The Sun. — London, England, 1849-02-22 00:00:00

itto ?lOttion SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock. AUSTRIA. The Austrian Parliamentary Committee on Con stitutional Matters has finished its labours and sent in its report, with a draft of the plan of the Con stitution of the empire. The empire is to consist of tea " crown-larids; with a governor, an administra tion, and a Diet to each of them. The Diets are proposed to sit for two months in the year, and a general Diet is to assemble at Vienna. That general Diet is to consist of two houses or chambers ; the Parliamentary duration of the Lower Chamber is fixed for a period of two years, and that of the Upper for six. The draft gives the Emperor the usual prerogative of executive power. Each province is to have a separate financial administration. LiThe Diet at Kremsier have negatived the demand of the Minister of Justice, that the Diet would permit of his impeaching the Deputy Kahn for the crime of high treason. PRUSSIA. Intelligence has been received from Berlin to the 19th. Prince Waldemar of Prussia, who shared in the glories of the Seikh war with Lords Hardinge and Gough, died on the 17th inst. at Munster. His Royal Highness, who was only thirty-two years of age, was the son of Prince William, the King's uncle. ITAL I . By three decrees of the 9th the Provisional Go vernment of Venice-1. The Assembly, of Deputies, convoked, on the 3d of June, is dissolved. 2. The new Assembly is convoked for the 15th instant. 3. The Commission of the Lombardo-Venetian Railway is dissolved, and the Venetian Government assumes the administration of the enterprise. TATTERSALL'S—THIS EVENING Six o'CLocK. LIVERPOOL STEEPLE CHASE. 7 to 1 agst Prince George 7 to 1 agst The Curate 8 to 1 agst Proceed 11 to 1 agst Napoleon METROPOLITAN HANDICAP. • 10• to 1 agst Cauezou 15 to 1 agst Loup-garou 16 to 1 agst Clarissa TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS . 4 to 1 agst Mr. Milner 5 to I,agst Uriel 5 to Laist any other. CHESTER CUP. 20 to 1 agst ifoc o' Sot 20 to 1 agst The Tartar 30 to 1 agst Halo 30 to 1 agst Peep o' Day Boy 33 to 1 agst Cossack 40 to 1 agst Lugar 50 to 1 agst Swallow DERBY. • 7 to 2 agst Flying Dutchman 7 to 1 agst Tadmor 20 to 1 agst Honeycomb 25 to 1 agst Nunnykirk 25 to 1 agst U.iel SHERIFFS' COURT.—(THIS DAY.) (Before Mr. Under-Sheriff BURCHELL.) SMITH V. CARRELL. This was an action to recover the sum of 201. on a guarantee. The defendant suffered judgment to go by default. The only qaestion raised was, whether the plaintiff was entitled to recover interest without notice having been given. The UNDER-SHERIFF thought that it would be en dangering the verdict if interest was taken. Mr. THOMAS submitted that as there were two counts, one on the guarantee and :one on the count stated, the jury might give the whole amount if required. "The UNDER-SHERIFF considered that although there was no plea the plaintiff was bound by the particulars, on which only 201. was 'claimed; had the interest been demanded, then perhaps 'defendant would have pleaded. The jury then gave a verdict for 201. COLLINGWOOD V. SMITHERS. This was an action to recover the sum of 5L 12s. for wine supplied. The defendant's solicitor complained that the case should have been brought in this court, and counsel em ployed in such a case the costa being 201 instead of as many shillings, if it had been brought in the County Court. The UNDER-SHERIFF said that they had nothing to do. with that, but if the action had been improperly biought, the plaintiff would be deprived of his costs, on application to the Court above, but he was entitled to sue if he thoUght proper. The jury gave a verdict for the amount. The other cases were undefended. EAST AND WEST INDIA DOCKS AND BIRMINGHAM JUNCTION RAILWAY. (THIS DAY.) The usual half-yearly general meeting of this company was held this afternoon at the offices in Old Broad • street; Mr. Scott, chairman of the board of directors, in the chair. The report stated that the works of the line had been let upon most advantageous terms, and as many as six miles and a half of the railway were rapidly approach ing a state of completion. The first contract to Ho merton was-nearly finished, while the other two, which had bean let, were progressing most satisfactorily. A fourth contract had . just , been let for constructing the work:rat Camden Town, at a price below the engineer's estimate ; and by the end of the present year it was fully, :anticipated that the line through out, from Camden Town to the City, would be ready for traffic;, and then it was proposed to complete the line up to the docks. Negotiations were still pending for leasing,tha . railway to the London and North-Wes tern Company. • The balance-sheet represented that the receipts of The past half-year amounted to 105,2011. 134. 4d., and the expenditure to 95,845/. 4s. 6d. The total receipts up to the present time yielded 347,385/. 12s. ld., and the expenditure amounted to 330,7751. 7s. 2d., leaving 16,6131. 4s. 11d. in- hand. In answer to questions, The CHAIRMAN stated that the directors bad purchased and got possession of about three-fourths of the land ne cessary for making the line. The calls in arrear amounted to about 17,0001. It was a mistake to suppose that the part of the line connecting theta with the docks would be abandoned. Several shareholders urged upon the directors the ne cessity for enforcing payment of the calls, or forfeit the shares where holders were in arrear. The'caantmax, however, said, in the present state of the market, it was not expedient to adopt that course, but th. 9 meeting might rely upon the directors doing their best to. obtain payment of the arrears. - The cost of the line, he could assure them, would be within the estimate. • Mr. HANKEY avowed himself to be one of the de faulters, but he felt that he was justified in withholding his calls until he ascertained what the North-Western Company were - going to do with them. If it were announced that the North-Western were prepared to loose the line at once, he had no doubt the arrears would be immediately paid up. The CickinstArr replied that.until November last they were not in a position to negotiate, but now the matter was being considered by the North-Western directors, and he•boped that ere long the arrangement would be brought to a favourable termination. Afver some further discussion a motion for the adop of the report was agreed to. A resolution was then passed authorising the directors to tiorilow money not exceeding the sum of 200,0004, not however without a protest from a shareholder, who com plained that the resolution would only benefit the East and West Ipdia and the North-Western Companies, who held 450,000/. out of a capital of 600,000/, It was much better to call up the full amount of the shares than bor. row money. The retiring directors and auditors were then re elected,. and thanks having been voted to the Chairman, the meeting terminated. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. (THIS DAY.) 'HOUSE OF LORDS. The LORD CIiANCELLQR took his seat upon the Wool. tack at Five o'clock. Lord STANLEY presented several petitions aga inst the repeal of the.no.vigation-laws. Lord tROUGHAM, in presenting a petition praying for an' eXteusion of th e p r i nc i p l e o f local courts, took oecasirm to express a wish that some measure might be adopted to remedy the abuse's of the Palace Court. The NOBLE LORD also presented a Petition praying for 'the idopti on of measures to put down the African ale re trade. The Earl of CARLISLE presented a petition com• plaining of the persecution of the Rev. J. Shore, and praying for a measure of relief for clergymen seceding from the Church of England. CEYLON. Lord BROUGHAM said the only reason why he did not give . notice of a motion on the sub ject of the. recent proceedings in Ceylon, was the h ope that an inquiry instituted in another place might . afford a satisfactory explanation: of those proceedings. If such satisfactory explanations wero not afforded; it would become th e i r -L or d s hi ps ' d uty to take notice of th a Proceedings which had taken. place in that island, INLAND REVENUE BILL. Earl GRANVILLE moved the second reading of this After a few words from Lord BROUGHAM, the smotif j n was agreed to. - SLAVERY. the Bishop of OXFORD rose to move the appoint ry ent of a Select Committee to consider what men ? Aires should •be adopted for the suppressio n of the. ..-ASF,• :re trade. He believed the motion would not' .2.. i ; % * - _,!ierop ,% , ,:;,%but he felt bound brie fl y to state the r easons ,". '.'"l t- , whk . h *Waved him to bring forward this motion_ 31 ~ ektxt hui t i ' jratief late years , become aware of the enor ..4-4^'. as ,l3llt Y'Wher aguilt towards the African race. and as she L. t ., • the example of guilt, so sh© had determine, 1 r.r) k -t . Bit ., . - > 7 ° Th --- 6 ,, , ,-•-r re a mple of repentance, and to endeavour t i i ?.. ina- --.