The Sun. — London, England, 1849-02-14 00:00:00

prescriptive character to a " several" fishery had yet been sustained. When he stated this fact he appealed to the recollection of Hon. Gentlemen that had read the history of Ireland; and it would be seen how impossible it was that any title by prescription to a " several" fishery in Ireland could have been acquired by any indi vidual now claiming it. His proposition which he made in the spirit, not of one party or of another—(Hear)—not even is the spirit of extreme right, being always satisfied these were matters of legis lation in which more particularly the summum pis than the summum injuria should obtain. His proposition was that the interests of claimants and of the public, as well as the legal rights of the poor, who had been so long prejudiced in this matter, should be conserved; and it was not his inteat , eaa to institute any one measafe which would not provide to the fullest extent for the quasi rights of those particular claimants. But on the other hand it was undoubtedly and lamentably true that, not con tent with their assertion of those derogatory rights, and the mischief inevitably occasioned by such assertion to the general rights of the public and the poor, the monopolists for such he must be permitted to term the owners of those illegal obstructions—and ever since that introduction was first connived at by the Go vernment, and not acquiesced in by the help less and defenceless poor, proceeded further and further in their preservation until the result had been that in a country watered with rivers of the largest extent ; rivers which were stocked with the finest fish sufficient for the provisions of the population and the markets of Great Britain, not one fish had been taken in many of those rivers. The Honourable Gentleman then proceeded to enu merate the rivers that were monopolised by pa tents, which he contended were rendered ille gal, by their not being dated later than the time of Queen Elizabeth, and then asked the House to bear with him for a few moments, while he pointed out the extent of loss which the people of Ireland suffered from the existence of these monopolising obstructions of theae their rivers. Estimating the value of the lost fish according to its market price, Ireland lost 000,000/. worth of fish annually, independently of the consequential damage which resulted to them from the defective state of the law, allowing poaching to be carried on - with impunity. It had been as certained that one thousand female, fish • were annually • destroyed in the river Blackwater ; each fish producing 1,500 spawn, of which 800 came to maturity; and, carrying out that calculation, it would be found that Ireland was .an annual loser in that / way of 160,0001., resulting entirely from the state of the existing law inducing the re sident gentry and landholders on the rivers to feel that it was not worth while taking steps to pre vent poaching during the close season. This was the case he had to _present to the House as a foundation for his Committee. If the Committee were granted, the measures which he should teel it his duty to propose, would be of an administrative character only. He was perfectly satisfied to„ take the law as it stood, beginning with the Act of 1842, which did not go the extreme length of giving a common law right to remove the obstructions, and with the strict observance of its provisions he felt convinced that a remedy might easily be provided for the evils which afflicted the valuable and extensive fisheries of the sister kingdom.—(Hear, hear.) Notwithstanding that the statute law provides. a re medy for the mischief, yet the benefit of the Act could not be obtained except through a regular course, and the, gentlemen of Waterford, Cork, and the other counties had not called upon him to ask Legislative as tittance, without having tried every means, both legal and equitable, to arrest the continual loss. But all their efforts bad been frnitiess, for it was found, both in the trials in the courts of petty sessiona and of qaerter sessions, that the results had been invariably adverse, for four out of the live infteietrates were themselves found to he owners of weirs, while, upon application to the sup erior court,: the decisions. of. the lower courts wire ieiye'confitinatory of the dteerinination of the ma gity,tes, and this was not in S,ccerl:ince with. the spirit of the 1?w„ ler they,w ere contrary to that of one of the ra - )st in;.neet _rs of Ireland, Cllr. Berryman. The liem lient!erean preceedtd to show the diffienity was constantly experiene:-d in enforcing the ex ietinelaws tee the sat6c.,t, ci tlee.e, fisheries, after which he raid the remedy he would te-opoise wale that imme d4tety upee it conviction beizee obtain:el before tiny ex ieting tr; cr before a irinunal appointed uneer a nee , Aet, th subsequent proecedines shoeid he a teere zhalter.of polic.?; that.in the case of an illegal weir, for Este:ice., It Shi , ll id be immediately thr.:wn down, and if another was erected in its place it should be thrown down likaveise, without further prosecution. This woeld be of considerable advantage, end although it was by no tm:a,nr ail to which the pour of Ireland tied tile inland proprietor.: were entitled, it would go a great way to wards eatiieyieg their just expectuti:ms and removing their well-grounded compleinis. If the Committee were granted, lie would not ask for powers to send • for witnesses ; but if nny persons chose • te volueteer their evidence, he should be lieppy to propose that they should be examined. His object wocid he completely answered by the Committee haying au opportunity of examirsinfe the evidence which had already been taken by the Haar% of Works, and by the producaon of the cot respondence which had taken piace,lest year, and in former years, between those locally interested in the fisheries and the Government, respect _ ing the difficulty of prosecutions under the Fisheries Act and at common law at present. The ion. Gentleman concluded by moving for the appointment of a Committee. Sir H. W: BARRON seconded the motion, and begged to 'suggest to the Hon. Member the propriety of adding ti it rt inquiry into the dt,ep sea fisheries. They had a treasure there which was ahogether inexhaustible, and which might be made the source of a comtortable liveli : 11:00dAti thousands of poor starving people on the coast of Ireland, if :neans were only taken to instruct them in the improved modes of fishing which were practised in Scot land.' He attributed the improvements which had taken place there to the labours of the Fishery Board, which • had been established in 1800, and suggested • that a similar board should be appointed for Ireland. .He understood- that at present Scotland exported no less than 15,0001. worth of fish to Ireland every year, and yet so superabundant were the fish • around the Irish coast, that with proper arrangements a supply could be furnished to the whole of the people of that country, and of other countries besides. This was ona of the practical measures which Irish Members had frequently pressed upon Government, but with no satis factory result. There had been no tangible opposition made, to their suggestions, but itothing had been done. There had been plenty of promises, but no performances. He implored . the House, as a mere matter of economy, if not of justice, to take steps to place the Irish fisheries on the same footing as the Scotch. He did not think that an inquiry into this subject would interfere with the inquiry proposed by the Hon. Member. The O'GORMAN MAHON had intended to second the motion, but was glad to have been anticipated by the Hon. Meunier for Waterford. He would only now re mark, in confirmation of what had been said by the Hon. Baronet,stfmt.if the deep sea fisheries in Ireland had been encouraged by Government as they ought to have been, there would not now be the mass of misery which they had the pain of contemplating in that country, nor would it have been neceesary to ask for relief from the public Troasury.—(Hear, hear.) With respect to the addition proposed by the Hon. Baronet, he begged to suggest that he should first allow the Committee to be named, and then add his amendment by way of instruc tion to the Committee. Sii . :*.SOMEtVIL LE said it was not his intention to object to the apdointment of the Committee which had been moved for by the Hon. Gentleman. It seemed to him, however, that the suggestion of the Hon. Baro net the Member for Waterford referred to an entirely different subject, and that the two inquiries could not a$ ell be conjoined.—( Hear.) The Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Anstey) had correctly described the state of the law in Ireland on this subject. He had also correctly stated the object which he (Sir W. Somerville) had had in view in the Bill of last session. Several Acts of Parliament had previously been passed regulating the Irish fisheries, and there had been general complaints from all parts of the country that these laws were inoperative be cause there were no police to carry out the regulations. The object of the Bill of last sessjeu therefore, was to g ive power to the parties interested to meet together and be their own conservators, and if possible, protect the spawn of the fish. That was the sole object of the Bill of last session. He admitted that it was an experiment, but it was one which had not yet been fairly tried. He remembered, that in the course of last session, the Hon. Member stated that the Bill to which he now referred would not effect the object he had in view, viz., the re moval of illegal obstructions. It appeared to him that that was the object of the Hon. Member's present motion, and he had stated such strong itto beimpossible grounds to re for it t t f h u a s t he (Sir W. Somerville) felt his assent to it.—(Hear, hear:) agreed with th e He quite . Honourable Member that th e salmon fisheries Ireland were much neglected; he believe d the y wore a mine of wealth, the extent of which had never yet been explored. --(Hear, hear.) The Honourable Member Water ford had, as he had said, alluded to for an entirely dif ferent subject, and he confessed he did not see what good would result from a Committee upon it. W ithin the last year or two, under th e superna dence of Government and the Board of Works, several deep sea fisheries had been established in the west of Ireland, some of which had succeeded very well, and others had not succeeded quite so well as might have been expected. He trusted, however, that a great deal of good would result, and • much useful information be imparted to the fishermen on the coast by their efforts; and the Government would soon be able to give way to private enterprise in providing that encouragement to the employment of the fishermen which was so much required.