The Sun. — London, England, 1842-05-26 00:00:00

Vbirti XUttiorti SUN-OFFICE, Seven o' Clock. EPSOM RACES. (THIS DAY -33Y EXPRESS). (Continued from our Afternoon Edition.) 50L, free for any horse, and entered for any of the Races on Tuesday and Wednesday. Winner to be sold for 200/. P. Craven's That's the Time of Day 3 3 1 1 Mr. Balchin's Dromedary Mr. Phillimore's Finchley 14 3 3 Mr. Sherrard's Lady Mary 5 2 sir Alr. Lucas' Traitor 2 dr OAKS BETTING. 2 to 1 agst Adela filly. 7to agst Dilbar. 9 to 1 agst Fury filly. 9 to 1 agst Firebrand. 12 tol agst Amima filly. 14 to 1 agst Lucy Banks. 13 to 1 agst Meal. 20 to 1 agst Pharmacopoeia. ROLLS' COURT.-(THIS DAY.) CLARK V. YONGE. This cause, which relates to tithes, occupied the Court the "entire day, and is likely to do so for several dabs. We shall give brief sketch of it at the close of the hearing. • BAIL COURT.—(THIS DAY.) (Before Mr. Justice WIGHTMAN.) GATES V. BENNETT. This was an action to recover twenty-one guineas, the price of a mare sold by the plaintiff, who keeps livery stables in New-road, Sloane-street, to the defendant, who is a wine-merchata living in Rathbone-place. The de fendant pleaded that he made no promise. Mr. JONES stated the case. The defendant was introduced to the plaintiff at his stables in October last_ and asked to look at the horses, and saw a mare, which he said he should like to purchase for his son, whom he expected from India. He then desired, to have the mare saddled, and said that if he liked her lie should purchase her in three or four days. He rods the mare away, and did not return her till the present month, in a bad condition, when he offered the defendant. 4L 4s. A servant, in the employ of Mr. Cates, prove d that Mr. Bennett said if he liked the horse, after t hree or four days, he would purchase her, and that the horse was not returned. Other witnesses were produced. who proved that Mr. Bennett pr omised to send the money to Mr. Cates, or to Mr. Fran a friend of his, and that he liked the mare very mug Mr. B ateman gave similar testimony, and further, that Mr. Cates offered to take back the mare on Monday, and give 251. for her, if in the same condition as when he sold her. Mr. THESICER addressed the Jury for the defendant, and sa id that the nature of the bargain was that the de fenda: .it was to have the option of purchasing the mare at thl e price of '2O guineas, orhiring her till May-day for four .guineas. Se veral witnesses were examined for the defence. HIS LORDSHIP summed up, and the Jury returned a erd ict for the plaintiff to the amount of 20 guineas.- EECTION COMMITTEES, LYME REGIS. The Committee, on assembling this morning, pro , cemled to hear the conclusion of Mr. Austin's summing teip, in support of the vote of James Bridle, end finally ecided that the vote was a bad one ; it was accordingly si _rock off. The sitting Member is now in a minority of one. The next vote taken was that of Kennicott ; the gextunination was of the same nature as that of the two preceding votes, namely, an inquiry into the fact of the parties being indebted to Mr. Hillman, by accom moilutions, or money advanced a considerable time pre vious to the election, and consequently being unable to give an unbiassed vote. The evidence had not concluded 'at the adjournment, at four o'clock. CORN AVERA GEN. - • GENERAL AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN, For the Week .ended May 30, 1812, made up from the Returns cf the trispectorsin the different Cities and Towns in England and Wales, per Imperial Quarter. Wheat 603. td. Oats I Barer 263. lid. Rye ..... 3231 14 4 Pease .31s. 4d. AVERAGES OF THE LAST ql% WEEKS. Week ending! WHEAT. ,BARLEY.I OATS. RYE. BEANS. I PIM!. April 1S ..... 59 10 *2.6 11 19 2 32 6j30 11 30 5 1 27 3 19 3 32 11 30 9 31 2 29 ......... 61 0 27 6 19 1 31 7 111 6 33 1 May 6 ... 6.1 8 27 4 19 2 33 3 31 8 *0 7 13. 59 9 26 3 19 6 31 3 31 9 31 3 20 62 9 25 11 12 5 32 4 . 31 7 31 4 IMPItatIAT AGGREGATE AVERAGES OF THE MX wit rsc Meat.... 6os. sd. Oats ......... 19s. 4a.1 Beans 31s 4'. 265. 101.1 Rye DUTIES ON FOREIGN CORE. Wheat...". 12s. 0.1.1 Oats ..... 10s. 01. I Rye SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. FRO3I THE EVENING PAPERS OF THIS DAY .GLOBE.— Ile organs of the party in power are A ng fairly into opposition. The Post declares that ale principles on which Sir Robert Peel has prepared his taziff are, "in their essence, utterly unsound," and that " in operation they will, we fear, prove de stractive to an extent yet unimagined." The Times is accusing Sir James Graham of conspiracy with the Poor-law e 'Commissioners. The Britannia abuses the Income-tax, and most of the rest keep ominous si lence on that matter. May we take the freed* to ask whiat single point in the policy of this Govern ment fiose who helped it into power are now pre pared to advocate ? We really do not know one po sition from which their batteries were turned on the 'Whigs, which has not been contemptuously aban doned by their own men in office. Surely this is a remarkable attitude for a party to take towards the country—an attitude in -which their own press— wlr3ch, in the long run, represents pretty accurately the prevalent feelings of parties—is compelled to desert them. The party in power are therefore ope nly deserted by those sections of followers who alone addressed the public mind with any great efficacy . in -their favour. Assuredly these were the Anti-Free ale and the A n ti-New-Poor-Lawlsections. These an both openly in opposition ; and without wishing to , exaggerate their power, we really should like to know with what materials the Ministerialists m an to replace their loss. The dire neces siti of continuing to address themselves to their cl 4 sets of readers has forced their leading organs ind o open warfare with their leading measures. This h:u not . been without sweet, reluctant, amorous de lay , and repeated warnings. We are entitled to a se ume that two great sections of adherents are becom - in►_ opponents. In the face of such symptoms Parlia rt e ntar2,- majorities are a vain boast. Parlia • eutary majorities must represent moral forces some- Iv here. After all that can be attributed to cor n tption or to intimidation, no such majority as thept esent ever was . brought together without vo luntary agents. Now when those agents are alie ns fed.; when those motives are disappointed on which all . the adherents of Toryism, who are free to act for then nselves, have acted—what is left to support the po a -er of the party of the present Administration, be yo. a d the mere fact of possession, and the mere adhe rent ce of personal interests ? How long can these kee p a ministerial majority together, in the face Of the wly )le independent opinion of its constituency ? How SCH 3 a will the personal discontents, which always arise in: t. party, the ruffled self-importance of those who as pi r s to parts which are not allotted them, the fermenting vat City of illustrious obscures, who are kept in the has .k-ground—how soon will all these rally round the rev olt-flag of " earnest and decided" Toryism ? Very Sc* n ; if experience of the past give warrant to anti cif ate the future. In this " certainly proximate" cvi nt, where will the Ministerial party recruit itself? W here will it find the means to put down the f b. :•eatened.revolt of its own janissaries ? Where will it; enlist . zeal to combat the zeal it has driven from its es: isle STANDARD. —It appears, by the votes of the I louse o f,Commons, that Lord Ashley will this night clove •for . leave to bring in a Bill " to make . regula ti ms respecting the age and sex of persons permitted a work in mines and collieries." The country will joke to know that the Noble Author of the mining i a vestigation is resolved thus to follow up his work ; and h at he will follow it up with vigour and ability non e c „ .übt. We do not remember any exposition Wallas pro d; iced so powerful an effect as the mining Report; even t t to disclosures of the factory system were less impres sii ye, because they came out gradually, and not, as it; were, by surprise, like the exhibition of the hor r h ;s of the mine. The Noble Champion of the tr fferers in both departments of oppression and mi • .7 has at present the public mind more de e n ledly and more strongly with him than upon a t ty former occasion, and he is not the man to • glect such a glorious opportunity. He will do part, hut the country must do something more I h an feel and think—it must act, if Lord Ashley is to I •e successful. The terms of the Noble Lord's motion ire limited to restraints upon the employment of in tints and females ; and so far the motion, if it succeed, • sill do great good; but something more will still I te wanting. Some general law is required, that tilr mans of moral and religious instruction shall be p tr ovided for the people in proportion to their num b e rs, wherever multitude s are collected in a narrow. sy ace. Such a law was unnecessary while the ia opu -1: Lion was universally agricult ura l. Th e parish c t lurch and the parish school were then sufficient ; but • fficient these were no longer when masses came to lid collected in mines and factories. New states of s c ciety demand new institutions. Our wiser