The Sun. — London, England, 1849-03-28 00:00:00

spcct of .t which fight not that was should - - - 0: Would ring the lasses of o,ge con e of the should was no 'ate and ' t were re over- MT cun• it in in- I ght to so largei e? 110 on sub- Out it bents to of con• military °A that colony it to its e Right vac' too r his the pe proper metatile ye con -11 them, might )1y im et were of the t it was in this re they , which A. more to that tll corn illus- o Lord le year actor of ui have nts to $ 5 stated 5 under cope of igst the t 3 NeW in idle -3 of ob lent by and for ily one before A right against lee was ce anY !med it to be k.dcler• Jo de' secure °pc -- that A the ,ct to iffieul t ;avieg Mr. BERNAL OSBORNE said this was a question altogether independent of blue books, an I oee e should be taken on the broad ground of religious libel ty. —(Hear.) The tax called ministers' money we levie in eleven towns in the south of Ireland, while the pro vince of Ulster was altogether exempted from its operation. The reason of that exemptisn was, that when the Act was passed in the reign of Anne the people of Ulster would not have subr&tted to it. He was surprised that the Catholics of Ireland should come before the House in the humble tone they adopted on such a subject.—(Hear.) If he were a Catholic, he would not only bring the matter before that House, but he would agitate elsewhere in such a manner as would soon call attention to it, and compel a remedy being ap plied to such an enormous abuse.—(Hear.) It was said that the tax only amounted to 13,0001., but what had the amount to do with the matter. Was the sum for which Hampden took his stand in defence of popular rights ever made a subject of inquiry ?—(Hear.) Ireland, and especially the south of Ireland, was a Catholic country, and by what right did they assume to themselves the power of saying that in this, the l 9 h century, the Catholics should be called upon to make provision for the support of certain Protestant parishes?—(Loud cries of " Hear.") He had himself been present on an occa sion in the south of Ireland when a clergyman of the Established Church, who had formerly been a Catholic, preached a sermon, and he had heard that clergyman, who was receiving ministers' money, call his Catholic fellow-countrymen vagabonds. The Hon. Member for Dublin (Mr. Grogan)hai talked much about the an cessity of upholding the Protestant Establishment, but the fact was that the question was one simply of pounds, shillings, and pence. He (Mr. B. Osborne) would tell Hon. Members who were so sensitive about the Esta blishment, that if they adapted the Church to the wants of the Protestant portion of the population, they would snake it much more prosperous, and would much more effectually advance its interests.—(Hear, hear.) He supported his Hon. Friend (Mr. Fagan) on the question of ministers' money, because he considered it a disgrace to the civilised world that such a tax should be imposed. When they were passing coercive measures for Ireland, he had a right to ask why Ministers had not come down with a Bill for the abolition of this disgraceful impost. — (Hear, hear.) One of the ablest Members of that House, and one who was a member of her Majesty's Go vernment, the Hon. Member for Dungarvon (Mr. Sheil), had drawn up a report as Chairman of the Committee which had been appointed on the subject of ministers' money. But nothing had as yet been done upon the subject. If no Hon. Member brought forward a motion on the subject he would himself do so on an early day, and in the meantime he would give his support to the Hon. Member for Coik (Mr. Fagan). Sir GEORGE GREY said that the Honourable Member who just sat down addressed the House in a far different spirit from the Hon. Member who pre ceded him, for the Honourable Member expressed a wish that the Protestant Church of Ireland should be entirely abolished. Mr. B. OSBORNE disclaimed any such intention. He was for a measure similar to that proposed by the ap propriation clause, but not that it should be abolished. Sir GEORGE GREY continued—The Hon. Member, then, was only for the abolition of ministers' money, and not for that of the church ; but if the Honourable Member looked to the concluding paragraph of the re port made to the House he would see that no substi tute was recommended in place of that which now ex isted. A Roman Catholic clergyman of Cork, examined before the Committee, stated from his experience as a member of a relief committee, that in his opinion the feeling of the Protestant clergy was entirely averse to the manner in which ministers' money was now paid. He (Sir George Grey) agreed with much that had been laid down in the report with regard to the payment of ministers' money and the mode of doing so, particularly in Scotland, where the practice existed since the reign of Charles the Second; and he was, therefore, not disposed to dispute what it said; but the difficulty was to provide something in its stead. What the Committee stated was, that there may be such an increase in the funds in the hands of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, as to enable them to place the charge on that fund. That, however, was not the case, and until they could see their way, he was not prepared to accede to the motion. He had not had time to read the entire of the evidence, but the Dean of Limerick said the charge ought to be put on the Church temporalities, while the Rsv. Mr. Dalmage thought it ought to be taken out of the Consolidated Fund. For his own part, he was inclined to accede to the view of the Dean of Limerick; but as there were no funds available at present to carry that suggestion into effect, he would not oppose the motion by :direct nega tive, but move the previous question. The question having been put from the Chair, Mr. H. GRATTAN said he was born a Protestant, he lived a Protestant, and he trusted he should die a Pro testant; but, considering the state of that Church in Ire land, whose service was not in many localities performed for three years, where grass was found to grow before the church doors, so small was the number who entered them, and so seldom service performed, that he thought the system a disgrace to the Protestant religion. In a parish in Wicklow, with which he was acquainted, there was only one Protestant residing in it, and he had two wives. —(Laughter.) Now he (Mr. Grattan) was taxed to pay 4001. a year to save his soul, which was not, as everybody knew, worth saving.—(Roars of laughter.) That was the absurdity of the whole system. Let it bo supported by the kindly feelings and religious senti ments of Protestants themselves, and not compel Roman Catholics to do so. Nothing so disgusted him as the hypocrisy, and cant, and humbug, carried on in that House . . —(Cries of " Oh, oh.") The Hon. Member for Middlesex said " Oh, oh," but he should say " Aye, aye." He was longer a member than the Lion. Member, and he should repeat that he was disgusted by the conduct pur sued in that Huse. The Protestant clergy of Ireland sent their children to Rugby and Oxford to be educated there; they went themselves to Bath and Cheltenham to amuse themselves, while poor curates were compelled to do duty for 501. a year.—(Hear, hear.) A Protestant Bishop was found in a pulpit in Ireland to say that the Catholic religion was the religion of the d--- I; and that was the way they acted, first abusing, and then swindling the Catholic people out of their properties. Sir JOHN YOUNG observed that the Right Hon. Gentlemen the Secretary of State for the Home Depart ment read a report to the House from a Committee ap pointed on the subject, but he should tell the House that the minority on that Committee was five, while the ma jority was only seven; thus entitling, at all exents, the minority to a respectful consideration. It must be appa rent to every one, that if the charge of ministers' money were given up, the result would be like the reduction of 25 per cent. which took place on tithes some years ago, that the amount would go into the landlord's pocket, as the 25 per cent. o: tithes did. Mr. H. GRATTAN denied that a penny of the 25 per cent. went to the landlords. Sir JOHN YOUNG contended that it did in almost every instance ; and as to the objection made—that many were charged with the ministers' money who had no property, a new valuation would cure the defect. Mr. D. CALLAGHAN said that every Protestant clergyman examined before the Committee on the sub ject spoke against it, and denounced it in the strongest terms. He himself knew an instance of a parish where the number of Protestants consisted of the parish clerk, the churchwardens, and six women, all of whom were pregnant by the churchwardens; and in another case the clergyman had to make his wife the church warden. Mr. KERSHAW expressed the pain with which he had heard the religion of the country treated in the de bate that night. If they could not treat the subject otherwise the sooner such debates were banished from the House the better. He agreed with those who thought the Church, as by law established in Ireland, was the bane of that country.—(Oh, and cheers.) He repeated that it was the bane of that country.—(Hear, hear.) It was a gross injustice to the Catholics of Ireland that they should be compelled to support the church of the minority.