The Sun. — London, England, 1849-04-24 00:00:00

GREitT GRIMSBY DOCKS. During the last few days obtrusive handbills and importunate placards have been pressing on the notice of of the public th e fact that, on Wednesday, the 18th April, all persons desirous of availing themselves of the privilege might be conveyed at so much per head to Great Grimsby. Where and what is Great Grimsby? we have heard it asked ; and we do not scruple to confess that it is not so very long since, uncon scious of the extent o f i g norance of which we thereby stood convicted, we hazarded the very same inquiry ourselves. Great Grimby is a town in Lincolns? 7, on the southern bank of the Humber. What it is now we need not trouble ourselves to describe; what it may, and probably will, be before the world is many winters older, it mig ht baffle the imaginative powers of railway projectors humbleti. to . conjecture A few years ago a fishing village, great in nothing but its name, with a harbour silted up with the mud and sand that collects so plentifully in the bed of the Humber, was all that presented itself, under that imposing . denomi nation, to the gaze of the . voyager steaming down the broad estuary from the inland seaport of Hull. But the magie wand of the capitalist has touched the spo t ; the gen ius of railway enterprise has smiled on it ; and all the unbounded resources of English wealth, industry, and constructive skill are already employed in metamorphosing the insignificant village into a great and populous city. Within the lapse of two years, or three at most, piers and strong em bankments, running far out into the deep water, will have converted a vast area, over which . the Humber now rolls its tides, into a series of spacious to the and commodious docks, accessible at all times lar.lest vessels. Substantial wharves, laid down with railways, and covered with extensive ranges of ware houses, will line the basins ;andhouses and . churches will spring up on every side, the quiet folks of Great Grimsby will find themselves surrounded by th e bustle of a bus y and populous seaport town. Being nearer to the sea by two hours than the port of Hull, and protected by the headland that guards the mouth of the estuary from the surges that lash d cheerless line of the inhospitable eastern the long an coast, it may reasonably be expected that Great Grimsby will very soon absorb the greater part of the northern steam-packet traffic, both inland and foreign, and become the principal place of resort for the ship ping that traverses the German Ocean. The docks will themselves form the terminus of a line of railway which spans the island, shooting across to Manchester and Liverpool, and entering the heart of the great web of railroad communication which is fast covering *be northern counties. Thus it may be expected to become the main outlet for the exports of the manufact urin g districts, as well as' the focus of our large and daily increasing import trade with the Baltic and the countries of North Europe. The tagricultural counties of the east of England will receve through it their supplies of bones, oil cake, and foreign manures, of which they have of late years consumed large quantities, and the demand for which is rapidly extending under the influence of as improved system of tillage. It will export the salt of Cheshire and the woollens of the West Riding. In Fhort, it will be the commercial metropolis of the east of England, the Liverpool of the German Ocean, distant (by railway) but a very few hours from its elder sister on the Atlantic. The laying of the first stone of this magnificent work was an event worthy of being graced by the presence of the illustrious personage whose visit to Lincolnshire we yesterday recorded. His Royal Hi g hness appears to ha ve borne his part in the cere mony with the tact and good:humoured urbanity which he in variabl y exhibits on such occa sions, and made, as he never fails to "do, an apt and well-turned speech. W e sincerely regret that the unpropitious weather should have interfered with the cordial welcome pre pared for the consort and representative of her Ma jesty, and when he next goes down to lay a first stone er to walk over a Lincolnshire farm, we heartily wish him a bright sun and an unclouded sky. In truth, the cruel caprice of this most wintry of April seasons, seems to have shed a most inauspicious dreariness over festivities which should have worn the air of warmth and cheerfulness suitable to the in auguration of a great undertaking. But the sober hopefulness of this calculating age laughs at portents, and defies the malice of lowering clouds arid angry skies. The new seaport, rising on the edge of a district which the ample capital and untiring industry of Englishmen have converted from a sterile quagmire into a trim and fertile wheatfield, is born under a fa vourable conjunction of circumstances over which the stars have no control. May it thrive and flourish as its founders desire, and may its promoters eat of the fruit of their labours to their hearts' content I It is in such undertakings as this that we see the most encouraging signs of the vigour and vitality of the commercial and agricultural prosperity of England. Travel where you will throughout the countries of the old world, you meet at every turn traces of those transmigrations of capital which no historian has recorded, and of the transitoriness of the opulence and grandeur which have been enjoyed in successive ages by different localities. As the streams of com merce have cut out for themselves fresh channels, and wandered into new courses—as the pioneers of civili zation have opened up for the inhabitants of densely populated countries unoccupied tracts of virgin fertility—the cities and countries which in their day had queened it most proudly amongst their fellows, have lost, one by one, the pre-eminence their denizens fondly fancied would be eternal, and sunk, within the lapse of a few cen turies, into dilapidation and decay. Grass has long been growing in the streets of Bruges and the great squares of Ghent. Cologne and Venice are no longer the resort of the traders of the East and West. The old Slavonian towns which lay along the now for gotten overland routes between Europe and Asia have sunk into oblivion ; Novogorod the Great is no longer what she was, and Holmgard on the Dwina is lost for ever to the exploring inquirer among the snows of the forsaken North. The great marts of Grecian and Phoenician commerce, and—to remount to a still ear lier period—the vast and stately cities whose ruins lie entombed under the soil of the Mesopotamian plains, what are they now ? Monuments of the in stability of human things, abandoned by the merchant and artizan to the antiquarian and the moralist. The wealth and industry which decked the plains of Asia and the shores of the Mediterranean, are gone to people and adorn the coasts of the far Atlantic. England, too, it has been said, awaits her allotted hour. The time will come, we have been told, when traveller from New Zealand or South Australia shall stand upon sketch the ruins of St Paul's. It may be so. The decrees of Providence may, in our ease as in a hun dred others, overturn the calculations of human fore sight. But, so far as we can rely on what experience and ob?ervation teach us, that time, if it shall ever come at all, must be very far distant. With the blessing of Heaven, if we be true to our selves, we have long ages of prosperity before us. We lie on the great thoroughfare of commercial in tercourse; before the gates of the Old World, and on the highway to the New. Our accumulated capital —injurious as its concentration may prove in some respects to our social state our mi neral treasures, and the elastic energy of the Anglo-Saxon c h aracter, will keep us yet, as they have kept us hitherto, in the van of the march of industrial progress. And we may derive some confidence in the vigour and e l a s t i c it y of the national fabric from observing how, as our old towns rich i n architectural beauty, and venerable from his torical and ecclesiastical associations, formerly the marts of our inland trade, become lifeless, dull, and deserted, new cities rise elsewhere, as if by enchant ment, in spots to which the flow of population and capital, di-placed by new inventions and discoveries, has from time to time determined. The man of taste an d se ntiment may mourn over the change, and con trast Lincoln Cathedral and the noble Minster of York with the cheap churches . and commodious meeting-houses which will in due time him embellish th t o wn of Great Grimsby. But let con e self. He is seeking to arrest the operation of an un 'varying law, which, whilst it has ruined other coun tries, has but enhanced the prosperity of his own, changing, it is true, its features, and perhaps defacing those which in his eyes were most attractive. Let him reflect that he will be better employed in im proving and refining the character and tone of his own generation than in bewailing its degeneracy. Let him, we say, take comfort,and not refuse to join the directors of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lin colnshire Railway Company,ccelhebroaf the Londonting, with the A id of Messrs. Bathe and Breach, Tavern, the anticipated triumphs of Great Grimsby Docks.— Chronicle. TUE . BREED or Hottsrs IN FRANCE.