ances t ,rs felt this, and not only varied accommodations to meet the wants of particular localities, but even enacted what are called anomalous codes of la ws : and erected anomalous Courts of Justice with the use object. These anomalies, as we call them, are, 1} owever, the truest uniformity ; for nothing is so really anomalous as a straight rule applied to an un dulating surface. We throw out these hints, not so much with a direct reference to Lord Ashley's mo tion, as to the arguments with which we expect to see it resisted. The millowners are the opponents from whom we anticipate resistance, for they see that if hu manity is introduced into the mine, it cannot be long excluded from the factory. THE DISTRESS IN THE MANU- FACTURING DISTRICTS. THE QUEEN'S LETTER. TO HIS GRACE THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, FOR A COLLECTION IN AID OF THE SUBSCRIPTIONS ENTERED INTO FOR THE RELIEF OF THE WORKING CLASSES IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. Victoria R. Most Reverend Father in God, our right trusty and right entirely beloved Councillor, we greet you well. Whereas, in some districts in England and Scotland, many of the working classes have suffered, and con tinue to suffer, severe distress; and whereas many of our subjects have entered into voluntary subscriptions for their relief, and have at the same time humbly prayed us to issue our Royal letters directed to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Lord Arch bishop of York, authorising them to promote contri butions within their several provinces for the same benevolent purpose. We, taking the premises into our Royal consideration, and being always ready to give the best encouragement and countenance to such humane and charitable undertakings, are graciously pleased to condescend to their request ; and we do hereby direct these our letters be communicated by you to the several suffragan bishops within your province, expressly requiring them to take care that publication be made hereof on such Sunday in the present or in the ensuing month, and in such places within their respective dioceses, as the said Bishops shall appoint ; and that upon this occasion the ministers in each parish do effectually excite the parishioners to a liberal contribution, which shall be collected the week following at their respective dwell ings by the churchwardens or overseers of the poor in each parish ; and the ministers of the several parishes are to cause the sum so collected to be paid imme diately into the hands of the Bank of Fngland, to be accounted for by them, and applied to the carrying on and promoting the above-mentioned good designs. And so we bid you very heartily farewell. Given at our Court st Saint James's, the 11th day of May 1842, in the fifth year of our reign. By her Majesty's command, J. R. G. GRAHAM. To the Most Reverend Father in God, - our Right Trusty. and Right Entirely Beloved Councillor, William Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England and Metropolitan. London House, May 20, 1842. Reverend Brother,—ln obedience to the commands of her Majesty, I require you to read from the desk in Your church or chapel the Queen's Letter, a copy of which I have caused to be transmitted to you, on such Sunday before the Ist day of July next as you may judge most convenient, immediately after the Morning or Evening Prayers. You are also desired to cause the Queen's Letter to be read in like manner in every place of worship be longing to the Established Church in your parish (if there be any besides the parish church), and to com municate this letter to the minister or ministers thereof. The accompanying statement will supply authen tic information in regard to the distress which pre vails in the places therein mentioned, and which unhappily extends to many other populous districts similarly circumstanced. I trust, therefore, that you will feel it your duty, as a minister of Christ, to give full effect to her Ma jesty's gracious intentions by earnest exhortation from the pulpit, and to make known and enforce, as widely and strongly as possible, the claims of the sufferers on the charity of their Christian brethren. The amount collected is to be paid, within three weeks after the collection, into the Bank of England, or its branches in the country ; or by Post-office orders addressed to and made payable to the cashiers of the Bank of England, London. From your affectionate brother, C. J. LONDON. THE STATEMENT.—STOCKPORT. Stockport, in Cheshire, is one of the principal seats of the cotton manufacture, and a large portion of its population is dependent on that manufacture for support. During the last three years many failures among the mill owners have occurred, but distress among the working people did not assume a very aggravated form until within the last eight months ; since that time a large number of the manufacturing workmen, accustomed to constant industry, have been reduced by the stoppage of mills to want of employment, and to a dependence on legal or voluntary alms. Their privations have been borne, by a population not ac cuAomed to such dependence, with fortitude and re signation, and the virtues which they have exhibited under such severe trials, not less than the sufferings which they have endured, and are still enduring, entitle them to the sympathy and consideration of their fellow countrymen. Wr. Waddington, the Secretary of the Relief Fund in Stockport, states in the Official Report upon the distress in that town, that the great majority of the distressed families have no visible means of support ; that for some weeks they had subsisted by credit; that when that had failed their next resource was to sell their furniture, their wearing apparel, their bed and bedding, and in many instances women had been com pelled even to part with their marriage rings; and that their dwellings were found literally stripped of every ar tick of comfort. He subsequently proceeds to state, in reference to the district of which he acted as visitor, " The greater proportion of the inhabitants of that district were in as lamentable a state of destitution as it is possible to imagine ; I am convinced that the Relief Fund has been the cause of saving hundreds in the borough from a premature grave." BU RNLEY. Severe distress likewise prevails extensively at Burnley in Lancashire, and in the neighbouring dis trict, owing to the same causes as the distress at Stockport. In this district less efficient assistance appears to have been afforded to the settled poor from the poor-rates, and moreover many destitute persons who had migrated thither from other parts of the country have been deterred from applying for parochial relief by the fear of removal in consequence of thus becoming chargeable. The funds provided by the law for the relief of or dinary destitution in England, however ample they may be, can scarcely be expected to suffice in the de pressed state of Stockport and Burnley, inasmuch as the resources of the rate-payers themselves are dimi nished in nearly the same proportion in which the de mands of the working-classes upon those resources are increased. PAISLEY. Since the month of July in last year the labouring population of Paisley has been suffering from distress, caused by the stagnation of trade, and the consequent failure of a large number of firms in that borough. This distress continued with great severity through out the winter, and the spring has not brought that increased demand for goods which might have been expected. Some of the more skilful weavers have indeed pro cured employment,. but a large portion of the popula tion still remain dependent on charity. As many as 1'2,000 persons have been maintained for several months from the contributions collected in England and Scotland, and even in India. The poor-law of Scotland, as now administered, confers no effectual right to relief upon men who are able to work, or upon their families ; at present, therefore, the legal provision for the relief of the destitute in Scotland is not applicable to this class of persons, and even if it had been so applicable, the pressure of so large a number of men without work must soon have absorbed a considerable proportion of the property in the borough. The' subscriptions raised in this country, in the county of Renfrew, the city of Edinburgh, and other parts of Scotland, are all expended. Thus no legal mode of effectually relieving this mass of destitution exists, and the charitable feelings of those connected with the place have been taxed to the utmost. It may be added that these sufferings have for the most part fallen on i class of workmen whose general earnings, even i n prosperous ti mes , are insufficient to allow of any provision for future difficulties, and that tbey have been borne with patience and fortitude. May, 1842. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the e l ) Bishops of Lond on , Chester, and Ri on,Lords Stanley and Russell, Sir R. 11. Inglis, & hthaeppManufacturers' to ann,une announce Relief tthe followingCommittee.are iV m e en a l are also o also f ir contribu tions have been already received : Her Majesty the Queen, 500 / . ; the Queen D owager, 300/. ' Sir Robert Peel. Ba rt., 200/. ; Sir James Graham, 100/. ; the Duke of Bucc leuch, 2001. ; Sir Ed war d Knatch bull, 100/. ; the Earl of Aberdeen, 1001. ; Lord Stan ley, 100/. ; the Right Hon. Henry Goulburn, SO/. ; Lord Fitzgerald and Vesci, 100/. ; Earl of lladding ton, 100/. ; Lord Lyndhurst, 1001.; Sir Henry Hardinge, 501.; Earl Howe, 100/.; Lord John Rus sell, 50/. ; Sir T. D. Acland, Bart., 111.11., 50/. ; Rear Admiral Bowles, C. 8., 2W '. • Alderman Lucas, 261. ss. ; Benjamin B. Cabbell, Esq., 50/. Lady Townshend Farquhar, accompanied by the Hon. Mr. Hamilton and family, Sir Charles Dalrymple, Dr. Roscoe, Mr. Pearson Thompson, &c., formed part of the large number of passengers who left London on Sunday last by the regular steam-ship Antwerpen, Capt. Jackson. This packet arrived at Antwerp nearly an hour before the Wilberforce, vihich started with her, and she returned here yesterday morn ing, after a passage of nineteen hours. Several of the Cabinet Ministers visited Sir R. Peel this morning. 1.14 E . SUN', LONDON. THURSDAY EVENING, MAN' 26, IF-42. EMPERIAL PARLIAM ENT. (THIS DAY.) HOUSE OF LORDS. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack shortly before Five o'Clock. THE COPYRIGHT BILL. The LORD CHANCELLOR presented three peti tions on this subject, from the booksellers, the printers, and the literary writers of Great Britain and Ireland. SUNDAY TRAFFIC ON CANALS. Lord 11 THERTON presented a petition on a subject to which he had before brought the attention of the House, namely, the- Sunday navigation of the canals. The boatmen on ,canals were the only class of people in the country who had no Sabbatic rest. The boat men of all the canals in the country had petitioned against the Sunday traffic. Several boat- owners, also, had petitioned for the same purpose, and had disconti nued working their boats on Sunday's without dimi nution of their profits. The Directors of some Companies had also petitioned, and had done all that lay in their power to put an end to the Sunday navigation, but without the assistance of an Act of Par liament they could not enforce the suppression. Lord WHARNCLIFFE said that the attention of the Government had been directed to the subject, but it was not intended to introduce any measure this session. Lord HATHERTON expressed his satisfaction that it was intended to bring in a Bill on the subject ; he thought it better that such a measure should originate with the Government, than any individual Member of their Lordships' House. THE TARIFF. _ . The Duke of BUCKINGHAM presented several peti tions from places in the County. of Bucks, praying the House to modify the proposed tariff. THE CUSTOMS DUTIES (DRAWBACK) BILL. This Bill went through Committee. THE BEGGING LETTER. Lord KINNAIRD rose in pursuance of a notice which he gave on, Tuesday last, to move for a copy of the Queen's begging letter. He could not but express his surprise that, on that occasion, her Majesty's Minis ters should pretend not to know anything about it. The letter was signed by one of the Ministers ; and, besides that, it was quite notorious that such a letter had been issued. He must say that it convinced him of the fact, that the Government was carried on by only one indivi dual in the country—certainly one of great talent, and one from whom he expected a great deal • but he really seemed to think that he treated thei other members of the Government as mere cyphers. The speeches of that individual were very liberal ; but he (Lord Kinnaird) must say he thought that the tariff was a precious piece of humbug.—(Laughter.) If one indi vidual could carry on the Government, it really could not be such a difficult thing to conduct a Government as some people imagined. A Premier and half a-dozen clerks might do it. The Noble Lord was here inter rupted by The LORD CHANCELLOR, who said the confer once from the Commons on the subject of an Inclosure Bill, was at the bar. The Earl of Devon, the Bishop of Norwich, and other Lords were then appointed to conduct the conference with the Coinmons. Lord KINNAII3D then resumed. He read a letter from the district:of Lancashire, from which it appeared that many of the labouring population were living on the trifling pittance of 11-d. a day. He had many letters in his possession which - he had received on this subject. All of them confirmed the statement made in the letter he had read to their Lordships. When he had brought the subject under the consideration of their Lordships last session the Noble Duke (Wellington) treated the subject midi some levity. These state ments which he had read would show how much that levity was called for. He should conclude by moving that an humble address be presented to her Majesty, praying that a copy of her letter addressed to the Arch bishop of Canterbury; for the purpose of calling on the clergy to assist in collecting subscriptions for the relief of the suffering poor. The Duke of WELLINGTON said that there could be no objection to the letter. The Noble Lord had said truly, that he (the Duke of Wellington) had sug gested to the Noble Lord that he should ascertain that such a letter had been written before he moved for its production. He (the Duke of Wellington) ought to take to himself some shame as a Member of her Majesty's Privy Council, in not being aware that this letter had been written. But he begged to inform the Noble Lord that he was present when the subject was discussed- in the Privy Council, but he had been out of town, and when he answered the Noble Lord he was not aware that the letter had been sent. He did not happen to attend divine service last Sunday, having been in the Chapel Royal, or he would have known it. He had been to a distant part of the Metro polis on Monday, and he conversed with the clergyman of . a parish, and certainly, if he had received the letter at that time, he would have informed him of it. He would say, that he had never mentioned the distress of the country with levity. The Noble Lord at the time to which he had alluded, said, that Parliament ought not to be prorogued, and that those who advised Her Majesty to prorogue Parlianient took on themelves serious re sponsibility. He (the Duke of Wellington) on that occasion said he did not think that there was any reason to believe that there was likely to be a scarcity of corn, and that if Parliament sat for twelve months it would not give the people the means of purchasing corn. As be said before, there could be no objection to this letter being produced. Lord KINNA 1111) explained that be wanted to know why the letter should be issued just at this particular time. He did not think that it would do any permanent good. . - - The Marquis Of LANSDOWNE thought it would be very unfortunate' if it should be imagined that these letters had been issued as mere matters of form, and not upon mature deliberation. The very circumstance of making this a common proceeding was to de stroy its efficacy. All Governments should consider well before adopting this course, because au objection would apply to it when applied to Parliamentary grants, viz. that it had a tendency to prevent local efforts and individual exertions, which, after all, were the best means of alleviating the distress.—(Hear, hear.) He trusted that the in vitation to come forward to relieve the distress of a long-suffering people would not be confined to the Established Church alone, but would be extended to all places of worship. He thought the measure had been considered, and that it was one well calculated to meet the exigencies of the times ; under those circumstances, therefore, he must express his approval of the course proposed.—(Hear, hear.) Earl RIPON, said,,it was not until the distress through out the country became general that her Majesty's Ministers took upon themselves to advise her Majesty to make this appeal to the people. On Tuesday night, however, he certainly was not aware that the letter had been sent ; in the parish church which he attended on Sunday last, it certainly was not read, and that was the history of the ignorance which had been imputed to the Government not being exactly aware of the precise time when their advice had been carried out. This cer tainly was not an appeal which ought to be often made, but it was one which he was sure would, on the present occasiom, be honourably responded to. Earl MINTO said, on a former occasion, when the country was in great distress, the Government had ordered a great quantity of bonded corn to be re leased. He wished to ask the Noble Duke op posite if such a course had been adopted now. The Duke of WELLINGTON said he was not aware that such a course had been pursued. The Duke 'of RICHMOND wished to know what good it would do, if such a course were adopted ? The people wanted money and not corn ; give them money and they would soon get bread. The only effect of such a course would be to reduce the agriculturists of this country to the same state of distress as the manufacturers were at present in. —(Hear.) Earl MINT° said he must say that lie thought the cheapening of food would considerably tend to alleviate the distresses of the people. Earl FITZWILLIAM apprehended that whatever exertions might be made, the sum which would be raised by this letter, would be perfectly trifling compared with what' would be required for the object in view. —(Hear.) They should inquire whether this letter was the result of prudence and inquiry, as his Noble Friend (Marquis of Lansdowne) was inclined to think. He should like to ask her Majesty's Government what proportion the sum to be raised by this letter would bear to the average wages received by the operatives of this country. He should like to know what would be the annual wages of the operatives in one of our large manufacturing towns alone. He shouid think it could be certainly not:les than 1,000,0001. of money. He doubted Whether they would not be trifling with the distress of the people, by proposing such a measure as this. Did the gentlemen believe that this distress was temporal ? Did they believe that it arose from the fluctuations in the ma nufactures of the coon try, or (lid they believe as he did, that it was merely an exhibition of the permanent declension of the manufacturers of this country. — (Hear.) He should like to hear the opinion of her Majesty's Government 'upon that matter. If their opi nion were that the distress be of a permanent charac ter, he thought it should only be considered as a step to some other more .pertnanent mode of administering relief.