The Sun. — London, England, 1827-05-25 00:00:00

ever expects uniformityeof opinion upon all, or even any one of the great questions of State policy, expects that which never can nor will arrive. It has certainly.been the object of Mr. Canning's Administration, though in , the face of many difficulties interposed by his colleagues, to liberalize (if we may use the expression) the measures of Government, to open a more gene rous system of intercourse with strangers, and to disallow the hereditary pretensions of .fainily pride at 'lame. It has been his fortune singly and Individually, with some spirit and no little skill, to drive away the flock of harpies, who, in their own persons, or those of their fathers, had fastened their beaks and talons in the body of the State for upwards of 60 years. 'Whoever considers that the grandfather of a Minister, happily now no more, and his surviving brother, was a ragged Scotchman—(a Scotchman ! what reflections that single word calls up in our minds !)—was a ragged Scotchman, carrying a pack, and that since the pack was laid down, the family has had really no other trade but that of statesmen—with some leases, we believe, pro cured in that character, from the Dry-salter's Company, in London ;—whoever, we say, con siders these circumstances, and views the wealth and connexions of the family at this day, may conceive the rate at which this unhappy country has been plundered, and how the plunderers have been protected by their numbers and union. It has been, we say, Mr. Canning's fortune to drive off the harpies, who still, however, hover round, and keep the body on which they had fastened in view. Let Mr. Canning continue, and develope yet farther his present liberal system of policy. Let him foster genius and promote talent ; and if it be the effect of increased intel ligence, diffused knowledge, and expanded mind, to create indifference to the great question of Parliamentary Reform, none will have a right to complain—none can complain—the question will have been lost in a legitimate man ner in the court of reason. If, on the contrary, it be the effect of a higher degree of public knowledge, and a more uncontroulled communic a tionand expression of public opinion, to evince more clearly the necessity of reform, as a protection against the recurrence of abuses, neither the present nor any future Mr. Canning when the present shall be laid low, can prevent the question from being carried;—from being carried silently and tranquilly, step by step, as the conviction of its utility is im parted to greater multitudes. So that, at any rate, we come to this conclusion—that it cannot be un fair for both parties, retaining at present their fixed opinions, to unite in communicating to the nation those enlarged principles of thought and action which must ultimately decide between them. They make an appeal to an impartial umpire. The reformers never had so fair an opportunity of making them selves heard; the anti-reformer: could never urge their doctrines under less suspicion of corrupt mu tivee ; but, to begin with the most perilous and con tested question of 574 enlightened system of policy, and to pursue the minor objects of the system after wards,—nay, to make the immediate adoption of the treat question the condition of joining in the promo- L .: -. the subordinate measures, however useful, 77eun be preposterous and absurd. Lord Lane down, a statesman above suspicion, has judged more wisely—has pursued a more rational order : and we have no doubt that Lord Grey will, on fuller consi deration, accede to the same course.—lbid. We yesterday offered some observations on the subject of Law Reform, a wide field in this country. The great encouragement, as we en deavoured to ee.hew, for men of talents in the learn ed profession to exert themselves for the public good, is the conscionsness that that public can appreciate their labours. It is of the utmost im portance that men of education should bestow their attention on law, for intelligence in Lay men will not only act as a stimulus to the noble minded in the profession, but operate as re restraint on those who are strangers to higher considerations. We know of nothing more mss- chievous in the way of repressing the exertions of the well• meaning, than that levelling dispo sition which indulges in indiscriminate censure, refuses to acknowledge merit, and to pay the just tribute to honourable intentions. The love of applause is a powerful incentive to noble ac tions, and he who endeavours to withhold it when due, is one of the worst enemies of his kind. We have been led into these remarks, by the p er usal of a Report which has just appeared in Edinburgh, on the subject of the Jury Court, entitled, " Report to the Right Hon. the Lord Chief Commissioner, and other Judges of the Jury Court, by Thomas Guthrie Wright, Esq., Auditor of that Court." This production is highly creditable to the Lord Chief Commis sioner, who appears to be actuated by the soundest and most liberal views. The experi ment of Jury Trials in Scotland, has been attended with many difficulties. With a view to ' the improvement of the procedure, the Lord Chief Commissioner, on the sth October last, instructed Mr. Guthrie Wright to repair to Lon don, for the sake of pursuing inquiries on the I spot, a s to various points of English practice. Mr. Weight, in his Report, which is dated 12th January, 1827, states, " that he had communi cations with several Gentlemen of eminence in l the profession of the Law in London," on the subject of his instruceions, and that the present Solicitor-General (Sir N. C. Tindal) strongly ' recommended it to him " to communicate with Henry Brougham, Esq. M.P. on the subject, as being