The Sun. — London, England, 1842-04-27 00:00:00

V 1 he ,at at b- .0 still e . ? feel, 0 iof an' rig 4,11. joA' e t 10' IPSWICH ELECTION—C.:SE OF On the Order of the Day for th- attendance of Henr y Fisk, ~Elizabeth Ann Cullen. and the Surgeon of Newgate at the bar of the House being read, The SPEAKER directed Elizabeth Ann Culien should be called in. Elizabeth Ann Cullen then came to the bar, and was exa tnitted as follows : ' The SPEAKER—Is your name Elizabeth Ann Cullen? — It i f . Are you the sister of Obadiah Barwick Lucas ?—I am. s.' Examined by Mr. PAKINGTON—IIid Obadiah Bar- Wick Lucas reside with you in Bond-street, Ipswieh, in the month of April, 1837 ? Yes. Do you recollect any conversation taking place during that mouth between your brother and a man named George Scho • berg?—Yes. Do you recollect that the day subsequent to that conversation :"' George Schobrrg committed suicide ?—Yes. State to the House what was the effect which the suicide of Schoberg produced on the mind of your brother. —The effect Produced upon my brother's mind was such that we were afraid to leave him alone. Were you in the habit of seeing your brother since 1837 ? --Yes. • • Has his mind recovered from the shock of that excitement ? Never. Has he been, since that time, in a state of nervous excite bent ?—Yes. Do you consider his memory was impaired?—l do. Did von see your brother on the evening peeceding his ex amination before the Election Committee ?-1 did. In what state of mind was he then ?—He was exceedingly excited. ••• Did you see him since his commitment to Newgate ?—Yes. In what state did you find him ?—ln the same state. The witness was then ordered to withdraw. The Surgeon of Newgate next appeared at the Bar, and, in ,replyto a question from the SPEAKER , said that he had known "Lucas since the time of his confinement in Newgate. He had teen Lucas that day. He had seen him professionally. Lucas Was out of health. He considered the man was in a gloomy state of mind. - In answer to a further question from Mr. PAKINGTON, the witness stated that he had particularly directed his atten tion to the state of mind of Lucas within the last day or two. The man appeared to witness to be labouring under great nervous excitement. Witness considered it quite Possible that the state of nervous excitement under •• which the man laboured. might so have affected his mind as to render it probable that he could not give c3rrect evidence with respect to a transaction in which he had taken part nine ten-months ago. The witness was then ordered to withdraw. Mr. PAKINGTON then rose and said, that he did not know whether the conclusion to which ha had come, from the - evidence just given, might be the same as that at which the House had arrived. He hoped, however, that it would not ap '•• pear to those Hon. Gentlemen with whom he had the pleasure tt.: % of acting in the Committee, that he was going to pursue a Bourse at all inconsistent with the step which they had taken in 4 - ordering the commitment of Lucas to Newgate for the false evidence which he had given ; and that it would not be sup t'ss rsed'by the House that he was at all deviating from the opt ,-- mon - he had expressed on a farmer occasion, that Committees e ; . • were bound to resort to the powers which they p oss e ssed, when '- be expressed his opinion, that the statements which had been 4 - 1 ' made at.the Bar, raised a strong presumption that the false 'zt. answers , w hieb Lucas had given them, were, in a great degree, `e occasioned by his infirmity. The Hon. Gentleman accordingly ~..moyed, that. Obadiah Barwick Lucas be discharged from her Majesty's gaol . of Newgate. Mr. PARKER thought that the end which the House had t,'s • had in view in showing its determination to cause the authe .... eity-of the Committees to be respected , and th eir q uestions to be answered truly, had• been attained, and he supported the -Motion. • - Mr.O'CONNELL doubted that the man ought to have been committed at all. . Upon reading the evidence, it seemed very - Probable that. his contradictions were occasioned by fatuity— (Hear, hear)—and that no Jury would convict him of wilful ..Perjury.--4 Hear, hear.) After what the House had heard, there scarcely could be any oppo . dtion to his discharge. Mr. DARBY else concurred in the motion for discharging the prisoner. Sir C. B. VERE read a certificate from a surgeon attend ing Lucas, stating that he was labouring under strong nervous excitement. After a few words from Mr. PAKINGTON, the question was put and carried. NOTICES OF MOTIONS. Me. O'CONNELL gave notice that he would, on Thurs.. •day;_the 10th of May, cill the attention of the House to the - stateof - Rclman Catholics in the army and navy (as we under "blood). TEXAS. .4 , Mr. O'CONNELL wished to put a question to the Right Hon: Baronet at the head of her Majesty's Government with respect to Texas. He wished to know whether the treaties . between this country and Texas had been ratified ? Sir R. PEEL said, that three treaties had been drawn up •between this country and Texas. The one was for the giving • facilities to.commerce, the other was for the abolition of slavery, and the etherw as forgranting certain loans from Texas to Mexico. Those treaties it was provided were to be ratified simal ,; taneously, and the day_ fixed for that ratification was the lst of August. Since the Hon. Gentleman gave notice of the ques t- tion, information had been received from Texas that no ratifi ',,` Cation had taken place, but that the commercial treaty was -toady for ratification, that the Sena . e of Texas had agreed to • ratify the treaty for the suppression of the slave trade, and he believed.also that the other treaty was ready for signature. He _believed that all the treaties would be ratified in a very short time. Mr—O'CONNELL said that the other question he wished to pit to . the Right Hon. Baronet was relative to the conduct of the British 'Minister at Mexico. He understood that a S,. proposition had been made from the Texian to the Mexican Government that, on condition of making peace, certain sums -.llseekl pass between them, and that a furiher sum should be :]liven as a bribe to Saldanha. He had been informed that the Minister of this country in Mexico was a party to tha t trainee • .„ s tion, inasmuch as he had actually conveyed the letters contain tag the proposal. Now he (Mr. O'Connell) wished to know -. whether that was true or not. Sir R. PEEL was sorry that the Right Hon. and Learned 4 *, Gentleman had not given notice of his intention to put the • • question, because in cases of such importance, relating to !.•; parts of the world so distant from this country, he was anxious to be is accurate as possible, but it did so happen that he recol lected having -read a despatch from the British Minister in • -Mexico giving an account of the transaction. He declared ' that he was.requested by a party he need not name, to deliver tin :stetter to the Mexican authorities, having every reason to be .." .lieve that it related to other subjects. The letter he belie ved was written in English. but the Minister was perfectly unaware of its contents, and when he was told what it did contain, he immediately wrote to the Secretary of State for Foreign .Affairs, expressing his regret that he should have been un conscioush made the instrument of conveying any such pro posal. The English Minister at Mexico was as perfectly free It from blame in the affair as he was himself. —s Hear, hear. ) ti „ Had he been aware of the contents of the letter, he would never have been the means of conveying it.. 4 - 4, TRADE WITH TURKEY. • f ed Dr. D BOWRING asked if the Right Hon. Baronet could • 5'., state when the correspondence relative to the commercial treaty f • t': between this country and the Ottoman Porte would be ready .for presentation to the House ? 4' c s Sir R. PEEL said that he would make inquiries on the ''arnbject. .4 • - SLAVE TRADE. 'ark ; L-- Captain PECHELL moved for a ret urn of various details connected with the Slave-trade, and slave vessels seized and condemned by the Mixed Commission Courts. POOR-LAWS. t • . Captain PECHELL also gave notice that on the 10th of May he should move for a return of the number and names of 'h. • all persons punished for offences in the union poor houses. I NEW POOR-LAW. Sfr J. GRAHAM gave notice that on Thursday, the sth of ss May, he would move for leave to bring in a Bill to continue ';; _ tke Poor-law Commission for a time, to be limited. •CATHOLIC SOLDIERS IN INDIA. • • Mr. O'CONNELL, in rising to move for a Select Committee to consider and report upon the state of spiritual destitution of the Catholic soldiers serving in India and China, said that this was a subject of the greatest importance, and that it excited the ' . attention of soldiers and officers in the army, and of persons in • the highest rank in society. He should confine his motion to the state of the Catholic soldiers nerving in India and China, with referenceto their reli g ions instruction. He did not wish . to include anything that related to the state of the army in 'other parts of the Empire. Out of the sum of 11,0001. dedi cated to the instruction of the British army, no part of it had been laid out in India ; but the whole of it was confined to other parts of the British empire, and, he was sorry to say, that there was only 7AOI. laid out for the instruction of Ca tholic soldiers. But with that at present he had nothing to do: His motion related to those unly in India and Chinas With respect to the army in China, he (Mr. O'Connell) had I ,- his information from a gentleman, whose name he was ready to communicate. He did not see any reason for 0 withholding it. It was the Hon. Captain Jerningham. Thee Catholic soldiery had to meet the same dangers as their cy ' -comrades—they had to encounter the same effects of 'climate, and they displayed the same gallantry in the field. The ex • cellent gentleman to whom he had referred would be ready, if a Committee were granted, to give an account of the heart "' „.. • 'rending sufferings of those Catholic soldiers especially who died -of sickness. He wnuid at the same time bear testimony to the humanity of the Protestant chaplains, who had behaved with the greatest delicacy, in not obtruding themselves where their ‘‘s,•; tspiritual services could not be accepted, but who did every ;". abing in their power to alleviate the temporal wants of the un a fortunate Catholic soldiery. The only subject of regret was , • • that those Catholics were deprived of spiritual assistance of a Virid eimilar to that which was extended to the Protestant sol i - diery. He could show the House a case of most com p lete des , e s . ' - tritution in that respect. He had been totally misinformed, if • OW feet were not that no Catholic clergyman had attended the ascoops to China. It should also be remembered that the attend ance of at clergyman was considered of infinitely more importance • -by Catholics in their last moments than by members of any other persualion. A Catholic clergyman had to administer the last 'sacrament; and he (Mr. O'Connell) was sure, that every Memberof that House would be anxious that Catholic soldiers - • should not be deprived of such consolation. In India the - sops were scattered at such a distance from each other, that few of the Catholics had the benefit of the attendance of a he 'Oman of their own persuasion. He would read a l e tter r eceived from a Catholic clergyman in Calcutta, dated • 11. . 4 ,; th e 19,1 i February last, upon that subject. The following is a n e xtra *A from the letter :—" You have heard of the sad fate of Lieut. .cart, Neon-in-law of General Sale. If his advice bad been talon, We should have had a better result. When Sturt was wolindeal, our native soldiers gave themselves up to be butchered. Met so the' 4 4 th Regiment, most of whom were These poor fellows, reduced in the last degree by hunger and cold; never abas:doned Stint vshile he had life in they mounted him on a him. When he was too weak to walk , pony, and supported him as long as tit . could. Not oneu t f_thes7 poor fellows has escaped. I wish they had n:'4 a butpriest n ear h nothingli n Our friends in India have taken this matter .” it. home, for can be looked for until some measure is originate.. , 0 ove every answer given to our applications by the Indian i , • went, has been mere evasion." Now much depend e n ' the rz .