The Sun. — London, England, 1849-02-20 00:00:00

• : EAST INDIAN RAILWAY. • I The second annual general meeting of the shareholders iii this company was held yesterday, at the London Tavern; Henry A. Aglionby, Esq., M.P., in the chair. The CHAIRMAN said, as he held the honourable and distinguished position of chairman to the board of directory, it devolved upon him to make a few preliminary observations with respect to the object of the meeting. Oyer and above the difficulty which attended addressing the proprietors of a great national undertaking like that the directors had to pursue, a course which was not alto gether agreeable, and which they regretted had been im posed upon them by law, a great number of partners in the undertaking had declined , so me from one motive, and some from another, to pay up the call of 2/. per share, and as many of them were present to-day, it became the duty of the directors to consider how to act with respect to them, and the plan decided upon—which had re ceived the sanction of the Attorney-General--was to allow them to be present, but not to take any part in the proceedings. At the conclusion of the general business they intended to adjourn the meeting ; after which the directors would be happy to hear any suggestions, and to give any in formation or explanation to any proprietor, whether he had paid up his call or not. He begged to say, that the negotiations with the East India Company were not at an end, and ho ventured to hope that they would be con cluded in a very satisfactory way, and would meet with the sanction and approbation of nine-tenths of the share holders.—(Hear, hear.) The report was then read. After detailing at great • length the proceeding of the directors since the last meeting, it stated that the board, in reply to a letter from the East India Company, had made a proposition which, while it secures the principle of immunity from loss, and a return of 5 per cent. interest on the capital paid up, they trust will meet the views of the court of directors. The board feel that it would be improper and premature to make public the precise terms, of the proposals to effect this object ; a senti ment in which they were sure that the proprietary would concur. But so soon as the negotiations were brought to a conclusion, which would probably be within the peried of a fortnight, they would lay the result before a meeting specially convened for the purpose. They had • effected compromises with five of the engineers for the sum of 4,8391. 7s. 6d. ; and the committee in India had also concluded one, the particulars of which were not yet fully before the board. The annual expense of this de partment was now reduced from 9,4201. to 1,2961. The salary of Mr. Beeston ceased on the 4th of the present month. The agreements with Messrs. Adams and Daniel would cease on the 7th of March next, and of Mr. Theobald on the 31st of May next. The salaries of these officers amounted to 3,700/. per annum. The directors had proposed to Messrs. Adams and Daniel to continue acting on behalf of the company in India, until the company's affairs were finally settled, under a temporary arrangement. The salary of the managing director, while in India, was 36,000 rupees per annum. This, on his return to England, was reduced to 1,5001. per annum; and the expense of the home establishment, at the suggestion of the officers, from 1,3901. to 970/., including rent. The following gentlemen had retired from the direction during the past year, namely, Messrs. R. H, Kennedy, J. D. Magens, Sir J. N. R. Campbell, General Macleod, W. P. Andrew, and T. C. Robertson ' • aed the direc tors had to report the lamented death of their late respected colleague, Mr. Carleton. The following gentlemen retired in rotation, namely, Messrs..). Cattley, R. W. Crawford, J. Baxendale, A. Nairne, and J. De :Vitro; and were eligible for re-election. One of the auditors, the Baron de Goldsmid, retired by rotation; and, being re-eligible, offered himself accordingly. One of the auditorships having become vacant by A. L. Gower, Esq., having disqualified, George Gray Barton, Esq., merchant, had given due notice of his intention to offer himself for re-election. After all payments, and making allowances on aliberal scale for all liabilities up to the present time, the company had in hand a considerable balance, irrespective of the amounts paid up on account of the 21. call, and in anticipation of calls; the funds arising from the last-named sources are to be returned intact, in the event of no contract being made with the East India Company. The total amount of receipts for the year was 102,0001. 2s. sd. ; the expenditure, 28,3531. 17s. 4d.; leaving a balance of 73,647/. ss. id. A resolution was then agreed to adopting the report, ' and adjourning the meeting for a month, in order to enable the directors to complete the pending negotiations with the East India Company. The CHAIRXAN gave a pledge on the part of the directors that they would do everything in their power to bring about a satisfactory arrangement with the East India Company, and that they would finally conclude nothing without the sanction and approbation of the shareholders. The retiring directors were then re-elected, and Baron de Goldsmid and George Barton, Esq., were appointed auditors. The meeting then adjourned. A discussion then took place on the part of the share holders who had not paid up their calls, at the conclu • sion of 'which the company separated. ROYSTON AND HITCHIN RAIL WAY COMPANY. The usual half-yearly general meeting of the above company was held yesterday at Radley's Hotel, Bridge street; Mr. W. Wilshere in the chair. The report stated that tho works on the Great Nor thern Railway between London and llitchin had so far advanced as to justify the immediate outlay necessary for the purchases of land and the construction of the works. Directions had accordingly been given for carrying those objects into effect without delay. The agreements, which would be laid before the special meeting of proprietors, carried out the provisions of the existing arrangement with the Great Northern Company. The agreement rdating to the original line provided that on the 16th of July, 1849, a conveyance should be executed to the Great Northern Company at an annual rent equal to 61. per cent. per annum on the amount paid up by the Royston and llitchin shareholders (such amount not to exceed 200,000/. or 6/. ss. per share); the rent to commence- from the day of the date of the conveyance—to be payable half-yearly. That, if at the date of the conveyance the whole 61. 55. per share should not have been called up, the Royston and Hitehin shareholders should be at liberty to pay up, within two months of the date thereof, the balance then remaining payable from them respectively; upon which sum they were to receive 61. per cent. That from such of the proprietors as should not elect to pay up in advance, under the last-mentioned provision, the calls in respect of the balance between the money aotually paid up by them and the 61.55. per share should be made. The agreement respecting the Shepreth Extension • 'prOVided for a similar conveyance to the Great Northern Company at an annual rent, equal to 61. per cent. per annum on such sum as should be paid up for the purpose of executing the extension. •'' The balance-sheet represented the receipts to amount to 67,4791. 55., and the expenditure to 49,4671. 17s. 7d., leaving a balance in band of 18,012/. 75. sd. Upon the motion of the CHAIRMAN the report and accounts were adopted, after which Mr. Underwood, the retiring auditor, was re-elected. The shareholders then resolved themselves into a special meeting, and agreed to a resolution in accord ance with the recommendation contained in the report. Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and the fleeting terminated. ' • POOR-LAW MEDICAL OFFICERS. A general meetin g of P oor -l a w Medical Officers was held' yesterday, at the Hanover-Square Rooms, for the -purpose of considering the present mode of affording parochial medical relief, with the view of adopting some steps for effecting an improvement in the existing sys • tem, so far as the surgical officers were concerned. Lord ASHLEY, M.P., occupied the chair on the occa ' Sion, and, on introducing the business of the day, the Noble Lord remarked that the case of Poor-law medical officers was worthy' of the serious attention of the Public. Th ey hid to discharge duties of the most one rous and important character, and from the experience ho had gathered through being a member of a Parliamen tary Committee which had investigated the subject of parochial relief, he was convinced that to enable paro - chat medical officers faithfully and efficiently to perform their duties, they must be altogether placed beyond the caprice and control of boards of guardians, and be only responsible 'to medical authority.—(Hear, hear.) Their .situations, too, must be rendered permanent, while their salaries, which were so ridiculously low as to be at Once• an insult to the officer himself and the .'unfortunate suffering poor whom he attended, kmust be rendered more e h to the services he • -rendered to the cause of suffering umact y.—( fear, • hear.) The most difficult carer of surgery were always to be found prevailing am ongst the suffering poor; and • 'when h e - c onsidered that the highest order of profes aional-skill was required to' grapple parochial surgeon with these cases, while, in addition to his services, the 'had to provid e me dicines out of )ipitiable remunera tion, he felt that the cause of humanity, as well as the re ' quirei.nents of society, d ema nded that an immediate change a shol Ile • t., made in the existing system of poor - la w medical rel Le - "Aear.) He was, therefore, glad that the meth itself had set about organising an association ..horenforcing gotne improvement. It should have his ' best,assistanc e and support, but his heads were so full of other business of a pressing nature that he could not prOmise to introduce-any legislative measure on the subject.