The Sun. — London, England, 1854-03-21 00:00:00

eases which required special legislation, what course was to be pursued ? They had not here so simple and easy a case to deal with as that of Sudbury or St. Albans. The case of Sudbury or St. Albans was one in which, though the whole constituency was not corrupt, the corruption was soextensive that if the corrupt portion had been taken away there would not have remained a sufficient number of voters to exercise the right of returning a member ; and consequently in those cases Parliament did not hesitate to disfranchise the whole body. If, however, the thousand corrupt voters of Hull were disfranchised, there would still remain three or four thousand who were not corrupt ; a similar remark would apply to Canterbury and Cam bridge; and even in the case of smaller boroughs, if they took away the corrupt part of the constituency, there would still remain a considerable number who were not tainted with bribery. It would, he thought, be highly inexpedient to disfranchise such pieces as Hull, Cambridge and Canterbury. He could not, indeed, allow any con sideration of justice to intervene. The question was not one of justice or injustice ; if it were, they would not have been justified in sacrificing the innocent portion of the electors of St. Albans. (Hear, hear.) The only way to look at the matter was this :—it is consistent with the commonweal—is it consistent with the national good as regards the representation that particular consti tuencies should exist ? (Hear, hear.) If, however, they were not justified, on grounds of general expediency, in disfranchising such places as hehad referred to, what were they to do ? Were th e y t o l eave suc h p l aces , a s they had been, a reproach an d a di sgrace t o th e co untry ? He thought they could deal with those cases in a very simple manner, and that by remov i ng th e corr upt portion, and leaving the sou n d res id ue, t a ki ng awa y the shattered limb in order that the body might be sound. If they did any thing, that, as it seemed to him, was the simple, plain, and obvious course to pursue. There was, fortunately, no difficulty as to the parties who had been guilty of corrup tion in the boroughs to which he had referred. They had the reports of the commissioners naming the individuals who had either been guilty of bribery, or had been bribed themselves. He proposed to deal with this class of per sons. They had their own statements as to the facts, and he did not see why they should hesitate to deal with per sons who, on their own admission, were unfit to exercise the important functions of an elector. A difficulty had, however, been suggested to him—he confessed he did not feel it himself—from a quarter for which he entertained I the most sincere respect. It was said they could not deal with these parties, because, before th ey were examined, they were promised indemnity (Opposition cheers.) He quite understood those cheers ; and he fully admitted that if such an indemnity as was supposed had been given either by the provisions of the act or virtually by any promise which Parliament held out, however grave and serious might be the mischief with which they had to deal, it would be a less evil that corruption and venality should escape than that Parliament should set the example of a breach of faith, even towards the lowest and most con temptible of mankind. (Hear, hear.) He could not how ever see the s li g h test difficulty in the matter. It ap peared to him that all Parliament had promised was im munity from personal and penal consequences. (Hear, hear.) The indemnity offered was similar to that given in the case of St. Albans and Sudbury. (Hear.) The ninth section of the act, which authorised the appointment of commissioners, provided that any person who gave evidence should be "freed from all penal actions, forfei tures, punishments, disabilities, incapacities, and crimi na l Prosecutions," t o w hi c h h e wouldi otherwise have been sub ject. Did those words apply to penal consequences then existing, or did it oust Parliament of its power and autho rity to legislate specially with reference to such cases as were reported upon ? He entertained uo doubt whatever that it was limited to the first. Further, he found that after a witness had given his evidence ho was to receive a certificate from the commissioners, and the act went on to provide, that on th e p ro d uc ti on o f suc h certificate he should leave protection against—what? "Against any action, information, or indictment which may at any time be preferred against him." He (the Attorney General) therefore entertained no doubt whatever as to what was intended by the act. He did not wish, however, to look at the matter with the narrow view of a lawyer. (Hear.) If Parliament held out any expectation that witnesses should not be made to suffer any consequences besides provided against, Parliament ought not to punish them even for the purpose of getting rid of corruption. He did not admit, however, that Parliament had done anything of the kind. What right had these parties to suppose that Parliament meant to grant an immunity which it did not grant ? The provisions of the statute were the same in the case of St. Albans and Sudbury. Why should an immunity be en joyed by a minority when it is not enjoyed by a majority? • (Hear, hear.) Besides if Parliament really meant to leave cases of ascertained corruption out of the general law on the subject why were the commissioners directed to in quire ? (Hear, hear.) Above all, why were they directed to name' all those who had been found guilty of bribery ? He apprehended that the simple object was to enable Par liament to deal with those particular cases. (Hear, hear.) Now, these were the observations which suggested them selves to his mind. Standing iu the position he had the honour to hold, he had felt that he ought not to shrink from expressing his opinion ; but at the same time, if the house should come to the conclusion that Parliament had, either directly or indirectly, entered into a compact with these persons, that in the event of their giving full infor mation they should suffer no injury whatever, he would be the last man to wish to take advantage of what they had done. He did not think, however, that such a construc tion of the act was warranted. Me thought it was the duty of Parliament to grapple with the evil before them to the utmost of their ability, by special legislation applied to special cases, and under this feeling, he now felt it his duty to ask leave to bring in a bill for the prevention of bribery in the election of members to serve in Parliament for the borough of Canterbury. Mr. CAIRNS took a different view of the act under which the several commissions w ere appointed, and con tended that indemnity was provided for those who should give evidence. The proposal, therefore ; to disfranchise the persons mentioned by the commissioners was a direct breach of public faith and public honour. Mr. Cairns called upon the house to negative the motion. Sir J. HANUER thought Mr. Cairns' advice was better than that given by the Attorney-General. He repelled an accusation made against himself, in the Kingston-upon- Hull report, of having countenanced foul practices when a candidate for the representation of that boron:zit in 1811. Sir ,John's election experiences, as detailed by himself, seemed to atibrd the house , much amusement. Mr. PIIINN deprecated the introduction of personal matters into the 4 list,us,ion. The question should be argued upon general grounds, namely, having received the reports of the commissioners, what is to be clone with them .! In his view, the course taken by the Attorney-General is the correct one. The indemnity can only be construed as ap• plying to exemption from di:abi!itics which then existed. At St. Albans and Sudbury the indemnity was given, and yet both boroughs were disfranchised. Mr. NAPIER said, the ground on which he would take his stand was, shortly, the clause of indemnity. (Hear.) That clause went upon the old-established principle, that no man was bound to criminate himself. (Hear.) No min was bound to answer a question that would expose him to forfeiture of any nature whatever. Such was the law, as laid down by the best authorities ; yet here, upon the con fession and answer of the witnesses, it was proposed to make them forfeit their franchise. The words of the act were, that such persons shall be freed from all " penal ac tions," and "from forfeiture," &c. To deprive a man of his franchise was a forfeiture and permanent disability. This was the hard and rigid construction of the law ; but taking the clause in its spirit and intention, he would say that there could be no manner of doubt that the object of the Legislature was to indemnify the voter in such circum stances as these. (Hear, hear.) Mr. KENNEDY said be understood that evidence had been given of the fact of bribes having being received be fore recourse was had to the electors themselves ; and that the object of calling the electors was to give them an op portunity of defending themselves, if improper evidence had been produced against them. In these circumstances, he thought a boon had been conferred upon the parties rather than otherwise, and the house had, unquestionably, a right to see that justice was duly done to the honest and respectable portion of the constituency. Mr. MASSEY believed it was avowed on all sides that, unless the indemnity stood in the way, there was really no substantial argument against the proposal of the Attorney- General. Could it ever be intended by Parliament to go to the extent of giving a man who had been guilty of cor rupt practices immunity for life ? It appeared to him that it would be absurd and unconstitutional to pretend that any act of the Legislature could or would confer on a voter any immunity to that extent. (Hear.) The immunity promised in the act was to protect him from legal conse quences, but it was not to be a title-deed for corruption all the rest of his life. (Hear, hear.) What was this right of which it was proposed to deprive the corrupt voter? There were gentlemen in that house who looked upon the fran chise as an indefeasible right, but the constitution of this country did not say so. A man might be in possession of this franchise, and that house, from nigh reasons of policy, might deprive him of it. In this way whole