• been placed on a sort of pledge made by a Alember of late Government on the subject, while the question of the Ess. India Charter was under discussion before, and on the occasion • of an interview between several Catholic Members and the then Mr. Grant (now Lord Glerielg), who was accompanied by Mr. I ' . 's. Gordon. The deputation were given to understand that not bringing the matter before Parliament while the question was . ,in a s itatien, the Government would be induced to supply re 'l! • medics for the grievances they complained of. He (Mr. O'Connell) had repeatedly urged this species of pledge on the late Government, and had been promised from time to time that something efficient would be done. But he was sorry to say that nothing had been done ; and the parties on whose be half they had applied, remained in the same state of sp:ritual destitution they were in at the time of the interview. When kw• he asked the Right Hon. Baronet and Gallant Officer the Secretary at War whether anything was in contemplation in this matter by the present Government, he was plessed to re fer him to a Parliamentary paper laid on the table of the I louse ' on the motion of Lord Ashley, on the 2d of March, .1839. [Sir H. Hardinge made some remark.] He (Mr. O'Coi inell) really thought there was something like a want of courts •:y 0,, , the part of the Right Hon. Baronet ; but now he ssis I that tke Right Hon. Baronet had mistaken his question, whit h was . whether it was in the contemplation of the Government to do anything in this matter. lie (Mr. O'Connell) was then ticketed by those motives, whether the House would &ea him credit for them or rot. that the augmentation of the army of India from Ireland would be much facilitated if the population of that country were made sure that some redress in this matter was likely to be granted. The letters from the Catitalic soldiers in India had made a wider impression than the Right Hon. and Gallant Baronet was aware. They had been communicated to the clergy, and they had made a won. - impression against joining the Indian army from Ireland.' Well, the document referred to by the Right Hon. Baronet stated that in the Presidency of Madras there were nineteen Protestant and Presbyterian stations, in only twelve of which the Catholic soldiers had any opportunities of spiritual assist ance. For the maintenance of the Protestant religion in the same Presidency 22,010/., fur the Presbyterian 2,0801., and for the Catholic only 2071. In Bombay there were twenty stations of the Protestant Church, and only seven of the Catholic Church. The minimum income of any Protestant clergyman was 9501. a-year, while, with the exception of one, no Catholic clergyman received more than 601. a-year, and that one Catholic clergyman received 74/. a-year. In Bengal there were twenty-six Protestant stations, and only seven Catholic stations. The minimum income of any Protestant clergyman was 900/. a-yea* ; 1,870/. was the toad sum divided among the Catholic clergymen. There were two Catholic clergymen with 250/. a-year each, and none of the others had mere than 601. a-year each. The Mar. quis of Hastings had recommended that the clergy of the Catholic soldiers should be attended to, and hail advo cated those claims in the strongest manner, and every succes sive C o mmander-in. Chief in India had done the same, down to Sir Henry Fane. Sir Henry Fane was the first. who had re fused to concur in these representations, and when he was requested to do so be peremptorily refused. With regard to the 44th Regiment, which had so distinguished itself at Ghuz nee, there was a singular fact. The regiment had for some years before that period been stationed at Bhurtpore, where a subscription was set on foot to erect a Catholic chapel, to which the privates and sergeants subscribed 6001., no slight proof of their affection for their religion. The Catholic sol diers complained of these grievances—first, that from the asylum for the orphans of soldiers the Catholics derived scarcely any benefit. The general order of 1827 for establishing the asylum was calculated to bestow on them all the benefits, they could desire, but since that time certain regulations had been made which materially interfered with their deriving that benefit . from it to which they were entitled. The second was that they ware compelled to send their children to the regimental schools, and if the officer was a man of harsh manners and a narrow mind, they were compelled to learn the Protestant Catechism, were taught out of Protestant books, and were prevented from learning the tenets of the Catholic religion. Some officers had behaved very harshly, but others, and among them Lieut. -Colonel McGregor, had given Catholic soldiers every opportunity of attending to their religious duties, not interfering in any way, or compelling them to learn any doctrine net in accordance with' that which they professed. But the matter depended upon the discretion of the commanding officer of each regi ment, and grievances of the most afflicting nature were said to have occurred in consequence. In all the stations in India, including those in that part of tae Burmese empire now in our possession, there were only sixteen or eighteen where the Catholic soldiers could get any species of religious assistance. By the report of Brigadier-General O'Halloran, General Sale, and other commanding officers, it appeared, that when soldiers had an opportunity of attending . to their religious duties, there was a marked difference in their conduct from that of those who were separated from their clergymen. It was but neces sary to let the fact be known that one-third of the soldiers in India were Catholics, to give ground for his proposal that in every regiment where there was a reasonable number of sol diers, there should be a chaplain. The Catholic soldiers ought not to be left destitute of the means of spiritual conso lation ; and it should be recollected, that' it was more im portant to the Catholic soldier to have a clergyman, than to the soldier of any Protestant persuasion. The Holy Scriptures ar.d Christian officers might render a clergyman al most unnecessary to the Protestant soldier, but not to the Catholic.— (Hear.) He was not saying that a shilling too much was bestowed upon the Protestant ch eilains, but ail he asked was, whether the grievances he detailed were not of such a nature as to render it just that redress ought to b 3 applied to them. He would not press his motion to a division if he got an assurance from the Government that they would take up the matter, and remedy the evils, but if he did net hear that such was their intention, he should then press his motion, conscious that there was a scarcity of instruction for the Roman Catholic soldiers, and that they were not inferior to any of the troops ire India. He should therefore move for a 't Select Committee, to consider and report upon the state of spiritual destitution of the Catholic soldiers serving in India and China." The question having been put, Mr. BING RANI BARING said he would not deny to the Catholic soldiers in India the praise they deserved, and he thought them entitled to as much consideration as the Pro• testant soldiers.—( dear, hear.) The principle on which the Government of India had acted was never to deny sa'aries to Roman Catholic chaplains appointed by competent authority within that country, and they had even increased the pay of chaplains with a view to encourage the ser vices of Europeans. In the province of Bengal the chaplain had 1501. a year, and the chaplain of Malacca had 2501., and the rest, it was true, had a smaller salary ; but the chaplains were paid in consideration of the services they ren dered, and in proportion to the number of persons whom they had to give spiritual instruction to. He did not think that was the proper time to enter into the consideration of the compa rison made by the Right Hon. and Learned Gentleman be tween the Protestant and Catholic chaplains. The Indian Government had also subscribed for the repair of chapels, and suspended the customs laws, that the vestments for the cere monies might be more easily imported. They had also distri buted tracts and prayer books ; and with reseeet to the inter ference of officers to force Roman Catholic children to receive instructions from the regimental schools, the case was repre sented to the Governor-General, who referred it to the Corn • mender • in-Chief, and no time was lost by him in issuing such instruction as would make it impossible for such conduct to occur again. He could assure the Rielit Honourable and Learned Gentleman that the spiritual wel fare of the troops was paid as much attention to as their bodily wants, and that where there was any real cause of com plaint, every means of redress was given them. Mr. HUME, from what he knew of the Government, be lieved that any representation on the part of the Catholic soldiers would meet with attention from the Government. The Irish troops had always been ready to assist in supporting the honour of their country, and therefore it was that he agreed with the Right Hon. Gentleman who had just sat down, that the Government ought to look strictly to their interest. He hoped the complaints that had been made would speedily be remedied. lie would second his Right Hon. Friend in any course that he might think fit to pursue, to force the subject en the attention of Government. Sir H. HARDINGE was delighted at the temperate tone of the Right Hon. Gentleman, in bringing forward this motion ; at the sane time, however, he was bound to say, with regard to many of the complaints that had been made, that they were without foundation. In some places causes of com plaint might have occurred, but generally speaking, in all parts the officers were most anxious for the welfare of the men. Similar complaints had been made at the Military Asylum at Chelsea. The Commissioners of that Institution met and de termined that the children of Catholics should not be required to learn the Church Catechism, but that they would be brought up to the religion of their father and mother. He was quite satisfied that the same principles pervaded the whole army. The lion. Gent. had stated that the Protestant soldiers received that spiritual consolation of which the Catholics were deprived, but he feared that they were both placed in the same predica ment. During the Peninsular war in 1813, there were only ten chaplains in the whole army. In 179t1, in consequence of the inconvenience which had resulted from it, the whole sys tem of chaplains of regiments was abolished. Subsequently to that period, the soldier had been invited and eneouraged to attend the Church of his creed. The rnle laid down was that because it was practicable for the soldier to be accom modated in the parish church he would there receive religious instruction ; and that where that advantage could not be obtained, a separate service should, under certain regulations, be appointed for his use. A sum in the army estimates was appropriated to that purpose. It appeared to him that that system was infinitely better than the system of regimental chaplains. He did not see in what way they could alter the existing arrangement. A recurrence to the old system would be full of inconvenience. The greatest harmony and good feeling now prevailed in the different regiments; and if they had two elergymen of different creeds in each regiment he was confi dent that it would do the British army great disservice. Equally confident was he that it would not only be inconve nient but dangerous to the interests of the army to adopt such a system. He could noI but approve of the manner in which the Hon. and Learned Gentleman had brought forward the subject ; but he trusted that, after the objection which had been stated, he would see that it was desirable not to persevere in his motion. Sir ROBERT INGLIS said he would not interrupt the harmony which appeared to prevail by any harsh observations. The House, however, was aware of his views on this subject. The principle for which the Hon. Gentleman had contended, if carried to the full extent; would require the House to provide a chaplain for every form of religion pro fessed in the regiment ; and unless the House was prepared to establish the nrinciple that an established form of religion should be provided for every sect in the country, he could not see how they could consistently accede to the motion of the Hon. and Learned Member. Mr. O'CONNELL said that he was aware he would not ad vance his cause by pressing it to a division, and he would there fore beg leave