—(Hear, hear.) He wished to see religion placed upon the voluntary principle, both in Ireland and in this country, and the sooner that was done the better, as he believed it would put an end to all discussions about mere pelf, and promote true religious feeling throughout the country. Mr. NEWDEGATE could not hear without instant Contradiction that the Church in Ireland did not do its duty. In the time of distress the clergy of that Church had nobly done their duty in that great emergency. But in speaking of this subject, he was obliged to revert with pain to a point which he had formerly brought under the attention of the House, namely, the bringing forward questions affecting the Protestant Church by Roman Catholic Members, in defiance of the plain mean ing and sense of the oath which they took on their ad mission to that House. Now they had had the distinct admission of three Hon. Members that this was an attack on the Protestant Church, and he could not under stand how these Hon. Members, having taken that oath, could reconcile it to their consciences to support this motion. But he had pledged himself to show that Roman Catholics considered themselves bound by no oaths which were detrimental to the interests of their own Church, and he was prepared to do so. The Hon. Member having cited several authorities to prove that it was an essential article of the Roman Catholic Church to hold no faith with heretics, in conclusion expressed his belief that the Hon. Member who had moved this motion would have done better to have left the matter in the hands of some Protestant Member, as, for instance, the Member for Middlesex ; and he was sure that no Member could have been found more anxious for the destruction of the Protestant Church than that Hon. Member. The Earl of ARUNDEL and SURREY explained that the authorities referred to by the Hon. Member ap plied to illicit oaths only, and with respect to the oath taken by Roman Catholic Members on their admission to that House, great difference of opinion existed as to the construction to ba put upon it. The Honourable Member who had brought forward the motion was a Roman Catholic, but he had made no attack on the Church. These attacks had come from Protestant Members. _ . Mr. HUME said if an attempt to remove an abuse was to be construed into a❑ attack on the Church, and upon religion, he had frequently been guilty of it; and in 1844, when precisely a similar question was before the House, Lord Stanley and other Members who would not be accused of being opposed to the Church, expressed themselves as being strongly opposed to the abuses then pointed out. He wished to ask why did the Right Honourable 13..tronet move the previous question, as if it was one that ought not to have been put.— (Hear, hear.) Why did he not meet it with a direct negative, if he was opposed to it, and give the House an opportunity of learning the present opinions of those who sat near him, and who bad formerly voted for a much more sweeping measure of reduction in the Irish Church, without considering that they made an attack on that Church. Hon. Members had expressed a wish that Church matters should not be discussed in that House. If so, let them supp art a motion which was in tended to remove the causa of such discussion, arid take away a continual source of excitement in Ireland. Lie THE SUN, had long been of opinion that this was one of the grievances that ought to be removed. He was Leppy the motion had been brought forward by the Hon. Member for Cork, and should give it his cordial support Mr. NA PIER asked those who said they were it. favour of the sights of conscience to act upon their over principle. He only asked for his Church that it shouli, be maintained in the pessessien of its property and the right to exercise freely the privilege of individual judgment on religious matters. He was ready to grant these to others and clahmed them for him self. But it was always complained that this impost fell upon individuals; whereas, the fact was, that at title of the Church to this property was based upon the same ground as the title to all the property settled upon, the plantations in Ulster by the English Sovereign, and the present possessors had taken that property subject to that charge. Unless they could maintain that pro perty charged for a Protestant clergyman could not be taken and enjoyed by Roman Catholics, there was 1.11) force in the arguments of those who supported the mo tion. With regard to the maintenance of a National Church, he thought the Noble Lord at the head of the Government had put that question on a right footing. when be said that the maintenance of the Established Church in this country was not tor the purpose of main taining any sect of religionists, but us an act of homage to religion itself; and whatever was sad as to the Pro testant Church in Ireland he was reedy to place it in proud comparison with any Church in Christendom.— ( Hear, hear.) If they commie:iced opening up those questions as regarded what was paid in Ireland for the support of the Protestant Church. they should take care that the discussion of these die not lead to the opening up ether questions. They had better take carp lest the propriety of the Maynooth Grant was not questioned, for it was double the sum now complained of, and whether it might not be urged that other grants of a like nature ought to be abolished. No man had a higher respect for religious liberty than be had, but feeling that the property enjoyed by the Church to which he belonged was originally assigned to it, he thought it would be a direct violation of the principles of religious liberty now to divest it of that property, and he therefore opposed the motion. Mr. REYNOLDS said it was clear that the Honour able Gentleman was a warm defender of the Protestant Church, but he doubted whether the archbishops and bishops of the Church would thank him for the de fence he had made. He had stated that the Protes tant Church was descended -from St. Patrick, but he had been taught from earliest infancy that St. Patrick was a Roman Catholic saint, and consequently could not have been the founder of the Protestent Church. He was not there, however, to discuss that question with the Hon. Gentleman—he was there to speak of ministers' money—and he begged to remind the Hon. Gentleman that the large revenues which both the Protestant Church in England and Ireland enjoyed were taken from the Raman Catholic Church.— (Hear, hear.) He had a double right to complain of this minis• ters' money, and for this reason. That money amounted in the aggregate to 15,0001. annually, and 11,000/. of that sum was paid by the city of Dublin, which he had the honour to represent, while the remainder was spread over a few towns in other parts of Ireland. His con• stituents, therefore, paying upwards of four- fifths of the sum, he certainly had a right to complain and to insist that that money should be taken from the shoulders of the people, and paid from the proper quarter. Last year he was a member of a Committee appointed to inquire into the subject, and he regretted that that Committee decided as it did. He was in the minority, and was stilt more sorry to say that the Right Hon. Gentleman the Master of the Mint, who knelt at .the same altar with himself, gave the casting vote against his party. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners of Ireland appeared to make a point of spending as much they received, which they could do, no doubt, if their income was 6,128,0001. instead of 1,628,000/. It should be remembered that this was the richest Church in the world, and as one of the Catholic population of Ireland, he declared that he looked upon the temporalities of that Church as a broad mark of degradation; and that he believed, as an Irish man and a Catholic, that that feeling would exist in Ireland so long as that plague spot was allowed to exist. He should be unworthy, indeed, of the name of a free man and a Christian, if he submitted quietly to this infliction, which he believed would not be tolerated in any other country in the civilized world. The people of England were taxed to support an army of 40,000 men in Ireland. Let them destroy the temporalities of the Established Church, and they might withdraw that force altogether.—(hear, hear, and cheers.) In conclusion, he called upon the Government to come forward and vindicate the rights of Catholics, and put a stop to a system which was everywhere regarded as unjust and intolerable. Mr. NAPIER said that he rose to put the House right with respect to the statement of the Hon. Member for Dublin, that the revenue of the Ecclesiastical Com missioners was upwards of 1,200,000/. He would find in the appendix of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners' report that their revenue for the current year was 71,0001.—( Hear, hear. ) Mr. JOHN O'CONNELL said, that whatever his views might be upon the real merits of the question, he should not consent to deprive entirely his ,Protestant fellow-countrymen in Ireland of their political station. Sir J. TYRELL said that the avowed intention of many Catholic Members of the llouse being to eradicate the Church Establishment in Ireland, he begged leave to say that he should not be tempted by any topics they had indulged id to follow them into all the details which the debate had just been turning upon. He was especially desirous not to give offence to any Catholic Member of the House, but he could not refrain from quoting the opinion expressed upon the subject by Mr. Macaulay, whom they could not sufficiently regret was no longer a Mi nister or a Member. (The Hon. Member then read an extract from Mr. Macaulay's "History of England," strongly animadverting on the conduct;of the Roman Catholics in several important events recorded in the histories of England and France, which was received by many Irish Members with cheers and laughter, and cries of " Oh, oh.") The Hon. Member repeatediy de clared them to be the opinions of the late Whig Member for Edinburgh, and not his own, and as such entitled to the respect of the House. The Hon. Baronet then quoted the statement made by Mr. Whiteside in his work upon Italy, that at Rome and throughout the country it was not permitted to record the virtues of. deceased persons on their tombstones, without making any allusion to a future state. The Hon. Baronet was frequently interrupted by the Hon. Member for Dublin, and other Hon. Members, wi h the cry of "The tempo ralities." The House then divided, when there appeared — For the previous question Against it 44 Majority COMMITTEES. Mr. WILSON PATTEN moved that if at any time during the sitting of a Select Committee of this House the quorum of Members fixed by the Hodse shall not be present, the clerk of the Committee shall call the attention of the chairman to the fact, who shall there upon suspend the proceedings of the Committee until quorum be present, or adjourn the Committee to some future day. Sir 11. WILLOUGHBY said that great inconvenience arose from Members being on four or five different Com mittees, and he should therefore oppose the motion. Mr. HUME then suggested that the omission should be reported to the House. Sir G. GREY thought that would be attended with great convenience. The motion was then agreed to. Mr. SOTHERON obtained leave to bring in a Bill to make better provision fur certifying tables of contri butions to friendly societies, and for ascertaining the solvency of such societies The report on the Ordnance excess was received in Committee of Supply. The Prisoners Removal (Ireland) Bill went through Committee, and the House adjourned at a Quarter past One o'clock. TO TILE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Srn,—As I have always opposed what is called " the reciprocity principle" in every shape, I must beg you to correct the report of the speech which you attribute to me in the debate in Committee on the Navigation Laws. In the tew words which I said on the 19. h clause of the Bill I objected to the power retained by the Execu tive to retaliate upon foreign countries withholding from us the privileges granted to them by Great Britain, and I strongly recommended the Government to withdraw the clause altogether. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, J. LEWIS RICARDO. Brookes' Club, March 27. [We regret exceedingly the mistake which has occur red, but we understand from our reporter that, in conse quence of the noise prevailing in the House, and of the low tone in which the Hon. Member spoke, it was im possible to hear distinctly in the gallery what the Hon. Member said.—En. Sun.] PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS. (From the Vides and Proe,yZngs of the House of commons.) TUESDAY', 3IARCII 27. STANDING ORDERS COMMITTEE. The following R,;solutiona were reported from the above ,Jornmittee,:— 1. That in the case of the Great Grimsby Corporation and Freemen's Arrangement Bill, petition for additional pro vision, the standing orders ought to be dispensed with : that the parties be permitted to introduce their additional provision, if the CommiLtee on the Bill shall think fit. 2. That in the case of the Railway Assurance Company petition for leave to deposit a petition for a Bill, the standing orders ought to be dispensed with :—That the parties be per mitted to deposit a'petition for a Bill, provided the same be deposited not later than three clear days after the presenta tion of this report.—Resolutions agreed to. COURT CIRCULAR. The Judge Advocate General had an audience of the Queen on Monday, at Buckingham Palace, and sub mitted to her Majesty the proceedings of some courts martial. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited her Majesty yesterday. His Royal Highness Prince Albert rode out on horse back yesterday morning, attended by Colonel Bouverie. The Royal Children rode and walked as usual ycs terday. Her Majesty and Prince . Albert honoured the perform ance at the Royal Italian Opera-house with their pre sence yesterday evening. The Royal suite consisted of the Duchess of Sutherland, the Countess of Cherie mont, Hon. Miss Dawson, the Marquis of Ormonde, Lord Alfred Paget, and Colonel Bouverie. iler Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited her Majesty the Queer. Dowager yesterday, at Marlborough House. A deputation, consisting of Mr. Edwin Oswin, chair man of the Shipowners' Towing Company; Mr. Alex . ander Willis, from the same company; Messrs. David lialket and John Drysdale, from the Caledonian Towing Company; Mr. Griffiths, from the Thames Towing Com pany; and Mr. William Watkins, had an interview with the Right lion. 11. Labouchere yesterday, at the office of the Boari of Trade. A deputation from the trustees of the Grosvenor-place District, consisting of Lord Castlereagh, M.P.; Mr. Grenville Berkeley, M.P.; Mr. IL. N. Turner, Mr. C. Graham, Mr. Robert G. Smith, and Mr. Berry, accom panied by Mr. Geo. A. Walaise, clerk to the trustees, had an interview with the Commissioners of her Ma jesty's Woods and Forests yesterday, at their office, in Whitehall-place. The Marquis of Normanby had an interview with Lord John Russell yesterday. Mr. Ricardo, M. P., had a n i n t erv i ew y es t e rday Ir,th the Right Lion. a Labvtichere. PARLIAMENTARY DIVISIONS. (From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons.) TUESDAY, MARCH 27. DUBLIN CORPORATION WATERWORKS BILL. Order for Second' Reading, rend ; Motion made, and Ques tion proposed, "That the Bill be now read a second tune." Amendment proposed, to leave out the word " now," and at the end of the Question to add the words "upon this day six mouths:"—Question put, " That the word ' now' itand part of the Question." The llous2 divided : MINORITY—AYES, 3L Anderson, Arthur Greene, John Pattison, James Armstrong, Sir A. Harris, Richard Pearson, Charles Bass, M. 'l'. Bastie, Archibald Scully, Francis Blake, Martin J. Beyworth,Lawrence Shell, R. L. Brotherton, J. Hill, Lard Marcus Talbot, J. 11. Brown, 11. Kershaw, James Thompson, Colonel Callaghan, D. Lawless, Cecil Wahnsley, Sir J. Ellis, John Loch, James Willcox, Brodie Evans, Sir Do Lacy Meagher, Thomas Cagan, William Mellon. O'Gorman TELLERS. Fox, W. J. O'Brien, Timothy Reynolds, John Grace, 0. I). 0 - Connor, Feargus O'Connell, J. Grattan, Usury OTlaherty, Anthony MAJORITY—NOES, 126. Adderley, C. B. Glyn, George Carr Mostyn, E. Alexander, N. Goddard, A. L. Mowatt, Francis Ansley - , T. C. Graham, Sir James Napier, Joseph Arkwright, George Greene, Thomas Ord, W. Arundel, Earl of Grenfell, C. Pascoe Palmer, Robert Baldock, E. 11. Grenfell, Charles W. Peel, Sir Robert Baring, 11. B. Grey, Sir G. - Philips, Sir G. R. Bellew, It. M. Grogan, Edward Pilkington, James Berkeley, C. L. G. Hamilton, J. H. Plowden, W. 11. Birch, Sir Thomas Ilastie, Alexander Pryse, Pryso Blackall, S. W. Henley, J. W. Pugh, David Blair, Stephen Ilerbert, 11. A. 'lepton, G. W. J. ibourke, It. S. Herbert, Sydney Richards, Richard Bouverie, E. P. Berries, J. C. Robartes, T. J. Bowles, Admiral Hodges, T. L. Rumbold, C. E. Bramston, T. W. Hodgson, W. N. Rushout, Captain Bremridge, Richard Hood, Sir A. Russell, F. C. Christy, Samuel llornby, John' Sadleir, John Cobden, It. Hotham,:Lord Smith, Vernon Cocks, Thomas S. Howard, Lord E. Somerville, Sir W. Cole, 11. A. Howard, P. H. Sotheron, T. Coles, Henry B. 'lame, Joseph Spooner, Richard Craig, W. G. Jocelyn, Viscount Stafford, Augustus Deedes, W. Jolliffe, Sir W. G. Stanley, B. 11. Denison, E. B. Jones, Captain Sullivan, Michael Disraeli, B. Kildare,7Marquis of Tancred, It. W. Dod, J. W. Lascelles, W. S. Tenison, E. K. Dodd, George Lewis, Sir T. Tennent, I:. J. Duckworth, Sir J. Lewis, G. C. Thornely, Thomas Duncan, Viscount Lewisham, Viscount Tynte, Colonel Duncan, George Lincoln, Earl of Tyrell, Sir J. Duncuft, John Lushington, C. Vane, Lord H. Dundas, Sir David Lygon, General Tenter, Sir W. Dandas, George Mackinnon, W. Waddington, H. S. Ebrington, Lord INi acnamara, Major Wilson, Matthew Egerton, W. T. Masterman, John Wodehouse, E. Emlyn, Viscount Matheson, A. Wood, \V. P. E wart, William Matheson, Colonel Wrightson, W. B. Fagan, James Manic, Fox Wyvill, M. Forbes, Wm. Matinsell, T. P. Young, Sir John Fordyce, A. D. Maxwell, Hon. J. P. TELLERS. Fox, Richard M. Miles, P. W. S. Patten, J. W. French, y. Moleswerth, Sir W. Buller, Sir J. Y. MINISTERS' MONEY (IRELAND). Motion made, and Question proposed, " That this House will to-morrow resolve itself into a Committee, to take into consideration the Law relating to , he Rats or Tax called Ministers' Money' in Ireland, with a view to the repeal of so much thereof as relates to the said Rate or Tax ; and fur ther, to take into consideration the Act 3 and 4 Will. IV., c. 114, called the Church Temporalities Act,' for the pur pose of amending the same, so as to provide thereby a tub ,titute out of the revenues of the Ecclesiastical Commis sioners, as a provision for the Protestant Ministers in certain corporate towns in Ireland, in lieu of the annual sums now received by them under and by virtue of the Act 17 and 18 Car. IL, cap. 7 :"—Whereupon previous Question put, " That that Question be now put." The House divided : MINORITY-AYES, 44. Aglionby, IL Heyworth, L. Raphael, Alexander Barron, Sir 11. Runic, J. Sclielefield, William Blake, M. J. Kershaw, James Scully Francis Brotlierton, J. Lawless,'Cecil Strickland, Sir G Callaghan, D. 31‘Cullagh, W. T. Sullivan, Michael Cowan, Charles Meagh,r, Thomas Tenison, E. K. Crawford, W. S. • Moore, George 11. Thielmesse, Ralph Dawson, T. V. Norreys, Sir D. Thompson, Colonel Devereux, John T. O'Brien, 'l'. Thoniely, T. D'Eyncourt, T. O'Connell, John Wawn, J. T. Duncan,_ George O'Connell, M. J. Willcox, Brodie F, x, W. J. OTlaherty, Anthony Wyld, James araitan,yenry Osborne, Ralph Greene, John Pearson, Charles TELLERS. Ilastie, Alexander Pilkington, James Fagan, William lleywood, James Power, Nicholas Reynolds, John MAJORITY-NOES, 72. Acland, Sir T. Elliot, John E. Napier,"Joseph Adderley, C. B. Ferguson, Sir R. Newdegate, C. N. Alexander, N. Filmer, Sir E. Ogle, S. C. Archdall, Captain forbes, W. Paget, Lord A. Bagshaw, John Granby, Marquis of Palmerston, Barin , Sir I'. Grenfell, Charles W. Parker, John Baring, Thomaz Grey, Sir G. Patten, W. Bourke, Richard S. Grogan, Edward Rich, Henry , . . Boyd, John Hale, lt. B. . Somerville, Sir W. Bramston, T' W. Hamilton, G. A. Sotheron, T. H. S. Brooke, Sir A. B. Hamilton, Lord C. Stafford, A. _ _ . Carter, J. B. Hawes, B. Stanley, Edward Cavendish, C. C. Hay, Lord John 1 ownley, R. G. Cavendish, G. 11. Henley, J. W. Tyrell, Sir J. Chichester, Lord J. Hobhouse, T. 11. Yesey, Hon. T. Christy, Samuel Hodgson, W. N. Vivian, J. E. Cole, lion. 11. A. Hope, A. Watkins, Colonel Corry, Henry Jervis, Sir John Willoughby, Sir H. Deedes, W. Keppel, G. T. Wilson, James Dick, Quintin Lascelies, W. S. Wodehouse, E. Duncui t, John Lewis, George C: Wood, Sir Charles Dundas, Admiral Lockhart, W. Young, Sir John Dridas, G. Maule, Fox TELLER'S. Ebrington, Viscount Maxwell, J. P. - Hill, Lord Manual Edwards, Henry Mostyn, E. M. Grey, Ralph W. TO THE SECRETARY OF THE METROPOLITAN REFORM ASSOCIATION. Sir,—On Monday the 26th the chief debate was on what is called " the Rate in Aid," and was finally adjourned. This is a Bill for laying a rate, not to extend to more than sixpence in the pound, on the Poor .Rates collected or collectible in the solvent Unions in Ireland, for the assistance of the insolvent. Its tendency seems to be to approach to making the whole one Union ' • and according as the mode of levy ing the rates is good or bad, would appear to be the merits of the process. One thing may be held almost certain —that the pressure will NI on the plorer and middle classes, more than on the rich. But this is an evil, like man's mortality, hardly to be complained of un less there were some chance of altering it. And our chances of seeing it altered are indeed so small, and so dependent upon changes of which hardly the be ginnings can be said to be at present