constituencies had been deprived of the franchise, and could it for a mo ment be said that the house had not the same right in the case of individuals? (Hear, hear.) What would be the effect if they did not pass this bill ? Writs would go down to all these places, and they would have persons who, on their own confessi on , h a d a b use d t h e electoral trust, but who had this immunity conferred on them, returning members to that house. (Hear, hear.) On grounds of public policy, then, as well as on grounds of common sense and common decency, they were bound to pass the present bill. (Hear hear.) Mr. WHITESIDE said, in considering the principle of this bill, th e ques ti on came to be, could they by law in thin country act on a man's confession? There were parts of the world where they might extort confession from a mould n ma, and act upon it ; b u t b y th e l aw of England that ot be done. It occurred to him that they ought to Interpret this statute as those persons who had been affected down b y it would read an d un d ers t an d i t. It was distinctly laid th Maio testimony given by a voter before the corn hatai,n,ioriaer,:ittruld be used hereafter against him. The voter not be ocete zmined, received his certificate, and could ' On wha r t against at law, and his vote still remained. that t oee so P o ri : L Flnie was it that they proposed to deprive Jed a cri his right to vote whom they could not sab ot' the act Iv_ prosecution ? (Hear, hear.) Th e wor d s touching suereo that the person examined as a witness penal actions , f vru Pt Practices " shall be freed from all e o e, disabilities, and h o r n ierreitures, from punishment, from for that, in his opi t u on in canacities." There he would stop, ha lettled the question. The clause then went on to say t The fair eeeaseeg criminal prosecution t o wh n ie e h w h as also to be free from all might be liable at the suit of her Majesty. of the act—for they were not to quibble in that hous e that Ekon. 4 14 to the meaning of acts of e r ' , ettawer to be punished after having been induced to confine. e this c . ountry would always act according to the pes 9 e , b i e p l i i es eve d_ Parliament strictjustice. at themanateontl (Hear, hear.) The object of the act arra of , and to furni(stoiw as ha to t enable them to get evidence to w general law against briber them they did in such cases as St. Albans out of with the means of framing a - and then but it did not empower them to get all they C00k ,7, ground oftheir witnesses, tempting them to tell all they k eeee to turn round upon and punish them on the evidence. He did not catch from the Attorney-General for how many years he intended to go back with the bill. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL said he proposed t o in capacitate those who were proved before the commissioners to have been bribed. [An hon. MEMBER How far back do you go 1') There was but one report on which h e went back beyond the past year. Mr. WHITESIDE thought it would be satisfactory to know whether they w e re going back to the beginning of the century or not ? (Laughter.) The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—If that question was put to him, all he had to say was that he would not conde scend to answer it. (" Oh ! oh !" and laughter.) Mr. WHITESIDE must say that he was not aware of viog put an improp er ques ti on t o th e learned Attorney ueneral. (Hear.) He did not quite understand, and neither did the hon. gentleman behind him, one part of the Attorney -General's proposal, and a question was put on the subject; but the learned Attorney-General would allow hina to say that it was no answer to tell them that ha would not condescend to reply. (Hear.) The AT TORNEY-GENERAL said the reason why he gave that answer was, that he believed the question put was one of an offensive kind. (Hear, and No, no 0 Mr. WHITESIDE would only say that, in common with several of his friends around him who were in the fars m t e h predicament G w e e i t e h r a h i i m w s e e e l fhe t , wishedhsek with t his s w how n balls. o He thereforehad withtried h th i. emAtAtoereneerydieg t Genee the ral,buptrinheaioe n had been e unsuccessful which he went, it might be inconsistent with official dig nity to reply, but he had nevertheless a right to know how far it was intended to carry legislation in a wrong di rection. He would ask the house if it was correct, when they could not obtain in a town or borough independent evidence to proceed with this kind of legislation ? He thought it a right thing to put down corruption, but it was of more importance still, in his opinion, to adhere to a prin ciple which would be more satisfactory to themselves, and which would prove of more advantage to the country. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL regretted these conflicts of legal opinion in the house, which tended very much to diminish the confidence of the public in the sincerity of lawyers, and he hoped the house would endeavour not to ' decide, as an hon. member had observed, on a le g al quibble, but if possible to mak e ou t th e t rue mean i ng of the statute as far as the wisdom of the house could determine it. The act was intended to suppress bribery and corruption, and at the same time to furnish them with the materials of fu ture legislation. It was an act to enable them to legislate about that which the law had distinguished from private property, of which a man was absolute owner, and with which he was entitled to do what he willed. It was an act that legislated about the conduct of persons in the exercise of a great public trust—(he ar , h ear )— an d th ose gen tl emen who desired to adhere to the rules that should govern a deliberative b o dy wou ld d o we ll t o emancipate them selves from all considerations of a legal quibble, and endeavour to determine the distinction that existed between the use made of private property, for which a man was not responsible, and a public trust, for the exercise of which he was morally responsible. (Hear.) He was quite willing, in dealing with this question, that the house should confine itself to the legal meaning of the particular clauses in dispute, and, in the construction that it was necessary to put upon them, he felt quite assured that the house would have no desire to put fetters upon itself. The clause to which the hon. and learned member for Enniskillen more particularly referred was best ex plained by the concluding words of it, which went to show not only what was the meaning to be attached to the clause, but what protection was extended from any penal conse quences which might otherwise be attendant on its being carried out. (Hear, hear.) He could not agree with the hon. and learned member for Enniskillen as to his reading of this clause, inasmuch as he considered such reading, how ever original and independent it might be —( laughter) —not according to those grammatical rules which generally pre vailed, at least in this country. (Hear, hear.) To read the clause as the hon. and learned gentleman proposed would, in fact, be doing violence to it, and ruthlessly destroying its meaning, than which nothing could be more clear and explicit. (Hear, hear.) The sentences of which the clause was composed must be read altogether, and not dismem bered and disjointed, to support particular or speculative notions or constructions. (Cheers.) Mr. WALPOLE said that the house ought to hesitate and well consider the matter before it gave its consent to a measure of so great and vital importance as the present, and one which might be so serious and momentous in its consequences and effects. (Hear, hear.) The hon. and learned member the Solicitor-General had more than once stated that the object of this statute was to put down bribery. What such object really was could only be tested and ascertained in two ways—namely, in the first place, by referring to the preamble of the act ; and, in the second place, by going back to wee what the intention of the framers of the act was, what particular meaning they wished to be attached to its clauses, and whether we were acting up to such intention and in furtherance of and ac cordance with such meaning. (Hear, hear.) If he referred to the first mode of testing the object of the act, he found that it was simply one for the purposes of inquiry, and nothing more, as could be clearly seen from the words of the preamble, which distinctly and expressly stated that such was the object of the statute. If he wished, on the other hand, to ascertain the object of the act from the intention of its framers, we should remember the par ticular occasion on which it was found to be neces sary, and that it referred immediately to the two boroughs of Sudbury and St. Alban's. (Hear, hear.) With respect to the first of these boroughs, it had been proved that out of 280 voters 220 had been bribed, and, further, that a sum of 3,000/. had been sent down to the borough for the purposes of bribery had been made use of for such purposes, and upon a calculation that such a sum would be more than sufficient, at the market price of the day, to bribe such 220 voters, and so, in fact, implicating a still greater number in the sus picion of corruption. With respect to St. Alban's, it was proved th a t ou t o f a num b er of 217 186 were bribed ; and out of a number of 280 no less than 240 were bribed. Mr. Coppock had said of this place, that to deal with it in auy way it must be " bribed and bled ;" and Sir Robert Car den, ono of th e can did ates for its representation, had re fereed to it as a place " possessing no other principle of action except such as m i g ht b e f oun d i n t h e b reeches pockets." (" Hear," and laughter.) The commissioners also had spoken of the place as wholly and completely cor rupt. (Hear.) The present measure, he believed, would be far more dangerous, because more general, and less effective, because less explicit than the statute of inquiry to which he was referring, and which did not, as it ap peared to him the present measure did, violate one of the great fundamental principles of our law—namely, that no man should be called to condemn himself. (Cheers.) In St. Alban's and Sudbury the bribery committed was of two kinds, general and systematic. He had always contended that, unless the corruption of any boroughconld be proved to be both general and systematic, Parliament had no right to punish the