The Sun. — London, England, 1849-02-23 00:00:00

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 ten "crown-lands," 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 xeneral 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 finaneial administration. The Diet at Kremsier have negatived the demand of the Minister of Justice, that the Diet would permit of his impeaching the Deputy Kaim 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 Y. By three decrees of the 9th of 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. LAW 'INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF EXCHEQUER, Feb, 22. GRAPES V. BURNEY. (Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) The verdict in this case was for the plaintiff on first issue, damages 101.; second, for defendant. ' SHERIFFS' COURT. Feb. 22. (Before Mr. Under-Sheriff BIIACHELL.) SMITH V. CARRELL. This was tln action to recover the sum of 20/. on a ' guarantee. The defendant suffered judgment to go by default. Timpnly question raised was, whether the plaintiff w*%*titled to recover interest without notice having been given. The.UNDER-SHERIFF thought that it would be on , 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 51. 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 UNDEU-SIZERIFF said that they had nothing to do with that, but if the action had been improperly brought, 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. Tho other cases were undefended. EAST AND WEST INDIA DOCKS AND BIRMINGHAM JUNCTION RAILWAY. The usual half-yearly general meeting of this company was held yesterday 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 bad 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 been let, wero progressing most satisfactorily. A fourth contract had just been let for constructing the works at 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 the 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. 13s. 4j., and the expenditure to 95,845/. 4s. 6d. The total receipts up to the present time yielded 347,3891. 12s. Id., and the expenditure amounted to 330,7751. 7s. 2d., leaving 16,613/. 4s. 11d. in hand. In answer to questions, The CHAIRMAN stated that the directors had 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 thena 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 CHAIRMAN, however, said, in the present state of the market, it was not expedient to adopt that course, but the 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. HANICEY 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 lease the line at once, he had no doubt the arrears would . be immediately paid up. The CHAIRMAN 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 hoped that ere long the arrangement would be brought to a favourable termination. . After some further discussion a motion for the adop • of the report was agreed to. A: resolution was then passed authorising the directors to borrow money not exceeding the sum of 200,0004, not however without a protest from a shareholder, who cora l:qui:led that the resolution would only benefit the East and West India Docks 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 .borrow money. . The retiring directors and auditors were then re elected, and thanks having been voted to the Chairman, the meeting terminated. THE Cow-KETCFIES.--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 us 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 ng,in somethin' of the kind, but they gin'rally manage to get the worst on't."—"But do they never throw you off the rail?" I inquired. " They seem to take a plea sure in. Join' i t w h en t h ey fi n d us w i t h out 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 fener.s or police, the presence of this device is a very necessary precautio n in the ease of all 'night-trains. It is appended to the front of the locomotive, and consists c,f 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 s h eep or a hog dead or dying in it. A cow or a horse is to o f orm i dable an ob • stacle to be run again s t with out 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 but them can nid stand a h the stok o e g r , • 'ere cows are the devil to pay , " pro ceeded, with the help of some sa by others, the to sidedr agnifhetheecarcasslihe it off the machine, and deposit it " Might th e y no t as well take int ' o Washington now?" I observed to ono of the bystanders. " I suppose they would," s a id b e , " b u t that they want to leave room f orthe next;" a remark which enabled me certainly to resume my place with a very comfortable feeling of security. — The Western World. NEW COUNTY GAOL FOR SURRET.—Wednesday 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 tho county Members, had promised to pre side. A certificate from that gentleman's medical ad viser, setting forth that sudden indisposition prevented his presence, having been read to the meeting, Mr. Hun!, the senior churchwarden of St. Mary's, was votrA to the chair. Mr. Taylor moved the first reso lution, to the effect " that at such a period when all o .asses are labouring under such excessive difficulties, :arising from local and general taxation, the pro posed enormous outlay in the erection of a new pri • 8 ?." was an, uncalled fir an 4 useless exp en dit ure of public money." C. P earson, Es q., M Mr W .1d seconded the re so l u ti on . .P.; supported the resolution. The Government had d-clared the Pentanville experiment a failure, and he did not perpetuate why the county magistracy should seek to u o a ti te it. The resolution was adopted, us- also severalPe aliesors condemnatory of the pro posed. outlay. It Alen re e s k ol i v , ed that a petition shonld be forwarded to T. see ation to the louse of Common's "qM,P.,f. for pre- A praying deputation,oa u fo r m system of prison discipline.' M.P., vvas appointed to wat on. • e luding Mr. C. Pearson, in- Sir G. Grey, to call his attention to the proposed erec tion. Thanks were voted to the chairman, and the meeting separated. • DUBLIN METROPOLITAN POLICE.