seen, that sub mission seems to be the virtue in immediate demand. On Tuesday a long debate on the opposition pur porting to proceed from the Cape of Good Hope, to the introduction of convicts there. The mover, if he was not misunderstood, started with demanding a very unreasonable concession, which was that the wants of what is called the mother country should be kept out of the question. Now crime is very much like cholera or fever, a thing produced to the greatest extent in dense populations, and for which the mode of riddance, in modern ideas, is to disperse. There was a time when the notion the public had of dealing with "plague or any common sickness," was to compress it and try into what it could be sublimed. And some thing like the same was the notion of dealing with crime, with reservation always of the great outlet our ancestors secured by the operations of the hangman. But since these opinions are obsolete, crime like plague must be diluted. It is very probabl t e ra t n h s a fe t ren n c o e vicinage rttiohninok; the itscelaoftas favoured lTcho by the . lera or of its crime. But it does not therefore abso lutely follow that the thing is not to be done. Still less can it be conceded that the wants of the metro polis are to be held as nothing in the discussion. There may be considerable apprehension of the existence of party or political feelings in these repre sentations on the part of the residents at the Cape. One thing they are stated as saying, is, that they have particular objections to receive Irish who have been transported in consequence of the late attempt at rebellion. Now this is the objection of an Orangeman, and not of a colonist simpliciter. It is part and portion of the same feeling which pro duced the appeals to Parliament on the good treat ment of the prisoner Mitchel. Or at all events it is what people will think so. It is matter of history, that among convicts the Irish convict is always the best, and the Scotch the worst; a fact, under the difference of circumstances, equally cre ditable to both countries. It is inconceivable there fore that a Cape colonist, whether B oo r or B r it on , should be nice in demanding of an Irish labourer if he wants him, his opi n i ons upon R epea l , or t h e pre cise particulars under which he fell into the hands of the police and thence of the judge and jury. This is not nature ; and consequently will be held for art. It seems likely to become a question, whether the roguish population will not run away with the honest. No likelier mode of promoting it could be devised, than cutting off the chances of spreading the mis chief wide and thin, and forcing the country to maintain accumulated lazar-houses of crime at home. The motion was finally withdrawn. The House afterwards went into the subject of Ministers' Money. This, in the sister country, is the sister question to that of Church Rates here. The subject was met by the Government with the Previous Question; which at one in the morning was carried by 72 against 44. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, AN OLD REFORMER. London, March 28, 1849. [ADVERTISEMENT.I—An Abscess in the Breast Cured by Holloway's Ointment and Pills.— About three years since Mrs. O'Flaherty of Mill-street, Cork, accidentally bruised her breast, for months afterwards the pain increased and the part became fearfully swollen ; various applications were tried without giving the least relief. Ultimately an ab scess formed, discharging a great quantity of humour, which debilitated her constitution to an alarming extent ; at this stage a lady strongly recommended her to try Holloway's Ointment and Pills, having witnessed their good effects (..n former occasions, which advice she followed, and these fine medicines answered most satisfactorily, for the wound was soon healed, and her health is now completely renovated.— Sold by all Druggists and at Professor Holloway's Establishment, 244, Strand, London. MSidin LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING-, MARCH _2B, 1849, IRISH RAILROADS. THE WAR IN INDIA. The follewing deputation of Irish Members of Parlia men:, had au interview with Lerd J. Russell, the Earl of CLrendon, and the Chaneell, r of the Exchequer, yes rdey, at the official residence of the First Lord of the Tr:a.ietry, in Downing-street, V:l., the Earl of Glengall, rd de Freyne, Mr. Robert Ferguson ' Sir Lucius O'BFien ' Si:. W. Verner, Sir W. Barron, Sir D. Nor reys, Major Ileresford, Mr. George Alexander Hamil ton, Mr. Weedington, Mr. M. J. O'Connell, Mr. M. J. Blake, Mr. Megan, Mr. J. Green, the O'Gorman Mahon, Mr. J. Somers, Mr. John Reynolds, Mr. O'Flaherty, Mr. C. Lawless, Mr. J. Sadlier, Mr. F. Scully, Mr. N. Power, Mr. J. H. Talbot, Major Blackall, Mr. F. French, Mr. J. 11. Hamilton, Mr. Thomas Meagher, Major Nlacnamara, Mr. M. Sullivan, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr. James Fagan, Mr. W. Fagan, Mr. Q. Dick, Mr. 0. Grace, Dr. Boyd, Mr. N. Alexander, Mr. C. Fortcscue, Mr. J. M'Culloch, Mr. 11. Browne, Mr. D. Browne, and Mr. Morgan. Sir L. O'Bner.er said, that the wishes of the Irish Members had been aln ady made known to the Govern ment, in the resolutions which he had had the honour to forward, and in .he correspondenco which had passed between him, as their organ, and the Noble Lord. He had only to say on the present occa,ion that, as a body, it was their ss ish to apply to the Government for assist ance to railways in Ireland in general, without commit ting themselves to the recoMmenlation of any particular plen; this they left to the di,eretion of Government, with the means of obtaining the best assistance in com ing to a correct judgment. These resolutions, he might remind the Noble Lord, had embodied only two sugges tions; one, that a guarantee might be given for the re payment of a moderate rate of interest by Government to capitalis - s who should advance money on their own account, and secondly, that a direct outlay of the public money might, be safely made where the lines had been already commenced, and ou which there had been a con. siderable outlay from the funds of the companies. He had only to add that it was not the wish of the Irish Members to induce the Government to enter on any ex penditure of the public money for which they had not the most ample security that there would be perfect re turn of both principal and interest. Lord J. RUSSELL began by stating that deputations had waited on him from English and Scotch railways as well as Irish, to which he had replied that it was con trary to principles of sound policy fora Government to interfere in enterprises of private advantage, and that it was far better such should be conducted by the persons having an interest in the success of the undertaking. Though he should be of opinion that the same principles would apply to the objects which had been pressed on him by the Irish Members, he conceived that thero was a distinction in the present anomalous condition of that country, and under the circumstances of the urgent dis tress which prevailed there, especially in the western parts of Ireland. It was the intention of Government to lay before Parliament a plan which was not as yet fully developed to promote the completion of the main trunk of railway extending to the western district; the railway known as the Midland Great Western would occupy the first attention of the Government, with a view to carry it out; and they had come to the determination that public as sistance should be rendered to that railway, which would open some of the districts most in need of improvement, and to which it was most desirable to encourage the in flux of capital. A plan similar to this had been pursued last year with respect to the Southern Railway with the happiest effect, and it was shortly to be expected that the important city of Cork would in consequence be opened to all the advantages of railway communication. Applications had been made from some of the northern lines, but he considered that they came under the prin ciples he bad first stated, and that they were in a condi• Lion to go into the market and obtain funds on their own credit. It was to be considered that the public re venue was not in a condition to afford a more en• larged extension of assistance at the present moment. Lord John Russell proceeded further to say that there were two other objects which had engaged the attention of Government as equal in importance to railways, and which, with a view to the relief of present distress, they were disposed to pro secute. He alluded to the deepening of rivers and wa tercourses, commonly known as arterial drainage; and for the second, the extension of the loans for land improvement. For this latter object it was known that a million and a half had already been voted by Parlia ment; about 500,0001. of which had been applied, but to meet the numerous applications which the Board of Works had been unable to satisfy, he would propose to Parliament that a further sum should be voted. Sir L. O'BRIEN asked if it would be within any rea sonable time that the matter would be brought before Parliament ? Lord Jolter RUSSELL replied, that as soon as the views of the Cabinet had been sufficiently matured, the plan should be stated in the House of Commons. The lastmeil of the ed has taken to you n , ws of two great events, the fall of Moultan, and the so-called vic tory over the Sikhs, near the Jhelum, at Mojnawal!a, or Chillianwallah, as it is variously termed by corres pondents. The first will have been received with that unmixed satisfaction which it deserves to be, and with more than ordinary congratulation, since the close of the siege was, as far as wa know at present, a bloodless one. Moolraj having by unreserved capitulation, when two breaches were practicable, and the troops were about to storm, prevented the terrible loss, and, indeed, massacre of his followers, which must have resulted in a place whence there was no egress, and under the attack of troops so excited and eager as ours. Since I last wrote the operations of a regular siege were carried on in a very admirable manner; batteries of heavy guns were pushed up by sap to within 100 yards of the fort walls, and the wall battered in breach in two places—one by the Bengal and the other by the Bombay troops. The counterEc trp was blown in by a mine scientifically con structed, and the breach, in spite of the mud embank ment of the fort wall, which appeared for a