—(Hear, hear.) He would, however, do all he could to aid the medical officers in the accomplishment of their laudable and humane object; and without de taining them longer, he would request the Secretary to read the report, which the committee had prepared for "tubmission to this meeting.—(Cheers.) The report, an ably written dscument, painted in RloWing and touching terms the evils of the present sys „XVI% arid the misery it inflicted on the sick poor. Depu- Otq.is had waited on Sir George Grey and the Colleges .or Physicians and Surgeons to se cure th e i r i n fl uence i n . .farthe r i ng the efforts being made to place the adminis tration ()I poor-law medical relief on a better footing, )and al l rm ecoeivestedneouraging ass urances o f co - operat i on 21111 been The union medical officers, amounting • to 3,000 in number belonging to a professional body of 15,000 in England were e unanimous in con demning the present system's.' millions sterling was annual; nearly eight enormous raised sumfor th of nominal relief of those to whom the medical y man minis , tared in sickness and poverty ; but of the same sum, divided among the 3,000 medical officers, the highest amount that had been paid in one year was 175,000/, in return for journeys in the country, medicine, .pro fessional skill, and appliances, which had been conferred on three millions of sick poor,—(Hear.) The cost of ' drugs or medicine required for each case of illness ftltilded in hospitals was 4 s. 2 d. , in dispensaries, 2 s . .but ahe average allowance made by unions to the medical :officer was o n ly I s . 62d. for urban, and 2s. 2id, for rural " tr ieig ; • but it was hoped by the increased exertions of statistics on their case, • 1 1-114 - c°l4 roittee, and by collecting J 4 d `-/ THE SUN, LONDON, above mentioned, this board will, without further notice, recommend to the vestry that he shall be forthwith dis missed." The CHAIRMAN said the above was the resolution, and the amendment had been proposal at the board of directors on the previous day ; it was carried by a majority of 14 to 8. The directors have offered a reward of 501. for such information as shall lead to the apprehension and con viction of the offender or offenders. the public would now be convinced that a change ought at once to be made in the present system: The balance-sheet of the committee stated the receipts to be 195/. 14s. 10.y1., while the expenditure had amounted to 2181. The report having been adopted, a series of resolu tions in furtherance of the objects of the committee, were agreed to, after which thanks were voted to the Noble Chairman, and the meeting, which was very nu• merously attended, separated. LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF EXCHEQUER, Feb. 19. (Sittings at Nisi Prius, at Guildhall, before the CinEr BARON and a Common Jury.) LANGLEY V. ELLIS. This action was brought to recover the sum of 771. 12s. Bd. for work and labour done by the plaintiff as attorney and solicitor. Mr. Crowder appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Martin for the defendant. It appeared that the plaintiff, Mr. Charles Langley, carried on business at Chudleigh, ik Devonshire, and that the defendant, Mr. Samuel Burton Ellis, was a lieute nant.colonel in the Marines, and one of the directors of a scheme called the Direct Exeter, Plymouth, and Devonport Railway, which was commenced in 1845, and, like many others which originated in that year, was ultimately unsuccesful. In under takings of that kind it was necessary to appoint local agents on different parts of the line for the purpose of taking the reference and attending to other matters in connexion with it, and the plaintiff was ex clusively eutployed in that capacity at Chudleigh. The main question in the case was with reference to the lia bility of the defendant. It appeared that the company was projected in Sept., 1845, and about the latter end of that month a number of appointments were made of offi cers and agents to carry out the undertaking, and amongst them was that of the plaintiff. The defendant did not become a member of the company until the 4th of October, when by his consent and approbation his name was inseri.ed in the prospectus as a provisional committeeman, and on the 7th he was present at a meet ing at which he was appointed one of the managing committee. From that period he continued to attend the meetings from time to time, and took an active part in the proceedings, and it was presumed could not but be cognizant of the plaintiff's employment by the com pany. Upon those grounds it was sought to fix the liability of the defendant for the amount of the plaintiff's claim. Mr. MARTIN, for the defence, said that this was another instance of a number of attorneys putting their heads together for the purpose of getting up a railway scheme, and inserting great profits into their pockets, and then, when the scheme proved unsuccessful, of com ing against an unfortunate director, who at their request had become connected with it, for the amount of their exorbitant claims. He did not deny that Mr. Langley had done the work, but be contended that he never had any expectation of being paid by the defendant or any individual director, and that he only looked for payment out of the funds of the company. Besides, the defendant did not become a director until some time after the plaintiff received his ap pointment as local agent at Chudleigh. The fair and legitimate inference to be drawn when an attorney got up a scheme of this kind, and asked gentlemen to give their services as committeemen, was that they depended upon the deposits for payment, and not to the directors. If the scheme succeeded, he knew that he would be will ingly paid enormous profits, and, therefore, he got it up as men did other commercial speculations, upon the principle " heads I win, tails I lose." The real question was whether the defendant, either expressly or im pliedly agreed to pay the plaintiff's bill as any of the jury would engage to pay an attorney whom they had employed in their business. The Learned JUDGE having summed up, The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff of 761. 19s. 4d. THE LATE ROBBERY AT ST. PANCRAS W ORK HOUSE. At the,parish vestry held on Wednesday, the chair man, Francis Healey, Esq., related all the circumstances which had come to the knowledge of the board of direc tors, founded upon the evidence they had obtained, and the rigid investigation they had, with the aid of Mr. Inspector M`Culloch and Mr. Lockerby of the detective force, pursued in the matter. Mr. M'Gahey, the vestry clerk, states that he went in company with his son to the London and Westminster Bank (Bloomsbury Branch) about four o'clock on the afternoon of Thursday, the Bth instant, and brought away the sum of 1551. in silver, and the remainder of the money in notes. The silver was in three bags, and they brought it back to the vestry-rooms in a cab, and young Mr. M`Gahey took the silver into the office to be counted, in which Mr. Plaws, the junior clerk, asssisted him. The vestry-clerk left the pro mises, taking the notes in his pocket, having previ ously placed the 201. in gold in the cash-box in the press cupboard in the strong room. It appeared that Mr. Plaws sometimes assisted young Mr. M'Gahey in placing the money away in the strong room, but he did not do so on this occasion. Young Mr. M`Gahey states that he placed the money away as usual in the press cupboard in the "strong room, locked the door and placed the key in the inkstand drawer on his father's table in his private office, where it was always kept—a fact which was known to every one in the place, and he (young Mr. M'Gahey) states that he then left tho pre mises. One remarkable thing was, that when the money was placed in the strong room it was customary to light a gas at the end of the passage, whiCh threw a light into the strong room, but on this occasion it was not lighted at all. It appeared that when young Mr. M'Gahey went to the strong room to place away the money, Gill• man, the beadle, followed him, for the purpose of depo siting a book there, and he (Gillman) states that all he did was to put the book down, and *sew out; he ob served, however, young Mr. M'Gahey at the press cup board with a bag or bags, he could not say which. With regard to the key of the strong room being put in such a place - as the inkstand drawer, the vestry-clerk states that this occasion was the exception, and not the rule, and that it was his practice, when money was there, to take the key home with him. When the board of di rectors assembled on Friday morning to pay the perma nent poor, the key of the strong room could not be found. After some time a duplicate key was procured, and on the door of the strong room being opened, the press cupboard was found to be broken open, and all the money gone. The cash-box was also broken open, and in addition to the 201. iu gold abstracted therefrom, there bad also been taken three deposit receipts of the London and Westminster Bank, for the sum of 1,000/ each. Immediately after the discovery the police were commu nicated with, and on the arrival of the inspector and Lockerby, the detective constable, it was found that the room at the entrance of the hall leading to the closets was locked, and a key was found amongst a bunch in the office to open it. Mr. Laimbeer, one of the direc tors, was the first to enter, and he then discovered on the wash-hand stand a crowbar, a screwdriver, the key of the outer door closets, the key of the door lead ing from the main passage into the workhouse garden, and some lucifer matches ; but the key of the strong room was not to be found. The window looking into the front yard was left partly open, and marks were made to induce the belief that the thief must have made his escape that way. After the most minute inquiry, the detective police and the board were of opinion that all this was a mere ruse, and that not only had the party or parties not made their escape by the window, but that the robbery had been perpetrated by some one intimately acquainted with every part of that building, and as in timately acquainted with the operations of every part of the establishment.