—A Parliatnentay return issued yesterday shows that the total amount ex. Fended on account of the Dublin Metropolitan Police Voroe Was, in 1847, 71,722/, against 73,289/. in 1846, and 73 , 5 431. in 1845. The amount expended on account of the police magistrates and magistrates of Dublin was 1,70 74 agalaii 1,723/. in 1846, and 1,87 V. in 1845. UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE. CAMBRIDGE, FEB. 21.—At a Congregation holden this day the following degrees were conferred:— M.A.—A. R. Thomas, Corpus. M.B.—Augustus Drake, Caius. B.A.—F. J. Fitzwygram, F. B. Frank, 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 ...oral Batley, G. W . . Aspen, J. T. 11, Delafons, T. R. Eaton, Corpus; E.A. Gattie, Laurence Preston, Queen's; W. Kendall, M. Patey, 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 the Senate:—The Commissioners for building new churches being desirous of conveying, with the consent of the University, a quarter of an acre of laud, formerly a part of the Hulse estate, to the minister 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 Stonehouse—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 inns 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. B. MbCalmont, 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 works 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 p trt commenced, and some progress made in it. The report then proceeded to say:— " l'he western side of the coffer-dam for the locks 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 impossible 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 bo 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 opportunities for obtaining it from the basin may occur. With these precautions I believe the pier will soon be placed in a substantial state of repair." The balance-sheet showed that there had been re ceipts on account of calls to the amount of 37,2221.25. ld. 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, 13,411/.; engineering expenses, 1,5991. ; works, 15,3141. ; interest on shares, 4781. ; 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 counts, 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 purpose 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 want 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 Com panies 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 debt due from them. On the motion of . Admiral PASCO, a vote of thanks was given to the Chairman, and the meeting broke up. THE SUN, LONDON, THE BRITISH BANK. In another part of our paper will be found an announce ment of much importance to all persons engaged in trade, but who, though otherwise most respectable, do not,fromlong standing and success in life, enjoy the reputation of being undoubtedly A. I. with the private bankers, nor even with the more liberal joint-stock banks in London. It is now seven and twenty years ago since the introduction of the joint-stock principle in banking was first mooted in England; but the success of the principle was hopeless then, because the Bank had by charter a most injurious monopoly of banking. No other bank was allowed to have more than six partners—a restriction which at one blow pre vented capital from being employed in banking, and turned over the business of banking to parties who were most incompetent to conduct it from their want of capital. And this monopoly of the Bank did a still greater mischief. It kept a vast deal of capital idle and unproductive, and thereby prevented the due employment of labour. But the storm came on the Bank of England at last. It caught them at the latter end of 1825; they were compelled to beg and pray of Mr. liuskisson, Lord Liverpool, and Mr. Canning for liberty to suspend cash payments; but those Ministers were too wise to implicate themselves in any such transaction ; they told the Bank fairly that they had brought themselves into the hobble by sticking to their charter and disallowing a free trade in banking, and that they (the Government) would not help them, even though the Bank should reduce the nation to a state of barter. Mr. Canning and Lord Liverpool died in a year or two ; but they had left a Treasury minute for their successors. The consequence was, that joint-stock banking was imported by Mr. Joplin into England. It had already worked well with the Provinciarßank of Ireland ; and all sensible men saw that it would work equally well in England. Still, nevertheless, the Bank had influence enough to keep a radius of sixty-five miles around London to themselves; and it was only after a Committee of the House of Commons of 1832 sat to inquire into the renewal of the Bank Charter, that joint-stock banks could be established in London. And even then, as now, the practice introduced was far from being perfect. The Scotch system of cash credits has not been acted upon by any of the present London joint-stock banks. The principle of that system is this. Any person who has real property