—At the last sitting of the Academy of Sciences, M. Duvernoy read, in the name of a committee of which he is a member, a report on a paper by M. Richard, director of the 1.:cole des Harts. M. Richard states, that horses artificially bred and trained for racing are of too delicate a nature to be useful for military purposes; that the mixture of the English race-horse with the French breed rather deteriorates than improves the latter; that the only races of horses in France which have prospered, or have not been deteriorated, are those used in agriculture, and bred by. agr iculturists; that the Arabian horse, well chosen, is the only foreign race proper to revive the breed of light horses in France, such as were used before 1790, by crossing them with the breeds of Auvergne, the Limousin, and the PyrenPes. The report agrees with M. Richard as to the unfavourable results of mixing the Enoch pure blood-horse with the French race, and thinks Lis opinion is fav,:ur of the admixture of Arab blood very reional. The report, which has been adopted by the Academy, concludes by recommendiag that the t'nanks 04 that body shall be given to M. Richard for his corn manicati on. The Comminers for investigating the application of iron in railway tructures had a meeting on Saturday at the Office of the Board of Trade, Lord Wroitesley presiding. GREAT INDIAN PENINSULA RAILWAY. The annual general meeting of the proprietors of the above railway was held ) est, rday, at the London Tavern, Bishops; ate-street; Lord Wharncliffe in the chair. The report stated that, after protracted negotiations with the Honourable East India Company, the directors had at length obtained from the Court terms securing a m i n i mu m interest of five p er cent. u po n a capital in the first instance of 500,0001., which they trust the proprietors will receive with .satisfaction. These ' terms of guarantee were even more favourable to the company than what were contemplated in the pro spectus issued by the directors in July last, the chief points of difference being the omission of the confisca tion clause, a concession of interest extending over a period of 99 years in place of 25 years, and the condi tional augmentation of the capital of the company to 1,000,000/. sterling. The directors had effected the allotment of shares-70,000 in England and 30,000 in Bombay. The subscription contract (required to be submitted to the court) was in course of execution, and would be completed within the specified period. Shareholders had the option, at their discretion, of paying the whole Si. per share at once, or the de posit and calls when made, which were to be spread over three years; and the interest would accrue upon what ever sums were paid from the respective dates of pay - ment into the treasury,of the Honourable East India Com pany. It was proposed, when the company was fully cons tituted, to issue share certificates carrying interest coupons in respect to such shares as may be wholly paid up. The extension capital would be offered rateably to holders of the present shares, in such manner as may be deemed most advantageous and desirable, on every exten sion of the undertaking, either by pre-emption of further issues, or by an optional increase in the nominal amount of the shares proportionate to the augmentation of capital, from time to time, as the railway may progress. It would be gratifying to the shareholders in England to know, that, in Bombay, where the merits of the un dertaking, as a mercantile enterprise, may be presumed to be best estimated, the .most sanguine anticipations were entertained of its success. The list of shareholders there includes the names of almost all the principal officers of the Government, and many of the leading merchants in Western India; whilst the gentlemen who compose the auxiliary committee in Bombay in connexion with this board, and under whose personal superintendence the active operations of the company would be conducted, are gentlemen upon whose judg ment, integrity and vigilance the utmost confidence may be placed. The directors had only further to add that, with respect to the estimates for the first section, between Bom bay and Callian they had the most implicit confidence in their sufficiency. The sums estimated to cover the cost of works and materials were based on the most trustworthy data, and confirmed by actual tenders from experienced contractors. In regard to future extensions of the line, the directors, in conjunction with the local committee, would not fail to fortify the interests of the property by whatever means experience in the first section may afford, meanwhile adopting the improvements and avoiding the errors apparent in the conduct of existing railways, and observing the most rigorous economy in every depart ment of the business of the company. With such rules of conduct for their guidance, and encouraged by the confidence of the proprietary, the directors had no fears of being able to carry out to the fullest extent centem plated,l and with the most entire success , this im p ortant undertaking. The balance-sheet showed the amount received to be 22,3511., and the expenditure to be such as to leave a balance in hand amounting to 166/. The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report, expressed his gratification that they had arrived at a point when they could enter upon the execution of a portion of the line with spirit and energy, and gave it as his decided opinion that no Indian railway had been suggested which was likely to prove of so much practical importance to this country, as the one they were em barked in. The report was unanimously adopted and resolutions were agreed to in accordance with the recommendations it contained; after which a gratuity was voted to the directors for their services from the commencement of ,he company. Thanks were then voted to the Noble Chairman, and ,he meeting terminated. LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH, April 23. Sitti gs in Banc ), before Mr. Justice PATTESON, Mr, Justice COLERIDGE, and Mr. Justice ERLE.) MARSEY V. LUNN. Mr. Wails moved for a rule calling on the plain• tiff to show cause why further proceedings should nob be stayed until he proved his debt before the blaster in Chancery. The action was brought against the defendant as one of the contributaries of the Universal Salvage Company, the affairs of which had been wound up under " the Joint-stock Companies Winding-up Act" (11 and 12 Vic.) This Act, which passed pending the proceedings, provides, amongst other • matters, that the plaintiff should prove his debt before the Master in Chancery, and that it was allowable to the defendant to make an application to a jadgo in chambers to stay proceedings until the debt were proved. The application was made to Mr. Justice Coleridge, who thought the question of suf ficient importance to come before the Court—the question at issue being, whether a plaintiff having obtained judg ment against one of the contributaries of a joint stock company, could ba compt lled at the winding up to prove against the company generally. The Court granted a rule. A UST RIA. The Allgerneine Zeitung has a letter from Vienna of the 15th inst., which contains some particulars of the occupation of Waitzen by the imperial troops under General Cz)rich. It would appear that this movement of the Austrian army is less the result of a victory than of a fault. The Hungarian General Georgey, after taking Waitzen in that memorable engagement which caused the death of the veteran General Gotz, followed the retreating Imperial army across the Danube, and proceeded on the road to Comorn, leaving Waitzen (ot which the sole importance consists in its being a crossing-place on the Danube) garrisoned by but one battalion of Honveds. It appears that Georgey's troops moved against Comorn in a totally different direction from that which the Imperialists anticipated, and that the latter were consequently misled by a delusion of Georgey's corps having fallen back upon Waitzen. General Czorich resolved to follow up his good luck, and, rallying his troops he led them back upon Waitzen, which was taken by so slight an engagement that it must have opened the eyes of the Imperial General. The present positions are such that General Czorich's corps is indeed in possession of Waitzen, but that it has no means of preventing the march of the Hungarians to Comorn, being in fact in the rear of the latter at the very moment when they thought they were confront ing Georgey's forces. Georgey himself has advanced to Gran, where he is opposed by 10,000 Austrians — fresh arrivals from Bohemia, who are in po=session of the pontoon bridge over the Danube. The last news is that a smart cannonade has been heard in that direction, but nothing has as yet transpired of the re sult of the engagement. Some battalions of the Hungarians have lately made strenuous efforts to cross the Danube at St. Andre, below Pesth, the place which was distin guished by the engagement of the 10th instant. They have occupied the island of Pletten, in the midst of the river, and make frequent excursions into the country on the other bank, but they are held in check by the Imperial Colonel Horvath and his bat talions. The cannonade from either bank is kept up with great spirit. . . The bulk of the two hostile armies is still in front of Pesth. The late rumours of a retreat of the Hun garians prove incorrect. Count Schlick, the Austrian General, and the Hungarian commander Dembinski, are each in their respective positions on the plain of Rakosh. It appears that the insurgents intend pre venting General Schlick's corps to interefere with the battle which the Austrian and Hungarian troops are fighting at Gran, while the Imperialists, in their turn, seem disposed not to press the point, but to wait for succour from Austria. _ _ _ The Hungarian forces which crossed the Danube near Foldvar have not marched from Weissenburg to Buda as was expected, but they have gone down the banks of the river to assist in the operations of the Hungarian army against the Servians, and to fight the Austrian blockading forces at Peterwardein. The Servian Patriarch has fled to Semlin, and the whole of the Woywodina is in the hands of the Hun garians. Kanisha, a large town in the county of Zalad, has taken up arms and espoused the cause of Kossuth. There is no news from Transylvania. HOLLAND. THE HAGUE, APRIL 20.