—(Hear.) Another strange circum-. stance happened on this evening. Mr. Jaques, the chief clerk of the vestry-clerk's office, on getting into the road recollected he had not locked the office door, and went to Lamb, the porter at the workhouse-gate, and asked him to do so, but Lamb forgot it. All the officers of the es tablishment had undergone examination before the board, and now came the most mysterious part of the business. On the Friday morning four new skeleton keys were picked up in the front garden of No. 15, Cook's row, three doors from the new vestry-rooms, and al though no doubt they were thrown there to mislead, still it was a singular fact that these keys opened every door in the place. Since that another skeleton key bad been found in the garden fronting No. 16. Cook's-row, and what was most mysterious of all was the fact that Lockerby, the detective po liceman, had on the previous day produced to the board of directors a dark lantern, which was found on Friday morning in the garden of No. 15, but which was not given to the police till Saturday morning. This lantern was perfectly new, and very small, of the size No. 1, and has at the bottom the private mark of the trades man who sold it, which is R. L. The bottom of the lantern was full of wax, showing that a wax taper such as was offices burnt in the of the vestry-rooms, had been used, and of a b urn t l uc if er was i n t h e soc k et , as. iAfliltthhaedseb things, been placed there t o k ee p t h e t aper fi rm l y fi xe d. mysterious theyr to wusaesrtehey merely were, only confirm th e belief that delude the authoriti es i nto a belief that the parties meant re who com mitted the robbery were regular burglars. The police have ascertained that adt t he h e e fur c e r xs z ree b sar is not such a one h as as is b m ee a u de m b a y de the fur tr a t: hlascuhhroppuhs purpose but by y t h s a u t m i e t smith. These were all the facts p come to the knowledge of the board, but h v e g e u r . e l f a r s et y te e d . t to say that no clue had been obtained to the ties. The chairman added that he was ready to l answer any any questions, and in reply to what had been done with the officers, he begged to say that the board o f di rectors bad felt it their duty to suspend the vestry-clerk for one week, and had given him six weeks to make up all his accounts. Mr. STOCKTON wished to know if it was to be under stood, by making up all his accounts, included the re payment of this money which was lost? . The CHAIRMAN —Decidedly, all the money. Several vestrymen requested that the resolution come to by the board of directors should bo read. The CHAIRMAN said, as far as he was concerned, he had no objection, and in order to show that he wished to conceal nothing, he would desire to be read not only the amendment, which was carried, but the resolution, which was proposed and negatived. Mr. JAQUES (vestry clerk pro tent.) then read the fol lowing Resolution—" That in consequence of Mr. M'Gahey's continued inattention to the duties of his situation, his repeated neglect to pay banker's cheques into the banker's hands as soon as he receives them, and parti cularly his gross neglect in not taking proper care of the keys of the strong room, when moneys were placed there by him, or by his direction, this board do recom mend to the vestr y his dismissal." Amendment— "That the vestry-clerk be suspended from his office for one week. That he be required to make up and ,7 the balance of his accounts on this day six weeks. The he be required to be punctual in his at!endance, and attentive to his duties, andthe least failur e or onaissii min the performanc e of on his duties, or in the neglect or 01:4 136101 i to pay the balance dtio on the day FRANCE. The Journal le Peuple contains the following paragraph :—" Is it true that for the last three weeks there are held in the Rue Regard, No. 18, councils presided over by priests, who are agents of the Legiti mist party ? Is it true that more than 500 artizans are present every night at these meetings, and receive money from this reactionary committee ? We all know for what purpose. Is it true that the speeches pronounced by the disciples of Loyola all tend to the restoration of the Catholic Apostolic and Roman Church, and particularly to that of the elder branch, in the person of the miraculous child ? Is it, in fine, true that arms and ammunition, in large quantities, are deposited at the seat of this Jesuitico Reactionary Society ? We await the answer of N. Faucher, be fore entering into more ample details." PRUSSIA. The official notice, calling on the Deputies of both Chambers to assemble on the 26th inst., at 11 in the forenoon, in the White-hall of the Palace, had ap peared that evening, putting an end to the doubts which had for some days prevailed as to whether the day of meeting - would not be adjourned. It was believed the King would open the session in person. The pending re-organization of the Civic Guard was beginning to excite considerable anxiety. The King of Prussia was suffering from indisposi tion, and the Court was about to return from Charlot tenberg to Potsdam. Since Monday 160 men have been employed upon the dock works at Birkenhead. This number, it is ex pected, will be increased to 500 or 600 within a few days.' The impulse which such an event is calculated to give to business in the township is already felt—Liver pool Albion. The North American mail steam-ship Canada, Captain Judkins, which would leave New York on the 7th and Halifax on the 10th instant, with the homeward mails, &c., may be hourly expected to arrive at this port.—Liverpool Albion. WAR STEAMERS FOR GERMANY.—The steam-ships Acadia and Britannia, so celebrated in the British and North American Company's mail service between Liver pool and the United States, have recently been pur chased from that company by one of the German Go vernments. They are now in the Coburg Dock, Liver pool, undergoing the necessary alterations to their being converted into efficient war-steamers. The passengers' saloon on the main deck has been cleared off, so that they will be flush fore and aft. Their armament will be of the heaviest description. DANDELION RooT.—An importation has recently taken place from one of the Prussian ports, of some packages of dandelion root, which were entered by the importers as free of Customs duty. As the article is not specifically mentioned in the tariff, although roots gene rally are so, as being free of duty, it was entered by the parties under the head of unenumerated, which are also duty free. It appears that chicory, or any other vegetable matter applicable to the uses of chicory or coffee, is thus provided for in the table of duties, viz., " Roasted or ground, the pound, 6d.; and raw or kiln dried, the cwt., 11.; with the additional duty of 5 per cent." There being reason to believe that the article is applicable to the purposes of chicory, and although the dandelion root is the uncultivated chicory root, that it has been and can be made appicable as a substi tute for mixture with coffee, and although the present parcel was understood to be imported for the use of a druggist, and is of much more actual value than the or dinary chicory root, it has been decided that the rated duty of U. and 5 per cent. additional is due thereon. EARL!' CLOSING MOVEMENT IN THE CITY.—On Saturday, the majority of the most influential manu facturers in the City of London closed their several places of business at one o'clock in the day, in pursuance of a resolution passed at a numerous meeting of mer chants and others on the 31st ofJanuary last. The large warehouses in Friday-street, Watling-street, Cheapside, Aldermanbury, and other places in the City, were entirely shut up as on Sundays. The important effect of this new system will be that the carrying trade, which, in conse quence of the late closing of the manufacturers, has hitherto been conducted after eleven o'clock on Saturday nights, and during a portion of Sunday, will now be com pleted at an early hour on Saturday afternoon. The unfortunate man, Johnson Jefferies, whom we mentioned a fortnight ago as having been buried in an iron ore pit, on Lindale Moor, is still underground and a correspondent tells us that there is not the slightest probability of his body being recovered in less than six months, even with full sets of men working day and night. The body lies about eighty fathoms deep, covered with many tuns of earth and water.—Cumber land Pacquet. NEW COAL-PIT VENTILATOR.—The frightful loss of life occasioned by the recent coal-pit explosion at Darley Main has doubtless instigated many humane and scientific minds to investigate the causes of these cala mities, with a view to lessen their recurrence, or at least, to diminish the fearful loss of life which too frequently results from them. Actuated by such praiseworthy and philanthropic motives, our townsmen, Dr. Dunn, has we are glad to announce, succeeded in completing a very simple and apparently efficacious invention for the ventilation of coal-pits. We have been fa voured with a view of Mr. Dunn's model which we could describe in a few words if necessary but which, for certain reasons, is to be kept secret for the present; not indeed that Dr. Dunn contemplates any pecuniary advantage from his invention, but he is de sirous that other persons shall not be enabled to make a profit of that which is intended solely to benefit man kind at large. It is well known that in coal pit explo sions the great majority of the sufferers lose their lives by suffocation, only a few comparatively being killed by the mechanical force of the explosion. It is known, moreover, that one of the main causes of these explo , sions is the imperfect ventilation of the pits; and it is to remedy this detect that Dr. Dann's contrivance has been invented. By this machine it is calculated, a constant and abundant stream of pure air, sufficient for any area, can be admitted into the pits. At present when a gale of wind occurs it sweeps over the mouths of the pits and ' forms an eddy therein; this eddy does not extend mere than six or seven feet below the surface of the earth, and it has not a sufficiently spiratory motion either to allow of the mephitic air of the pits ascending or the purer air to descend—a circumstance which obviously hastens the danger and increases the force of the explo sions when they do occur. Dr. Dunn proposes by his simple contrivance to convey the atmospheric air to the bottom of the pits, and, if necessary, thence by a hori zontal extension of the machine to other parts of the pit where it may be required. The advantages of such an invention are obvious; and when we add that it may be erected at an expense of 51., we have no doubt the cheap ness as well as the simplicity and efficiency of the inven tion, will cause it to be universally adopted. The ma chine will shortly be tested at one of the neighbouring ' pits, and in the meantime, for the reasons above men tioned, Dr. Dunn will aecuro his invention by register ing it. SURSCRIPTIONS FOR, AND ADDRESSES TO, THE Pone.