The Sun. — London, England, 1834-06-10 00:00:00

POOR LAWS' AMENDMENT BILL. CLAUSES 1 TO 20, AS CONSIDERED IN THE COMMITTEE. Whereas it is expedient to alter and amend the laws relating to the relief of poor persons in England and Wales ; be it therefore enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in the present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that it shall be lawful fOr his Majesty, his heirs and successors, by warrant under the royal sign manual, to appoint three fit persons to be commissioners to carry this act, and the powers and authorities here inafter contained, into execution ; and also from time to time, at pleasure, to remove any of the commis sioners for the time being, and upon every or any va cancy in the said number of commissioners, , either by removal, or by death, or otherwise, to appoint some otker fit person to the said office; and, until such ap pointment, it shall be lawful for the surviving or con tinuing commissioners or commissioner to act as if no such vacancy had occurred. 2. And be it further enacted, that the said com missioners shall be styled " the Poor Law Commis sioners for England and Wales," and the said com missioners, or any two of them, may sit, from time to time as they deem expedient, as a board of commis sioners for carrying this act into execution ; and the said commissioners acting as such board shall be, and are hereby empowered, by summons under their hands and seal, to require the attendance of all such persons as they may think fit to call before them upon any question matter connected with or relating to the admnistration of the laws for the relief of the poor, .7,nd also to make any inquiries and require any answer or returns as to any such question or matter, and also to administer oaths, and examine all such persons upon oath, and to require and enforce the production upon oath of books, contracts, agreements, accounts, and writings, or copies thereof respectively, in any wise relating to any such question or matter; or in lieu of requiring such oath as aforesaid, the said commissioners may, if they think fit, require any such person to make' and subscribe a declara tion of the truth of, the Matters respecting which he shall have been or shall be so examined : Provided always, that no such person shall be required, in obe dience to any such summons, to go or travel more than ten miles from the place of his abode ; provided also, that nothing herein contained shall extend, or be deemed to extend, to authorise or empower the said commissioners to act as a Court of Record, or to re quire the production of the title, or of any papers or writings relating to the title of lands, tenements, or heredit-aments not being the property of any parish or union. 3. And be it further enacted, that the taid com missioners shall cause to be made a seal of the said board, and shall cause to be sealed or stamped there with all rules, orders, and regulations made by the said commissioners, in pursuance of this act : and all such rules, orders, and regulations, or copies thereof, purporting to be sealed or stamped with the seal of the said board, shall be received as evidence of the same resp ectivel', without any proof thereof ; and no such rule, order, or regulation, or copy thereof, shall be valid, or have any force or effect, unless the same shall I?: so sealed or stamped as aforesaid. 4. And be it further enacted, that the said commis sioners shall once in every year, at such time as any one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State shall direct, submit to the principal Secretary of State requiring the same a general report-of their proceed ings ; and every such report shall be laid before both I - louses of Parliament within six weeks after the re teipt of the same by such principal Secretary of State, if Parliament be then sitting, or if Parliament bo not sitting, then within six weeks after the next rneetirs thereof. _ _ 5. And be it further enacted, that the said commis sioners shall from time to time, at such times and in such form as any one of his Majesty's principal Secre taries of State shall direct, give to the principal Secretary of State requiring the same, such informa tion respecting their proceedings, or any part thereof, sts the said principal Secretary of State shall require. '6. And be it further enacted, that the said commis sioners shall and they are hereby empowered from time to time to appoint such persons as they may think fit to be assistant commissioners for carrying this act into execution, at such places and in such manner as the said commissioners may direct, and to re move such assistant commissioners, or any of them, at their discretion ; and on every or any vacancy in the said office of assistant commis iioner, by removal, or by death or otherwise, to ap point, if they see fit, some other person to the said office : Provided always, that it shall not be lawful for the said commissioners to appoint more than nine such assistant commissioners to act at any one time, unless the Lord High Treasurer, or the Commis sioners of his Majesty's Treasury for the time being, or any three or more of them, shall consent to the appointment of a greater number. 7. And be it further enacted, that the said commis tioners may, and they are hereby empowered, from time to time, to appoint a secretary, assistant secre tary, and all such clerks, messengers, and officers, as they shall deem necessary, and from time to time, at the discretion of the said _commissioners, to remove such secretary, assistant secretary, clerks, messengers, and officers, or any of them, and to appoint others in their stead : Provided always, that the amount of the salaries of such secretary, assistant secretary, clerks, messengers, and officers, shall from time to time be regulated by the Lord High Treasurer, the Commis sioners of his Majesty's Treasury, or any three or more of them. 8. And be it further enacted, that every commis sioner and assistant commissioner to be appointed from time to time as aforesaid shall, before he shall enter ii?on the execution of his office, take the following oath before one of the judges of his Majesty's Courts of King's Bench ,or Common Pleas, or one of the Barons of the Court of Exchequer—that is to say— " I, A, B, do swear that I will faithfully, impar tially, and honestly, according to the best of my skill and judgment, execute and fulfil all the powers and duties of a commissioner (or assistant commissioner, as the case may be), under an act passed in the fourth year of the reign of King William IV., entitled [here set forth the title of this Act]." And the appointment of every such commissioner and assistant commissioner, together with the time when and the judge or baron before whom he shall have taken the oath as aforesaid, shall be forthwith published in the London Gazette, and a notification of such appointment, and of the taking of such oath, shall from time to time be sent, under the hands and seal of the said commissioners, to the clerk of the peace of every county in England and Wales, who shall and is hereby required, as soon as conveniently may be, to cause the same to be r dvertised once in some newspaper published and circulated in such county ; and such notification as aforesaid shall be kept and preserved by such clerk of the peace with the records of such county. 9. And be it further enacted, that it shall be lawful for the commissioners to delegate to their assistant com missioners, or to any of them, such of the powers and authorities _hereby given to the said commissioners (except the powers to make general rules) as the said commissioners shall think fit ; and the powers and au thorities so delegated, and the delegation thereof, shall be notified in such manner, and such powers and authorities shall be exercised in such places, for such periods, and under such circumstances, and subject to such regulations as the said commissioners shall direct; and the said commissioners may at any time revoke, recall, alter, or vary all or any of the powers and au thorities which shall be so delegated as aforesaid, and, notwithstanding the delegation thereof, may act as if no such delegation had been made ; and the said as sistants may and are hereby empowered to summon before them such persons as they may think necessary for the purpose of being examined upon oath (which oath such assistant-commissioners are hereby em powered to administer) upon any question or matter relating to the poor or their relief, or for the pur pose of producing and verifying upon oath any books, contracts of agreements, accounts and writings, or copies of the same, in anywise relating to such question or matter, and not relating to or involving any question of title to any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, not being the property of any parish or union, as such assistant-commissioners may think fit ; but no such persons shall be required, in obedience to any such summons, to go or travel more than ten miles from the place of his abode : Provided, nevertheless, that in lieu of requiring such oath as aforesaid, the said assistant-commissioners may, if they think fit; require such person to make and subscribe a declaration of the truth of the matters respecting which he shall have been or shall be so examined ; and all summonses and orders made by any such assistant-commissioner, in pursuance or exercise of such delegated powers and authorities, shall be obeyed, performed, and cai ried into effect by all persons, as if such summons or order had been the summons or order of the said commis- stoners ; and the breach, non-observance, or non-per formance thereof shall be punishable in like manner. 10. And be it further enacted, that every commis sioner and assistant commissioner shall, by virtue of his respective office, and without any commission or oath other than the oath hereinbefore directed to be taken by every commissioner and assistant commis sionerl and whether qualified by estate or not, be and he Untitled to exercise all the powers and functions of a justice of the peace in all counties, liberties, precincts, and places, whether privileged or not, in England and Wales, in all matters rhlat ing to -the administration of the laws for the relief of the poor for the execution of this act ; and all summonses `and warrants of every such Com missioner or assistant commissioner, as such justice, shall run into and be obeyed and executed in all coun ties, liberties,precincts, and places, whether privileged or not, in England and Wales ; and the said com missioners and assistant commissioners, and all per sons acting in execution of, or in obedience to, such summonses and, warrants respectively, shall respec tively be entitled to all the protection and privileges given by law to justices of the peace, and to officers and others acting in execution of, or in obedience to, the summonses and warrants, or under the authority of such justices : Provided always, that no commis sioner or assistant commissioner shall act as a justice of the peace in the enforcing or recovery of any pe nalty, or in the commitment of any person for any offence against the provisions of this act, or in the or dering of relief as such justice ; and that nothing herein contained shall authorise any such commis sioner or assistant commissioner to act as a justice of the...peace at any general or quarter sessions of the peace, or adjournment thereof, in any county, liberty, precinct, or place. 11. And be it further enacted, that if any person, upon any examination under the authority of this Act, shall wilfully and corruptly give false evidence, or make or subscribe a false declaration, or if any person shall wilfully refuse to attend in obedience to any summons of any commissioner, or assistant-commis sioner, or to give evidence, or shall wilfully alter, sup press, conceal, destroy, or refuse to produce any books, deeds, papers, %ccoutts, and writings, or copies of the same, which may. be so required to be produced before the said commissioners or assistant-commissioners, every person so offending shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor. 12. And be it further enacted, that it shall be law ful for the said commissioners, in any case where they see fit, to order and allow such expenses of witnesses, and of or attending the production of any books, deeds papers, accounts, or writings, or copies thereof, to or before the said commissioners, or assistant-commis sioners, as such commissioners may deem reasonable, or to be paid as follows--that is to say, out of the poor rates of the respective parish or union, which, in the opinion of the . said commissioners, shall be interested or concerned in such attendance or production respec tively, in all cases in which such witnesses shall not go or travel more than ten miles from the respective parish or union which shall be interested or concerned as aforesaid ; and in all other cases the expenses so or dered or allowed shall be deemed as part of the inci dental expenses attending the execution of this act, and be paid accordingly. _ 13. And be it further enacted, that from and after the passing of this act, the administration of relief to the poor throughout England and Wales, according to the existing laws, or such laws (as) shall be in force at the time being, shall be subject to the direc tion and control of the said commissioners; and for executing the powers given to them by this act, the said commissioners shall, and are hereby authorised and required, from time to time, as they shall see oc casion, to make and issue all such rules, orders, and regulations, for the management of the poor, for the government of workhouses, and the education of the children therein, and for apprenticing the children of poor persons, and for the guidance and control of all guardians, vestries, and parish officers, so far as {elates to the management or relief of the poor, and the keep ing, examining, auditing, and allowing of accounts, and making and entering into contracts in all matters relating to such management or relief, or to any ex penditure for the relief of the poor, and for carrying this act into execution in all other respects, as they shall think proper ; and the said commissioners may, at their discretion, from time to time, suspend, alter, or rescind such rules, orders, and regulations, or any of them Provided always, that nothing in this act contained shall be construed as enabling the said com missioners, or any of them, to interfere in any indi vidual case for the purpose of ordering relief. 14. (New Clause.) And be it further enacted, that no general rule of the said commissioners shall ope rate or take effect until the expiration of forty days after the same, or a copy thereof, shall have been sent, signed and sealed by the said commissioners, to one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State ' - and if at any time after any such general rule shall have been so sent to such principal Secretary of State, his Ma jesty, with the advice of his Privy Council, shall dis allow the same or any part thereof, such general rule or the part thereof so disallowed, shall not come into operation, if such disallowance be notified to the said commissioners at any time during the said period of forty days ; but if such disallowance be made at any time after that period, such disallowance shall by one of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State be no tified to the said commissioners ; and from and after such disallowance shall have been so notified, then such general rule, so far as the time shall have been so disallowed, shall cease to operate, subject, however, and without prejudice to all acts and transactions un der or in virtue of the same, previously to such disal lowance having been so notified ; and no general rule, or order, or regulation, shall be removed or removable by writ of certiorari or otherwise, into any of his Ma jesty's Courts of Record. 14. And be it further enacted, that a written or printed copy of every rule, order, or regulation of the said commissioners shall, before the same shill come into operation in any parish or union, be sent by the said commissioners by the post, or in such manner as the commissioners shall think fit, sealed or stamped with their seal, addressed to the churchwardens and overseers of such parish, the guardians of such union or their clerk, and also to the clerk of the peace of the county, and to the clerk to the justice of the petty sessions held for the division in which such parish or union shall be situate ; and such churchwardens, over seers, guardians, or their clerk, clerks of the peace, and clerks to the justices aforesaid, are hereby required to keep and preserve, notify, and give publicity to such rules, orders, and regulations, in such manner as the said commissioners shall direct, and also to allow every owner of property or rate-payer in every such parish or union to inspect the same at all reasonable times, free of any charge for such inspection, and to furnish copies of the same, being paid for such copies at and after the rate of 3d. for every folio of seventy-two words ; and in case any such churchwarden or overseer, guardian, clerk, clerk of the peace, or clerk to the' justices to whom such rules, orders, or regulations, or copies thereof, shall be sent as aforesaid, shall neglect to keep and preserve, notify, and give publicity to the same in the mode prescribed or directed by the said commissioners, or shall refuse such inspection, or to furnish or allow such copies thereof to be taken as aforesaid, every person so offending shall, for every such offence, be subject and liable to a penalty not ex ceeding the sum of 101. nor less than 405., to be re coverable in the same manner as any penalties are by this act directed to be recovered : Provided also, that if any such rule shall, after the same shall have come into operation, be disallowed in manner herein-before Mentioned, then, and in every such case, the said com missioners shall send by the post, or in such a manner as they shall think fit, to every parish or union affected by the said rule, notice of such disallowance ; such notice of disallowance to be addressed, kept, preserved, notified, and publicly inspected, and copies thereof furnished or allowed to be taken in such and the same manner, and subject to the same penalties, as are here inbefore mentioned respecting the rules, orders, and regulations of the said commissioners. 15. And be it further enacted, that except where otherwise provided by this act, all the powers and authorities given in and by a certain act of parlia ment passed in the 22d year of the reign of his late Majesty King George 111., entitled " an act for the better relief and employment of the poor," and in and by a certain other act passed in the 59th year of the reign of his said late Majesty, entitled " an act to amend the laws for the relief of the poor ;" and all acts for amending such acts respectively, and also all the powers and authorities given by every other act of parliament, general as well as local, for or relating to the building, altering, or enlarging, of poorhouses and workhouses, and to the acquiring, purchasing, hiring, holding, selling, exchanging, and disposing thereof, or of land whereon the same may have been or may hereafter be erected, or of preparing such houses for the reception of poor persons, and the dieting, clothing, employing, and governing of such poor, and the raising, or borrowing of the same, and all powers of regulating and conducting all other work houses whatsoever, and of governing, providing for, and _ _ employing the poor therein, and all powers auxiliary to any of the powers aforesaid, or in any way relating to the relief of the poor, shall in future be exercised by the persons authorised by law to exercise the same, under the control, and subject to the rules, orders, and regulations of the said commissioners ; and the said commissioners and assistant commissioners respectively, and every of them, shall be entitled to attend at every parochial and other local board and vestry, and take part in the discussions, but not to vote at such bottrd or vestry Provided always that nothing herein contained shall be construed to give the said commissioners or assistant commissioners any power to order or direct the building, purchasing, hiring, altering, or enlarging of any workhouse, or the purchasing or hiring of any land at the charge or -for the use of any parish or union, save and except so far as such powers are expressly given. 16. And whereas by the said act made and passed in the 22d year of the reign of his late Majesty King George 111., it is (among other things) enacted, that the rules, orders, and regulations specified and con tained in the schedule thereunto annexed, should be duly observed and enforced at every poorhouse or workhouse to be provided by virtue of the said act, with such additions as should be made by the justices of the peace of the limit wherein such house or houses should be situate, at some special session, provided that such additions should not be contradictory to the rules, orders, and regulations established by that act, and provided that the same should not be repealed by the justices at their quarter sessions of the peace ; and it is expedient that such additions, or other rules, orders, or regulations, under that or any local act, should not in future be made without the sanction of the said commissioners : Be it therefore enacted, that no additions shall hereafter be made to the rules, orders and regulations contained in the schedule to the said recited act, and no rules, orders, and regula tions shall hereafter be made under the authority of the said recited act, or any local act relating to poor houses, workhouses, or the relief of the poor, until the same shall have been submitted to and approved and confirmed by the said commissioners; and that the same, when so confirmed, shall be legally valid and binding upon all persons ; and the said justices. at quarter sessions shall have no power to, repeal the same. 17. And be it further enacted, that it shall be lawful for the said commissioners, and they are hereby empowered, from time to time when they may see fit, by any writing under their hands and seal, by and with the consent in writing of a majority of the guardians of any union, or with the consent of a ma jority of the owners of property, entitled to vote as in manner hereinafter prescribed, and rate-payers in any parish, such last-mentioned majority to be ascertained in manner provided in and by this act, to order and direct the overseers or guardians of any parish or union not having a, workhouse or workhousesy to build a workhouse or workhouses, and to purchase or hire land for the purpose of building the same thereon, or to purchase or hire a workhouse or workhouses, or any building or buildings, for the purpose of being used as or converted into a workhouse or work houses ; and with the like consent to order and direct the overseers and guardians of any parish or union having a workhouse or workhouses, or any buildings capable of being converted into a workhouse, to enlarge or alter the same in such a manner as the said com missioners shall deem most proper for carrying the provisions of this act into execution, or build, hire, or purchase any additional workhouse or workhouses, or any building or buildings for the purpose of being used as or converted into a workhouse or workhouses, or to purchase or hire any land for building such ad ditional workhouse or workhouses thereon, of such size and description, and according to such plan, and in such manner as the said commissioners shall deem most proper for carrying the provisions of this act into execution ; and the overseers and guardians to whom any such order shall be directed, are hereby authorised and required to assess, raise, and levy such sum or sums of money as may be necessary for the purposes specified in such order, by such power, ways, and means as are now by law given to or vested in such churchwardens and overseers or guardians of the poor, for purchasing or hiring land, or for building, hiring, and maintaining workhouses for the use of the poor in their respective parishes or unions, or to bor row money for such purposes, under the provisions of this or any other act or acts. 18. And be it further enacted, that for the better and more effectually securing the repayment of any sum or sums of money which may be borrowed for the purposes aforesaid, with interest, it shall be lawful for the said overseers or guardians to charge the future poor-rates of such parish or union with the amount of such sum or sums of money : Provided always, that the principal sum or sums to be raised for such pur poses, whether raised within the year or borrowed, shall in no case exceed the average annual amount of the rates raised for the relief of the poor in such pa rish or union for three years, ending at the Easter next preceding the raising of such money ; and that any loan or money borrowed for any of the purposes aforesaid shall be repaid by annual instalments of not less than one-tenth of the sum borrowed, with interest on the same in any one year. 19. And be it further enacted, that it shall be law ful for the said Commissioners, and they are hereby empowered, without requiring any such consent as aforesaid, by any writing under the hands and seal of the said Commissioners, to order and direct the over seers or guardians of any parish or union having a workhouse or workhouses, or any building capable of being converted into a workhouse or workhouses, to enlarge and alter the same according to such plan, and in such a manner, as the said Commissioners shall deem most proper for carrying the provisions of this act into execution ; and the overseers or guardians to whom any such order shall be directed, are hereby authorized and required to assess, raise, and levy such sum or sums of money as may be necessary for the purposes specified in such order, by such powers, ways, and means as are now by law given to, or vested in, churchwardens and overseers, or guardians of the poor, for altering, enlarging, and maintaining workhouses for the use of the poor in their respective parishes or unions : Provided always, that the principal sum or sums to be raised for such purposes, and charged upon any parish, shall not exceed in the whole the sum of 501., nor in any such case exceed one-tenth of the average annual amount of the rates raised for the re lief of the poor in such parish for the three years end ing at the Easter next preceding the raising of such money. 20. And be it further enacted, that it shall be law ful for the said Commissioners, by order under their hands and seal, to declare so many parishes as they may think fit' to be united for the administration of the laws for the relief of the poor, and such parishes shall thereupon be deemed a union for such Hrpose ; and thereupon the workhouse or workhouses of such pa rishes shall be for the common use of the poor of such united parishes in such workhouse or workhouses ac eordingly, and such poor may be received, maintained, and employed in any such workhouse or workhouses, as if the same belonged exclusively to the parish to which such poor shall be chargeable ; but, notwith standing such union and classification, each of the said parishes shall be separately chargeable with and liable to defray the expense of such of its poor as m aybe received and maintained in any of the said workhouses. MEETING OF THE CLERGY. -- A requisi tion is in course of signature by the clergy to the Archdeacon of York and the West Riding, desiring him to call an early meeting of the clergy of his arch deaconry, to collect their sentiments upon the measures now before the legislature, affecting the established church of Great Britain and Ireland, and to express the same in petitions to both houses of Parliament, and in an address to the King's Most Excellent Majesty; the requisition is intended to be presented at the approaching visitation.—Leeds Intelligencer. The Quarterly Review for June, just pub lished, makes the following remarks on Miss gdge worth's new novel " Helen." "If any of our readers have ever listened to the envious whispers, so indefa tigably circulated among certain circles, to the effect, that Miss Edgeworth's vein of creative fancy had been buried with her father, " Helen" will undeceive them, and vindicate that great and truly modest genius from any such disparaging suspicion. As writers of a re flective and introspective turn advance in the walk of life, they are likely to detach their imagination more and more from the broad and blazing contrasts which delight the eye and` heart of youth ; and it is no wonder that the interest of this tale, put forth after an interval of, we believe, nearly twenty years, should be of a more sober cast than Miss Edgeworth chose to dwell upon in some earlier works. But the interest is not less potent on that account ; on the contrary, we venture to say, that if any one will, after r. , ading " Helen," turn to even the best of her old ncvAs, he will feel, that in all the more profound and perma nently pleasing beauties of moral delineatioi, the artist has made marked progress. COURT OF KING'S BENCH, JUNE 0. CRIMINAL INFORMATION. Sir J. Scaat,ETT moved to file a criminal informa tion against a Mr. Stuart Gordon, of Bishop's Stort ford. Some years since the head of the Cranmer fa mily exhibited symptoms of lunacy, and was placed under restraint. Mr. Mouncey, the family solicitor, was made receiver of the issue of the estates. Whilst in that situation the father of the individual against whom this application was made stated to him that he was a natural son of the lunatic, and claimed assist ance. Mr. Mouncey thereupon got him made com mittee of the lunatic, with the emoluments arising out of the sums allowed for maintenance of his insane parent. On the death of the latter the estates went to a female, the heir-at-law, and on her death she willed the property to the wife of Mr. Mouncey, who thereupon, with her husband, took the name of Cran mer. In February last Mr. Gordon exhibited for se veral days in the public library at Bishop's Stortford a paper charging Mr. Mouncey, now Mr. Cranmer, with having kept back from Mr. Gordon's late father money due to him from the family estates ; also charging him not directly, but by implication, with having by unjust and improper means obtained possession of the family estates. This statement was repeated last week in the Sunday Herald newspaper, and as the affidavit on which the learned counsel moved for the information denied every statement in the alleged libels he con ceived the motion might be granted. The COURT were of opinion that it was a case in which they ought not to interfere.—Rule refused. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, JUNE 9, DAVIDGE V. ABBOTT AND ANOTHER. This was an action brought by the plaintiff, Mr. Davidge, an actor, against the defendants, the pro prietors of the Victoria Theatre, to recover compen sation for the loss sustained by him from a breach of covenant. The defendants paid 201. into the Court to meet the plaintiff's claim. It was tried on Wednes day last, and the plaintiff obtained a verdict for 100/. Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD to-day moved for a rule nisi to set aside the verdict, upon the ground of ex cessive damages, inasmuch as 100/. was a sum far above that which had been the clear profits arising from the benefit of the then most favoured actor at a Minor Theatre.—Rule refused. PICKFORD V. DAVIS. The COURT gave judgment in this case for the de fendant, as their Lordships also did in the cause of " Trimbey v. Vignor," where the principal question was whether the plaintiff was entitled to maintain an action in an English Court in his own name upon a promissory note, which was made by the defendant in France, and indorsed in blank, each of the parties be ing domiciled in that country. The Court were of opinion that the plaintiff could have no right to sue in his own name in the English Courts. COURT OF EXCHEQUER, JUNE 9. JUDGMENT.-JESSE, ADMINISTRATRIX, V. ROY, EXECUTOR. Lord LYNDHURST delivered the judgment of the Court. The qnestion in this case was whether the plaintiff could recover upon the contract made between the intestate and Roy. It was a mariner's contract, whereby the deceased was to become entitled to a certain share of the cargo in the event of the vessel returning to the port of London. In this case the vessel never returned. It was a crazy vessel, and was sold in one of the ports of America. The deceased, who was a mariner on board, was very active in saving a great portion of the cargo, and came home with it in another vessel. Still upon his contract he could not recover. There was no reason why mariners' con tracts should not be interpreted as all other contracts were. The plaintiff was entitled to compensation for services rendered by the intestate after the sale of the ship, the amount of which might be ascertained out of Court. EXCHEQUER CHAMBER, JUNE 9. (Sittings at Nisi Prius before Mr. Baron PARKE and a Common Jury.) WARNER V. WOOD AND BLAKE. This was an action for damages at the suit of Miss Catherine Warner, for the value of a boa and shawl. On the 9th April last Mr. William Levi gave a grand festival, consisting of a dinner, ball, and supper, to between 200 and 300 guests, in honour of his son's marriage. Miss Catherine was among the invited, and prior to entering the ballroom delivered her boa and shawl over to persons who appeared there as servants to the defendants, taking a ticket in exchange. Upon presenting this ticket at the end of the evening her shawl and boa were not forthcoming, whereupon this action was brought. The delivery was proved, and it was found that the rooms were hired of Blake, who was proprietor of them, and Wood, who was a musician, ten guineas being paid to the former and six guineas to the latter. The defendants acted together as partners. The value of the articles was proved at 6/. 6s. Verdict for plaintiff—damages, 6/. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. William Gibson, who describes himself as late a Captain in the 30th Regiment, was yesterday again placed at the bar for re-examination, charged with obtaining some money from a Mr. Jones by means of an order payable at Cox and Greenwood's. There was no fresh evidence produced in the re manded case of any importance ; but the prisoner was again remanded, in order that it might be ascertained whether a case could be made complete against him, it having been asserted that he had purloined some articles from his furnished lodgings. THAMES POLICE. William Baker, a Custom-house officer, was charged with the following most serious offence :—On Tues day last the prisoner was stationed on a ship called the Earl Bathurst, off Iron Stairs, Tower, on which was a large mastiff dog, and four boys, watermen's sons, were bathing in the river opposite the ship. Accord ing to the statement of one of them, a lad, named Obeman, the prisoner excited the dog, by clapping his hands and exclaiming, " Fetch him out," to plunge into the river and seize on a boy named John Jansen by the head, which he lacerated in a very shocking manner. The prisoner did not call off the dog after he had seized the boy, and but for the prompt assist ance of a Waterman he would have been drowned. Another lad, named Waller, gave similar evidence, and The prisoner, in defence, did not see the dog until it was in the water, and called John Robertson, an old tide-waiter of customs, who said he was standing by the prisoner when the dog jumped - overboard at the boys, and that not a word was said by the pri soner, nor did he excite the dog in any manner whatever. Mr. BRODERIP directed Judge, the officer, to make further inquiries, and in the event of the death of the poor boy, which appeared but too probable, to lay all the facts of the case before the Coroner's jury, and see that the prisoner was forthcoming to abide the ver dict of the Court. The prisoner, who received an excellent character from his inspector, and promised to come forward at any time, was then liberated. A reduction of one chief magistrate, two chief constables, and sixty men, is at present taking place in the Peace Preservation Force of this county. They are to be drafted into other counties as vacan cies occur.—Kilkenny Moderator. On Saturday, as some labourers in the em ploy of the Rev. E. Goddard, of Cliffe Pypyard, were removing earth on the summit of the hill forming the north boundary of Broad Town Fields, they dis covered, a few inches below the surface of the soil, some human skeletons of gigantic stature. By re moving the earth with great care, the workmen were enabled to expose the skeletons to perfect view. They were lying with their feet towards the east, but the s kulls and several bones of each appear to have been fractured. A surgeon of the neighbourhood was of opinion, from the mouldering appearance of the bones, that they were of great antiquity. The place where they were found is contiguous to a Roman station, where other skeletons have heretofore been discovered, with several ancient weapons or implements of warfare buried with them. An iron point of an arrow was also found on this occasion near one of the skeletons. Such was the curiosity excited by the discovery, that crowds of persons visited the spot on the following day; and although care had been taken to cover up again these relics of mortality, the earth was removed by some of the visiters, the skeletons disturbed, and most of the bones have since been taken away.—De vizes Gazette. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. ROUSE OF LORDS, June 9 . Earl FITZWILLIAM presented a petition from Stirling, praying for a dissolution of the connection between church and state, which, it said, was not supported by the Scriptures. The noble earl did not fully know the grounds upon which the petitioners went. Certainly if there was nothing in the Scriptures to sanc tion a civil institution in religious matters, there was nothing to be found forbidding such a connection. The House Tax Repeal Bill was read a third time and passed. The Earl of CAMPERDOWN said he did not like to occupy the house with speeches upon petitions, but as he was so intimately connected with the place from whence the petition had emanated, he could not allow it to be presented without stating to the house that the petitioners by no means stated the sentiments of the people of Scotland, whom he knew to be most sincerely and truly at tached to their religion. (Hear, hear.) He would go as far as any one in giving religious liberty, and would give the dissenters as many advantages as were fair and reasonable • but he must raise his voice on the part of the people Of Scotland, when a small portion of them took upon themselves to state for them those opinions which he knew they did not entertain. Lord ROLLE presented three petitions from places in Devonshire, praying for protection to the church. On the motion of Lord COLCHESTER, an ac count was ordered of all the moneys stopped out of the wages of seamen for the support of Greenwich Hospital. The Duke of SUTHERLAND brought up the evidence taken before the committee on the Chimney Sweepers Bill, which was ordered to be printed. JEWS. The Earl of DURHAM presented a petition, signed by 23,398 of the first bankers, merchants, traders, and other inhabitants of London, praying for the removal of the disabilities under which the Jews labour. He stated that it was signed by the governor and deputy-governor of the Bank of England, by several of the directors of it as well as of the East India Company, and by nearly every banker in the metropolis. The petitioners stated, that in their opinion religious belief did not constitute any ground for civil disqualification, and their regret that the relief given to the Roman Catholics had not also been extended to the Jews. It was unnecessary for him then to make any speech further than to say that he most cordially supported the prayer of the petition. The Marquis of WESTMINSTER presented se veral petitions to the same effect from Hull, Bristol, and other places. He thought it right .to state, in consequence of what was said last session, that many of the Jews themselves did not wish for the boon ; that the petition he now presented was much more numerously signed than the one ho then did. He did not consider it necessary then to make a speech, as every one was aware that a bill was likely r so ea o d n in to be g of up from whiehhe te other w h on lda ou ta h teh s i e upon s , sentiin t e he second nts.He thought it absurd to oppose the emancipation of the Jews upon religious grounds. But to those who did oppose the measure upon such grounds he would beg leave to remark, that the Jews had this advantage, in a religious sense, over the Unitarians, that they be lieved in the coming of a Saviour, and in his divinity, although they did not think he had yet come, whereas the Unitarians altogether denied the divinity of the Saviour. The Bishop of HEREFORD - said he was not in the house when the noble marquis presented his peti tions. He had only heard the observations of the no ble marquis in drawing a comparison between the Jews and the Socinians. The noble marquis, as he under stood him, asserted that the Jews believed in a Saviour to come, whereas the Socinians did not believe in a Saviour at all. The Marquis of WESTMINSTER—In the divi nity of the Saviour. The Bishop of HEREFORD had so understood the noble marquis, but he did not think his theology very good. He was not in the habit of defending the Socimans. He held their doctrines in abhorrence; as a christian he could not do otherwise ; but between the Socinians and the Jews this difference was to be remarked, that while the former disbelieved in the di vinity of Jesus Christ they acknowledged him as a Saviour, whereas the Jews held that the Lord Jesus Christ was an impostor. The Earl of STRADBROKE presented 100 peti tions from different parishes in Suffolk, against relief to the dissenters. The Marquis of WESTMINSTER presented a petition from Chester, praying for the protection of the established church. The Bishop of LONDON presented a petition from Staines, praying their lordships to give effect to the bill for the better regulation of the trade of chimney sweepers. Earl GO SFORD presented petitions from Ply mouth and Stonehouse for the better observance of the Sabbath. The Duke of SUTHERLAND presented a peti tion from a parish in Salop against any alteration in the Beer Bill. Earl VERUL AM presented petitions from Bishops Stortford and two other places in Hertfordshire, in support of the Established Church, and against relief to the dissenters. Also a petition from the agricultu rists of Hertfordshire against the importation of corn from Jersey and Guernsey. The LORD CHANCELLOR gave notice that he should to-morrow present a petition, signed by between 6,000 and 7,000 inhabitants of the city of London, praying for the removal of the disabilities under which the Jews laboured. MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS. Mr. BERNAL, and other members of the House of Commons, brought up the County Rates Expen diture Regulation Bill, the Spring Assizes Regulation Bill, the West of England Life Assurance Company's Bill, the Glasgow Gas Bill, and the Staines Bridge Bill, which were severally read a first time. SCOTCH ADDITIONAL CHURCHES BILL. After some observations from the Earl of Rose berry, the Earl of Haddington, the Duke of Hamil ton, and the Bishop of . .. London, the report on this bill was received, and the bill was ordered to be read a third time to-morrow. SCOTCH ROMAN CATHOLIC MARRIAGES BILL. The Earl of RO SE BERR Y gave notice of his in tention to move the second reading of this bill on Thursday next. The house adjourned at ten minutes past six o'clock till to-morrow. HOUSE OF COMMONS, June 9. The SPEAKER took the chair at a quarter past five o'clock. Several private bills were re ad a second and thi rd time. A message from the Lords reported the passing of other private bills. Mr. O'CONNELL moved that the writ for the borough of Carrickfergus be suspended until the sth day of next session. . _ _ In answer to a question put by Mr. HUME, rela tive to the Custom duties between this country and France, Lord ALTHORP said he had no objection to the return of the necessary documents. POOR LAWS' AMENDMENT BILL. Sir G. GREY presented a petition from Devon port, against the Poor Laws' Amendment Bill. In answer to a question put by Mr. ROBINSON, Lord ALTHORP stated that at the close of the sitting of the committee this night on the Poor Laws' Amendment Bill,he should propose that the house should sit in committee on the said bill on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the morning sittings, and that public committees should not sit during that time, nor private committees, without special permission. The house then went into committee on the said bill. Mr. C OBBE TT said that he rose to make a pro position, which, considering the importance o f the subject, might expose him to the charge of temerity ; but he trusted that he should justify his conduct by indisputable facts and sound argument. In the early part of the session the noble lo rd had sai d it was not necessary to repeal the malt tax or the agricultural horse tax, or any other measure for the relief of the agricultural interest, be cause he had itin contemplation to introduce a measure which should completely and effec tually relieve it, and his measure of relief was this Poor Laws' Amendment Bill. With regard to the question of tithes, the noble lord did not seem very anxious to bring any proposition of consequence before the house. No, he fled from the church—he fled from the Dissenters—but he would very readily face the poor, feeling that he had a phalanx in that house ready to back him up, but t he others were adversaries which he feared to a step further in this bill to propo se the following It was his (Mr. C.'s) intention befo re the house solution, this i i so thenb,i ;:dTh cause oa a p t pt or ri i o s te house aausseesl b e before i cot hm t em p r i o gt t e reeeee d att eo di inquirenf c a r t r e b as e e r of poor rates in England and in W a les." At present, he would do no more than refer t o the t. report, and, if there was not reason enough in that report, of itself, to cause the house to say the measure ought now to be stopped, it would be strange to him, and still more strange to the people at large. The house had always been told by the noble lord that he had a remedy for agricultural distress • he had always said if he had only a poor law bill, that would be a tickler for them ; that would suit the farmer. (Hear.) On several- 0 ., occasions he (Mr. C.) had asked the noble lord if he would state any mode by which the farmer would be relieved by his scheme ; but he had always declined to do so. However here he now was with his p re cious Poor Law Bill. On what ground was he proceeding What did the numerous volumes of reports, proceeding o o ff culturalt t h h o e poocra agriculturists pliatwa ls :had arose7o declined g on fr tl o o : m t oA h e obf ett from the fruitful minds of the commissioners, state They were intended to inquire whether the distros Wales were asked the question if the amount of egr would have been, to have asked if the farmers were poorer now than they formerly were. The whole 1, 77 ' with one exception had replied, that the farmer was poorer now than he formerly was. That one e x ' ception was the steward of Sir James Graber°: who stated that Sir James was such an excellev; landlord, granted such long leases, and was so kin:, to his tenantry, that but for the expense incurred ' I J sending back the bastards of the Scotch vagrants Vh ° infested the country, there would be no complai,n t : amongst the farmers. 401 had said positively tea l ' the poor rates were not the cause of the farmers ins poverishment-1,157 assigned other causes, a nd sai tion, and that it was greatly it was partly owing to the weight o f tor aggravatedadministration Englandue 5 t a bo the change in the currency. 159 considered the poor rates contributed towards the poverty of the farmer. After all this, the house was still called upol' to go on with this bill, in which, as a learned gentle man had said of it, ingenuity had been taxed to make it a measure which was calculated to violat e ) every principle of the constitution. (Hear , he ar ' All those 401 said that there was a great diminutio n of agricultural capital, but they positively say that ',*t was not owing to the poor laws. And upon this e videln the noble lord wished to show his power, by getting b h n e A m Among thosethe p00r159 wholew yaws, attributed sevortti the of passed which was in every respect contrary t ° t f farmer r th ep e o.them were anonymous, and yet they were called upon to allow themselves to be carried awed by this small minority of anonymous vvitnesses• One of those 159 was a poor law ccmmissioner himself, and the evidence of one witness, whose own name did think that a bishop might be better employed than in not appear, was subscribed by a bishop. One would trampling on the poor and endeavouring to effect the destruction of one of our best and oldest institutions . But what then ? The poor alone were to sufl'er,and where were the poor to expect sympathy ? When an atterapi was made to take away unmerited pensions, hundredi of voices were raised to denounce the revolutio.n ary proceeding; but the poor would swallow up the land, they would devour the country, if they were not deprived of the means of subsistence. It was so,' with alarm and terror that the poor rates amounted 1o . upwards of six millions ; and why should they r d : amount to six millions ? The poor rates had inerea s , i , ruin o but that was no reason why they should be u minished. The poor had not increased the poor rateas; it was owing to the increase of taxation, to the 7 110 against Jacobinical principles. Why, then, were . e , oor to be blamed ? To make the poor rates less , them take off the malt tax, put a stop to the pcO' sions paid to the German Legion, and q uite do awa with the enormous re ti re d allowances p aid to cio :, servants. ( A laugh.) Yes, he de clared that til dinners were taken off th e tables of the p oor in t 115.. country, in order that the money mig ht be sent, to t_ nover. (Hear, hear.) The coun tr y had had. !I' d ' information upon the bill which the noble for t was pushing through the house with such inde_caen.o haste, as if he was afraid the members might possibly b time to look into it, which, he was sure, if they vle_: o caberto do, they would throw it out. The towns .' j newspapers were seen might know of it, but he vent ure r to say that there were 60,0 00 country parishes WhAi: not one knew anything of it but the parson. I h house ought to have time to read the report whi c ,; clearly stated that agricultural distress was It' at all attributable to the poor laws, but to over taxatiov• The bill was most cruel in its spirit, and, if passed', would be found intolerable when attempted tobe - carrio into effect. He should certainly divide the house uP° 9 his motion. Lord ALT HORP said that the hon. member wh ° had made this proposition seemed to think that he wLord Althorp) had only one object in bringing for ard the Poor Laws' Amendment Bill, namely, the re' lief of the farmers. Now this was by no means the sole object of the bill, nor had he even stated such t°, be the case. He had undo ubt edly said th at he looked forward to the Poor Laws' Amendment Bill as a mea sure likely to produce very beneficial effects to the , farmer and the agricultural in terests g enerall y ; but never said that it was intended to relieve the brine:: alone. The hon. gentleman ha d dwelt at considerablet length on the evidence given b y a num ber of wi nesses to show that the agricultural distress had no t arisen from the poor rates. No one had ever said that t the poor rates were the sole cause of the agricultiri! distress that prevailed in the country; but he w . t.ult s ask the hon. gentleman himself if he d id not belieL the farmers ? He would now repeat what he had sf a u ics , that the poor rates were felt as a very great pressure. j u ji Y l the house when he introduced the present Pl' o 'u f the Bill, that it was intended mainly for the reliethat de' labouring classes, and to rescue them fe° l° . n w hi c h grading state of pauperism and dependence A th e hon. gentleman think it a benefit to the labouring they had so long been sunk. ( Hear.) pi" to be left in this state of servile and wretched pauPer in that was so calculatad to debase and destroy thelr.ure dependence ? So far, therefore, from the me! being, as had been described by the hon member7ree oppressive evil to the labouring classes, h e cons: de it as calculated to do them much good. He W t ht sirous that the hon. gentleman's statements as to .be supposed objects of the bill should not go forth to o ' oc i country u ncontradicted. He could not see arrY g o . that could possibly result from any inquiry by a c o. mittee now, and he therefore looked upon the aPP ° Flo meat of one as unnecessary and uncalled for' t h e se should resist the motion of the hon. member f or - classe.ser, o nel EVANS could n o t see h o w the no i b to le h e lerci C olonel reasons. could show that th e p resent bill was i n tendel dere d it benefit to the labouring classes unless he ect s iess they a benefit to them to be refused all relief . ur .reed w ith consented to go into a poor-house. He - 0 h e ha d w. hat_ ricui , the hon. member for Oldham in much of said. There was a great pressure upon th 55 a e o ther 811- tural capital of the country, arising frl „ not at different causes than the poor rates. H. did the same time see that much goodanid he see any u se pointing a committee, and still er ve that he considerg in dividing the house While he said this he must ° roper to hurry this bill it extremely indecent and t _ i a TP as -,,, now done, before i' forward in the manner an b t in living to have read th ro ug' was possible for aneYthat had been taken by the cow the mass of evident which their report was founded, missioners, and °n a ble lord himself to say that he b a : (A laugh.) He would defy tile n the evidence when he intredgeke e en did not at all agreuledwanitshe fr om use whole did met h. read the that he had read it to that me 1 , 0 this bill, or Mr. HUM Oldham lahuu rt g member'. for Oldham that the wretched state ° n • for It lasses, arose from the pressure of taxation, _ b4t ter classes, known that the labouring classes were nevc , r wer , a' agricultural interests, and particularly of the , 1 0.. A off or had higher wages than when the taxes upon tbshelemotion. the highest. wiry s h o uld Mr. ROBINSON said that ample have been made before this measure of the poor forward into the causes of the i n ere i as uc e ed the fright-. rates, and what it was that had pr a resent prevailed ful extent of pauperism that t inquiry ought to have throughout the country. In fact, inci lord had pre: preceded legislation. But the noble .he Bin b e f o re t z; judged the question by bringing t in been gone into ELS ~ proper and full investigation had beiog.at all reqiiireat, the causes that led to such a bill legislation on this subje c o He was not opposed to all I,f from taxation vil e • • n t hat re ie but he was of opinio ards The labourer would then be relieving all classes of . p go much farther t population than any bill of this dege ri v per' wo uld agricultural axes , were reduced the labourer o e c tion. If depend for his support on his own unshae' re iv 'R astgh br ought r t o o u . gh t,o t left to industry. ode on his own exertions. This would be the proper Inicera raise the labouring classes fr om p auperism and u f : ti nd dation, and without it all other means would be to be futile and abortive. Ala Cr ag) Mr. PETER concurre d w i t h what had ii""