-r. oa r ewe rs to j oin her in putting down the • 3ive _ . ., . tg:44l. ‘ Hut of l a t e there had been an apathy 4 '.... f-Tsfncotethe subject in this country. It was easier to , knit sacrifice than to continue pursuing a course THE SUN, LONDON, of duty which at first sight might appear to be attended f with pecuniary loss. Th., tone of the press on this sub ject was an unmistakeable proof of the existence of this apathy, and therefore he moved for this Committee. He desired to see the maintenance of the blockading squadron, for according to evidence of the witnesses examined in another place, with the exception of those witnesses who had been or were engaged in the slave-trade, it appeared that in proportion to the efficiency of the squadron was the success of the efforts to suppress the slave-trade. That squadron in 1842 and ;843, had all but succeeded in suppressing the slave trade, and it was only in conse quence of the cessation of those exertions, in conse quence of orders from h ome , mistaken orders as he thought, that the trade had revived. He wished a Committee to inquire into those matters, and to devise measures for carrying out the greatest act of jastice which a nation had ever under taken to execute. The apathy of the public at present was owing entirely to a forgetfulness of the details :of the horrid traffic, and if such details were again brought prominently forward, the public attention would again be directed to the subject, and the country would be as loud as ever in its protests against the commission of this horrible iniquity. It was one thing to consider the ques tion of the slave trade to the Brazils abstractedly, and another to contemplate the horrors which each indi vidual African suffered during the passage. If these horrors were brought prominently before the public the public feeling would again bo excited against these horrible atrocities. It was a fearful thing to have avowed a determination to redress these evils, and then to be deterred from using the means which God had given to destroy this system of iniquity, on the ground of expense. So long as the slave trade existed in Africa the introduction of lawful traffic would be impossible. They had it in evidence that the slave trade was the most lucrative traffic under the sun, and that so far from having a tendency to wear itself out, it would increase. The supply at Brazil was inadequate to the demand, and there were hundreds, thousands of acres of virgin soil which might be brought into profit able cultivation if there were an adequate supply of slaves. The slave trade would therefore, if left to itself increase, rendering all legitimate trade im possible, and tending to keep the interior of Africa in a frightful state of demoralization. He felt that England had given a great stimulus to slavery by opening her ports to slave-grown sugar. In doing that she committed a great crime, and entangled herself again in the difficulties of the abominable traffic which she had abolished. Ile believed that those who proposed the act were ignorant of the effect which it would pro duce, but . as :it had produced the effect he called upon them not for the sake of a miserable saving in the price of sugar to encourage this evil, and to join with him in adopting measures to prevent the recurrence of this evil. If they refused they would fall from the high principles by which they had hitherto been actuated, and if in such a great matter as this England abandoned in the face of heaven and earth her high principles, she would bring upon herself that chastisement which Providence always inflicted upon delinquent nations. Those who believed in our maritime strength, when they saw us abandoning our efforts, did not believe we were serious in our desire to supress this trade; and these who saw we were baffled by those smugglers and pirates, ceased to have faith in our ma ritime omnipotence.—(Cheers.) The Marquis of LANSDOWNE, in assenting to the motion, c: - aild no agree in the opinion expressed by the Right Rev. Prelate, that any alteration had taken place in public opinion with regard to this subject. Public opinion was unanimous in their desire to suppress the trade, but there were doubts entertained as to the efficacy of the measures adopted for its suppression, and, therefore it was that he thought the inquiry proposed by the Right Reverend Prelate would be of the greatest possible service. —(Hear.) The invention of steam , had introduced a new element into the consideration of this question, and it would be well that the Com mittee should inquire into its effects. This alone would justify the appointment of this Committee, which, he was convinced, would recommend such measures as would enable England to carry out those high prin ciples by which she had been acivated. The Earl of ABERDEEN was glad that this inquiry was to be instituted, because he believed he was mainly responsible for the increase in the blockading squadron. When he entered office in 1841 about eight hundred men were employed in this service ; when he quitted it, is 1846, there were three thousand men employed. there had been several barracoons destroyed by the men of our squadron, and in several instances the Govern ment had had to make compensation to subjects of France and America for destroying their property—(Hear, hear)—and consequently instruc tions were sent to the officers that they wero not justified in destroying the property of neutrals, un less they hud permission of the African Chiefs and Kings. These were the orders to which the Right Rev. Prelate had alluded, and which merely impressed on the officers the necessity of observing the laws of nations, It was a mistake to call this a blockade, as it was not a blockade in the ordinary sense of the word. He bad no doubt but that the effect of that letter in increasing the trade had been greatly exaggerated, although be did not doubt but that the publication of those in structions had produeed a very injurious effect in Africa. With respect this so-called blockade, we were not altogether free agent, because we were bound by treaty with France tomaintain a certain amount of force, and perhaps the Goverment would find some difficulty in getting the treaty renewed, for he believed that none but the firm virtuous Minister who then ruled France would have ventured to have entered into it, and as it was, such was the feel ing it excited in France, that it nearly led to his over throw. Lord STANLEY desired, as strongly as the Right Reverend Prelate could do, to see the utter extinction of the slave trade, but he thought the Committee would fail in its duty if it did not examine out the causes which militated against the success of the squadron; more particularly should the Committee in quire into the causes which had led to the immense increase which had taken place in the traffic from 1846 to 1849, notwithstanding the vigilance of that squadron, They had more than neutralized the effects of the guard by the increased stimulus they had given to the slave trade by their alteration in the sugar-laws, and he trusted the Committee would examine into, and report upon the causes of the increase of the trade during the years 1846, 1847, and 1848. Earl GREY thought that the speech of the Noble Lord would greatly diminish the value of his labours as a member el the Committee. Here was a motion fur a Committee of Inquiry, and the Noble Lord, with his usual hastiness, jumped to a conclusion as to the subject upon which the Committee was to inquire. For himself he was convinced that the measure of 1846 was a wise mea sure, that it had not led to the results which the Noble Lord stated it had led; and when the proper time of discussing it should come, he would be perfectly ready to justify it. He had also a complaint to make of the Noble and Learned Lord (Lord Brougham), who, during his absence, and when told he was coming, had thought proper to indulge in severe remarks On recent occurrences in Ceylon. He protested against the conduct of the Noble and Learned Lord as most unjust to the Goveraor of Ceylon, and to the Government, to bring forwdrd this matter incidentally without notice. If the Noble and Learned Lord would give notice of a motion, and bring it forward in a regular manner, he should be obliged to him for raising the discussion. Lord BROUGHAM said that the Noble Earl had furnished ample proof of his absence during the remarks which he (Lord B.) had made by his speech just now. He stated that he had intended to give a notice on the subject, but that he bad abstained from giving the notice on account of an inquiry about to take place elsewhere. ( LEFT SPEAK TN G. 3 HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. NEW MEMBERS. Lord LKWISEADI and Mr. BECKETT DENISON took the oaths and their seats, the former fur South Staffordshire, and the latter for the West Riding. The latter was cheered on taking his seat. SECOND READINGS. The following Bills were read a second time:— Sheffield and Tinsley Road (Extension of the Tinsley and Doncaster Turnpike•road to Sheffield). Truro Turnpike•roads, Penryn and Redruth Turn pike-roads (Consolidation of Trusts, Alterations of 'rolls, Formation of New Roads). The second reading of the Alford and Boston Road and the New North Road Continuation Bills were post poned. NAVIGATION-LAWS., An Hox. MEMBER presented a petition from Hast ings in favour of the repeal of these laws. FEMALE PROSTITUTION. An HoN. MEMBER presented a petition from New port, Isle of Wight, praying the House to devise some effectual means for the suppression of female prostitution. FINANCIAL REFORM. Mr. ANDERSON presented a petition from 170 of the principal inhabitants of the Shetland Islands, in favour of financial reform, particularly on timber and tea. TOLERATION. The rim MEMBEn also presented petitions from Scarborough, adopted at a public meeting, and signed by 360 persons of all denominations, including members of the Established Church, praying for full civil and re ligious liberty to seceding clergymen, and all classes of her Majesty's subjects. Mr. COBDEN presented a petition from Bradford to the same effect. 