—On Sunday, in consequence of a pastoral letter addressed by the Right Rev. Dr. Wiseman, the Roman Catholic coadjutor, Bishop of the London District, to the clergy of the diocese, a collection was made in the various Catholic churches and chapels, to relieve the present pecuniary distressed position of his Holiness the Pope. The amount is to be forwarded to his Holiness, as " an humble tribute of the veneration and affection" of the Catholics of London " for their beloved Pontiff." Addresses from the clergy and laity of the London dis trict are also to be forwarded to his Holiness. It is expected that either Bishop Wiseman, or some other dignitary of the Catholic Church,- will carry these addresses and the amount of the subscription to the Pope at Gaeta. RAILWAYS.—An interesting return has just been printed by order of the House of Commons, on the motion of Mr. Moffatt, viz., a return of the railways for which Acts were passed in the session of 1848 (11 and 12 Vic.), the length of each line, the proposed capital stock, and the amount of capital subscribed, &c., from which it appears that the number of Acts passed amounted to 85, and may be classed as follows :—Acts authorising amalgamation, leases, &c., 6; purchases of canals, 2; extension of time and sundry amendments of Acts, 12; deviations, extensions, and other works, for which no new capital is required, 17; new lines by new companies, 2; branches, extensions, and deviations by existing companies, 26; stations, 6; harbours, ferries, and docks, 3; steam boats, 2; additional capital for works already authorised, 8; total, 85 (two of the companies have been allowed to maintain steam vessels). The total increase of mileage occasioned by these Acts is 330 miles, 11 chains. Total—increase of capital, 10,414,8661.; ditto, loans, 4,205,6051. ; total, 14,620,471 Z Another return has been printed, by command of her Majesty, of the number of passengers conveyed on the railways in the United Kingdom, during the year ending the 30th of June, 1848, showing the different classes, the receipts from each class, and from goods, &c.; also the number of mile s of railway open on the Ist of July, 1847, and on the 30th of June, 1848; which gives the following results:—First class, 7,190,779 • second class, 21,691,5091 ; thi r d class, 15,241,529 1 ; Parliamentary class, 13,091,487; pa passengers : Fir5t 749,763 class, total 1,9 57,9 7 65 2 , , 0 5 7 3 0 3 1. Receipts 3s. Bd.; second class, 2,352,1521. lls. 51d.; third class, 661,038/475. sid.; Parliamentary class, 902,8511. ls, 81d.; mixed, 11,8971. 4s. 10d.—total, 5,720,3821. 9s. DREADFUL COAL-PIT EXPLOSION.—We learn that another of those sad catastrophes which every few months occur in the mining district of South Stafford shire, took place yesterday (Friday) forenoon, about half-past ten o'clock, in one of dlr. Daniel Round's pits, known as the Menge Colliery, in the parish of Rowley Regis. An explosion of sulphur took place in the pit while the men were at work; and three colliers of the name of Bate, father, son, and uncle, all living together in one house, were killed almost instantaneously. uthers were injured, but we hav e not been able to learn the particular!.—Birminyham Journal. tiu'sE.sciN is to proceedingilliam Rennie, Esq., is nominated a member to doA Mauritius. Anderson, o r u e n c l d e V e iv r e t e a u k th n e e d t e h h r e o s n t o a o n o u v d r e o r t t n h m a k t e n n ig, o ti l i V o :t o h . of the Legislative Council of Trinidad.—Observer. A maker of gold pens advertises that fifteen years' experience justifies him in asserting that his peni are tt !Wasting IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, Fell. 19. The LORD CHANCELLOR. took his seat on the Wool sack at Firs o'clock. CASE OF SMITH O'BRlEN,—tilt,iT OF ERROR. The Clerk of the Crown handed in a writ of error from the Court of Queen's Beach, Ireland, in the case of W. Smith O'Brien and others. The Marquis of SALISBURY presented petitions against the Marriages (Scotland) Bill, and against any change in the navigation-laws. CORRUPT PRACTICES AT ELECTIONS. The LORD CHANCELLOR moved the second reading of the Corrupt Practices at Elections Bill. This Bill had last year been intro duced into the other House, and was founded on the report of a Select Committee which had taken evidence on the subject, and which evidence was in pos sessioa of their Lordships. The Noble and Learned Lord then proceeded to detail the history of the various laws which had at different times been enacted for the purpose of putting a stop to corrupt practices at elections of Members to serve in Parliament, and explained the amendments proposed by this Bill to be introduced into the existing law, and the necessity for those amendments. Lord DENMAN thought the Bill of last year was open to great objections. He thought that the Commissioner was armed with powers which no officer ought to possess. He thought that Parliament possessed already all the powers with which it was proposed to invest this Commis• sioner, and he proposed that the Bill should be referred to a Select Committee. Lord BROUGHAM felt that the objections of his Noble and Learned Friend were very grave. He thought the proper remedy would be to endeavour to raise a better feeling on the part of those who were candidates at elections. He thought, above all things, that some measure should be adopted to put a stop to the present system of corruption and perjury. Lord DENMAN explained. Lord STANLEY thought this was a measure not to be lightly dealt with, and although he would not oppose the second reading of the Bill, he thought that the House should not legislate without further in quiry. During the course of the last session various accusations had been brought against Members of the other House, some of whom were connected with Government, of corrupt practices. Several private Members introduced measures for the purpose of investi gating those charges; those measures were dropped, and the Government undertook to introduce a measure on the sukject. The measure was introduced in July; it was brought up to the House of Lords in August, and Par liament was prorogued before the Bill was passed, and now they proposed to introduce a new measure to prevent corruption for the future, which forced the Committee appointed to try an election petition to proceed at once to the investigation of any possible charge of corruption, which either by the evidence of a witness, or the speech of a counsel, might be brought before them; and the Com mittee might, if it chose,recommend that the case should be referred:to a commissioner to be sent down to the place where the corruption was alleged to have taken place on a fishing inquiry, and when he shall have made his re port to the House of Commons, may adopt such steps as to them may suem proper—a course of proceeding which they may adopt at the present moment. He objectee to the inquisitorial powers proposed to be given to the com missioner. He would not oppose the:secoud reading of the Bill, but he thought it ought to be referred to a Select Committee, and he was of opinion that if their Lordships consented to the second reading, it should not be understood that they were therefore, to be precluded from throwing it out ou the third reading if the evidence to be taken be fore the Select Committee should fail to show the neces sity for the measure. The LORD CHANCELLOR replied; and The Bill was read a second time. MARRIAGES (SCOTLAND) BILL. Lord CAMPBELL rose to move the second reading of a Bill for amending the law of marriages in Scotland. He observed that in every well-governed country mar riage was a contract of which there should at all times be satisfactory evidence, and that the status of the wo man should be one with respect to which there ought to be no doubt. The present law of Scotland did not af ford this satisfactory evidence, because marriage might be contracted in various ways—by a clergyman, by a simple declaration of marriage b e t ween the parties , by a promise in future followed b y co h a bi tation; and the consequence of this was, that the woman was placed in ' a very degraded position, and the state of things itself was productive of an infinity of evils. Their Lord ships had all heard of Gretna Green mar -1 riages, but marriages were not alone celebrated by a functionary at Gretna Green, that person had rivals all along the borders; and he was told that the late parson at Gretna Green had married no less than 30,000 couples. Marriage was frequently gone through as " a lark;" those who entered into that state did not deem themselves to be bound by it, and they fancied that at the end of the year they might make a new excursion. What was desired was, that persons entering into the marriage state should, for the future, be married either by a clergyman of their own persua sion, or in presence of a public functionary, signing their names to a document by which they declared them selves to be Man and wife, and which document should for ever after be evidence of the fact. The Bill he pro posed proceeded upon the same principle as the Mar riage Bill of 1836. In England a person might go before the clergyman or the rgistrar. The latter was seldom resorted to in England. Such he believed would be the case in Scotland. Persons would go before their pastor, who would bestow upon them the nuptial benediction. This Bill would prevent clandestine marriages, and, as such, he trusted it would meet with the support of their Lordships, as it was most desirable that whenever a mar riage did take place there should be evidence for all future time of the fact. The Earl of ABERDEEN observed that notwith standing the confidence expressed by the Noble and Learned Lord on this subject, it was with some regret that he felt bound to state some objections that he enter tained respecting it. His opposition to this measure arose from the fact that he considered it uncalled for, most impolitic, and likely to lead to most injurious re sults. Everybody admitted that it was desirable to have a comp l ete registration of births, marriages, and deaths; but what he objected to was, that the Noble and Learned Lord made a very great alteration in the law of Scot land, as a means of perfecting a system of registration.