to withdraw his motion. The notice was then withdrawn. LEGACY DUTIES. appointedLE Al 3 ER presented the entl Vestry--- petition of - st i from m a r tin , , a . urging Com mittee N ir upon the Legislature the justice and necessity of subjecting landed property to the same probate and legacy duties, as those now imposed upon all other property liable to them ; that the excepti , n of landed property was unjust, by reason of its par tiality ; that various duties would he tound pressing exclusively upon personal property ; and praying the House to institute an inquiry intothe truth of these statements, and to render justice by one equal imposition of probate and legacy duties u Jen fixed property of every description. Mr. ELP RINSTO NE rose, pursuant to notice, to move— " That it will be expedient for this House, at an early period, to resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, for the purpose of considering the Act 55 Geo. 111., c. 1114, with the view of imposing legacy and probate duties on succession to real estates, of the same amount as are now imposed by the said `Act on succession to personal property." He said he should endeavour, with the permission of the House, to point out the anomalies in the existing state of the law in this matter, and the estimated amount of revenue that might be ob tained if the House would agree to his proposition. He would previously, however, state how Mr. Pitt had treated the subject. In the year 1796, he introduced a Bill, the pur pose of which was to impose upon real property the probate duties which were imposed upon personal property. The Bill passed through various stages, in all of which it was supported with great elov en ce and ability by that statesman. On the question, however, " that the Bi l l do pass," the numbers being equal, Mr. Pitt thought fit to withdraw the measure. There were three statutes referring to this subject, the 30th, the 43d, and the 55th of Geo. 111. The cJnabined effect of this state of the law was, that if a man was possssed of personal or leasehold property, it was subject to r. tax of 13 per cent. ; i l l upon n tapxersoantal all. whereas, if it were freehold or ropyhold property, it would landed The legacy and probate duties land itse e property, and upon el l e / y e , upon What Now he asked, why was this ?—( He e l , . h,ar.) ..:was the justice of such a law ?—( Hear, hear. ) sot see on what ground the landowner was exempt bu.kin,g to the burdens of the State.—( Hear.) . Ili, cl-lo fromeul d c could •- r . i . v the man who invested his property in the . funds, or why leaseh,,lds should be subject to the tax, and copy p!.operty paid the see w,.' copy holds not. Why was it that personal property paid the probate , th a e nl eg y a e c t y t t, h ati a t t y r ? ev i e i r e sio h n a a d r andprobate leg a a c i y i dd unotty inunications on this subject, ai.:l amongst them a letter saidfrom a ryeceived many corn_ Gentleman in Warwickshire, neer Leamington, who that he had to pay a large amount of probate and legacy duty upon property which he had derived from his father, whilst at the same time the son-in-law of the ;Ate Duchess of .Bucelench ree ived under her will the estate galled &either, in the , same county, worth 33,000/. without paying a shilling o, probate or legacy duty, .because the properiy was freehold.— ( Hear, hear. i The writer declare.' he did not see why his fa mily should b'e ta.ced on personal property, which was 1.110 pre duce of a life of hard labour, and their neighbours should pay no tax upon that which had cost the bequeathers nothing.— (Hear, hear.) The Hon. Gentleman then went into numer ous statistical details, in which it was impossible, from his in distinct and rapid manner, to follow him with correctness and THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVEI\rING-, APRIL 27, 1.842. .ccuracy. He argued, from the statements of Sir R. Peel, as to the income derived from the rent of land, that the duties which he proposed would yield one million and a quarter an nually. Ihe Right Hon. Baronet had said that the taxes paid by land, in the way of stamp duties upon transfer and eon veyance, amounted to 1,650,0001. But, on examination, he ( Mr. E.) found that a great part of that sum was derived from transfers and conveyances which had nothing to do with land. The result of the inquiries he hail made among the members of the legal profession, and among the law stationers, had been to convince him that of the 1.300.0001. paid annually as stamp duty on conveyances, not more than 4,030/. was paid by landed proprietors. The stamp duty conveyance was not in general paid by the large landed proprietors. It was paid by small proprietors residing in the neighbourhood of great towns, who had to dispose of small plots of ground for the improvement of those towns. As a proof of this he would state, that, with the ex ception of one or two large proprietors, all the land in the county of Middlesex changed hands once in fourteen years. He asereed in thinking that the stamp duty on conveyance was rather high, but it was not more unjust to the landed proprietor that the i neo-ition of the receipt stamp was to the tradesman. The Ilieht Hon. Gentleman had alluded to the duty on mort gages. ' Now, if ever there was a circumstance which went to show that in this country there was one law for the rich and another for the poor, it was this circumstance of the stamp duty on mortgages. It a poor man wished to raise 501. by mortgage, he was compelled to pay a stamp duty of 1/. ; but if a rich landed proprietor wished to raise 10,000/. by mort. gage, he only paid a duty of 121, instead of a duty of 2001., which ought to be his proportion, thereby occasioning a loss to the revenue of 1881. The Noble Lord the Secre tary for the Colonies had alluded to the large, stamp duties paid by the landed proprietors in making set tlements when their eldest sons came of age ; but the Noble Lord could never have i-ovestigated the relative amount of stamp duty paid upon ,settlements of real and personal pro perty. If on his eldest son coming of age a landed proprietor wished to make a settlement of real property to the ansount . of 20,0001., the stamp duty would be 81. ; that . was 11.15;. stamp duty, arid as the deed would take up five or six skins, there would be an additional duty on each skin that would make it about 8/. ; whereas, if he wished to make a settlement of 20,000/. funded property , he would have to pay a stamp duty of 311. sa.—that was, 25/. fur the stamp, and 6/. ss. for the skins, as iii the former instance, He would admit that some improvement might be made in the scale of probate duty, but at the same time he considered that in itself the probate duty was a fair tax ; it was a tax which could not be avoided, and to which all the property in the United Kingdom ought to be subjected. He would not trespass further on the House, but would leave his resolution in their hands to be dealt with as they might think proper. Mr. FIUME seconded the motion. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, who spoke in so extremely a low tone of voice that we were frequently un able to hear him, said that the subject of the motion of the Hon. Gentleman had been brought forward at the time the amendments of the Noble Lord (Lord .1. Russell) were before the House, and he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) on that occasion stated to the House some of the reasons which in duced him to believe that it was impracticable to apply the same legacy duty to landed property as personal property. The question proposed by the Hon. Gentleman was simply to im pose upon landed property a duty equal to that which was now imposed upon a succession to personal property. The Hon. Gentleman must be aware that his motion would only-apply to real property not under settlement, for the Act which imposed probate duty merely applied to personal property, and that if the property were settled, then the individual would be exempt from the operation of the duty, for it was only on unsettled property that the probate duty could be paid at all. Therefore it was clear the Honourable Gentleman could only deal with unsettled property. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) was anxious to impress that on the House, because the increase to the revenue ex pected by the Honourable Gentleman would be extremely small. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had taken the liberty of stating, on a former occasion, that the great bulk of the landed property of this country was under settlement, and if the law were altered, and probate and legacy imposed on real property, the great bulk of the landed property would be just as much exempt from the payment of duty as it was at the present moment. He lad also stated that the great bulk of the unsettled landed property of this country was the property of small proprietors, persons who allowed their property to de scend from father to son, without, during their lives, putting themselves to the expense of a settlement. Therefore, if the motion of toe Honourable Gentleman should be adopt ed, the effect would be to leave the bulk of the lauded property of the country, viz., the rich and the higher orders, exempt from the payment of duty, but to impose upon the' small landed proprietors of the country the heavy burden of a probate and legacy duty. It was on this ground that he said the Hon. Gentleman would net realise the revenue he expected, but that he would be disappointed. The Hon. Gentleman it had alluded to the case of the Duchess of Buccleugh, whose property had descended to her sons the Hon. Mr. Scott ; but the Hon. Gentleman must consider that the property descended by settlement, and under the proposis tion of the Hon. Gentleman it would have escaped the duty altogether. This Hon. Gentleman had alluded to the statue duty, and stated that it was extremely unequal in its opera tions This he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) did not intend to deny, and that amendment was necessary. He (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) had at one time attempted to introduce a general reform of the system of stamp duties, but great objections were taken on the part of Hon. Gentlemen who felt an interest in the subject. His successor had made a similar attempt, and laid a series of resolutions on the table of the House, for the purpose of introducing a remedy ; but he, like himself (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) was met by a host of objections, and he was obliged to take shelter under a modification of the newspaper stamp duty. But he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) was willing to give this subject his still further consideration. But the quality or in equality of the stamp duties did not materially bear upon the question then under the consideration of the House. The Hon. Gentleman had introduced this with reference to legacy and probate duty. The Hon. Gentleman must recollect that the Bill of 096 appied to personal property alone. Mr. Pitt had proposed afterwards that real property should be sub ject to the duty on all its changes, ;Ad these charges amounted to nearly as much as the legacy on personal property. The proportion of duty paid on personal property and other property, was as one to one, and the proportion of landed property to personal was as sto 8. He would take the example of a person vesting money inland and vesting money in the funds. Now he would suppose a person accumulated 10,0001., and vested 5,000/. in land and 5,0001. in the funds. Now, if he purchased land, he would be sub ject to a considerable amount of charges from the Stamp-office. In the first place there would be the duty on the lease, viz., the principal skin, for 5,0001., 55/., and for the subsequent skin, 6/. ; the duty for attested copies, 21. 10s. ; and small charges of li. 155., making altogether about 651. paid down at the time of vesting the money in land. Now take the instance of his vesting money in the funds. He went into the City, which merely cost him his carriage, and no other expense, and the money immediately became productive. , Supposing the indivi dual lived for 30 years— Mr ELPHINSTONE made some observation which was inaudible in the Gallery. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER—WeII then, suppose he lived for twenty years, and at the end of the 20th year, and left his property to some person. What would be ids position as to landed property ? He would have paid in the 20 years 65/., and, added to this, would come the legacy duty, altogether amounting to about 1301. or 140/. paid upon the landed property, being more than double the amount of that upon the money vested in the funds. Therefore, he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) felt himself bound to oppose the motion of a further tax of this nature upon landed property. He found, from information ha had received from persons able to make a calculation on the subject, that a great portion of the legacy duty was paid on real property. But it was impossible to make an accurate statement, as they had to go over an immense massof papers to ascertain the pro bable amount, and it would take the whole of a large esta blishment to collect an accurate statement. From this calcula tion it appeared that about 1,700,000/.lwas paid for legacy duty ; of that sum, 1,100,0! , 0/. was paid upon landed property, and 600,0001. upon personal property. Therefore the Hon. Gentleman would see that the duty paid by landed property very much ex ceeded that upon personal property. He did not know that, there was any other point to which he could allude on that oc casion. As he had said before, he thought there was room for amendment in the stamp duties, but he could not see how the motion of the Honourable Gentleman, if carried, . could benefit the revenue, inasmuch as the duty would fall on the small landed proprietors, who were a useful class of the community, and upon whom he (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) was not disposed to press with any undue measure of taxation. Mr. HUME said that if he were to decide the question upon the speech he certainly should do so in favour of the mo tion, as the Right Hon. Gentleman had made oat a strong case in its favour. He had told them that there was a great inequality in the stamp duties, and that they pressed with undue severity on some classes. He had told them that if there was a settlement made. it put out of the power of the Government to collect any legacy duty, as there was an Act of Parliament against it. Why, another Act of Parlia ment would overrule that.—(Hear, hear.) It was the bounden duty of her Majesty's Ministers, when passing an Income •tax, from the statement they had heard that night, to inquire as to the best means of taxing this property. lie had received a letter from Devonport, which slated that the late Sir John St. Aubin had left property to the amount of 16,0001. a-year, and yet the writer of that letter had had to pay legacy duty on one house, while the successor of Sir John ht. Aubin paid no duty whatever. In fact, 999 persons out of every 1,000 contributed to the duty, while only one rich man out of every thousand contributed. The Government ought not to con:plain of trouble in obtaining statements. The Stamp.office should be examined well to ob tain information. Mr. Pitt would never have stopped with such an excuse. Why should a rich man be exempt from payinT a duty, and the poor man be obliged to submit to its imposition ? This. he said, wag an instance of class legislation owing to the people not being represented in this House. Did the Right Hon. Baronet think that he was to go on and allow these unequal laws? Was he not now supporting and protecting the landed interest against the other interests of the country ? He (Mr. Hume) would admit that the Right Hon. Baronet was in a difficult position, that he had hard task-masters over him, and could not do as he pleased.—( Rear, hear.) His Hon. Friend had alluded to the returns. Was it not scan d ilous to think that there should be from 40,000,000/. to 42,000,000/. of personal property subject to five per cent. duty, whilst real property was exempt? Look at the immense property of the Duke of Cleveland, the Marquis of Stafford, and the Duke of Devonshire's estates ; not one farthing of the duty did their land ever pay : the poor man, who occupied a small cottage would pay, but the great leviathans of landed property—( A laugh)—it was no laughing matter—to be sure let those laugh that win —but he repeated it, that class--the great Leviathans—paid no tax upon their property. But he would say let all real pro perty pay as all personal property paid. If real property paid th - esame a-nouot of duty as personal property, they would have from that source as much as 2,500,0001 per annum, and if they could raise that turn in that manner, why need they have recourse to such an odious measure as the Income-tax ? It was very unfair on the part of a Government, which pro fessed to be an impartial Government, to act in this way. Befoee they passed the Income-tax, let them inquire into this matter; and betore they made a law to add one shilling to the amount already paid by personal property let the land pay its share. The time had now come, not when they should add to the burdens of the people, but when they should diminish the amount of taxation ; and if t hey allowed such a state of things as at present existed to go on, they would not be acting honestly to their consti tuents. On these grounds he should support his Hon. Friend, and lie did hope that he. would divide the House upon the subject. Mr. EWART said, that the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite, in referring to landed property and personal property, had not appeared to rememeer that landed property might be personal property, though personal property could not be landed pro perry. All those stamp duties, which the Right Hon. Baronet said were paid by landed property, were paid in a great measure by personal property. Leasehold property, for example, was personal property, and as such paid the probate and legacy duties ; but it also paid the stamp duties, which the Right Hon. Gentleman said belonged wholly to landed property. Mr. WALLACE said that, in the country to which he be longed, the probate duty was the most tyrannical, disgrace:ul, and the most stringent perhaps of any enactment known in that country ; it was, however, a little more genteel in Englands and a little more prompt than there; and whilst the House wa, arguing the question as related to England, he (Mr. Wallace) demanded that the inquiry should also be applied to the country of which he spoke. If landed property paid its fair propsrtion of duty, the owners of the property would talc care that the law should not act as it did at present. He (Mr. Wallace) attributed the present evil state of things to that horrid system of class legislatio a which prevailed in this country. Class legislation prevailed to a great extent in that House, as was manifested in the passing of the Corn-law Bill; for he repeated that that Bill was wholly made to assist that part of England which grew the best wheat. It was great injustice to make any distinction between the taxation of real and personal property., But this was the re sult of class legislation. He hoped every man on his side of the House would denounce class legislation ; and whenever he got to the other side along with his friends, whenever that time might be, he hoped their opposition to that system would be unceasing, for it was class legislation that had caused the present depressed state of our trade, manufactures, the ship ping interest, and our foreign and domestic commerce. Hence there was no investment for capital, and consequently Money was crowded into the funds and the Bank. The fact that the interest of money was never so low proved this. He affirmed that the rise in the funds, of which the Right Hon. Bastonet boasted as a triumphant indication of his policy, was not pro duced by his measures, but by the general stagnation of trade, &e. ; and he (Mr. W.) was sure th t what he t'ien said should go before the puhlis, many would join him in defying the Right Hon. Baronet to contradict his (Mr. Wallace's) position. Lord J. RUSSELL said two objections had been taken to the Hon. Gentleman's motion. The first was taken to the words of the mot on, by the Right Hon. Gentleman the Chan cellor of the Exchequer, who said that if the proposed tax were imposed on real property, on the succession to real estates, making that kind pay the same amount to the State as per sonal property, that the Hon. Gentleman would not effect his object, fos he would not snake the burdens borne by both kinds of property equal. The second objection was, that the amount isised for the revenue would bs very small. 'rue Right Hon. Gentlerrian contended that personal property, which was settled, should not be made liable to the legacy a:ld probate duties. Now he (Lord J. Russell s could understand an objection to taxes on the succession of property, but he could not see why, if taxes were imposed on settled property, they might not be made equal.—(Heas. ) If a tax on settled property were -nften and heavily repeated, it would amount almost to confiscation, but if it were imposed only to a mode rate amount, he did not see why; it should not be levied, for some of the largest estates of the country came under the de nomination of settled property. He (the Noble Lord) there fore thought that the opposition of the 'Right Hon. Gentleman did nut take away from; the value of the general principle affirmed in the motion. The Right Hon. Gentleman now called on the Opposition to agree with the Government in adopting some system_to remedy the .finances of the country. He (the Noble Lord) differed from the Government when their plan of an Income and Property -tax was first proposed, and then stated from what resources he thought the revenue might be replenished. His motion was defeated, and twice since the House had affirmed the general principle of the Income-tax Bill. Still retaining his original views,,. he must say, that after those divisions, he could not see now how he could vote for a motion that would impose additional taxation on the country. But he hoped, that after the Income-eax was passed, the opera tion of the legacy and probate duties would be most carefully inquired into. if the result should not increase the revenue, it would snake those taxes be fairry levied, which would be a great benefit t and he hoped this revision would be extended to the stamp duties. Sir R. PEEL said, the Hon. Gentleman who had lately been returned to the House as Member for Montrose, like a giant refreshed—( Laughter)-lilti shown by his speech that night, and also by his charges against him (Sir R. Peel) on the night before, that he (Mr. Hume) was not quite aware of what had passed during his absence. The charges hitherto made against him were, that he (Sir R. Peel) had delud the agricultural interest by false promises, through which he at first gained thci: confidence ; and it was added, that if lie were no to appeal to the country, he would be, through the indignation of those classes, left in a small minority.---(Hear, hear.) Now, the charges made by the Hon. Member for !Montrose were, that he ( Sir R. Peel) had shown gross pre judice and partiality to the agricultural interests—(" Hear. hear," from Nlr. Hume, and great laughter)—that he had sacrificed the' general interests to the landed monopoly, and that he ought now to receive condign punish ment onthat account.—(Laughter.) Now, these latter charges consoled him for the absence of the Hon. Member for Mon trose—( Laughter)-e-and he (Sir R. Peel) hoped that the effect of the contrast between them and the charges brought against him earlier in the session, would be to persuade the pub at large, that l.is measures had been dictated by no other motives, than a sincere desire to do what he felt to be his duty, and to distribute justice as fairly as possible amongst all classes of society.--t Cheers.) dot he was surprised that the Hon. Member for Montrose had not, during his absence, remembered that in the course of the last session, he denounced a tax on property as most unjust —(Mr. flume adverted to the Income tax )—tending to weigh down industry, and diminish the funds of labour. HUNIE said, that last year he opposed the Income-tax as well as a Property-tax. Sir R. PEEL would remind the Hon. Gentleman of the motion he made last year, for the assessment of all kinds of property, whether real, personal, capital, or funded ; yet the Hon. Gentleman could now scarcely restrain his indignation, when he denounced a measure that would touch the funds, affirming that to do this would be to violate the most sacred obligation of the public faith.