can become security for a person engaged in trade, the tradesman of course having a drawing account to the amount of the security. There are a few details which we need not mention here; for we wish to impress on the public the great value of enlisting the activity and enter prise of young men by allowing them to be assisted by those who, having performed their duty in life, are willing, on account of their faith in the integrity of their juniors, to pledge their name, credit, and property for the purpose. And there is another consideration of much weight. There is a great difficulty meeting every middle-elass trader when he wants discount for the most certain acceptances, which only amount to small sums, from 50/. to 2001. for instance. Every man of business knows this well in London, but people in the country know it much more. The British Bank will do what is wanted in this respect. The Chairman, Mr. Macgregor, the Member for Glasgow, and the late Secretary of the Board of Trade, is Chairman of the Bank. He understood the business well, and we hope to see him carry out the reform in banking, practically, as it ought to have been done two or three years ago.—Lon don Mercantile Journal. ST. LUKE'S HOSPITAL FOR LUNATlCS.—Wednes day the annual general meeting of this institution was held in the George and Vulture Tavern, Curnbill, 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 which it appears that 325 persons have been under the medical care of the hospital during the year. Of these 106 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 5-9 tbs 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 from 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-duty, 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. SUPPLY or HERRINGS'—For some time past there have been large shoals of herrings in the Frith of Forth, particularly off and above the Queensferry, forming a rich winter harvest for the fishermen. Some boats crews are 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 sm a ll e r in size than what they are this season. The reason why they are larger may be accounted for thus : Du - ring former times, the fishermen,- under the pre tence of fishing for garvies, which are not easily dis 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 far 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 i n th e i r h an d s, praying for alms from year's end to year's end. Can we, then, wonder at their horror and anger.—Anion Liverpool SOCIAL EQUALITY.—If there is much in the social development of America that strikes an European as different from that to which he has been accustomed, he should recollect that society, in the two hemispheres, rests upon very different bases. In the old world, where the feudal relations are still permitted so largely to in- fluence the arrangement of the social system, society presents an agglomeration of distinct parts, each having its determinate relation to the rest, and the members of each having the range of their sympathies confined to their own particular sphere. European society, in its different manifestations, is constituted, as it were, of a series of different layers, which, though in close con tact, only partially fuse into each other. The conse quence is, that, although a common tie of mutual de pendence unites the whole, there is no common feeling pervading it, each class looking chiefly within itself for its sources of enjoyment and intellectual gratification, and recognising the others more as political necessities than as social adjuncts. The sympathies of one order touch, but do not intertwine with those of another, each living within itself, as if it had no interest in common with the others, and holding little intercourse with them. This distinctiveness of class is also accompanied with an inequality of position, which exaggerates the pre vailing exclusiveness, and fetters the general relations of society with a constraint and formalism, which renders one class, by turns, arrogant and awkward, and the other supercilious and condescending. Within each the social graces are more or less cultivated, and the refinements of life more or less displayed; the constraint is visible at their line of contact, as mutual dislike is often found to pervade the borders of two civilized and amicable states. In its general aspect, therefore, the internal in tercourse of European society is less marked by kind ness than by formality, less regulated by sympathy than by rule. Very different from this are both the basis and the manifestation of society in America. There social inequality has never been a recognised principle, mould ing the social fabric into arbitrary forms and tyrannically influen c i ng eac h ot h er ' s pos i tion in the general 'scheme. Society in America started from the point to which society in Europe is only yet tending. The equality of man is, to this moment, its corner-stone. As often as it has exhibited any tendency to aberration, has it been brought back again to this intelligible and essential principle. American society, therefore, exhi bits itself in an indivisible whole, its general character istics being such as to mark each of the different classes into which European society is divided. That which developes itself with us as the sympathy of class, becomes in America the general sentiment of society. There is no man there whose position every other man does not understand; each has in himself the key to the feelings of his neighbour, and he measures his sympathies by his own. The absence of arbitrary inequalities banishea re straint from their mutual intercourse, whilst their mutual appreciation of each other's sentiments imparts a kind ness and cordiality to that intercourse, which in Europe are only to be found, and not always there, within the circle of class.