— (Hear.) If the Noble and Learned Lord considered the marriage law of Scotland defective, let him intro duce a Bill to amend the law; but to adopt such a measure as this for the purpose of perfecting a system of registration, was, in his opinion, a proceeding that was quite preposterous. In England and Scotland the cases were not similar. Hero a Bill had been introduced to relieve the Dissenters from what they considered a grievance imposed upon them by Lord Ilardwicke's marriage law, and which for the purposes of marriage compelled them to repair to the Established Church. In Scotland nothing of the kind occurred. Every one was married by the minister of the sect to which he belonged, and he could say that this Bill. Th e marr i age l aw h a d o ft en they clandestine marriages were very f ew i n S co tl an d, a nd t might occur no adequate remedy been the subject of discussi on among a ll ran k s o f men in Scotland, an d so me alteration in the law had fre quently been recommended by some of the greatest men in the country; but who ever asked for such an altera tion as was proposed by the measure of the Noble and Learned Lord?—(hear, bear.) The uniform opinion of the country, pronounced two years consecutively by numberless petitions, while there was not one pre sented in its favour, deserved some attention from their Lordships, and particularly in a case affecting, or which might affect, the social condition of every man in the co untry. The existing law had worked well, and to the perfect satisfaction of the people of Scotland. For centuries there had been no complaint of the law, and the people living under it had been distinguished for social and religious qualities. The Noble and Learned Lord had stigmatised the people of Scotland as living in la state nearly approaching the "more ferarun. Their condition had been described as very different by another Noble Lord, who had said that, taking it altogether, Scotland was the best-condi tioned country on the face of the earth. Those Noble Lords would not both support the Bill. As the measure was one of restriction, he did say that the feeling of the country was deserving of the attention of their Lord ships. Let their Lordships look at the 18th article of the Union with Scotland, in which it is especially said that laws affecting civil government and policy might be made the same in all parts of the United King dom ; but the laws affecting private right should be only altered for the evident utility of the people. Now, the innumerable petitions against the Bill did not show that the people thought the proposed alteration would be for their benefit. He would entreat their Lordships to consider that they were not legislating for England, nor for a people governed by the same laws or feelings as themselves —they were legislating for a country the people of which were actuated by feelings and prejudices, it, might be, altogether different from those of the people of this country; but to those feelings, and even to those prejudices, it was their L or d s hi ps ' duty to give every attention. The law of Scotland was the law of the whole of civilised Europe. They were constantly borrowing from it, in order to render the English law more perfect, and therefore it deserved all respect and honour. The Bill proposed by the Noble and Learned Lord imposed new restrictions upon the constitution of marriage in Scotland. He held that it was essential to the happiness and for the morality of the people that marriage should be rendered as easy as possible. Holding the opinion which their Lordships naturally did it was difficult for them to place themselves in that situation which it was necessary to do in order to legislate for the people of Scot land. In England they held that the marriage tie was indissoluble, however much their practice differed with the principle. They said it was indissoluble, but they almost daily dissolved it, not as a legislative act, but acting as judiciaries. Nothing could be more incon sistent or more unjust than that. Although they held marriage to be indissoluble, still they did not hold it to be a sacrament; and in times shortly after the Reforma tion the tie was dissolved, but now there was no court to pronounce such a judgment. He had been given to understand that marriage being made a sacrament in the Romish Church arose from a mistranslation—that that which was properly translated "a great mystery," was translated in the vulgate " a great sacrifice;" but, at all events, England was the only Protestant country where marriage was indissoluble. He trusted the law of Scotland would not be altered in that particular, because he considered it was preferable to the law of England. There were only two causes for which the law of Scotland allowed a divorce, viz., adultery and wilful de sertion for four years. If it was essential that marriage should be rendered easy, so was it equally necessary that divorce should be difficult ; but as the law now stood, he thought it was upon a rational and the best foundation. 4. Noble Lord had warned their Lordships, upon a late TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 20, 1849. occasion, to consider what they were going to do. The case before them was one in which it particularly be hoved their Lordships to consider what they were going to do, and what was likely to he the effect of the measure before them. He knew ho was speaking the sentioisrds of the great body of his countrymen, and therefore he considered he had a right to press his opinions upon the House. By the law of Scotland marriage was a civil contract, the very essence of which contract depended upon mutual con sent—that was the doctrine of the canon law as well as of the civil law of Scotland. The Noble and Learned Lord had said there were irregular marriages under the law. Bat a writte❑ promise followed by cohabitation, constituted and was recognised as a valid marriage. The promise, however, must be a written one ; why, there fore, should a man be allowed to abandon such a con tract at his own pleasure. Under the present state of the law seduction in Scotland was extremely rare ; in England the cases were innumerable as compared with those which occurred in Scotland. The law was a great protection to the woman. Undoubtedly under the law of Scotland, a an might be intrapped into a marriage by an artful woman. Such a case might occur ; but fur one man that was entrapped, one hundred women were entrapped and betrayed under the law of England ; and certainly it was woman who most needed protection. For these reasons he saw no cause why that which was now admitted as proof of a contract should not continue. The same of a declaration of marriage before witnesses. Remembering always that marriage was considered as a civil contract, although in fact nearly all parties made it a religious ceremony; but as a civil contract he saw no reason why the solemn declaration before witnesses should not be admitted to be as good proof of consent as a written promise. No length of cohabitation would constitute a marriage in Scotland if nothing appeared to prove that the parties had intended to contract a mar riage. Cohabitation would be considered prima facie evidence of the fact, but even 20 years' cohabitation would not constitute a marriage without some evidence of the consent of the parties. He would agree with pleasure to improve the law by confining its provisions strictly to persons having a proper Scotch domicile; for though the people of Scotland bad a great love for the law themselves, they had no particular wish to extend it elsewhere. Marriage was a most valuable right, and a great privilege of the poor, and their Lordships ought not to impose any further restriction upon it without good grounds, which he contended had not yet been shown. His object would be effected by the omission of those words which restricted the marriage ceremony to be performed "in two modes and no more." He was satisfied with what had conduced so much to the happi ness, the morality, and the prosperity of the country. Lord BROUGHAM acknowledged ,the question to be one of much importance, but, unfortunately, the mea sure had been married to another Bill, and it had re ceived all the odium which that other measure perhaps deserved. It had been said by his Noble Friend that the Registration Bill had been brought is to complete the Marriage Bill: now just the reverse was the fact, the Marriage Bill had been introduced to complete the Registration Bill. That Bill contained a clause, the schoolmaster clause, when it was last before the Legis lature, which was as improper a clause as any he had ever read, and it had given rise to much ill feeling towards the Bill, great part of which was also improperly extended to the Marriage Bill. Almost every lawyer had complained of the operation of the law. It had been complained of by Lords Thurloe, Hard wicke, and Eldon. And no wonder it was complained of, when advantage was taken of it to evade the law of this country. He should support the Bill, because it would throw impediments in the way of improper, mis chievous, and