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. FAGAN said, that from the great advantage which had accrued from the small encouragement which had been given by Government in the deep sea fisherieS, it was easy to see what an enlarged encouragement would do for them. The Hon. Member for Waterford had es timated the imports of fish into Ireland from Scotland at 15,0001. The fact was, however, that they were upwards of 60,000/. The effect of the law of last year, which placed .a tax on each fisherman, had been to reduce many of them to poverty, as they were unable to pay the surn, Surat- as it was. He was delighted that Government had given their consent to the. Committee. Sir J. YOUNG- said, that if the Hon. Member who moved for the-Committee expected that it would be of advantage to the national intere s ts, he feared it w ou ld only add 000 to the many proots already existi ng that no parliamentaryparliamentaryary Intel; ference or enactment could, sup ply that prosperity to tae Irish fisheries which cou ld be derived from incl.! vidu ,1 enterprise and energy alone The Committee could not do the work which Irish ca . Intel could accomplish promoting the succes s of the fisheries.-(Hear.) If the n hateLeiished to put an end to o. Member, on the other the exi,tence of the rights of zeVeo.l fisheries in Ireland, be feared the example of the Committee on Scotch Fisheries, in 1842, forbade . any bop of ;acv ILA those rrightsiAL!ces4. The Conial:lt" were detrimental to the value of the fisheries, and placed the exercise of them under restrictions, but that was all they could effect—and if the present Oomrnittee endea voured to do more he doubted if it would be successful. Those rights had been fully recognized by the Committee, but the owners who had exercised them more than half a century gave them up on terms to obtain a compro mise, and the Committee accepted their terms to prevent litigation, which in some cases, in Scotland, had cost the fee simple of the fishery. He heartily wished the Hon. Member all success in his object. The motion was agreed to. TRANSFER OF REAL PROPERTY. Mr. H. DRUMMOND moved for leave to bring in a Bill to facilitate the Transfer of Real Property. As Honourable Members had nearly all gone to dinner, there was no one left to whom he could address himself but the Speaker, and he would promise him not to stand long in the way of his enjoying himself in the same way. —(A laugh.) There was no reason why land should not be as free in the market as anything else,. and no thing prevented that being the case but the existence of feudal tenures. Into the nature of those tenures he would not enter, nor would he occupy the House by showing how the worst portion of them had been preserved, while the burdens on the owners of land had long since been removed. The only difficulty he felt in intro ducing the Bill was, that he could not conceive what opposition would be made to it, and he could but an swer those which he had heard out of doors. He bad been told, for instance, that it was presumptuous in a person not called to the bar to introduce a Bill on such a subject. Now, being "called to the bar " meant that a person had eaten a certain number of dinners, and had paid a certain amount of fees to a conveyancer—(A laugh)—but he could not see any necessary connexion between those things and the ability to draw up a Bill.— (A laugh.) The question was not one for lawyers— they had quite enoughrto do. Sidney Smith said long ago that " the Court of Chancery was like a boa con strictor, which swallowed up the estates of English gen tlemen in haste, and digested them at leisure."—(A laugh.) Surely those gentlemen should be satisfied to perform the offices of mastication and digestion in their own courts, and, if they were so, he did not see that any one else need trouble himself on the subject. It was solely a question for the. owners of land. But it was said that only lawyers could draw up a Bill. That remained to be proved. A great many Bills drawn up by great lawyers would not work. For instance, there was the Bill of last session, drawn up by the Lord Chancellor, amended by the Solicitor-General with the assistanee of very eminent members of the legal profes sion (the Encumbered Estates Bill), which turned out a perfect caput mortuum. In fact, the Bills drawn up by lawyers gave as much trouble to lawyers as those drawn up by other persons.—(Hear, hear.) But he was told he should wait till the Crown Commission which had been appointed had made its report on the subject. Rusticus expecteit—(A laugh)—but he must be a very simple rustic indeed who expected any useful recom mendations from a Crown Commission.—(Hear, hear.) He repudiated the idea that the lawyers would oppose this Bill. The study of a liberal profession like the law elevated men above the influence of sordid or interested motives., and he should as soon suppose that the College of Physicians would oppose a specific for some malig nant disease, %or that military men would be adverse to peace—(A laugh)—as to- suppose that lawyers would object to such a Bill as this.—(Hear, hear.) The mere traders in law might do so, just as a certain body of physicians, who dined together once on a time, gave " A slow fever," with three times three.—(Laughter.) It was therefore possible that there were some barristers who, at their symposia, gave " Trusts for terms of years," and " Contingent remainders," with all the ho nours.—(Laughter.) He would not detain the House further, for, though quite ready to give them a long speech when they wished it, he would rather abstain just at that moment. With respect to carrying out the object of the Bill, he proposed to establish a registry of deeds in lands—(llear, hear) —and that this registra tion should he accompanied with maps of the same.— (Hear, hear.) There could ha no objection now, as in former times, on the score of expense to these maps, because they could be had for (very parish in England since the Tithe Commission sat. lie oho propos , d that there should ho a p-r:ect registration or till euctun brances of every sort on the property.—(Hear, hear.) li !did not intend that these registrations should be compulsory; on the contrary, they were to be, purely volutititry ; and, wh;.n the Bill was printed, he rather fer.trA the objection would be that it did not go for "1:'"ghl b'it he thought it right to restrict interference with property to the least possible. lengths. Mr. P. WOOD sounded the motion. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL said he had no cb jection to the introducien of the Edl, though he could not express any opinion upon it, from the gene ral way in which -the Hon. Member had stated its ob jeet, till it was printed. No one could deny the great importance and desirableness of the object sought to be effected, and he thought•the Hon. Member had taken a step in the right direction in selecting registration as the mode of carrying it out, and accompanying that re g istration with maps, without which it could not be effectual. He should be happy to give the Hon. Mem ber every possible assistance in carrying out the plan he suggested.—(hear.) Leave was given to bring in•the Bill. BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS. --- Sir J. PAKINGTI)N moved for leave to bring in a Bill for the better Prevention of Bribery and Corrup tion at the Election of Members to servo in Parliament. He had intended to etp'ain the provisions of the Bill at length, but from what he bad heard since he entered the House he was led to suppose there would be no op poiition to its in - roduction, as he believed the House felt vary generally the evils of the gross and notorious bribery at the last election. He would state its details on the see,nd reading. Mr. BIiOTHERTON seconded the motion. Lord JOHN RUSSELL said, he thought the lion. Baronet had pursued the most convenient course in re serving his statement for the second reading, when he (Lord John Russell) would give his utmost attention to the Bill. Colonel SIBTHORP declared he would discharge his duties to hiB constituents in spite of any Bill against bribery and corruption.—(A laugh.) Leave was given to bring in the Bill. PUBLIC ROADS. Mr. C. LEWIS moved for leave to bring in a Bill to consolidate and amend the Laws relating to Public Roads in England and Wales. Such a measure had been ren dered necessary by the change consequent on the intro duction of railways, which had reduced many of the former trunks of communication to the condition of merely secondary lines, while many branch lines, on the other hand, not included in the turnpike Acts by which so many roads in the course of last century and the beginning of this were transferred from the management of the parishes to the manage ment of trustees, had become principal lines of communication in connexion with the rail ways. The railways had subverted the existing system; many trusts had become insolvent; in some in stances the mortgagees and bondholders were collecting the tolls on their own account; and the necessity had arisen of coming on the parishes for what might be called a rate in aid of the highway-rates. In 1841 a temporary Act was passed, which had been continued by annual renewal since. Private Acts which would other wise have required to be renewed came under the opera tion of that measure. But a large part of the law was in a provisional state; and it had been thought expe dient to deal with the whole subject of roads, including highways and turnpike roads. A highway Bill was in troduced last year; one principal objection to which was, that it created an expensive machinery for the mainte nance of highways, and took no notice of turnpike roads, though these were peculiarly exposed to abuse. The number of places repairing their own highways was 18,000; the number of miles of highway was 100,000; and the annual expense of their maintenance was 1,408,7501. There were 1,150 turnpike trusts in En gland and Wales, of which the annual charge was 1,378,3521. The total annual expense for highways and turnpike roads together was, therefore, 2,787,0001. The bonded debt on turnpike trusts was 6,825,7001.; the unpaid interestjl,44l,9B3/.; making a total of 6,267,0001. Such was the unsatisfactory state of things with which Parliament had to deal. The only question the House would now have to consider was whether the measure he proposed was one to which they could assent. At pre sent there were two units of taxation ; the parish main tained its roads by means of a rate, the turnpike trust by means of a toll. When the tolls were deficient the charge was defrayed from a highway-rate. He proposed to abolish both these districts of taxation, and to take for the area of taxation the county.