— The Western World. DEATH OF PRINCE WALDEMAR OF PRUSSIA."... m Th a e r GazetteC a e f log p n r e assiafH e breathed announces t he is dlaeastthatofM u ns ter, Prin ce a f at her, a h l a d l e f: past three o'clock on the 1 7th inst., in the arms of his Prince William of Prussia, uncle of the present King, and ded from governor o t f h e M e a c y a e a n e (l c e a . e a e The eaaf Prince ar a was as 3 received The Prince was present at all the operations of the cam- Paigu against the 6eilshs, under Lord Hsrdinge. 2 years w h of age , hunting, and IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 22. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat upon the Wool sack at Five o'clock. Lord STANLEY presented several petitions against the repeal of the navication-laws. Lord BROUGHAM, in presenting a petition praying tor an extension of the principle of local courts, took occasion to express a wish that some measure might be adopted to remedy the abuses of the Palace Court. The Noma LORD also presented a petition praying for the adoption of measures to put down the African slave 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 trom 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 hope that an inquiry instituted in another place might afford a satisfactory explanation of those proceedings. If such satisfactory explanations were not afforded, it would become their Lordships' duty to take notice of the proceedings which had taken place in that island. 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) H. G. WARD. Capt. G. A. Halsted, R.N., 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 acquaint your Lord ship that, thinking it of the highest importance to British 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 .ZEolus, 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 " Overfall" 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 CABER 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 specie 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 imports tions 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 could 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 it I B ri r T it n is s h mentioning a fall of snow that there is reason to suppose to reach beyond the advices already received. PIRATES crew of W seh z : T one il ; D ß i i s t Bittern Th e r captain arrived a t ic a a n r d . ern a f r mouth, Nova Scotia, a short time Indies,, gives the following accounaigoi the e on l a o the West vessel:—About the 22d of Deeember, e t whe sa ff ?if Sa th be ir near St. Thomas's, they discovered nar the n piratical-looking schooner, filled with negr in o a ra king, w hich sailed round them several times, apparently e t e o ' 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 landed at Sabea. The governor th e next in a boat, and r inp ursuit e next day dispatched a sc oo of the pi ra t e . on vessel had, however, Both the Bittern and the pi rate dis appeared. It is supposed that the pirates boarded the Bittern, robbed her of all that was valuable, and th en scuttled her. The crew of the Bittern were taken to Yarmouth in the British schooner Osier.—Boston Tran• script. THE PARISH or 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 tho 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. Fauntleroy, Mr. Christie, Mr. Bathe, and Mr. Challis, they not wishing 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 candidates proposed by the Rate payer's Association) :—Mr. W. Deykes, Mr. Richard Harris, Mr. S. Watkins, Mr. W. Hooper, and Mr. E. Hunt. Thanks were then voted to the chairman, and the meeting broke up. FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 23, 1849. forward with his characteristic—( Hear, hear, and laughter)—what should he call it—for if he took in the whole scope of the Dictionary, it would be difficult to find a suitable word—(Laughter)—but he would say with his characteristic perseverance—that was a soft phrase ology—(Laughter) —not calculated to give offence— then, with his characteristic courage and perseverance, the Noble Earl had come forward to-night and said, as he expected he would, that he was quite satisfied with all that had taken place since 1846, and that in• stead of the results of the Government measures shak ing his convictions, they had rather confirmed them.— (Hear, hear.) If that was the case, ho would say he was most happy in the possession of a sanguine tem perament, which made the most trivial success have the same effect upon him as would the most splendid triumph. _ _ Lord BEAUMONT condemned the conduct of the Noble and Learned Lord who had just sat down, in re ferring to the colony of Ceylon in the way he had done, and without giving notice, when the interests of the colony and the character of the Governor were at stake. He could only draw the inference that the Noble and Learned Lord had prejudged the charge against Lord Torrington. LorcfBROUGIIAM repeated the explanation he had before given. __ _ Earl GREY said that after having heard the Noble and Learned Lord's account of what ho did say, he was of opinion that it was even more utterly unjustifiable than he had imagined. If the Noble and Learned Lord did not wish to give a notice, the way to do that was to say nothing.—(Hear.) There was no necessity for any of their Lordships to state their reasons for not giving a notice. But under cover of giving an explanation which nobody asked for, he took the opportunity—certain►y a very unusual thing with the Noble and Learned Lord— of making a speech—(Laughter)—and stating that un less a satisfactory account were given of Lord Torring ton's conduct, he should bring forward a motion with the view of criminating that Noble Lord. He did object that under such a cover the most offensive insinuations should be inferred.—(Hear.) _ Lord BROUGHAM said the Noble Earl appeared to be very anxious that the matter should be brought for ward, in order that he might defend Lord Torrington. He (Lord Brougham) had read the defence of Lord Tor rington in another place, and he must say that it ap peared to him to be worse than no defence at all. After a few words from the Bishop of OXFORD in reply, the motion was agreed to, and the Committee was nominated. 'INLAND REVENUE BILL. Earl GRANVILLE moved the second reading of this Bill. After a few worth from Lord BROUGHAM, the motion was agreed to. SLAVERY. The Bishop of OXFORD rose to move the appoint ment of a Select Committee to consider what mea sures should be adopted for the suppression of the African slave trade. lie believed the motion would not be opposed, but he felt bound briefly to state the reasons which had induced him to bring forward this motion. England bad, of late years, become aware of the enor mity of her guilt towards the African race, and as she had set the example of guilt, so she had determined to set the example of repentance, and to endeavour to induce other powers to join her in putting down the slave trade. But of late there had been an apathy existing on the subject in this country. It was easier to make a great sacrifice than to continue pursuing a course of duty which at first sight might appear to be attended with pecuniary loss. The 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 1843, had all but succeeded in suppressi ng the slave trade, and it was only in conse quence of the cessation of those exertions, in conse quence of orders from home, 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 justice 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 be 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 is 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. He 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 those who saw we were bailed 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:sild nut agree in the opinion expressed by the Right Rer. Prelate, that any alteration had taken place in public opinion with regard to this subject. Public opinion was unanimous in the 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 actuated. 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, in 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 were not justified in destroying the property of neutrals, un less they had 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 had no doubt but that the effect of that letter in increasing the trade had been greatly -exaggerated, although he did not doubt but that the publication of those in structions had produced a very injurious effect in Africa. With respect to this so-called blockade, we were not altogether free agents, because we were bound by treaty with France to maintain a certain amount of force, and perhaps the Goverment would find some difficulty i n getting the treaty renewed; for he believed that none but the firma and 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 into 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 thesquadron by the increased stimulus they had given to the slave trade by their alteration ie the sugar-laws, and be trusted the Committee would examine into, and report upon the sauces 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 of 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 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 ( Br ougham), who, during his absence, and when t old he was coming, had thought proper to indulge in severe remarks on recent occurrences in Ceylon. g o protested against the conduct of the Nobl e and Learned Lord, as most unjust to the Governor of Ceylon and to the Government. in bringing forward 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, as the Noble Lord was absent when he made his remarks, the best thing he could do was to re-state them, and they were thesee—. "That I abstain at present from bringing the conduct of the Governor of Ceylon before the House. That my reason for doing so was, that proceedings which had been adopted elsewhere might possibly, and I fondly hoped would, end in explanations of that conduct. That if they did not end in satisfactory explanations of that conduct, there was an additional reason for the postpone ment. as then their Lordships might peradventure be called upon to exercise otherfunctions than those of their legislative functions in regard to the Governor of the colony of Ceylon." Those were his words, and he defied any one to read the Blue Book of the Government, where the facts in regard to Ceylon were detailed, and say that they could have spoken under so suppressed feelings. The Noble Earl however need not despair, as he might rest assered that, if spared, he would not fail to give him notice of a motion on the