ill-considered marriages. Those only amongst their Lordships before whom divorce cases were brought could be aware of the difficulties consequent upon the state of the law of marriage in Scotland. In many instances it was impossible to tell whether the par ties were duly married, whether they were legitimate, or, if a second contract had been entered into, whether they were guilty of bigamy or not. Scarcely two lawyers could be got to give the same opinion with regard to it. He agreed with the measure because he saw no other means of putting an end to the difficulties which at pre sent existed. The Noble Earl near him (the Earl of Aberdeen) suggested that the law respecting divorces ought to be dealt with simultaneously with the law of marriage, but he (Lord Brougham) thought that that question ought to form the subject of a different measure. The Earl of ABERDEEN said it appeared from re turns which he had moved for on the subject of English and Scotch marriages and legitimacy, that during the last eighteen years, since the scotch Consistorial Court was abolished, and the busieess of it transferred to the Court of Session, there had been only six appeals from that court to their Lordship's House ; therefore, the Noble and Learned Lord had very little right to com plain that the time of the House had been much occu pied in settling disputes respecting Scotch marriages. The whole number of cases that had come before the Court of Session during that period was 104. Lord CAMPBELL—And in those 104 cases 35 of the parties concerned were found to have been legally mar ried, 34 were discovered not to have been legally mar ried ; and the question with respect to the rest could not be aettled.,—(A laugh.) The Duke of ARGYLL said he did not believe that this Bill had been introduced for the sake of completing the registration of marriages. The principal objection of the Noble Earl opposite appeared to be, that the Bill limited in an undue and dangerous degree the facilities for contracting marriages. He (the Duke of Argyll), however, did not believe that it would have any such effect. Under the existing law marriages were legal which took place before clergymen of all denominations, and it was not proposed to alter that system. The Bill would have the effect of foreclosing for the future all irregular marriages, and continuing the system of mar rying before clergymen of all denominations, and also before registrars. But, as the Noble Earl had truly said, such was the moral and religious feeling of the people of Scotland, that very few marriages were con tracted except before clergymen. The measure could, therefore, make very little change in the law, and the Noble Earl's objections to it were, he thought, devoid of force. It appeared to him that the Bill provided every faci lity for contracting marriages that it was necessary to provide; and ho trusted that no misapprehension would go forth to Scotland with respect to its real object and tendency. It would make no difference whatever in the practice of contracting marriages in that country. The Earl of EGLINTON objected to the measure on the ground of the great expense it would entail upon the . people of Scotland in carrying it out. If the Bill had the effect of driving the people from the registrars to the clergymen be should cordially support it, but the matter was left to the option of the parties. It was true that the fees for marriages before the registrars were higher than before clergymen, and that was cer tainly an inducement to go before the latter. He pre ferred the clergymen to the registrars, but he preferred the registrars to the blacksmiths. Lord CAMPBELL replied, The two Bills were then read a second time. Their Lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 19. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. NEW bIEMBERS. Sir RALPH LOP= took the oaths and his seat for Devonshire, in the room of Lord Courtenay; as also did Mr. FRANCIS BARING, for Thetford. SECOND READINGS. The following Railway Bills were read a second time: Cockermouth and Workington (Branch to Bridgefoot, Amendment of Act, and Power to lease to Whitehaven Junction Railway Company). East Indian Railway Company (for making one or more Railways in the East Indies) Incorporation. East Lothian Central (Abandonment of the Railway and Dissolution of the Company). Edinburgh and Northern (Formation of Slip Quay and other Works at Granton ' • Extension of Station at Edin burgh, Regulation of Perth Station, and Amendment of Aczs). Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company. Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire (Consolidation and Amendment of Acts). Shrewsbury and Birmingham Acts Amendment, Branches, and Deviations. Shrewsbury and Chester (for Branches to the river Dee ; Agreement for Joint Station at Shrewsbury; Power to sub scribe towards the Shrewsbury and Hereford). Stockton and Darlington (Alteration of Line in Eggles cliffe and Stockton-on-Tees). Stockton and Darlington (Lease of Line to the York, New castle, and Berwick Railway Company, and Amalgamation of the two Undertakings). Stockton and Darlington (Consolidation of Acts, Increase of Capital, and purchase of the Middlesborough Dock). York and North Midland (Deviation and Abandonment of Part of the authorised Lines of Railway between Market Weighton and Beverley, and Copmanthorpe and Tadcaster). The following Bills were also read a second time Argyll Canal (Abandonment of Undertaking, &c. ) Ashton-under-Lyne Police, Markets, Improvement Acts Extension and Amendment, and Transference of Gas and Waterworks and other Property to the Corporation. Birmingham Borough (Exemption from County Rates). Darlington Gas and Water Company. Holme Reservoirs (Increase of Rates and Amendment of Act). Kidderminster Union Small Tenements Rating. Lincolnshire South Rolland Drainage Improvement. Macclesfield Borough Waterworks, Markets, &c. Marshland, Smeeth, and Fen (Equalization of Drainage Rates and Repair of Roads). North Shields Quays and Improvements. Ransonmoor or Doddington Fifth District Drainage Act Amendment (to amend and extend the Powers, to annex other Lands, to borrow Money, and to levy Rates or Taxes). Renfrewshire Justice of Peace Courts. St. Alban's Rates. Staffordshire Potteries Waterworks (Extension and Amendment of Act). SOUTHAMPTON SMALL TENEMENTS RATING BILL. On the motion that this Bill be read a second time, Mr. COCKBURN proposed that it be read a second time this day six months, on the ground that if the Bill were passed the tenements to which it referred would be rated to the landlords instead of the tenants, who would thereby be disfranchised.—(Hear.) It would lead to the application of s new principle to a local community to the exclusion of others ; it sought to introduce a new mode of oppressive class legislation, which was repugnant to the inhabitants of Southampton, who had, in common council assembled, voted by a large ma jority that it would prove most inimical. He, therefore, felt it his duty t o offer the Bill all the opposition in his power. The amendment having been seconded, Mr. MACKINNON defended the Bill. Out of 6,000 persons rated in Southampton, no rates could be obtained from 1,800 persons.—(Hear.) The rates were exceed ingly heavy, and it was deemed advisable to make the landlords of those houses which were generally let to poor Irishmen and others liable for the rates. He would, therefore, only have to charge the tenant the amount of his rate in tho rent. The vestries of the five parishes of Southampton bad approved of the Bill by large majorities. A similar Bill had been successfully in operation for some time at Kidderminster and other places. The Bill was unebjectienoble in principle, and wee merely required for the collection of the rate; and had nothing whatever to do with the franchise. Mr. COMPTON supported the Bill. Mr. P. SCROPI. suggested that this and other Bills should be suspended for further consideration. He hoped a local measure of this kind would to post poned until the House came to a decision on the general principle. There were hundreds of thousands of poor people in this country excused from paying rates in consequence of their poverty, under the 59th Geo. 111. Mr. HUME agreed with what had fallen from his Honourable Friend (Mr. P. Scropv). There was no doubt that the poor-rates fell heavy upon small proprietors ; but ought the House not, by every means in its power, to induce the poorer classes to pay the rates if they could, and ought the House not to hold out the right of voting, both municipally and for Members of Parliament, to induce them to use every effort in their power to pay the rate? This was not a time to limit the franchise.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") When the House interfered with the franchise, it ought to be with the view rather to ex tend than to limit it. The principal point was this, not to take away from the poor man the inducement to pay his rates which he has in being a voter both at munici pal elections and for Members of Parliament. Mr. GODSON thought the argument used by the Hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. P. Scrope) ought to have prevailed in 1841, when it was used as it now is; and certainly the Government did not seem any more dis posed now to bring in a general measure than they were at that time. The Hon. Member gave some particulars of the beneficial way in which a kindred measure worked which was now in operation in the borough which he represented (Kidderminster). Mr. HENLEY thought this was one of a series of steps, by which the Legislature sought to deprive the poor man of that main provision which our law has made for him, that if he is a poor man he shall be excused from paying poor-rates. That was the existing state of the law. At present the law of England was that the rate was collected from the occupier. This was an attempt to shift it on the proprietor, which was a total and entire change of the law, and against the con sent of the people in the town for which it is proposed. How it would work with reference to the franchise he did not know, nor did be care; but the objection he had always taken to similar Bills was they deprived the poor man of the advantage which the law gave him. For these resons, if the second reading of the Bill was pressed he should vote against it, believing it was detrimental to the poor man. Mr. R. SPOONER supported the second reading of the Bill, as other Bills in other localities had worked well. Mr. MUNTZ thought that the principal objection to the Bill was the extent to which it was carried, and the great disfranchisement it would create. Strangers were then ordered to withdraw, and the House divided, when there appeared— For the motion 64 Against it ... .. 