—( Hear, hear.) He would vest the management in a committee of the quarter sessions, to be selected by the magistrates, and to be called the County Roads Court. For the more imme diate local management, he proposed that the poor-law unions should be taken as the districts. The county board would have power to divide the county roads into two maina c s e e .c e c s ii:anirtrea y board. roadsitof and branch roads. The chairman and the l d t i w st a r s ict brooarodsesdwtohualdt on n e t members he2sth o o f f classes, the o March, 1850, all turnpik e p and highway jurisdiction ' should cease, and all po wers with reference to those roads should be vested in th e county boards and district boards. From th a t d ay all generaland ial local po A rt c a t n s ee wo 7 u a ld s be repealed. Another p o i n t of great the payment of the debt owing by turnpike igstsewhich e xceeded 8,000,000/. sterling e in amout. to that the county roads board should take measures form a county road fund, which should be'derive from tolls levied on the main roads, and secondly, from a county rate ; a county rate being substituted-for high way rate. Arbitrators wou ld be appointed to estimate the existing market value of all securities, and the county board should issue debentures for the amount charged and secured on the county roads fund. The only clues. tion would be as to the inequalities which might arise from the charge being made coincident with the entire county, aee ted w th it o h ug a n d jsooirrilliengof ctohtionttuierns.pikbeuttr,uustnsiemsisghstombeecoanr.- rangementof the devisekitt dpraopgoesnederwalervelaandopbtye.d;vbitiewhotuhlde impossiblebe to debt h es o r d u e l r d s bejtsweeausrpedropa(n)sdedful that s e ct the r e i t d y given to e bt should tbhe e paid off in a period of not less than seven or more than twenty-seven years. By the present Acts no provision was made for the ultimate extinction of the debt s. Ti) pay 1001. in twenty-one years, allowing 4 par cent, in terest, required an annual payment of 71. 2s. ed. To pay 100/. in seven years, allowing 4 per cent. int , rest, re quired an annual payment of 16/. 13s. 4d. The dif ference, therefore, between extinction in seven sad in twenty-one years was, therefore; very considerable. Unless a measure could be framed on the principle he proposed it would be impossible to legislate on the subject by any general measure. It would be necessary to resort to local legislation ; and all matters cou nee:ed with the great communications of the country, except, indeed, the railwaN s, would remain in an un satistuctury state.—(Hear;hear.) Mr. HENLEY was confident the House would agree with hira in thanking the Hon. Gentleman for the very clear and lucid stateme n t he - ha . d- made. No ono could say that the measure now proposed was not comprehen sive.—(Flear, hear.) It would be presumptuous for him to offer an opinion on the measure now; but when the Hoe. Gentleman proposed to throw the management of 100.000 miles of highway and so many turnpike trusts on 700 Poor-law unions, it might be questioned how far the duties of those bodies could be satisfactorily dis charged. It was proposed that a sinking fund should be formed to pay off the debt; but the annual payment which would be required for twenty-one years to pay 8,000,0001. of debt, would be, in round numbers, 400,000/., equal to about half the present county rates for England, over and above what they would have to pay for the maintenance of the roads. That seemed a very heavy tax to impose just when they were be ginning to taste the pleasure of wheat at five shillings the bushel, and after they had cut down hills and overcome engineering difficulties at a great expense, not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of those who wanted to travel at ten miles an hour.—(Hear.) A few years ago a measure, cognate with this, was in troduced into Parliament. It dealt with bondholders by the same system of instalment as was proposed by the Bill now moved for; but the bondholders were almost unanimous in objecting to be paid off by driblets. One circumstance ought not to be lost sight of is the consi deration of this matter; namely, that the condition of turnpike-roads was an improving one. Although the tolls were, in the aggregate, greatly diminished, the ex penses had decreased in a more than equal ratio, which showed that the extra expense had been caused by what was technically called the through transit, in contradis tinction to the local transit. The Bill should obtain his maturest consideration, and he would support it if its provisions were just to all parties. Sir J. PAKINGTON had gathered from the clear statement of the Hon. Member that the principle of his measure was to be the consolidation of turnpike trusts, and the payment of their' debts by means of a sink ing fund. That entirely met his idea as to the manner in which the difficulties connected with the ques tion of turnpike trusts might be removed. In 1843, when Sir James Graham was Secretary for the Home Department, a Bill was introduced relative to the turn pike trusts, and was referred to a Committee, of which he (Sir J. Packington) was chairman. That Committee concurred with him in strongly recommending the adop tion of the principles now proposed by the Honourable Under-Secretary for the Home Department. The Hon. Member for Oxford had omitted to take into considera tion that the tolls derived from the turnpike roads would go in aid of the sinking fund to pay off the debt; but, at the same time, it could not be dented that the adoption of the measure would impose a great charge on the county rates; and, on that account, it could not fail to be viewed with jealousy. Mr. BROTHERTON expressed his approbation of the plan generally. Mr. SLANEY was of opinion that, under the plan which had been stated by the Honourable Under-Secre tary, the landed interest would eventually gain, because it would lead to the construction of good roads, skilfully and economically made. Mr. SPOONER maintained that the Hon. Member lor Oxford had not been guilty of any omission in not referring to the toll derived from the gates as a means by which any poition of the debt could be liquidated, because those tolls were avowedly insufficient to pay even the interest of the debt. He feared that the boards of guardians would be found altogether incom petent to discharge the duties which the Bill would im pose upon them. The present was not a time when the agricultural interest could bear the imposition of a fresh burden of 8,000,0001. Captain PECII ELL supposed that the situation which the Under-Secretary had formerly held under the P,or-low Commissioners bud suggested to him the idea of making the boards of guardians the administrators of the proposed new law; but for his part he disap proved of that part of the scheme, and thought that the guardians had quite work enough upon their hands already. Sir. G. STRICKLAND observed, that one objection to the proposed scheme W 39, that it would cause those districts is which the turnpike trusts had been well ma mged to pay for the mismanagement of others. For eenturies the highways had been under the management of parishes, the roads were now in an improvk d state. end he deuhted the policy of placing them under a new administration. Leave was then given to bring in the Bill. THE DUCHIES OF CORNWALL AND LAN CASTER. Mr. TRELAWNY, on rising to move that it be an iostruction to the Committee on Woods and Forests, &c., to extend theizinquiry to the duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster, addressed some observations . to the House in a low tone. He was understood to contend that it was necessary to adopt measures to check mismanagement and impiova the revenue. In 1846 the income of the duchy of Cornwall was 50,3951., out of which only 12,0321. was paid to the Crown, so that the cost must have been 38,3631. Lord J. RUSSELL said, the Hon. Gentleman had stated that he made this motion with the view of show ing that the revenues of the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall should be applied to the exigencies of the pub lic service and the votes of the House. It was upon that ground that he (Lord J. Russell) should oppose it.— (Hear, hear.) The House, when the civil list was settled, had the whole of the revenues of the Crown be fore them, and they had it then in their power, if they thought fit, to declare that the Crown might receive its own revenues, but that they would make no settlement on the Crown except those revenues. It might have declared that it made that settlement contingent on the surrender of the revenues of the duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall. It was competent for Parliament—though he did not say it would have been expedient—to have taken that course. But, after having made the present arrangement, and provided by Act of Parliament that the Crown should - keep those revenues, he said it would be totally rnjust to come now and say they would alter the terms of the contract, because the economy of the public service required it, and take these revenues which they had solemnly declared should be the revenues of the Crown.—(Hear, hear.) Every one knew that there were sources of revenue which belonged to former S,)vereigns—there were casual revenues which belonged to George IV.--the revenue of Hanover, which belonged to William IV.