—(Hear, hear.) Ile holed that after he was reminded of this contrast, the Hon. Member fur Montrose would be more gentle in his opposition to the Income-tax. It was quite clear that the intention of the motion was to throw a practical obstruction in the way of the Income-tax.—(Cries of " No, no.") Oh I perhaps, then, the object was to give him the 1,700,000/. in:addition to what he (Sir Robert Peel) already asked for.—(Laughter and cheers.) If so, then he did not know that he ought not to concur in it—(Laughter)—for the Honourable Gentle man proposed the omission of Schedule D, and that the landed property of the country under Schedules A and B, should be liable to the legacy and probate duties. When they got into Schedule D, he (Sir Robert Peel) would prove that it was quite right to tax professional incomes. All he would say now of the schedule was, that he considered there was a good opening for improvements in it. But the 11011. Gentleman should know that if he were to succeed in his motion He would exempt from liability to the legacy or probate dutie. all the large estates whieh were subject to settlements. But, postponing the question mooted by the motion of the Hon. Member f r the future consideration of the House, he (Sir 11. Peel) hoped that, having again and again affirmed the princi ple of the Income-tax, Hon. Members would not now disturb the progress that had been made. He would only say, that it was his own conviction, and that of the Government, that a general tax upon incomes, however objectionable, wag, on the whole, the best and safest method which could he adopted to raise the 3,700,0001. expected from it ; but he believed that the House would not affirm a motion which world add 1,500,0001. to the large sum already asked for by the Government of the country. He admitted that the duties on stamps and conveyances formed a very complex arid difficult subject, and if it should be decided that a modification of the existing system should take place, ho trusted that the Government which might then be in existence would suffi ciently have the confidence of the country to justify there in entering upon that question before the whole House, instead of sending it to a Select Committee. Without expressinda. decided opinion on the necessity of re-ad justing the legacy and probate duties, he would esntent himself with saying that he preferred the Income-tax to any fund that could be raised by an extension of these duties. It appeared to him that it would not be admissable that a Member of that House holding a public situation should re cord any positive and permanent pledge against the future con sideration of a subject so complicated in its details as that before the House. It appeared to him that the subject was one surrounded with more difficulties than many apprehended. One might easily conceive how easy it would be for parties to divest themse!ves through evasive forms of their interest in property during their lifetime ; and unless, therefore, they ex tended something of the nature of a legacy or probate duty to each transfer during the life of the party, they would defeat the object they had in view. As the Honourable Gentleman proposed to them his measure as a substitute for the Property -tax, and as the House had de cided in favour of a Property-tax, it was quite clear that if the proposal of the Honourable Gentleman were adopted they should set at naught all their past proceedings with respect to a Property-tax, and a new financial system should be taken into their consideration. He hoped, therefore, that the House would negative, by a large majority, the proposition of the Honourable Gentleman, and that they would allow the Government to proceed with the consi deration of the measures they had brought forward fur the relief of our financial difficulties, and which the House had affirmed, as far as their principle was concerned, after re peated discussions and by large majorities. Mr. ELLICE said that he did not wish to obstruct, by any unfair opposition, the measures which the Government hadsub mitted to the House. He should state, however, in a feu words, his reasons for voting in favour of the present motion. He did not wish, he confessed, to substitute the proposed duty in the place of Schedule D hi the Income-tax Bill ; but he was prepared to support the mo tion simply on the ground that he hoped he would by his vote, be advancing one step the re-considera tion of the whole system of our duties, affecting prosperit% in this country. He felt assured that that system at present stood on a most unequal, unjust, and unfair footing. He owned that he had heard some objections made in that House to 1. property-tax in which he did not altogether concur. He bar his doubts whether it was now possible to plate the revenue of this country in that state of efficiency in which it ought to be placed in the present constitution of the world without imposing a tax upon property. He should say, also, that he had no objection to an appeal to property even in time of peace. because it was necessary to uphold the credit and maintain the power of the country. The moment a case of necessity had bees made out for any particular tax, he should never be wanting it raising his voice in its favour. The Right Hon. Baronet had pro perly observed, that the motion then before the House em braced but one-half of the subject. It certainly appeared t. him (Mr. Ellice) to be impossible to impose a duty upon land with settlement, and not to impose a duty upon land without settlement. He should repeat, however, that he supported th present motion, because he believed it was a step in the rigin direction ; and it was evidently their duty to place the taxatio. of the country upon a fair and equitable basis. Dr. BO WRING had listened with great pleasure to the doubting, hesitating manner in which the Right Hon. Baronet expressed his opposition to the motion before the House. It appeared to him that the Right Hon. Baronet had not clearly understood the opinions of his Hon. Friend the Member for Montrose (Mr. Hume), who had merely said that if foreigners with money vested in the funds of this country, were to be exempted from the payment of a per tentage on these funds, on the same principle they should exempt the English fund holder. But his Hon. Friend had not expressed any positive opinion as to the propriety or impropriety of taxing funded property in general. He (Dr. Bowring ) admitted that there might be some just objection taken to the wording of the motion before the H ouse, and he should therefore move words, in addition to the motion asan m as e taxes which weigh most oppressively -non the country." Lord HOWICK. said that it seemed to h e gener ally admitted a n i tdm then ent stood—"t he following low Asa ag substitute for some of those that our present system of levying a duty on the transfer of property was open to much objection ; w hil e , on the other hand, it seemed equally clear that if they were to adopt tin motion of the Hon. Member for Lewes, even with the additior. just made to it, they would by no means correct the inequality. They should enter into a general and comprehensive reform of the legacy duties, and it appeared to him that such a reform should be undertaken by the Government. He calk' not approve of the motion then before the House. The House had already decided in favour of the Income-tax, and by adopting the Hon. Gentleman's motion, they would not substitute this legacy duty for any part of that tax, but merelj be adding a new burden to the people. He had never yet voted for any tax except it was proposed on the authority of a Go vernment, and he should riot break that rule now, on a motion throwing an additional burden on the country. If the Hon. Gentleman had proposed a resolution of a different kind, to the effect that on account of this Income- tax they ought to exemp: personal property from legacy duty, he might have supported it, fur he considered the legacy duty as the most cruel of all at a time of the deepest distress and affiietion, and its details had to be gone into at a moment when they were least prepared for them. He should not, therefore, vote for a motion of this description. Mr. ELPHIN STONE replied. He could not commit to w:thdraw the motion—( Hear, hear)---but if theresolutioa were carried, and a Bill would he founded upon it, it would be neces sary to introduce a clause subjecting both real and personalproperty to tin afloat of the legacy duty. The House then divided, and there appeared— For the motion Against it 221 Majority against •••• 144 PORT NATAL. On our admission to the gallery we found— Colonel FOX on his legs, moving for co,pies or extracts from any recent, official information received by her Majesty's Government from the Cape of Goad Hope, respecting the present relations of the colony with the independent Boers who established themselves at Port Natal, together with any infor mation as to the treatment of the natives of South Africa by the said Boers ; also anv instructions that may have been sent to the. Governor of the Cape of Good Hope on these sub jects by -her Majesty's Goverment. Lard STANLEY said that the transaction to which the Gallant Member had referred, was perhaps one of the most singular that had ever taken place. These parties, who were subjects of the Brititish Crown, feeling dissatisfied from some cause or other, emigrated upwards of 600 miles themselves, tii -ir families, and property. That emigration took place in 155 7 , and they had remained there ever since, and . were now endea'souring to declare themselves independent. Some of the causes of their dissatisfaction was the abolition of slavery, and also finding they were no longer authorised to carry on a sort of border warfare. They now claimed to be roc ignised as an independent State, but that was proposition to which the Government could not listen, as they were detertnined to protect those tribes who had entered into a treaty with the Government of this country. From the last accounts he had received, Port Natal had been made a mi litary post, and he believed that, serious dissensions having taken place among the inhabitants, they would soon beeomss sensible of the error they had committed. His Gallant Friend had asked whether the Government of this country would per. nut these Boers to place themselves under the sovereignty of any foreign nation. Now to that he must answer certainly not. On the whole he thought the papers on this subject should be placed under the consideration of the House, in order that the House might be aware of the circumstances under which it has' taken place. lie had no objection to lay the historical papers on. the table, but the recent instructions he could not assent to make public, neither could he allow the word independent to be applied to the Boars, as her ,Majesty's Government did not admit them to be so. Lord .1. RUSSELL had no objection to the mode in which the Noble Lord proposed to deal with the question. He (Lord J. Russell) would venture to state that there were a few cir cumstances connected with recent transactions in the colony .which he thought of a satisfactory character. One was, as ' the Noble Lord had stated, with respect to the Caffres, that instead of their being engaged in constant hostilities with our our own troops or settlers, from various circumstances, such as weakness among themselves and the influence of missionaries upon them and the migrated Boers, the relations be tween the Caffres and the authorities at the Cape were more friendly during the last year than for some time proviou , ly.