106 Majority against the second reading —42 BISHOPSWEARMOUTH RECTORY. Mr. HORSMAN gave notice that on Wednesday he should bring forward the petition he had presented rela tive to this rectory under the consideration of the House. DIPLOMATIC PENSIONERS. Mr. M. MILNES gave notice of his intention to ask leave to introduce a Bill to enable persons in the receipt of diplomatic pensions to hold seats in the House. JUVENILE OFFENDERS. Mr. M. MILNES also gave notice that to-morrow he should ask some member of the Government what mea sures had been taken since last session for the preserva tion of public records. Also whether it was the inten tion of Government to propose any measure with re spect to the treatment of juvenile offenders. COLLIERY EXPLOSIONS. Mr. lIUME gave notice that on an early day he should move a resolution to the effect that the excessive loss of life through the frequent colliery explosions from fire-damp rendered it the imperative duty of the Legis lature immediately to adopt means, now that they had them at their command, to prevent a recurrence of such calamities. STATE OF IRELAND. Mr. J. O'CONNELL gave notice that on the ques tion for going into Committee of Supply for the purpose of voting the Navy Estimates, he should move a Committee of the whole House to consider the present alarming state of Ireland, with the view of adopting measures for appropriating the church property to the support of the poor, and in order fo render these resources immediately applicable to that purpose, to empower the Poor-law Commissioners to borrow money upon the security of such property for es tablishing an absentee-tax on the property of all persons above the value of 1501., who did not reside in Ireland, and for legalising an efficient system of tenant-right. _ _ BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS. Colonel SIBTHORP gave notice that, on the ques tion that the Bill for preventing bribery and corruption at elections, introduced by the Hon. Member for Droit witch, should be read a second time, he should move that it be read a second time that day six months. REGIUM DONUM. Mr. LUSHINGTON gave notice that in the event of the Miscellaneous Estimates containing a grant for the Regium Domini, he should move that such grant be dis continued. RETURNS. On the motion of the O'GORAIAN MAHON, copies of any reports made to the Commissioners of the Board of Works in Ireland, on the practicability of rendering the town of Ennis, in the county of Clare, a sea-port, together with au estimate of the cost of works for such purpose, and the probable amount of time requisite for their completion, were ordered to be laid before the House. On the motion of Mr. J. O'CONNELL, a return of all notices served upon relieving officers of poor-law dis tricts in Ireland, by landlords and others under the Act of last session, 11 and 12 Vic. c. 47, intituled, an Act for the Protection and Relief of the Destitute Poor Evicted from their Dwellings, were ordered. On the motion of Mr. REYNOLDS, returns were ordered from the Courts of Queen's Bench, Common Pleas, and Exchequer, in Ireland, of the number of ejectments brought in those courts respectively, for the last three years, beginning with Hilary Term, 1846, and ending with Hilary Term, 1849, both included; specifying the number in each term and year, and the counties iu which they have been brought, and the number of persons served in each ejectment, according to the affidavits of ser vice, distinguishing the number brought for non-payment of rent, and the number brought for overholding. And, from the Assistant Barrister's Court of each ccunty in Ireland, of the number of civil bill ejectments entered in each of such courts for a similar period, together with the number of the defendants in each civil bill ejectment, and distinguishing the number sued fur non-payment of rent, and the number for overholding, and the number for desertion. On the motion of Sir JOHN YOUNG, copies were ordered of letter from the vice-guardians of the Cavan Union to the Poor-law Commissioners, relative to their travelling expenses in February and May, 1848, and answers; of sealed orders from the Poor-law Commis sioners, dated the Bth day of June, 1848, authorising them to charge 2/. 10s. weekly for travelling expenses to each of the unions of Cavan and Cootehill; of memo rial of the ratepayers of the Kilnaleck electoral division, addressed to the Poor-law Commissioners in August, 1848; of Captain Hotham's Report to the Poor-law Commis sioners of an investigation held by him on the 2d day of October, 1848, and following days; of Letter from the Poor-law Commissioners to William Smith, Druinkeel, dated the sth day of Dec., 1848; of Mr. Charles Shar man Crawford's Report to the Poor-law Commissioners of an inquiry held by him at the Cavan workhouse, on the 15th and 16th day of December, 1848, and letter to Mr. Smith thereon ; of letter from Poor-law Commissioners to Lord Farnham, dated the 20th day of January, 1849; and weekly return of the number of paupers in the Cavan workhouse, and on the lists of out-door relief in the Cavan Union, from the Ist day of December, 1847, till the Ist day of December, 1848. BARBADOES. Viscount DRUMLANRIG moved for returns of the strength, in rank and file, of the service companies of the 66th Regiment when they arrived at Barbadoes; of the names of all officers who accompanied the service companies to Barbadoes, their period of service in the army, at this date; and of the number of rank and file, together with number of officers attacked by illness since their arrival, and number of deaths and recoveries; specifying the name of the officers, up to this date.— Agreed to. POOR-RATES. Sir HENRY WILLOUGHBY asked the Chief Com missioner for the administration of the poor-laws, if any information has been received that poor-rates have been expended in aid ot wages, under the head ot insufficient earnings, in some parts of Lancashire, especially at Ashton-under-Lyne, during the last twelve months, and whether any order has been issued on that subject by the Commission. Mr. BAINES replied that no information to that effect had been received by the Poor-Law Board, nor had they issued any order to such a proceeding. EXPULSION OF THE ENGLISH FROM FRANCE. Mr. BAILLIE COCHRANE said he wished to put a question to the Noble Lord at the head of the Govern ment, which was of great importance to some of the poorer classes in this country. It was, to know whether the workmen who were driven out of Paris at the period of the revolution this time last year had ever been paid the money which they had deposited in the French savings'-banks? Lord J. RUSSELL said at the period referred to by the Honourable Member communications had passed between this and the French Government on the sub ject of those deposits. No notice, however, having been given of the question, he was not now prepared to an swer it. PRISON DISCIPLINE. Mr. Alderman SIDNEY wished to know whether it was from the failure of the separate system or from any other cause that prisoners were not now confined in separate cells in the Peatonville prison, and whether the Government were prepared to recommend to the ma gistracy of the country ono uniform system of prison discipline ? Sir G. GREY was understood to reply, that although several prisoners had been removed from separate cells, the general system adopted in the prison was to con fine them separately. With regard to the other ques tion, it was not the intention of the Government to en force any general system in the gaols throughout the country. TURNPIKES. Mr. HENLEY wished to know whether any returns would be laid on the table of the House, with reference to turnpike trusts and highways. Mr. CORNE\VALL LEWIS said that all the returns on the subject were laid on the table of the House last session. EXEMPTION OF BOROUGHS FROM COUNTY RATES. Mr. MUNTZ wished to know whether it was the in tentivn of the Government this 80$31011 to bring iu a Dill to exempt borough corporations which had their own gaols from the county rates, Sir GEORGE GREY said the corporation of Birmingham had applied to be exempted from the county-rate, but no representation had been re ceived from any other borough, although there were several which were similarly circumstanced. Ile understood th at th e question- as to the liability of corporations had been before the Queen's Bench, and that the Judges had decided that they were liable. The matter bad, however, been carried to a higher court- - the Exchequer Chamber—and if that Court con' firmed the decision of the Queen's B e nch, he thought that some general Act ought to be introduced in order to alter the law with respect to the liability of boroughs so situated to the county rate. EMIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA. Mr. SCOTT wished to ask the following questions of the Hon. Gentleman the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department How many free passages to the Australian colonies it is the present intention of the Colonial-office to give to Dorset and Wilts? 2 . Whether it is intended to do the same in other and what counties? 3. How much these free passages will (at the average cost per head of each statute adult) co!t the colony to which they go? 4. How many more ow' grants might have gone if the grant had been made to assisted instead of free passengers? 5. Whether 1 1 is intended that they should have the preference over previous applicants for assisted passages, and sail shortly while these latter are detained? 