—which belonged not to the present Sovereign of these realms. There had been mismanagement of the revenues of the duchies of Lan caster and Cornwall; and, with a view of putting some check upon it, it was enacted- that accounts should be periodically submitted to Parliament of the general re-1 ceipts and expenditure of those duchies. That had been done, and a very great improvement bad been made in the management of those revenues. The councils of the duchies also had the power of making such improve ments as a great proprietor would make in the manage. ment of his estate; and the income, as compared with the expenditure, was every year becoming more im proved. That being the case, even supposing there had been no regular contract with the Crown, as the Com mittee could only recommend the correction of abuses which were already in the course of correction, he did not see that any benefit would result from referring the subject to a Committee. Mr. M. GIBSON said there was something in the na ture of public inconvenience in these independent juris dictions and principalities in the country, leading as they did :to litigation and vexation of various kinds. He doubted whether they were of auy advantage to the Crown, or to any class of her Majesty's subjects. The motion was then withdrawn. QUALIFICATION OF ELECTORS (IRELAND). Sir W. SOMERVILLE, in rising to move for leave to bring in a Bill to amend the Laws which regulate the Qualification and Registration of Parliamentary Voters in Ireland, said it would be in the recollection of the House that last session he submitted to the House a measure on the same subject, and he then stated the principle and object of it; and as the present Bill differed in no very material respect as regarded the county qualifica tion, it would be unnecessary for him to occupy the House for any length of time on that subject. The principle of this measure was simply doing away with any qualification requiring occupation, and substituting rating instead. He proposed that the amount of rating should be as last year, 81., that amount implying the obligation of paying the poor -rates due within six months ; but that, instead of their being merely paid previously to voting, as in the Bill of last year, they should be paid previously to registration. In the Bill of last year he proposed to leave the borough fran chise as it was now, with this exception, that it did away with the payment of all rates except poor-rates, which were to be paid, as in the case of the county franchise, previous to voting. He proposed in this Bill to adopt the same principle with respect to the borough franchise as to the county franchise. He proposed also that there should be an annual revision and an annual system of registration, and he should be prepared to show at the proper time that this measure would not give an undue number of electors as compared with England. Mr. STAFFORD said, that by acquiescing in the mo tion for leave to bring in this Bill, it must not be sup posed that he and other Hon. Members were pledged to support it either in principle or detail. He must also say, it was not unworthy of observation that the same Government which was now urging a suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act for Ireland was propounding a scale of political franchise for the same people lower than was enacted in England. Mr. E. B. ROCHE thought that, instead of confining the franchise to a rating of 81., it should be extended to every man who was rated at all. Lord BERNARD objected to the proposed alteration of the borough franchise in Ireland. Considering the many social questions connected with that country which required attention and adjustment, and the state of the poor-law in particular, he could not help condemning not only the general policy of the Government, but also the introduction of this particular measure. Mr. GROGAN agreed with the Noble Lord that whe n the destitution of the people was considered, to bring forward a measure like the present was to give a h t lieon m them a e x s oi t ils o n tnetd f .g Hea i n e 0 whenr rating, could y asked for br e ad. The Bill pro pos,?d to e s t a bli s h a uniform representation upon a car uwldhennont helpouriifotrhminksyinsgtemthaotf therevalu were many persons in Ireland who would thank the Right Hon. Gentleman very little for putting them on the re gistry, which would only place them in a false position with regard to their landlords on the one hand and ropier opinion o n the other. Mr. J. O'CONNELL said, that Hon. Members oppo sit, need not be afraid of the great extension of votes wider this Biil, the tffect of which would be in towns to diminish rather than to increase the number of votes. The privilege of voting would not, he believed, induce persons to incur the he sh n i e ft o ce t ssa a r v y oid. amount At of rate, same timewhich they now tried e very he did not wish to be understood as undervaluing the p st r t o p mi t: s i ed keri ß b il y i - the o Governmentne excellent principleinbrinfgroi bringing forward tthheet emneu arse ortuhi f es would be, to disconnect the franch. ise the land. ILeave was giver ELsc t T o brine l()Ns D), On the motion of Sir W. SOMEIWIL4E ItaTe was' THE SUN, -LONDON, WEDNESDAY ET - ENING, FEBRUARY 14, 1849: also given to bring in a Bill to shorten the duration of elections in Trel---1, and to establish a•lditional phsces for t a king the vlllllEtty thereat. ,3 AT ELECTIONS. Sir J. PAKINGTON for the bet tor preveuti , in of brib,ry anticorruption at elections. The Bill was read a first time. _ HIGHWAYS. On the motion of Mr. C. LEWIS a Bill to consoli date and amend the laws relating to public roads in England and North Wales was brought in and read a first time. _ _ The House then adjourned about Nine o'clock. PARLIAMEN TARY BUSINESS. (From the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Commons.) MONDAY, FEB. 12. NOTICES GIVEN AT THE PRIVATE BILL OFFICE. The following Railway Bills are ordered to be read a second time on Friday, Feb. 16:— Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, and Edinburgh and Glasgow Union Canal (Amalgamation, or Sale or Lease of the Union Canal to the Railway Company). South-Eastern (Removal of Restriction against opening the Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, and Ashford and !last. ings Lines, Grant of compulsory towers for Purchase of Lands, Steam-boats). East Anglian (Ely and Huntingdon Railway, Extension of Time). TUESDAY, FEB. 13. The Llynvi Valley Railways Bill :was read a first, an , ordered to be read a second time. IRISH DEBT. Mr. Macgregor gave notice that he should, on Friday, Feb. 16, move for the following returns : Of the number and amount of loans contracted on account of Ireland from the period of the union until the Exchequer of Ireland was united with that of Great Britain in the year 1817 t Of the amount Of any) which has been paid off, out of the Irish revenue of the Irish d e bt d ue a t th e un i on , an d o f th e Irish debt which accrued afterwards, down to the union of the Irish and British Exchequers : Of the amount if any) of the said debts which has been paid from th'e Consolidated Fund since the union until the year 1817 : Of the total amount of funded and unfunded Irish debt, including floating Exchequer-bills, which was funded in England from the date of the union until the union of the two Exchequers in 1817: Of the amount of loans contracted on account of Ireland from• the union of the two Exchequers in 1817 to the sth day of January, 1849: Of the amount (if any) of such loans as has been repaid, distinguishing the amounts paid (if any) out of the Consoli dated revenue, and cif any) out of the revenue levied in Ireland : Of the gross revenue levied in Ireland each year, from the sth day of January, 1818, to the sth ;day of January, 1849, distinguishing the expense of collection, and the other pay ments out of the Irish revenue in its way to the Exchequer : Of the total gross expenditure of Ireland for each year, from the sth day of January, 1818, to the sth day of January, 1849, distinguishing the amounts (if any) of ,repay ments of loans, of reducing the Irish debt :funded in Eng land or transferred t• Ireland, the civil, military, naval, and constabulary expenditures and interest paid on Irish debt funded in England or transferred to Ireland, and which have been each year paid out of the Consolidated revenue, and out of the revenues collected in Ireland: Of the amount (if win which has been redeemed of the Irish debt from the date of the union to the sth day of January,.lB49, distinguishing payments out of the Congo& datedTund and out of the revenue levied in Ireland Of the total amount which remains unredeemed of the Irish debt funded in England from the union to the sth day of January, 1849: Of the amount of Irish debt funded In England on the sth day of. January, 1849, and amount of interest payable thereon out of the Consolidated Fund: And, of the amount of Irish debt funded in Ireland on the sth day of January, 1819, and the sources from which the interest due thereon is paid. LAW INTELLIGENCE. JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL, Feb. 13: (Before Lord BROUGHAM, Lord LANGDALE, Mr. PEM BERTON LEIGH, Dr. LUSHINGTON, and the Bishop of LONDON.) CRAIG V FA.R.NALL. This was originally a sort in the Arches Court of Canterbury, promoted by Mr. Ge‘,rge irtoukc Farnall, the respondent, against the liev. Joltn Kershaw Craig. the appellant, " for his soul's health and the lawful cor rectiou.and reformation of his manners and excesses, and more especially for having been guilty of the crime of adultery, fornication, or incontinence." The Judge of the Court of Arches pronounced that the proctor for the promoter had failed in proof of some of the articles containing the charges against Mr. Craig, but had sufficiently proved the rest; and suspended Mr. Craig for the space of two years,.and condemned him in the sum of 2501. nomine expenAarum. From this sentence an appeal was interposed on be- half of Mr. Craig, and the appeal having been adhered to o❑ behalf of Mr. Fantail, the whole case was brought under the review of the Judicial Committee. Dr. HAGGARD, who . appeared on behalf of the re spondent, now moved their Lordships to rescind the con cluSiOn of the cause, for the purpose of receiving addi tional articles on the part of the respondent, and al s o t o direct the attendance of the witnesses .produced in the court beloW on behalf of the appellant, in order that they might be examined viva voce. The Learned Doctor grounded his first motion principally on an affi davit made by Moses Sims, a servant in the employ of the appellant from the month of Jauuery, in the year 1845, till the month of May, 1848: - The affidavit stated, that during the whole of that period, except for about four months in the year 1847, one Charlotte Sims was also in the service of the appellant; that in April, 1847, the appellant frequently spoke to the deponent about the pregnancy of Charlotte Sims (the fact being at the time manifest from her appearance), and told him that she was going to Jersey with her father, and