time to defy artillery, was rendered practicable by firit.g charged shells into the earth, which acted as small mines and expledel the earth, which bells could not eff_ct. Dating' the 21st, without any cessation of fire from the guns and mortars on our part, Moulrej mad several overtures for surrender, but some condttions being re quired by him hie overtures were not accepted; and the troops having been told off into the trenches, of which he must have been aware, during the night, and no alternative being available, he surrendered at daybreak the shattered end untenable citadel he had so long and so gallantly main tained against us. Never, I believe, in Lelia bas there been a more determined and reckless defence, and scarcely has a siege been carried on against such an adversary and so strong a fortification with less loss on our part in the trenches, or in the operations for push ing on the batteries. There were for • ,some time ugly reports that our ammutition was failing, and that operations would again be indefinitely delayed; but these turn out to have been mere grumbling surmises, for it would, by all accounts, have been difficult to exceed the amount of fire night and day from guns and mortars which has been hurled against the fort, and which has left it utterly shattered and untenable. Moultan, then, has fallen. Now look back to the events of the period that has intervened between the murder of Agnew and Anderson, and judge whether there has been that adequate prescience of the combina tions and difficulties awaiting us that ought to have existed in political officers on the spot; and who, from their own convictions, as well as the events occurring before them daily, ought to have foreseen a second and a most obstinate Snikh war, and strangled the revolt in its cradle. Moultan was trifled with in the outset. I, your correspondent, took the liberty to write to you that this was an organised revolt from the very first; that, instead of having any notion of resit ning his Govern ment, Moolraj had made his preparations and sought pretexts to quarrel, which would be afforded be officers being sent down to relieve him. Why was not Moolraj summoned to Lahore with all his troops? He would not have come, and we should then have seen that there was conspiracy on foot; and if there had been energy among us, and the necessity would have called it forth, we should not have thought of the hot weather, but we should have done then in August or sooner—in June —what we have had to do at the end of January, with another hot season close at cur heels. These triflings with political events are most blameable, if not criminal in our authorities. What was manifest to an obscure individual like myself must have been known to others conversant with the Seiklis on the spot; if it was not, with all means and information to boot, they who neg lected them are sorely indeed to blame. Our officers are no novices in Indian diplomacy, or in conception of the probable course that native Powers will pursue when intrigue is at work. Sir Frederick Currie knew in July that this extensive Seikh conspiracy existeL Yet it was not checked in the outset; he appeared to favour the idea that it ought to be permitted to disclose itself fully, and then be broken. Or, if he did not do this, it is impcs sible to account for the supineness which marked the earlier proceedings, and the non-employment of adequate forces to cheek a movement which, from week to week and month to month, was only the more forcibly and steadily developing itself. Call to mind the progress how Moolraj strengthened himself, how Chuttur Singh revolted—how the northern part of the Punjaub showed disaffection—then Bhennoo and Tonk to the westward; how Shere Singh threw off the mask at the most critical period, and was allowed to move with but 5,000 men to join his father and brothers; how the Peshawur force, held together so long by Lawrence, could not resist the contagion of disaffection, and rebelled too; and now he hold the fruit of all—that while we have won Moultan after a six months' siege and investment, we have lost Attock, as strong a place; and instead of only having a small force under Chuttur Singh to deal with in the north-west, we have at least 50,000 Seikhs and Affghans and the league between them to be broken—to be broken, Sir, at the expense of thousands of the lives of our own troops, and at the expense of millions of treasure. Can we afford either? - - THE RIVER PLATE. SOUTHAMPTON, MARCH 27.—8 y the arrival of the Estafette, off Cowes, we are placed in possession of in telligence from Monte Video and the River Plate to the 16th of January, about twelve days later than has hitherto been received, and which anticipates the ex pt cted mail via Falmouth. Her Majesty's ship Kestrel was to sail on the 17th for Rio Janeiro, with the mails for England. The siege of Monte Video, which on the 16th of Fe bruary would complete its sixth year, still continued to drag on its weary length; packet after packet was looked for, but the expected succour did not make its appear ance. The length of time that the war has lasted has reduced the inhabitants, with but few exceptions, to ab solute beggary, and many families had been compelled to leave for Buenos Ayres, notwithstandibg former and long-kept resolutions not to return while it was in the power of General Rosas. Tradesmen, labourers, and small mechanics had proceeded in great numbers to seek employment, driven away by the immensely high price of articles of food. Wby should this have been? Look you to the past, and watch the progress of neglect and shilly-shally. Every present advantage was to be sacrificed to the pros pect of the Commander-in-Chief in the field with 50,000 men in November. A force utterly inefficient was sent to Moultan; a force insufficient fur the reduction of a third-rate fortress was sent against one of the strongest places in India, second perhaps only to Bhurtporc, having a garrison of 10,000 to 15,000 capital troops, artillery, ammunition, and stores of supplies. With what hope of success? It cannot avail as excuse that its strength was not known; it ought to have been known, and Edwardes was on the spot to afford it. 10,000 men —half from Bengal, half from Bombay—could have been at Moultan in August, and those men would have done what has been done now. The Seikhs would not have fought under prestige of success, and Shere Singh, as he is now, would never have been heard of. That period, too, should have seen 5,000 British troops pushed into the centre of the Punjaub, watching the lines of the Chenaub and the Jhelum from their junction upwards, with another force covering the passage of the Jhelum, near Bbotas, and able to act efficiently in check of the Hill tribes, or on the other side of the Jhelum if needs be. These, with the usual garrison at Lahore, and the troops in the Jullundur Dooab, would have checked open disaffection I think, and if a conspiracy did exist, if it was true, and it was true, that preparations in arms, am munition, and money, had long been made for this strug gle, our politicals must have been blind and deal indeed if they were not able eventually to discover all, and to break up piecemeal, what now stands—and bravely stands—the shock of one of the finest armies wo have ever brought together. It may be said that retrospec tion is now useless; we have only now to look what there is in the face. But it is not useless, if it will teach us for the future, and if the reckless indifference or selfishness of those in authority can be exposed, as it is most fitting they should be. What can your Govern ment, or your public, or your miltary authorities say of these most strange unaccountable proceedings? Unac countable, because with imminent prospect of a war, forces, which Lord llardinge had left complete for in stant movement, could not be sent on for want of car riage and equipment, and when the commissariat even was so defective that stores of grain had not been thought of and had to be provided at the eleventh hour, and at an enormously enhanced outlay. What can you say to Shere Singh not having been cut off from the north, and either driven back on Moultan, 'or engaged and broken on hi s way up the Chenaub? Is it not to this neglect that we owe his now being is arms, with 50,000 men, instead of 5,000? Lord Gough is known to have disapproved of General Whish's force being sent to Moultan—it was not large enough; but why, as it was sent, was it not supported from Bombay, as it could have been? It would have . been better to have ecalled the force than to have allowed it to proceed under conviction of its inefficiency; and, that it was not aided instantly surely could not have been, as many more than hint, to allow of its being proved that it would not do. I maintain that there has been serious and unexampled indifference to the progress of events, and that there has not been that comprehensive estimation of these difficul ties, nor the end to which they would lead, which was to have been expected from the matured experience of our political officers, and these causes combined have raised up a strong argument, which it is difficult to meet, against the retention of the Punjaub, even supposing it to be, as it will be, eventually subdued. We are bound by an article of the treaty, which must be familiar to you, to preserve peace in the dominions of the Maharajah; and, unbapily there was no clause inserted in the treaty that provided against the possibility of treachery by the Khalsa army and the Sirdars. We have then, apparently, to abide by our stipulation, whether the foe be the ordi nary small risings or rebellions which were contemplated or whether the rebellion is, as the present, an umnistake atile outbreak of the whole Seikh nation against us. I cannot, however, imagine that the unprovoked hos tility of the Seikhs can be admitted as any set off against our permanent occupation of the Punjaub; and our very supineness may (though I doubt this) have been in reli ance on the good faith of the main body of the Khalsa army, and of their operating with us in suppressing re volt of their companions in arms, though our supineness in regard to active operations did, without a doubt, operate to the effect of turning the Peshawur troops from their duty. Yet it can hardly be an excuse to them for having turned, when their conduct ought to have been as far beyond suspicion as our own. We are accused