not only a lawyer of great eminence and talents, whose opinion on all such matters is worthy of the greatest attention ; but, as being peculierly fitted to give advice on this point, from his acquaintance with Scotch Law, and the forms of proceedings in our Courts. The Re porter stecordiagJy ss the waited on Mr. Brougham, points on which lie was and explained to hi desirous of obtaining ;,information ; and his opinion on the subject in vestion entirely coincided with that expressed by the So licitor-General, and others. The warm zeal and interest which that Gentleman has taken in thC matter, as well as the ability and sound philoso pi;ical view which he has taken of the subject, will he seen from a long letter which the Re porter has had the honour of receiving from him, and which he considers it his duty to lay before the Judges 531 the Appendix." The letter of Mr. Broughaies, which has thus been laid before the public under . the countenance ofthe Scotch Autho rities, is highly deserving of the notice of the public in both parts of he ; island, as furnishing an admirable criticism on &r.veral important points me of English English practice, and conie ifl ing so men,dations, which, if attended to, wonid lead to the mo.'s important results, We wish our limits would allo' us to insert the document at present at full length ; but though we nay flo so on a future day, we 4An only lay extracts from it at present before our reglers. Mr. Brougham cau tions the Scotch 4434461 danger which would result from the introititction of the English ple a of general issue taken hyitself,-and of ctIT gene- Yal forms of action The great objects ought always to be," he says, " to compel parties to as much as possible of their several cases l zirCla to face of the pleadings, and tp make that disclosure es early as possible in the proceedings, so that each should be made to yield or prepared to maintain his case, when as little delay and ex pence as possible has been occasioned. The common counts give hardly any information of the ground of action, taken singly ; but when all put together, as they generally are, they still less inform a defendant what he is called on to an swer. Special counts, in actions on the case, give the most accurate information, per haps, of any ; and here, as the general issue is the plea, the defence is as unknown to the plaintiff as the cause of action in the common counts is to the defendant. These are the two ex trcnies of ignorance in which the plaintiff and de fendant severally are kept ; but in almost every intermediate case the information is far too im perfect. Thus an assault is always stated in nearly the same form of words ; consequently, the particular violence cannot be described with any thing like accuracy. This, in almost every case, time and place are immaterial, so that one of the most important means of knowing what your adversary refers to is excluded. Counts for false imprisonment, criminal conversation, seduction, &c. &c., have become as uniform and consequently afford as little precise information ; and yet these are supposed to be more special than many others. Thus a count in trover merely sets forth that the plaintiff lost the goods and the defendant having found them converted them to his use, but under this generality may be concealed every manner of way in w - thich one man can obtain possession ofanother's chattel without com mitting a crime in taking it. It seems quite evident, that whatever opinion we may entertain upon the possibility or expediency (if it be practicable) of altering our English system in this respect, when a new system is about to be found, great care should be taken to render the disclosure more full and precise, which the parties make to each other of their respective cases, before com ing into Court to prove them by evidence. Two reasons which immediately occur, are sufficient to demonstrate this proposition. Much litiga tion, bootless or worse to the parties (whatever it may be to the practitioners), will be pre vented, and much unnecessary expence in pre pasing for the trial will be saved. Mr. Broug ham has the following criticism on the Eng lish plea of general issue I think it con duces manifestly to the ends ofjustice, to allow the plea of the general issue only when the defendant intendsto rely exclusively upon a denial of the facts alleged against him. He may, under such a plea, give evidence of whatever directly disproves the facts alleged, as Well as watch the proof of these facts by the plaintiff ; but if he means to rely upon other facts, as affording an answer to the action, although the allegations of the plaintiff be true, he ought to plead these specially, which is the third kind of answer. Nothing can be less satisfactory than our rules of pleading in this re spect, and the distinctions upon which they proceeded. If I sue a man upon a simple con tract debt (as a bill or note, or implied promise for goods sold to him) he may deny the promise or undertaking generally,—and under that plea he is allowed to admit the promise real or implied,—to admit, for example, that he ac cepted the bill, or made the note, or bought the goods,—but to give in evidence that he afterwards paid what was due, or that he was an infant, and so not liable on the bill or note at all, and on the sale of goods, not unless for necessaries,—or that there was no consideration,—or an illegal one, as a game debt or usurious contract,—or that the plaintiff re leased the debt. It is plain, therefore, that this general plea gives me no information as to the case I must come prepared to meet, and that I may be taken by surprise and defeated ; though, had I such information, I might be able to defeat the defence." But