subject. As to the appointment of this Committee of Inquiry, 'he had no objections to it, although, as regarded himself, he had all the information he wanted on the subject. The Noble Earl had complained of the Noble Lord (Stan ley's) characteristic impetuosity. No doubt they all had their characteristics. The Noble Earl had his; and as ho was in a humour to confer favours on the Noble Earl, ho would say to-night the Ngble Earl had come ' CHARITABLE TRUSTS BILL. The Bishop of OXFORD begged to ask whether it were the intention of the Noble and Learned Lord to bring in the Charitable Trusts Bill again this session, and if so, whether it would be the same Bill as was in troduced and passed their Lordships' House last session. The LORD CHANCELLOR answered both ques• tions in the affirmative. The House then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 22. The SPEAKER took the Chair at Four o'clock. NEW MEMBERS. Lord LEWISHAM and Mr. BECKETT DENISON took the oaths and their seats, the former for South Staffordshire, and the latter for the West Riding. The latter was cheered on taking hi. 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 Tolls, 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 Hon. MEMBER 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 DONUAL 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 gave 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 Liver pool against any alteration of the law of marriage. PRIZE FIGHTING. Mr. MACKINNON presented a petition from Man chester, saying that prize-fighting was very prevalent there—(Laughter)—and praying the House to devise some stringent measures for the suppression of the practice. THE PUNJAUB. Mr. G. THOMPSON 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 of 678 pages relating to the island of Ceylon in July last, did not think it equally their duty to print a report relating to the disturbances in the 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 INTEREST. Mr. DISRAELI rose and said—Sir, I beg to give natice 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 Ministers 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 notice 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 ho 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, he 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 1 We dino 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. I 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. LEWIS said that he knew little of the association to which the Hon. Member had called the attention of the House, except what he bad just read, but it seemed very innocent in its objects — (L aughter on both sides of the House)—and he hoped it would prosper.—(Repeated cheers from Mr. Brown and the Hon. Members around him.) 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 thee Ministers, o n m 4 tt ers not connecte d with the business of the House; mil 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 lion. Member desisted.—(Cries for the Under- Secretary of State.) Mr. B. COCHRANE—He could only put the question to the Under-Secretary of State, because there were no other Ministers present. Mr. WYLD wished to be allowed to answer.— (Cries of " Order.") Well, then, he would move the adjourn ment of the House, to have an opportunity of speaking. Mr. H. 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 against the Bill for legalising marriages within certa i n d egrees o f a ffi nity, sad especially against the clause for this object. COURT-MARTIALS IN INDIA.-UNJUST SEN- TENCES AND PLTNISIIMEN rs. Mr. ANS rEY 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 in the uninterrupted discharge of that duty, and most of them chieffy about the person of the Commander-in- Chief himself. After that time they were again tried, although they bad 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 Bodmin. The Hon. Member had made an ob servation to his Hon. 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 usk 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 hud taken place at St. Helens, Sierra Leone, the 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 lion. 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 pr&paring a scale of fees, while they were in communication with `ir S. Lushington, with a view of establishing some legal remedies fur 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 had 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 it Government could not do auything 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. a high authority on these subjects, in the fourth century entered into n 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 imported into the canoe law, and it had been continued from the time or the fourth century till the Reformation in England. The canon law formed no part of the law of England, except it was confirmed by Act of Parliament. But, although the law of England said, if such a marriage took place, and was not disturbed during the life` time of both the parties, it should be a valid marriage to all intents and purposes, yet if the ecclesiastical law annulled that marriage, the law of Etigland acknowledged the authority of that court in annulling the marriage.