of having exposed them to, and perhaps by our supineness led them into, temptation; but I cannot subscribe to the argument which many Indian papers have taken up— that the crime of their succumbing to temptation is at our doors. Their course was clear and open. If the Peshawur troops were not at first openly disaffected, they were so mistrusted that they could not be led against Chuttur Singh, and after a short struggle against re corded promises they threw off their mask openly and fairly, and cast themselves with a full understanding of the question and the fullest reliance on their own invin cibility, into a conflict for that national superiority which had been for a time broken, but which they considered not extinct. They have courted the trial, not we; and the result has to be seen. I believe, as I trust, that it will be eventual ruin and discomfiture to them, and the present bloody war is, if anything can be, a lesson to us not to trust men, with national feelings, with military power and organization. The Mabrattas at Gwalior were quiet for a long time, yet they metusMsvk ah i ar h a a jpore, and fought till they were destroyed. The em ployed two years of peace in preparing privately for an other struggle, and till they are utterly extinct as a mili tary power we have no business to think ourselves secure. andW e c w a n n n n o a t n have a g a a i d n o u p b e Government et nte t he ri risk kn whichth Punjaub. attends the establishment of a national Seikh force, under what ever stringent treaty we may draw up, or however the Seikhs, individually or nationally, may pledge themselves to the performance of it. We have no resource, to my perception, and I will trust your own, but to take the Punjaub for good, and to make at least the Indus our boundary ; that even appears doubtful now, under the conduct of the Affghans under Dost Alahommed; tend Since the French followed the example of the English in taking off the blockade, the business of the River Plato has almost been entirely transferred to Buenos Ayres. Vessels that discharged any of their cargoes at Monte Video were not allowed entry at Buenos Ayres. Business was in a deplorable state, and the revenue of the Custom-house had fallen to so low an ebb that there was some talk of the Government putting aside the claims of the shareholders for a time to be enabled to prolong the resistance to Oribe. There appeared to,be no chance of the termination of the war. Shortly after the arrival of English mails in Novem ber in the Kestrel, the French Admiral, Le Predour, proceeded to Buenos Ayres in the Chinere steamer; the object of his visit was not made public. It was, how- ON er, generally thought that ho went to seek from Roses ample guarantees for French life and property in Monte Video, in case the squadron should retire altogether from the intervention. _ _ Her Majesty's steamer Griffon was dispatched to Rio Janiero immediately after the arrival of the Kestrel. The Raleigh, 1:0, was to be towed up the river by the steamer Harpy, to have her bottom cleaned. Mr. Southern had not been received in his official capacity by Rosas. The rejected Mr. flood still re mained at Monte Video. The interdiction of Rosas, preventing the communications with the shore of the officers and crews of tho English men of•war, continued in force, but was understood nut to apply to the Alecto on waiting on Mr. Southern, and was said to be evaded in other cases. The following was the distribution of the ships 'of war on the South American station :—The Raleigh, Tweed, Harpy, Renard, at Monte Video. The Alecto, at Buenos Ayres. The Lizard en route to Rio Grande. The Hydra, at Rio Grande. The Kestrel would take the next mails to Rio. The Griffon was en route thither, and the Spider expected with the outward mails. French Squadron in the River Plate —Frigates, the Constitution and Erigone; corvette Triomphante , barq u e Astrolabe, four brigs o f war, an d t h e s teamers Chir Grondeur, and Freton. The Sardinian brig of war Erilano. The Brazilian corvettes Don Francisco and Bertioga, barque Berenice, and schooner Olinda. The American corvette St. Louis sailed for Rio on the 16th of January. Exchange on London merchants' bills, 40d. to 40id. per current dollar. Navy bills were passed at 40d. On Paris, the rates were sf. 30c. Navy bills on the French Treasury, sf. 60c.• on Rio Janeiro, par. In freights no change. FATAL ACCIDENT AT TUE NEW RAILWAY-BRIDGE, BARNES.—A few days since a fearful accident that re sulted in the death of one, and very nearly six lives, occurred at the works of the new iron girder-bridge, now in course of erection across the River Thames, at Barnes, and which is intended to continue the loop line from the Barnes station of the Richmond Railway to Twickenham. St re t c hing across from shore to shore are two stupendous wooden frames, across which a tra veller, or frame, is propelled on a railway, supporting a crib or winch, to which is attached a massive block and chain, for the purpose of raising large blocks of stone, or heavy masses of iron, and placing them in the place intended. On the afternoon in question six men where at work at the winch, lowering the last of the iron girders which had been taken out of the barge on to a platform, a little below the top of the pier on which it would finally rest. It weighed not quite seven tons, be ing only one-fourth of the entire ribs that are to be used, and it had descended slowly and steadily to within three inches of the platform, when two sharp cracks were heard; the connecting rods were snapped like a piece of thread, and the hugh bulk cf timber broke like a rotten reed, hurling the massive winch, platform, and three of its occupants, on to the platform below. Two men were left on the frame, and the deceased jumped into the river. The tide was then running down, and had been doing so for more than an hour, but there was s i x t een feet of water, and though the deceased rose twice, he sank, and was carried away before any aid could reach him. MARGATE, MARCH 27.—A great quantity of wreck has been brought in to-day from the neighbour hood of the Long Sand, and a little cargo consisting of boxes of candles, barrels of bread, peas, &c., with the log-book of a vessel bound to Batavia, l os t on F r id a y night last. The log book being made up to Friday night there can be no doubt the vessel was lost in the gale that came on early on Saturday morning. His Excellency Count de Revel,' f or a long t i me resident Minister of Sardinia at the Court of St. James'i, has been compelled, on his return to Turin, after his recall, to enter the ranks of the Garde Mobile as a pri vate. Such is the account made of the energies of a man who, for twenty years, has proved himself an an able diplomatist. Such a fact speaks. volumes for the present unhappy state of ltaly.—Chron i cle. His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by Colonel Bouverie, paid a private visit of i nspect i on yes terday to the Asylum for Idiots, Park-house, Highgate. Baron Ward, an equerry of his Royal Highness the Duke of Parma, arrived in town yest ei d ay even i ng, Cie bearer of offici Al dispatches, in which the Duke abdi cates in favour of the Hereditary Prince of Parma, at present residing in Enzhind, r whether Pc,hawur have to he conquered for the Maha rajah or for ourselves, we cannot deny that the necessity exists that it should he recovered alike from the treach erous Seikh Sirdars who have given it away, or from the Affehans who have as treacherously accepted it. The same mail which took you tidings of the fall of Moultan will have taken news of the affair of Chillian walleh, which is claimed as a victory by us, on no other ground that I can make out but that we choose to spend gunpowder to proclaim one. Ido not know when we have lost seven standards and four guns, and not held the field of battle, that we have called the affair a vic tory. It is most strange to me that Lord Gough cannot, or will not, profit by experience, that he cannot find out what his enemy is doing, and that ho persists in going blindly at positions of which he knows no more but that there are Seikh troops in them, and guns that may be taken. It was thus at Moodkee and Ferozeshah, and the same at Nlaharajpore, where his Lordship has had the fortune, evil or good, as you may please to call it, to command in person. At Maharajpore he marched the troops into an amhuscade, which he ought to have known of per!ectly, and which might have been entirely turned or taken in the rear by a simple manoeuvre on ordinary information. At Ferozsshah the destinies of India trembled in the balance because of the same neglect of or conteespt fur the enemy's dispositions; the troops were taken into action hungry and altar a heavy march, too late in the day to win a brittle properly, end were successful only from their bulldog courage of holding through a weary night what they won. One would think that experience, if nothing else, would teach; but it is not so, apparently, with the Commander- in Chief, and again we see our brave fellows hurled against intrenchments covered with jungle, and batteries which could only be seen by the smoke of the guns firing from them, in a chance-medley mann( r, and with afternoon sufficient only for a temporary success, at vast sacrifice of life, and no corresponding benefit. The movement of the Commander-in Chief was necessary, as his inactivity was doing mischief; but, es by not have ordinary caution? Why bring on a general action, the enemy having chosen and fortified their own position for five weeks previously, when un prepared for it? Would there have been any harm, after having waited so long, in halting, at least fur the after noon, at a distance sufficient to rest the troops, make a reconnoissance, and attack with men who were fresh and fit to fight men who had not moved out of their own positions? It only surpasses this marvellous mode of fighting that the Commander-in-Chief should have been idle after the affair at Ramnuggur—should not have followed Shore Singh up, the day atter Thackwell's affair at Sadoolapoor, to the Jhelum, driven him across it, or engaged him in the field, wherever he could have found him. Are commanders of armies never to use the principles of manoeuvre, which wo have been led to believe are the basis of successful military operations? Could not the Commander-in-Chief, with an army ac customed to manoeuvre in division., have