'REGIUM DONUM. Mr. OSBORNE presented a petition from places in Middlesex against the Regium Donum, and against the support of any church or religious body out of the funds of the nation. The Hon. Gentleman gate notice that he should to-morrow move that the petition_ be printed. MINISTERS' MONEY. Mr. REYNOLDS presented a petition from Dublin praying for the repeal of ministers' money. THE LAW OF MARRIAGE. _ _ Mr. CARDWELL presented a petition from Lira pool against any alteration of the law of marriage. PRIZE FIGHTING. Mr. MACKINNON presented a petition from Man chester, buying that priz2-fighting was very prevalent tberc—(Laughter)—and pray ing the House to devise some stringent measures for the suppression of the practice. TEE PUNJAUB. Mr. G. THOMPiON gave notice that to-morrow evening he would ask the First Lord of the Treasury, whether her Majesty's Ministers, having deemed it their duty to print a report or 678 pages relating to the island of Ceylon in July last, did not think it equally their duty to print a report relating t o t h e di s t ur b a n ces i n t h e Punjaub, de scribed in her Majesty's Speech from the Throne as a rebellion which has been going on since April, 1848, to suppress which an army has been maintained, involv. ing not less than five millions pounds sterling annually. TAXATION OF THE AGRICULTURAL IN TEREST. Mr. DISRAELI rose and said—Sir, I beg to give n3tice that, on this day fortnight, I shall call the atten• tion of the House to the present condition of the agri cultural interest, with the view to a more equitable ap portionment of the taxes to which it is subject.—(Loud cheers, and cries of " Hear, hear," from the Opposition Members.) GAS IN THE CITY OF LONDON. Mr. C. PEARSON presented a petition from the consumers of gas in the various wards of the city of London praying for inquiry, and that some measure might be introduced with the view to cheapen gas. WORKHOUSES IN IRELAND. Major BLACKALL begged to ask the Secretary of State for Ireland whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Ministera to call for any instalment of the ex• pense of building workhouses in Ireland? Sir W. SOMERVILLE was not aware that any such intention existed, but he would make inquiry on the sub ject, and furnish the Hon. Gentleman with the result. INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH AND FRENCH ASSOCIATION. Mr. B. COCHRANE said, he rose to put the question of which he gave notico yesterday, to the Hon. Member for Tewkesbury. The SPEAKER (interrupting the Hon. Member) intimated that he could not, in accordance with the forms of the House, put that question to the Honourable Member. Mr. B. COCHRANE said, then he would ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department whether be was aware that an association, called the International English and French Association, had been formed, at the head of which were the names of five Hon. Members of that House, namely, the Hon. Member for Tewkesbury, the Hon. Member for the Tower Ham lets, the Hon. Member for Bodmin, the Hon. Member for Macclesfield, and the Hon. Member for Southampton, the object of that association being an intellectual treat for Easter week.—(Laughter.) With the permission of the House, in order to understand the object of his ques tion, ho would read one or two extracts from the pro gramme:—"There was something delicate and gentle manly, and something congenial and manly, in the idea which suggested a military visit of citizenship to the English nation" * * * " The social spirit which takes must give ; we dine together —we, England and France—in a fa mily sense.—(Loud laughter.) You, France, dine with me to-day, and I, England, claim your hospitality to-morrow."—(Renewed laughter.) • The Honourable Gentleman went on to read similar extracts, which elicited the greatest merriment in the . House. The question which he wished to put to the Under- Secretary of State was as to whether this association, at the head of which there were five Members of Parlia ment, was at all known officially to the Government, or had received any act of registration.—(Great laughter.) Mr. HUMPHREY BROWN—I, Sir, am one of the Members whose names appear at the head of that pro gramme, and I wish— . The SPEAKER—The Hon. Member is clearly out of order. I have already said that it was unparliamentary to put a question to a private Member, or one to the 'Ministers, on matters not connected with the business of the House; and the Hon. Member, therefore, cannot proceed. Mr. BROWN attempted again to speak, but there were cries of " Chair, chair," on all sides, and ultimately the Hon. Member desisted.—(Cries for the Under , Secretary , of State.) Mr. lIWIS said that he knew little of the association to which the Hon. Member had called the attention of the House, except what he had just read, but it seemed very innocent in its objects—(Laughter on both sides of the llouse)—and he hoped it would prosper.—(Repeated cheers from Mr. Brown and the Bon. Members around him.) Mr. B. COCHRANE—he could only put the question to the Under-Secretary of State, because there were no other Ministers present. Mr. WYLD ruse to move that that question be entered on the journals of the House. Mr. 11. BROWN would second that motion. The SPEAKER said that the Hon. Member could not proceed to make such a motion.—(Cries of " Chair, chair," Mr. Wyld for some time persisting in his motion.) He had repeatedly explained that no Member could make a motion which did not relate to the business of the House. MARRIAGE WITH THE SISTER OF A DECEASED' WIFE. Mr. HENLEY presented petitions agairist the Bill for legalising marriages within certain degrees of affinity, and especially against the clause for this object. COURT-MARTIA,LS IN INDIA.—UNJUST SEN- TENCES AND PUNISHMENTS. Mr. ANSTEY presented a petition from a person named Lewis, stating that seventeen persons of the 6th Regiment of Cavalry, serving in India, had been tried, convicted, and sentenced on charges of mutiny. It ap peared that the offences had originated out of a supposed order of the Commander-in-Chief, the Marquis of Tweed dale, to stop the extra batta. Thay had for four days refused to saddle their horses, but on the mistake being explained, they immediately returned to their duty. For this offence they had been convicted and sentenced to death, but were afterwards pardoned, returned to their duty, and for nearly nine months were engaged is the uninterrupted discharge of that duty, and must of them chiefly about the person of the Commander-in- Chief himself. After that time they were again tried, although they had been previously pardoned, two of them were shot, and the rest of them sentenced to be transported for life. Of the latter all received their pardon except six, whose sentences were commuted to seven years' transportation. Whilst these men were being transported, an attempt was made to bring them up by habeas corpus, but it failed, and these men were still suffering injustice. He should to-morrow move that the petition be printed. BREACH OF PRIVILEGE. Mr. HOPE wished to call the attention of the House to a remark he had just heard fall from the Hon. Mem ber for Rodmin. The Hon. Member bad made an ob servation to his lion. Friend the Member for Wey mouth, in reference to the question his Hon. Friend put a few minutes ago, which he was afraid would lead to some unpleasant consequences.—(Laughter.) The Hon. Gentleman's anticipation of a " meeting " did not appear to be entertained by the House or the Speaker, and the matter was allowed to drop without any further remark. ADMIRALTY COURT. Captain PECHELL wished to ask the Secretary of the Admiralty what steps have been taken to reform the proceedings in the several Vice• Admiralty Courts, and to remedy the complaints made last session of the gross abuses that had taken place at St. Helena, Sierra Leone, Cape of Good Hope, and Sydney, New South Wales. Mr. WARD said, in answer to the question of the Gallant Officer, he had to state that the subject was one of considerable difficulty, the facts not being so clear as the Hon. and Gallant Member seemed to suppose. A practice had grown up of making extraordinary charges against parties in these courts, for which the law afforded them no redress, and as the fees these parties had to pay were excessively high, the Admiralty were preparing a scale of fees, while they wero in communication with Sir S. Lushington, with a view of establishing some legal remedies for those parties.--(Hear, hear. ) Mr. HUME wished also to ask a question in refer ence to this subject. In New South Wales the abuses of these courts had been so great that an ordinance bad been passed to put a stop to them, and he - wished to be informed if Government had given their sanction to that ordinance. If no one was present who could give him an answer, he would repeat the question to-morrow; but really if Government could not do anything at home, he thought the colonies ought to be allowed to take the abuses into their hands. Mr. WARD said in New South Wales the courts had only unnecessarily exercised their powers under the Act of Parliament. SICILY AND NAPLES. Mr. BANKES wished to give notice that to-morrow he should put a question to the Noble Lord the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs with regard to a statement made by him in the House relative to the atrocities said to have been committed by the Neapolitan troops. He proposed to ask the Noble Lord upon what authority he made the statement, and whether he still held the same opinion. Lora PALMERSTON had no objection to answer the question then. The documents upon which his statement was founded would certainly form part of the papers to be laid before the House on the affairs of Naples and Sicily. The opinions he expressed before on the subject, to which the Hon. Gentleman had re ferred, he still retained, and that opinion he could assure the House was founded upon reports which he had received from responsible officers of the Crown. Mr. BANKES—How soon will these papers be laid on the table? Lord PALMERSTON said that would depend upon the progress of the negotiations now pending on the subject. COPYHOLDS. Mr. AGLIONBY gave notice that, next week, be should move for leave to bring in a Bill on the subject of copyhold tenures. RATE IN AID. Lord CASTLEREAGH said a good deal of anxiety was felt in the north of Ireland in reference to the rumoured intention to propose a rate in aid.