innocent as well as the guilty. (Hear.) The Attorney-General said the House of Commons could not disfranchise these boroughs, and the only question was, whether, as the Solicitor-General somewhat incautiously seemed to admit, you could deprive the electors of a right which belonged to men whom, by the law of England, Par liament could not have called upon to convict themselves, except under an assurance of indemnity ? (Hear.) What was the great principle at stake in this question ? In other countries men were punished upon their own evidence ; but in this country the courts acted upon the principle so often laid down by Lord Eldon, that you were,uever to put a man into a position iu which it would be to his interest to commit perjury rather than tell the truth. Parliamentlia( said to these electors, " We will indemnify you, so that it will be no longer your interest to commit perju.fy ;" but if the present act were passed and persons were disfranchised who had been indemnified from all the consequences of giving their evidence, he should like to know where they would get witnesses in future to give the evidence that was to deprive them of that right, which ought not to betaken ' away from them except by evidence from other quar ters? (Cheers.) The commissioners themselves, in their .report to her Majesty, spoke of the importance of the act of Parliament giving the indemnification, because it appeared that the very witnesses who had been examined before committees of the House of Commons, and upon oath, had not told the truth before those committees, but had told the truth to the commissioners, because they were indem nified. (Hear, hear.) But when future commissions should be sent into the country, and when witnesses saw that they were no longer indemnified, but that they would be visited with disfranchisement if they spoke the truth, was there not great danger that perjury would be again committed ? Why, he wanted to know, was the Attorney- General about to deal with all these cases of individual bribery, because they came before him in a mass, in a different way from that in which cases had been dealt with that had been reported upon by committees of that house? (Hear, hear.) What could be the object of the Legislature in passing the acts of Parliament relative to an inquiry into these boroughs ? One object was, that they might deal—as they had dealt with St. Alban's and Sudbury--with any boroughs where they found them In so corrupt a state that they could nu longer be trusted with the right of returning members. The other ob ject was, that Parliament should have a mass of evidence with reference to those boroughs accused of bribery and corruption, so that Parliament might be enabled to deal retrospectively with the matter by some general law. The noble lord (J. Russell) had thus acted upon the evi dence so obtained; for in this Bribery Prevention Bill, brought in during the present session, he called upon Par liament to enact that where a person had been convicted of bribery he was to be disqualified for life from again voting in elections of members of that house. (Hear, hear.) That was right legislation, and he should never complain that parties guilty of bribery should be disqualified after due notice. But he protested, in the most earnest and solemn manner, against violating the law by inducing parties to give evidence against themselves, upon the assurance of an indemnification, and then taking away their votes which they thought they should not lose by reason of that in demnification. (Hear, hear.) He could not shut his eyes to the difficulty of dealing with all these boroughs. He was afraid Parliament must deal with them in some way, but he could not see the distinction between dis qualifying any one of the voters of these boroughs, and not having disqualified one voter during the last century who, by the committee of the House of Commons, had been declared guilty of bribery. (Hear.) It was in his judgment more important to keep faith with those who had been induced to give evidence by the solemn promise of an indemnity than to punish the great mass of bribery com mitted in those boroughs by a retrospective law. Nor ought the house to lose eight of this fact—that these voters ought not to be deprived of a locus penitentice. (Cheers.) It was said that unless these persons were disfranchised Parlia ment would give an immunity for future corruption. Far from it. There was the bill of the noble lord (J. Russell), which enacted that if these or any other parties committed acts of bribery in future, they were to be deprived of their votes. (Hear, hear.) He had not read these reports for some weeks, but in one of them—he believed in the Hull commission report—a schedule was given in which cases of bribery were mentioned as having been committed by parties during the last four or five elections. In other boroughs the same parties had been guilty of these acts at two or three elections. Now, was the Attorney-General going to disfranchise parties who had been guilty of bribery at two or three elections, but n o t a t th e last ? The Attor• ney-General shook his head, but if the objection were confined to those who had been guilty of bribery at the last election, the objection was just as strong that this was a retrospective law. (Hear, hear) If the Govern ment replied that it was necessary to punish the persons who had committed these acts, he had shown that if they occurred again they could be punished under a general act. But not even for the great object of condemning and punishing these acts would he consent to violate the funda mental law of England, or induce the feeling that Parlia ment had been guilty of a breach of faith, and that gross in justice had been committed. (Cheers.) Mr. WARNER thought that the house had been some what taken by surprise by the nature of the measure. He thought they ought not to reject at so early a stage any bill which had received the sanction of the Government. He should vote for the first reading without pledging him self to the principle of the bill, because he could not but feel that very serious objections had been urged against it. (Cheers.) Mr. SCOTT held that the house would do better if they extracted evidence by torture or by the thumbscrew rather than by violating the faith of England, given under a sacred promise to those persons who had afforded all the informa tion Parliament could desire to have, because they had been assnred that if they so gave information they would not be visited with any penalties. He would read the indemnity clause of the act of Parliament ; n a lay sense, and then the house would see that these parties had bean fairly inveigled into giving eviden ce u n d er f a l se pretences. (Hear, hear.) Raving read the indemnity clause of the act, he contended that any person looking at it in a general sense would come to the conclusion that such individuals giving evidence should b e f ree from all incapacities. He asked whether, for the sak e of purifying boroughs, the house wo u ld d o a thing more corrupt than th a t o f w hi c h t h ey comp l a i ned—violate heir faith to those individuals who had given their evidence on that faith? Mr. W. O. STANLEY thought, if the present measure were not sanctioned, the sooner they repealed the act for appointing those c ommissions the better. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL in reply, expressed some regret that the deb a t e s h ould have been interrupted by any thing like all exhibition. Nothing could be further from THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 21, 1854. his thoughtsthanany wish to be offensive, and he certainly took credit for not exhibiting either within the house or out of it, anything like what an hon. and learned gentle men had been pleased to term "official dignity." (Cheers and laughter.) Perhaps, by way of excuse, he might be allowed to reply that that hon. and learned gentleman was not himself always in the mildest humour—(laughter)—and there was occasionally somethingin his manner not exactly calculated to excite the blandest feelings (renewed laughter) —however if he (the Attorney-general) had said anything that had given offence to any individual, he very sin cerely withdrew it. (Cheers.) With respect to the pre sent measure, it did not appear that the hon. members who opposed it denied the proposition that it was essential to do something to improve the constituencies to which the bill referred, and the whole question was, whether any act of Parliament had been passed which limited them either in point of law or good faith, for he most cordially concurred that if that act by a fair construction implied a compact with the persons in question, Parliament was bound in good faith to leave them in the exercise of their franchise. But he did not see such was the cas e ; cer t a i n ly it was not - upon the construction of the hon. gentleman who had read the clause ; for he had omitted an essential. part and added something not in it at all. He (the At torney-General) regretted, considering how many hon. members of the legal profession had addressed the house, that one of the most distinguished lights and ornaments of that profession, and one perfectly conversant with the act in question—he meant his hon. and learned friend oppo site, had taken no part in the discussion; and he attri buted his silence to the fact that he could not, as a lawyer, stand up in that house and controvert his (the Attorney- General's) proposition. There might have been some ground for argument if the commissioners had given to the voters any reason to believe that not only would they be protected by the act of Parliament against any legal or penal consequences, but against all future legislation. There was no evidence of anything of the kind ; indeed, he would ask, how could they impose restrictions on the house, and what was the reason forcalling upon the commissioners to report by name every man guilty of bribery unless the Legislature contemplated their disfranchisement ? With respect to the question which had been put as to how far back he intended to go, he would say, speaking generally, not beyond a single election, although there were in some cases special reasons for going back two elections; and he believed it would be found that the commissioners them selves had not gone back beyond one or two elections. He submitted the present