pressed on the front and flank of Shore Singh's force, followed him from place to place, and forced him to fight without intrenchments, and in the field ? I cannot believe that it could have been otherwise had it been tried. Instead of which, we know that Shere Singh purposely returns to a snug place he had already determined on, after the ac tion of Sadoolapoor, and there, in a position strong by ravines and by jungle, he quietly pitches his camp, undisturbed and unobserved, and throws up intrenchments, which the Seikhs have a talent of making as well as we can or perhaps better. The force of the Seikhs is known, but nothing more. There is no reconnoissance; a partial action ensues; of a scrambling, unsatisfactory character; we have three corps nearly cut to pieces; our men do prodiges of valour in storming batteries, and after all we get only 12 guns, and do not affect the Seikhs in any material degree be yond sending them a few miles further, where we are unable to follow them without being largely reinforced. Was there no way of turning the flank of this position at Moong or Chillian ? No way north or south by which the intrenchments could have been avoided ? Would a few days' delay have signified, which could have been occupied in manoeuvres ? Why not have tried to draw the Seikhs out to ground more favourable to cavalry, in which we are strong; or, if they would not move, to get round to their flank or rear, which was not, so far as we know even attempted? You will receive the dispatches by the mail that takes this, and will form your own con clusions in regard to them. To my perception, these wanton sacrifices of life, ;without object attained or at tainable, expose the Commander-in-Chief to the severest animadversion. Nor can apology be found either for his inactivity, on the one hand, after the affair at Ramnug gur, or for the unarranged and inconclusive attack upon the position of the Seikhs at Chillian. The Commander-in-Chief has sent for reinforcements, as he needs to do in presence of the force be has to com bat. There is satisfaction in knowing that, Moultan having fallen, the Bombay and Bengal columns or about 10,000 men, would march immediately up the Jetch Dooad, upon Said Dadun Khan, and the Commander-in- Chief's camp. General Wheeler's force had also been sent for, and two corps from Ramnuggur, as well as a European corps from Lahore. This ought to increase the army by at least 15,000 men, when it would be in a position to resume operations, which will most likely be suspended for the present. The Seikhs were by the last accounts at Russool, in sight of our own army. They will, of course, intrench themselves again, and have plenty of time to construct a bridge over the Jhelum, by which they may retire. They are to be reinforced by Chuttur Singh, with his regular troops and artillery, and will, of course, be very strong. The fall of Moul tan may possibly have a dispiriting effect, inasmuch as they will know that the trops and guns employed there will come northwards immediately, but in no other re spect. Moultan has been of more importance to us than to Shere Singh and Chuttur Singh. Now we feel the folly of the previous delays. If Moultan had fallen in September, or even two months later, the force there could, or its proportion unemployed, have been now, nay long before this, with the Com mander-in-Chie. As it is, it cannot be with him till the end of this month, when the hot weather is not far dis tant; it is a pity to lose the best season for operations, which we are likely to do, and everything but time is redeemable. Lord Gough has yet to beat the SeCchs, to cross the Jhelum, and to retake Attock—quite enough, under the delay which must necessarily occur, to do be fore the end of March; and, as he said this campaign would last two years, it seems really as if he was doing his best to make his own predictions come true, for he will hardly do much more before the hot weather forces him into quarters, if not back to Simlah; though I should rejoice to see that his Lordship, from personal expelience, could find out, in case of a second Moultan matter any where, that the hot weather was of very little consequence where real work had to be done. There has been some not ill-timed alarms in Calcutta in relation to the Nepaulese. The Raja, the Minister, and many Sirdars of note set out with 10,000 men to hunt in the Zerai, the belt of forest which lies between us and Nepaul. So monstrous a hunting party, under the present circumstances, and as the Nepaulese have ever been held to be sympathizers with the Seikhs, led many to suppose that the right flank of Bengal was to be assailed, and forthwith a reckoning up of troops began. It seemed we had about 20,000 in position, of whom half might be available. A w i ng of one of her Majesty's regiments which had been ordered down from Dinapore, and was at Calcutta, was sent back by steam post haste, and a large steamer dispatched to Madras for a wing of the 25th Foot, which was at its destination in a few days. By the time it reached its destination, how ever, it was known in Calcutta that the hunting party bad been obliged to return, having caught nothing but many bad fevers in the pestilential jungles or covers they they bad attempted to draw. Alarm, therefore, has sub sided, and it is probable his Majesty of Nepaul may get a broad hint that another time when he goes his plea sure in the woods to take, he bad better choose a more auspicious time and a less questionable garb. It appears to have been a wondrous relief to the Bengalese that this cloud has broken up, and that the sun once more shines out from Nepaul. Can it be true that the Board of Control and the Court are now seeking to evade, or are resolutely bent on de nying the guarantee to Indian railways? Can it be that this war has again dried up all their sympathies with the improvement of the country, or that they can shut their eyes or ears to the wondrous advantages which, in case of war, railways would confer on the country, even supposing them to give no other advantage ? If Lord W. Bentinck, in establishing steam-vessels on the river, could say that he made one regiment of infantry equal in value to three, in what proportion would the army not be increased in power and weight did we possess rail ways through the length and breadth of the land; with what facility could Madras troops now lying idle be run up to Calcutta by our noble coast and Indian navy steamers, and how easily could the Bengal or Madras troops bo pushed on to the north-west, and not only men, but stores and ammunition, guns and waggons, which have now to crawl along at the rate of 10 or 12 miles a day; Alas, Sir, this indifference to the founda tions of real healthy enterprise and improvement causes our Government—said to be a well-intentioned one—to make a melancholy exhibition before the advancement of all other Christian and civilized Governments; and again, before the stern aspect of war, we have to see all our best intentions of improvement during peace affrighted and demolished. No railways for India this year, nor haply next, nor again after that. Hope deferred maketh the heart sick. We aro, Sir, very sick; sick of delays, eva sions, and shilly-shallyings, which, could they be aban doned, would give place, we are convinced, to hearty exertions in this great cause of national splendour and benefit. Can nothing be done? Cannot you assist us? Is our cotton and our produce, as well in the Deccan as elsewhere, to continue to be unprofitable, solely because there is no market? Are we to see in a plenteous season like the present the grain of whole districts a drug in the market, unsaleable and unprofitable, because it cannot reach the coast, whence there are a thousand outlets for it ? Is it enough for this Government that it crawls on in the old fashion of 50 years, ay, 100 years ago ? Are nut its obligations to the peope it governs yet under stood better than they were ? It they be not, it is alike u seless that the press and the public urge, as both do, and have done, this great question ; and yet I should hardly say this. I do hope the efforts of neither are useless, and that eventually this most sluggish Govern ment will be driven, since it cannot be led, into bond fide acts, not mere discussions and intentions. If Cuba, as we hear, can have its railways, and find them answer, is it not a reproach to us, that the Governor-General of India, when he travels post, has to do so for the most part in a truck which carries his palanquin, drawn by bullocks, or on men's shoulders, and that important dis patches as well as the public letters crawl at the rate of four or five miles an hour through the length and breadth of the land ? I put all considerations of im provement of trade, increased value of produce, &c., out of the question. That a British Government of so im portant a country, with all its vast interests flagging for want of this one most healthy stimulus, should—after taking the matter up, passing into preliminary ar rangements, and holding out more hope of ultimate fulfilment of all, or most—now deliberately abandon all, is a spectacle of humiliation which not even mili tary defeat, should that come, could equal,—linies Correspondent. 9 1V -3 r'"i'?\cs 1 2 , ‘ zzz-Sy NAVAL IN TELLIGENCE. „ P• sir THE T. GOOD SERVICE PENSIONS. ‘.‘ The two good service pensions, which were plac tho disposal of the First Lord of the Admiralty by ___....