—(Hear.) He wished to know whether that impression with respect to the intentions of the Government was correct or not. Sir W. SOMERVILLE said that notice would be given to Hon. Members as to the course the Govern. ment intended to pursue. DISTRESS (IRELAND). Lord JOHN RUSSELL, in answer to a question from Mr. Disraeli, said that, providing the discussion on the Parliamentary Oaths Bill was not concluded before half-past ten o'clock to-morrow night, he should not proceed with the further consideration of the Dis tress in Ireland Bill. RATE IN AID (IRELAND). Sir J. WALSH gave notice of his intention to-mor row, to ask the Government whether it was th e i r in tention to bring in a Bill to give relief in aid in Ireland. POOR (IRELAND). Sir G. GREY, in answer to a question from M r . J. i O'Connell, said that t was the intention of the Govern. ment to bring in a Bill to give relief to the destitute poor of Ireland. MARRIAGES WITHIN DEGREES OF AFFINITY. Mr. STUART WORTLEY rose, in fulfilment of the pledge which he had given to the House last session, to ask for leave to bring in a Bill to alter and amend the sth and 6th of William IV. c. 54, so far as i t related to marriages within the de grees of affinity. Having entertained, in common with many, a prejudice against any alteration of the law THURSDAY EVENING, on this subject, it was not without the deepest study which he could give to it, and the most mature dAiber tion, that h had boin induced to bring in the Bill. In 1842 a Noble Lord, who was now a member of another llouse (Lord Ellesmere), and than whom there was no more true and faithful adherent of the Church, introduced the question before the House, but upon that occasion it refused to sanction the measure, although the Noble Lord received a great deal of support. The discussion upon that occasion tended to bring the matter more prominently before the public, and there was a general conviction that the law ought to be altered If there had previously been any doubt entertained as to the illegality of the marriages to which this Bill referred, it had been entirely removed by the decision of the Queen's Bench, which rendered them altogether null and void. That decision would affect persons in high situations of life as well as persons in a lower station. So far from the general body of the people having acquiesced in the present law, they had extensively avoided it, and the law had tended to the immorality of the lower classes, and to their making false declarations. In consequence of various petitions having been presented from parties interested in the question, and from others who had no more interest in it than as a matter of social feeling, and also from a considerable body of the Established Church, a great quantity of evidence had been collected of which the House was already in possession. He thought, therefore, he was justified in saying that with the exception of himself a better qualified body of commissioners could not have been selected. Those selected were entitled by their position and their acquirements, to command public confidence and respect. At the head of it was the Right Rev. Prelate, of the highest character in that church; next there was Dr. Lushington, second to no man in au - thority, the lamented Mr. Blake, a member of the Roman Catholic body, and commanding, therefore, their confi dence, Mr. Justice Vaughan, the Lord Advocate, whose knowledge of the marriage law of Scotland was very great, and himself: He might say, therefore, with perfect confidence, that with the exception of himself, the Commissioners had their minds most perfectly open to the matters into which they had been appointed to inquire and report upon. Their report contained no propositions with respect to the alteration of the law, for this simple reason, that it was no part of the task assigned to them to do. They simply confined their attention to the collection of facts. He appre hended that no one would say that any of the Commissioners had put their hands to the re port without being fully convinced that an alter ation of the. present law should take place. He had, therefore, the testimony of the high authorities he had mentioned that some relaxation . of the law wa s necessary. Th e measure w hi c h h e in ' tended to propose dealt with marriage with a deceased wife's sister, or with a neice ; and it merely partook of a permissive character. There was nothing, however, in it, that would do violence to the feelings of any one. The marriage of two brothers with two sisters had been long permitted. Up to 1835 the marriages dealt with in this Bill were practically permitted. Unless property or a title was involved in any such marriage, no process took place with respect to them. There was no danger of any proceedings being taken by parties contracting such marriages. Accordingly, before the appointment of the Commission, and the act of Lord Lyndhurst, these marriages had been celebrated in every rank of life. A small number had taken place among the higher c l asses , a l a rge number among the middle classes, but a still greater number among the industrious classes, whose poverty prevented them from becoming acquainted with the state of the law. Though these marriages had existed for years they heard ofno complaints ; no petitions were presented against them. He thought, therefore, he had a right to say that no valid objection was urged against the continuance of the system. But a case occurred in the hightst ranks of lite which immediately attracted public attention, and what was the consequence? Instead of the Legislature reprobating that marriage in the higher classes of lite, and enacting a measure against any such for the futur e —(H e ar) —a Bill was passed through that House, and received the assent of the House of Lords, including that of the Right Rev. Prelates, lega lising that marriage. —(Hear, hear.) The present re strictions could only be justified either on the ground that such marriages were forbidden by the law of God, or that some overwhelmning necessity rendered them necessary. He should not, however, in that House enter into that question, but with the important one, how far the present law affected the social condition of the people. After the corruptions of modern times and the middle ages came councils, and canons innumerable were made condemning this particular degree of affinity, but condemning it with many more which have since been established, as perfectly legal by decisions of the House of Lords. St. Basil, who was the founder of the Eastern Church, and the founder of the monastic orders in that church, and was a high authority on these subjects, in the fourth century entered into a controversy with another bishop of the Christian church who differed from him on the practice of marriage between persons of that degree of affinity. But undoubtedly this prohibition was imparted into the canoe law, and it had been continued from the time of the fourth century till the Reformation in England The canon-law formed no part of the law of England, except it was confimed by Act of Parliament. But, although the law of England -said, if such a marriage took place, and was n o t disturbed d ur i ng t h e life time of both the parties, it should be a valid marriage to all intents and purposes; but if the ecclesiastical law annulled that marriage, the law of England acknowledged the authority of that court in annulling the marriage. —(Hear, hear.) After the authority of the Roman Oath( ' lit Church was established in this country th ere came wi CI it all the canons of the Romish Church, and that am ng many others. Such was the state of the law until the reign of Henry VIII. From that time those marriages had been forbidden down to the Council of Trent; but they had been dispensed with by the Roman Catholic Church, and in con s quence of • that power of dispensation it was that Henry VIII. espoused Catherine of Aragon, who was the wife of his deceased brother. It was by the dispensation of the Pope that that mar riage took place, and the very ground of that dispensa tion was, that that marriage was not forbidden by the law of God. Afterwards, when Henry was desirous of marriage with Anne Boleyn, Archbishop Cranmer wos instructed to procure the opinion of the highest ecclesiastical authorities in this and foreign countries, and Cranmer was convinced that the marriage was for bidders, and therefore he would not be responsible for it. At that time the canon law was in so con fused and unsatisfactory a state that at the time of the Reformation Cranmer undertook to revise and regulate that canon law. The validity of Anne Boleyn's marriage depended on the doctrine that mar• riage with a deceased brother's wife was unlawful, and the title of Queen Elizabeth to the throne depended on that doctrine, and it was not to bo supposed that Cranmer would have subscribed to that doctrine, unless he bad been convinced of its overwhelming force and weight. Uunder these circumstances, ho (Mr. Wortiey) said it was that that table of prohibition was drawn up by Archbishop Parker, which was now hung up in the churches of this country, and sometimes added to the Book of Common Prayer. It is univer sally acknowledged that that table was no part of the Book of Common Prayer, and it had been bound up with it for convenience sake. There was just this difference between the working of this limitation before the Reformation and after it—that whereas before she Reformation there was a power of dispensation from the results of illegal marriages, after the Reformation the power of dispensation was gone. By the Act—he believed it was 21st Hen. Vlll.