—(Hear.) (LEFT SPEAKING.) HOUSE - OF COMMONS. The SPEAKEIt took the Chair at the usual hour. TYNE FIRHEIUES BILL. The Tyne Fisheries Bill was read a third time, and passed. HOLY-WELL ROAD BILL. The Holywell Road Bill was read a third time, and passed. LEEDS IMPROVEMENT BILL. Mr. BECKErr presented a petition from Leeds, against the Leeds lmprovement Bill. FISHERIES (IRELAND) BILL. Mr. SHAW presented a petition from the millers of Cork against certain Clauses in the Fisheries (Ireland) Bill. a petition against any further grant to the (:, , ,I: 0 : Maynooth ; also a petition f...7r tile ~.7,-.eu. i ol. cu' iioalu,s Catholics froal Parliament. . POOR-LAW BILL. Mr. .GRIMSDITCH presented a petition from the Poor-law Guardians of the Cli,:rley Union, Lancashire, praying for an alteration in the Poor-law Amendment Bill. Mr. LITTON presented a petition from the Irish Society against the Irish Drainage Bill, and praying that the petitioners might be heard at the bar of . the House by their counsel against the Bill. Also a petition from Longford against the national system of education in Ireland. Mr. FERRAND presented a petition from the Poor law Guardians of the parish of Keithley, in the West Riding of the county of York, agreed to by a majority of 10 to 3 against the Poor-law Ainend'ment Act, as being wholly unfitted for the purposes for which it was passed ; the petitioners prayed the House, therefore, that that Act might to repealed, or so far altered as that relief to the poor might be administered under the sanction of the rate-payers ; and that the Poor-law Commissioners might be relieved from the further administration of their functions. _ • _ _ COMMUNICATION WITH BELGIUM. Mr. MACKINNON presented 'a petition from the English residents of Bruges, coniplainikg that the com munication between this country and Belgium was not sufficient for the purposes of trade. Vessels only went four times a week from London to Bruges, and great in convenitnce arose from not having a daily communica tion, as there was with France. • CATHOLIC GRIEVANCES. Mr. O'CONNELL presented a petition from the Ca tholies of Stafford, complaining of the religious grievances under which they laboured, especially in the Army and Navy, the poor-houses, and the prisons. REPEAL OF THE UNION. The RIGHT HON. MEMBER also presented several pe titions for the repeal of the Legislative Union. CORN LAWS. The RIGHT HON. MEMBER also presented a petition from Dublin, praying for a total and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws. REFORM IN PARLIAMENT. The RIGHT HON. MEMBER also presented a petition from five leaseholders, praying for a further reform in Parliament. FISHERIES (IRELAND) BILL. Lord BERNARD presented a petition from some place in Cork, in favour of this Bill. SUDBURY ELECTION. Mr. T. DUNCOMBEPresented ,petition from cer tain electors of Sudbury, signed by three Dissenting Ministers, one Magistrate, and 152 electors, highly ap proving of the decision of the Commissioners appointed by . the House, whereby they found that bribery had existed in the borough of Sudbury to a great ex tent. The petitioners stated that they regarded the suffrage as the right of every Englishman, and they prayed for Universal Suffrage and. the Vote by Ballot. The Hon. Member also presented a petition from an in dividual at Birmingham, praying for .the dissolution of the present Parliament, and that one might be elected according to the ancient custom of the realm. O:: the return of the Members of the Conference, Mr. - HUME informed the House that the Managers of the Conference, oo the part of the House of Conunew, hsd stated their t.) the Altuutger..; of the House of Lords fur differing with their Lordships, and had left the Bill and amendments with them. IPSWICH CASE. The debate on the Ipswich case was then resumed, and Mr. WYNN said that he had already stated to the House the reasons which had induced him to come to the conclusion, that in instances where the existence of extensive bribery bad been proved they ought not to allow it to be passed over in silence. Ought those persons, either the bribers or the bribed, to be suffered to go to another election? Ought such disclosures to be attended with no conse quences to those who had been guilty of bribery ? On reading the evidence in the Ipswich, it must be clear to every one that an extensive' system of bri bery had been carried on at the last election. There might, perhaps, in the event of a prosecution being instituted, be some difficulty in bringing home the offence to particular individuals, but no one could rise from a perusal of that evidence without being convinced that an extensive system of bribery had been carried on both by one side and the other. The Commit tee had, by its very constitution, been precluded fkom going into the evidence of the bribery, as it affected the unsuccessful candidates. They must, therefore, further inquire and further inves tigate : he was quite aware of the difficulties that must attend a further investigation. The parties must consider what would be the probable result ; if they established it on both sides, they might establish it to such an extent that each party would equally suffer by it. The punishment ought not to fall entirely on the constituents, but on those who were guilty of the crime of bribery. During the last 150 years the House had passed repeated acts against bribery ; and, by the act of 1829, penalties were inflicted on the voters who took bribes. The House of Lords were now, fir the first time, ready to co-operate with them ; and he did think they ought not to allow to pass unnoticed the pro ceedings which had been lately disclosed before the Election Committees. He did not wish to point out any particular course to the Attorney-General, but, it ap peared to him, that the House should not refrain alto gether from interfering in the subject. With respect to Ipswich, 'he did not think that the evi dence was of a nature to connect the alleged bribery with the late sitting MemberS ; and formed sufficient rea son why ulterior proceedings ought not to be taken in this case. The Right Hon. Gentleman went through diffe rent portions of the evidence, and said that as there was not sufficient in it to induce the House to adopt ulterior measures, he thought either that a supplemental enquiry ought to be instituted, or that the Attorney-General, who in this case ought to be looked upon as the servant of the House, should be directed to prosecute such persons as appeared to be concerned in the bribery practised at the late election for the borough of Ipswich. The motion having been put, Sir THOMAS WILDE said that he found great difficulty in addressing the House in opposition to the proposition of so distinguished a person as the Right Honourable Gentleman, but so strongly did he feel the difficulties in the way of the motion he had proposed, that notwithstanding the hesi tation he had expressed, he should beg leave to obtrude upon the House. The House stood before the coun try in a peculiar position, and it would be expedient for the House not to forget the circumstances in which it was placed in adopting any course which was proposed to it. He was not aware that directions were ever given to an Attorney-General in the general terms now proposed, and the Right Hon. Gentleman himself, whose experience was so extensive, allowed that the present form varied from that generally adopted. - He had heard it said in the House ; and he agreed in opinion that it ought only to be on very strong occasions, that the House directed a prosecution, and, generally speaking, it operated to the prejudice of the defendant. But so far from that being the case in the present instance, he believed, on the con trary, that if the prosecution were ordered by the House, it would rather be advantageous. Some experience occurred, even before these decisions took place. during the present Session. The House, in a former Session, had directed a prosecution in the eases of Hertford and St. Albau's. Whoever