measure was no violation of faith on the part of the house • if it were, he would b e th e l as t per son to bring it forwar d.: Sir F. KELLY expressed his thanks for the handsome eulogium passed on him, but he was afraid it might be the occasion of his inflicting a speech on the house, which would not otherwise have been the case, as he should have been content to leave the case in the hands of his right hon. and learned friend the member for Midhurst ; but, having been, as it were challenged, he must say that this was the very first time on which a bill had ever been brought forward in either house of Parliament to inflict pains and penalties and disabilities on a number of indi viduals who had been convicted by no jury, and yet who were, under the sanction of ihe hous e , t o b e d epr i ve d o f a franchise which the law conferred upon them, upon an ex parte report, against which they had not even had the op portunity of being heard. (Hear, hear.) His right hon. and learned friend (Mr. Walpole) had put a question to the Attorney-General which he (Sir F. Kelly) thought was not an unreasonable one. It was whether this bill, which had for its object the disfranchisement of a large number of persons, sought only to disfranchise those who appeared to have committed bribery at the last election, or whether it included all who had committed bribery at the numerous preceding elections which had been inquired into by the commissioners? (Hear, hear.) The commissioners re ported not as to one or two, but six, seven, and eight elec tions, and in the case of Malden their inquiries extended so far back as the year 1826. Surely, then, it was not un reasonable to ask the number of persons to whom it was sought to apply this bill of disfranchisement. Taking the first case—that of Canterbury—the bill proposed to disfran chise as many as 100 or 150 individuals, and supposing the individuals proposed to be disfranchised should hereafter petition both houses of Parliament, and claim to be put upon their trial before they suffered the consequences of a conviction by law, how could the house refuse to hear them ? (Hear.) He challenged his learned friend opposite (the Attorney-General) to point out a single instance in the whole history of our Legislature in which any man sought to be disfranchssd by a bill in Parliament, except a bill of pains and penalties, where the person sou g ht t o b e pun i s h e d by that bill was not entitled to be heard with all the protec tion of the forms of a judicial prosecution. He could say, without fear of contradiction, that this was the single and unprecedented instance of a bill of pains and penalties against a great number of individuals who had never been put upon their trial, and had consequently had no oppor tunity of being heard in their defence. With regard to the act of Parliament itself, as he had been called upon, al though he did not think this a fit arena for arguments of this nature, he had no hesitation in stating his views. If the act of Parliament were a penal act, and were so to be construed, then he thought it was sufficiently ambiguous in its terms to entitle the persons convicted of the offence complained of to the indemnity insisted upon on that (the Opposition) side of the house. First of all, the actprovided that, upon evidence being given by any accused person, the persons so giving evidence should be protected and in demnified against actions, disabilities forfeitures, and a number of other pain s an d pena lties. If the act stopped there, no doubt, all such persons would have been fairly entitled to indemnity, but it went on to say that they should be indemnified from all penal pro secutions to which they might be liable or become sub ject at the suit of her Majesty or any other person. If the words, " at the suit of her Majesty or any other person," referred, as in ordinary grammatical construction they would, to the last antecedent—namely, to "all penal prosecutions to which he may become liable or subject," then the person giving evidence was indemnified from all pains and penalties whatsoever. But if, on the contrary, the final words overrode the entire sentence, then, no doubt, the construction insisted upon by the Attorney-General was the true construction. The act at any rate was suffi ciently ambiguous in its terms to entitle any man to say he had a fair reason to expect to be indemnified against pains and penalties. (Hear, hear.) But whatever might be the strict legal meaning of the act of Parliament, was it not in substance a direct violation of all honour and justice if these pains and penalties were inflicted? (Hear, hear.) If, instead of bribery, the offence had been the crime of high treason, and the parties had given evidenc e suffi cient to convict thews Ives of high treason, would it be proper for Parliament to step in and say, " We will not indict you for high treason, but we will bring in a bill of pains and penalties and inflict on you the punishment awarded to high treason, upon your own confession ?" In such a case, would not the parties thus visited be entitled to ask, " What is the meaning of your act of Parliament ?" The bill was nothing more nor less than a bill of pains and penalties, and a bill against any subj ec t o f th e rea l m, f or any offence whatever, ought to entitle that subject to be heard by counsel, and to undergo a trial with all the forms of law. (Cheers.) He considered the bill a delusion and a deception, and he thought he should not be charged with using too strong language when he characterised it as a frau I. (Cheers.) The parties who had given evidence before the commissioners had been led to believe, and had in fact been told, that they would not expose themselves to disfran chisement, and they therefore gave their evidence, under that assurance, freely, fully, and candidly. They were now, however, to be told that they would be liable to no action at law, and would suffer no action for pains and penalties, but that at the same time they would be punished in some other way, and would be disfranchised. (Hear, hear.) The house then divided : The numbers were— For the motion Against it llB Majority -71 Leave w as then given to introduce the bill. Mr. WALPOLE said, that after this division, he would not oppose the other bills of which the hon. and learned Attorney-General had given notice. On the motion of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL leave was then given to introduce bills for the prevention of bribery in the election of members to serve in Parliament for the boroughs of Cambridge, Barnstaple, Kingston-upon-Hull and Maldon. LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS. Mr. EWART obtained leave to bring iu a bill to amend and extend au act passed last session for enabling town councils to establish libraries and museums freely open to the public. A principal object of the bill was to extend to Ireland and Scotland the powers granted by the existing act with regard to the establishment of libraries and museums. Sir J. YOUNG obtained leave to bring in a bill to en able the Collector -General of Rates and Taxes in Dublin to levy money to repay a certain outlay by the corporation for preserving and improving the port of Dublin, in and about repairing the quay-wall of the river Liffey, and for the future repairs thereof. Sir J. YOUNG then moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend the Dublin Carriage Act. After a few words from Mr. WHITESIDE and Mr.VANcE leave was given to bring in the bill, which was read a first time. On the motion of Mr. MIIIIROUGH, returns were ordered of the names or short titles of all causes and suits, or other proceedings or matters relating to the distribution of cha ritable funds or bequests in the High Court of Chancery in England, to which her Majesty's Attorney-General has been made a party, either as plaintiff, defendant, peti tioner, or respondent, within the last five years ; together with the several amounts of all fees paid to her Majesty's Attorney-General in all such causes and matters during such five years ; stating the nature of the proceedings on which such fees have been paid ; also, (where practicable) the fund out of which, or the names of the parties to such suit or matters by whom such fees have been paid, or ordered to be paid, or are in fact payable. The house then adjourned at a quarter to 12 o'clock. Mr. WHITMORE has paired for a week with Lord 319NcK. Mr. BENTINOK p a i re d i n f avour o f t h e secon d rea d ing o f the Ministers' Money Bill with Mr. PHINN against. Mr. DUNNE was shut out on the division of Ministers' Money. - - LONDON AND SOUTH-EASTERN RAlLWAY.—Traffic re turn for the week ending March 18,1854 £14,298 3 6 Corresponding week last year 10,921 7 11 Increase in 1854 £3,376 15 7 SUSPECTED MURDER OF A WOMAN AND CHILD.-- Yesterday information was received by the police that the body of a female, apparently about thirty years of Age, had been found in the Regent's Canal, near the bridge in the Wharf-road, Islington. The body of the unfortunate woman has a deep wound over the left eye, and a severe cut on the cheek, and marks of violence on other parts of her body, leading to the inference that death was produced by violence. A leather money belt was found fastened round her waist, but there was nothing in it. The deceased is of dark complexion, clad in a blue gown with light spots. The body lies in Islington Dead-house, awaiting a coroner's inquest. The body of a male infant was taken out of the Serpen tine on Sunday. The child is about six months old, and clad in a black stuff frock, with three rows of braid at the bottom. No doubt exists that the child was de stroyed by drowning. It was taken to St. George's Workhouse for an inquest. [ADVERTISEMENT.)—The Earl of Aldborough and Holloway's Pills.—An astounding cure by this miracu lous medicine after every other means had failed. See extract from his lordship's letter, dated "Villa Messina, Leghorn, Feb. 21, 1845. To Professor Holloway. Sir—l beg to acquaint you that your pills have effected a cure of a disorder in my liver and stomach, which all the most eminent of the faculty at home and all over the Continent had not been able to effect —nay, not even the waters of Carlsbad or Marienbad. (Signed) Ald borough." These wonderful pills will cure any disorders of the liver or stomach.