we cannot extend our extracts at present from a document, every line of which supplies matter for reflection. We cannot, however, close the subject, without noticing the following suggestion thrown out by Mr. Brougham, which appears to us deserving of the most serious attention. After some observa tions on the importance of compelling a party to show his documentary evidence to an adversary before he is called on to answer, with a view to pre vent surprise at the trial, and stopping hopeless actions and desperate defences, Mr. Brougham pro ceeds to say :—" The like effect will be produced by the particularity required in stating the case of each party—because this will show the weakness of a case to the party himself, if it is a bad one—and the strength of it to his adversary, if it be a good one—much useless litigation will thus be prevented. But I should not deal fairly with this most important of All the questions I have been considering, if I did mat add my conviction, that an exten sion of the superintending and discretionary func tions of the Judge, much beyond the scope of the foregoing suggestions, would be by far the most effectual check to bad litigation and pro fessional malversation, and the most powerful aid to the due administration of justice. If, in the earliest stage of each cause, there were a possibility of bringing the parties themselves before a Judge, or officer of respectability, who might hear them state their mutual contentions, and the grounds of them, might question them, and confer with them upoe the whole matter, and give them his impres sion of the case, my firm belief is, that much more than one-half the causes thus begun, never would proceed one step further; and that a still greater proportion of the causes now tried, would be aban doned or settled before they came into Court. The appointment of =such arbitrators by public authority, might have the most beneficial effects, even, if, at least, it were not made compulsory to go before them; for surely many parties would be found not so entirely in the hands of these law agents, as to prefer the course beneficial only to the profession." We may here remark, that something like what Mr. Brougham suggests here, has long been practised in Denmark, and that the effects were found so bene ficial, that no "circumstance has more endeared the memory of Count Bernstorf to the Danes than this plan, of which he was the author. Parties in Den mark, before entering on litigation, appear in what are called Courts of Reconciliation, and hear the opinion of the Judges on the case, and if they choose to abide by the suggestion of the Judge, a Decree is entered; if not, they try their success at law. We trust we shall have to congratulate our readers, ere long, on : N agy important improvements in our judicature; that England, which in ep many other respects is a model to the nations, may also have to boast of the excellency of her laws;---11/orhing Chronicle. We are glad to see theAttcrney-General agree with us in the opinion which we have often ex pressed with regard to the mischievous effects of the present system of credit on the working classes and others. This is a subject which we have frequently brought before our readers, and objecting as we do, to the cruel, absurd, and unchristian practice of arrest for debt, we have always contended that if the power of arrest were taken away, it would have a great effect in cut ting up by the roots that facility of credit which tempts so many people to live beyond their means, and brings them to poverty and ruin.— man may now be arrested and thrown into prison for a debt of 10/. The Solicitor-General obtained leave,, on Wednesday night, to bring in a Bill prohibiting arrest in all cases of debt on mesne process under 10/., and including debts on Bills and Promissory Notes within the Act, Which before 11.14 formed an exception ; so that a man who had given a note for the smallest sum eati be arrested upon it, as the law at this mo- ment stands. The Hon. and Learned Gentle man, in moving for the Bill, observed that there were in the last year, no less than 1,520 persons arrested on mesne procesS, of whom 500 were thus deprived of their liberty for sums under 201. The circumstance of such a Bill being in troduced. into Parliament, and that, too, without any opposition, shows that the principles of common sense and humanity are making some progress, however small, in beneficially inno vating upon those usages of our law which are at variance with the • spirit of enlightened legislation. We agree, however, with Lord Althorp, that this Bill does not go far enough. For our own part, we think society would de rive great advantage if the power of arrest for debt were done away altogether. It would make people circumspect in giving credit. They would not like to give it to those whose means they were ignorant of, or whose income they knew to be more limited than their expenditure. The consequence would be, that the habits of that wholesome frugality which adapts a man's expenses, not to his desires, but to his means of defraying them, would become more prevalent in society than it at present is. We should not see so many thousands of families as we do now, tempted by easy credit, allowing their vanity and love of pleasure to overcome their prudence, making them indulge in luxuries and finery beyond what their resources can ever meet, until a troop of duns besiege their doors, and they find themselves in a state of helpless insolvency. Hence how much crime ! how many dreadful scenes of human misery and despair ! Nothing breaks down the regular ha bits and economy of the working classes more than this system of credit; and truly did the Attorney- General say, that "if there was no credit the me chanic would take his money home, and would not spend it in a public-house. But knowing now that he would have an account with the butcher, the baker, &c., he cared not about his week's wages ;" —and what is the result ?