read the evidence in those cases—the speeches of Coun sel, and the summing up of the Learned Judge— would be satisfied that some peculiar circumstances, not arising out of the evidence, must have led to the conclu sion in those cases. There was no doubt that, at the present moment, there was a strong impression regarding bribery, and that any prosecution unattended by some general measure directed to the suppression of the evil would be considered as a. prosecution not for the pur poses of justice, bid to 'boast of the existine . system. In saying that, he could assure the House that no one felt more decidedly than he did, that nothing but the desire to maintain the honour of the House, had induced the Right Hohourable Gentleman to adopt the course he had done ; but while he made that statement he felt bound to ask Whether any lion. Member could expect any good from the adoption of the proposition. Was the bribery so limited,and supported by individuals of so little influence, that the conviction of one or two would do any thing else but e xcite sympathy for them on the supposition that the prosecution had taken place, not for the pur poses of justice, but to make a show of hostility. First of all he was convinced that there was great difficulty in the proposition now made. The Committee had presented no individual with their names associated with certain evidence, which would enable the House to appreciate the certainty of conviction. What means had the Attorney-General of caning before hint and examining them, what agents could he employ, or by what means had he of going into those quarters fer information which would enable him to presecute the inquiry with success. When he was Attorney-General, he had cause to make inquiry of a similar nature; and when he came to sift the evidence, .he was satisfied there was not enough to sustain the prosecution. He was convinced that the Attorney-General would not have the means of mak ing the investigation which the Right Hon. Gentleman desired ; his proposition was too general to have any practical effect. But even if the investigation could be made successfully, he would submit to the House, whe ther it would be proper to direct such an inquiry at this moment, when no general measure had been brought forward for the purpose of suppressing bribery. He thought that nothing could more tend to disparage the character of that House than the inves ligation of one particular case at the present time.—(Hear, hear.) Any one who had been in that House during the present session, must have been much struck with the exhibition of certain feelings and opinions which if quoted, would by no means tend to prove the sincerity of that House if it adopted the propo sition before it.—(Hear, hear, hear.) What had hap pened ? Every Committee which had shown any earnestness in prosecuting its - inquiry had been charged with indulging in a vindictive spirit and had been held up as objects rather of censure than of approbation.—(Hear, hear.) Every witness who had avoided ai:swering questions which had been put to him had been the object of sympathy. Everythingh which had opposed an obstacle to an inquiry had been hailed with cheers, and when an individual had rendered himself obnoxious to ensure the greatest anxiety was shown to save him from punishment, and a few hours imprisonment was considered sufficient. He therefore trusted that the House would forbear recting any prosecution in a general form, and he also trusted the House would not direct any pro secution against individuals, until it had adopted some measure for setting itself right in the public mind, for showing its sincerity, by putting a stop to this monstrous evil. The remedy would be found, not in the punishment of a few obscure individuals who had com mitted bribery, but in the disgrace of those who furnished them with the means. (Cheers.) For these reasons, he deemed it expedient to order these prosecutions. He considered the present was an awful moment for this country. (LEFT SPEAKING.) IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS, May 25. CUSTOMS ACT—THE TARIFF. After a few words from Captain EGERTON, Mr. HUME said if they expected the United States fairly to admit our manufactures, they must not, as they were now doing, do all in their power to keep out theirs : on the contrary, they ought to admit them at the lowest possible terms, and they would then admit our manufactures in return. At the "present moment they might be watching what we were doing. The en deavouring to keep out American produce ma s the very worst thing- we could do. Mr. COBDEN wished to remind the House that the importation of cheese from America had constantly de creased during the last few years ; the importation from Europe also had considerably decreased. The falling off in the price of agricultural produce was, he thought, to be attributed solely to the poverty of the consumers. lie was of opinion that they should give every facility to the admission of every article that could come in from America. Mr. WAKLEY said no doubt the Right Hon. Gentle man, the First Lord of the Treasury, had laid hold of the monster monopoly, and had given him a most ter rible shake ; but he was always returning to the charge. Last night they had him from Kent ; to-night they had him from Cheshire. Where it was to end he did not know. What a shame it was to hear lion. Members doing all they could to keep the people from food—what a pity it was they could not eat timber.— (Laughter.) They said they must protect the farmer. Protect the farmer . ! Pooh ! It was not for the farmer they cared. They were looking out to keep up their rents, and that wa; all they cared tor.—(Hear.) He was con vinced that the proposed tariff would give no substantial relief to the people. He believed that the agriculturiSts, if allowed to carry out their views, would plunge the country into confusion. . Mr. WARD said that if the House would not do jus tice to the people, the people would do justice to themselves. After a, few words from Mr. OLVILLE and Mr. JERVIS, _ _ Mr. BARING supported the reduction of the duty. Sir R. PEEL hoped the House would be disposed to consider the tariff as a whole, and bear in mind all its difficulty, instead of trying to put him in a minority on any particular item. Ile really thought the wisest course would be to allow him to finish the tariff that nigh t.—( G rea t laughter.) Sir J. GUEST moved that the duty should be reduced to ss. instead of 7s. 6d. Sir ROBERT PEEL would consent to the withdrawal of the proposition for a duty of 7s. 6d., and take the divi sion on the proposition for a ss. duty, so as to have but one division. Mr. J. JERVIS explained. Mr. MARK PHILIPS would not withdraw his propo sition for the salte . of proeuring a stray vote or two. Ile thought the duty of 7s. 61. wore I to be carried than 1 the proposition tor a duty ,o und..,hould preos h i nic.)- tion to a division The CHAIRMAN said.that the division must be taken en the proposition for the smaller duty first. Strangers were then ordered to withdraw. During our absence from the gallery we understood that Sir J. Guest's motion was put and negatived without a division. The Committee then divided upon Mr. Mark Philips' amendment, when there appeared— Ayes 37 Noes • B2 Majority against the amendment —4s The articles, eggs, hams, lard, pork salted (not hams), sago, preserved fruits, and tapioca, were agreed to without discussion. , . 'Mr. G. PALMER moved the resolution of which he had given notice :—" That it is not expedient to alter the rate of duties upon foreign vegetables, as proposed in the tariff ; and that it would be unjust, in point of principle, to take away 'the protection from that species of British produce, whilst other interests remain protec ted." On the particular article of onions he proposed that the duty should be is. ad. Mr. GLADSTONE opposed the amendment. The Government reduced the duty, because before it was enormous. The lion. Member proposed to increase it to 70 per cent. He trusted that the House would reject the amendment. Mr. WAKLEY thought the persons represented by the Hon. Member for Essex would suffer and it was to be deeply regretted; but were they therefore to neglect to carry out good principles? He deprecated the atten tion to partici:liar interests by , Hon. Gentlemen. Thus the Members for Cheshire having gained their point, left onions to take care of themselves. The House ought to support the Government proposition. After a few words from Mr. PALMER and Mr. GLADSTONE, the motion was withdrawn, and the Government proposition agreed to without a division. On the resolution imposing a duty of 2d. the cwt. on potatoes being proposed,- Mr. STUART WORTLEY begged to be informed on the subject. Ho understood that potatoes could be introduced very cheaply from France, but he had no knowledge on the subject himself.. Mr. G. PALMER said that a duty on potatoes was necessary for the protection of the home-grower. He would ask for that protection which the agricultural in terest had a right to expect would be given them by the Government ; and he would, therefore, propose that the duty imposed on potatoes, imported into this country, should be Is. per cwt., instead of 