—( Hear.) A nether satisfactory eircum . - stance was, that the Boers at Port Natal, not being able to form any connexion with European States, nor to establish any Government among themselves, they feel more and more the want of commercial relations with the Cape of Good Hope. When they had applied at the Cape to be acknowledged as an independent nation, their flag was re fused to be recognised. The inconvenience arising kern that would press more uoon them, and would be likely to load to the settlement of the present differences. There was one question on this subject which he wished to put to the Noble Lord. It referred to the military force at the Cape. He understood that it was proposed to send the regiment at the Cape to India, . and to replace it by half of the re giment stationed at St. Helena. He wished to know was that the case. and what was meant to be the permanent force at the Caw ? Mr. HUNIE wished to know from the Noble Lord whether Port Natal had been in the possession of tho English before the Boers had located there ? Lord STANLEY made some observations in an indistinct tone, the purport of which we understood to be that Government (lid not intend to offer any encouragement to the settlement of the Boers at Port Natal. The Noble Lord then went on to say, that in reply to the Noble Lord opposite (Lord J. Russell), he had to state that it was the intention of the Government to withdraw the regiment stationed at the Cape of Good Hope, and reinforce the garrison there by a portion of the regiment stationed at St. Helena. With reference to the amount of force to be kept up at the Cape—whether more or less regiments than at present should be kept permanently at that station, that would, of course, depend on the exigencies of the future. Lord J. RUSS r:LL—I mean the force at present. Lord STANLEY—It is not the intention of Government to send more than half a regiment to the Cape at present. Mr. HUME, amidst cries of " Spoke, spoke," said the Noble Lord had not answered his question. He wished to know whether the territory possessed by the Boers was cleared before they took possession of it. Lord S CANLEY said that he had stated that Port Natal was part of the territory over which Great Britain claimed sover, ignty, but it had not been occupied before they took pos session of it. Colonel FOX said, that the Dutch East India Company hail originally purchased the territory of the Dutch Government, and that we had come into possession of that Company's right. The motion was then agreed to. NORFOLK CONSTABULARY. Mr. BURROUGHES said that the Honourable 'Mem ber for Finsbury had, some short time since, made a state ment relative to the treatment by the Norfolk constabulary of a man who was said to have been, locked up in a stable. and chained to the manger. He (Mr. Burroughes) hail made inquiries into the matter, and had found that no cruelty wha . ever was committed in the case alluded to. The stable which had for some time ceased to be used as such, was large and clean, and there was abundance of straw in it, and there was no prisoner that would not prefer being con fined in it to being locked up in a gaol.—( Hear, hear.) Ihe Honourable Member then read several documents to cor roborate hii statement, and concluded by moving for a " Copy of a letter from Colonel Oakes, Chief Constable of the Norfolk Constabulary, to the Chairman of Quarter Sessions, dated the Sth day of April, 1842, with enclosures:" The motion having been put, Mr. 'l'. DUNCOMBE said that the Right Honourable Baronet had often attacked his (Mr. Duncombe's) side of the House for obstructing the public business, and particularly that very popular measure the Income-tax.—(Laughter.) But after the speech of the Honourable Member for Norfolk, who tad been deputed by the Right Honourable Baronet to investigate this case, and who had during the recess visited the stable in which this person was chained, he did not think he had so much right to coin pieta of the delays occasioned by his side of the House.— ( Hear.) With regard to the degree of severity which this person was subjected to, and which was not considered so severe by the Hon. Member, he thought that before he could form any correct judgment on the subject, he should be subjected to the same punishment himself, and chained up short.—(Laugh ter.) The Hon. Gentleman said that his statement was an over-coloured one, but the fact was, he rather under-stated it. What was the case ? This policeman was going from 1 armouth to Norfolk, and met with a man without shirt or shoes upon him, when he jumped off his horse, and asked what he was doing? and upon the man answering that he was doing nothing, anti was going to Norfolk, the Superintendent searched him, and finding some tracts upon him, he wanted to know what he wanted those tracts for ; and hearing that he had them to sell, he asked fo: his hawker's license, and the person not being able to produce it, he took him into custody as a vagrant, and chained him to the manger. The man fled, because the owner of the manger came in and relieved him from the imprisonment. He was afterward found wandering in the streets of Norwich, and brought before the Magistrates, who saw nothing to blame in the conduct of the policeman. The same policeman took another man home with him, and chained him to the bedstead. He (Mr. D.) was borne out in all that he had said. The Hon. Member (Mr. B.) thought he had no grounds for the statements he had made. But he would show that Sir James Graham was precisely of the same opinion which he ( Mr. D.) had expressed. He would read to the House in letter from Mr. Phillips, dated White. hall, Dec. 10, 1841, to the effect that he was directed by Sir James Graham to write to Superintendent Smith relative to the complaint of Mr. Farmer, and to say that Sir J. Graham was of opinion that the policeman ought not to have chained his prisoner to the manger—( Hear, hear)—and that he ought not to have chained another to his bed-post—(Hear, hear) —and that Sir J. Graham hoped that orders would he given by Superintendent Smith to his constables not to act in such a way in future.—( Cheers.) The motion was then agreed to. INCOME TAX AND TARIFF. Lord J. RUSSELL begged to ask the Right Hon. Gentle man (Sir R. Peel) whether it was his intention to bring on his motion respecting the bringing on of orders of the day before notices of motions on Tuesdays, after the 9th of May, whilst the Income-tax and the tariff were under the consideration of the House? Sir R. PEEL said, it was his intention to bring forward that motion, if he thought he could have the general concurrence of the House. It was intimated to him, however, by a number of Members, that it would occasion considerable i n convenience to many Members who had given notices of motion. He would, however, if that met with the views of the Noble Lord, take the sense of the House at five o'clock on Thursday next, or, if the Noble Lord though t that the House was now sufficiently full. he would take the sense of the House now. Lord .1. RUSSELL said that he did not think it ought to be brought on at so late an hour. Sir ROBERT PEEL then said that he would bring it on on Thursday. THE MODEL PRISON. Sir 3. GRAHAM said he would not detain the House but for a very short time in asking leave for bringing in a Bill very similar to that brought iu by the Noble Lord opposite, for putting into use the model prison at Pentonville. The reguli dons would be in most respects the same as at the Penitentiary, tud the cost of the building would be about 90,0001. Leave was then given to being in the Bill, which will be •ead a first time to-morrow. PARISH CONSTABLES BILL. Sir JAMES GRAHAM moved for leave to bring in a 13 . 11', for regulating the appointment and payment of parish con stables. He proposed by the Bill to make it incumbent em tht' Magistrates balding Petty Sessions in any township to hold an annual Session for the appointment of constables for suet. owuship. Ile further proposed to give to the rate-payers, in .-ostry assembled, a permissive power to pay the constables so aprioted ; and he further proposed that the constables so ap• pointed should be placed under the control of the superintendent of rural police appointed by the Court of Quarter sessions. He would not enter into any further details, but would content himself with moving for leave to bring in the Bill. Leave was then given to bring in a Bill, which was brought in accordingly, and read a first time. COPYRIGHT BILL. On the Order of the Day for the third reading of the Copy right Bill being read, Mr. HUME protested against the Bill as one calculated to interfere materially with the diffusion of knowledge. Such pub lications as chambers' Edinburgh Journal would be anni hilated by this measure. After the manner in which the sense the House had been expressed on the subject, he would not do more than protest against the measure. The Bill was then read a third time and passed. SOAP DUTIES. The Report on the Soap Duties Bill was brought up. EXCHEQUER BILLS BILL. Sir G. CLERK brought in the Exchequer Bills Bill, which was read a first time. The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of, and the Rothe adjourned at a Quarter past Twelve o'Clock. At an entertainment on beard the steam-ship Chili, belonging to the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, Senor Rocafuesti, Governor of Guayaquil, after a long and eloquent livech, proposed the toast of the Directors of the Company in London, and Mr. William Wheel Nright, their worthy managing Director out there. •-- PROVIDENTIAL EscArE.—.A. porter named Rolfe, in the employ of the Great Western Railway Company, had a most narrow escape from death upon the arrival of the first up-train at the terminus on the morning of Saturday last. The porter, just as the engine had entered the shod. the train still proceeding onwards, was running along the side of the platform, upon which was a ladder standing against one of the pillars. This he run against, unperceived, and tell down with the ladder, close to the edge of the platform, and within a fow inches of the train ; and had it not been for rune of the men fortunately catching hold of him just as he was roll ing over the side, beneath the wheels of the carriages, and dragging him back, the man's life must inevitably have been sacrificed. ANTI-CORN-LAW ASSOCIATION. which bad been lauded as the best possible Bill was now gone, The annual meeting of the Subscribers to the Asso . and he hoped the new one would not last so long.—(Cheers. ) elation was held, yesterday, at the Crown and Anchor - He hoped, therefore, that they would not despair of ultimate es suc es . Protection must injure some The e el,a e n v d id , en in ee fact fact, takenit Tavern. On the platform we observed the Earl of Rad- was In ury t o •an •'hose protected. j nor, Lord Kinnaird, the Hon. C. P. Villiers, M.P., Mr. before the Committee, to which he had alluded, proved that Milner Gibson, M.P., Dr. Bowring, - M.P., Cul. Thompson, those trades were most flourishing which enjoyed no protection, &c. The room was extreme ly f a ll at two o'clock, the and those trades which had protection declined in proportion. time at which thu meeting was called. He hoped they would all exert themselves to the utmost, and Mr. WeetuunTos; took the chair, and in doing so said, he begged to conclude by moving the resolution which he had he would not trespass on their time with any remarks of read. ( The Noble Earl sat down amidst loud cheers. ) his own, as there were several Noble Lords and Gentle- Mr. C. P. VILLIERS said that he felt proud in seconding -any proposition made by the Noble Earl. The Noble Earl men ready to address the meeting; he should, therefore, content himself by calling on the Secretar to read the had been a f a ithf u l l a b o u r er in the field of Reform. He wa s y not one that took up politics to support a party, but he used Report. I his talents for the benefit of his country. There was another Mr. S. Satrarn then read the following Report veteran who had just entered the room (Mr. Hume). — The Business Committee appointed by the Metropolitan I (Cheering.) He (Mr. Villiers) could have but little to add Anti •Corn-law Association to transact the details of its affairs, to the arguments that had already been adduced with respect beg leave to render to their constituents an account of their to the question of the Cora-laws. He congratulated them on management for the past year, 1841. their prospects. It was but a very few mouths ago that the The Interim Address issued by the Committee at the close present Government was placed in power for the purpose of of the year, which has been extensively circulated, and i, in supporting and perpetuating monopoly. But they had evi the hands of all the members , supersedes the necessity of here dently been shaken. They had taken a step towards free trade enumerating various details, of which it would otherwise be but still the old monopolies were supported. It was for this the duty of the Committee to make a report. that the Income-tax had been proposed. The new Corn Bill Since the date of the last annual general meeting, the nuns- had been brought in on account of the agitation on this sub her of Branch Associations, in connexion with this Society, has jest; and if the opinions of the people had been more fully ex increased from seventeen to sixty-four. pressed against the monopolies, the Government never would The subscriptions which, for the year 1480, amounted to have dared to have propoied the Income-tax.