—(Hear, hear.) After the authority of the Roman Catholic Church was established in this country there came with it all the canons of the Romish Church, and that among many others. Such was the state of the law until the reign of Henry VIII. Front 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 sequence of that power of dispensation it was that Henry VIII. espoused - Catherine of Arragon, who was the wife of his deceased brother. It was by the dispensation of the Pope that that mar riage took place, end the very ground of that dispense• than was, that that marriage was not forbidden by the law of God. Afterwards, when Henry was desirouS of marriage with Anne Boleyn, Archbishop Cranmer was instructed to procure the opinion of the highest ecclesiastical authorities in this and foreign countries, and Cranmer was convinced that the marriage was for bidden, 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 Cramer undertook to revise and regulate that canon law. The validity of Anne Bolepa'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 had been convinced of its overwhelming force and weight. Under these circumstnnces, ho (Mr. Wortley) 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 the 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 limits of this 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 disp ense d w i t h. A t any rate, thepower was ' seldom exercised. He believed that the last time it was used was in the reign of James 1., 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 bad been mooted before the several tribunals, and the result was to esta-' blish a set of principles 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, matters of nion, came under the former ca t egor y, an d t h ose . 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 poi. verty—(Hear, hear.) Yet deep as was the injury telt: 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 legalisingt but in the course of the deb a t e i n th e ot h er House oe Parliament a suggestion was made, he believed, by Lord Brougham, that these marriages should he absolutely void. Unhappily, as he thought, this view . of the case was adopted by the Bishops, and the Bill wile passed. But had it the effect desired?' Certainly not, for on inquiry by persona of the highest respectability, it was found that it had altogether failed of its object. Now from such sources as these was their information obtained, and he would direct the attention of the House 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 individuals, for the purpose of ascertaining the extent to which the Act had been evaded. The inquiry was limited to a period of less than three months, and to a comparatively small portion of England, but the district in which it was made was likely to afford a geed criterion of the extent of these prohibited marrisfro throughout the whole country.—(Hear, hear.) 1. . h . e . inquiry was carried on fi rs t i n the manufacturin g portions of Lancashire and Yorkshire ; seco ndly. iii Norfolk and Suffolk ; thirdly, in Warwickshire and Staffordshire, with the view of taking in Bit' iningliatn and the Potteries ; fourthly, in part of Hampshire; and, fifthly, in th e 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 poising of Lord Lyndhurst's 9cr. It was difficult to ascertain what proportion this number bore to the whole population of the districts , but it might reasonably be supposed that this nura ber of marriages formed a tenth of ' the whole that took place in the districts and taking three children for each marriage, it would be 40,000 children whom the law bastardized. Besides that evil, the law tended to de' moralise a large portion of the community, and frequent') • led to the commission of the crime of perjury; while clergymen complained that they were often obliged to solemnize marriages in cases where they could not pool bly have an opportunity of ascertaining whother the parties were within the prohibited degrees or not, a W sequence which frequently led to the deseerg tionof the Holy Com mun i on . —(C r i es of " Hear, beer' „I This difficulty wa s th ere f ore pa i nfully felt by men' clergymen, and certainly some means ought to be (it' vised for removing them from such painful positions: Either the restrictions ought to be rendered more rigid, or the law ought to be made conformable to the gener a l w i s h es o f the people. Again, many marriages w ere now so l emn i ze d, under recent Act, before the registrar, who had no possible means of ascertaining th e re l a ti o nship of the parties; while many parties, who were unwilling to violate the law, resorted to other countries not lest moral than our own, for the purpose of being married, but still the law which he now complained of dew Glared the children of those marriages to ,be illegitimate. The demoralization caused by the marriage law, a s 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 th e H ouse. The Right Bon. Gentleman concluded by asking for leave to bring in his Bill. The motion having been seconded, Mr. H. T. HOPE, who was understood to oppose the proposition then brought forward, addressed the House for some time, and referred at some length to earioue documents arid papers in support of the views he enter' tained; but the Hon. Member was almost totally inau" dible in the gallery from the low tone of voice in which he spoke, as well as the noise which prevailed during his address. In concluding his observations, he was 0" derstood to say that he would not take the sense of the House upon the present motion of his Right Hon. Friona for leave to bring in his Bill, but that he would divide upon the second reading.