2d. Mr. GLADSTONE said that the present was a case in which he felt perfectly convinced of the justice of the reduction proposed to' the Committee. He did not think that it would operate, to any extent, in lessening the ordinary price of potatoes, 'lndeed, he did not think that, in ordinary times, the customary price of potatoes could be very much lowered,:by even a free trade. The great practical object of the proposed reduction, was to prevent serious inconvenience arising to the consumer, from a sudden increase of price, consequent on partial failure in growth at particular seasons. Mr. WAKLEY said, he believed there would be a very great importation • of potatoes into this country ; • he believed such an importation would materially lower the price of bread, and, for that reason, he considered the proposition to be an excellent - one. • He was not going to attempt to calm the monster monopoly by saying that there woLld be no importation ; he believed there would be a very large importation, and for that reason he should support the proposition. Protect the potato-growers, said the Hon. Member for Essex ; protect the people, said he (Mr. Wakley). He was glad to see Rich a proposition from the Government . ; it was a very different thing from the cry of " No surrender," and rounds of Ken tish fire. Mr. AINSWORTH congratulated Hon. Gentlemen opposite upon the tariff as a whole, and this part of it in particular ; he was sure it- .would_ be of the greatest service to the public, and he hoped it would be carried. Mr. S. WORTLEY said that the Hon. Member for Finsbury had misunderstood what had fallen from the Right Hon. Gentleman, the President of the Board of Trade. The Right Hon. Gentleman did not say that there would be no importation of potatoes ; what he said was, that there would'be no. such great importation as would at all injure the property of the potato-growers of England. Mr. ESCOTT denied-That the farmers of this country were desirous of keeping up the price of potatoes. No good firmer wished to grow more potatoes than he could use in his own establishment ; and though the Hon. Member for Essex had come there to illuminate the Treasury benches, he Could - .tell him that there were farmers who could very considerably illuminate him upon the subject. Mr. BECKETT DENISON said, though he and his colleague represented,' perhaps, a larger portion of potatoe-growing country than any two Members of that House, he could not feel justified in voting with the Hon. Member for Essex. He considered that the proposition was one which would tend to alleviate the burdens of the working classes, and he should, therefore, vote with her Majesty's Governmente(Hear.) Mr. PALMER, withdrew. his opposition, and the Hon. Gentleman's proposition was acceded to. A variety of other articice*were agreed to without alteration. The items down to that of onions, exclusive, were agreed to. On onions being proposed, Mr. ROUND said he thought this was another case in which the home grower had been roughly dealt with. He did nut think the amount of duty was sufficient pro tection. He would say that skilat the growers wanted wits protection, but not prolAition. After a few words from Mr. WARD and Dr. BOWRING, Mr. GLADSTONE- said, that although the finest onion seed was produced in Spain and Portugal, the English grower had nothing whatever to fear from foreign competition. The item was then agreed to, as were the remaining items in the schedule of seeds. The next schedule was that enumerating the different kinds of woods. These were agreed to. The schedule containing ores and minerals was then proposed. - • Sir CHARLES LEMON wished this schedule to be postponed for a few days, as an important meeting had been held in Cornwall, and a deputation sent to London on the subject, which would arrive to-morrow with a petition. Sir R. PEEL did not think it desirable that it should be postponed, more especially as there would be another opportunity of making any change in the Bill. The items to copper ore were agreed to. On copper ore being proposed, Mr. TURNER moved as. an amendment that the words " containing not more than ten parts of copper per ton of metal" be omitted. He felt convinced that this was a measure in which, the interests of Cornwall were deeply concerned.' This mode of raising the duty Was not only injurious to the mining interests generally, but it was highly injurious to The revenue. Mr. GLADSTONE said that the Hon. Gentleman's motion would affect but a very small portion of the question. It would, in fact, only affect a class of ores which, up to the present time, had scarcely come into this country. The effect of the motion would be altoge ther trifling, but even so, it was not expedient to adopt it. It was expedient to encourage the introduction into this country of low ores. It was desirable that an induce ment should be held out to foreign countries to import their ores into this country,: in the working of which Englishmen so much excelled. Machine making was a manufacture peculiarly, adapted to the genius of this country, and nothing would be more beneficial to that manufacture than the introduction of ores. Sir CHAS. LEMON said if they raised the duty too high with regard to the rich. ores, they would run the risk of compelling them to go elsewhere to have the ore smelted; but there was no danger in that respect with regard to the poor ores. The effect of the present scale would be to take out of their hands the power of selling the ore. Lord ELIOT believed that the proposition of the Government on this subject was calculated to be most beneficial to his constituents, and he should therefore give it his support. Mr. LABOUCHERE rejoiced to see that it was the determination of her Majesty's Government to put this trade upon a more fair and equitable footing. Mr. CHARLES BULLER would cordially support the proposition of the Government, although he thought it might produce some prejudicial effects on the miners in Cornwall, for it should be remembered that private interests ought to give way to public good. After a desultory discussion the Committee divided, and the numbers were:----, For the amendment - 7 Against the amendment Majority against the amendment,.. —l5l On the item bar iron being proposed, Mr. HU ME said, he was much disappointed to find that the duty on this article had not been entirely abo lished. He hoped the GoVernment would reconsider this subject.' Mr. PARKER said that he had been in that House many years, and scarcely a year had passed but his con stituents had memorialised the Board of Trade for the repeal of this duty, but without success. Sir'R. PEEL was happy to inform the Hon. Gentle man that the Board of Trade had consented to reduce the duty one-third.—(Laughter.) Mr. VILLIERS thought this was one of the most un warranted and wanton attempts to cling to protection he had ever seen, and he should therefore oppose it. Mr. M. PHILIPS thought this duty should be done away with, because he did not think any interest was pro tected by it. After a few words from Mr. FOSTER the other items with respect to iron were agreed to. Several other items being then agreed to, Dr. BOW RING proposed the Chairman should report progress, and ask leave to sit again. The question was put and negatived without a division. Sir ROBERT PEEL seid.he would name to-morrow, and take his chance of being then able to proceed with the tariff. The Chairman then reported progresS, and obtained leave to sit again to-morrow. The Report on the Customs Bill was then brought up by Mr. G REEVE. The other Orders were.. then disposed of, and the House adjourned at a Quarter to One o'Clock. ADVERTISEMENT.—TH E COMPLEXION.—G owland's Lotion removes all Impurities and Discolourations of the Skin, and promptly re-establishes a clear and healthy tone of surface, whilst its sustaining properties, in obvi ating the effects of variable, temperature upon the Tint of the Complexion, is verified by the continued freshness usually limited to the gr. lier periods of personal attrac tion. " Robt. Shaw, London, is in white letters on the GovernmePt Stamp. Price 2s. 9d.; ss. 6d. ; quarts. Bs. 6d. Sold by all Perfulueis and MeXcine Venders. INCOME-TAX. . _ Mr. WALKER presented a petition from the attor neys of Londonderry, praying to be exempt from the operation of the Income-tax. CAPT. MANBY'S INVENTION. Sir C. NAPIER presented a petition from Captain Hanby, who stat2cl that he had invented a machine for the purpose of removing sand banks from the mouths of rivers and harbours. The petitioner wished for a Select Committee to inquire into the merits of the invention. He (Sir C. Napier) would give notice at the proper time, of his intention to move that the petition be printed. SUNDAY TRAVELLING. Mr. PLUMI C TRE presented a petition from Glasgow, praying that a clause be introduced into the Railway Bill, for the purpose of preventing Sunday travelling. Also THE TARIFF. Mr. GILL presented a petition from the rope spinners of Devonport, praying for an adequate protection against the introduction of foreign cordage. BRIBERY. Lord DUNCAN presented a petition frcm Bath, pray ing the House to adopt measures for the prevention of bribery at elections. POOR-LAWS. Mr. STUART WORTLEY presented