—The Staats Courant publishes the comparative table of receipts and expenditure for the first three months of 1848 and 1849. The receipts, which, in 1848, amounted to 12,587,48311, have been, in 1849, only 12,482,305 A. In the first three months of 1849, as compared with the corresponding period last year, there has been an increase of 271,28511. (4,297,46711. against 4,026,1901.) on the direct taxes ; of 112,69511. (1,005,2831 against 892,58711.); on entrance and exit dues, navigation dues, &c. ; of 176,30811. (4,889,96911. against 4,713,6601.), on the excise ; of 2,173f1. (29,607f1. against 27,433 A.) on patents for gold and silver work ; and 3001. for the lottery ; on the oth er h an d, th ere has been a diminution o f 636 ,79011. on registration, stamp, and succession taxes (4,927,918f1. against 2,564,7181.) ; and of 31,14211. on The exact itae 1849 is 105,17711. (331,56011. against 362,70911.). diminution for the fi rs t three months of The Stoats Courant of the 21st contains an an nouncement by the Mini s t er o f Fi nance that a capital of 7,99.5,400f1.in treasury bill s h as b een issued to the 31st of March, in accordance with the laws of the 20th Dec. 1840, and the 30th Oct. 1848. Accounts of the 14th, from Copenhagen, state that the Netherlands ambassador hns applied to the Danish Minister for Foreign AffAirs for permission for all the Netherlands vessels, which had entered the Sound since the 21st of March, to proceed unmo lested to the various Prussian harbours now block. aded, for which they were bound. This request has been refused by the ambassador, in consequence of which those vessel 3 must run into the harbours nep,rcat to the blockaded hirboux of theiz destination ; THE SU'N, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, APRIL 24, M 49. those wl - ibr: a were bound for Dantzic, Pillau, and Konigsbet. '' r, to Memel, and those for Stettin to I Weimar. This answer was likewise returned by the Danish L .eeation to the British Ambassador and other parties who made a similar request. No party what- ever has, the refore, obtained free permission. The sub j. ect now under consideration in the Second Chu •nber is the alien question, by which foreigners w ill receive a great extension of their . privileges. The Netherlands East India mail has brought letters and ps apers from Batavia to the 27th of February, and Java to the 24th of February. The whole colony of Batavia is occupied in preparing an expedition against Bali ; the expedition was to have set out on the 24th, but the preliminary arrange ments not being complete, it was deferred to the 15th of March. Great and effective preparations were being made, in order to ensure complete success, and the entire conquest of the island. Ilhe commandant of the last expedition, which had such an unfortunate issue, has been recalled by General Vander Wyck, and will immediately repair to Holland to answer the charges made against him, but which he attributes entirely to the Governor-General. The inundations have been fearful in the Nether lands Indies, and entire plantations have been quite destroyed.—Dutch Papers, April 21. BELGIUM. BRUSSELS, APRIL 20.—Great satisfaction has been expressed here by the fact that the King of Hol land has conferred upon his Majesty the King of Belgium the order of the Grand Cross of the Netherlands. On the 18th, Baron Bentinck was received by the King in an official audience, and presented his letters plenipotentiary, and had, at the same time, the honour of giving the King the in signia from the King of Holland. INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 1849. William Cubitt, Esq., Vice-President, in the chair. The discussion on Mr. Browne's " Account of the Groynes at the new Harbour at Sunderland," was continued throughout the meeting. At the monthly ballot, the following candidates were duly elected :—Messrs. W. B. Clegram, J. Fenton, J. Matthew, and W. Radford, as Members ; the Right lion. the Earl of Lovelace, W. G. Arm strong, J. Chubb, J. Francis, Soren lijorth, and W. Piper, as Associvtes. TUESDAY, APRIL 17. Robert Stephenson, Esq., M.P., V.P., in the chair. The paper read was " On au Application of certain Liquid Hydrocarbons to Artificial Illumination," by Mr. C. B. Mansfield, B.A. The paper first noticed, that liquid hydrocarbons had been comparatively little used for the production of artificial light ; and that, in the instances in which they had been applied, their liquidity, and not their evaporability, had been turned to account. In the use of the common volatile oils, the excess of carbon in their composition was the great diffi culty; but when that was surmounted, that excess became an actual benefit. There were two methods of rendering this carbon efficient as " light fuel," when advantage was taken of the volatility of the substances; one was, to cause vapour, as it escaped from a jet, to mix rapidly with the air. The other, to mix the vapour, before com- bustion, with other gaseous matters containing less carbon. The adoption of the first of these was instanced in Holliday's recently patented naptha lamp. The second, consisted of the new arrangements described in the paper. This principle was carried into practice in two ways. The first (which was illustrated by a lamp that was burning on the table) was effected by mixing the hydrocarbons with some other inflammable spirit containing very little carbon. The mixture was described as being made in certain definite propor tions, which ensured a perfectly white light, and from which any deviation would result in a flame of inferior quality—pale, if . the hydrocarbon were deficient—smoky, if the mixture were poor in spirit. The ingredients most accessible in this country were stated to be wood, spirit, and a volatile oil from coal naptha, in the proportions of two-thirds of the former to one-third of the latter. Alcohol and oil of turpentine had been similarly used on the continent, though the former was too dear for use in England. The other adaptation of the same principle, and that which it wBs the chief object of the paper to describe, was the dilution of the hydrocarbon vapours with permanent gases of inferior, or even of no illuminating powers. That application might be called the napthalization of gas, or the gasintion of naptha, according as its main object was to enhance the service of the gas, or to utilize the liquid ; the latter was the object of the new proposal doscribEd in the paper. The former had been already accomplished by preceding in ventors. _ _ _ _ The first invention was that of Mr. Donovan in 1830, who proposed to confer illuminating power on gases that were inflammable, but not luminiferous, by charging them with the vapour of hydrocarbons ; but from the want of a sufficiently volatile fluid, he was compelted to have a reservoir close to every burner. The next application was that of Mr. Lowe, who increased the light obtained from coal gas by passing it over surfaces of naptha. Mr. Beale's air light was then noticed; its object was to use hydro carbons for illumination, by passing a current of air through vessels containing those liquids. There existed, however, the same obstacles to this plan as to that of Mr. Donovan, viz., the heat required to evapo rate the only liquid hydrocarbons then accessible. The paper represented that at length the difficulty had been solved, by the discovery of a liquid hydro carbon, as volatile as spirits of wine, but containing sufficient carbon for the most perfect light, and obtainable in any quantity. This hydrocarbon was procured from coal tar, and was called "Benzole." Its volatility was such as to enable i t to napthalize atmospheric air as effectually as ordinary naptha did coal gas. The system proposed by the author (which was illustrated in the room by a working apparatus) con sisted in conducting a stream of almost any gas, or even of atmospheric air, through a reservoir charged with Benzole or some other equally volatile hydro carbon ; the gas or air so nipthaliaed being then conducted like common coal gas through pipes to the burners. It was stated that the system was applicable on any scale, from the dimensions of town gas works to the compass of a table lamp. In the apparatus exhibited, a small gas-holder, filled by a pair of bellows, supplied common air through pipes. The gases formed by passing steam over red hot coke would answer well for this purpose, and it would depend on local circumstances whether this mode of generating the current would be preferable to the expenditure of the mechanical force necessary for driving atmospheric air through the pipes. Pure oxygen charged with the vapour would explode on ignition ; it was therefore suggested that this might prove a useful source of motive force. It was, how ever, stated to be difficult to form an explosive mix ture of the vapour with common air. By decom posing water with the voltaic battery, napthalizing the hydrogen with Benzole, and burning it with the aid of the equivalently liberated oxygen, a simple light of intense power might be obtained. The sys tem was shown to be a great simplification of the ordinary system of gas-lighting, as no retorts, refri gerators, purifiers, or meters were required, and the products of combustion were as pure as those from the finest wax. It was expected that the elegance of the material and the simplicity of the apparatus would induce its introduction into buildings and apartments where coal gas was not now considered admissible. The apparatus and conditions necessary for the success of the method were, a flow of cheap gas, or of air, driven through pipes by any known motive power, and