„, a2 -xc u llAVl promotion of Captain M en d s and the death of Captliklaldsv`"" Lawrence, C. 8., have been Conferred by Sir F. Baring, Bart., on the undermentioned officers:— Captain Edward Lloyd, C. 8., F.R.S., a Lieutenant of 1808, Commander of 1811, and Captain of 1821. The epitome of his services in Allen's New Navy List are as follow:—" E. Lloyd, midshipman of Dictator, serving in the flotilla and on shore at Egypt, 1801, when he was severely bruised; of Leda, and wounded when in com• mend of a boat in an attack upon a French mortar vessel, moored near a battery at Boulogne, 1804; and in 1805, assisted at the capture of seven gun-sebuyts; and con ducted and fired a catamaran in the attack upon Bou logne flotilla. Midshipman of the same ship at the reduction of the Cape, where he served on rho e with the army; Lieutenant of Raisonable, and commanded a division of seamen and marines (Royal Blues) at the capture of Monte Video, and attack upon Buenos Ayres; and served till the final evacuation, 1807. Liautenant of the same ship serairg on shore at the capture of St. Paul's, Isle of Bourbon, and again wounded; and of Boadicea, at the reduction of Bourbon and Isle of France, where he was attached to the naval brigade. Served as a volunteer wish the army et the capture of Java, Com mander of Raven in the Gulf of Perla, and rendered important services, 1814-15. Gaz. 1809, 10 10." a Captain Sir Eaton Tra vers , C. 8., Lieutenant of 1804, Commander of 1814, and Captain of 1829. The Navy List records of this officer are as follows:—" Sir E. Travers, Midshipman of Juno, serving in the boats at capture of Dutch national brig Crash and other ves• sels at Schiermonikoeg ;at destruction of a 6-gun bat tery on the coast of Holland; and in armed schuyt in the Texel expedition, and officially mentioned at the defence of Lemner, 1799; and at capture by boarding of Spanish 12. gun schooner Volante near Campeachy, when Lieu. tenant Burn was killed, 1801. Midshipman of Elephant at capture of Duguay Tronin, and serving in Hercule's launch when Clorinde was taken possession of at Cape Francois by Lieutenant Willoughby, 1803. Served at the storming of Fort Piscadero ; and during the attack on Curscoa, in command of an advanced post ; axed commanded one of the boats at capture of French primeer Felicit'e, 1804. Lieutenant of Surveillaute, and in her boats at cspture of numerous vessels near Campeachy, 1805; and, in 1806, in cenamand of a single boat, boarded and captured Spanish schooner Serpauton, of 6 guns and 35 men, at the mouth of the Juan. Lieutenant of Alen Le at capture of several vessels on the coast of France, 1808 ; and of Impe rieuse, commanding a division of seamen serving on shore at the,seige of Flushing; and as aide-de-camp to Sir E. Coote and General Don. Lieutenant of Impe rieuse, and in 1810 commanded the boats at• the capture of three gun-vessels moored under the batteries near Possitano, in the Gulf of Salerno; and assisted at cap ture of a convoy at Palinuro, in 1811, and continued in the same ship, asssisting in the various services per formed until 1814, including the storming of Port D'Anzo, descent at Via Reggio, capture of Leghorn, and reduction of Genoa. Has been nine times mentioned in gazetted dispatches." The above quoted services of the officers will of themselves show how deservedly the patronage of the new First Lord has been bestowed. Sir Eaton Travers is the youngest in seniority as a cap tain who now holds the good-service pension. Rear-Admiral B. Mends, not yet having been super seded in command of the Agincourt, depot ship of the ordinary at Devonport, hoisted his flag on Monday morning, previously to attending the court martial on Commander Newland and the officers of the Ranger; Rear-Admiral Superintendent Sir John Louis, Bart., having shifted his flag pro tem. from the Agincourt to the Ranger. The court had not closed at 4.45 P.M. PORTSMOUTH, TUESDAY. The Stromboli steam sloop sailed this afternoon, in pursuance of her previous orders, for Plymouth and the Chops of the Channel. She is under the command of her senior Lieutenant, Mr. Thomas Davies; Commander Lord A. W. Beauclerk having obtained Admiralty leave to visit his brother, the Duke of St. Albaa's, who is dangerously ill, and believed to be at the point of death. A seizure of 941 b. of manufactured tobacco was made yesterday on board the Sidon steam-frigate, by the tide surveyors of customs and boat's crew, and two men, named respectively Thomas Piles and John Wright, seamen of the vessel, were summarily convicted of smug gling the same this day at the Borough Police Court. The Sidon commenced unbending sails on Monday morning, and also began to return stores. Admiral Sir Bladen Capel visited her in the forenoon, and her crew were mustered by Captain Blackwood, the flag captain, in the afternoon. Sho will be ready, it is said, to pay off on Friday. She has emptied her boilers and tanks, and is, as usual, listed over several degrees from the bilge water having got over on the port side, so that she looks like a vessel with her cargo shifted. It is said that when she gets a list on either side, say a list to port, that she will even retain the list against a moderate breeze on the port tack—that is, she will heel over to windward. So much for the sailing qualities of the Sidon. The Edinburgh has been taken into dock to have her bottom scrubbed. She is razeed for a screw guard-ship; but the hole in the dead wood for her screw has not yet been cut. She has no copper oa, and as the worms may probably do her damage, she has been taken into dock, to have the weeds scrubbed off, and to be fresh blacked over. The Dutch man-of war steamer Merapie, that arrived in Plymouth Sound on Saturday, from the Cape, sailed for Helvoetsluys on Monday. No ship has been yet brought forward as the one to replace the St. Vincent, 120, bearing the flag of Sir C. Napier, daily expected home. It is rumoured Sir Charles will transfer his flag to the Superb, 80, Captain Purcell, at Spithead, pro tern. APPOINTMENTS. Assistant Surgeons—John W. Reed, to Plymouth Hospital; and Dr. Jamus Rae, to the North Star, disco very ship, fitting at Sheerness. Second Masters—J. W. H. Harvey, to the Ocean, flhg ship, at Sheerness; 11. B. Gamier, to the North Star. Clerk—F. J. Rutter, to the North Star. Midshipmau—Albert Dent, to the Trincomalee, 25, in the West Indies. Master's-Assistant—J. F. R. Aylen, to the North Star. Gunner—J. G. Twine, to the North Star. LAUNCH OF THE ARCHER STEAM-VESsELL. DEPTFORD, MARCH 27.—The keel of the Archer was laid down at Deptford Dockyard on the 18th Oct., 1847, and the vessel wus built under the superintendence of Mr. Willcox, master shipwright, from a plan by Cap tain Lord John Hay, C. 8., ono of the Lords of the Ad miralty. She was originally intended to have engines of 250-horse power, but subsequent experiments having shown that vessels fitted with screw propellers have at tamed a considerable proportionate speed with engines of less power, it has been decided that she is to be fitted with the engines, of 202-horse power, taken out of the Rifleman steam-vessel. The change of the engines gives her a greater space in the hold by 18ft. than could have been attained with the original engines of 250-horse power, and they are now to be fitted to the Horatio at Chatham. The less weight of the engines of the Rifle man will enable the Archer to carry a greater armament, and instead of one 68-pounder of 95 cwt. and 10 ft. long, one 10 inch gun, 85 cwt. 9 ft. 4 in. long, and two 32 pounder guns of 25 cwt., 6 ft. long, she is to mount two 68-pounders of 87 cwt., and twelve 32-pounders of 42 cwt, and may be used as a troop-ship, having every convenience for the accommodation of 400 troops in addition to her crew. The preparations for the launch having been completed, and the tide being nearly high water at half-past three o'clock P.M. to-day, that hour was appointed, and a great concourse of spec tators were admitted to witness the ceremony. Captain Sir John Hill, superintendent of the dockyard; Mr. Willcox, master shipwright; Commander Willcox, Mr. Alderman Sidney, and a number of ladies and gentle men assembled on the platform constructed at the bows of the vessel, at a quarter past three o'clock, and a bottle of wine having been opened, Mrs. Sidney, wife of Mr. Alderman Sidney, drank success to the Archer, and then broke the bottle on the bows of the vessel. In a few minutes after the Archer glided into her future element, cheered by the assembled spectators. The Monkey then took her in tow to take her to Woolwich, to be fitted with her engines. The following aro the dimensions of the Archer:•-• Ft. in. ••• 186 ... 162 7 33 10 ••• 36 6 32 10 ••• 18 11 973 22-94 706 69 Length of tonnage ••• Length of keel fur tonnage Breadth extreme Breadth for tonnage ... Breadth moulded Depth in hold ... Burden in tons, old ... Burden in tons, new MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.— Colour• Sergeant T. Smith, Captain Harrison's company, II th battalion, Royal Artillery, stationed at Languard Fort, near Hare wicb, went out to walk on Saturday afternoon the 17th instant, and as it was dark when on his return, it is sup posed he had slipped and fallen down a bank fifteen feet high into the mud of a ditch at the bottcm, the body when found the next day having the appearance of deem by suffocation. A coroner's inquest was held on the fol lowing Monday, and a verdict of " Accidental Death returned. The funeral took place on Wednesday, the 21st instant. The coffin was mounted on a platform erected on a gun•carriage, drawn by two horses, pre ceded by a sergeant's firing party, and followed by the remainder of the company. ne body was interred at Walton-on-the-Naze, and between 300 and 400 of the country people assembled to witness the spectacle of a military funeral in that retired district. The deceased was within three months of having served his full time, and was considered a most steady and trustworthy non commissiom d officer. ' STATE OF TRADE.—MANCIIESTER.--There was not much alteration in the market yesterday, the depression of . last week still continuing. Little disposition was mite infested by buyers to enter into fresh engagements. The continued unsettled state of the Continent is the chief reason assigned for this holding back. In the ware houses there has not been much business transacted, and generally, where sales to much extent have been made , they have been at a slight-reduction of last week's prices. This has been the case with shirtings and priated cloths to a greater extent than some other goods. Yarns may be also quoted as lower where business is really trans acted. But as the spinners are yet well employed , and the business really done at the re duced rates is exceed ingly limited, prices are more nominal than real. The depression in the continental department is more felt at the present time, on account of this being the season when their orders are most numerous and important. There is no doubt, however, that the rapid advance which some time since took place in the price of cotton has had the most depressing effect on the general state of the market. Should there be, however, a reaction in the price of the raw material, with the largo demand which there is from the United States, there is little ; dou bt but a large trade will soon bo done. ~~ 1 wil b )t l oon: Goad p ion tee of moo t t th e fling; f a ted it 116 cond