a petition from the Guardians of the Dewsbury Union, praying for an alteration in the law relating to Bastardy. LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY. Lord SANDON moved that the Select Committee on petitions for private Bills, to whom the petition of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company (presented on the 24th of May) was referred, have leave to sit and proceed on Ft iday next. After a few words from Mr. Estcourt; Sir G. Strick land, Mr. Greene, and Mr. Labouchere, the motion was agreed to. cArrimuc GRIEVANCES. Mr. WILLIAMS presented a .petitiola horn the Roman Catholics of the City of COventry; complaining of the grievances to which they are subjected. NOTICES OF MOTION. Sir C. NAPIER gave notice that to-morrow he wound move that the petition of Captain Manby be: printed with the votes. CORK ELECTION PETITION. Mr. O'CONNELL gave notice, that on the motion being made for printing the proceedings in the Cork Election Petition, he should move in addition, that the petition itself be printed. POOR-LAW COMMISSION. Mr. FERRAND gave notice that on Tuesday next he should move that an humble address from the House be presented to the Poor-law Commissioners, praying that they might be graciously pleaSed to rescind an order issued by them to the guardians of a union in the West Riding of Yorkshire. SOUTHAMPTON ELECTION. Mr. 0. STANLEY gave notice that to-morrow, on the motion being made for issuing anew writ for the borough of Southampton, he should move the suspension of the writ until the Hi Rise had instituted further inquiries into the proceedings at the election, which the Select Committee had been unable fully to investigate, in consequence of the refusal of W. Wrenn, one of the witnesses, to produce certain documents. Mr. PARKER gave notice, that on Thursday next he should move for leave to bring in a Bill to repeal the clause which prevented the Judge of the High Court of Admiralty from sitting in the House. • Mr. FLEMING said that he wished to call the. atten tion of the House to a subject deeply affecting its privi leges. A petition had been presented to that House re specting the election for the borough of Southampton, purporting to be signed by 171 electors, inhabitants of that borough. Out of that number of persons from 30 to 40 were not on the registry of the borough. He now gave notice that on Monday next he would present a petition to the House on the subject, and that he would move that those persons who, not being electors, had so signed the petition referred to, be brought before that House, and subjected to such punishment as the House should inflict. Lord STANLEY said, that an understanding had been entered into, that although the matters connected with the Ipswich Election, and also the Bridport case, were not strictly cases of privilege, yet as far as the Government were concerned, they would not bring forward any business which would interfere with the subject. In making that statement he did not mean that those cases should interfere with the Bills for making further provision for the Government of Newfoundland and New South Wales, of which he had given notice. Mr. O'CONNELL said it wai bard to make an objec tion to the introduction of any Bill, without the particu lars being communicated to those who were interested in it. He certainly should apprehend that the Noble Lord would show that the people of Newfounillhnd and New South Wales, who were to be affected by these Bills, should have some intimation of the NOble Lord's inten tion to bring their cases before the House. Lord STANLEY said that he was unwilling to enter into a discussion of that question, but the real fact was, that . at the present Moment, in accord ance with the instructions given by the Noble Lord who had preceded him . (Lord Stanley) in his present office, the functions of the Legislature of Newfoundland were suspended. Mr. O'CONNELL said, that the Noble Lord had stated nothing which would make it less interesting to the people connected with those Bills to watch their progress. Dr. BOWRING said, that, the Right Hon. Baronet had intimated his intention to bring on the tariff this evening at a period which might suit the convenience of the House. He (Dr. Bowring) would be glad to know at what precise hour the subject would be brought be fore the House. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that it was the intention of his Right .Hon. Friend to move in the event of there being a period during the evening when no ,basiness was immediately before the House, that the Committee on the Customs Act should resume. He, therefore, could not mention any particular hour. However, he might state that it was the inten tion of Government to bring on the subject each evening when opportunity presented, and thus to go on with it, de die in diem. Mr. O'CONNELL begged to ask the Right Hon. Baronet, at the head of the Government, whether it was in the contemplation of her Majesty's Government to bring in any Bill in the coarse of the present session, with respect to the trial of controverted election petitions? Sir It. PEEL 'said, it certainly was his intention to bring in a Bill to continue for a certain time longer the present tribunals for the trial of controverted elections. When he saw the different communises that were alleged to have taken place, he could . not but entertain a conviction that more searching inquiries had be en instituted by the Committees, as now consti tuted, than had ever taken place under the old system ; and he earnestly hoped the House w ould n ever consent to part with it s right of adjudicating upon these matters. He could not say a presentt what modifications he sh o uld propose to make in the present law. Mr. O'CONNELL said, that whatever change might be made in the law, he did not think the. trial of contro verted elections could be in worse hands than it was at present. Mr. C. W. WYNN then moved that the Attorney- General be directed to prosecute such persons as should appear to him to be guilty of bribery, in respect of the last election for the Borotigh of Ipswich, and for the town of Southampton: The Honourable Member said, what he proposed was not in the slightest degree connected with any Committee, nor had he any wish to give one party an advantage above the other. Both sides being parties, all parties in the country were equally concerned. It was equally their interest as well as their duty, to use every means in their power to enforce the laws' already enacted ; or, if those were found deficient, to make such regulations as would prevent bribery at elections. He had made it his business to look over the evidence taken before the Ipswich Committee, and he was of opinion that it afforded no grounds to take steps to destroy or suspend or alter the elective franchise in that borough. There was not sufficient to justify the House in bring ing in a Bill to take away the rights of those who were not mingled with the bribery that took place, though he was ready to support extreme measures, if it was proved that the practice of bribery was so extensive as to deprive the honest voters of all efficient power. ORMSBY ENCLOSURE BILL CONFERENCE. A Message from the House of Lords informed the House that their Lordships had agreed to a Conference on the Amendments made by the House of Commons on the Ormsby Inclosure Bill. Sir G. CLERK, Mr. HumE, and other Members, were appointed to manage the Conference, and withdrew for that purpose. BOULOGNE. C.:-ILAIS AND BOULOGNE RAILWAYS. In our Gazette of iast week we gave s iimmarY of reasons why every wise man would prefer em barking his money in a railroad, from Boulogne t° Amiens, by Abbeville, than from Calais to Arra s, h Y . Watten. Two of those reasons were founded on the former being shorter than the latter, viz., that 130 1 !' logne is considerably nearer to Paris than' Calais. We stated also that we would prove this by a reference to the effects it has produced on the present and former conditions of the two towns. We shall now do so. Every person who remembers Calais ten or twelye years back must recollect the air of bustle it wore, the neatness of its streets, the life that animated them, the tens of thousands that annually pass ed through t4em, the independence and not over civility that characterised the hotel-keepers, the splendid er tablishments they maintained—in fine the gene rally prosperous condition of the town. Whit is its p re- I sent condition ? The grass grows in its streets ! Its hotels no longer exist ; its merchants are gradu all y leaving it for Boulogne, whither some have alre ad Y moved, and others have and. are forming branch es ' I tablishtnents,• preparatory to fixing there altogeth er; the streets seem as if the spirit of desolation had sw e p t over them. Why is this sad change ? Simply , My yellers and foreigners no longer frequent it. Wh have they deserted it ? Because in itself it is d ull ' dreary, and monotonous; because at certain seaso ns, when the east wind blows—which it does sometiraes for a month together—it is difficult of access; be cause there is a town, neater, livelier, more a cces' sible at all times, and 24 miles nearer to Paris, fo r • all who • are desirous o: passing from. the Coast t° Paris