roars the 22 Per Made Tende Work: k,or n p Drecis, C I Of the lfrrerf Thu trDedi ,_Shar e . uten ii TO ; Of b en kold The OM( N. 13 G 1.1:, R 4 oth the / ner T Ten any thor