--(Cheers. ) 994/. 10s. 4d., have, ep to 31st December, 1841, reached to There were articles of consumption upon which the deficienZ:y the sum of 1,392/. 16s. ld. The payments have been— ea £ s. d. of the revenue might have been raised. And what had used the deficiency ? Why these monopolies ; for the amount of the Rent Public meetings Stationery Lithography ... Printing 192 16 6 • Mt Gregor that, if the reduction of the duty on necessaries had Advertisements Salaries, lectures, clerks, &c. Wages, postage, parcels, and petty dis- tinue their vigorous exertions, and he had no doubt they would bursements The resolution was then put and carried unanimously. Lord KIN N A It: t; said he would detain them but a very short time, as there were many Gentlemen round him whom they had known of old, and whom they would wish to hear again and again. , But he could assure them that those Gentlemen !night address them with greater ability, but not with more sincerity than he did.—(Cheers. ) Since the year 1826, when lie succeeded to his landed property, he had turned his attention to agriculture. Ile had nearly a thousand acres of land, and he could assure them, front his experience, that, instead of protection being beneficial to agriculture, it was injurious. A considerable portion of the land had, for many years, been cultivated with wheat, to the growth of which the Corn-laws gave peculiar encouragement. And he asserted, that notwith standing all kinds of manure being used, drainage, &c., the land dial not now produce more than one-third the quantity of former sears, became this most vicious system bad entirely ex haustedthe soil. He congratulated them upon the prospects of the Association, and concluded by moving the following reso lution : "That the proposition formally asserted by the first Mi nister of the Crown, that the revenue unit eerily increases with abundance in the necessaries of life, and is diminished by their scarcity, is a virtual admission that the Cs rn and Provision laws, which restrict the supply of food, have materially conduced to that defalcation in the revenue which is assigned as the reason far the necessity of the imposition of an Income-tax ; and that this Association sees in this new impost only an expedient for the continuance of the infliction ef the intolerable wrong of the Bread-tax. Mr. He CIE seconded the resolution in a very eloquent speech, The revolution was put and carried. Mr. WILSON proposed the following resolution:— '° That the proposed reconstruction of the tariff, although vicious in principle, and, in all, falling short of the full measure of just and wise commercial reform, sufficiently indicates that public opinion has driven monopoly from the ancient strong holds of the restrictive system ; while the abandonment by the advocates of the theory of protection of all the ordinary econo mical fallacies which formerly constituted its only defence, en courages renewed exertions for the enforcement of free trades principles, which being now recognised by al parties in the State, can be vindicated without the imputation of factious mo tives to their con,cientiteas supporters." Dr. Howitzer; seconded the resolution. He thought they could not hope of success, until they saw a different House of Commons. The resolution was put, and carried unanimously. Col. Toomesos in proposing the next resolution, said, that his Friend (Dr. }busying) had succeeded to the Knight in Doubtin g Castle, put under the care of the Giant Despair with Brother I)espondency.—( Laughter.) He ( Col. 'l'.) intended to be his BroAter Hopeful. —(Laughter. ) He thought there was every reason to be full of hope, for their prospects were most cheering. He concluded by proposing the following reso lution :—" That the sy stem of fiscal legislation which pro poses to increase the capacity of the people to pay the taxes required for the public service, by relieving them of those levied ter the profit ef private and class interests is sound in economical principle, and would be found eminently successful in practice; while any attempt to render the maintena , ce of monopoly com patible with die attainmant of an adequate State revenue, by the imposition of new taxes upon a community, which has de e monstreted its inability to meet those which are already re quired of them, is at once enreasonable and oppressive, fraught with peril to the productive faculty of national industry, and the sources of commercial enter; rise." Mr. BEACON seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously. Mr. M'Leon proposed the following resolution, which was carried unanimously : " That past experience has proved that the political power of private interests, and of the beneficiares of monopoly is such, that no Government, however patriotic in intention or sound in its views, is able, by its own influence, to legislate ac cording to its sincere convictions of justice and true policy ; and it becomes the imperative duty of the vast body of con sumers to steengthen the hands of the executive in any honest efforts to consult the real interests of the community at large ; anti that to this end, and foe the purpose at once of vvarning o our opponents of our irrevocable determination, and of confirm ing ourselves in its prosecution, we do hereby solemnly, deli berately, and firmly pledge ourselves to each other, and to our common country, that we will never relax in our exertions, but, on the contrary, that we will increase the sphere and in tensity of their application and activity, until the Corn end Provision-laws are entirely repealed, and free trade, in spirit and in truth, made part and parcel of the law of our native land." £1,382 11 3 Up to the end of last year the Association distributed in all parts of town and country, 252,537 tracts on the subject of the food laws and free trade, of which a particular list is already in the hands of members ; as also of four hundred and eighty- seven lectures delivered under the auspices of the Association. The number of petitioners against the Corn-laws, for the year 1840, was 1,459,545; for 1841, they increased to 1,756,645 ; and for the first three months and a half of 1842, they already amount to 1,693,671 ; and the number of petitions to 3,870. It is satisfactory to be enabled to report the greatly altered tone of these petitions. While a vtry considerable pro portion of those presented in past years prayed only for a modification or alteration of the Corn-laws, those presented for 1842 are very nearly unanimous in demanding their total and immediate repeal. Among the events connected with the business of the Asso ciation, since tie date of the last Address, the Committee would refer to the success of the Manchester Anti-Corn-law Bazaar, the claims of which to the assistance of the metropolitan public were efficiently urged by . this Association. The appeal was answered by the presentation of numerous and valuable contri butions, which were transmitted to the Bazaar by the Com mittee. . . . The Association took an active part in the management of the business of the Great Metropolitan Anti-Corn-law Con ference; a member of the Committee having been unani mously elected its president, while Mr. Sidney Smith was called to undertake the duties of its Secretary. The Committee believe that the numbers, intelligence, and social influence of that assembly produced a powerful effect upon the Legislature, while the ability, good sense, and spirit with which its business was conducted were well calculated to secure the sympathy and confidence of the community. The Committee have the satisfaction to report the existence of an increase of zeal, intelligence, and business habits in the various branches of the Association since the date of the last Re pert. Their meetings are more frequent and regular—the at tendance at lectures greater—and their local importance and political weight are much more sensibly recognised by the community. Their steady support to, and prompt co-operation with, the operations of the Association, and of the League, have been of essential service to the cause, and are thus publicly and gratefully acknowledged by the Commiree; who would at the same time point out to their constituents the rapidity of communication and extent of influence which this local organi zation places at their disposal ; and the great saving of ex pense to the central Association, at which these branches enable the Committee vigorously to effect greatly extended operations. The stock of tracts on hand is at present not inconsiderable, and the Committee take this public opportunity of thankfully acknowledging the gift of several valuable and useful contri butions of broadsheets and pamphlets. They would also notice the promptitude with which their correspondents in all parts of the country have co-operated in the business of petitions and memorials, and communicated to them much useful Parli amentary and other intelligence connected with the cause. The operations of the Association have been eminently suc cessful, not only iu arousing, but in enlightening the public mind on the subject of monopolies, and of the principles and nature of public taxation. Indeed the Committee conceive that the work of conviction among the commercial and manu facturing communities has, to a great extent, been accomplished. But the preponderance of legislative influence possessed by the agricultural interest renders it necessary that before any signal Parliamentary success can be attained, there must be an extensive conversion to free trade opinions of the rural consti tuencies. The unseemly spectacle of a kingdom divided against itself in the existing antagonism of the commercial and agri cultural bodies, the Committee are most anxious to remove ; and the growing dissatisfaction of the tenantry with the opera tion of the new sliding scale and tariff, and the infliction of the Income-tax renders it highly probable that if the Committee are enabled by the liberality of the public to carry their opera tions into the surrounding predial districts, the tenantry of Great Britain may at no distant date be found in the ranks of the Association, covineed, with Lord Western, that an entire and immediate renunciation of protection, which will enable them at once to know with what they have to contend, is greatly preferable to the uncertainty of those perpetual changes all in the direction of the removal of commercial restrictions, which the progressive disproportion betwixt the domestic production of food, and the increasing numbers of the population, coupled with the growing influence of free trade doctrines, render in evitable. The Committee would congratulate the Association upon the extent and rapidity of the success of their exertions indi cated by the altered language of the Legislature, and the coin • mercial revolution effected by the Government. The trite Corn-law sophisms which were urged in opposition, are now formally abjured by the members of the Cabinet ; the sound ness of the principles of the Association has been as formally recognised ; and credit has been even claimed for sincere en deavours, safely and gradually to carry them into the practice of fiscal legislation ; while the leading members of the Govern ment have explicitly disclaimed the finality of the measures they propose, and claim for them only the character of the commencement of a system of alterations in the entire tariff of the country. This virtual challenge to perseverance in the enlightening of the public mind, combined with the growing conviction that the imposition of new taxes has been forced upon the country solely from the incapacity of the mass of the people to meet any longer the demands of the public re venue, while they are impoverished by the taxation of private and class monopolies, and their energies para lysed by commercial restrictions, call for more vigorous exer tions, and give better promise of speedy success than ever ; while the formal recognition of the principles of fiscal reform made equally by the late and Vise present Government, removes from the advocates of free trade all suspicion of party motives in the advocacy of a cause which is now vindicated by the intel ligent Members of both the great parties in the State. While scarcely thirteen years ago Mr. Hurne's motion, for a maximum duty en wheat of twenty shillings per quarter, found only twelve supporters in the House of Commons, the same measure is new carried through both Houses by an overwhelming majority of that Gentleman's political opponents. The motion of last year fur inquiry into the Corn-laws, which found only 177 adherents, when brought forward in the more specific shape this year of a notion for a low fixed duty, has been sanctioned by 226 votes, and Mr. Villiers' specific motion for a total and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws, has received (including pairs) the support of 110 representatives of the people. The Committee have endeavoured to conduct the operations of the i Association with as much attention to economy as was consistent with maintaining a character of spirit and efficiency. The subscriptions hitherto realised for the service of the cur rent year exhibit no falling off in the liberality of the public, or the resources of the Association. The Comn.ittse have only to add, that the present state and future prospects of the coun try, now more than ever call for renewed exertions for the enforcement of the legislative adoption of free trade principles; and that it will be their carnet endeavour, faithfully and use fully to apply all the funds which their constituents may place at their disposal, to the attainment of the objects which they are associated to accomplish. By order of the Committee, re spectfully reported by FRANCIS PLACE, Chairman. SIDNEY SMITH, Secretary. 