—he is thrown into prison, and his family go to the workhouse, or starve. — Morn ing Herald. We recur to a subject to which we briefly ad verted on Wednesday--the excessive hardship entailed on the poor by the exaction of bail for petty offences. We are induced to do so, in consequence of a case which was reported to us yesterday, and which displays very clearly, both the direct and collateral evils which flow from the system. A poor man was accused of an assault—perhaps truly—and he was held to bail, and to give twenty-four hours' notice, which, be it observed, necessarily supposes twenty-four hours' confinement. He had no bail, and, therefore, his twenty-four hours must have ex tended to the day of trial, when, in all probabi lity, he would have been fined five shillings. This is the first and the direct evil of the case ; but it is not the only one. Naturalists remark, that there is not a parasitical insect which does not in turn pay tithe of its substance, to a parasite yet more minute. It is so in social life. Every one has his sucker. Ths suckers of the poor are as numerous as sum mer fry, about all our Police-offices. Some of these procure evidence, and some procure bail ; the consideration being, of course, proportionate to the magnitude of the offence, and the means of the offender. In the case of the man to whose case we have alluded, the sum demanded was ten shillings—a sum, in order to ascertain the value of which, we should, as Franklin said of a penny, advise our readers to go and borrow it. The ten shillings were raised by the pawn ing of every rag which the miserable wife of the accused possessed. This is the second and indirect, though not the less necessarily conse quential, evil of the system which we deprecate. In the first place, there is imprisoment, in all' probability, for three times as long a period as would have been inflicted in the event of con demnation, and, next, a pecuniary mulct of at least twice the amount that a Jury would have imposed. Had the prisoner been a wealthy man, notice of bail would hardly have been re• quired, and if it had, 24 hours would have been the maximum of imprisonment, and no mulct would have been suffered at all. Only let us look how the present law works. A merchant on 'Change is obstructed by a porter ; he gives him a caning. What follows ? The fellow swears an assault; his worship appe.:r before the Mayor, or, rather, he appears in the Mayor's private room ; his friends are in waiting, if bail be required; or he withdraws, with liberty to confer with the complainant. We impute no blame here ; but, look to the other side of the picture. A labourer walks into a tap-room; gets noisy and quarrelsome; deals round blows with very exemplary impartiality; is half beaten to death for his pains; charged with an assault and riot ; and handed over to the tnrnkey for a fortnight or three weeks; and his wife and children beg or go to the workhouse. If there be no other remedy, it certainly would be better to allow the Police Magistrate a final judgment, in cases where persons are so poor, that holding them to bail and imprisonment are •ynonimous. But a i we think it most improbable, that any man, however poor, should break bail where the offence is a petty one, and that is the only description of offences that we are contemplating, we should deem it much bet ter, in all such cases, to take personal bail, or to fix on so small a sum, that some compassionate house holder, even at the risk of losing it, might be in duced to come forward to rescue a poor wretch from confinement, and his family from starvation.— Yew Times. Silt T. LAW RENCE.—A work under the title of " English Fashionables Abroad," gives the fol lowing interesting anecdote of this celebrated painter ;_--" L is the pride of England, that wherever she chooses to direct the force of her genius, there she is always paramount. Italian painters freely acknowledge that no other school can compare with ours in the three branches of the art, water colour, miniature, and p mtrait painting ; and the name of Harlow is' alone suf ficient to establish our claims to excellence even beyond these. Sir Thomas Lawrence has done still more ; for he has proved, not only the supe riority of our school, but of his own pre-emi nent talent, in the manner in which he took the late Pope's likeness, as well as in its execution. The Pepe having sent for him, put on his robes as the painter requested, and then entered into a gracious conversation with him, in the pleasures of which both seemed to forget the purpose of the visit ; till Sir Thomas suddenly starting up, with little more than three touches of his pencil, put in an-eye and nose ; and then making a bow of thanks, released the pontiff from any further at tention. On that occasion, as on every other, the Pope left his visitors instead of their quitting his presence ; and no sooner was he gone, than Sir Thomas, seating one of the Biships who had been in attendance (oh, the ascendancy of ge nius !) on the papal chair so lately vacated, and clothing him with the robes of State, copied their folded intricacies as rapidlyas he had caught inspiration from the Pontiff's eye. That even ing, the Romans flocked to see- the portrait of their beloved Sovereign, which to their delighted eyes, seemed as great a miracle as that of the Virgin p a inted by herself at Flor e nce ; six more such sittings were all the painter asked, .and his finished work has not disappointed its early promise." SECOND EDITION. SUN OFFICE, Seven o'clock. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at five o'clock. Mr. Fuller, from the Liverpool Decks, presented an ac count of the receipts and disbursements of the last year. Several Bills nue brought up from the Commons by Mr, ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL and others. Lord WHARNCLIFFE, in presenting the following petition, said, that it was originally his intention to move for the appointment of a Committee to take the subject into their consideration. But as some difficulties had oc curred as to the course to be pursued, he would now move that the petition be read, and on Monday he would call their Lordships' attention to it. The petition, which was as follows, was then laid on the table. SUPPLY OF WATER TO THE WESTERN POR TION OF THE METROPLIS. TO THE RIGHT HON. THE LORDS SPIRITUAL AND TE3t- PORAL OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, IN PARLI-ASIENT ASSLMBLED. The Humble Petition of the undersigned Inhabitants of the Inhabitants of the Western Portion of the Metropolis, SIIEWETH: That your petitioners beg leave to submit to your Lord ships, that the principle of the Acts of Parliament, under which several Companies supplying the Metropolis with Water were instituted, was to encourage competition ; see ing that is only from competition that a perfect security can be had for a good, a cheap, and a plentiful supply. That, nevertheless, by an arrangement entered into, about the year one thousand eight hundred and seventeen, between the several Companies supplying the Metropolis with Wa ter, all competition was put an end to, and a monopoly of this necessary of life virtually established. That the water taken up from the River Thames, at Chelsea, for . the use of the inhabitants of the western por tion of the metropolis, being charged with the contents of the great common sewers, the drainings from dung-hills and lay-stalls, the refuse of hospitals, slaughter-houses, co lour, lead, and soap-works, drug-mills, and manufactories, and with all sorts of decomposed animal and vegetable sub stances, rendering the said water offensive, and destructive to health, ought no longer to be taken up, by any of the Water Companies from so foul a source. That the Grand Junction Water-works Company, hav ing engaged to supply their customers with water of the purest and most wholesome quality, to be drawn from the Rivers Coble and Brent, and from an immense reservoir of nearly one hundred acres, fed by the streams of the Vale of Ruislip, have, nevertheless, since the month of September, 1820, drawn their supply from the Thames, at the foot of Chelsea Hospital, and nearly adjoining to the mouth of the Great Ranelagh Common Sewer. That the Water supplied by the Grand Junction Com pany, to more than seven thousand families, has been pro nounced, by professional men of the first eminence, to be a filthy fluid, loaded with decayed vegetable matter and other substances equally deleterious to health, and unfit for do mestic purposes. That the Grand Junction Company, having promised to supply their customers with water, at a comparatively small charge, have, nevertheless, exacted an increased rate, equivalent, in no came, to less than fifty per cent., and ex tending, in most instances, to ninety and a hundred per cent. ; and that they obtained, in May last, the sanction of the Legislature to a new table of rates, by which an ad dition of from fifty to three hundred per cent. may be levied on their customers. That your petitioner are convinced, that if an inquiry be instituted by your Honourable House, the several allega tions of this petition will be satisfactorily established, and that means will be discovered for placing the Supply of Water to the Western portion of the Metropolis on a sure and lasting foundation. Your petitioners therefore, humbly pray, that your Lordships will forthwith cause an inquiry to be made be fore a Committee of your Honoureble House. And your petitioneis will ever pray. Earl STANHOPE presented a petition from an indi vidual of the county of Middlesex, complaining of the pre sent Bankrupt Laws. Lord DACRE presented petitions from a hundred in the North Riding of York ; from a hundred in Warwick ; and from several parishes in Sussex, against the Corn Laws. Lord KING presented petitions from Dundee, and from the Board of Police at Dundee, in favour of the Corn Laws. The Noble Lord had a petition to present from an individual, who thought it better that Corn should come to him cheap, than that he should be obliged to go to cheap Corn. But as there was some informality in the petition, his Lordship would not then press it. Lord TEYNHAIII presented a petition from the county of Kent, against any &Iteration in the Corn Laws. Lord CURZON presented a similar one from Henley, in Leicester. The Earl of ABINGDON presented a similar one from the vicinity of Abingdon, in Berks. Lord DELAWARE presented a similar one nom Kent. The Earl of DARLINGTON presented a petition from the Protestant Dissenters of South Shields, praying for a Repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts. His Lordship read an extract of a letter which accompanied the petition. The writer of the letter disclaimed, in the most unqualified terms on the part of the Dissenters any intention to im pede or embarrass the present Government. The petitions were then laid on the table. Lord DUDLEY presented returns of the expenditure of the Foreign Office department. CORN BILL. The Order of the Day for the House to resolve itself into a Committe having been read, Lord GODERICH rose and speke to the following effect —lf, my Lords, I ask on the present occasion for your patience and indulgence, I can assure you, I do not ask it as a matter of favour, because inde pendently of intense importance of the question—inde pendently of the great interest which it is calculated to excite among all classes; indeed, I may say, the vehement feelings, if not passion, with which it is regarded by its friends and opposers out of doors,—independently of the ardour with which one class regard it a measure of benefit, and of the terror with which, on the other hand, its opposers contemplate it, independently of all these considera tions, I cannot, my Lords, but recollect in whose place I now stand,--(Cheers.)