a reservoir of the volatile spirit through which the main pipe must pass in some convenient part of its course ; these pipes and reservoirs being protected from the cold. It was stated, that though the liquid did not require to be heated above the average temperature of the air, it was liable to be come cooled by its own evaporation, so as to require an artificial supply of warmth. This was readily effected by causing a small jet of flame of the gas itself to play upon the reservoir, and by a simple con trivance, called a " Thermostat," by which the flame was shut off when necessary, the temperature could be made self-regulating, so as never to rise above or fall below a proper degree. The cooling due to the evaporation would, of course, he inversely propor tionate to the quantity of liquid in the reservoir. If atmospheric air was used as the vehicle for the vapour, the jet holes in the burner, from which it escaped for combustion, must be slightly larger than those for coal gas. Some burners, contrived for the purpose of accu rately adjusting the size of the orifice to the quanity of luminiferous matter escaping, were exhibited and described; they were made so that by moving a part of the burner, any required quality of flame, from lightless blue to smoky, could be obtained, there be ing a medium point at which the most perfect bril liancy was arrived at. The burners would answer equally well for coal gas, though that material could not, even by them, b e made to evolve so white and pure a light a o st , h s a o t m from d data n were zole vapour. givenon which a calculation of price wa s founded. In conclusion, It was stated, that a gallon of Benzole, of the de gree of purity requisite for the purpose, would cost about two shillings and sixpence; to this, the expense of the air current and the interest of the original out lay on apparatus was to he added. This the author presumed would not raise the cost to more than four shillings for the consumption of a gallon of Benzole. It was stated, that one ounce of that liquid would give a light equal to four wax candles, of four to the pound, for one hour, or one gallon for about one hun dred and twenty hours. It was inferred that a gal - lon of this material was equivalent to about One tLQW5gid cubic feet of col gas. Finally, for comparison with coal gas at a distance from the mines, it was stated, that while to produce one thousand cubic feet of gas, at least two hundred pounds of coal must be transported, one gallon of Benzole did not weigh more than seven pounds; this, in carriage, would give Thlizole an advantage of twenty-eight to one over coal as a source of light. In the discussion which ensued, high encomiums were passed upon the talent and patient labour exhi bited by Mr. Mansfield in the investigation of this important subject, which promised to lead to most remarkable results, as an extension of gas lighting to positions where it had not before been considered applicable. The paper announcee to be read at the meeting of Tuesday, April 24, was " On Locomotive Engines," by Mr. T. R. Crampton, Assoc. Inst. C. E. COL. FREMONT'S EXPEDITION. The disastrous accounts from Colonel Fremont, which have so painfully excited the public mind for some days past, have induced us to inquire at the source most probable to have the best information, or the best opi nions, in relation to his position. The resu't of this inquiry authorises the belief that some of the most pain ful of these reports must be unfounded. All that relates to the perishing of the party by hunger and starva tion are certainly so. Colonel Fremont wrote from the Pueblos, near the head of the Arkansas, when about to cross the first range of mountains on the last of Novem ber, that his supplies were ample to carry him through —that he had more flour than he wanted, and left some behind—plenty of meat, and a reserve of sugar and coffee, and macaroni for hard times, and for the sick or disabled. Thus be had abundant provisions, besides the resource of above one hundred horses and mules, which, dead or alive, would be a support to 35 men. If frozen to death these animals would remain i❑ that state until spring, and continue sound ; so that there was no danger of death by starvation. That they perished of cold is another of the painful rumours. This is improbable, though the cold must have been dreadful, and the snows fearfully deep. All accounts, as he ap proached the mountains, from Indians and traders, repre sented the winter as premature and unusually severe. So much snow, so early in the season, all agreed, had never been seen. It was in•the last days of November that he began to climb the mountain range (above the Spanish Peaks) which divides the valley of the Upper Arkansas from the head of the Rio del Norte, la- titude about 36k, longitude about 106. The snow was about breast deep to the horses when the party was last seen, about five miles from the summit. Up to this point the accounts are authentic, two men from the Pueblos having followed to join Colonel Fre mont, but whom he did not receive—probably not know ing them, it being his rule to take none but reliable men, whom he knew, in these dangerous exp( ditions. There is no doubt but that Colonel Fremont got over this first range of mountains, and thus entered the valley of the Del Norte, near the head of the river, and about 3 deg. north of Santa Fe, A greater obstacle was still before him—the great central chain of the Rocky Mountains, there called Sierra Madre. He krsew the difficulty of crossing this great barrier, there reaching the region of perpetual snow, and, if unable to do it, expected to winter in some cove or valley where there might be forests of evergreens, cedar especially, which would furnish shelter, and probably game, with some dried grass and soft wood for their horses to live upon. The account of his coming to Taos, which is about a degree north of St. Louis, is proof that he did not cross the Sierra Madre; and, as he came in for horses, he had probably los: all his by the cold and deep snows which he encountered after getting into the valley of the Del Norte. To judge of that de gree of cold and depth of snow it is necessary to refer to what they were known to be at Santa Fe, on the 16.11 of Deceniber, say two weeks after Colonel Fremont had crossed into the valley of Del Norte. The Santa Fe Re publican, received up to that day, says that the thermo meter (Fahrenheit) was 20 deg. below zero—(s2 deg. be low the freezing point); that the snows were over the backs of the horses in the gorges of the mountains; that a detachment of troops with four guides, which had gone out in pursuit of some marauding Indians, had become in volved in these snows, a nd with difficulty extricated them selves; that all travelling wa s stopped; that persons had been frozen to death ; and that such prematurity and in tensity of cold and depth of snow had never been wit nessed. This was at Santa Fe, about north lat. 35 deg. 40 min., long. 106 deg., and at an elevation of 7,000 feet above the level of the sea. At that same time Colonel Fremont and his party must have been 3 deg. further north, and about deg. further west, and at an elevation (supposing the valley to continue rising to near its gorge in the Sierra Madre) of near 8,000 feet. The cold, there fore, must have been greater, and the snow deeper, than at Santa F 6 —greater and deeper than the cold and snows which killed the 30,000 horses of the French army in ose night in Russia. It is probable, then, that Colonel Fremont's animals were all killed near the head of the Rio Grande del Norte. But the same pro bability does not hold with respect to his men. They had resources which the poor animals had not. Be sides, they knew their danger, and were prepared for it. Colonel Fremont wrote from Bent's Fort—in sight of the mountains—that he had his party in the most perfect order, and every precauti taken for their safety. They knew what cold was. Part of them had climbed the Sierra Nevada with him, when half the horses perished, but no men. Part had crossed the Santa Barbara mountain with him on Christmas-day, 1846, when above 100 horses (Californian horses) perished in a day, but no men. It is probable, then, that none of his men perished in this terrible cold, and that is the belief of the best authority on the subject. That he came alone, as it was said, to Taos, is no sign that his men were dead. It was his custom, when Mr party were is danger, and needed relief, to go himself and bring it first making them as s.fe as possible, taking two or three men with him (of whom his faithful servant Jacob, now a messenger to the senate, was alway, one). That he was on foot only proves the loss of the horses ; that he made 350 miles, as re ported, in nine days, is proof that his feet were not frozen; that he went back with Major Beale, who went out with relief; is proof diet he expected to relieve his men, and enable them to come in. It is probable that early in February he had them refitted, and remounted in the settlement of New Mexico, and renewed his expe dition, crossing the Sierra Madre lower down. This is the probable state of the party—horses lost, but no men, and the expedition baulked or delayed two or three months. Tne supposition that the party lost their way a t t o ional intelli gencer, M arc h 30. Taos, tho ug h h e h a d eever b een is wholly unwarranted. Colonel F remon t mar k e d out his whole route before he set out, and he and his men k new, ever y day and every hour, w h ere t h ey were . li e knewbere howto go before. /V COLLISION. —The Dutch man of war corvette, of 20 guns, the Amphitrite, Capt. S. T. Grave van Linburg Styrum, arrived at Spithead on Wednesday evening, at seven o'clock. She saluted the garrison with twenty onet w( e She was replied af t e t o r w b a y r dt s e h towed Vic guns, and the Commander-in -Chief, Admiral Sir B. Cepel, with seventeen guns, yesterday morning, at nine to ry and o l ' e o Platformc o'clock; ; whic hß a s t a ti salutes , rse.. into harbour by the Echo steamer. She is from the Hader, bound to the West Indies. About midnight on the 17th instant, when c :minx down Channel, between the Nrss and Beachyhead, she came in contact with the Mary Ann, schooner, of London, from Cadiz, hound to London, last from Plymouth, laden with wine. The night was dark and the wind blowing fresh. The crew of the Mary Ann, consisting of the captain and five men, took refuge on board the Amphitrite. The former vessel lost her masts, and was stove in. The Amphitrite lost jib-boons, part of cutwater, and, we hear, makes water. The Mary Ann did not sink, and when last seen was drifting over towards the coast ot France. She will, no doubt, be a good prize for sotre of the fishing boats, as her cargo (about 90 tons of wine) will prevent her sinking. Captain Grave, accom panied by M. Vandenbourg, the Consul for Holland, waited on the Commander-in -Chief after the Amphitrite came into harbour. She will be refitted at the dockyard, and will, probably, go into dock bcfore she proceeds on to the West Indies. . SUICIDE AT THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE'S.