—Sold (also Holloway's oint ment) at Prosessor Holloway's Establishment, 244, Strand, London, and by all triedicine•vendere through- . out the world, .c_ .. ~_..._.. i , . j , . * x. (THIS DAY.) SWEEPSTAKES. Census Flageolet Eight ran. WOODCOTE STAKES Despised Three ran. FREE HANDICAP. Alonso Florist Battery Six ran. WARWICK RACES. (BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.) flourtbVZbtftlon SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock. WARWICK RACES. (Tins DAY.) (BY ELECTRIC . ' TELEGRAPH.) TRIAL STAKES. Orestes.. Bourton .. Ethel wulf Sailor WILLOUGHBY HANDICAP. 4 Eiv,ht ran. FARMER'S PLATE. Won first heat easy. LATEST BETTING. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STAKES. 4to 1 agst Defiance (offered). Bto 1 agst Lamprocles (taken). 14 to 1 agst Little Jem (taken). 14 to 1 agst El Dorado (taken). 14 to 1 agst Brother to Little Swift (taken: 14 to 1 agst Mr. Sykes. 14 to 1 agst St. Faith. 25 to 1 agst Diemedia. METROPOLITAN STAKES. 7to 1 agst Jonathan Martin (taken). DERBY. 7to 1 agst Autocrat (taken). 7to 1 agst King Torn (offered). 9to 1 agst Dervish (taken). 16 to 1 agst Wild Huntsman (taken.) 22 to 1 agst Marsyas (taken). 50 to 1 agst Old Noll (taken). IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF LORDS-(THIS EVENING, The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at five o'clock. The Marquis of BREADALBANE presented peti tions from the Haddington burghs, and other places in Scotland, against the endowment of Roman Catholic chaplains to prisons. The Earl of CLANCARTY called attention to a case at the last Armagh assizes, in which two men were charged with the brutal murder of a man named Wilson, but in consequence of a compromise on the part of the counsel who appeared for the Crown, were only found guilty of manslaughter, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. He thought the case called for some ex planation by the Government. He gave notice that, on this day fortnight, he should move for copies of the in dictment and the conviction of the two prisoners. SEAMEN FOR THE BALTIC FLEET. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH inquired whether it was true as announced in the newspapers, that the Go• vernment intended to engage able seamen for the Baltic fleet for a certain ; and if so. at what wages? The Earl of ABERDEEN was understood to reply that the Government did propose to accept seamen for one year's service, and at a rate of wages exactly the same as if engaged for five years certain. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH pointed out the in convenience of their term of service expiring precisely at the moment when they would be required next year, and when they would, if again wanted, be able to make their own terms with the Government. He likewise complained of the coastguard on board the fleet being paid 2/. a week more than the able-bodied seamen. The Earl of ABERDEEN said the experiment was, undoubtedly a novel one, but as it had oily been re solved upon within the last forty-eight hours, it was pre mature to discuss its propriety now. It was thought that seamen would be more ready to engage for one than five years ; but at the same time, when fairly entered upon such service, it was not at all unlikely that they would continue in it. The experiment, in Is opinion was well worth attempting, and he hoped it would be more successful th an the noble lord antics pated. (Hear, hear.) FRAUDS UPON THE COMMISSARIAT. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH referred to a letter in a morning journal stating that a person who had contracted to supply hay for the cavalry horses intended for the East, had been guilty of a gross fraud, by filling the inside of the trusses with shavings, rotten straw, and other materials, and in quired whether, if the statement were true, the Govern ment intended to inflict any punishment upon the individual. The Duke of NEWCASTLE said he was sorry and ashamed to state that the facts mentioned by the noble earl were substantially correct, with the exception that the fraud had been detected by the Government officers, and not, as alleged, by the man's servant " splitting," and telling the truth. He was afraid the law did not, apply to the case, but he had communicated with the So licitor of the Treasury with reference to it ; and consider ing the flagrant nature of the offence, and the serious consequences which might have resulted from it, if not discovered, the Government would deal with the offender with the utmost severity which the law allowed. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH thought if the law did not meet the case it might so be alte ed without de . _ After a few words from Lord BROUGHAM', The Earl of DERBY trusted that the Government would not hesitate to divulge the name of the party, in order that he might be laid open to public execration. The Duke of NEWCASTLE hoped the Government would be able to inflict upon him a more serious punish ment than the publication of his name. The Earl of MALMESBURY also urged upon the Government the propriety of mentioning the name of the individual. The Duke of NEWCASTLE said the name of the party was Sturges. The subject then dropped. The Valuation (Ireland) Act Amendment Bill was read a second time. The following bills were read a third time and passed : The Mutiny Bill, the Marine Mutiny Bill, the Exche quer Bills (1,750,0001.) Bill, the Commons Inclosure Bill. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(THIS EVENING.) The SPEAKER took the chair at 4 o'clock. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a third time and passed : —Liverpool Police Superannuation Fund, Scarborough Market, Warrington Improvement and Market. The following bills were considered and agreed to : Kingston-upon-Hull Docks, Nottingham Waterworks, Rossendale Waterworks. The Stourbridge Waterworks Bill was read a second time and ordered to be committed. On the motion for the second reading of the Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia Railway Bill, Mr. BO UVERIE moved that the bill be read a second time this day six months. After a brief discussion, the amendment was agreed to and the bill thrown out. PETITIONS. Mr. J. G. PHILLIMORE presented a petition from Sir George Brown, praying that in the event of a public prosecutor being appointed, he may have power to deal with offences against joint-stock companies. DUNGARVON ELECTION. Sir G. GREY brought up the report of the General Committee of Elections appointing the following com mittee to try the merits of the petition complaining of an undue return for the borough of Dungarvon :—Mr. J. Bailey, Hon. Henry Brand, Capt. Gladstone, Mr. W. P. Price, and Mr. Napier (chairman). PROTESTANT CHURCH IN PARIS. On the motion of Mr. WISE, the following return was ordered :—"Address for copies or extracts of the correspondence which passed between the Foreign office, the late Lord Granville, and the late Bishop Lus combe, rel a ti ng to and preceding the erection by the latter, at his own expense, of the episcopal church at Paris, and t o th e use of the same by the British Ambas sador for a period of 17 years, free of any expense either to the Government- or the ambassadors. Of all correspondence, or extract of the same, between the late ambassador at Paris, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, and the Rev. William Chamier, re specting the use of Mr. Chamier's episcopal church by the British embassy, or of any right thereto claimed by the ambassador, or relating to the circumstances which determined the ambassador to discontinue his attend ance at that church, and to recommend the use of the ball-room, and subsequently the dining-room, as places of worship, and an account of the expenses created thereby or relating thereto. Of the nomination of the present chaplain to the British embassy at Paris, and of all correspondence between the Foreign-office and the ambassador, showing the necessity for such appoint ment after the lapse of four years during which time the duties of divine public service was per formed without any expense to the Government. Of any information communicated by the present - - ambassador as to the number of British families residing at Paris, and to the existing accommodation in the churches and chapels of the Church of England already erected there fur the use of English residents and visitor s ; DA ; of any correspondence that has taken place with the present ambassador at Paris, relative to the erection of a projected church in that city, or in relation to the subscription for that purpose ; and also of any report made in reference to the proposed church ; and the site thereof, to the Foreign Department or to the Board of Works." UNIVERSITY OF DUBLIN. Mr. FAGAN gave notice that this day fortnight he should move for leave to bring in a bill to improve and extend the University of Dublin. BALTIC FLEET. Colonel HERBERT asked the First Lord of the Ad, miralty whether a n official notice in the Ti mes o f Satur day, relative to the rate of postage of letters for oficera of the Baltic fleet, is correct ; and, if so, whether Go vernment are prepared to reduce such charge when the mails are conveyed in her Majesty's ships of war com missioned as such. Sir J. GRAHAM said the subject was now under consideration, and he was in hopes that a considerable reduction would be made in the postage. TROOPS FOR THE EAST. Colonel BLAIR asked the Prst Lord of the Admiralty whether there is any foundation for the report which has appeared in the public journals, stating that a gross fraud has been practiced in the forage contract for horses going to the East ; and if it be true, whether the Government have any power to inflict punishment on the offending parties further than by the loss of their cotract. Sir J. GRAHAM said such a fraud was attempted but not completed. Colonel BLAIR asked if the party guilty of the at tempt would be punished. Sir J. GRAHAM said the Government had no power to punish beyond cancelling the contract. TOWN AND COUNTY POLICE. Mr. FITZROY gave notice that on an early day the noble lord at the head of the Home Department would move for leave to bring in a bill to improve the system of police in the counties and boroughs of England and Wales. MILITARY KNIGHTS OF WINDSOR. Mr. GRENFELL moved an address to her Majesty, that she will be graciously pleased forthwith to direct the Lieutenant and Chancellor of the Most Noble Mili tary