—the power of dispensation was transferred from the Pope to the Archbishop of Canterbury, but the li m it s o f t hi s power were unknown. The consequence of this, however, was, that in all cases where the restriction was grievously felt, and where inquiry showed that the marriage did not interfere with the ascertained prescriptions of the law of God, it was dispensed with. At any rate, thepower was seldom exercised. He believed that the last time it was used was in the reign of Jam es /., in the year 1608, and after that time all difficulties were referred to the Ecclesiastical Courts until an Act of Parliament was passed to regulate all the points which had been mooted before the several tribunals, and the result was to esta blish a set of prinziples for • adjudicating on the laws of marriage. —(Hear, hear.) By that law several kinds of marriages were rendered .voidable, while others were absolutely void. Marriages which were merely so far as their morality was concerned wer e mere l y matters of opinion, and come under the former category; those which were contrary to the known will of God, as declared in the pages of revelation, were included in the second rule. Such was the state of the law, and it led to great and grievous cruelties.-- (Hear, hear.) One instance he might mention, as he had the facts on the high authority of his friend Dr. Lushington. A gentleman had married a lady within the restricted degrees of consanguinity and after they had been married upwards of twenty years, and when he had fallen into old age, the circumstance was taken advantage of by a malicious relative, and the marriage WAS declared void by the Ecclesiastical Courts, and the children were illegitimatized and the whole family after the father's death cast into po verty—(llear, hear.) Yet deep as was the injury felt in many quarters, the evil received little notice until a marriage without the restricted degrees took place between persons in a high station of life (the family of Downshire), and a Bill was introduced by Lord Lynd • hurst, the object of which was certainly not to prevent such marriages, as he was desirous of legalising but in the course of the debate in the other House of Parliament a suggestion was made, he believed, by Lord Brougham, that these marriages should be absolutely void. Unhappily, as he thought, this view of' the case was adopted by the Bishops, and the Bill was passed. But had it the effect desired? Certainly not, for on inquiry by persons of the highest respectability, it was found that it had altogether failed of its object. now from such sources as these was their information ostained, and he would direct the attention of the [louse to the information itself, which was to be found in page eight of the report. The inquiry was instituted in 1842, at the expense of some private individu a l s , f or the purpose of ascertaining the extent to which the Act had been evaded. The inquiry wa s limited to a period of less than three months, a n d was comparatively a small portion of England, but the district in which it was made was likely to afford a good criterion of the extent of these prohibited marriages throughout the whole country.—(Hear, hear.) The inquiry was carried on fret in the manufacturing portion of Lancashire and Yorkshire ; secondly, in Norfolk and Suffolk ; thirdly, in Warwickshire and Staffordshire, with the view of taking in Bir mingham and the Potteries ; fourthly, in part of Hampshire; and, fifthly, in the towns of Bristol, Bath, and Cheltenham. The information ob tained by the inquiry amounted to this, that 1,364 marriages within the prohibited degrees bad been solemnized since the passing of Lord Lyndhurst's 1849. FEBRUARY 22, Act. It wes difficult to ascertain what proportion this number bore to the whole population of the districts, hut it might reasonably be supposed that this num ber of marriages formed a tenth of the whole that took place in the district, and taking three children for each marriage, it would be 40,000 children whom the law basterdised. Besides that evil, the law tended to de moralise a large portion of the committee, and frequently led to the commission of the crime of perjury; while clergymen complained that they were often obliged to solemnise marriages in cases where they could not possi bly have an opportunity of ascertaining whether the parties were within the prohibited degrees or not, a con sequence, which frequently led to the desecra tion of the Holy Communion.—Cries of " Hear, hear.") This difficulty was therefore painfully felt by many clergymen, and certainly some means ought to be de vised for removing them from such powerful positions. Either the restrictions ought to be rendered more rigid, or the law ought to be made conformable to the general wishes of the people. Again, Many marriages were now solemnized, under the recent Act, before the registrar, who had no possible means of ascertaining the relationship of the panics, while many parties who were unwilling to violate the law, resorted to other countries not less moral than our own, fur the purpose of being married, but still by the law which he now complained of, de clared the children of those marriages to be illegitimate. The demoralization caused by the Marriage-law, as it at present existed, rendered some change necessary; and, in order to effect an alteration in the right direction he proposed the present Bill to the House. The Right The lion. Gentleman concluded by asking for leave to bring in his Bill. The motion having been seconded, Mr. HOPE rose, and was UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE. t:aMBitIDGE, F EB. 21.—At a Congrtgatlyn hula ,i this day She agrees were coLierred 2LA.—A. E. Corpw. M.i'.—Auguttas Lake, B.A.—F. J. Fitzwygrcin, F. B. Frbeh, R. P. Hooper, C. W. Hough, Trinity; W. C. L. Aspinall, E. W. Clark, R. Howard, St. John's; J. F. Green, St. Peter's; Rush worth Batley, G. W. Aspen, J. T. LI, Delafuns, T. R. Eaton, Corpus; E. A. Gattie, Laurence Preston, ; W. Kendall, M. Fatey, F. Smith, Catherine; W. T. Nunn, H. Smelt, E. C. Wyvill, Jesus; C. Salisbury, Christ's; J. W. Holdsworth, C. R. Holmes, Magdalen; J. H. Hatfield, G. J. E. Riadore, Emmanuel; C. W. Bere, R. Parkinson, Sidney. At the same Congregation, the following grace passed tie Senate:—The Commissioners for building new churches being desirous of conveying, with the consent of the University, a quarter of an acre of land, formerly part of the Hulse estate, to the ini:iister and chapel wardens of Elworth for the site of a school and house; to affix the common seal to the requisite deed of convey ance in testimony of such consent." PLYMOUTH GREAT WESTERI DOCKS. The fifth ordinary half-yearly meeting of the share* holders was held on Feb. 12, at the office of the com pany, in Stouehouse—James Wentworth Buller, Esq , of Downes, in the chair. The meeting was respectably but not very numerously attended. The preliminary business having been gone through, the secretary, Mr. Edward Fielder, was called upon to read the reports. The directors' report stated that the company having been put into possession of the Millbay pier, at Michael mas last, under the contract with Mr. Gill, they had engaged permanent officials and appointed a secretary. The directors hoped that, by fixing a judicious and moderate scale of duties, and extending the accommoda tion which the pier afforded, a very considerable addi tion would be made to the existing trade. The directors to retire by rotation were Mr. David Derry, Colonel H. B. Harris, Mr. T. Gill, and Mr. It. M'Calmont, who were eligible for re-election. Mr. Jonathan Clouter, one of the auditors who retired, was also eligible for re election. The report of Mr. I K. Brunel, engineer, stated, that during the last six months the progress of the wurks had been satisfactory, as rapid as the season of the year, the weather, and the nature of the work would permit. The eastern portion of the south wall had been nearly completed, and the western pert commenced, and some progress made in it. The report then proceeded to say : the western side of the coffer-dam for the lucks has been constructed ; the eastern side is commenced, and preparations made for proceeding with the south ; and considerable progress has also been made with the ex cavations for the main sewers required on each side of the bay ; and the masonry of the east sewer commenced. During the last fortnight the contractor has suspended his work. It is impcssible for me here to enter into the consideration of the reasons which he appears to have had for doing so ; but I trust that it will shortly be resumed, that the delay will not have been great, and that no other inconvenience will result. The pier has required some repairs; the masonry at the extremity had been much damaged by the action of the sea; this has been rebuilt in a substantial manner. Much of the timber has also been destroyed by the worm, not withstanding the usual precautions adopted in the origi nal construction of the pier. In the repair of this, I have adopted a plan which would admit more easily of repla cing any parts that might be again injured; but the ex perience of several years confirms my expectation that the use of creosote in the preparation of the timber will protect it completely from this cause of destruction. The rubble bank in which the pier is built has received and still requires some additional quantity of stone, which will be thrown in as opport u niti es f or o b ta i n i ng i t f rom the basin may occur. With these precautions I. believe the p er wilt soon be placed in a substantial state of repair.". The balance-sheet showed that there had been re ccipts on account of calls to the amount of 37,2221. 