—(Hear.) Mr. R. PALMER said that he felt it his duty to offer, the most strenuous oppositi on t o t hi s measure, but he thought that at this stage he would not go into any matter of principle, or enter at large ups the subject. The existing law, from the earliest period down to the present time, was bet' to be the exponent of Christian morality and of the Will of Gad, and such they were informed by the Com:nit sioners was the prevailing belief in this eountiy. AP that he would say was, that when that Commiaskit issped.he thought they should have had a very differ/ sort of inquiry. —(Hear.) It was mostly made up the evidence of prejudiced and interested witnesses. 0° expected to have found archbishops and bishops, and persons learned in the law ecclesiastical, examined ; but there was nothing of the sort. Instead of a general ' l3 " . quiry, it was conducted in a limited manner, and for limited purpose, and not entitled to that consideratio claimed for it. These were i m p ortant matters to v" , borne in mind in cloning to a deliberate conclusion on this important subject.—(Hear.) Mr. HENLEY stated Lis full concurrence in all tbf remarks made by the Hon. Member with respect to O w mode in which the Commi ss i on h ad been conducted . M this Bill was founded upon this report, he would 00°1tha t it, for, though he wo u ld not divide the House on t ha t stage of it, he wished to guard against its being or posed he could give any sancti o n t o th e measure . If the evidence of interested persons was taken away from t he Commission's report, what weight of testimony bad thei r to chow that fEis alteration of the law was deSirable _ He would go one step further. It was hardly possible of reed the evidence without perceiving that one clas s witnesses had been subjected to examination of a chars ter totally different from the character of the examin a a tion to which others had been subjected. He had bee ° _ struck with the very searching legal cross-examinatt 2.1; in some instances, and the want of it in the car e Z witnesses to whom it ought to have been appli ed ' Apart from the propriety or impropriety of examtu▪ L as paid persons who gave, not their own testiniony , ? t that of others, they were a class of witnesses who o a r i. to have been subjected to the' most severe cross-exa m„, nation. They might almost be likened to electione agents, who put down every man that did not ePl ▪ fr p tu t their faces as being in favour of their candidate. who believed the report brought in by an electionee ring agent? The Right Hon. and L'arned Gentleman w rd, S. Wortley) said no report had been made recoenaw.4o ing legislation because that question did not li the powers of the Commission. But he took upc n in i l s i sio self here to say, he -had the authority of the Coro _ ere they wee in of whom was dead—for declaring that in favour of legislation. Mr. S. WORTLEY lutd rigid he could - not und 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 hare 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. Lorci 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 ho could assure tha 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 tha negotiations now pending on the suoject. COPYHOLDS. Mr. AGLIONBY gave notice that, next week, he 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 their 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 Mr. J. O'Connell, said that it was the intention of the Govern. went to bring in a Bill to give relief to the destitute poor of Ireland. MARRIAGES WITHIN DEGREES OF AFFINITY. Mr. STUART WORTLEY rose,_ in fulfilmera of the pl e d ge w hi c h h e h a d g i ven to the House last session, to ask tur leave to bring in a Bill to alter and amend the sth and 6th of William IV. c. 54, so far as it related to marriages within the de grees of affinity. Having entertained, in common with many, a prejudice against any alteration of the law on this subject, it was not without the deepest study which he could give to it, and the most mature delibera tion, that he had been induced to bring iu the Bill. In 1842 a Noble Lord, who was now a member of another House (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 It 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 bigh 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 wh o bad 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 the 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 hi g h authorities he had mentioned that some relaxation of the law was necessary. The measure which he '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, bowel or, in it, that would du violence to the feeling. 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 Commis,ion, 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 classes, a large 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 marriage. had existed tor years they heard of no complaints; no petitions were presented against them. He thought, therefore, he bad a right to say that no valid objection was urged against the continuance of the system. But a case occurred in the hi , hest ranks of life which immediately attracted public attention, and what was the consequence? Instead of the Legislature reprobating that marriage in the higher classes of life, and enacting a measure against any such for the future—(Hoar) —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 into 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, htit condemning it with many more which have since been establiabed 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 ~. ~. " of acct