Order of St. George and the Garter to take the necessary steps for the due appropriation of the rents and profits, called "The New Dotation, 'granted by the three existing Crown grants of the 4th day of August, 1547, the 7th day of Oct., 1547, and the 30th day of Aug., 1559, for the maintenance and other exigencies of the Military Knights of Windsor, as established by the two acts of Parliament 39th and 40th Elizabeth, c. 9, and Ist James, c. 31, and further established by the act 3d and 4th Vic., c. 113. The Dean and Chapter of Wind sor held these lands in trust for the Military Knights, but, instead of appropriating the whole of the rents to the use of the Military Knights, they simply paid them ls. a day each, and applied the rest to their own private purposes. Now that was most unjust, and he therefore called upon the house to take the step that he proposed for investigating the claims of the military knights which were based upon a deed bearing date the 4tti of August ; 1547. These clauses had been recognised by the highest lawyers of the day, and be trusted the house would not refuse to grant an immediate inquiry into the subject. kr. FITZROY said he had requested the hon. m em ber to postpone his motion in consequence of the absence of his noble friend (Lord Palmerston) from indisposi tion. As the hon. member had not done so, he mus t ask the house to support him in moving for the adjourn ment of the debate. Mr. HUME said it was now nearly eighteen years ago since he first endeavoured to bring the sub ject before the house, and though he had been promised an inquiry by successive Governments none had ever taken place. He should, however, on the present occa sion advise his hon. friend to postpone his question at present. (Hear, hear.) .After a few observations from Mr. Labouchere, Col. North, and Col. Dunne, Mr. GRENFELL said he would be most happy to accede to the adjournment, but he hoped that Govern ment would consent to its coming on on an early day. The debate was then adjourned to Friday next. CARLISLE CANONRIES. Mr. FERGUSON moved for leave to bring in a bill to appropriate the income of such one of the canonries of the Cathedral Church of Carlisle as shall next tall vacant, to the augmentation of certain ecclesiastical in cumbencies in that city. Mr. T. CHAMBERS seconded the motion. Mr. CARDWELL said it was not his intention to oppose the introduction of the bill. He bad only to say, first, this was a local bill for putting Carlisle on a diffe rent footing from other cathedral cities, therefore if the house were to sanction this bill it would be putting Carlisle on a peculiar footing, and as the Capitular Commission were about to present their report to the house he hoped the house would at present suspend their judgment on the question for the present. Leave was then given to bring in the bill. BANKRUPTCY (IRELAND). Mr. CAIRNS moved for leave to bring in a bill to amend and consolidate the law of bankruptcy in Ireland. The motion having been seconded, The SOLICITOR-GENERAL fur IRELAND said there could be no objection to the introduction of such a bill, and he should be most happy to give every facility in his power to it. Leave was then given to bring in the bill. AGREEMENT STAMPS. On the motion of Mr. JACKSON, a return was or dered of all the agreement stamps issued by the Stamp office in the years 1852 and 1853, distinguishing the 2s. 6d. stamps from the others, was ordered. WAYS AND MEANS. On bringing up the report on ways and means, Sir H. WILLOUGHBY rose to move an amendment, as he had considerable doubt whether any case had been made out for the imposition of an addition to the income tax. The amendment he now proposed to bring before the house was to move the omission in the resolution of the words, "and that the whole amount of the said additional duties shall be collected and paid with and over and above the first moiety of the duties assessed or charged by virtue of the said act, for the year aforesaid." He urged that there was no apparent reason for this addi tion to the income tax shown by the right hon. gentleman (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) when he made his financial statement to the house. It was quite clear this claim would not have been made on the income tax-payers if there bad not been some extraordinary pres sure to reduce the balances in the Exchequer. It was im possible the house could agree to such an addition to the income tax without kno wing exactly what is the state of our financial resources. Last year the right hon. gentleman determined to deal with the 31 per Cents., and he believed the right hon. gentleman had to pay 4,500,0001. out of the balances to meet the deficiency caused by that measure. (LEFT SPEAKING) THE LONDON GAZETTE. (THIS EVENING.) WHITEHALL, MARCH 20. The Queen has been pleased to present the Reverend James Gunn to the church and parish of Creich, in the presbytery of Dornoch and county of Sutherland, vacant by the death of the Reverend Murdo Cameron. FOREIGN-OFFICE, MARCH 21. The Queen has been pleased to approve of Mr. Charles Stoss as Consul at Liverpool for the Free City of Frankfort. The Queen has been pleased to approve of Mr. Emile Nolting as Consul at Manchester for the Republic of Ve nezuela. TREASURY WARRANT. By virtue of the Acts 16 and 17 Vict., caps. 23 and 132, and the Treasury Warrants, dated respectively 22d July and 23d December, 1853, and published in the Gazettes of the 19th August and 30th December following. These are to authorise and require you to cause Exchequer Bonds and Certificates attached thereto, marked letter C, and prepared according to the regulations prescribed in the aforesaid mentioned warrant of 22d July, 1853, for the aggregate amount of five thousand pounds, being for the commutation of the following amount of stocks—viz., 1,700/. 3/. per centum Reduced Annuities, and 3,3001. Old South Sea Annuities, the said Bonds to be issued immedi ately after the sth April next to the Governor and Com pany of the Bank of England, or to the South Sea Com pany, on behalf of the parties commuting the said Stocks. The Scrip of all such Bonds shall be in the following words, that is to say : —No.—Exchequer Bond --100/. By virtue of the Acts in the session holden in the 16th and 17th years of her Majesty Queen Victoria, chapters 23 and 132, and of a Treasury Warrant, bearing date the 16th March, 1854. _ This Bond entitles the bearer to 1001., carrying interest at the rate of 21. 15s. per centum per annum, payable half yearly on the Ist day of September, and Ist day of March, from the date hereof, up to the Ist day of September, 1864, inclusive, and thenceforth at the rate of 21. 10s. per centum per annum, payable half-yearly in like manner, until and including the Ist day of S ep t em b er, 1894 . and thereafter is subject to redemption, on payment of such principal sum ofloo/., at the option of the Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury, so soon as Parliament shall have made due pro vision in respect thereof, and, until such redemption, such prinApal sum of 1001. will continue to carry interest at the said rate of 21. 104. per centum per annum. The se veral sums in respect of interest mentioned in the annexed certificates are transferable by delivery of such respective certificates, and will be payable to the persons producing and delivering the same at the Bank of England. Dated at the Exchequer, at Westminster, this 6th of April, 1854. • N.B.—The cheques must not be cut off. Signed in the I presence of The Certificates for Interest shall be in the words or to the effect following ; that is to say : £m - . Interest Certificate on_Bschequer Bond for 1001, per Act 16 Vict. Reg., cap 23. This certificate entitles the - bearer to interest, at per centum, per annum, payable at the Bank of England, for a half year ending -- 18—, MONTEAGLE, Comptroller-General. The interest payable shall be for the following amounts, and shall be contained in the certificate! respectively ; that is to say : From April 6, inds 1854, to tiept. For each subse quent half year to Sept. I, 1864, at the rate )f 214 per centum per annum. For each subsequent half year, from iept. 1, 1864. up to and including Sept. 1, 1894. at the rate of 21. 10s. per cen turn per annum. 1, ISA, at the for rate of 2% per cent= per MI , annum. £ s. d. 1 2 3 £ s. d. 1 7 6 £ s. d. 1 5 0 And the said bonus are to be issued according to such notifications as shall be signified to you from time to time by our order. Whitehall, Treasury-chambers, this 16th day of March, 1854. ELCFIO. ALFRED HERVEY. To the Comptroller-General of her Majesty's Exchequer. OFFICE OF ORDNANCE, MARCH, 18. MEMORANDUM. Royal Regiment of Artillery—Erratum in the Gazette of Feb. 17—For First Lieutenant John Low rance " Boniton" to be Second Captain, vice Fitz Roy, read, First Lieutenant John Lowrance " Bolton." COMMISSION SIGNED BY THE QUEEN. Ist Regiment Royal Surrey Militia—Peter Mc Donald, Esq to be Adjutant, vice Captain Austen, resigned. COMMISSIONS SIGNED BY LORD LIEUTENANTS. County of Lancaster—Henry Holden, Esq., to be Deputy Lieutenant, March 11. Warwickshire Militia, 2d Regiment—Hall Plumer Cham berlain, Esq., lat Captain of 3d Foot, to be Captain ; Henry Upton Clements, Gent., to be Lieutenant, March 7. Eastern Regiment of Suffolk Militia (Artillery Corps)— Richard Hillman Daniel, Gent., to be Lieutenant, March 11. Ist Regiment of Royal Cheshire Militia—Thomas Henry Lyon, Esq., to be Captain, March 16. Roval North Gloucester Regiment of Militia—Robert Beckles Hunte, Gent., to be Ensign, vice Hiedman, pro moted, March 17. The Lord Chancellor his appointed the following gentle men to be Commissioners for administering oaths in the High Court of Chancery : Richard Hart, Austin-friars, City. Hugh William Elcum, Bedford-row, Holborn. William Hugh Dennett, Worthing. Sussex. Charles James Graham, Plowden-buildings, Middle Temple. John James Andrew, White Hart-court, Lombard et. Ambrose Evans Nash, Bristol. Charles Burrows, Lawrence-lane, City. Charles Francis, Austin-friars, City. John Frederick William Fesenmeyer, Bedford -row. John Dangertield, Craven-street, Charing-cross. Frederick Clark, Snaith, Lincolnshire. John Hellyer Tozer, Teignmouth, Devonshire. BANKRUPTCIES ANNULLED_ _ _ John Single, builder, Poplar. James Fielding, cotton spinner, Derby. BANKRUPTS. Joseph Seager, draper, Ramsgate, to surrender, March 31, and May 5, at