--If my Lords, the Noble Earl, lately at the head of his Majesty's Government, had not been unable to attend and assist in your Lordships' Councils, he would have been here to explain to you the principles and details of this most import ant measure. When I recollect the number of years during which that Nobleman acted a distinguished part in thr deliberations of this House, when I recol lect that he had a capacity endowed with a clearness almost peculiar to himself to explain, and simplify the most diffi cult and complicated subject ; and finally, when I recollect that no man within these walls ensured by his per sonal character as well as by his strength of mind and larger share of the confidence of your Lordships. It is impossible that I should not:feel the weight which this measure must have derived from his advocacy--(Cheers) —and the immeasurable distance at which I am placed from him. There is, however, my Lords, one point in which , (Left Speaking.) HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the Chair, this day, precisely at 4 o'clock, and the House proceeded to business. STIRLINGSHIRE ROAD BILL. On the motion for the second reading of the Stirlingshire Road Bill, Mr. FERGUSSON proposed a clause to exempt the Careen Company from toll, in conformity with some pre vious agreement. The Honourable Gentleman concluded by moving, that the clause should be added to the Bill by way of rider. Mr. HOME DRUMMOND opposed the motion on the ground that the introduction of the clause proposed by the Hon. Gentleman would subject the county of Stirling to a perpetual burthen, by obliging those persons entrusted with the repairing of the road, to take the materials from the Carron Company. The clause proposed to be added to the Bill was nega tived without a division. TEST 'AND CORPORATION ACTS. Sir W. GUISE brought up a petition from Burton, Gloucestershire, praying for the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts. Mr. PORTMAN presented a similar petition from Dor chester. A Message from the Lords brought up their Lordships' asset to several Private Bills. Mr. C. N. PALLMER brought up the report of a bill to regulate the carriage of goods. Mr. C. N. PALLMER presented a petition from the Dissenters of the County of Surry, for the repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts. Mr. SOLICITOR-GENERAL brought up a report of a bill to prevent arrests for debts under 201. upon mense process, which was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Monday next, CoIoneIISIBTHOPRE presented a petition from Lin coln, praying that a duty should be imposed on foreign wool. Mr. CURWEN presented a petition from Blunker hasset, in the county of Cumberland, praying for the re pert of the Teat and Corporation Acts. A similar peti tion was presented from Haylesbury, (Wilts.) Similar petitions were presented from Wickly in the county of Glamorgan, Newport, in the Isle of f'l'ight, Ive, in Suffolk, and Royston, in Cambridge. Sir N. COLTHURST presented a petition from the Dissenters of Cork, praying to be exempt from serving the office of Churchwarden. Sir J. WROTTESLEY brought in the Bill for regu lating Election in Coventry. Lord MOUNTCHARLES presented a petition from the Grand Jury of the County of Donegal, praying the House to pass an Act explaining the powers of Grand Juries. Mr. J. WOOD presenting a petition from the Dissen ters of Horrich, Lancashire, for the Repeal of the Corpora tion and Test Acts. Lord ALTHORP presented a similar petition from Long Buckby, Northamptonshire, and another from Thame, in Oxforshire. Lord JOHN RUSSELL presented petitions for the Repeal of the Test and Corporation Acts, from the Dis senters of London and its vicinity, from Hainwester, in the County of Huntingdon ; from Cross-street Chapel, Manchestester ; and from the Borough of Wallngton. Obser vations were made as to the feelings of the Dissenters upon the Catholic Question, but he believed that the Dissenters, like other classes of the community, were very much divided on that question. Mr. HUME presented a petition from the prisoners in the gaol of Aberdeen, praying to be allowed some means of support whilst in prison, and that the House would consi der the expediency of revising the laws connected with the smuggling of spirits. Arr. HUME also presented a petition from a parish in the county of Galway, praying for the repeal of the Church Rate Bill, and Parish Vestry Act. Mr. HUME moved for a copy of the evidence given to the Committee appointed to inquire into the state of free labour in Trinidad.