6. The amount o f co lonial funds at present available for emigration? Mr. HAWES, who was very indistinctly heard in the gallery, was understood to reply that it was not the in tention or the Colonial-office to apportion the number of emigrants to be sent from Wilts and Dorset. The boon of the Government would extend in common to all the counties, and not to one or two in particular. Ships had been recently fitted out for emigrants at ply mouth, but it happened that there were very fell applicants. The cost of the conveyance of each emigrant was 141. 4s. per head. No preference would be giv en b y th e C o l on i a l- o ffi ce to any part i es. The funds in hand amounted to 50,0001. Mr. SCOTT inquired if there would be any objeo' tion to lay on the table the correspondence that had taken place with respect to emigration front Wiltshire and Dorsetshire. It would be well, he thought, to have it distinctly known whether or not the pnblic money had been applied to clearing the estates of particular parties. Mr. HAWES would make inquiry if there was as/ correspondence. He wished, however, to assure tbt Hon. Member that no favour had been shown to eel particular parties. THE ANNUITY-TAX (SCOTLAND). Mr. HUME referred to the Commission appointed last year to inquire into the operation of this taro and inquired if any report had been presented, and, if sol whether it would be laid on the table of the House; and further whether any measure on t h e su bj ect was i nten ded to be introduced by the Government during the present session ? Lord J. RUSSELL replied that the report was in th• course of preparation, and that it would be laid on lb. table. THE FISHERIES OF SCOTLAND. Mr. HUME inquired whether the Commissioner ar pointed last session to inquire into the necessity of COw tinning the Fisheries Board of Scotland, and genera/ into the fisheries of that country, had concluded his re' port, and, if so, when it would be presented to th e House? Mr. LABOUCHERE replied that Mr. John Lefelre had been appointed to discharge that task, and that be had prepared a report, which would be laid on the tablet of the House. The report in effect recommended th at the Board should be continued, and p o i n t e d ou t how It! expenses might be curtailed. The Governmentintende o to carry out his recommendations. THE NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. Mr. GREENE corrected an error into whic h he had fallen, in reply to the question of 0 ° Honourable Member for Middlesex respecting the new Houses of Parliament. He had statea that some additional expenses had been incurred at the instance of the Woods and Forests, and that be be d -seen a return prepared by Mr. Barry at. the...request ( the Commissioners for Building the New Houses of Par' liament, in order that they might be inserted in it. P l e had since been informed by the N o bl e E ar l th e Chi!' Commissioner of Woods and Forests, that no such au: ditional expense had been contracted or paid by tha t department. E MIGRATION. Mr. SCOTT moved for the following returns :-- 11° , turn of the expenses at ea c h o f th e d ep o ts or othe' establishments for the reception of emigrants during th e years 1847 and 1848 respectively; distinguishing in o°' case whether the payments are made from Imperial or o°, lonialFunds, and defining:-1. The amount paid for re n i of depot and the name of the owner. 2. Cost per heed each emigrant for depOt expenses, specifying the ohs% for lodging and rations. 3. Cost of bedding and utes i ., for each emigrant, by whom supplied, and whether b y public or private contract. 4. Expense of establish ' ments of naval agents at London and Plymou t ! respectively, with the number of clerks and the * moon ; paid to each; also any additional sums paid for oc her i and what superintendence at the aforesaid depots. The amount paid to each selecting agent n Great Bri tain and Ireland, and at what per tentage. 6. The amount per head for the conveyance of emigrants_ to the depots at L on d on or Plymouth ; and a: commission paid to a gen t s f or s hippi n g emig ra nts " the outports of Great Britain or Ireland on their way the said depots. 7. Average amount paid as per c o ,.° - tract for the conveyance of emigrants to each of Australian colonies, per statute adult. 8. Charge, , 1 any, stating the several ite ms an d th e amoun t b o rne o f each of the Australian coloni es f or th e ma i n t e nance ° f the Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners De' partment. HABEAS CORPUS SUSPENSION (IRELAND) BILL. On the order of the day being read for the third read' ing of this Bill, Mr. OSBORNE rose to present a petition from WI; bitants in the parish of St. Pan cras , ca lli ng on the LP% not to pass the Bill, and to cease to administer the eft of Ireland altogether, and to allow th e p eo ple oft u_." country to administer the government themselves." (Hear, and laughter.) Mr. J. O'CONNELL said, as he did not wish to be c ; a double debate, he should postpone hi s observatie e ," until the Noble Lord the Member for atylesburY e amendment came on. Mr. FEARGUS O'CONNOR then rose to addrele the House, but the noise consequent upon a g r e at numb er of the Members simult a ne ous ly l eav i ng th e H ous e WO ! e , great that for some moment s th e H on . M e mber wholly inaudible in the gallery. H e was understood the say that he was very muc h sur p r i se d to fi n d, a fter t statement of the Right Hon the Secretary for t h eb Home Department, that no English Gentleman in the Home Department, that no English Gentleman in r 1 House had thought it his duty in the House to do 113 0 • than give a passive acquiescence to this Bill. There was , e time when this Bill would not have be e n a llowed to 1 3,1 : 4 without some more urgent reasons having been /oge e , for its necessity than had been assigned by the 11 0 n• Bi t_ r h . net the Secretary for the Home Department. d exp re ss l4°tw standing that many gentlemen had attempte- to . their views on this Bill, there was not one last who had touched it. The Honourable Member fo r_ Bandon assigned as a reason for supporting the Bill that he was foreman of a grand jury 11 . : Ireland. The Right Hon. Baronet the Member f o ' Tana worth, in accordance with his usual maxim, said be would return good for evil. The Government had or from first to posed the Right Hon. Baronet on the appropriation clans* tr r ad ß e u,cicainndghtahmeshii honourable e no en ur te a r b e i d e in Gel' e ; asd he retorted by supporting the present mea sure' dissertation The li on. Memb erfree fo e tleman said he was not on ly prepared to g i ve assent to the stopping of agitation for the peal of the un i on, b ut to put down all agitetion; But now it seemed quite unnecessary to make out reason for the passing of such a measure as this. S e F,, r used not to be the c a s e f ormer ly ; an d oh, f ir the days of Fox, Pitt, Romilly, and all th e 'd noble compeers. But their days were past, e.„, an epoch seemed to have arrived when private, terests were in the eyes of Members of Parliate e e e e paramount to the consideration of the most seri e os inroads upon the.constitutioncand when a matter viteej affecting the interests of Ireland was to be introduer; to their notice, scarcely a House could be forthe7 yet when a private Bill was to occupy their atteutiel upwards of 170 Members were ready to tender th.e:, votes. Such was the feeling, or rather the co mpare" • feeling with which great national grievances le 11 : 3 , land and petty advantages in England were view( So much for the sympathy of England for Ire Lord Ulsrendon says that the object of thi s Bill is h l s put a atop to the agitation which, for thirty years, P.., distracted Ireland. The Right Hon. Baronet the Se c i - to Lary of Ire/and says that this Bill is simply t he rectal capital to the country. The Noble Lord head of the Government says that it has " - e , thing whatever to do with the agitation for r rj , peal. but simply to enforce the views of the to Lieutenant. To which of those authorities was be t a refer? In none could he place any reliance, when Lord Stanley, was a Member of that House, be b hi expressed his opinion that a very sufficient reason otigio to be assigned before any suspension of a L r ,) liberties of the country took pla ce .—(H e ar, The Whigs had ever made Ireland their b a ttle-fi i e the late Mr. C. Buller had war ne d th em o f the e u° ` . My tion of this course ; he had said as long es, ,i• O'Connell lived Ireland would be in an pient rebellion, but wh en h e was gone it l'i ° ,lo become an open oa e . If suc h a measure 5e,„",.0. had been proposed a t th e out b rea k o f t h e F r enc h volution in February last, it might have been tolert r , but at the p resent moment i t was unca lled her It was to the Right Honourable Baronet the Me el t he for Tamworth that the people of Ireland looked fl o ra redress of their grievances, and not to the Noble at the head of the present Government.—(Hear, h e Government could not receive the allegiance of • people of I re l an d unt il t h ey pursue d a more lib e ral P rio o s ciple towards them. The proceedings of the Govern' l e d proved this. They had had five sessions of oY er terminer in Dublin, and yet there still remained file b r es u soners to be disposed of, so bungling and clumsy bed ' BO the course of the law officers. But it was said tbil lio s was to be followed by remedial measures. ; to were they? He had a right to an SO W 001) that question, for this Bill would not put e • to the agitation for the repeal of the unto 0 (Hear)—but it would prevent every ree'll„ h ieg Ireland, no matter whether he was loyal or not, te w l ii t e a single struggle in defence of his rights. Why ur ged farce this mode of legislation was. It wo re the that the measure was proposed to secu r e ;0 jre' protection of the loyal and well-dispose, 0 01 land! What nonsense! Instead of its afforolu_,teted, such protection it would make the loyal discoe'lv 0 ,00 and unless some measures for removing the 5 0 °T, bet: of Ireland, and extending the su fferages, va lego to people, Lwere :away pr op osed Ciceferniseo J .._-%