2;. Id. On the, side of payments there had been expenses in curred before and in obtaining the Act, 4 591/.; Parlia mentary expenses in 1848, 550/. ; law charges, 746/. ; land and compensation, 13,4114; engineering expenses, 1,599/. ; works, 15,314/. ; interest on shares, 478/. ; balance at bankers, &c., 2401., making, with a few small items, a balance of the account. The report of the directors, and the statement of ac coutts, were then adopted, and ordered to be printed ; and the directors and auditors, whose names are men tioned above, were then re-elected. This closed the business of the general meeting. An extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders was then held, for the parpose of authorising the direc tors to borrow on mortgage or bond such sums as they were authorised to borrow by the Act; and a resolution for borrowing 30,0001. was agreed to. In reply to a question from Mr. May, it was stated that the works had been stopped by the contractor, and not by the directors, or through any Rant of funds on their part. But it was believed that the stoppage was only temporary. It was further stated, that the South Devon Railway Company had not paid their calls, but the Great Western and the Bristol and Exeter Cotn panics had paid a call in advance, which was in the na ture of a loan to the South Devon Company, and more than covered the dcbt due from them. On the motion of Admiral PAsco, a vote of thanks was given to the Chairman, and the meeting broke up. NOTICE TO MARINERS. Admiralty, Feb. 14. Sir,—l am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit to you, for the information of the Committee for Managing Affairs of Lloyd's, the enclosed copy of a letter from her Majesty's Consul at St. Michael's, stating that the shoal supposed to exist near that island could not be discovered, two British shipmasters having been sent to try and discover it. - (Signed) - IL G. WARD. Capt. G. A. Halsted, RN., Secretary, Lloyd's. St. Michael's, Jan. 22, 1849. My Lord,--With reference to my dispatch No. 2, of the 4th inst., I have the honour to Lequaint your Lord ship that, thinking it of the highest importance to 13ritieh trade that the existence of the shoal, which formed the subject of that dispatch, should be proved or disproved as soon as possible, I induced the masters of the British vessels Prospero, of Lon don, and Aolus, of Guernsey, to proceed to survey the quarter in which it was said to have been seen. They returned yesterday from a week's cruising, having passed repeatedly over and near its alleged place, without finding any discolouration of the water or other indication of a shoal. But they stated that they saw during bad weather frequent heavy breaking seas, like the " Overran' of the Gut of Gibraltar, which might be easily mistaken, even at a short distance, for breakers. I trust that it may be considered as satisfactorily shown by the tracks of the two ships, as laid down in the inclosed chart, that such a mistake was made by the shipmasters whose reports I had the honour to transmit to your Lordship, and that there is nothing to endanger the passage of ships between this island and Terceira. It is probable that the meeting of the tidal and At lantic currents, which, it will be seen from the small chart introduced, cross each other at right angles in this quarter, may make such appearances a regular ac• companiment of bad weather. (Signed) THOMAS CAREW HUNT. Viscount Palmerston, G.C.8., &c. The private advices as well as the newspaper de details by the Canada, although they bring no positive intelligence later than the 22d of November from Cali fornia, are extremely interesting. It was a curious fact that up to the sailing of the steamer, the gold from the mines received in the United States did not exceed 100,000 dollars, while the amount of specio taken by the swarms of adventurers who had already sailed was upwards of 500,000 dolls.; goods and provisions having also been shipped to the estimated value of 5,000,000 or 6,000,000 dolls. Under these circumstances it was felt that unless considerable arrivals of gold should soon take place a severe pressure might ensue, since the goods sent off, and for which the returns can only come at a distant date, must be supplied by fresh importa Lions that will call for remittances. The disappointment at the non-arrival of any large parcels from the mines had been used by those who have endeavoured from the first to throw discredit on the whole affair to justify their distrust, but there were no apparent means by which any such supplies couid have been expected, while at the same time all the additional statements which had trans pired from indirect channels tended not only to confirm the former accounts of the discovery, but also to increase the estimates of its results. The latest accounts appear to be contained in a letter dated Mazatlan, Dec. 20; but as this gives no date in connexion with its news from San Francisco, it is only from the circumstance of its mentioning a fall of snow that there is reason to suppose it to reach beyond the advices already received. PIRATES IN THE WEST INDIES.—The captain and crew of the British schooner Bittern arrived at Yar mouth, Nova Scotia, a short time a go , f rom the West Indies, gives the following account of the loss of their vessel:—About the 22d of December, when off Sabe a , near St. Thomas's, they discovered near them a raking, piratical-looking schooner, filled with negroes, which sailed round them several times, apparently to recon noitre, and endeavoured to draw them from the land. From the proceedings on board the strange vessel, the captain and crew of the Bittern had no doubt that the supposed pirates intended to board their vessel, and, therefore, as soon as night set in, they abandoned her, taking with them what money and valuables they could carry in a boat, and landed at Sabea. The governor the next day dispatched a schooner in pursuit of the pirate. Both the Bittern and the pirate vessel had, however, dis appeared. It is supposed that the pirates boarded the Bittern, robbed h( r of all that was valuable, and then scuttled her. The crew of the Bittern were taken to Yarmouth in the British schooner Osier.--Boston 'Fran script. TUE PARISII of BERMONDSEY.—On Friday the adjourned meeting of the ratepayers of this parish for the election of Commissioners, under the Bermondsey Improvement Act, was held in the Committee-room, Russell-street. The meeting had been adjourned from Wednesday last for the purpose of taking a poll for the respective candidates. Shortly after ten o'clock, W. Lambert, Esq., took the chair. The poll having been formally opened, Mr. Drew, the clerk, read a letter from Mr. C. Legg, stating that he was authorised on the part of Mr. G. Porter, Mr. Fauutleroy, Mr. Christie, Mr. Bathe, and Mr. C Challis, they not vsi s hi ng to create any disturbance or excitement in the parish, to withdraw any further opposition, and they would now retire from the contest. The following gentlemen were then declared to be duly elected as Bermondsey- Improvement Commis sioners (being the candid a t es proposed by the Rate payer's Association) :—Mr. W. lleykes, Mr. Richard Harris, Mr. S. Watkins, Mr. W. Hooper, and Mr. E. Hunt. Thanks were then voted to the chairman, anti the meeting bruit* up. FROM THE LOYDON GAZETTE TI.TESDAY. 1)1 1 111)ENI)t% At the Court, .Basieglia:l-ztrec J. t Hassel;, j un , Whittlecea, lie of Ely,. Cambridge- Aire, builder, March 16, at clic-Ir. L. Beesusi:ll, Bensusau, J. L. Benstisan, and J. L Bensusan, Magda• len-row, Great Prescott -street, Goodman's , fields, mer chants, March 1:3, at eleven—W. Iloole, St. James's walk, Clerkenwell, metal tool merchant, March 14, et twelve—T. Ridgway, Huddersfield, wool merchant, March 15, at half-past one—R. Dutton, Sambrook -court, Basinghafi-street, wool broker, March 15, at two—G. Hithe, Kent, grocer, March 13, at ene. In the Country. Anne Evans, Raglan, Monmouthshire, victualler, March 16, at eleven, at the Court, Bristol—J. Philp, Bristol, wholesale stationer, March 16, at eleven, at the Court, Bristol—B. Fen wick, Newcastle- upon-Ty ne, linen draper, March 15, at the Court, Newcastle-upon- Tyne—J. Bet kley, Newcastle-upon-Tyle, March 15, at half-past ten, at the Court, Newcastle . upon-Tyne—T. Dalt( n, Darlington, Durham, rope manufacturer, March 15, at one, at the Court, Newcastle-upon -Tyne—T. Nesbitt and R. C. Nesbitt, Sunderland, Durham, brewers, March 15, at twelve, at the Court, Newcastle-upon ne—C. Cradock, Darlington, Durham, ropemaker, March 15, at eleven, at the Court, Newcastle-upon-Tyne —G. Atkins, Liverpool, brewer, March 19, at eleven, at the Court, Liverpool—W. Croudson, Wigan, Lanca shire, iron•tnerchant, March 14, at twelve, at the Court, Manchester—l?. Ellerbeek, Pilkington, Lancashire, cot ton spinner, March 14, at eleven, at the Court, Manches ter—J. Coop, Radcliffe, Lancashire, timber merchant, March 14, at twelve, at the Court, Manchester—J. Rang ford, Leamington Priors, Warwickshire, coal merchant, March 22, at twelve, at the Court, Birmingham—J. Brett, Spilsby, Lincolnshire, grocer, March 21, at half paat ten, at the Town•hall, Kingston-upon -Hull—W. Ellam, jun., Birmingham, patent cock founder, March 14, at twelve, at the Court, Birmingham—T. Lay, Dudley, Worcestershire, grocer, March 14, at twelve, at the Court, Birmingham. PAYMENT OF DIVIDENDS. P. J. Antill, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, wine and spiri merchant, 9d. (in addition to Is. 6d., previously de clared), any Saturday, between the hours of ten and three, at the office of Mr. Baker, Newcastle upon-Ty ne . C. Allen, St. Ives, Cornwall, ironmonger, 4s. 6d., any Tuesday, between the hours of eleven and two, at the office of Mr. Hirtzell, Exeter. 