—Ordered. Mr. J. W. DENISON presented a petition from King ston, Surrey, praying for the repeal of the Corporation and Test Acts. WATER COMPANIES. Sir F. BURDETT presented a petition from 'Westmin ster, with respect to the conduct of the Water Companies. Mr. HOBHOUSE supported the prayer of the petition. Sir F. BURDETT gave notiee that he would move that the petition should be referred to a Committee on Monday next. Lord CASTLEREAOH gave notice of a motion re specting the Constabulary Force in the County of Derry on Thursday next. General GASCOYNE presented a Petition from Liver pool, praying for the repeal of the Second and Third Stamp Receipt Duty. Mr. MARTIN presented a Petition from Tewkesbury, for the repeal of the Test and Corporation Act. Sir G. HILL presented a Petition from the Corpora tion of Limerick, against the Salmon Fishery Bill. Sir C. BURRELL presented a Petition from 13ramber, in Sussex, praying for a Duty on Foreign Woos. MANUFACTURING DISTRESS. Mr• DAVENPORT said, that after what had occurred last night, which was fixed on for his motion, he could not flatter himself that the House had any disposition to enter into a discussion on the state of the Manufacturing Districts ; nevertheless, he was resolved to make one other, and it should be a final effort, and with that view, he would bring forward the motion, which has dropped by the ad journment of the House last night, on Thursday, the 7th of June. (Left sitting.) THE LONDON GAZETTE OF THIS EVENING. At the Court at St. James's, the 23d day of May 1827, PRESENT, The King's Most Excellent Majesty in Council. This day the Right Hon. James Abercromby and the Right Hon. Robert Wilmot Horton were, by his Majesty's command, sworn of his Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, and took their respective places at the Board ac cordingly. At the Court at St. James's, the 231 day of May, 1827, PRESENT, The King's Most Excellent Majesty in Council. Whereas the time limited by his Majesty's Order in Council of the 20th of November last, for prohibiting the exportation of gun-powder or salt-petre, or any sort of arms or ammunition, to any port or place on the Coast of Africa (except to any ports or places within the Streights of Gibraltar), has expired; and whereas it is judged ex pedient that the said prohibition should he continued for some time longer; His Majesty, by and with the advice of His Privy Council, loth therefore hereby order, re quire and command, that no person or persons what soever (except the Master-General of the Ordnance for his Majesty's Service), do at any time during tqe space of six months, (to commence from the time of this Order), presume to transport any gun - powder, or salt - petre, or any soat of arms or ammunition, to any port or ploce on the Coast of Africa (except to any ports or places within the Streights of Gibraltar) or ship or lade any gunpowder or salt-petre, or any sort of arms or ammunition, on board any ship or vessel, for the transporting of the same into any such ports or places on the Coast of Africa (except as above excepted), without leave or permission in that behalf, first obtained from His Majesty or his Privy Council, upon pain of in curring and suffering the respective forfeitures and penal ties imposed in that behalf by an Act, passed in the sixth year of his present Majesty's reign, intituled " An Act for the general regulation of the Customs : And the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of his Majesty's Treasury, the Lord High Admiral, the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, the Master-General and the rest of the Principal Officers of the Ordnance, and his Majesty's Secretary at War, are to give the necessary direc tions herein as to them may reskectively appertain. JAS. BULLER. St. James's-Palace, May 23, 1827. .The King WO this day pleased to confer the honour of Knighthood on Samuel St. Swithin Burden Malt of Furzebrook-house, in the county of Devon. Crown Office, May 25, 1827. MEMBERS RETURNED TO SERVE IN THIS 1P1061141 PARLIAMENT. Borough of Buckingham—Sir Thos. Fremantle, Ba rt ' en the room of the Right Hon. William Henry Fremant le ' who has accepted the Chiltern Hundreds. DECLARATION OF INSOLVENCY. J. Hunt, Blakenham-Parva, Suffolk, limeburner. BANKRUPTS. W. Cooke, High-street, Exeter, saddler, to surrender, June 18, 19, and July 6, at eleven, at the King. J° l° Tavern, Exeter. Adlington, Gregory, and Fau lkner,. Bedford-row ; and W. H. Furlong, Northernhay, Exe ter. S. P. Pullen, Knareeborough, York, money-scriven er, June 4,5, and July 6, at twelve, at the George 11117 ' Liverpool. Adlington, Gr e g or y, an d F au lk ner , Bedftl rti ' row ; Watson and Byron, Liverpool. J. Bracewell, Liverpool, coal-merchant, June 4, 515 14 July 6, at eleven, at the Neptune Hotel, Liverpool. r (*. ter, Liverpool; and Jeyee, Chancery-lane. A. Walker and S. Sanders, King-street, Cheapside, tuallers, June 1, at ten, 12, and July 6, at nine, at the Court of Commissioners. Quallett and Hancock, Prospe ct " row, Bermondsey. T. Pearson, Fenchurch-street, wine -merchant, June e' 15, July 6, at ten, at the Court of Commissioners. 11° ' binson, Walbrook. J. Watlen, Leicester-place, Leicester-square, piaflo forty, manufacturer, June 8, 15, July 6, at eleven, at the O t t of Commissioners. Gargrave, Leicester-place, Leicester" square. W. H. Greaves, New-court, Crutcbed-friars, June IT at twelve, June 8 and July 6, at one, at the Court of Commissioners. Richardson, Ironmonger-lane, Cheapsid e ' J. Bailey, Horncastle, ironmonger, June 7, at o' S ' June 8 and July 6, at eleven, at the George Inn, HO: castle. Eyre and Coverdale, _Gray's Inn ; or Sellwooll! Horncastle. :* J. Berthon, Liverpool, merchant, June 20, 21, IP :, July 6, at one, at White's Hotel, Manchester. Ha' & and Grove, Manchester. J. L. Mera, Oxford -market, Middlesex, victualler, 311° ,. 