one o'clock, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Whitmore, official assignee, Basinghall•street; Reel, Lang ford, and Marsden, Cheapside ; Sale, Worthington, and Shipman, Manchester. George Havelock and Matthew Benjamin Robson, ship builders, Monkwearmouth, March 31 and April 27, at twelve, at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne District Court. Baker, official assignee ; Pringle, Sham, Wilson, and Cross man, King's-road, Bedford-row ; Kidson and Dixon, Sun derland. Isaac Steane, ribbon manufacturer, Coventry, April 5, and 27, at twelve, at the Birmingham District Court. Whitmore, official assignee, Birmingham ; Dawes and Son, Coventry ; Motteram and Knight, Birmingham. Joseph Waddington, shoe maker, Knottingley, York, April 3, at eleven, and May 1, at twelve, at the Leeds District Court. Hope, official assignee, Leeds ; Horner, Pontefract ; Bond and Barwick, Leeds. Frederick Shove, grocer and cheesemonger, Eltham, Kent, April 4 at one, and May 2 at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Stansfeld, official assignee ; Long, Black friars-road. Peter Emery, licensed victualler, Brighton, April 1, at twelve, and May 13, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Pennell, official assignee, Guildhall-chambers ; Baron and Clarke, Bloomsbury-square. William Crawshaw, draper, York, April 3, at twelve, and May 1, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Hope, official assignee, Leeds ; Hampso n an d S ons , M anc h es t er . Henry Charles Palmer, retail hatter, Borough, March 30, at twelve, and April 27, at eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Johnson, official assignee, Basinghall-street; Pulman, Bucklersbury. Charles Edward Reinhard, cement merchant, Rochester, March 30, at eleven, and May 4, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Johnson, Official assignee, Basinghall street ; Stronghill, Coleman-street. Simon Stevens, builder, Pimlico, April 4, at two, and May 2, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Official as signee; Pike, Old Bui lington-street. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS. James M'Dougall, drysatter, Glasgow. Counal Macaulay, clothier, Greenock. COURSE OF EXCHANGE—THIS DAY. Amsterdam . • .... 11 13 Gibraltar .............. Ditto, three months .. 11 15% ueghorn .............. 30 65 Rotterdam ...... • • .... 11 15% Genoa •••• • • • • 25 57% Antwerp .............. 25 20 Milan •••• • • • • Brussels .............. • 25 20 Venice Hamburgh ............ 13 5 Naples ........••...........•• • • . 42% Altona ............ •• • • Palermo ..............12 Pari5.......... ••• • • .25 0 idessina ..... 126% Ditto, three months • • 25 30 Lisbon 5? • • .... 25 30 Oporto •............. •.. 53% Bourdeaux .......• Rio Janeiro Frankfort-on-Maine .... 118% B uenos A yres.. • Berlin . .............. New York, 60 days'• sight Vienna ......... •••. • .. 13 24 Philadelphia .......... "friesto ....... •. ••••.. 13 25 PRICES OF BULLION, PER 07, Petersburgh.....• •• 'Foreicfn Gold 'll Bars 117 9 Madrid ................ 50 'Portugal Gold Coin .. 0 0 Cadiz 50% Mexietm Dollars 0 5 0% Barcelona...—. New ..... 0 Seville ............•_. 'Silver in bars ...... u 5 1% MUIiD AND surf N AT BIRM I NGIIAM. BIRMINGEEA3I, Saturday.—Murder and suicide seem ;o have become epidemic in this locality. Within the ast few days three persons have been murdered, and the life of another is placed in imminent p3ril. Scarcely had the excitement caused by these occurrences subsided, when the pubic were shocked by rumours of a still more sad and frightful tragedy, which was unfortunately too well founded. The scene of this second mur ler and suicide is in Lis ter-square, G; eat Lister-street—a small court of houses situated near St. Matthew's Church. In one of these houses resided Mrs. Speak, the widow of a band master, who died while with his regiment in Gibraltar some time ago. Her son, Samuel Speak, a youth of little more than 20 years of age, resided with her—both, in fact, living with her brothers, Messrs. John and Thomas Dodd. It was this poor woman and her son who were almost in stantaneously hurried into eternity yesterday morning. llt appears that the youth Speak got up very early and went to his cousin, John Dodd, a pistol finisher, employed at Mr. Ditieley's Whittal-street. While there he produced a pistol which he had borrowed from a com panion on the previous day while they were out shootinr, about Aston, an d w i s h ed to cast some bullets in a mould. ' He found, however, that the mould would not fit the pistol —an ordinary pocket pistol—and thereupon he cut up some lead into slugs and went away, saying, " Now I'll go and have a good shot; there is some good waste ground near our house. Nothing particular was observed about him then, and shortly afterwards he arrived at home. There he had breakfast with his mother, one of his uncles, a niece, and his grandmother, and every thing went on as usual. At length Mr. J. Dodd went to work (Mr. T. Dodd, having a rheumatic affection, was lying ill in bed in the attic). His grandmother then went out, after he had assured her he was going to work immediately, and no one was left in the room but his unfort:mate mother and his cousin, Mary Dodd. That young person, however, also withdrew into a small pantry adjoining the sitting-room, leaving the door open, and the youth Speak standing conversing with his mother. She had scarcely left the apartment when she heard the report of a pistol ; instantly the place was full of smoke, and in a moment after, when she rushed into the room, she saw her aunt falling from her chair, covered with blood. The youth Speak was standing close beside her. " Oh ! Sam," cried the girl, " what are you doing ?" but he made no reply. He merely turned and looked at her for a moment, and ran up stairs. The girl on proceeding to her aunt's assistance found her lying on the floor, with a stream of blood flowing from a frightful wound in her head. She screamed in alarm, and her cries having been heard by Mr. G. F. Dodd, a relative, who resides in the house opposite, he immediately ran to her assi s t ance , w h en h i s brother, Mr Thomas Dodd, descended from the attic, having been alarmed by the report of the pistol. Before, however, he got to the bottom of the stairs another report of fire arms was heard, and on the bewildered relatives pro ceeding to the front bedroom on the second floor, they found the unhappy youth who had murdered his mother lying dead by the side of the bed, shot through the head by his own hand. Intelligence of the frightful event spread with amazing rapidity and in a few minutes Mr. Yellowley, surgeon, and Mr. Davis, surgeon, had been sent for, and arrived without delay, Their services, however,were of no avail. Both the mother and her son were dead. In both cases death must have been instantaneous. The youth mu s t have placed the pistol close to the right ear of his un fortunate parent, and thus blown out her brains. The wound is of considerable extent, part of the skull being blown away and shattered. The pistol he must have had concealed in his pocket, as no one saw it until after the fatal deed had been committed. After terminating the existence of his mother, who never spoke one word, the youth seems to have proceeded t o his bedcha,rnber, reloaded the weapon, and, sitting down upon the edge of the bed, put the muzzle of th e p i stol to his right temple, and, pulling the trigger, lodged several slugs in his head. He could not have lived for one moment after. The weapon with which th e f atal act was perpe trated was found lying by the body on the floor. The youth Samuel Speak, as we have said, was little more than 20 years of age. He was a gun engraver, and had been employed up to Christmas by his uncle, Mr. G. F. Dodd, Sand-street, and since then by Mr. Lewis, engraver, Lench-street. He is represented to us as being a quiet, sober, steady youth, but "never reck oned over sharp." There are various rumours as to the cause of this awful tragedy ; but of course it would be impossible to attach any importance to them. It is charitable to infer that such a crime could only be the result of madness ; and in confirmation of this view of the subject it is stated that shortness of work lately had preyed on a mind even at the best of times none of the strongest ; and that the fear of seeing his mother re duced to want had led to its commission. The unfortu nate woman was about 50 years of age, and was respect ably connected. SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. NOTICE TO MARINERS. NEW BEACON O) KJODVIG FJELDET, THE N. E. POINT OF THE ISLAND OF 501 W. A Beacon has been erected on Kjodvigfjeldt (the moun tain of Kjodvig) on the north-east point of the Island of Soro, at the northern entrance to Hammerfest. This bea con is 24 feet broad at the base, and 32 feet high, the last 12 feet on the top formed in steps, it is of a dark colour, and its largest side is towards the N.W. (true). It is situated in lat. 70 52 N., long. 23 214 E of Greenwich. The feet of the beacon is 940 feet above the mean of high and low water, and it can be seen at the distance of 20 English miles. Christiania Posen, Dec. 31, 1853. AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING. MELBOURNE.—Arrived the Dolphin, Dec. 3, from Box on ; Gazelle, Scilly; Alexander, Mauritius; 9110013 1 LOD- don ; Fame, Glasgow ; Lieut. A. Stillingwarf, Batavia; Maria Cbarlotta, Hong Bong; Twee Godpied s , 4th, Lori don ; St. M ar ti n , sth, L on d on ; Dispatch,Liverpool; Coila, Albany ; Providence, Bordeaux ; Lady Harvey, Bombay ; Siroc, Boston ; Industry, Liverpool ; Aberfoyle, London ; Eliza, Singapore ; Raveuscraig, Leith; Bet mondsey, London ; Henry the Fourth, Reunion; Pilgrim, Algoa Bay ; Hydroose, 6th, Bombay and the Mauritiui; Hindoo, New York; Alfred, Hamburg; Misses Claudine, William and Jane, Banca, and Launceston, London ; Banner, Bristol ; Reliance, Hobart Town ; Vivid, 7th, Glasgow ; Saladin, London; Adolphus, Bth, Liverpool ; Strive and Persia, London ; Ringdove, Liverpool and Bahia ; Henry Woolley, London; Ocean Wave, Boston ; Rob Roy, 9th, Greenock; Oriental, 10th, London ; Elizabeth Wilthew, Newcastle ; Emily Milner, 11th, San Francisco; Esther, 12th, from Chatham Islands, with part of the crew of the Randolph (wrecked); Lyra, 13th, Glasgow ; Nelson, 14th, Hartlepool ; Orestes, Adelaide ; Herculean, 15th, Liverpool ; Marquis o f Bute, London ; the Suffinatoola, Bombay: and the Alin, Ade laide. Sail e d th e A us t ra li a and Ann Hood, Deis. 4, to Callao; Speculation, Bth, Madras ; Mid-Lothian, Singa pore ; Rialto, 7th, Mauritius ; Anglesey, Sydney ; Baron of Bramber, Mauritius ; Pondicherry, to Pondicherry ; Thane of Fyfe, 11th, Hobart Town ; United, 12th, Laun ceston. NEW YORK, March 3.—J. J. Hathorn, from Liverpool to Philadelphia, ran ashore on Hamburg Flats, in the De leware, with a pilot on board, Feb 27, and remained, dis charging her cargo into lighters ; neither vessel nor cargo had received much damage, and she was expected to float next day, at high' water. The Gladiator, cleared at Bal timore, Feb. 18, for Liverpool, but put back 28th, with some injury to her upper w3rks, having been in contact in the bay with the Appleton, from Boston to Baltimore, she will be obliged to discharge some of her cargo, to repair. The Alhina, from Wilmington to Liverpool, put back Feb. 29, leaky. HARWICH, March 18.—The Gezina Hendrika, from Oporto to Ipswich, Newcastle, and Leith, encountered severe weather on the passage, and had pumps choked and rive feet water in the hold, which was -übsequently re duced to two feet, and having temporarily stopped the leaks, reached Ipswich on the 11th inst., where she dis charged part of the cargo, and is now repairing. INVERNESS, March 16.- Intelligence was received at Leith, on Thursday, from Rotterdam, of the arrival -at that port of Captain Currie, of the Dolphin, from Aber dour to Stromuess, which was abandoned on the sth of February, in hit. 50, long. 2, in a very leaky state, by all her crew, excepting himself.—(See paragraph, llth and 12th February). DINGLE, March 17.—The Hercules (brig). of and from Havre, for Senegal, was abandoned Feb. 18, oft Sybil Head, on this coast—crew saved. WESTPORT, March 18.—The Flor stated to be bound to Cork, was brought in here yesterday, a derelict, having been abandoned the previous day to a crow of Innista,nk men, her own crew landing on the island. From the damaged state of the ship and cargo, the latter is recom mended to be disc- arged. BRISTOL, March 20.—Wind E. Sailed the Ajax for Trinidad. The Island Lady, from Bristol, has arrived at Melbourne. HONG-KONG, Jan. 21.—The Wilhelmsburg sailed hence for San Francisco, on the 19th inst., and put back yester day, with rudder broken, having struck upon a rock. The Golden (a), in leaving San Diego harbour, grounded on a quicksand bar and remained, and a sudden storm springing up the aid then available could not take her off; assistance was sent to her from San Francisco, and she was got off, it is believed, much damaged, and has gone to San Francisco to repair. The S. J. Roberts, from Marseilles to this port, which went ashore on Aancom beach Feb. 20, was going to pieces on the 27th, and her cargo is washing ashore. The Atar Gull (Tuscan brig), which sailed from Boston Sept. 14 for Leghorn, with wheat, &c., has been lost on the coast of France or Spain. VESSELS SPOKEN WITH. The Westbrook, from London to Ceylon, Dec. 22, lat 19 S., long. 22 E. The Susannah, from Christina, March 11, lat. 46 N., long. 12 W. The Phenicien, bound west, the same day. The George William, bound to Arracan, Dec. 25, lat 3 N., long. 94 E. The Bernhard Castle of Exeter, March 18, 20 miles N.E. of the Start. COUNTRY MARKETS. CHELMSFORD—MAR off 17. There was a large supply of wheat on offer to-day, and the millers and factors not being disposed to purchase ex cept on lower terms, very little business was transacted. In the sales effected a reduction of fully 2s to 3s per qr. took place. Barley Isto 2s cheaper. Beans and peas a dull sale. Oats the turn dearer. Prices to-day were as follow :—Wheat, white, old 638 to to 83s Od, new 688 to 83s ; red, old 56s to 78s, new 59s to 78s ; barley, 28s to 36s ; chevalier, 34s to 39s ; grindinir, 21s to 308 ; malt, 61s to 65s ; chevalier, 64s to 70s ; oats, 23s to 29s ; peas, partridge, 4.► s to 45s ; white, 48s to 5Js boiling s's to 61s ; dun, new, 408 to 43s ; beans, tick, 391 to 41s ; Harrow ticks, 37s to 43s ; Mazagan, 37s to 4Cs. COLCHESTER -MARCH 18. The supply of wheat moderate. Sales could only be made to necessitous buyers at 3. to 4. per qr. under last week's prices. Barley was also is to 2s per qr. cheaper. The same remark applies to beans and peas. Prices to-d ty were as follow :—Wheat, white, 763 to 806 red, 72s to 76s ; barley, 36 s t o 38 s ; oa t s, 28. to 30s : beans, Mangan, 36s to 3.38 ; middle and small, 38. to 44s ; peas, white, 56. to 60s ; grey, 38s to 44.. Official Statement of the Quantities of Corn in the port of London, from the follow in the 13th to the !Bth March, both inclusivq , &c., received ig ports, from 4 i c °A I al 4 149 29 '741( - ' 658 60 196 - I 278 30 - - 828 i 368, 350 - Colchester Harwich Leigh Maldou - 10 15 31 62 10 587) 14; KIRKCALDY —MARCH 18. Here, today, we had a large supply of oats, but rather small of both barley and wheat. Sales quick for barley, and prices 6d per qr. in favour of sellers. Oats sold very readily, but in some instances were 6d per qr. cheaper. Wheat was fully as dear as last week. Wheat. Barley. Oats. I Beans. I First Second Third 64s Oct 33s Od 25s Od I Os Od Oatmeal, per bag of 2801bs imperial, 44s Od to 00s Od. :T.—MARCH 20. he close of the market : ! Wallsend, &c. FL d. Efetton 2O 6 Haswell 2i) 6 Lam bton 19 0 Peusher lB 6 itewart's 2O 6 Whitwell lB 6 Plummer l9 9 Cassop l9 6 Eleugh Hall 19 0 south Kelloe 19 0 Whitworth lB 6 Pees 2O 3 Cowpen Derwentwater Hartley 19 6 Grey's West Hartley l9 0 COAL MARK Prices of Coal per ton at ti s. d. Bate's West Hartley 19 0 Cookson's Hartley lB 6 Carr's Hartley 2O Davison's West Hartley 19 6 Hasting's Hartley l9 0 Ravensworth Hartley l9 6 Taufield Moor l7 Taufield Moor Butes 17 C Walker Primrose .._ 16 6 West Hartley . l9 6 Wylam. lB 0 _ Wallsend, &c. Gosforth lB t; Harton lB 6 Lawson lB e Bell's Primrose 16 0 Eden Main [ADVERTISEMENT.]—SI GHT AND HEARING. —39, Albemarle-street, Piccadilly. Observe—opposite the York Hotel. The Royal Exhibition. - A valuable, newly invented, very small powerful waistcoat-pocket glass, the size of a walnut, by which a person can be seen and known one mile and a half distant ; they answer every purpose on the race-course, at the opera houses, country scenery, an d s hi ps are c l ear l y seen at 12 to 14 miles. They are invaluable for shooting, deer stalking, yachting, to sportsmen, gentlemen, gamekeepers, and tourists. Telescopes —A new and most important invention in telescopes, possessing such extraordinary powers that some, 3} inches, with an extra eye-piece, will show distinctly upiter's moons, Saturn's ring, and the double stars ; with the same telescope, weighing only 3 ounces, can be seen a person's countenance three miles and a half distant, and an object from 16 to 20 miles. They supersede every other kind fir the waistcoat-pocket. and are of larger and all sizes, with increasing powers accordingly. Opera and race-course glasses, with wonderful power; an abject can be clearly seen, from 14 to 16 miles distant. Messrs. S. and B. &lemons, opticians, have in vented invaluable preserving spectacle lenses. Imme diately they are placed before imperfect vision, every object appears clear and distinct ; the most aged, de fective sight becomes bright and brilliant, is brought to its youthful, natural, and original state. Deaf. ness New Discovery—The Organic Vibrator, an ex traordinary powerful and newly-invented instrument, for Deafness, entirely different from a ll others, to surpass anything of the kind that has been or pro bably ever can be, produced. Being of the same colour as the skin, it is not perceptible ; it enables deaf persons to hear distinctly at church and at public as. semblies ; the unpleasant sensation of singing noises in the ears is entirely removed ; and it affords all the assist. ance that possibly cou ld b e desired.—S. and B. S o l omons, Aurists and Opticians, 39, Albemarla-gtreet, Piccadilly. Observe, opposite the York Hotel. GIRTHS. OF A SON. On the 20th inst., at 81, Piccadilly, the Lady Catherine Carnegie. squ O a u re. thel9th inst., Mrs. S. Begg, at 31, Meeklenburgh- OF A DAUGHTER. In Eaton-square, on the 19th inst., the Viscountess Enfield. On 19th inst.. at Peiry-bill, Sydenham, Rent, the wife of Henry James Brown, Esq. MARRIED. K On ent-th e 17t to h inst., Mr. R . F . Rill, of Oakley-terrace, Old d, Maria, youngest daughter of Mr. Thomas Osborne, of Great Newport-street, Leicester-square. On the 18th in s t. , at St. James's Church, Gravesend, Charles Willi am Price, Esq., of Lee•pl ace , L eo , K ent, to Alice, youngest daughter of J. Baker, Esq., of Darnley road. DIED. On the 19th inst. at Ashford, Kent, in the 81 s t y ear o f his age, George Rule, Esq., formerly of Guilford-street, Russell-square London. On the 19th inst., at Princess st ree t, Mil e - en d , Mr. Peter Redfo r d , aged 87. On the 19th inst., at 26, Queen's-road, Bayswater, Miss Harriett Bolton, in her 81st year. On the 2oth inst., on board H. M. S. Bosoawen, Lieu tenant Lord Gilb er t N orman Grosvenor, in his 22d year. - LONDON: Printed and Published by AIURDO YOUNG of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The , Ftsys Otfice, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the county ,of Tiliddlettes, Tuesday, March 21, 1.854, - or r been au Thornat man Sin Bart., F Lawrar geridge, to const Laurie, Room, AR imoressi TILB more, A office or entitle of the p GII NOTI the Det pany, Grand 1 on preen Compan Lo: R, The P Februar between port, Ch ineludin weight t To ins must be above, c Horne 2 Swan-w Wood-si Horse, 9 Blue 13' dilly ; G Eagle, l street. The C to any p the that LITE A friars, 1 others, Voyagir auce or T' Ever, Assuran rem One• 11 to polic3 Amintal endow= Po ici No et 31 one: A ctivi agriculti Apply respects V, and Ire' Instant, persons into her The F Tende total go samp' the awl average parcel o average Jected b, The a are requ tract ha Ito to vidt d fc at the s Service The c tion is c Bristol. of treat: agent or tract, al mnni cal Every and bea must al Gi wide C (which Wholes Cheepsl Or inT•eiat Hypoct To whit Pharm The while 1 to emt appoin of am space these 1 tog at of tast toilet 1 Just _._...~ 444, 1 Office T Sold sepan &c. ' protrs street hill; 1 ON 1 must New excel mere Lowy previ PER Stree row. don, Bow duig well Inca the thet InRl In ti per ren syn bot per chr me doi El.