11. W. Hayes, Tei,gnmouth, Devonshire, 3s. 4d., any Tuesday, between the hours of eleven and two, at the office of Mr. Hirtzel, Exeter, G. Goddard, Leicester, tea dealer and grocer, 2a. 5d., any Wednesday, between the hours of eleven and two, at the office of Mr. Graham, Coleman -street. J. Roberts, Liverpool, ironmonger, 2s. Bd., Wednes day Feb. 28, or any subsequent Wednesday, between the hours of eleven and two, at the office of Mr. Morgan, Liverpool. W. Ilignett, Liverpool, tobacconist, 11d., Wednesday, Feb. 28, or any subsequent Wednesday, between the hours of eleven and two, at the office oi! Mr. Morgan, Liverpool. R. Ruberts, Denbigh, innkeeper, 41d., and first and second dividend of 3s. Bth, and 41d. on new proofs, Wednesday, Feb. 28, or any subsequent Wednesday, between the hours of eleven and two, at the office of Mr. Morgan, Liverpool. T. Bishten, Kilsale, Shropshire, ironmaster, 3s. lid., any Thursday, between the hours of eleven and three, at the office of Mr. Christie, Birmingham. J. B. I3rowne, Newcastle-under-Lyme, wine and spirit merchant, Is. Bd., any Thursday, between the hours of eleven and three, at the office of Mr. Valpy, Birmingham. NOTICES OF CERTIFICATES. At the Court, Basiughall-street. W. Abbott and W. Abbott, jun., Bermondsey street, patent hair felt manufacturers, March 16, at half-past eleven—G. T. Saltmarsh, Houndsditch, wine and spirit merchant, March 16, at twelve—C. Story, jun., High. street, Bow, and High. street, Poplar, hatter, March 16, at eleven. In the Country. J. T. Bourne, Dill - torn, Staffordshire, earthenware dealer, March 20, at eleven, at the Court, Birmingham. At the Court of Review, March 13. G. Benda, Camomile -street, City, importer of foreign goods—W. Wood, Waddington, Lincolnshire, licensed victualler —A. Butterfield, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, builder—W. Evans, Sheffield, tuble knife manufacturer —S. C. Aaron, Brighton, auctioneer—H. Searle, Beau mont-street, Oxford -street, tailor and draper—J. T. Harrison, Haydon-street, Minories, cooper —E. G. Hone, Liverpool, licensed victualler. PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED. Harriet Cockroft and Jane Batley, Huddersfield, mil liners and dressmakers—J. Peacock, E. C. Jepson, J. - 6 . Copley, and G. Copley, Gainsborough, Yorkshire, wharfingers (so far as regards .J. Peacock and E. C. Jep son)—C. R. Huxley and E. Huxley, Vere-street, Cavan dish-square, shirt and surgical stocking makers—Naomi Mary Langridge and Amelia Langride, Bristol, stay manufacturers—W. Watt and T. H. Watt, Deal, apothecaries—H. Beattie and W. Briggs, Liverpool, contractors—T. Poole and T. Fenson, North-street, Edgeware-road, greengrocers—J. Grower and W. Hill, Kingston-upon-Hull and Leeds, linen and woollen drapers—J. Parker and H. Parker, Shipston-upon-Stour, Worcestershire, joiners and builders—J. Broadhurst and W. Green, Stoke-upon. Trent, Staffordshire, earthen ware manufacturers—A. S. Evans, D. Evans, B. Evans, and It Wigans, metal and colour dealers (so far as re gards B. Evans)—S. Loxton and C. Loxton, Birming ham, japanners—J. Tilson and J. Monknian, Scarbo , borough, Yorkshire, cabinet makers and upholsterers-- T. Allen and M. A. Simpson, Aisgarth, Yorkshire, joiners and cabinet makers —W. Coulthurst and AL Pogget, Higher Broughton, Lancashire, joiners and builders —R. Channon, jun., T. Channon, and R. Chan' non, Bristol, livery stable keepers (so far as regards R. Cha.nuon, jun.)—W. Cooper and E. Criek:nay, Nor wich, surgeons and apothecaries--R. IVitty and G. Dodds, Great Driffield, tailors and drapers—B. Bache and W. :dillward, Moor-lane Colliery, Staffordshire, coal masters—J. Thorne and J. Keevil, Bristol, linen drapers—Hannah Haekitt, Sarah Darnill, and J. W. Darnill, Reading, milliners and dressmakers—T. Brodie and J. Forsyth, Berwick-upon-Tweed, ship and in* surance brokers—H. Hoyle and G. Hardman, Roch dale, cotton manufacturers—G. Roe and C. Waller, omnibus proprietors—J. Hatchett, sen., and J. Hatchett, jun., Savage-gardens, ship and insurance brokers. INSOLVENT PETITIONERS. John Sargeant, Barrow-upon-Humber, Lincolnshire, farmer. Henry Slater, King's Norton, Worcestershire, umbrella furniture -maker. Philip Mann, Birmingham, dealer in iro nmongery . Richard Deaki n , Birmingham, baker. John Westwood, Brampton, Huntingdonshire, dissenting minister. William John Bennison, Kingston•upon-Hull, victualler' Thomas Gibson, Kingston. upon-Hull, auctioneer. William Wilkinson, Kingston-upon-Hull, furniture broker. John Batty, King s t on - upon -H u l l, superintendent o f pub he baths. Benjamin Russell, Kingston -upon-Hull, grocer. James William Bogie, jun., Woodchurch, Ches hire ' Thomas Webb Gilson, Kingston-upon-Hull, butcher. Henry Ibbotson, Sheffield, brace-bit manufacturer. Juhn Russell, Sheffield, watchmaker. John Hague, Sheffield, brush manufacturer. John Bishop, Birmingham, boatman. Henry Clark, Holbeach, Lincolnshire, journeyman brick la) er. John Howard, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, hair dresser. David Mouusey, Birmingham, commission agent. Thomas Cropper, Linton, Derbyshire. James Edmund Currey, Newchureh, Isle of Wight. SCOTCEI SEQUESTRATIONS. J. Lyell, Aberdeen, ironmonger, to meet within the Royal Hotel, Aberdeen, Feb. 24 and March 20, at two. P. Brown, Edinburgh, printer, to meet within Steven' son's Sale-rooms, Edinburgh, Feb. 24 and March 17, at twelve. T. Gray, Glasgow, surgeon, to meet within the Star Hotel, Glasgow, Feb. 23 and Mgch 16, at one, J. Cameron, Dingwall, printer, to meet within the Caledonian Hotel, Dingwall, March 1 and 22, at two. J. Pattison, Edinburgh, writer to the signet, to weet within the Wattrloo Hotel, Edinburgh, Feb. 26 and March 19, at two. 1). and Jessie Hannah, Irvine, merchants, t o meet within the King's Arms Inn, Irvine, Feb. 24 and March 19, at twelve. J. Pearce, Edinburgh, dealer in railway shares, to meet within the Royal Exchange Coffee-house, Edio' burgh, Feb. 19 and March 21, at two. PRINCE'S THEATRE Rorer., GLASGOW.—.A grog! military ballet d' ac ti on , f oun d e d upon the popular song 01 Jeanette and Jeannot, was produced here with groat success a few evenings back, and has proved one of th e most successful hits of the season. Miss Lonsdale per sonates Jeanette with so much sweetness of expression as to gain the plaudits of all parts of the House. Miss Massed, as Maria a vivandiere, was remarkably sprightly ; her spirited execution of the Cracovienn e proved quite exhilarating. Inn mock polka with Mr' Lloyd she is also very clever, and receives much applause' She is a great favourite with the good people of Glas gow. Miss Fairbrother sustained the part of Jesnno' very excellently. The business here is excellent. A large number of the p o li ce-constables on tile Great Western Railway have been discharged during th e past wet le, in pursuanc e o f a system of the strietes' , economy, which is being carried out in every depart' merit of the establishment. CLASSICAL CLERKS. One day this week, M r Miller, the official assig nee, ment i oned to Mr. Sergea n t Ludlow a " fi x" i u w hi ch he was, in consequence 01 bankrupt, an apothecary, having made out his account° in that wretched jargon —medical Latin, which is o nly ( quailed by th e b arbaric absurdities of the tintiquo,,'°,,-„ —Norman F renc h —used in our courts of law. 1- Learned Se rgeant laughed at! the dilemma, and said , thought that the Bankruptcy Act should have rendere d it compul sory on off i cial assignees to have good classicsi scholars for their clerks.-13ristol Journal. THE WEATHER. —Since our last, the weather bri g been variable. Saturday was a beautiful spring day. Sun: dry wa s g l oomy, and some rain tell during t h e morni Monday was c hi e fl y c h aracter i sed b y a high wind, and .IN it became lulled, slight showers fell. Yesterday was glowi%; with occasional showers of rain. In the telegraphic report of of the weathe r y es t er d ay morn i ng, from different parts the kingdom, th ere i s cons id era b le variation ; f i ne in so places; cloudy and dull in others ; and, in a few, Eli„. weather prevailing :—Glasg ow , S . W ., s li g h t ra i n ; . burgh, W., very cold; Newcastle, W., tine; York, S erve , fine; Leeds, S., cloudy; Normancon, S., cloudy; S.W., tine ; Dereham, S., cloudy ; N orw i c h, W., frost ; mouth, N. W., fine; Lowestof:„ W., cloudy; St. Ivo, i _ s _ tine ; Cambridge, W., cloudy ; S. W., tine; i c r., ; with, N.W. by W., cloudy ;; Chelmsford, S.W. , c l °, l . \ Hertford, S.W., fin e; Londo S.W., fine; Gosport cloudy; Portsmouth, S.W., c iu sdy; S ou thampton, 11 4 : 4 dull.—Manchester Guardi an . ! ~y [LEFT SPEAKING.] EXCHEQUER.-(THIS DAY.) (Continued from our Afternoon Edition.) '4 GRAPES 5. BUNNEY. The verdict in this case was for the plaintiff on firs issue, damages 101.; second, for defendant. ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL FOR LUNATlCS.