that he (the appellant) had promised to accompany them. On or about the ad of May, 1847, the appellant left . home, Charlotte Sims having taken her departure on the pr ece di ng day; and, upon the appellant's return, after the lapse of about a week, he informed the deponent that he and Charlotte Sims had been at Jersey. After an absence of sixteen weeks, or thereabouts, Charlotte Sims returned to the house of the appellant, being then much reduced in size, and having been, as the deponent verily believed, delivered of a child during her absence. The deponent had also seen the appellant, on different .occasions, conduct himself with indecent familiarity towards Charotte Sims and her sister Jemima, who was also a servant in his house. He had one evening, in the month of February, 1848, observing a light in the dining-room of the appellant's house, looked in at one of the windows, and had there seen the appel lant and Charlotte Sims in the act of immoral intercourse on the floor. On another day in the' same month. going into the same room, he found Charlotte' Sims rising • from the floor, on which were the cushions from the carriage, and the appellant standing near her and arranging his dress. The affidavit then set forth, that on Mouday, the 26th of No vember, Charlotte Sims was delivered of a child in the house of the appellant, and this fact was confirmed by an affidavit of Mr. Steven Westcott, surgeon at Southamp ton, to the effect that he had attended her during her confinement. On the motion for the attendance of wit nesses produced in the court below on behalf of the ap pellant, in order that they might be examined viva voce, Dr. Haggard relied principally upon another affidavit of Moses Sims, setting forth that the appellant in his pre sence, and on different occasions, tampered with his wit nesses, having instructed them as to the evidence they were to give on their examination, and induced them to do so by treating them to refreshments. The particular mode in which this was effected was minutely described in the affidavit, which was backed up by another from John Lewis, the landlord of the public-house where the treating took place. To these there were counter affidavits by the appellant, an d M r. D owd i er, h i s all the s t atements on t h e part proctor, denying of Moses Sims and others upon which a cri urinal charge e egild be founded, and referring to documentary evidence for the purpose of throwing discredit en the veracity of Moses Sim s . Th e a ffid avit of the appellant jet particular stated " that he has never had sexual intercourse, or taken any indecent or unbe coming familiarity with any female ; AD, or about, or he longing to the district of Burley, more especially with Amelia Archer, Jane Shelly, Charlotte Sims, Jemima Sims, or Jane Sims, and Anne Smith, severally men tioned iu these proceedings; that every charge of such a nature which ever has been or is now to be brought against him is utterly false and unfounded, and repug nant to tie feelings and principles of this depouent. That ever since his residence in the district of Burley, now a period of ten years, he has had to sustain the unrelenting hostility of the promoter, George Booke Farnall, and others, but has en deavoured, notwithstanding, to discharge his duties, as minister of the said district, with zeal and fidelity ; in proof cf which facts he humbly refers to the evidence in this cause. That, although acquitted in th e court be low of the two most serious offences laid to his charge, the deponent, jealous no less of the honour of the Church of which he is a minister than of his own cha racter, and anxious for the prosperity and reputation of his wife and children, has, at a great sacrifice t o hi mse lf and his friends, appealed to this Hon. Court to acquit him of the remaining charge." The affidavit proceeded to state that the appellant's total income was 2901.; that of that amount not more than 90/. was derived from his benefice, the retention of which, therefore, was of no:pe cuniary importance, and the appellant would have re signed long ago had it not been for the necessity of vindicating his character. Dr. Haggard entered into a long argument in support of the two motions made by him on behalf of the respondent, but failed to support his applidation by any case in point. Lord BROUGHAM, without hearing counsel for the ap pellant in reply, intimated that their Lordships had rejected the application which bad been made to them. No case had been cited to show that they had the power to do what was sought for, and, even had such a power been established, it had not been shown that the circum stances were such as would justify the exercise thereof. Their Lordships therefore bad no hesitation whatever in refusing both the applications made to them with costs. They said tot a word upon the merits. It might be all right or all wrong. They merely disposed of the present interlocutory application. Sir F. 'Tfasioea and Dr. ADDAMS, who were for the appellant, then asked their Lordships to fix an early day for hearing the appeal from the judgment of the Cain below, and after some discussion the Ist of March was agreed to for thot peep.,se COURT OF QiThEiv%) BENCFI, Feb. 13. THE QUEEN V. TURNER: (Contintied from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.) Atter fiesaring.a quantity of evidence; Mr. Sergeant SHEE submitted that there was not suf ficient evidence to go to the jury, and begged his Lord ship to consider the length of time that had elapsed since the occurrence charged in the prosecution had occurred. Mr. Justice- Erie seethed to be of the same opinion, and Mr. C , .cklptuts, who appeared fur the plaintiff, concurring to some eldeat in this opinion, a verdict of Not Guilty was taken by pons en •. • MIDDLESEX SESSIONS. (Before Mr. WITHAM: and a bench of Mugistrates.) Yesterday the February adjourned ses!ions com menced in the Court-house, Clerkcnw•ell-gratin. The calendar contained the names of 71 prisoners, 57 male and 14 females, and included 12 boys and 2 girls; 30 of the prisoners could read and write imperfectly, 6 could read and write well, 12 could read, and 23 could neither read nor write. With the exception of 5, the charges were all of a felonious character. It was understood that Mr. Witham presided in consequence of the indisposi tion of the Learned Assistant-Judge, Mr. Sergeant Adams. Among the offenders tried were Edward Curtis, 15, William Hare, 12, and Edward Hare, 11, charged with stealing 20 1 b. weight of coals, value 5c1., the property of Elward Coates, from a barge lying off Chelsea. William Haro was acquitted, Edward Hare and Edward Curtis were convicted, and sentenced, the former to three months' and the latter:to one month's imprison ment. Whipping in each case was added to the sentence. The CHAIRMAN and Mr. BUCHANAN regretted that such paltry cases were brought before the Court. A good flogging summarily inflicted would hare been better for the bs, and a great s av i ng t o th e coun ty. NEW MAGISTRATE.-Benjamin Bond Cabbell, Esq , M.P., took the necessary oaths, and qualified to act as a magistrate for the county of Middlesex. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. GUILDHALL. Caleb Fox, of No. 5, Bennet-street, Blackfriars-road, i❑ the employment of Messrs. Dakin and Co., the tea mer chants, of No. 1, Ludgate-hill, was charged before Al derman Hunter with embezzling the sum of 11. 7a. or thereabouts, the moneys of the firm. Mr. Humphreys appeared to conduct the case. Joseph Richardson, in the service of Messrs. Dakin and Co., said it was the duty of the prisoner, as porter and carman, to render an account of all moneys received; but instead of that he brought back the way-bill, on the 13th of November last, and at the bottom of the column there appeared, in his handwriting, the words, "To account." This was in the column expressly ruled for the porters to assign their reason for not bringing the money, or for entering whatever they received. It had since been ascertained that the bill (IL 3s. Id.) had been paid by Mr. Cornell, and the prisoner then gave a receipt, which receipt, then produced, was in his hand writing. Again, on the 9th of December, it appeared that he received the sum of 13s. lid. from a Mr. Harley, and instead of giving up the money he had wrote in the column the word " Monday," meaning that the amount would be paid on the following Monday. Mr. Frederick Hurrell, the town traveller to Messrs. Dakin and Co., said that he gave the prisoner into cus tody the previous evening about seven o'clock, on the charge of embezzlement. The prisoner at once said, " Why do you make an example of me, for there are others have been quite as bad." Mr. Humphreys said that was all the evidence he would adduce at present, and therefore he wished for a remand. Alderman HUNTER considered the case so serious, from the expression made use of by the prisoner, re specting his being made an example of when others had been as bad, that he had made up his mind to remand him for a week. The prisoner asked if be might not be allowed out on bail. Alderman HUNTER refused the application. SOUTH WARK. David Thomas, an extensive wharfinger, at Shad Thames, was brought before Mr. Cottingham, for final examination, charged with criminally assaulting Pheeie Hyde, a very interesting little girl, twelve years of age: It appeared, from the evidence of the child, that on Saturday morning, the 3d instant, she was sent by her mother from Shoreditch to the Hackney-road, with a bundle. When she got a little way from home she was accosted by the prisoner, who asked to carry the bundle for bar. She refused at first, but on his promising to treat her to a new dregs and a pair of boots, she handed it to him. He then took her into several publie-hous:e3, and induced her to enter a house with him, at Deptford, where he committed the offence. After leaving that place, he went. into the tap-room of Trafalgar public house, at Rotherhithe, Where he again assaulted her, but was prove:T.4Ni from accomplishing his purpose a se cond time by the entrance of the pot-boy. They thou left the house, and when they arrived in the neighbour hood of Tooley- street, the poor child's cries arrested :he attention of a female, to whom she told the manner in which she had been ill-used, and pointed out the pri soner, who threw down the child's bundle and ran away. He was, however, well-known, and shortly afterward' taken into custody. Mr. Binns, the solicitor, again attended for the pri soner, and cross-examined the child at some length. She stated that the house which they entered was in the Lower-road, Deptford. She had an aunt living near the place, and she thought she could have pointed the place out to the police,' but when she went with the offi cer she could not distinguish the house. Mr. COTTINGHAIII asked her what she had at the public-house?