1, at eleven, 19, at ten, and J u ly 6, at one , at t h e Ceurt°' Commissioners. Turner, Clifford's•inn. E. Nightingale, Manchester, porter dealer, June 11, lilt and July 6, at one, at White's Hotel, King-street, chester. Atkinson, Manchester ; and Sanders, Temple. J. Demaine, Preston, draper, June 18, 19, and July at ten, at the Blackfriars Inn, Manchester. Hurd A na Johnson, Temple; Buckley, Manchester. W. and J. Plunkett, Whitechapel-road, ironcionger i ' June 8 and 15, a n d J u ly 6, a t e l even , at t h e C ou rt °f Comissioners. Ashley, Leach, and Goodman, Tokenhotiot. yard. R. Robinson, Hastings, grocer; May 31, June 1, a °l July 6, at twelve, at the Swan Inn, Hastings. Great Jaames-street, Bedford-row. t od W. Mell e r, R oe h ampton , b utc h er, June 1 and 1 2, July 6, at 12, at the Court of Commissioners. Turner, Percy-street, Bedford-square. E. Robson, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, saddler, June 1 9 Ina 19, and July 6, at eleven, at the George Inn, N e wcastle" upon-Tyne. Pybus, Newcastle-upon-Tyne; and Stvat Stevens: Maples, Pearse, and Hunt, F re d er i c k' s - p l ac e, Jewry. G. F. Leaker, Bristol, dealer i n ear th enware , Jon ,e 1 and 9, and July 6, at one, at the Commercial-rooms 1 3 ° ,1 tol. King, Lukin, and Whitaker, G ra y' s -i nn - squar e ; Cary and Cross, Bristol. THE MARKETS. SOUTHALL MARKET.—May 23. Wes, At this day's market, which was throughout tolerably supplied, but thinly attended by London and country 13 , 10, each kind of meat experienced a very languid sale, at tha lowing prices per stone of Sibs. to sink the °Mils Od. to Ss. ed. V ea l 4B. (td. to 50. Mutton 4 0 • 5 I 1 Pork 4 0 5 Lamb 6s. Od. to Is. Od. 'tons The foregoing quotations are beef 4d., mutt on Bd . pe r lower ; lamb from 4d. to 6d. per stone higher than on this eennight. A great proportion of the supply left the WO" unsold. HAILSHANI MARKET.—May 23. til• Beef--.. 4e. ed. to 3e. Od. I Veal.. Mutton..„--. 4fl 5 0 1 Pork 0 0 64. 9d. itb The best lambs went off with a degree of rapidity • but Whlf P .....-a, beef, mutton, and veal, the trade very dull. Supply tow^ good. _......' STEYNING MARKET.—M?ty 21. Beet 44.3 d. to 56.8 d. 1 Veal 4a. 4d. to 4 t 1 Mutton 4 6 5 0 Pork 0 0 ° Lamb 54. Sd. to 64. 4d. Supply but moderate, and trade dull. ARUNDEL MARKET.—May 22. 04' 44. 2d. to 44. DX I 414. 4d. tO O 0 Mutton 4 6 5 0 0 0 Lamb 54. ltd. to 64. Od. Supply moderately good, and trade rather CHICHESTER MARKET.—May 23. ~ lict• 8eef...,,,.....,,,.. 4s. od. to 4s. 10d. VeaL . 4s. 4d, to.- 0 Mutton ............ 4 4 410 I Pork .., 0 0 ° Lamb--..... se. 6d. te 6s. 2d• And, Lean Beasts, Cows and Calves, Couples, a r c, were in dellu at the last market's prices. :ETS DURING THE We10,..C. COUNTRY CORN MARKETS DURING THE Wheat. Barley. f Oats. Per Quarter. a. to a. a. to a , a. to a. t ° 813 Blandford 48 60 36 42 30 24 60 Brigg 55 60 35 40 34 40 48 •41 56 36 23 Chard --.—.. 56 76 38 44 21 39 4 4 68 Huntingdon.......... 50 55 36 38 24 30 4 _ 13 Louth 60 63 40 43 30 35 tar_ 54 82 32 44 24 26 w Newark 57 62 SS 43 30 34 55 4 5 Norwich 52 el 34 40 28 31 4 3 Nottingham —. 58 61 42 46 35 58 15 6 Peterborough 50 58 38 42 32 36 Plymouth _ 52 60 38 40 28 311 Sherborne . 50 56 32 38 30 36 58 63 llppinghani 53 58 38 44 36 38 34 0 WI/Wit . . 52 61 24 30 5 0 e t York 56 61 36 44 25 34 LIVERPOOL CORN EXCHANGE.—May 22. . 0 0; The import of Grain from Ireland and coastwise has falle" t nst et it is quite adequate so the demand, and the genial ra in pa s , has fallen during the week, has been of great benefit to th e cel 4 tures. Food for cattle has in consequence been dull sale, 1 1 5 4 s!t Indian Corn, which has been found so useful to them, A this day's market, which was tolerably attended by deapir alone was most in request. Wheat, Barley, Malt, Beans, Flour, and Oatmeal, are without fluctuation. Oats are Jo* P s bushel cheaper, and White Indian Corn, as well as YelloW. Is. to 2s. dearer. • LEEDS CORN MARKET, May 2t Crain There ; was alle agood Wheat s t i i , p ,a p s l 3 , v o e f r prices, Yi, other descriptions were rather lower. Very little Barley oft!":,ie y W au h l e l at a , t bu la t st no w t ee m k and the season being nearly over, the few sales effected upon much the same terms. In consequence of Foreign U. being admitted at 4d. per quarter duty, Oats and Shelling _TO extremely dull, the former was full Id. per gone, and the , "„ s r: 11. to 2s. per load cheaper. Beans were scarce, and Is. per ,Al ter dearer. In Rapeseed there was scarcely any thing doing► prices much the same. Wheat, Norfolk and Suffolk, 601 b. York. and Lincoln. 601 b. Barley, Norfolk and Suftblk --: Yorkshire and Lincolnshire -- Grinding Beans 63lb. - • Oats, Potatoe we. to ni de_ weeks prices of other 575. to 51 ---Mealing, Foreign 15id. to 16d....English led. to 1 7 (1•1.10r,, Shelling 37s. to 321; Y`,: r IP" Rapeseed, English, 204 to 22/. Foreign, —4. to --,. k/ ..,- DIED. t h At his residence, Drumpellier, Lanarkshire, 00 e inst., D. G. Buchanan, Esq. of Drumpellier. A 00' On the 20th inst. at Croydon, M ar y, the elde st ter of W. Bragg, aged 15. the g :t On the 23d inst, after a pr o tra c ted illness, Ja ne, An .- intuited wife of Mr. R. Burnell, of Upper Cleptol3, daughter of J. Crutchley, Esq. of Tottenhtun. goict On the 22d inst. , ic e ' at Gunnersbury-park; A. Morison, of the Hon. East India Company's eerf the 69th year of his age, its Pat raw and PUBLISIIID by M. YO UNG, at the Svr-Orrzoa, NQ. 112, Strand. BIRTHS. of On the 26th D ecem b er l as t, a t 13 om b av , the I , " Sir Charles Chambers, of a son. On the 23d inst., at Clapton, the lady of E. BurW its(' Esq. of a daughter. On the 24th inst., in Cavendish-square, the la ° lad) Kingsmill, Esq., of a daughter. MARRIED. to On the 22d, at Tunbridge, John Green, Req. B.` E,01.• Caroline, youngest daughter of the late E. Golding, of Maiden Erligh, I3erks. 'ii gt of On the 23d instant, Brixton, the Rev. Jae. P eg cto' Norfolk-street, to Charlotte Crooks, Denmark-hi ll, berwell. f S$ Pl. On the 22d inst., at Lambeth, Mr. Furness , O 0(1' ford Hill, to Mary, widow of the late W. Hitorn e " of Plymouth.