--011 Friday, Mr. William PO, wbo had for many years held the situation of secretary to his Grace the Duke of Devonshire, in addition., to an office in the Board of Green Cloth, drowned himself in an iron tank sunk in the garden. The tank was only. three feet in length, and about eighteen inches in depth, and was filled with water.—Yesterday afternoon an inquest was held on the body, when the jury returned a verdict of" Tem porary insanity." PRESTON AND LONGRIDGE.—At the half-yearly general meeting of the proprietors of the Preston and Longridge Railway, held at the office of the Fleetwood, Preston, and West Riding Junction Railway Company, or Thursday last, C. Swainson, sen., Esq., in the chair, a dividend of 12s. per share (clear from income-tax) was declared, for the half-year ending 30th June next.— Preston Chronicle. ROYAL MUNJTICENCE.—At a meeting of the go vernora and committee of the Adult Deaf and Dumb Institution, 26, Red Lion-square, Bloomsbury, J. Michael, Esq., in the chair, it was stated that a commu• nication had been received from George Maule, Esq., the solicitor to the Treasury, announcing a very liberel gift from her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen. The letter of Mr. Mania stated that the property of the late Thomas Hane, Esq., who died intestate, having reverted to the Crown, her Majesty had been pleased to sign a warrant, directing a dona tion of two hundred pounds to be paid out of tho said estate towards the purposes and objects of the institution for the adult deaf and dumb. J. G. Simpson, Esq., to whom the above had been addressed, observed that the munificence of her Majesty was a most timely aid to the funds of the charity, not alone as regards the want of funds for general purposes, but as indicat ing, he hoped, an early increase in its operationg, for which it was to be regretted too great a necessity existed. STATE OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY.—It has been stated that the Dean of Westminster has, with his well known liberality and enthusiasm, resolved to apply a considerable portion of his income to the repairs and im provements of the Abbey ; hut the following extra ordinary circumstances have not yet been made known to the public, though they are deeply interesting. Dr. Buckland having determined to set a noble example, very judiciously began by a close investigation of the actual state of the edifice; and lot it has been discovered that buttresses and other essential parts of the buildin g are in a dilapid a t e d, and even imminently dangerous condition, so as to threaten with destruction some of the venerable Royal chapels, and the unequalled national relics they contain. It is, indeed, fortunate that the appointment of a dignitary alike remarkable for rare acquirements in science and a generous disposition, has saved the country from the impending misfortune, and the Abbey guawritiefi from unavailing reproaches,— Builder. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. House OF LORDS, April 23. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his svat upon the Wool sack at Five o'clock. _ . The Bishop of WORCESTER presented several peti ions in favour of the Pr,>vention of S,duction Bill. The Eirl of HARROWBY presented several petitions praying for an Amendment of the laws regulating beer shop;. SALE OF LANDS (NEW SOUTH WALES) BILL. On the motion of Earl GREY this Bill was real a second time. ST. JOIIN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND, REBUILDING BILL. Earl GREY moved the second reading of this Bill.— Agreed to. AFFAIRS OF ROME. Lord BROUGHAM asked if it was true that the Roman and Tuscan Republicans had laid a sacrilegious hand on the works of art, and had sold them• He hoped that those rumours were false ; indeed, he knew that the rumour that one of the greatest of the works of art had been bought by an agent of the United States, was incorrect. He had ale heard that a member of their Lordships ' i louse had purchased the Transfiguration; this he believed was false, and he could not believe that any person in the station of their Lordships would purchase such works, unless for the purpose of restoring them; but he feared some of the less.lr works of art might be purchased by persons in this country, and he hoped some measures would be adopted to pre vent these works from being disposed of in this country, as the w.int of title to dispose of them was notorious. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE believed that the reports were very much exaggerated, and that the great works of art had not been touched, nor had any attempt been made to dispoe of them. With regard to the smaller works of art, he was not able to speak so positively, but he agreed with the Noble and Learned Lord in denouncing any attempt to dispose of them, and he did not believe th;t any person in this country would disgrace himself by purchasing them. Lord RE DESDALE said that he hoped that no person would purchase these works of art; but if ever there was a de facto Government, it was the Government of Rome, and no thing but foreign intervention would put it down; and he believed, if speculators chose to purchase, that Go. vernment could give a good title, and as to its having been established by murder, every revolutionary Go vernment had been so established. MESSRS. MARRINER AND CHADWICK. Lord BEAUMONT moved that the petition of these gentlemen to be released from custody be taken into con- sideration. Lord MONTEAGLE thought their Lordships had sufficiently vindicated its privileges, and therefore would not object to their release. Earl GREY thought their Lordships were indebted to his Noble Friend for the steps he had taken to vindicate the privileges of their Lordships' (louse; but he hoped it would be under=tood that, should a similar case occur again, the parties would not be so leniently dealt with. Lord BROUGr' HAM, having understood that both these gentlemen were labouring under severe indisposi tion, would not oppose their release. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE thought if they were released, that release should be accompanied by a solemn reprimand. He thought the House was greatly indt bted tot his Noble Friend who had. brought this subject forward. . . _ Lord BEAUMONT would not attempt to palliate the raisconduct of these parties, and he moved that they be reprimanded at the bar, and then discharged on pay ment of their fees. The motion was agreed to, and Messrs. Chadwick and Marriner were brought to the bar. The LORD CHANCELLOR then took his seat on the Woolsack, and, putting; on his hat, reprimanded them, after which they were ordered to be discharged, on payment of the fees. PETITIONS. Earl POWIS presented several petitions against (as we understood) any alteration in the law prohibiting marriage with a deceased wife's sister. POOR•LAWS (IRELAND) COMMISSION. The Earl of DEVON aAced whether the report of the Poor-law Commissioners of Ireland would bo laid on he table, or whether the Government intended to act on the recommendation of the report? The .Marquis of LANSDOWNE was understood to say that the Government were prepared to recommend certain alterations in the sense of the report ; but his reply was so inaudable that it was scarcely possible to catch its purport. NAVIGATION LAWS. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE presented a petition from the Mayor, Aldermen, and Town Council of Man chester, prayirg for a repeal of the navigation•laws. AFFAIRS OF TEIE RIVER PLATE. The Earl of LIARROWBY moved for copies of all instructions given to British envoys to the republics situated on the River Plate since the instructions issued to Mr. Ouseley in 1846. Since that period we have had no information officially of what was going for ward en the affairs of the River Plate, although we had two formal missions to and two irregular communications with General Roses, the President of the Argentine Republic. The mission of Mr. Ouseley, who was sent out in conjunction with a French envoy, was unsuccessful; the missions of Lord Howden and of all the other envoys lied been equally so. The last envoy, Mr. Southern, had not been officially received, although he had been permitted to rei(le in a private house, and the President of the Argentine Confederation hal offered an insult to Great Britain such as had never before been ()tiered to her. He wished to have official information on this subject, and that was the reason why he now moved for those papers. At present they knew nothing offi cially. All they knew was, that the interference of the two most powerful mations in Europe had been treated with contumely by the President of the Argentine Con federatien. Those negotiations were now over and completed, and there could, therefore, be no ground for withholding information. They had heard mysteri busty, from papers communicated to the Legislatures of other states, that the contending parties were willing to accept certain bases, termed Hood's bases," with cer tain modifications; but what those bases or modifications were they did not know. It had been the policy of the President of the Argentine Confederation to create a feeling of jealousy between the two mediating powers, and he feared that to a certain extent he had succeeded in sowing discord between the two nations on that question. Lord Howden ha 1 gone over to Buenos A.yres in the beginning of 1847, remained there in nego tiation with the President Roses for a considerable time, and at last, being dissatisfied with the ill-progress of those negotiations, had crossed the water and gone to Monte Video. There be communicated with the Presi dent of Monte Video, and announced to him that having failed in effecting a settlement with Rosas, he proposed to address h mself to the military commander of the army besieging Monte Video. He accordingly went to Gen. Oribe, and proposed a convention, to which, however, that General roused to accede, except on certain modi fications being made. Lord Howden, then, without furl her communication with Monte Video, declared his mis sion at an end, and abruptly quitted the River Plate. This was most extraordinary conduct on the part of Lord Howden. In a letter which he sent to the Eng'ish Government, one of the grounds he alleged was, that the Government was in the hands of foreigners. But it had been known for a long while that there was ire Monte Video a great num ber of foreigners, but that had not caused interfer ence on the part of the English Government. Looking at the result of that interference, he thought he was en titled to ask for information. All that ho knew at pre sent was, that two of the most powerful Governments in Europe hail been compelled to give way to General Rosas in a way in which they had never done before. President Roses distinctly stated that the blockade was raised with the approbation of her Majesty's Govern ment; bat, from all he had heard, that approbation was not felt in France, where the intelligence had caused very considerable dissatisfaction and discontent, and it was also rumoured that this dissatisfaction had been ex pressed to Members of her Majesty's Government. The House, therefore, had a right to information on this point. Another point which he found stated in the papers was, that before we could even gain an admission for the representative of her Majesty he must make certain modifications in the very basis of the terms on which he was to treat. As far as he (the Earl of Harrowby) could learn of the nature of these modifications, they were the very terms which caused Lord Howden to put an end to the negotiations before he would admit them. He asked, therefore, if we were really to humble ourselves before this transatlantic State, and submit to the rebukes contained in some of those papers? He asked whether we were to agree to the compensation of two millions sterling, for damaging ships and property in the course of the blockade? He wanted to know in what condition the affairs were in those countries commanded by Oribe? These were the questions to which he wished to have an answer, and upon which the House were entitled to information, in order that it might know how our interests were now placed in that country. The Noble Lord proceeded, in a nearly inaudible tone, to refer to the nature and the im • portance of the trade with these countries. In the year 1842 the value of English commerce alone amounted to three millions sterling, and if the common course of nations had been pursued our trash in the River Plate must now have been very much greater. In 1845 the value of one convoy which went out to Parana was estimated at sixteen million dollars, and this was an entirely new kind of commerce, showing how greatly it might have been increased and developed by proper mea sures. It was, therefore, no trifling matter, looked at merely in a commercial point of view. But it was more than this. It was important to the welfare of the people that treaties should be observed, and that we should not allow these two great nations to give way to one power. R 0323 had shown no desire to make concessions; on the contrary, he had increased the limitations upon com merce in these great waters. The who! , 3 conduct of the Noble Lord at the head of the Foreign office, in this matter, led him to the conclu sion, that it was his wish to substitute an entirely different policy for that of the late G evernment; and lie was afraid that the object of ; the Noble Lord would not be realised, but, on the contrary, attended with dis appointment. In order to show that we were not un mindful or indifferent to the vast interests at stake — that the present state of our relations with the Argen tine Republic might be understood —that it might be known whether we were going to support the obligations of treaties, or for the purpose of removing the impression r that we had abandoned our ancient p olic y , he asked for these papers. The Noble Earl co ncluded by moving his motion. The Marquis of LANSDOWNE (who was very indis tinctly heard) said that, in rising to oppose the motion, he was at the same time perfectly ready to give any in formation in his power that could promote the welfare of the large and increasing commerce with the countries on the River Plate. Bu t the state of aflairs at the pre swit gum) wi elatioly dia9Nat fr9lll that which OA- isted when the Noble Earl (Aberdeen) held eflice, end reading of this Bid last year, bscause ho thought it in eels succe-dt d by hip Nobie Friend now at the head of ; volved metiers of an important public character which Fcreige Affa re ; end looking at the pre eat pesition ought to be inquired into by a Committee, and for that the pending nego nations, it was not a time at which all reason he should support it again. secret instructions issued to those engaged in it, should Mr. I.IIIME could not see in what way this Bill be laid on the table. With the nature of these instrue- could benefit the public; it would have the etlect of re tions generally the Noble Earl did not seem so unin- Larding the flow of the tide above Gloucester, Perhaps formed as he would lead the House to infer. The the House was not aware that the Bill proposed to basis on which the negotiation was now proceeding, authorise the erection of a solid weir, about and which had latterly assumed a very promising as- fourteen miles above Gloucester, which, it was poet, was, he could assure the Noble Earl, approved estimated, would prevent the flow of 14,000,000 of of by foreign nae ions. IVith respect to the progress cubic feet of water which passed above Gloucester, of these negotiations, Mr. Ouseley was sent out in Jan., without any obstruction whatever. 1845, and the negotiation was commenced in May, Mr. SLANEY opposed the Bill, as injurious to the in and was in part brought to a satisfactory conclusion. terests of the public. Mr. Ouseley determined to carry on a series of opera- Mr. LITT.LETON supported it. tions against Roses, which created disapprobation in this After a few words from Mr. O. GORE, country. That disapprobation was participated in by Sir J. PAKINGTON replied, and the House divided, the Noble Lord at the head of the Foreign•office. Lord when there apeeared— Howden was sent out in May, 1846, but was not able to For the second reading ..• ... 137 bring the affair to a satisfactory conclusion. Subse- Against 171 quently, his Lordship was commissioned, in conjunction Majority against the second reading —34 with a representative of France, to make another at- The Bill is con-, quently lost. tempt at a satisfactory settlement. It was certainly true BURIALS IN TOWNS. that that attempt failed in its purpose. He did not sue . Lord DUNCAN, seeing the Right Hon. Baronet the coed in all that was asked. General Roses egret d to Secretary ot Sege for tee Home Department in his place, some portions, but they failed also with the Junta of wished to ask him whether the Bill which had received ' Monte Video, who did not agree with some other points; the sanction of Government for the regulation of burials and until these parties agreed among themselves, Lord in towns was likely to have reference to other cities Howden did net consider himself in consistency war- besides the metropolis. ranted in proceeding further. But the statement that Sir G. GREY said that so far there was no intention Lord Howden's conduct had met with the disapprobation of extending the provisions of the Bill to any other places of her Majesty's Government had no foundation what- than the metrepoes, ever. He had never heard or known of anything which PROSECUTION OF MR. DUFFY. could give the slightest countenance to that statement. Mr. HUME said, that seeing the First Lord of the The Noble Earl spoke of the raising of the tilorkade as Tresury in his place, he wished to ask whether, after if its continuance would have been a great benefit to Mr. Duffy had been prosecuted three times, it was the Buenos Ayres and to England; whereas it certainly was intention of Government to institute a fourth action, and a state of things which was not very desirable in itself. it so, whether it was the intention of Gove r nment to It must be to some extent unfavourable to Monte Video, lay the account of the costs of the prosecution on the but not to so great an extent as would appear at first table.