—Complainant replied that the prisoner put some tobacco in her mouth at ono place, which made her sick. He atterwards compelled her to smoke a pipe, and threatened to cut her throat unless she complied with his request. He also gave her beer, and at the public house poured gin down her throat. Mr. CorTzNutiAm—Why did you not raise an alarm when he did it? Defendant—l was afraid, as he pulled out his knife, and said he would cut my head off if I did. Jackson Lewis, police-constable 76 M, said that on the evening in question, a little after six o'clock, he met the child in Tooley•street. She was crying very much, and a female told him that she had been ill treated by a man. He ascertained that she lived in Shoreditch, and after hearing her story he took her home to her parents. On the Sunday he went to Deptford, with the hope of finding the house, but the child could not point it out. From information ho received he ,went to Gainsford street, Horsley-down, and apprehended the prisoner. On his acquainting him with his business the latter ex claimed, " Poor child, lam sorry for her." He also said he met her near St. Thomas's Hospital, crying for the loss of fourpence, and being afraid to go home he took charge of her. The pot-boy at the public-bouse deposed that he saw the prisoner and the child in the tap-room on the even ing in question. She smoked a pipe part of the time, and before they went he witnessed something unfit for pub lication. Mr. Burchell, a surgeon at Kingsland, sairl he ex amined the child on Saturday night, ' the 3d instant. Great violence had been used towards her, and he be lieved the capital offence had been committed. The mother of the child, a very respectable female, corroborated the surgeon's statement, and informed the magistrate that her daughter was extremely simple, and liable to be led astray. Mr. COTTINGHAM committed the prisoner to Newgate for trial. John Prince, a well-dressed young man, was brought up for final examination, charged with stealing a gold watch, chain, and a quantity of jewellery, worth .501., the property of Thos. Peachy, an inmate of the Queen's Prison. Mr. Biting defended the prisoner. The prosecutor stated that he was related to the pri soner by marriage, and frequently employed him. During the time of his incarceration in the Queen's Prison he engaged the prisoner to run of errands; and on the evening of the 4th of January last witness had occasion to leave his room for a few minutes, and on his return he was surprised to find the prisoner gone; and on looking round his room he found that his carpet bag had been forced open, and that his gold watch, chain, and other property, worth near 50/., had been stolen. He gave information to the authorities, which led to the apprehension of the prisoner. None of the property, however, had been found. Police-constablo 101 G said, that when he appre hended the prisoner, he exclaimed—" Oh, I know all shout the property. Peachy dare not come against me, as I am aware how he came possessed of the things." After witness had taken him to the police station, he ascertained that the property had been disposed of by the prisoner's father. _ _ _ A female with whom the prisoner cohabited proved that the prisoner had the property, and that he gave some portion of it to his father for disposal. Some altercatijn here took place between Mr. Bainna and police-constable 112 N, who informed the magis trate that he had been told where the property had been taken to, but he considered he had no right to give up his authority. The prisoner had, however, been pre viously convicted. The depositions having been completed by Mr. Mokes, the second clerk, Mr. Cottingham committed him for trial. WESTMINSTER. BRUTAL ASSAULT UPON A FEMALE .—John Kennedy a private in the Scots Fusiliers, was finally examined, charged with the following brutal assault upon Anne Jennings, who described herself as an unfortunate female:— It appeared from the evidence adduced that on the evening of Saturday week, at about seven o'clock, the complainant was at the bar of the King's Arms, Tothill street, Westminster, taking a little porter with a female acquaintance, when defendant, who was in company with some of his comrades, accosted her in very filthy language. She told him not to interfere with her, as she wished to have nothing to say to him, and declared that if he repeated his filthy conduct to her she would throw the contents of the drinking vessel she had in her hand over him. De fendant immediately laid hold of her and gave her a push, in doing which a small portion of the beer was spilt over him, when he attacked her with great fury, struck her violently on the mouth, and kicked her so desperately on the lower part of the abdomen, that it was found necessary to take her to the hospital, where she was scarcely able to move for a week in consequence of the injuries she had received. Defendant, in reply to the charge, said that the com plainant was most abusive to him as well as to those who were in company with him, or he should not have done so. Mr. BRODERIP, considering the case too serious for him to deal with summarily, ordered defendant to find bail to answer the charge at the sessions. I❑ default he was sent to prison. WORSHIP. STREET. IMPUDENT ROBBERY.--Yesterday, George Sutton, known as a convicted thief, and two females, named Jane tl'innett and Sarah Paul," were placed at the bar betore Mr. Tyrwhitt, the man charged with stealing, and the others with receivitig, a watch belonging to the Me tropolitan Commissioners of Sewers. John Disney, clerk of the works, said that the watch in question had been risced for general use in a shed in the New North. road, 11 , xton, where some works were in progress, and he saw it there safe at two o'clock on Monday.afternoon, but an hour-afterwards he disco vered that, public as the situatiim was, the shed had been bniken ,into i , and the watch stolen. It now appeared that it pledged the slime evening by the prisoner Paul, who lived with Winnett and Sutton, who we 7-1 successively apprehend3d. They denied all knowleilge of it; hilt on the way to the station-house, Sutton pro duced the pawn ticket, which, and the watch itself, were now produced.—The prisoners were remanded. TEE CASE OF HEARTLESS DESERTION OF ♦N IN FANT.—Hannah Murphy, a young Irishwoman, was re examined upon a charge of deserting and dangerously exposing her child, which was found in the evening of Saturday se'nnight, in the passage of a house , in John's-row, St. Luke's, and narrowly escaped being trampled to death Evidence was now given, from which it appeared that only three weeks ago the prisoner was admitted into Marylebone workhouse, so far advanced in the family way that before the nurse could get her to bad she gave birth*to a fine male child. After remaining there eleven days she discharged herself from the workhouse, taking the infant with her. That was Saturday se'nnight, but the Monday afterwards she returned to the workhouse without the child, and, being asked by the nurse what she had thine with it, she said she had met with its father, and writ into a public house to speak and drink with him, giving her infant to a woman to hold for her in the mean time, bat when she returned the woman had disappeared with the child. The prisoner now made the same statement in her de fence, adding that she returned to the Mary lebone work. house in Consequence of her having been told by a friekid that she would again find her child there. The magistrates committed h er f or tr i a l at the sessions, Dixon, one of the beadles of St. Luke's parish, beffig bound over to prosecute her. STABBING, WITS INTENT TO MURDER.—James Mir ky, an Irish cooper, of No. 6, Griffin -street, Shadwell, was brought up on remand from the previous day, charged with cutting and wounding Margaret Putt, a married woman, at an early hour on Sunday morning last, at the house No. 10, John-street, St. George-in-the- East. It appeared that the prisoner was carrying on an adulterous intercourse with a woman known by the name of Fitz, the wife of a sailor now at,sea, and that he was quarrelling with her at two o'clock on Sunday morning, and began to ill-use her. Her screams were heard by the people' in the room below, and .among others by the woman Putt, who said she would see Mrs. Fits's righted, and went upstairs for that purpose. She was immediately attacked by the prisoner in the dark, and the fellow inflicted several wounds upon her with a knife. She returned to the apartment she had left bleeding copiously, and said she was stabbed. The woman became quite exhausted from the excessive he morrhage which took place. She received three incised wounds on the left' arm, and a punctured' wound in the abdomen, which had nearly cost her her life. If it had been a quarter of an inch deeper she would have ex pired almost immediately. She was removed to the London Hospital, where she has ever since remained, and although it was stated by Hope, a police-constable who has charge of the case, that she was progressing as favourably as could be expected, it would be a week or ten days before she can be removed. The prisoner was apprehended soon after he had committed the atrocious act by Normogle, a police-constable (No. 133, H), and his only excuse was, that if he did stab the woman, he must have been drunk at the time. The prisoner was again remanded for a week. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN. From the statement of accounts to be submitted to the shareholders at the hilt-yearly meeting to-morrow (Thursday), it appears that the amount received on the old and new shares is 5,725,045/.; on preference shares, 171,042/.; calls in advance, 81,0471.; profit on shares sold, 26,209/.; interest on calls in arrear, 3,3354; de benture bonds, 1,763,150/.; total receipts' on capital ac count to the 31st of December, 7,769,828/. Expended on main line and branches completed (215 miles in length), 5,609,539/.; on lines not completed (22 miles in length), 302,7941.; on lines suspended; 686,6631.; on lodomotive engines and carriages, 528,924/.; surveying, law, and other expenSes, 362,7681., including 190,014/. for interest on calls—making a total expenditure of 7,490,6884 and leaving a balance of 279,139/. in favour of the company. The reventie account fur the half-year ending the 31st of December last shows that 201,4171. Was received for passsngers; .8,986/. for carriages and mails, 8,9541 for parod.s, 2,1551. for horses, 1,892/. for live stock, and 49,1921. for gocde; total receipts for traffic, 272,5961 ; sundry rents, 1,690/. ; total amount of revenue, 274,2891. .The expenses were—tor maintenance of way, 27,101/. ; locomotive department, 33,015/, ; earriage department, 7,6901. ; coaching, 25,631/. ; stores, offices, and oth"r exaenses, 24,332/. ; total working exprnieti,, 117;769/..; rates. and taxes, 10,833/. ; Government duty, 8,7411. ; making the total expenses 137,3434, and leaving a profit of 136,9441. • Out of this sum 41,243/. is de ducted for ,preferential charges and interest against revenue, including 23,302/. for debenture bond interest 2;4001•for steam-boats, and 11,973/. tor 12 months' in terest on the 7 per cent. preference shares, leaving a balance of 95,7011., to which is added the balance from the last account (1,235/.), making the disposable balance for dividend 96,9351. MIDLA.ND. It appears from the statement of :accounts` which is to be submitted to the proprietortiat the half-yearly meet ing to be, held at, Derby to-morrow, that the amount re ceived on capital account to the 30th of June, 1848, was, on shares, 9,894,2741. ; on debentures, 2,860,393/. ; and, On loan notes, 245,750/. ; total, 12,910,417/. ; since which there has been received to the 31st of December, on shares, 630,3281.; on-debentures, 46,200 L, less 12,3501. paid off; total, 654,1781. ; interest on shares held- in other companies, 14,191/, ; sale' of materials, 2,1491. ; making the total receipts on capital account, 113,580,9361. The amount expended to the 30th of June last was - 13,250,6351., and during the half-year ending the 31st of December, 791,7051., including 152,837/. for Parlia mentary expenses, and 36,0501. ; payments on account of shares held by the company in other rail Ways, making the total expenditure 14,042,3494, and leaving a balance against the company of 461,404/. , • • The revenue account for the half-Year'onding the 3j.st of December shows that 308,4034 had been received for the conveyance of passengers; 1.0„124/. for. harses,:car riages, and dogs; 22,402/. Tor pallets ; 6 1 674/. for cattle; 12,7421.-for mails; godds, 1-86,196/.; minerall, 65,801/.; total traffic receipts on the railway, 613,143/.; 4.shby canal, 3,6021.; rents, 3,085/.; inter est , 6,682/.; transfer • fees, 3671., making - the total revenue for the half year, including 1,581 f., the balance from the last account, 628,4601. The expenses were, fdr maintenance of way and works, 26,9021.; locomotive power, 81,7521.; coach and waggon repairs, 10,9251.; coaching, account, salaries, &0., 29,6501.; 'goods' department, ialaries, &c., 32,0121.; other expenses, rent, &c., 30,027/.; total working ex penses, 211,1791.; rates' and taxes, 16,386 L duty for passengers, 12,4784; debenture interest, 80,192/.; half year's dividend on the Sheffield and Rotherham Six per Cent. Stock, 4,5001.; ditto on the Leicester aid Swan nington Eight per Cent. Stock, ~600/.; on the Leeds and Bradford Ten per Cent: Stuck, 22,500/.; on the Bristol and Birmingham Six per Cent. Stock, 50,7741.; the proportion of 50/. shares charg, able to revenue,' 12,500/. ; making the total charge on revenue, 416,1101., and leaving a balance of 212,3501,, from which is to - be' deducted'lo,oool. as a fund for the re newal of the permanent way, leaving a diopcsable balance of 202;3504 applicable to dividend. . The disposable 'balance for the half-year ended' the 30th of June was 195,460/., out of which a dividend was paid on the con-- solidated stock of the company, at the rate of- 6 per cent. per annum, amounting to the sum of 193,8791. The statement shows that white there has been an in crease of 6,8901. in the disposable balance of the revenue account over the preceding half-Year, 'there has, been an increase in the capital - account curing that period of. 654,178/. - • • •' OPENING OF THE DUBLIN AND. BELFAST EXTENSION. —This extension is to be opened to-morrow (Thursday) froni the junction station at Newfoundlvell, near Drogheda, to the town of -Dundalk, passing through Dunleer -and Castle Bellingham; The opening would have been earlier, but for the unusual floods in the White river carrying away the bridge near Dunleer. Toe con structive cost, including stations, but exclusive of working stock, has not exceeded 10,000/. per mile for a single line, with the land purchascl and the earthworks completed for a double one. A memorial to the directors of the London and North- Western Railway, which was only promulgated at a late hour on Thursday last, showing the innumerable incon veniences of the through traffic on the line being di verted from this town and carried by the Trent Valley, received in a few hours the signatures not only of the Mayor, the principal merchants, bankers, and manufac turers of Birmingham, but also of Wolverhampton, Walsall, Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth, and the principal towns of the district. According to the pre sent arrangement, the transit from Birmingham by the express train for London occupies, in general, half an hour longer than previously, in consequence of the deliy in the arrival at Rugby of the train from Liverpool and the North; and likewise a parson taking a day ticket from Wolverhampton, or any other station between this town and Stafford, cannot possibly return to his home the same day if he leaves London by any train later than two o'clock P.M., but is compelled to remain in Birming ham until 20 minutes past 12 at night. The day tickets, therefore, from those towns become totally un available. It also appears that at Walsall and the before mentioned localities, letters are obliged to be posted two hours earlier than before the Trent Valley was opened, a circumstance seriously detrimental to the mercantile community. With respect to Warwick, Leamington, and those neighbourhoods, complaints are being con tinually made of the want of communication to the north; for unless travellers meet the two o'clock train from London, they also must wait in Birmingham for the down snail train, which does not leaves this town until twenty minutes past twelve at night. When it is consi dered that the comfort and convenience of a population of nearly ball a million of souls has been made subser vient to that of a comparatively insignificant number, it is to be hoped that the Board will see the necessity, as well as the provedeconomy, of bringing back the through traffic to its original direction through this town.— Birmingham Gazette. THE GRAVESEND.—We understand that the Directors of the South Eastern Railway intend to make an open • ing trip on the new railway, from the station by the canal up to Erith, on the 14th instant, but we believe it is not intended to open the line for public traffic until the whole of the line ii completed to London, and this, it is said, will take place early in the mouth of July,— Maidstone Gazette. BERKSHIRE ASSIZES.—The Gazette of last night contains an Order in Council of that day, directing that the assizes arid session under the commissions of gaol delivery, and other commissions for the dispatch or civil and cantinal business, which shall be litlien in and for the county of Burks next after the date of this order, shall be held at Abingdon, in the Skill c‘aiinty, and not at Reading, or any o th er place within the said county." THE COTINtRY. 4 - - - [IT'LL, Fxn.!l-4.' , - 1 • • - Messrs. Taylor and Brightl_a-circulantlrire4 tbitt the Mntnf and improvement in pricet ; cv _ hich we had occasion to report in our last circular hive since been lost, and Prices 6n all articles have gone back a full shilling . during, the week.- We had at to-day's market a moderate supply of farmers'. wheat, which millers attempted to buy at . 2s less monq, but Is was quite as much as was submitted - te: Very little, business done in fo reign, but stocks being small and holders firm, we cannot write the market lower than noted above. A revival of demand is expected shortly. The sale for fine barley continues good, at Is decline, but grinding is. less in request. A consumptive sale for new foreign beans, if bard and dry ; while soft ones are bad to quit. More doing in the better qualities of while' peas at our quotations. Oats neglected. : The linseed market is firm, with only a small amount of transactions. Linseed cakes are again procurable at lower rates. Nothing doing in_ rapeseed, while there is a fair demand and sale for rape cakes. Bones are dearer, and guano more free sale The following are the pieser L 1 prices of grain:-- B. s. Wheat, English, red 42 to 44 Do. white 44 46 Dantzic. and, Ko nigsberg 5O 52 Pomeranian and Hatnburgh . . 44 47 Danish, Holstein, & Friesland 42 44 Rus , ian and Odessa 40 42 Oats, English Do. 14 16 Do. Friesland l5 18 Do. Russ. & Odessa 15 17 Barley,malting 27 30, Do. grinding 23 Beans 32 34 Do. foreign ...... 28 32 s. s. Peas, white and yel. 27 - , 7 31 Do. grey Linseed. Black Sea 39 41 Do. Petersburgh 34 — r 39 Do. Riga& Archngl. 35 37 Do. Konigsberg Per 'ton. Linseed cakes, Hull 71 12s 6d Do. fine foreign. 7l Os Do. inferior foreign 5 410s 1 Rapeseed , per 10 qrs. 261 to 28/ Rape cakes, do. 90s Od Tares, English ..:....0s —00 s Do. foreign 24s 281 Guano 51 to 61 5s Bones, do ...... 908 Od to 97's 6d Rye meal ... ' 61 IPSWICH, Faa. 13. Our market was in a very heavy state to-day. Wheat 'sold at a decline of 2s per quarter. Malting Barley is Is lower, other qualities at a further reduction. Oats, beans, and peas, to effect sales, less money must be taken. Malt extremely dull, and late prices not supported. Flour very heavy and cheaper. PER. QUARTER. PER QUARTER. Wheat ............ 40s to' 50s Beans ..... 24s to _3os Barley ......... . . 22s to 30iPe as 2ss to ,331 Oats l7l to 21i Malt. .... . . Rye ... 23, to 26s Flour, per sack 37s to 411 AVERAGES FOR THE WILEY ENEING FICERUART 10, 1849. Wheat . Barley Oats • 46 „ 20s. sd. Beans... .•• • • 97 ss 295.' Bd. Peas Livaniroot., Fan. 13.