448, Strand, London, April 26, 1842. The CHAIRMAN said, that ; before the close of the proceed ing he should put the ordinary question, that the Report be re ceived, adopted, printed, and circulated ; but he should not put the question then, in order that the Earl of Radnor might at once propose the first resolution.—(Cheers. ) The Earl of RADNOR then rose and said, lie rose in obedi ence to the call of the lion. Gentleman who filled the Chair, to propose the first resolution, but he did so with considerable reluctance, as he was no orator, and even ill calculated to per form the duty which had been entrusted to him. But having been asked to move the resolution, and being exceedingly anxious on the subject, he had allowed his anxiety for the wel fare of the cause to supersede his feelings of reluctance. Per haps he might be allowed to say, partly as apology, and partly as a proof of his anxiety in the cause, that that was the first meeting of the sort lie had ever attended.—( Cheers.) The resolution he had been requested to propose was —" That a painful and protracted experience of the baneful effects of acting i n violation of the principl es of this Association, calls on the mem bers at this, their third anniversary, emphatically, to confirm the justice, humanity, and sound policy of the principles they have always advocated, and that the present depressed condi tion, and gloomy prospects of the manufacturing and trading community demand renewed exertion, to preserve for every Briton the invaluable power to sell his labour in the best market, and purchase his food in the cheapest." He congratulated them on the position of the question of the Corn-law at the present time. He congratulated them not only on the flattering Report they had just heard read, but at the progress the question had made in the course of a few months.—( Mr. Hume here entered the room, and was re ceived with loud cheering.) The Noble Earl continued. He believed that it was somewhere about three years that this As sociation had been in existence, and when they looked at the progress their principles had made he confessed there was great cause for congratulation. For the first year and a half the As • sociation made but little progress; it was not till the report of the Committee of the House of Commons, which sat on the im port duties was published. It was that that directed the atten tion of the public to the subject. By that report. the public mind seemed to be at once drawn to the question, and new their prospects were most cheering. The arguments used against them were totally different to those used two years ago by the same party, and this was another proof of the great progress their cause had made. In the very last debate that took place in the House of Lords, during the last Session of Parliament, the arguments used against the repeal of the Co laws was that this country ought to be totally independent of foreign countries. At the present moment that argument was entirely given up, the only person now using it being the Duke of Wellinston.—(Hear.) It was now admitted on all hands that the country could not supply sufficient food for the increasing population. Tln•re had been another argument used by their opponents, but which was not entirely given up, and that was the necessity of pro tection to agr iculture; but even that was beg in n in g to g ive way, for a Noble Lord, in the House of Lords, during the late debate, had admitted that the system of protection had been niurious to Ireland. It had also been stated to the House of Lords that a supply from Ireland could net be depended upon. Now, five years ago, when he (the Earl of Radnor) had stated this in the House of Lords, he was laughed at, and the Noble Lord went so far as to say that he ( the Earl of Radnor) had been misled. But time had proved that he was correct,illit mats• for six or seven years the supply had been d iminishing t now reduced to nearly nothing. New this argument had been used by Noble Lords favourable to the new Corn Bill, li e (Earl Radnor) thought they had matter of congratulation in the new. Corn Bill, for although it was but a very few steps to free trade, still it was one, he thought, would act as stringently as the old one. But the old Corn Bill was broken up. That 'fhe Repo' t Iva.; then adopted and ordered to be printed, a vote of thanks was given to the Chairman, and the meeting eparated. CAPE OF GOOD HOPE JOB. .( raom A CORRESPONDENT.) I see that Colonel Fox has a motion on the paper for this evening relative to the Cape of Good Hope. Will you allow me, therefore, to d•rect your attention to one of the many jobs that are perpetrated, 1 am afraid, in that forgotten and ne glected colony. Mr. I fume's task, it he resume his old voca tion of hunting out and exposing jobs, will be immensely aug merited by the labours of his friends when in office; but the following job is, I believe, a Tory job. Colcnel John Bell, C. 8., left the Cape for this country nearly a year ago. He was then Colonial Secretary, with a salary of 1,5001. per an n um, half of which goes to the person acting for him. It was understood when he left the colony that he never would return. At the late brevet he was made Major-General, which incapacitated him for the situation. Yet he is still, 1 believe, receiving half salary, as Colonial Secretary we leave. He holds also, I believe, a situation in the Queen's household. The act ing Secretary is a relation of the Governor, a very young man, and quite unfit for the situation, although a very amiable person. In such a colony as the Cape, with a Governor who is a good meaning, but not overwise nor over-energetic man, a Secretary is a person of great importance. The greater part of the active affairs of Go vernment rest en his shoulders, and an efAcient man ought at once to be appointed to fill the place which Major-General Bell cannot again occupy. ✓ By a late order in Nuncil at the Cape, the duties on im ports have been increased, which will add at least 16,0001. to the revenue. It would not surprise me were an addition made to the Cape pension list, which already takes away six per cent. of the gross revrnue, in favour of Major-General Bell. 'that he is otherwise provided for, and has no just claims o:a the Cape, only makes the suppo,ition the more feasil.ae, for such is generally the ease with those for whom the inhabitants of the Cape are already obliged to provide. These facts may be worth your notice, Mr. Editor, because they are only a sample of what occurs in many of the Crown colonies. SALE AT STRAWBERRY-HILL.—The sale \MS re sumed yesterday The room was well attended, but we observed no collectors of any note present. Among the lots which were sharply competed for, and which fetched the best prices, may be mentioned—Lot. 5. A Godly Meditation on Twenty select and chosen Psalms, by Sir Anthony Cope, Knt., printed at London, by John Day, in black letter 4te, from the library of King James I. and the Court of King James I. 4to, which was knocked down to Mr. Payne for 111. Lot. '2. A Brief and Pleasant Treatise, by Thomas Flyll, black letter, 1586, and four other black letter tracts, which was purchased by Mr. Thorpe for 31. 10s. Lot.. 47. Ashmole's Antiquities of Berkshire, by the same, 41. Lot. 50. Collin's Peerage of England, 6 vols. 3/. 10s. Lot 59. Aubrey's Natural History and Antiquities of the county of Surrey, whh plates, purehasea by Bohn, 13/. 15s. Lot. 166. Ilistoire Genealogique de la Matson do France, and Ilistoire Genealogique de la Maison de Montmorency, purcha s ed by Th o rpe, for 8/. Lot. 168. Horace WaL ole's Bible, after a long contention was purchased by a. gentleman for 31. 12s. This day's sale realised almost to a, pound the same sum as that of yesterday, namely, 370/. odd. Mr. Peacock lead succeeded in erecting light house on the Lland of Santa Clara, or Amorlajado, in NO MA the light was to be permanently fixed on the lot of D ecem b er last. It. was taken oat in pieces, with an ironwork lasthorn, and was placed about one•third from the head, showing a fixed light about 230 feet above the level of the sea, having ten :visaed , burners, with burnished silver reflectors, visible in every direc tion except from N. . 1 ; W. to N. by E., and should a vessel ap proach too near the island in a southerly direction it would be shut in with the edge of the cliff. The most brilliant fees- ex tends from W.N.W. to E. N.E. by the South, in which di rection it will be seen in e:ear weather from five to six degrees off. It bears front the beacon buoy off the Payana shoal W e by N. N. 10 mile's, from the south buoy of the Bajo de Mala. or Arena's Shoal, S.W. by W. 25 miles Punta Espanola considered to be a place well adapted for steamers, or other vesse l s getting su p p li es o f f ue l a nd water, which are represented to be of the best dessriptien, and expectations were entertained that coal existed there, anal Mr. Peacock, who appears to be ' an experienced geologist, had pointed out the places in which it. was the snore likely to be found, and attempts to diteover i were to be made forthwith. DIARY OF THE COURT or Qui:EN CitAmAYTTE,-- It is no longer a matter of surprise that so great int eres t s t sou ld have been felt respecting the new volume of Miss Burney's Diary, comprising the account of her residence at the Court of Queen Charlotte, which has at length appeared, when it is discovered that, in addition to innumerable minute detail:, re garding the personal habits, conversations, and m an ne rs of the Ki n g and Queen themsolves, it contains nume r ous sketc see r a necdotes, anal characterestie traits of the following Royal and noble personages, namely—the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Y or k, the Princesses Elizabeth, Sophia, Augusta, Mary, and Amelia ; the Duchesses of Portland, Marlborough, Beset's; t, Spencer, Waldeerave, Ikmeaster, Deward , ' Mar- Aiister, Poliguae, lotte Finch, Challotte ssr e &c. ; the Ladies Pembrok e, ymouth, Rothes, Harcourt, Boston, Effingham, Ilerries, Carleton, Se. ; the Dukes of Montagu, Marlborough, &c. ; the Lords Blandford, Walsing_ ham, Moruington, H arcourt , M n lgrave, George Se:el:tifle. &c. ; the Bi s h ops o f S a li s b ury , Worcester, Winchester, Dn.. more, great battle . between Jofirsay &c. ; not to mention a host of the Literary and Se:eu... title celebritie of the time. will j e t :: t account o a u full of report Bell's Life in London of Sunday next, May 1, p o o . r . t F o i . f rst th S e pring Meeting at Newmarke t ;" Broome and Bungaree, the Australian champion, a copious :and sses in the Betting Market ; Piseato rial b t y he A o g pe ri n p i l i , t a g ; of c i C ie r s i s e , k om et l a w_ nd No. IV. a iA. : a l gsu t s h aa e tgi ec e s h s,.. o be p .y s s „E a i f; ) : .h i ec O ihri r ae i l c , l e i. t al Poetryinei ; dents of the week. Price of lit t. h ,a e rl Syorting orders to agents indispensable, to pre vent As Amt.:m(7.lN E xc, EPT oN Boston (Ante rica) Atlas say . s," The steamboat Oneida, which left Wheeang on Thursday tor Louisville, took fire and was burned to the isni' disappointment. water's .eike, with everything on board except the paftienger s • b!' s td 101 " t Jo th Igo *or He I I