—(Cries of " Hear, hear," and laughter.) sight, when they took into consideration the system of Sir G. GREY said he was to be brought up again at smuggling which had been introduced under its opera- the next Commis,ion. tion, and which no doubt some of these Monte Vidran Mr. HUME hoped then that the House should have parties were very unwilling to lose. But the trade of an account ot the expenses of the next prosecution. Buenos Ayres was one of great importance to England, IRISH RAILROADS. and with respect to General Roses, he was of opinion Sir H. W. BARRON said, that before Easter a depa that if those who took so many objections to his conduct tatters had waited on the Noble Lord at the head of were looking to the general benefit of trade instead of a the Government with regard to certain advances made partial benefit, they would not indulge in these (Nee- to Irish railroads, and the Noble Lord stated that he Lions. At no time had trade been more beneficially would alter Easter make known to the Ho us e w h a t the carried era than under the absolute government of one determination of her Majesty's Government should who was described as opposed to European commerce. be on that question. The Noble L ,rd inti- The treatment be had given to Mr. Southern was of the mated that certain advances should b e ma d e to most distinguished anti kindly description. The man- some railroads, and for drainage and arterial drainage, tier in which he had been received, the way in which he and he (Sir H. W. Barron) wished to ask what sum would was lodged and attended, were all calculated to be advanced for those purposes, and when the subject give the greatest satisfaction to the nation he re- would be brought before the House, inasmuch as there presented. With respect to the speech Roses had deli- was an increasing distress in Ireland, and great numbers vered to his Parliament, or by whatever name the As- of the population out of employment. sembly might be called, he preferred to take his opinions Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, with regard to the sub from the authorised communications of the President of ject of an advance for the purpose of arterial drainage the Argentine Republic to this Government; and cer- in Ireland, it would not be lung before he stated a pro teinly he must say, from these communications, that posal to the Reuse. It was necessary, however, that there was a desire—he had almost said an intention, un the House should proceed with the rate in aid before he the part of Roses to come to an amicable settlement; brought that other question before the House. and the matter was in a fair way, as far as the state of THE NAVIGATION-LAWS. the river was concerned; and it would undoubtedly be Oa the order of the day having been read for the a source of great satisfaction to her Majesty's Govern- third reading ot the Navigation Bill, ment, if they were enabled to conclade honourably and satisfactorily such a protracted affair. It was with the I highest gratification that he had to state on the part of the present Government of France, that a perfect un• derstanding existed with reference to this affair; and that there never was less reason to apprehend any dis turbance of these relations. Under these circumstances, and especially keeping in view the promising aspect of the negotiation, he should be sorry to lay any commu nications upon the table which might have tee effect of preventing a satisfactory conclusion. On these grounds he must oppose the motion. Lord BEAUMONT hoped that the Noble Earl would withdraw the motion for papers. If he would go back to the beginning of these affairs he would find he was in error. The object of the persons who were getting up an agitation was to continue to benefit by the original error, which altered the Customs until the year 1850, and which was a source of profit. The Noble Earl spoke of Parana as a water open to all nations, whereas it was entirely an inland river, subject to internal regu la,ions, as much as the Thames. Again, with respect to the blockade, it was ❑ot as the Noble Earl suppo,ed, a close one. Vessels were not prevented from going farther than Monte Video, the worst that could befal them was to pay double duties, and they were then al lowed to proceed. But, as he had stated, it was the alte ration of the customs in certain parts of the country that was the cause of all the agitation. He had, however. told their Lordships that the proceedings from the first had been an error which could not be too strongly con• demned. The Noble Lord, after taken a brief review of the successive attempts that had been made by the Go vernment to bring this matter to a conclusion, said, from all he learnt upon the subject, he believed that Lord Howden had acted in the most friendly manner, and had exercised greater influence over Roses than any who had preceded him, and there could be no doubt that all his terms would have been agreed to had it not been for the conduct of Wslewski, with whom he had been asso ciated. He was quite convinced that all might have been settled—that England would have obtained all she wished for, had it not been for the working of foreign faction. lie could not seo how Lord Howden could be blamed for any part of his conduct. lie was appointed to apt with Walewski—compelled to act with him, and did act with him—until the armis•ice was entered into, when all joint interference terminated. It appeared from the speech of the Noble Earl, that he expected the result of all our interference to be something extraordinary; that after all the injury we had done to Roses; after we had acted contrary to the laws of nations; after all thee, if we got out of the scrape in the manner expected, it would, to sly the least of it, be creditable to the Noble Lard, the present heal of the Foreign-office. Lord COLCHESTER was of opinion that the great error in all our negotiations throughout this affair was, that we did not ,imply attend to our own intert stn and those of our county} men,' who were in the country. In stead of steadily doing that, we united with another European power, whose alliance in European affairs was a matter of great importance to the whale world, but with whom, in such a case as this, we should have had nothing to do, because Franca stood in a relation to Buenos Ayres which prevented her from acting the part of a mediator with any hope of success. He had heard with great pleasure that we were now about to act sepe rately; hae we dune so from the beginning the whole matter would have been settled years ago. Great error was committed by our commencing hostilities when there was not a state of war, and he was glad that in that affair the conduct of Mr. Ouseley had not received the sanctio❑ of the Government. The Earl of lIARROWBY said a few words in reply, and the motion was then withdrawn. On the motion of the Marquis of CLANRICARDE, the Prisoners' Removal (Ireland) Bill went through Committee. The Spirits (Ireland) Bill was read a third time, and passed. Their Lordships then adjourned, at Half-past Seven o'clock. Mr. BERESFORD presented a petition from the tenant-farmers of a place in Ireland against the repeal of the navigation-laws. The Earl of MARCH presented a similar petition from the tenant-farmers of the county of Sussex. Mr. BICE presented a similar petition from Dover. Mr. MOFFATT presented a petition from Derby, in favour of the repeal of the navigation-laws.—(Hear.) Mr. LABOUCEIERE presented a similar petition from the M ayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of Manchester. Mr. HERRIES said he had expected that the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Labouchere) had risen to make a speech, but he was disappointed.—(Hear, hear.) Se (Mr. Herries) should have been reluctant indeed on this occasion to ask for the renewed indulgence of the House, but for the great importance of the question before it. He would not address them at any great length, but he could not but advert to some of the material topics of the question in moving, as he intended to do on this occasion, that this Bill be read a third time this day six mouths.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.") This Bill with respect to its details, and all the peculiar circumstances affecting the different interests involved in the question, had been so fully discussed upon previous occasions that he thought the House would ev cuse him on the present occasion from entering into tiva, minute details involved in the question. He conceivea they were now arrived at that point of the proceedings in, this most important Bill which required that they s hould look at it on the broadest principles of national pellet' He conceived this to be a most dangerous measure. They had now done with columns of figures of the dif• ference between this company and others—they had dune with the ten folio blue books of evidence—they bad done with all those minor grounds upon which the question must be ultimately decided. The question must now be dealt with upon the broad grounds. N°r, would he, upon that occasion, insist that a great national marine was the great foundation of the value of the naYi gation-laws. They could, no doubt, produce all things and sell them at a cheaper rate titan any other of til° nations; but if they took away that protection r° which our artizens were eraitled, great injury nin e ' not only result to them, but to their employer -° • Having no faith in the expediency of the Bill, they could not consent to propose amendments but in COni mittee. The House would observe that the obj.;et of the Bill was to abolish entirely all navigation-laws; but had it been simply to amend those laws, the OW' sition might have made some suggestions for its improvement. They had already discussed at consider able length the motives which influenced Governrnenll in introducing this measure, and he need not say Mun li t upon that pint; but he thought that in the interva, which had elapsed since the Opposition had indune 3 Government to postpone this measure, circumstanc es had occurred, which proved beyond doubt that the grounds on which they rested the measure had O. foundation in truth whatever. Time had shown Oa' the great stream of public opinion was against Canada and North America had proteste d against it, as had many of the other leading colonies, and the result of refusing the praYe r of those petitions was beginning to be seen in th e events that were happening in Canada. The House, O f doubt, would well remember the declaration ° Government upon the introduction of t he measure, that Canada and the other North Arn e ; rican colonies were favourable to it, h tl i the delay which had occurred had enabl e d him en" others to present petitions from Canada, Quebec, Aff treal, and the West Indies, denying that the inhaul: tants of those parts of the British possessions were at all in its favour, while the same delay had given the commercial and trading classes of t"" mother-country an opportnnity of expressing their uni compromising opposition to it.