—Yesterday the annual general meeting of this institution was held in the George and Vulture Tavern, Cornhill, Henry Francis Shaw Lefevre, Esq., in the chair. The minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, the secretary proceeded to read the report, from w hich it appears that 325 persons have been under the medical care of the hospital during the year. Of these IC6 were completely cured, and 22 relieved. The number of deaths which took place during the year was nine. From a minute calculation made by the committee, it appears that the number of patients annually cured by the insti tution for some time past has been 58 s.9ths per cent., and that only 6 1-12th per cent. have yearly died. The receipts for the year were 8,7421. 4s. Bd., and the dis bursements amounted to 6,8601.45. 4d., leaving a balance in the treasurer's hands of 1,8821. Os. 4d. The report having been unanimously adopted, the following resolu tion was laid before the meeting:—" That this commit tee accept with deep regret the resignations of Mr. and Mrs. Stinton, the surgeon and matron; and at the same time record, in the strongest manner, our high appro bation of the strict integrity and exemplary kindness with which they have discharged their arduous duties;" which being agreed to, the proceedings terminated by passing a vote of thanks to the chairman. MEETING OF AGRICULTURISTS AT REIGATE.-011 Tuesday a meeting took place at the White Hart Hotel. for the purpose of taking into consideration " the state of agricultural distress, and to devise some measures for alleviating the sufferings produced by the extreme injustice of (partial) free trade and the peculiar burdens oppressing the agricultural interests." Tenant-farmers !rem the adjoining counties of Kent and Sussex attended the meeting, special invitations having been sent to them for that purpose. J. W. Freshfield, Esq., (one of the candidates at the last election for the city of Lon don), was called to the chair. Mr. Paul Foskett, the principal speaker, stated that there was not a farmer among the large body before them who was not living on his capital. He demanded a national poor-rate, and the abolition of the malt•-tax and the hop-uuty, which he proposed to make up by an additional 2 per cent. income tax on real property, and a probate duty on landed estates. Various resolutions were passed in unison with the feelings of the meeting, and there is to be a more general assemblage at Epsom on the 28th inst. NEW COUNTY GAOL FOR SURREY.—Last night a meeting of the rate-payers of St. Mary, Lambeth, was held at the Horns' Tavern, Kennington, to take into consideration the proposed building of a new gaol for the county of Surrey, at a cost of 120,0001. T. Alcock, Esq., one of the county Members, bad promised to pre side. A certificate &cm that gentleman's medical ad viser, setting forth that sudden indisposition prevented his presence, having been read to the meeting, Mr. Hunt, the senior churchwarden of St. Mary's, was voted to the chair. Mr. Taylor moved the first reso. Waal], to the effect " that at such a period when all classes are labouring under such excessive difficulties, arising from local and general taxation, the pro posed enormous outlay in the erection of a new pri son was an uncalled for and useless expenditure of public money." Mr. Wyld seconded the resolution. C. Pearson, Esq., M.P., supported the resolution. The Government had declared the Pentonville experiment a failure, and he did not see why the county magistracy should seek to perpetuate it. The resolution was adopted, as also several others condemnatory of the pro posed outlay. It was also resolved that a petition should be forwarded to T. Alcock, Esq , M,P., for pre sentation to the House of Commons, praying for a uni form system of prison discipline. A deputation, in cluding Mr. C. Pearson, M.P., was appointed to wait on Sir G. Grey, to call his attention to the proposed erec tion. Thanks were voted to the chairman, and the meting separated. SUPPLY OF HEEEINGe—For some time past there have been large shoals of herrings in the Frith of Forth, particularly off and 2 . .beve the Queensferry, forming a rich winter harvest for the fishermen. Some boats' crews aro capturing from twenty-five to thirty barrels per day. The herrings are being sold throughout the town at five for a penny. Our market has generally been supplied with winter herrings, but they were in general much smaller in size than what they are this season. The reason why they are larger may be accounted for thus : During former times, the fishermen, under the pre tence of fishing for garvies, which are not easily di tinguished from young herrings, were in the habit of drawing out of the sea many hundred tons of young herring soil, along with the garvies. So great was the quantities caught at times, that they were actually disposed of as manure. The Fishery Board having been made acquainted with these reckless proceedings last year a complete stop was put to the system of garvie catching. The beneficial results are now apparent. The soil have had leave to grow into tolerable sized herrings, such as are now sold to the public at so reasonable a rate.—Caledonian Mercury. Irish questions are again taking up a great part of the time of the House of Commons, and, we fear, are as tar from a final settlement as ever. The Habeas Corpus Act is again suspended and more money is granted. But this only secures a short parenthesis in the turbulent history of Irish politics. We cannot practise mingled coercion and tribute-paying for ever. The savage growl heard on Monday night in the House of Commons, against the new grant demanded, was too significant to be either mistaken or misinterpreted. On the same night, too, there crept out a curious proof of the mendicant propensities of some of the Irish landlords, which will no longer allow us to wonder at that preference which some of the humbler classes give to a tramp life over one of honest industry. A number of the Society of Friends, with that philanthropy for which they are so remark able, are anxious to try the experiment of Irish capabi lities by buying estates and employing labour upon them. This is made matter of accusation against them. And why? They are about to demonstrate to the world what the Irish soil can produce when properly cultivated, and what Irish industry can effect when duly stimulated and paid. And, what will be the consequence of this awful intrusion into the realms of the sluggard? " Othello's occupation will be gone." Irish landlords will have " to go and do likewise," instead of besieging the Treasury with their hats in their hands, praying for alms from year's end to year's end. Can we, then, wonder at their horror and anger.—Albion Liverpool. THE Cow•aETCHER.—I left Baltimore by the late night-train for Washington. For two-thirds of the way, we went on smoothly enough; but when within about ten miles of Washington, a violent jerk to the whole train apprised us that that we had run against some thing, not, however, sufficiently formidable to bring us to a sudden halt, or to dislodge us from the line. The engine-driver gradually slackened speed, and on stopping the train, we discovered that we had run against a cow, which had been lying on the line. "Sure on't," said the driver, as soon as he had satisfied his curiosity. " You seem familiar with such accidents," I observed; "are they frequent ? " "Now and then of a night," said he, "we do run agin somethin of the kind, but they gin'rally manage to get the worst pn't."—"But do they never throw you off the rail ?" I icquired. " They seem to take a plea sure in doin' it when they find us without the cow ketcher," he replied. On walking to the front of the engine I discovered what the " cow-ketcher" was. Utterly unprotected as American railways are, either by fences or police, the presence of this device is a very necessary precaution in the case of all night-trains. It is appended to the front of the l ocomot i ve, and consists of a strong iron grating, turned up a little at the project ing points, which is made to trail along the line a few inches from the rails. It is by no means uncommon, on arriving at a station, to find a sheep or a hug dead or dying in it. A cow or. a horse is too formidable an ob stacle to be run against without being observed. On this occasion, the unfortunate cow was lifted off the rail, on which it had been lying, but its body was frightfully lacerated by the process. " I can stand a hog, but them 'ere cows are the devil to pay," said the stoker, as he pro ceeded, with the help of some others, to drag the carcass off the machine, and deposit it by the side of the line. " Might they not as well take it into Washington now?" I observed to one of the bystanders. " I suppose they would," said he, " but that they want to leave room for the next;" a remark which enabled me certainly to resume my place with a very comfortable feeling of security.— The Western World. DUBLIN METROPOLITAN POLICE.—A Parliamentay return issued yesterda y shows that the total amount ex pended on account of the Dublin Metropolitan Police Force was, in 1847, 71,7221., against 73,2891. in 1846, and 73,543/. in 1845. The amount expended on account of the police magistratcs and magistrates of Dublin was 1,7071., against 1,723/. in 1846, and 1,8781. in 1845. LEEDS, FEB. 20.—Our market to-day has not pre sented any new features; business continues sound, and the improved tone holds good. Thera has been a good deal doing in the warehouses these last few days; but at the Cloth Halls very little, for reasons often alluded to.—Mancheder Guardian, , CA We Paper: the 19 Moult Calout Vices t tro o p, still h( able p howev Untanu UC H if t Op.ral eeedin, Siege , bayou( Lured 1 issue - enemy week— Operati The Th2teri: cept th oceupi( Res;tiou, seeing left in tl tc.wn ac "Rini; E. y o tin " NVOi afantry llayfair Native 1 Native 13 0tn i riant G. tillery, 32d Foo Infantr) and 121 11014 t 0 1