—The arrivals of 3ats and oatntel from Ireland continue on a liberal scale, but of all oth er arti cles thence and coastwise they are moderate. From foreign ports there are large supplies of wheat, Egyptian beans, and American Indian corn ; but they are quite unimportant of other articles. The exports in the same time being 2,11 0 quarters of wheat, 9,941 quarters of Indian corn, 1,382 barrels of corn meal, 407 sacks and 4,765 barrels of flour ; and the quantities of foreign corn on which duties were paid in the week ending the Bth inst., were 60,286 quarters of wheats 1,013 quarters of barley, 13,191 quarters of beans, 942 quar ters of peas, 22,355 quarters of Indian corn, 450 barrels of corn meal; and 164,821 barrels of flour. The trade was inanimate during the past week, and at the close wheat was ld to 2d per 701 b; and flour 6d to is per barrel lower. In. the value- if oats and oat meal there was no material change, but the inquiry was very limited. Barley, beans, and peas were neglected. For Indian corn there was less inquiry, and had buyers appeared a reduction of 6d to Is per 4801 b would have been conceded. Indian cornmeal not saleable at more than 14s 6d to 15s per barrel. At this day's market there was a slender attendance of dealers and a very limited business transacted. WhOat again gave way ld:per 701 b, making the decline 2d to 3d on prices of this day week. For oats and oatmeal few buyers appeared, and the transactions Were quite in retail; at a decline of Id per 451 b and 6d per load. Barley, beans, and peas were all dull, and easier to purchase. Flour met a very slow. sale at a decline of is per barrel on American, and is per sack on English and Irish. There was no further change in the value of Indian corn or cornmeal, but the demand was without animation. PETERBOROUGH, FEB. 10.--Wheat, new 40s to 445, fipe 46s to 50s; old 42s to 465, fine 50s. Barley, 26a to 28s, fine 31s, malting 00s to 00s. Oats, new 14s to 16s, fine 185 to 215, old 20s to 00s, fine 265. • Beans 36s to 38s, new 28, to Ws, per qr. Inspectoi's corn return; for week ending Feb. 10-- Wheat, 601 qrs 0 bu, 44s 64d; barley, 23t qrs 4 bu,' 29s 10d; oats, 96 qrs 4 bush, 16s 7id ; beans, 228 qrs 4 bu, 29s 9d; peas, oqr 0 bush, 00s Od per qr. , Bumps STORTFORD, FEB. B.—lnspector's return for the week .ending Feb. 8: Wheat, 782 qrs 3 bu, 43s 104 d ; barley, 2,876 qrs 0 bu, 30s llid ; oats, 46 qrs 4 bu, 21s ld. DA LKEITH MEAL MARKET, FEB. 12.—The following ate the prices at this day's market : ' Oatmeal, per sack, of 280 lbs. Imperial .. Barleymeal, per ditto Peasemeal First Second Third ... 27s 3d 26s 9d 26s 04 ... 20s , Od —s Od —s 04 —s Od —s Od —s 04 —s Od —s Od —a 00. —s Od —s Od —4 rjcl Flour Pot bailey • • RAILWAY .11A1t.10.. MARKETS. BRISTOL, FEB., 13. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market is somewhat rather depiessee. Great Western, Quarter Shares, were done at 1% dis.—Ditto, 1/ 1 - : Shares, %, dis, Midland, 93: LIVERPOOL, Fxn. 13. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market for, shares has been firm to-ds,r, and shows strong symptoms of further Improvement, but this beint the last day of the account there remains some speculative stock to sell, which rather presses on the market. The sales are—Birkenheafl. Lancashire, and Cheshire, 311. Shares, 10 % - Caledonian, Prefer ence, ' 7 per cent., 1% P.—East Anglian, 31. 10 3.. Shares, guaranteed 6 per cent., 2/. Bs. 9d.—Great Northern, 9,M dis.—Ditto (B Shares). G per cent., % die.—. Lancashire and 'Yorkshire ' (late Mancheste, and Birmingham), Fifths, 2% dis.—Ditte, 32/. Shares'Oate Exeter,. SMAIs. —Ditto, 10/. Preference, 6 -per cent., 1% p.—Ditto, FRIO (late West Riding Union), 3% dis.—London and .North-Westerit. 137%—Ditto,. Fifths, 7% 5.---Ditto, New Quarters, 5%-p.-,Midland Stock, 91—Ditto, New Half Shares;,4% dis.—North Staffordshire. 2/. 16s. 3d.--Shrews ury and :Birmingham; shares (M I dis.—Ditto, 9/. 125. 3d: Shares (13), 2% dis.—South-Eastern ant. Dover, No. 4, Thirds, 7% --York; Newcastle, and Berwick (G. I{ - E. Purchase), 6 per cent. guaranteed, 1% p. . - MANCHESTER, FEB. 13. .' STOCK ExcuANok.—The sales are—East Lancashire, Preference 7g—Leeds, Fifths, 2 dis.--North Staffordshire, 2 dis.—Shrewsburf and Birmingham (11), dis.—North Union (B), 151—AmbergatE. Nottingham, and Boston, 4 3-16 dis.—Sheffield, Preference,, 1134_ 4. West Riding Union, 3 5-16 die. - -Grimsby Docks, 13h dis.--Chestil.. and Birkenhead, 201. Shares, 7%. • BIRMINGHAM. FEB. 13. SToctc. Excalstax.--,-The business done in the Stock Exchange 'Or day has been as follows : —Great Northern, Halves ( II), 6 per cent,: guaranteed, % dis. — Nprth_Stafferdshire ; 2%. dis.—Shrewsbury Birmingham (A), 3% dis. ex int.-=Ditto (B), 3 die, ex int,,`_..DittOr Preference Scrip, 1% p.—South Staffordshire, ?% dim. , • FEB. 12. ansa STOCK IXCHINGE.—The, business trcted to-da v a s fol lows :—Eastern Union, Cl ass B (late ,I. and B),19- y: -Ditto (s C)77 Sheilleldotßotherhare, and Goole, N. Divo 5 per c'eret: guar, 6% -, antee., I % , 4hrewsbury and Dirthin g h am (A ), 5% —D itto f ereference, 9% —York, Newcastle, and Berwick *Original Newcastle and Berwiel o f 2 8 . % is. —Ditto (Extensions No. 1), 2136—Ditto (G. N. E. Purchase) , 3d. • , NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, FEB. 13. • i STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are--Great Wertheim (A), Deferred* 47/ B —Ditto (B), 6 per cent., 1% dis . — Ne w tcastle and Carlisle, 1091 Shrewsbury -and Birmingham (A), 4U- die, e. GLASGOW, e'z. 12. • STOCK EXCHANGE.—The following are to-day's transactions :---- Aberdeen, Preference, 50s. --caledonian, Preference, 11U —C/Yde„s: dale Junction, 6074 — Dliptlee,a,ud Perth, 25—E d i nburgh and Sat':(l glue, "7 4—Edinburgh and GlasgoW,,Bs-7Glaigovt, ,Kihriarnock, , u,,_'. Ayr, Halves, No. 1, 61 . 13 3.—Glsisgow any' Greenock,, Halves. 7 7 , , —Great, Scotl4nd, 2%. 9 d. — Menkland; 6 per cent. guar' teed, 5 -;-111idland,92. 1 -,, ~ t * i -- • . ; • THE NEW Hortoitieer, ROMANCE, " OWES TUDOR," by the Author of " Whitefriars," "Cesar Borgia," &c., in 3 vols., is published this day, by ffi r. Colburn, and may now be had at all the libraries. Also' just published 2.. Mordatint Hall, by the author Of " Emilia Wyndham," " Angela," &c., 3 vols.-3. Lucille Belmont, 3 vols.--4. Adventures of Cromwell Doolan ; or, Life hi the Army, by the author of " Echoes frog' , the Backwoods," &c., 2 vols.-5. The Diamond and the Pearl, by Mrs. Gore, 3 vols.-6. The Old Judge, by the author of " Sam Slick," 2 vols.-7. The Midnigb s . Sun, a Tale, by Fredrika Bremer, 1 vol.--8. The DO— cipline of Life, .3 vols.-9. Adventures in Borneo ; Tale of Shipwrecks, 1 The Young Countess,' by Mrs. Trollope, 3 vols.—i 1. Mildred Vernon, a Tale. of Parisian Life, 3 vols. INDEX TO _PURKE'S LANDED GENTRY.--We ar e. requested too, state that the General Index" to Burke'!' History of the Landed Gentry of England, Scotland , '' arid Ireland, conta i n i ng all the names (upwards °` 100,000) mentioned in the work, and forming th e emir' pletion of this important undertaking, is just published' price 10s. 6d., and may be had of all booksellers. " labour employed in this really national work (says U 1"; Weekly Chronicle) is immense, and its production bps cost the publisher upwards of 6,0001. It embraces ' ll its limits a genealogical and heraldic history (in m any cases of a mo s t i nterest i ng nature) of all the ',nude_ Gentry in Engl an d. I t w ill at once take its place 11' every gentleman's library as the standard work upon the subject it treats of." A WHALE AT MARGATE. —Early on Tuesd ay morning, as Mr. John Rowe, fisherman, was rowil i t about the North Foreland, he discovered a huge MS!: floating on the water, which proved to be a yollOb whale, twenty-five feet long. The stranger was taken tow, aid brought ashore, and on the .ebbing of th e water was cut up by some dexterous veterinarians, sr"" removed to the coppers for boiling down. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—A Disease of the Chest sad Cold Cured by Holloway's Ointment and Pills.—Mr. Jani e " Kilroe, clerk to Mr. Maclaughlin, proprietor of the Castle' ' coote-mills, Roscommon, caught a most dreadful cold, froe! which he suffered for several months, and although he received, the best medical, advice, yet nothing _prescribed afford him any relief, and fears were entertained that the disease was terminating in a confirmed affection of the longs; whereupon he resolved to try Holloway's Ointment and Pill!; and these unparalleled medicines for the cure of coughs, cola' and asthmas, shortly effected a perfect cure, after so le i a n t other means h a d failed.--Sold by all Medi c i ne V en d ors , and at Professor Holloway's Establishment, 244, Strand, London. On the Bth inst., at Carl BIRTHS ton-terrace, the Countess of Ca le don, of a son. On the 7th inst., a t th e R ectory, Wrexham, Bucks, - the wife of the Rev. A. A. Kempe, of a daughter. On the 9th inst., at Struan-house, Haverstoek-hill, MX * Richard Madigan, of a son. On the 9th inst., at Edinburgh, the lady of Patrick Boyle' Esq., of a daughter. On the 9th inst., at Dartmouth-grove, Blackheath, 3 ' 11 " 3. P. Richardson, of a son. On the 9th inst., at Brecknock-villa, Earl's -court, the wi fe of John J. Stonci, Esq. of a daughter. ARRIE. On the 7th i ns t , at Glen M rg aes co D ttage, Blackness, Dandl e ' James Gibson, Es q ., R otter d am, to Jane Beveridge, °ll daughter of Mr. George It. Baxter, Dundee. On the 10th i nst., at St. Pancras New Church, Lo610I,„ Octavius, youngest son of th e l ate M . Tate, Esq. of C 11 94 ford, Glou cesters hi re, to S usan, second daughter of the Mr. W. H. Gilbert, of Lawrence-lane, Cheapside. DIED. On the 13th inst., at Clapham-common, Edmund Bello/". Esq., of the House of Common-, aged 43. On the 26th ult , in' Wilton-crescent, Belgrave-squa r? • e Hannah Cortoy, ag e d 66. On the 2d inst., at Montrose, aged 43, David Burnes, E s q . M.D., formerly of London. On the sth inst., a t T orquay , age d 6 4, Lieutenant- C o l o nle James Smith, of ! , ervice, Madras. On the 6th inst., at Ashburton, Devon, John Soper, Esti I M D., aged 52. On th . e 9th inst., Francis 13. S. Wilder, Esq of Bu s :',. t bri.ige-hall, Surrey. 4 sti 13 London: Printed and P u bli s h e d b y MURDO YOU..d No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 11 1 Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the coati "". Wedlieeday, February 14, 1849. • This With ri Polic Mork (cm ftvailat has,,on feiturl The at the. sixth 13, east -_:__ Rec ured 65 . by 21 . 12 r ik 121 ' 0 4 the a tiara b • a 4shn lan Ro bert ;a ei eaeTu ' Chat T : I \ 4 I light .t .t. i'ha ° ilea ° 0 44 Tow .1 ~q•81 4/114 De 111 1111 ' Soe td , a, thiTsho Prei Y ost th e m , t'a, 11, 1 c 'sPect ob tEtioe, 11AN Th (4tte urr co -4 ( 1 to Melt ~; 11 to tit, the i All trita Rhils one E Ex his fa 10Sin l`roi Per Ai gociet on aPI