—(Hear, hear.) Portug a has said, in reply to the communication of the Govern"' ment on this subject, that they would not make any a alteration in the institutions of their country, and hope d that the British Government would not press their plo t on them, as they must necessarily decline. Next, wh a , has Spain said on this matter? Spain h as sa id nothined and be should say that if the Government lo a ; persevere in passing this Bill, that it would find cons( derable difficulty in enforcing those states to eonllni a with it. In-fact, his fir m b e li e f was t h at t h e y Wenii not comply. He would then as k w h e t was th e opirueict of the United States of America? The House ha been informed, on the second reading of the measur e ' that there was a disposition on the part of that country to acquiesce with the British Gov e r nment; b u t h e fon° that since that there had been a great change in th. e f feelings of the United States of America, and that they were to judge of the speeches of the most ete i a nent statesmen of that count r y, i t wou ld b e fon° that it would be necessary for the Minister to P re „; duce more authentic documents th an any a s Pa produced, before he could believe that the 'Un ite , : States would part with their c ons tit u ti ona l a d v anteL and he, therefore, asked for more information on tu - a subject. He thought that the Government were houn d to inform the House whether Mr. Bancroft's letter h a s been confirmed by the subsequent conduct of the Uni t e , States Government, and he should add, that he apPr 4 advantageshended that those reciprocal would be ba . svd on a sandy foundation. The President of the Und o States, in his inaugural speech, has stated that he N ; to prepared to introduce such measures as would tend a the advancement of the commerce, agriculture, l e manufactures of that country, which declaration ter deemed worthy of such a statesman; and Mr. Wet has declared, in his place in the House of Assera r t(i; that Mr. Bancroft should not have acted as he did 'g l re regard to this measure. He wished to hear what F e at opinions of the great commercial body of this g r f b p c )mmercial kingdom. The Noble Lord (Lord u ° b , aceur g a r t e e at i e n s f t or c m o a in ti m on erc o i n al t c h o a ia t 0 03 12 :0 j , jeer, L s , . e ai nlsl)thhseeh represented o w u o l should ld; have and when that co mmun i ty h a s b the called on to express their o p inio n , he would ask Nytio was that opinion? He would ask the Noble Lord W" were the opinions of his constituents, and should ! ti e/ 0 that he had no other means of knowing them 1. 11 0 0 through the numerously and respectably signed petite big that had been laid on the table of the House front constituents against this measure. These petitie"e; signed by Messrs. F. Baring, C. Baring Young, e rr derick Cooke, Lawson, D enn i son, S ma ll , M aster , SP°°" - and Fletcher against thi s B i ll , oug h t not to b e o verloo4 o or slighted. Aed who were these personages? most eminent merchants in England, in Europe, -- ,- . Ti o rcl in the world, and th e const i tuents o f th e N o ble ' t i e ! (Lord J. Russell). In like mauner the most infl . V i re rs merchants of Li ver p oo l, B r i s t o l, N ewcast l e , H u ll, Vl' a : n it ford, Belfast, Sunderland, and Glasgow, petitioned ag al fo re it. He k new t h at i t wou ld be said, as it had 1 /% 0 1 been said to him, that it was necessary to r e lries these laws for the carrying out the free-trade P no ciphs ; but he should say to that, that there wa s ea t necessary connexion between free-trade and the re,P o py of the navigation-laws, as they were to e ; p ee indepsudent of each other, and that the Tbey riment on free trade has not yet been fully tried. reel were told that the nations of the continent wou ll ,` or it, procate trade and commerce. But upon what aUr"riee4 was this advanced? They had interrogated I ? ci eot • countries, and the answers from those nations or o justify the conclusion.—(Hear, hear.) The anew a ny France did not jus:iry the expectation. From G` l .,tete the answer was, that at some future time the a i free might be adopted. The result at home was, th at into trade threw the agricultural and landed interest t he doubt and dismay, and caused a system of agitallY ere et• extent of which they could not measure. If theY" th ey , ened changes for which they were not prepared,ago were disturbing men's minds, and making them tors. That was really the course they were 13_ obje ct If they persevered in this course they would be r” . ', l t hen, of indignation at home, and the laughing stock or . 9 1! e to o enemies and rivals abroad. Ho moved the Bill " the third time that day si4 moths. HOUSE OF COMMONS, April 23. The SPEAKER took the Chair shortly before Pour o'clock. UNIVERSAL RAILWAY CASUALITY COM PENSATION COMPANY BILL. This Bill was read a third time and passed. SUNDERLAND DOCK ACT. The report on the Sunderland -Dock Act and River Wear Commission Act (Amendment, &e.) Bill was con sidered and agreed to. SECOND READINGS. _ The following Bills were read a second time, and ordered :o be committed : Alford and Boston Road Bill. Brompton and Earls Court, &c., Roads (Continuation of certain Turnpike Road Acts) Bill. Commercial Road (comprising the Cannon-street Roads, the Commercial-road, the Horseferry Branch of Road, the East India Dock Road, and the Barking Road) Bill. Flimwell Vent to Hastings Turnpike Road Bill. Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company Bill. Marylebone and Finchley Turnpike Roads Bill. New North Road (Continuation Act) Bill. Sheffield and Tinsley Road (Extension of the Tinsley and Doncaster Turnpike Road to Sheffield) Bill. Surrey and Sussex Roads (Amendment of Act and Altera tion of Tolls) Bill. Truro Turnpike Roads, Penryn and Redruth Turnpike Roads (Consolidation of Trusts, Alteration of Tolls, Forma tion of New Roads) Bill. Wisbech, Chatteris, T d Gote, and Downliam Bridge Turn pike (Continuation of Act, Alteration of Provisions relating to Repair of Waldersey and South Side Banks, Abandonment as to Turnpike of Road over same, Construction of New Turnpike Road) Bill. SEVERN NAVIGATION IMPROVEMENT COM MISSION, AMENDMENTS OF ACTS, NEW WORKS, AND FURTHER POWERS BILL. Sir J. PAKING TON moved the second reading of this Bill. He trusted that he should be able to persuade the Melee to allow the Bill to pass this stage, althoegh as he understood, its second reading was to be,opposed on three grounds; first that there was a report against ii, under the Preliminary Inquiry Act; secondly, that the town of Gloucester entertained strong objections to the Bill; and, thirdly, that the county of Shropshire also had great objections to the measure. The lion. Member after condemning the practice of canvassing Members, with respect to their votes on private Bills, said, with respect to the first objection to the Bill, namely, that the report Bill, under the Preliminary Act wa s a g ai n st the the evidence against the Bill had been published, while that in its favour had been suppressed. He thought, there fore, the House would not pay much attention to that report to the Admiralty ag ainst the Bill. With regard to the second point, which related to the objection of the town of Gloucester, he might sum it up by stating that it arose out of nothing more than a feeling of local rivalry. Gloucester was afraid that Worcester would get some of the g, od things she had so long exclusively enjoyed if this Bill passed. The third point was involved in the objection raised to the Bill of the people of Shropshire, who thought the Bill would prove detrimental to their interests; but it had been proved beyond all doubt that the measure would greatly benefit them, and as the Bill would accomplish a great public object, he trusted the louse would assent to the second reading of this Bill. Captain BERKELEY said these, measures, instead of improving the Severn, served to impede the progress of the tide, and to damage the trade and commerce of Gloucester. Besides, this Bill contained the very clauses that were rejected by the Committee of 1842, and he could see no reasons for referring them again to a simi lar tribunal. Mr. CLIVE said as the Commission itself were di vided upon the expediency of printing the Bill, and as it would seriously injure the upper part of the Severn, he should vote against it. Mr. FOLEY supported the Bill conditionally. Mr, LA.l3QiicALitti PI/Ad by oupported thy second ,~