or the South. Calais has remained stational since 1814. As she was then, so is she now, and s e will she always remain, and for the best of all rev, sons : nature has placed insuperable barriers arou nd her position, at the entrance of her harbour, in shit' ing sands .and banks ; inland, by desolating sand''' marshes, and fortifications. • Let us compare the Boulogne of 1814 to the sane town of 1842—can they bear a comparison ? • more than Ambleteuse can be compared to Calais. - 1- is double in size and in population : it has a rise° like a Venice from the froth of the sea. Its fishe r ' men's huts have disappeared and elegant houses spri n g from their ruins. Scarcely one, in 1814, possessed s carpet ; now there is scarcely one so miserable, th °t cannot boast of something in the shape. Officers thl came here, in 1814, could not be supplied at the ho te they slept at with a silver fork; at present the silv er in some hotels exceeds 100,000 francs. The shops 111 " elegant, the habitations possessed of every comfor: the streets full of bustle and energy, the mercho dt ; rich and respectable ; convenient walks, beautifil'. drives, handsome equipages, a harbour teaming.wi t , an industrious population, and at times its qultY' thronged with shipping, are the present characterist ic ' of Boulogne. Whence, then, the change ? From _ • natural advantages that have been turned by scienc` to and energy to their proper account ; but . perhaps - it no advantages more than its proximity to Paris, . has become known to every traveller from the arnelio' rations of its harbour since the piers were ereote d :' ameliorations that make it accessible dxteen hours 0 11 , of the twenty-four. We stated last week, first, that every traveller Pr e ; fers a short cut to a round-about; second, that over:t ' merchant prefers sending his goods by the quickest conveyance, particularly if it be the shortest to cheapest. Is not this realised by the geograph ies e positions of Calais and Boulogne ? In 1830 °Z t steamer from London visited Boulogne weekly. present there are six. At the former period C 51 1,.. counted four, she can do no more at present. 3 8 1 3 ; travellers in 1831 entered Calais, in 1841 tb amounted to only 21,019. BOulogne in 1831 re joic t ; in the arrival of 11,131, but in 1841 they amontec l 47,953. It may be stated, that taking solitary y ears .0 is an unfair mode of forming a judgment ; we ) 1 ', 1 6 then compare the arrivals and departures during five last years from 1837 to 1841 both inclusive. 4 , By By Diff eren ce In Boulogne. Calais. your of Baer' From and to Ramsgate 10,312 6,673 3,639 „ „ London 191,017 46,265 144,75 2 „ „ Dover... 69,265 64,370 4,89 5 Sailing Boats 3,879 1,216 2,663 Total ....... .... 274,473 118,524 155,949 ~, OP Thus then, from official returns, it is evident since the port of Boulogne was deepened and its pi'' . ,' l formed, 155,949 travellers have preferred its harbow ' to that of Calais, although the latter is nearer London, and has the advantage of mails to it, fr ° , e 111 Dover every day, having two boats five days in the week ; whilst Boulogne has only been served by th o Dover steamers who found it their interest to _ there, from the preference given to it by the travel le j , , Again, I3oulogne has been only the medium of transll. for passengers in France, for whom the railroads,a!'e, intended, whilst Calais has been the r esort, not i nly i of travellers for France, but also of those pe . rson , who do not think of stoppino• Yelling in the interior, but land there in the way to Belgium and the North of Europe. But let power-, or of tra ful packets start from London and Dover to Ostendo and that voyage from London be completed in tel hours, and 'from Dover in four blurs and a half, i n France, they ought, and assuredly, before long, will be, licr; many travellers will then patronise Calais, or pretei, a round-about tour to Arras and Lille, to visit 1.3e,10 gium, when they can start from London and sit dO4 in Brussels within 14 hours? - Whereas, if the Pav3 train is only 31 hours on the road from London, 9'o Mr. Napier's boats one hour and three quarters f' o o , Dover to Boulogne, and seven hours and a half °cc ~ pied from Boulogne to Paris, the traveller will be alws.',„' certain of accomplishing his journey from London ri Paris in thirteen hours—an impossibility, if he sluts land at Calais and proceed then to Arras. So much 'te the preference giyen by travellers to a shortened rou co to Paris from England, and the effect upon the 0 0 1 towns such preference has occasioned. The letter a correspondent at Ostend will be found in anot,lloll column, and the statement of firms ss. from L° ll o i to Ostend. How many travellers for Belgium 11 . 1 4 the North of Europe will pass through Calais wi li ",, such fares exist ? Thus are the Calais cobwebs 1 0 ' . ing away already. 4 10 1 We cannot conclude these observations wit“ - I saying a few words on the relative distances to e, by the Calais line and that proposed by Boulog.11:0 particularly as what we stated in our last number to given occasion to a misconception as to the act t,e lengths of the two lines. It is a point that shou b; clearly understood. p The Chamber of Deputies has passed a 1 0 is sl which Amiens is the point through which the i , e t road from Paris to Belgium shall pass. Whate,t;io line therefore progresses from the coast, its terro'r,4 ought to be Amiens. We have shown that comill,. j '. and passengers are more favourable to any line co ing through Boulogne and Abbeville to Amiens , t le t one direct from Calais to Amiens through Arra s , ; us now examine the two lines, one from .Cal i T,et Amiens, the other from Boulogne to Amiens, a l) " ' ' the relative distances of the two lines. i‘ f e tre!',o Ot Distance from Calais to Amiens by Arras is 16 6, 0 0) Do. from Boulogne to Amiens by Abbeville 12 1 + / -- : 10 Di [Terence .lo •° ‘. • fl/Here is at once a difference of more than 28 11- L li in favour of a line from Boulogne to Paris. - Let expense expense of constructing these 2g miles be consior ; t o the saving of more than an hour in the journeV• o e advantages arising from the harbour of Bm r il er being accessible 16 out of the 24 hours, the pr c .. , it ence given to it by travellers, the merchand i "ot, commands that the Calais line could never obtain , j, el we ask, what man in his senses would ever thilleed• embarking money in any other line than one pro' fi ins direct from Boulogne by Abbeville to Ainiel)s4 Boulogne Gazette. tit , The following melancholy suicide has just 111 ', i il red. Sebastian Massa, an Italian latorical painter' E '"10, with his wife in humble lodgings , in the Ru e S a i n t Roc" be endeavoured to earn a subsistence by working, for dealers, psi' finding his gains inadequate to his wa n t s , hi s m i n d gace.„ .t" and he frequently talked of self-d e st ruc ti on . Hi s w if e attel — l to soothe and encourage him, and succeeded till two thil.; sol when, being .apprehensive of arrest for debt, he sat dor' 0`; wrote a letter, and, having finished it, •embraced his Wit 0 . bade her adieu in a tone which convinced her ilia; Std i resolved to leave her for ever. She endeavoured to . r i iio' him, but breaking from her, he threw himself out of tr j b e ( duw. The poor woman fainted, and before she recoveMelel senses, her husband was brought back into the room 3 'l O /)1 corpse. The letter be had written was to declare that it 0 his own will and resolution that he committed the suicide' %' BIRTHS. n or On the 13th inst., at Kensington, the lady of G. Vl' Esq., Bengal Civil Service, of a son. • ort s°•' On the 23d inst., at Dulwich-wood House, Mrs. B e " - . 1 of a son. t he On the 24th inst., at Kempston Vicarage, Bedford. , of the Rev. Henry Clutterbuek, of a daughter, still-borl;joeo On the 24th inst., at the Rectory, Hurstperpoint. h ter4 the lady of the Rev. Carey Hampton Borrer, of a tattl e G On the 24th hist , Mrs. Edward 'Fulton Oak, of L itt desden, Herts, of a son. MA R lED. On the 24th inst. , at Clifton, Captain Leckonlloh 'or 68th Light Infantry, to Miss Lowe, of Harefield, Che't,ejl, On the 24th inst. , at the collegiate church of Sotitqrsu c of Rev. Charles Ramsay Flint, Rector of 13ilsthorpe , te r ooe eldest daughter of the Rev. 11. FL Fowler, Southwell, and Vicar of Rollestone. C. 4 D IED. On the 7th inst., at Boul og n e- sur-Mer, Richard o el late of the Admiralty. t On the 18th inst., at C appol i n H ouse , Waterie ', 11 I 1$" Keane, the wife of Sir Richard Keane, Hart. On the 21st inst., on Yioolwich- common, Rich tf • art' second son of Maj or R auns l ey , R . A ., age d 2 . 3. e oW tY On the 21st in s t., at Boulogne-sur- M er , Eleanot,'.. n or the late Captain B ruce Mi tc h e ll, H on . E as t India f, e service, aged 65. v sce r On the 25th i ns t. in Gloucester-place, Porten Mary Ann, the w if e Of Henry Parker Collett, E't l 0 1 London: Printed and Publithul I.y WIRD° ; str." No. 112, Strand. at The Sur. Office, No 1 12 1842 , the County of Middlesex. Thursday, May 2 z *tit Atte Con T be h th e Si x the Patc en a l this sury .To in f. r , offer and Vow Ares, be b m y nary t . Dep; Rey ; Si; * Will Will .N spat, year ton, ~~~ ,R++,7~~ 'xl r e ; L + ,~ 7:1 - c 1 , tit t..! I,~'` ~ '4 ~: