The Sun. — London, England, 1834-03-21 00:00:00

THE MIRAMICHI CONFLAGRATION. Five years ago, by some means or other, never explained , the almost boundless forests of Miramichi took fire ; the conflagration raging with unparalleled violence through an extent of fifty or sixty miles of thickly wooded territory. The floating ashes, I was assured by a respectable clergy man, whom I met at Newcastle (where he remained, by a curious coincidence, to take in coals), fell in the streets of St. John, 200 miles distant. The smoke of the burn ing forests was such as to reach even to Quebec, consider ably more distant than the former, and where the rev. gentleman happened to be at that period. Such, indeed, was the impenetrable denseness of these smoky clouds, as to entirely stop, for some time, the navigation of the St. Lawrence. You may imagine, then, what must have been the horrors of the unhappy people situated in the immediate vicinity of this frightful visitation. The awful truth is, that the village of Newcastle, along with several others, was utterly consumed, upwards of 200 persons having miserably perished by fire and suffocation. Numbers of the wretched inhabitants were drowned in the river, as the whole atmosphere was so darkened, and their terror so powerfully excited, that endeavouring to escape from their flaming village, they walked over the pier and high banks into the stream without perceiving it, and were swept away with the flood. Many were burnt to death or suffocated in their houses ; and the only mode, I understood, by which any escaped, was by follow ing the direction of a drum that was beaten for the purpose of guiding the surviving inhabitants to a less dense atmos phere, where the stifling effect of the smoke was less de s'ructive of life. The landscape, as far as the eye could reach, exhibited one dismal spectacle of the ravages of fire ; the desolate-looking forests, for ever shorn of their verdant beauty, and burnt as black as charcoal, looked like gi gantic mutes waiting the funeral of the entire province. 1 never witnessed in nature any thing so truly hideous before. It is supposed by some that the conflagration was occasioned by the Indians; while others attribute it to the excessive heat of the weather, as the summer of 1825 was intensely hot throughout the whole of this region.— Tudor's Tour in America. The persons enga g ed serving tithe processes for F. W. Mullins, Esq.,M.P., at Ballyreigh, Kerry, last week, were driven off the lands by 200 men and women. An immense concourse of spectators were assembled at Woolwich and Charlton on Saturday last, to witness the funeral of the late Commander of the Garrison, Major-General Sir George Fisher, K.C.H. The long and extended lines of troops, the fine bands of the Royal Artillery and Royal Marines, and all that beautiful parade for which a military funeral is preeminently simple and remarkable, formed at once an interesting and impressive scene. The coffin was drawn on a military waggon, and ornamented with the sword and orders worn by the deceased General. Agreeable to the regulations of the service, three rounds of nine pieces of cannon were fired over the grave. A CHARGE.-It yet remains to be seen whe ther Judge Torrens will be dragged to the bar of the House by Messrs. O'Connell and Littleton, for the very admirable charge delivered by him to the Grand Jury of the Queen's County, at the opening of the Assizes held esterday, in Maryborough, and a report of which will be found elsewhere. To a certain extent this charge is "political," but it possesses that which will be construed into a much more grievous offence by the friend and ally of Mr. O'Connell—the Secretary for Ireland. It actually traces the increase of crime in the county, and the unsettled state of the country generally, to agitation ! Judge Tor rens is a bold man, but he is a just and honest one ; and for his having had the moral courage to declare his senti ments, and pronounce his opinions, in such a place, upon such an occasion, and under existing circumstances, he is entitled to the gratitude and thanks of every lover of order, and well constituted member of socie.y, throughout the whole community.—Dublin Evening Mail. Mr. BULWER'S NEW PRODUCTION.—" The Pilgrims of the Rhine,' observes a contemporary, is immeasurably supericr both to ' avereux ' and Eugene Aram,' as a work of imagination. The poetical melan choly that tinges the story—the manner in which the legendary narratives are delivered—and, above all, the ex quisite portrait of the dying Gertrude, taken, if we may so say, through all the stages of her malady, may challenge comparison with the most pathetic narratives in the English language." DERBYSHIRE SPRING ASSIZES.--William Palmer Morewood, Esq., of Alfreton Park, in this county, the new High Sheriff, after receiving his friends to break fast at his residence, entered this town about two o'clock yesterday (Tuesday), attended by a very numerous com pany of gentlemen and tenantry. Soon afterwards the High Sheriff and a large party dined at the King's Head Inn, after which they proceeded on the London road to meet the Judger, the Right Hon. Sir Nicholas Conyngham Tindal, and the Hon. Sir Joseph Littledale (who had slept the previous night at J. BALGUY'S, Esq., K.C., Lockington Hall), and escorted them into the town soon after five, when the Commission of Assize was immediately opened at the County Hall. At 12 o'clock the Courts were opened, when business commenced, Lord Chief Jus►ice Tindal presiding in the Nisi Prins Court, anti Mr. Justice Littledale on the Criminal Side. Twelve cases are entered on the Cause List, seven of which are special. The Attorney-General bas one, and Sir J. Scariett two retainers in important causes. On Monday last the town of Lane-end was nearly frighted from its propriety by an immense assem blage of persons, chi , fly of the juvenile order, parading the streets, after the figure of a woman, which was carried in a chair upon two poles. Upon inquiring respecting such an unusual crowd making its appearance. which gathered more densely as the procession advanced, I found it arose from the circumstance of a woman having, about three months ago, taken herself off with a married man (leaving her husband), and returning on Monday morning last. The populace repaired to the house, where the man, who is a collier, resides ; and having dragged him out of the house, pummelled him most heartily; and at night the effigy of the frail fair one was burnt inWood'a-lane, having bad two pounds of gunpowder placed in the stuffing, which, on being ignited, blew up with a fearful explosion, to the great gratification of the immense mass of spectators, who dispersed in a most peaceable manner after the termi nation of this out-of-the-way method of showing their de testation of the shameful conduct of the woman hid taken place.— Correspondent of the Staffordshire Mercury. MISS EDGEWORTH'S NEW NOVEL.— Maria Edgeworth has so long ceased to wave her magic wand, or to let her voice be heard in the regions of fiction, that we imagined she had destroyed her rod, like Prospero, and obstinately determined to be silent. All at once, when we least expected it, she has cast her spells abroad, and the result is, that in " Helen " we are as much under her in fluence as ever. The Quarterly Review has called her the most accomplished of living novelists ; in this commenda tion we all concur. It is one of her chief beauties, that she commands life-blood to flow through every member of her narrative, and diffuses her feeling and her fancy every where. We are not aware, till we try to lay down her volumes, that we are on charmed ground, and under the spell of an enchantress. tCHANGE OF CLIMATE.—M. Arago, of the 1" tench Institute, has recently published some observations respecting the change of climate in France and elsewhere, from which it appears to be established that in several parts of that country the summers are colder now than they were formerly. He proves his position by showing that in various districts where the grapes in former times became perfectly ripe, they do not now ripen ;sufficiently to be used .for wine of any description. 111. Arago instances Macon, among other departments, n 1b53 it appears that wine was made of the Muscat grape at a village near the town of Macon itself, and that it is now impossible to make wine of the Muscat crape, as it does not ripen sufficiently. The vineyards of Etappes and Beauvais were at one time celebrated—but, according to a report made in 1530, no wine can now be made in the whole department of La Samme, in which those places are situated. M. Arago also instances the same change of climate in England, as he says it is proved by old chronicles, that at one time vines were cultivated in the open fields throughout a large extent of the country, and that now it requires great care to bring grapes to proper maturity in the open air. A . fter stating these general facts, M. Arago enters into an inquiry into the causes of this change of climate, taking it fir granted, as admitted, that a very marked change of climate has taken place both in France and England. " The caut , e," says M. Arago, "is certainly not con nected with the sun, a proof of which is given in the steadiness of the temperature at Pales tine. Some rersons," he adds, "believe it to be caused by an unusual extension of the ice of th e A rc ti c P o l e by a general movement, which, after having drawn with it these masses of ice several degrees towards the south, has carried them towards the coast of Greenland, where they have united. This hypothesis, he says, is supported by the fact that, when the eastern coast of Greenland was first discovered, towards the end of the tenth century, it was entirely free from ice; but that still he does not believe the hypothesis is well bonded, as there was very hot weather after the formation of those mass:a of ice upon the CMS of Greenland." LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH 21, 1834. We look forward with confidence to the re sult of the committee on the law of libel, both from the names on the committee, and the libe ral sentiments which the SOLICITOR-GENERAL expressed on the question. One important ob ject he bad in view was to allow those who are usefully carrying on the profession of writing, printing, and publishing the utmost freedom of discussion, but to deprive another class of the power of covertly libelling their fellow subjects without being responsible for their proceed ings. Every person of honourable feelings must concur in the propriety of punishing with the utmost severity unprincipled writers who make use of the press to inflict suffer ing on others, sometimes out of revenge, and sometimes from pure malignity, and a wanton display of power. At present no dis tinction is made between the two parties. Ac cording to the present system (and the judges take care to tell the jury so) malice is supposed to be implied in every libel, and the writer who has no bad motive for publication, is . equally guilty in the eye of the law with the most malignant libeller. A dis tinction, too, which the SOLICITOR-GENERAL did not allude to, ought to be made between the original publisher, and those who merely copy the offensive paragraph. The editor of a London paper, for instance, who copies news from a provincial paper, or from foreign papers, ought not to be subjected to the same punish ment as those who reside on the spot, and have better means of information. .A great part of the news of the day is taken by the Editor on the faith of others ; he cannot possibly have personal knowledge of them, and unless it can be shown that he has republished them without due care, or from improper motives, it is contrary to all rules of justice to make him suffer. The present state of the law on this point holds out encouragement to unprincipled attorneys to subject the respectable part of the press to great expense and annoyance—indeed there is reason for believing that persons of that stamp have instigated clients to take advantage of the law and bring actions against all the London newspapers in which the obnoxious paragraph appeared, solely for the purpose of getting costs. In order to correct this abuse, the jurisdiction of the judge ought to be more limited ; he should not have the power of certifying, or be permitted to take the question out of the hands of the jury by telling them that the subjects of prosecution are gross and scandalous libels. An intelligent and in dependent jury would resist such a summing up, but numerous cases have lately shown how hazardous it is for the Press to trust to such protection. The spirit of Mr. Fox's Act should be put beyond all doubt, and juries be left judges of the law as well as of the fact. Pursuant to notice given on Tuesday last, Earl GREY will this night present a petition from several members of the University of Cam bridge, expressing their wish that that Univer sity should be open to the admission of dissen ters. It gives us pleasure to find a liberal peti don emanating from this quarter. The time is surely arrived when religious bigotry should be put an end to, more especially in our seats of learning, which are, or should be, the fosterers of the rising talent of the age. Good conduct, talent, and industry should ever meet with encou ragement at our Universities, whether these qua lities show themselves in churchman or dis senter. It is a crying injustice that aca demic honours and academic preferment should be withheld from the meritorious, merely because from conscientious motives they cannot subscribe to the thirty-nine articles of Church of-Englandism. As loyal subjects, as irre proachable members of society in all the various relations of husband, father, brother, and friend, the Dissenters have ever distinguished themselves; why then should they be put without the pale of university patronage ? The very scruples of conscience that keep them in the cold shade of neglect, should tell decisively in their favour. From time to time we shall recur to this subject. In consequence of Lord A LTHORP'S indis position, the House of Commons rose last night at an early hour, and the greater part of the business was postponed. No discussions of any public interest took place. In another part of the The Sun will be found an ample account (which we have extracted from the Times of this morning) of the present state of affairs in Portugal. The French Papers of Wednesday mention that the great Northern Powers, as also the minor German States, are incessantly besieging the Swiss Federal Diet with applications to expel all political refugees from the Cantons, to which applications the Grand Council of Berne has boldly replied that no foreign influence should prevail on them to drive the unfortunate from their country, especially when they had thrown themselves on their hospitality. It was reported in Paris that a vigorous Spanish Go vernment, at the head of which would be the Count de TORENO, would supersede, before long, that of M. MARTINEZ DE LA ROSA. The discussion on the law respecting associa tions was still going forward in the Chamber of Deputies. FRENCH FUNDS.—PARIS, MARCH 19. Five per Cents., 104 f. 95c. 90c. Three per Cents., 78f. 75c. National Loan, 1041: 75c. Bank Actions, I,Boof. Rente de Naples, 941. 75c. Roman Five per Cents., 95►,4. Rente d'Espagne, Five per Cents., 28. Rente d'Espagne, Three per Cents., 41. Royal Spanish Loan, 51. Rente Perpet. d'Espagne, Five per Cents., (35%. Haytian Loan, 272 f. 50c. EXCHANGE ON LONDON. One month, paper, 25f. 25c. ; money, 25f. 22 c• Three months, paper, 25f. 12%c. ; money, 2 3 f. —('ours Authentique. German papers state that the recent fires at Constantinople are supposed to have been the work of incendiaries, chiefly the Turkish regular troops, who were dissatisfied w;th the Porte for having attempted to reduce their pay by five piastres monthly. Wolf, the missionary, is gone mad. He con ceives that he holds interviews successively with Christ and the Devil !—Religious fanaticism has reduced him to a deplorable state.—. Dublin Paper. The exportation of silver to the United States is going oa rapidly. By the official returns for this port from the 7th to the 13th inst. the amount was 567,85 0 ounces of silver coin; in the same period the quantiry shipped for Calais, 195,554 ounces. FRENCH TRAVELLING.--A company has just been formed in Paris to accelerate stage-coach travel ling ; a much lighter vehicle has been adopted, called a veloce, having four coupes, with three places in each, the first to be If. 10c. the post, and the rest If., throughout the whole line of route, including all charges, Tkey in !end to commence operations next month. A still lighter vehicle is contemplated for the• Calais and Dieppe roads, consisting only of two coupes, and places for six outside; the former are calculated to go at the rate of the mane poste, and to allow an hour for meals. A card of fixed prices for refreshments, adopted by the company, will prevent Julio Bull from suspecting imposition, which has been too frequently the case.—Athenceum. AN ORACLE.—During the American war, a gentleman (a mere youth) entered the British army, and saw some little service. In the hurry and confusion of an engagement, he was knocked down; and a soldier setting his foot upon bis chest in passing over him, hurt him so ex ceedingly, that be became senseless. Upon recovering he found himself still stretched on the ground, and a singular looking female stood beside him, who, as he opened his eyes, exclaimed, in an Di-boding voice, " Ay, young man, usark my words, that hurt will be the death of you in your forty-second year." He immediately recognized in this old raven one of those soothsayers who usually fol. lowed the army, and gained a livelihood by their oracular powers. Mr. L— certainly did mark her words, inasmuch as, returning to England, he quitted the army, entered the church, and, amongst other red-coat reminis cences, used frequently to mention—and mention but to ridicule—the American soothsayer's prediction. Never theless, true it is, that he did die in his forty-second year, and of a disease in his chest, too, although he had never suffered from the hurt beyond the period at which he bad received it. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT, THIS: DAY, FRIDAY, MARCH 21. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the chair at twenty minutes after twelve. Colonel EDWARDS brought in a bill for improving roads in the counties of Montgomery, Salop, &c., which were read a first time. _ . ....... Mr. DUNCOAIBE moved the second reading of the Miscall Enclosure Bill. Alt. PRYAIE brought up the report of the committee on the amendments to the Cambridge Gas Bill. Mr. H. HANDLEY brought in a bill for enabling the Leicestershire Insurance Company to sue and be sued in the name of their chairman.—Read a first time. The hon. member then moved for leave to bring in a bill for regulating the duties on ships trading to and from the port of Boston. Mr. HALCOAIB brought up the report of the com mittee on the Christ Church Rectory petition. Colonel LYGON brought up the report of the com mittee on the Poynz Bridge petition. The hon. member then presented a petition from the Trustees of the Wor cestershire Turnpike road. Referred to the committee. Mr. WOOD moved the second reading of the amend ments to the Hartlepool Railway Bill. Lord MORPETH brought up the report of the corn. mittee on the Colder and Hebher Navigation Petition. - PRICES OF STOCKS THI S DAY Al , ns: , o'cLoci:. 'lank Stees 3 per rent. Red. ....... 3 r.er Cent. Cons. 91%1,,( Ditto Bonds... 3l 32 pm. 3.4 rer Cent. shut South Sea Stock 102% Mt() Rot' shut Old Annuities ........ ' , Jew 3% per Cent. .........D854% New Ditto 3 ner Cent. Ann. 1726 .... 3 per Cent. Ann. 1751 I per Cent. 1826 Hen k Long Ann. to expire Ditto.. ...... —.500 5l b 3 pm. Jan. 5,188 P shut , Ditto Small ............51 53 pm. Oct. 10, 1R59 shut , Ditto Commercial — pm. Jan. 5, 1850 17 5-16 IA I)itto Advertised pm. Jan. 5, 1880 — Bank for Account April 5, 18E0 —. India for Account Jan. 5, 1870...... ......... Cons. for Account 01%14 THIS DAY AT ONE 0 CLOCK TRICKS OF FOREIGN FUNDS Austrian Bonds Belgian Bonds CAN Ditto Account 1N4% Brazilian Bonds 734' Ditto'Account 74 344 Buenos Ayres Bonds 25 1 7 Ditto Account Chilian Bonds 231 i Ditto Account 215 Col tnnbian Bonds Ditto Account 23 Ditto Bonds, 1824 2SU Ditto Account 254 Danish Bon Ditto Acocunt 74% elm& 80nd5......... — Ditto Bonds, i 82.5 OA Ditto Account — ►fexican Bonds, 5 per cent 3134 Ditto Account Lm o, 6 per cent 38 , 4 Ditto Account aco Neapolitan ....................« — Peruvian Bonds 2 0 15( Ditto Account 2 19( Portuguese Bonds 64%% 4 Ditto Account 64iz_4 Ditto New Bonds 64M 3% 4 Ditto Acconnt... tl4 3:‘; 34 4 Prussian Bonds 103% Ditto Bonds, 1822 loi Russian Bonds, 1822 lO4 i Ditto Account in4's4 s 1 Ditto 111 1044 (Spanish Bonds, 181.11 3 1 14 1 ! Ditto Ace. 314 :=.0% I Ditto Bonds, 1823 264 6 Ditto Account 2O French Rentes, sp. c. —1 —e. --- Exchange —f —c. —3 per cent. —f —c. Exchange - f ---,- Dutch, 21 p. c. 49% Ditto Account 49% 50 , - Ditto, 5 p. c. 97 Ditto Account 9773{ PRICES OF SNARES THIS DAT AT ONE o'cLocr. Paid. Per Share. Alien Mining Company £9 11% Anglo Mex. MM. Co. iiss. at 51. pm I£loo 8 Bolanos Mining Company £l5O 129 Brazilian Mining Company £s 15 Brazilian Imp. Min. Co. (iss. at 5/. pm.) £2O 59 nitto Macaubas C0cae5............. Ditto St. John Del Rey Cata Branca Mining Company :3% 5% lbritish Iron Mining Comnanv £so 32% 3 Columbizn Minim Co. 'iss sts/.pm.) 52% 9 3414 English Mining Company 12% 25 eneral Mining Association l2 Hibernian Mining Co Mexican Mining Co £46 9 Real dcl Monte Mining Co....(unreg.) 38 nited Mex. Min. Co. (iss. at 21. pm.) 40 8 __. Ditto New Scrip alliance Fire Insurance Comp lO Protector insurance Comp. ..—... Australian Co. Canada Company lB general Steam Navigation Co. l3 National Provincial Bank of England IS Rio Doce Provincial Bank of Ireland 25 41,7 0 4 1 9 51 13% 21 41% 1 PRICES OF IRISH STOCR Ronk Stock 211 1 14 Consols, 3 tier cent Goy. Stock, 3% per cent 96% Ditto, New ••• 0000000 •••11100•• 97 per Cent. — 'ov. Deb. 3% percent IL9% 1 Royal (,anal Stock 41% Grand Canal Stock City Deb. 4 per cent. Rallast Office Deb. 4D. C. •••••—• Arrived. B, DUBLIN, li•Rell 18. "It. Patrick Insur.(perShare Royal Irish Ditto I National Ditto Patriotic Ditto Hibernian Bank — tProvincial Ditto Royal Irish Mine Imperial Mine !dining Co. of Ireland Commercial Buildings MAILS. Due. i Arrived. O America 0 0 Hamburg 0 O Brazil O Buenos Ayres 0 0 Jamaica................ 1 O Carthagena 0 0 Leeward Islands ... 1 1 Dublin 0 1 Lisbon 1 O Flanders 0 0 Malta ... 0 1 France 0 0 Sweden O Guernse% &Jersey.. 0 1 Waterf'ord HIGH WATER ♦T LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW. Morning.. 56 minutes after 11.1 Evening... 0 minutes after 0. The following will be published on April 1. I. LINCYCLOP2EDIA of GEOGRAPHY: comprising a complete Description of the Earth— Physical, Statistical, Civil, and Political. By HUGH MURRAY, F.R.S.E. Assisted in ASTRONOMY, &e., by PROFESSOR WALLACE, GEOLOGY, &e., by PROFESSOR JAMESON, BOTANY, &c., by PROFESSOR HOOKER, ZOOLOGY, &c., by W. SWAINSON, Esq. With 82 Maps, drawn by Sidney Hall; and upwards of 1,000 other Wood Engravings, representing the most remarkable objects of Nature and Art in every Region of the Globe. Part 11. (To form 12 Monthly Parts, at 55.) LOUDON'S ENCYCLOP/EDIA of GARDENING, comprising the Theory and Practice of Horticulture, Flo rieuture, Arboriculture, Landscape Gardening, &e. ; with upwards of 1,200 Wood Engravings. Part V. (To form 20 Monthly Parts, at 2s. 6d.) LOUDON'S GARDENER'S MAGAZINE and Re gister of Rural and Domestic Improvement. With Wood Engravings. No. 49. (To he continued Monthly.) IV. LOUDON'S ARCHITECTURAL MAGAZINE : or. Popular Journal of Improvements in ARCHITEC TURE, BUILDING, and FURNISHING, and the Trades connected therewith. With Wood Engravings. No. 11. (To be continued Monthly), at Is. 6d.) V. MONTHLY MEDICAL GAZETTE: a Journal of Medicine and the collateral Sciences. For March. London : Longman, Reeo, Orme, Brown, Green, and Co. KILNIAINHAM DEFENDED. THE attention of ILITARY MEM BERSM of PARLIAMENT, and of the FRIENDS of IRELAND is particularly requested to an article in the NAVAL and MILITARY GAZETTE of to-morrow. March 22d, 1834. _ _ Published by W. Thomas at the office, 19, Catherine street, Strand, and supplied by all Newsmen, postage free. Due. E riD g. 'l lr t; ' - =-.1 1 141+ a•-• 2.--.., CORN LAWS-ADJOURNED DEBATE. Mr. O'REILLY said that he should only occupy the time of the house for a few minutes. He was anxious to offer a few observations on the principal ground upon which the advocates for the present system of corn laws relied, and he would give precedence to that argument which was put forward most prominently, as it was the most popular. The advocates of the present system asserted, that if the present rate of duties was taken off, a great body of the agricultural labourers would be thrown out of employment. Let the house examine the justice of that p isition. The right hon. baronet the member for Dundee had asserted, that one of the great evils under which the country laboured was the want of profitable employment for its population—he would not call it a superabundant population. To what was this owing? Because the landholders could not obtain for themselves that remunerating price which wnull enable them to employ a sufficient number of labourers. If that argument held good, the price of corn would be raised to a height which would be seriously injurious to the interests of the country. Capital could not be equally beneficially employed upon all soils. There would be less labourand capital necessary on a good soil than on a poor soil, which would require a greater quantity of labour, and therefore afford more employment to the poor. If the corn laws were abolished, the persons employing capital in agriculture would he enabled to employ a greater quantity of labour.—(Hear.) In his country (Ireland) a sufficient supply of grain was produced for two-thirds of our manufacturing population, and all raised by labour alone ; for in money capital there was the smallest possible amount used. -- (Hear.) The improvement of the land there had been entirely effected by the labour of the poorer classes, and he was convinced, that if an alteration were made in the present corn laws, a greater quantity of labour would be employed. At present large tracts of land were kept out of cultivation, because the capitalist was unable to till it, with any prospect of a remunerating profit. He thought that the large farm system, in this country, had been proved a great evil ; and its introduction into Ireland, during the last fifteen years bail been one of the chief causes of the out rages and the insecurity of life and property. In Ireland there were no poor laws, and if a small farmer were de prived of his piece of land to snake room for the large farmer, he was deprived of the means of support for him self and family, and in the moment of desperation he thought only of revenge against those whom he considered his oppressors. Most of the burnings and outrages that had been committed in this country might also be traced to the same cause. The sooner, therefore, that the corn laws were abolished, the sooner would peace and tranquil lity be restored in both countries. It was said that the corn laws were necessary for the protection of the landed interest; but had the high prices protected them ? The country had been in a state of peace for a period of nineteen years, and during all that time the prices had been in a state of transition, and no adjustment had taken place in them. During the last three years the prices bad been slowly and gradually de creasing, and yet he would ask were those prices during the list three years remunerating to the farmer? That decrease could not be attributed to an influx of foreign corn, a superabundant harvest, or a want of employ by the manufacturing classes. He maintained that the pre sent prices, instead of protecting and fostering the agri cultural class, did it a most serious injury.—(Hear, hear.) It might be said that the arguments drawn from Ireland were not sound ones, but when he reminded them that the protection in the other country, not upon corn but upon the linen trade, bad completely ruined it, he thought this fact ought to induce them to inquire into the value of protection in general, that trade flourished not in large towns or manufactories, but amongst the humble agriculturists, who sowed their own flax, and made their own linen ; the Irish landlord called for protection for their tenants, but it was themselves they sought to protect, and what was the consequence of this protection ? The linen trade disappeared, and the weavers were forced to fly to this country and Scotland to save themselves from starvation, and the land which formerly bore fl ax was now planted with corn and other grain. This continued till a free trade was established, and the prohibitory duties were taken off. Then the linen trade returned to the north of Ireland, and it was now found that it would be profitable to sow flax where corn and potatoes were lately sown. The land, too, had the full benefit of this protection, and it ruined their tenants, but when the trade was thrown open, the moment it woo relieved it became a prosperous trade in that country.—(Hear, hear.) If this be the fact, what deduction was to be drawn from it ? That restric tion tended to iniure those whom it professed to protect. The last argument he would advert to was that if they took away protection it would throw the land out of culti vation, and make them dependant upon foreign coun tries for food. But would that be the case ? He denied that it would, and he grounded his proof upon the fact that when wheat was at I2os. the quarter, less was grown in the country than at the present time, when the price was from 40s. to 60s. He would only remind the house that the evidence afforded by former years, and by the present state of Ireland, ought to induce them to reconsider very carefully this subject of the corn laws. He was an agriculturist ; his whole property was dependent upon agriculture; he would therefore natu rally advocate any measure that would afford protection to the agricultural interest ; but so far was he from consider ing the present corn laws a protection, that he thought the agricultural interest and the interest of the people at large would be greatly benefited by their being relieved from it. Mr. COBBETT wished to correct two great errors : the right hon. member for Manchester said if we do away witb our corn laws America would send in her corn and deal more with us for manufactures. But what was t he I xample of America with respect to the duties on the importation of the necessaries cf life ? The duties were 25 cents per Winchester bushel of wheat, which was ra ther more than the average price of wheat in that country. Then there were 15 cents on the Winchester bushel of oats, being fully one half the price of the article. (Hear.) Then as to seeds there was a duty of 25 per cent. ad valorem, including flax and hemp seed and including even flax itself. There was a duty on cheese of 3Ad. per lb., on butter 4-.}tl., on hams and bacon 3(1., on pork Id., and opt a wool 50 per cent. ad valorem. c Now, ericiat right ,whi to which consulted 0e nsu s ltl te p a r elltehnt on einterme,ostosi, why ft i b l e was there such an outcry on a protection of the land here, which, however, he agreed with the member for Dun dalk, was in reality little or no protection ?—(Heir.) He held in his hand a penny publicatian called the Quartern Loaf, published without a stamp, which he supposed every member had seen. Now there were false hoods on the very front of it. There was a picture of a quartern loaf, with these words—" Flour and baking 3id., landlords' taxes sd. ; total 8 1. ; being the price of the 41b. loaf." Now what was the fact? Suppose the bushel of wheat cost 6s. Stl., that would make about 701bs. of flour, which would make it come to about Id. a pound, so that the landlord and farmer altogether took but 4d. at the utmost out of this 41b. loaf.—(Hear, hear.) 15id he mean then to charge the millets and b &kers with the extortion ? Certainly not ; but they did in .ke the ad di Lion of price. Go back now to the year 1792, wht-n wheat was quite as low as it is now : what did the 41b. loaf sell for ? Sixpence at the utmost. 'Why, then, did it now sell for Sid. ? Because of the malt tax and the house tax ; because then they were paying alit teen millions of taxes only, and now they were paying fifty millions.—(Hear, hear.) If the petitioners of Liver pool had been rational people, they would not ask for cheap wheat, but for the removal of th.se taxes which made bread dear. Wheat was cheap enough al ready, selling at 275. per quarter in Scotland, and at 355. the best in England. What then did they want ? (Hear.) He did not know that be would not vote for tse repeal of the corn bill, not on account of its wick edneis but its foolishness.--(Hear, hear.) He had explained this to his constituents, and told them not to ask for cheap wheat, but to go to the government and ask them to take off the taxes, that the baker might give it them cheap when he gets it. When the corn bill was passed, in 1815, he (Mr. C.) oppoad it with all his might, not that it was unjust, but that it exposed the farmer to the feel ings that went abroad of laws being passed in his favour. He should vote fur the repeal of the corn laws, to prove that its repeal would do great injury for a little while ; also to compel the landlords to keep the surplus of rents at home. In the public debt of Pennsylvania there were many shareholders in England— aye, and members of both houses of the Legislature, and of the Privy Council. Mr. LAMBERT said that in discussing the question of corn laws, they had proceeded generally upon abstract theoretical principles, rather than reasoning upon the events that were passing before them. He thought that the position in which the country was placed, proceeding daily from bad to worse, on the eve of a bankruptcy, and descending gradually in the scale to the rank of a fourth or fifth rate nation, should point out the necessity of some speedy change. The agricultural interest was in a most deplorable state, and although he (Mr. L.) had voted for the Corn Bill, he thought it perfectly inoperative, so far as the protection of the agricultural interest was con cerned ; but he did so from a conviction, that if something was not done a convulsion would ensue. They should recollect the evidence given by Mr. Jacob on the corn. tnittee last session, when he had stated that if another summer like that of 1816 had followed, all the corn in the world would not be sufficient to save the people of England from starvation.—(Hear.) The hon. member then proceeded to observe upon the currency question, which he denominated a species of robbery. Mr. D. W. HARVEY said that the house had been for the last three days deliberating upon a question which was well understood outside of the house, but upon which hon. members appeared to have been but very lately en lightened. A great deal had been said about the difficul ties in which the country was placed, but there was not a word said about the 281,000 persons who were the public creditors. It was the fashion to rail at the debt of five or six hundred millions, but had they not pre served by this immense expenditure the blessings of church and state, and should not that be a sufficient reward to them for that i mmense d e b t , an d an annua l e xpenditure of thirty millions?-_(A laugh.) It was said, that if the poor rate was got rid of, it would afford great relief to the people, but the poor rate bore no proportion to the rent—the one was only five millions, while the other was 30 millions ; therefore, taking off the poor rate would be only relieving them from a small portion or their burdens. In his opinion the interests of the land lord and tenant were the same, and the whole soil of the country, all that was above and below the soil, was mort gaged to the fundholder, and if they were unable to pay the interest of that debt any longer, they would either give up possession, or come to an equitable adjustment. The nation owed more than it could pay, and therefore there must be a meeting of creditors.—(A laugh.) If the discussion lasted but a few days longer, it would be asto nishing what an effect it would have all over the country. —(Hear, hear.) This was but inoculating the country, and in a few days longer the mania on the subject would be spread over the whole mass of the community, whose eyes would then be open to the importance of the subject. At present there was a mere delusion respecting it ; landlords were telling their tenants, that although one year might be bad, the next would be better, and then graciously giving back 5 per cent. on the rents, taking care that such an act of liberality should appear in the country papers. But no persons were so alive to their own interests as the landlords were ; and it was only through the radicals of the country that the aristocracy was to he saved.—(A laugh.) He had on a former night voted fbr an inquiry into the corn laws, to have the sub ject examined, and not in order to abolish them. It there were a free trade in coin, all existing covenants would be abolished in the country. The result to the little landlords, whose rentals varied to the amount of 2,0001. a year, a large part of which was perhaps antici• pated, would be a total extinction of them.—(Hear.) As to the large landlords their incomes would be a little deranged, but they would afterwards adapt themselves to circumstances. At all events a day of reckoning was coming, and he warned the landed interest to be aware of it, and prepare in time. Mr. BAINES said as it appeared to him that the corn laws had not produced the benefit that was anticipated, they ought to be eras-d from the statute-book. He admired many of the topics in the speech of the right hon. member for Tamworth (Sir R. Peel). As to his assertion that we should not lose sight of Ireland, he (Mr. B.) entirely concurred in it; but he did not agree that the malt tax was a charge on the land—it was a tax upon the consumer. Instead of a free trade in corn being injurious to the landed interest, it would be greatly beneficial. If they looked to the period when there were no corn laws, it would be found the agricultural class was prosperous, whereas it was now in a state of great depression. As to the public debt, he thought there was a national ob ligation on the people to pay ira—(Hear, hear,)—No man was more opposed to its being incurred than he was, but now that it was contracted, it ought to be honourably paid.—(Hear, hear.) The real evil was not in the effect of a change of currency, but in the cause of it, and of departing from the fixed state of currency. Until they enjoyed the sound principles of a metallic currency, and a free trade in corn, this country, he believed, could never be prosperous.—(Hear, hear.) If they had any duty upon corn, it ought to be a permanent duty; but he felt fully satisfied that the principle of free trade contained in the Liverpool petition were those which would bring back this country to a wholesome state, and make all its interests prosper. Sir J. TYRRELL thought the house must agree that the hon. member for Leeds had wholly fai'ed in answer ing the speech of the right hon. baronet, the member for Tamworth. The agricultural interest had never sought to deprive the manufacturers of their protective duties, but if they took away protection from agricul ture, the manufacturers must come into that house with clean hands, and give up all the protection they now enjoyed. If that were the case, and the parties placed on an equal footing, he had no doubt but that the agri culturists would survive the struggle. With respect to the equitable adjustment proposed by the hon. member for Colchester, be (Sir J. Tyrrell) was glad to find that it had not found an advocate in the hon. member for Leeds, as he (Sir J. Tyrrell) considered it a most iniquitous adjustment. He hoped the house would not be led away by the false but specious unreasonings of the political economists, so as to sanction any change, the effect of which there was so much reason to dread. He would not go into the question at present, but when it came before the house in such a state that something de fenite might be done with respect to it, he would be prepared to maintain that the aepeal of the corn laws would be productive of serious, very serious conse quences to the people of this country, and tothe agricultural interest in particular.—(Hear, hear, hear.) Mr. H. L. BULWER depreeated•the continuance of this debate, when there was no possibility of coming to a decision on the question ; and while many gentlemen were waiting to present important petitions. Lord HENNIKER said he did not wish to prolong the discussion, but to correct an error respecting the ad journment of a meeting at Ipswich, by a shoemaker, who was a very respectable man, and had in fact signed a petition agreed to at that very meeting. Mr. PEASE was satisfied his constituents had as much interest in cheap bread as any part of the community, but they were well satisfied that bread to be sold cheap must be growncheap,but it could not be grown cheap until the national burdens were removed. WLat would be the consequence of throwing the agricultural population upon the manu facturing interests? The manufacturers had too many hands already, and every day machinery was in troduced which threw thousands out of employ.— (Hear, hear, hear.) They did not want those labourers which political economists wished to present to them. He was satisfied that the renewal of the corn laws would de stroy the landed interests, and to destroy them would be to destroy the whole political economy of the country. Mr. MAXWELL thought no argument would satisfy the people on the necessity of keeping up the corn laws. If the grower of corn was given a monopoly when the manufacturer was not, discontent would be theconsequence. He hoped his Majesty's government would give this subject its most serious attention in the course of the next session. —(Hear, hear, hear.) With respect to the question of the currency that had been adverted to, lie Inust.sly that it was the difference of opinion that had existed on the subject that had caused the great distress that at present existed in the country. Mr. T. ATTWOOD observed that unless the monied sys tem of the country was altered and improved, it would sink beneath the frightful fabric it had itself raised. His Majesty's Government bad, he must say, wickedly refused to inquire into the subject for the last twenty years, and the consequence. was the country was now la bouring under the , continental measure of prices.— (Hear.) The'madufacturer had a pleasure in degrading the agricultural interest, and that interest felt equal de light in degrading the manufacturing interest, and to this principle he attributed the Money Bill of 1819. (Hear, hear.) If laud and labour were to be pulled down to the continental level, taxes ought in his opint r ii to be equally so. He agreed with the hon. lOW to for Liverpool in th e necess i t y f o r abolishing the et he laws, feeling co n fid ent th a t t h e i r a b o lition would have t effect of abolishi ng th e ex i st i ng mo n e y laws, se 61 tn ,: e i rl bath live and di e t oget h er . Th e c orn laws Were pain e in 1815 ; it w as we ll k nown th at w hen the pes ee c p ra ; the action of it would b e i n jurious to the lan dev ;;h and, therefore, they created an artificial famine. 'O. ) proceeding wa s un j ust. —(C r i es of " Hear , e o n The present rate of prices caused by increased consunaPoii, indicated prr sperity ; but that rise of price, caused by red just and artifici a l corn l aws , wa s ingurious, and jai , no prosperity. The corn laws had scattered discordr_ caused much ill will, a n d would he thoughtbring about f worst effects to the l an d e d interest ; therefore be shot: if be were a l an d e d propr i etor , a dvise the abolitio n of the he As soon as th e corn l iws shall be abolished, the money repeal. H e d en i e d t h at t h e fundhollers should be 011 Lord Liverpool money laws should al so b 2 d,)ne away with ge nii the farmer will have th e b ene fi t t h at mus t inevitably resu lt from t by the prent standard of ownsmony. urged the country to its ruin, by proposing and • carrying the most disastrous measure introduced. Then he established a metallic currency. It was his (Mr.llA.'s) dui to express himself as be and to offs ( his opinions to the house, becalm he con sidered they con •and wer e worthy of tam arguments, being adapted. Mr. EWART replied. He disavowed that there Was any feelimg of hostility to the landed interest in the re monstrance of his constituents. He thanked the right . baronet the member for Tamworth for the assist " e ile had given to the question by his able a H n e d w in oo p ld roo sa f y o , f in th r is ep r l e y ad to so trie e speech. Every argon ent he had used was in favour of free trade. The hon, member said the petition did thst ever was not pray against one monopoly, but against all monopoliee, used in favour of the landed interests by some hon. Inee 3 ; bets, ti at " the land has bubbles as well es the water, an d these are of them." arguments t f s ro w m hio th h e h p a e d tit b io ee n o . Mr. °CONNELL addressed the louse in favour o f the system of fire trade, and contended that the bole had been for three days labouring to put additional profits into the pockets of the landlords at the expense of the poor. After a few words from Mr. WALKER, the petitioa was laid on the table. Mr. EWART presented a petition from Liverpool against climbing boys. On the motion of Mr. TAYLEURE, the Bridgewater Gaslight Bill was read a third time and pawed. Sir H. PARNELL brought in a bill to e rect a VA court-house, and public offices in Dundee.--Read a first .• time. hrayio foerr A st i tio r t S and . em ß i l as C i oE s en at en p oof r f e t s ph e n ei s te sue d nnti a evres p r seitttoiyt that fromacat mbi vrceiedorgtaiet,iyop. ; e At three o'clock the SPEAKIII left the chair. COURT FOR THE RELIEF OF INS°: VENT DEBTORS. are appointed to be heard at the Court-house, in The matters of the Petitions and Schedules of the Prisoners hereinafter named (the same having been filed in the Cou r a t i ! street, Lincoln's Inn-fields, on Monday, the 24th of M arc 1834, at Nine o'clock in the Forenoon. Johnson, A. B , baker, Upper Whitecross-street, St. Luke's. Dentith, J., cattle-dealer, New.market, Liverpool• round• Swallow, R. L., silk-manufacturer, Fort-street, Artillery gr Pitkin, J., silk-weaver, Brick-lane, Bethnal -green' uPrznondsey . Cutting, A., master mariner, Covington-terrace, --- beth. Davidson, F., shoemaker, John-street, Cornwall.road, Latm Kimpton, D., greengrocer, Gilbert-street, Oxford-stree _as,. Pittman, J. T., York-street, traveller, Cominercial.road, Robins, W., butcher, Shoreditch. • I.road , Barnett, G., watch-maker, Nottingham-place, Comm Warden, J. H., Tower yeoman warder, Union- Mills, 8., baker, Hamilton-row, Bagnigge.wells -road- On TUESDAY, March 25.—Same Hour and Place. May, B. W., Luke.street, Grosvenor.square, builder. Rider, P., victualler, Bath's -buildings, City-road. Kilburn. Simpson, G., stage.coachman, Sidmouth Cottage, Richardson, J., flock-manufacturer, St. Ann's-road, Brixton. Johnson, 8., builder, Henrietta-street, Cavendish-square. Hawkins, S., upholder, Castle-street East. Konig, G. L. W., tailor, Oxendon-street, Haymarket. Waistell, R., licensed-victualler, Curtain.road, Shoreditch. Morris, T. W., clerk, Pleasant row, Pentonville. Peddie, D., baker, Charles-street, Berkeley-squ are. Brown, J., rigger, Bird and Bush-terrace , Litnabouse. Long, G. K., brazier, King-street, Bath - street, St. Luke Portug h on Another stock-jobbing trick was THE FUNDS.—(THIS .1911--Ir') O'CL OC R ' CITY, T wEL YE an ono of the most respectable houses in the city, who recet edr express from Falmouth, stating that the sliguelite all! routed. This in an r action before Santarem, were completely mation was said to have come by the Carron steamer, wh ich has a rrived from Lisbon with a mail of the 10th inst., andtl.7 Oporto on the 11th; but according to the inforrasol t‘ii Published this morning, received by the above conveyancee, , p be the private letters, it appears that no battle has taken place ...,, ore Santare, an the contending armies were in the . r rae previou positions; the Pedroites had certainly obtained„ws, advantages in the south of Portugal, and according to at! .L . pearance both parties were preparing for some important rboelup'; again played off yester.dvay_ The Miguelites have been reinforcing themselves bY t,,,d, quarters infom ar i o r reinforcements n i f s o , r c r e h m a re Donntg P from edr o Lisbon. e d T r h o e from the North, and the Pedroites have sent to their head his General, and made friends with them; and we are in Saldanha • ther e ' that he has given a carte blanche to General Saldatin"' som e fore, we have no doubt that ere a few days we shall We important events trom that quarter. Spain still By , th, express from Paris, the information from on continues of a meagre description. It states that the o: her , A egent and her sister are reconciled, and have dined l°g oon De strong government in Spain, it was expected , vi °l , ld 4 1 old -- established, and that Count Toreno would be at 1 ,, I Per French funds, 7Sf. 75c. Spanish Stock has iraproved . cent.-28 lA. trrieostdeirantapernodrosseief We have no other arrivals his morning p orea s from Paris a d e SO' n the French mail, whh have brought thw...h nish st it has improvedhigher; in the English market to 31 1 4 %• Although the reported defeat of the Miguelites before : hhing tarem is not confirmed, and which no doubt was a stoc-J— , owing the price of the Portuguese Stock was at 611 t, the Lisbon malt; to the favourable accounts received by f, may 0 presencth; onsols, which left offyesterday at 911 than the - - quoted at the same price, with little doing as Y et ' as the h speculations are in Spanish and Portuguese Stocks in t e Foreign Market. 'eare without T ONE• HALF -PAS quarter, l\ ' relates to the The general topic of conversation in the c , LY - ts are r l°t information from Portugal, and although the accounts se t . oc ir, so favourable as anticipated yesterday, the Portugue ' remains steady at 64 ; Spanish 31. li 34 (of Consols have been the whole of the morning a t 9 eon' the Account, and little doing, as the chief specoaticala h w tinue in the Foreign Market, in Portuguese and S panish curities. any fresh arrivals at present from ant v o itea ~.....,...,. It appears that a great deal of specie is going t° the States. - ON DIT.-That the declaration for the convoki" Cortes has been read by the Spanish Ambassador• n THREE Consols for the Account, 911 CLOSING PRICES. Bank Stock 3 per Cent. Red 3 pet Cent. Cons 9ll 3! per Ccnt. :4 per Cc nt. Red 941 New 3' p.r. Cent - 08 4 per(cnt lO3l Long. Ann. to expire Jan. 1860 Oct. 1859.. g• —FOUR O'CLOCK. ndlia Stock ..... ........... D - tto ........... r. South Sea Stock ....... IC Ditto Old Ann .......... Ditto New Anr. ...... Ex. Bills, 53 Po l ' 53 P ill ' Ditto 5ma11......... 53 Pn s • Bank S. for Consols for Op .......... 9lf - f o r Opg. ..... .957 India St. • VI es Portugnese , 5 P er ••• I ;61 tto n Bonds ......... Di Prussian eg. , 5 per ant. Apt. . I°4 Russian 8011433, 5r%: ... Ili Ditto, met.lii. .... ~.. ...... „. Spanish, 5 per cee'' .... ~- r Ditto, 1823 ... , .......... v o , ...,e. French 5 per Cen' 25t r . ....... ~.8(.....50. Exchange ........ . i 1 French 3 per __ lol ,' ... .... get Dutch, 2e per et" — .. •••••• ' Di tto , 5 per CCU 16 •.'". Aneumarmeeepoome diocese.--Carlisle C ir a o r i l l is i l s e Patrio t. tipport of The Declaration of the Laitv In 6 0 ",; 0 3eroug l Y the Church of England has been. veil i h i n t yre and respectably signed in almost every P ar 5 remote station, went to the Works, Merthyr, than in any other single estAbli _633...... m ade in I Europe. Upwards of 35,000 tons were Welshman. • e on t; An officer °Ltiflactured at the rio°:ntii: appointed to the coast servile toe nearest sea-port, to consult upon a suitable eupplY of terature for his hours of leisure. " I read for inlarniligbt rather than amusement, therefore send me no thing s o t or frivolous ; none but works of standard merit.' Nr ol• of tbeee were enumerated, as Flume's Distoly of ._ T ng 0 0, 13Iackstone's C o • •, w i t h of 1' 413 : i Commentaries, Smith i ea rtlll e ' Delolme on the Constitution " S , try, S " -a1 the ma . ~i OW " leave out that, if you please ; I Lever read 111 hooks." principal bookeller. a t i ii, Jan. 1860 l7; FOREIGN Austrian, b per cent lO2 Belgian, 5 per cent 994 Brazilian Bonds Buenos Ayres, 6 per cent 25 Chilian, 6 per cent. 251 Columbian, 6 per cent, 2'2 Ditto, 18:24 2s} Danish 7si Greek, 5 per cent 2B! Mexican 5 per Cents, MI 314 Ditto 6 per Cent., 1625 3B Peruvian 6 per Cant. 2Ol of th e ited the r . 64, 41 ,• 91, ; asc. 30G. 2,50 ; 9 4 (1 , f ; • 3 1 ~ tbis Isis t jo ;.•••" ° die , igb t oaf , o u• !lea/ This day was published, in 2 vols. post Sim, U T 0 W N; ROUGH SKETCHES of CHARACTER, MANNERS, &c. By PEREGRINE REEDPEN. Richard Bentley, 8, New Burlington. street. (Successor to Henry Colburn.) Agents for Scotland, Messrs. Bell and Bradfute, Edin burgh; for Ireland, Mr. John Cumming, Dublin. MISS EDGEWORTFI'S NEW WORK. This day was published, in 3 vols. post Svo., LI E L E By MARIA EDGEWORTH. N. Richard Bentley, 8, New Burlington-street. (Successor to Henry Culburn.) To be obtained also of all respectable Booksellers throughout the United Kingdom.