The Sun. — London, England, 1833-04-22 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF-THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. The motion of Mr. M. Attwood for an in qu;ry into the causes of the existing distress, or rather for a change in the currency of the coun try, to which our own o bservations, and the in definite curiosity of the public, have perhaps lent a greater importance than the number of his sup porters, or the strength of their arguments, would warrant, certainly comes on in the House of Commons to-night. In the course of last week, and on various former occasions, we have so loudly denounced, and so fully demonstrated, the miird folly and mischief of attempting again to unsettle our monetary system, and to reconduct us into the perilous paths of financial and com mercial revolution, that we feel it would be sti peifluous now to enter on the subject. Those who have read with attention, and have tho rougliy comprehended, our previous reasonings, will require no further arguments to resist any attempt that may be made to-night to influence their judgments through the medium of their feelings. We anticipate, with certainty, that a melancholy and appalli , g picture will bp drawn of the " difficulties, embarrimments, and distress of the country;" and, if it were_ the fashion to make prophetic speeches for Members of Parlia ment, we might prevent the pleasure of surprise, by presenting a perfect programme of the dis courses of the currency revolutionists. We know that proof will be adduced or offered that' all the great interests of the country are in a state ofsuf fering, denominated by some " excruciating, in tolerable, or fatal," and by others described in less alarming characters; .that our manufactures, our agriculture, and our trade, will be said to display equally, in their shrunk and withered features and dimensions, the influence of some blasting pestilence—and that pestilence has been " Peel's Bill." We know that a list of " prices current" will be brought forward to prove that ever since the fatal' period—the currency Hegira of 1819 —the money value of all commodities has been progressively declining; that taxes and all fixed pecuniary payments or obligations have been be coming proportionally oppressive—that industry is discouraged or ruined ; that the labourer can no longer find adequate wages, nor the employer of labour adequate profit, from the diminished value of the articles , which they produce, or the want of a market for their disposal ; that our fields are uncultivated, our rents unpaid, our shipping rotting in our harbours, and our fac tories either standing still or obliged to commit infant sacrifices by excessive working, owing to the scarcity of money. Then we shall . hear of the number of bushels of wheat which, at the war prices, would pay the dividends of the na tional creditors, and of the increased quantity required for the same purpose at present. All this will end in an assurance that the one-pound note, and, if need be, a batik restriction, is a sure talisman to banish existing distress, and to restore instant prosperity, by raising prices, by low ering the burden of taxation, and putting money into the pockets of every industrious man who will stretch out his hand to receive it. Now, although we have no room to traverse again the course of argument by which we have before put down such absurdities, we beg to ask the currency politicians a few plain questions. the answer to which will probably stop them in their headlong career. 1. As they can at pre sent issue as many notes above 5/. as they please, liable to their repayment in specie on demand, and as they are only restrained from the use of what they would reckon a perfect currency by being prohibited from issuing 1/. notes to supersede the use of gold, do they propose by demanding the latter privilege to supply by small paper only the part of the circulation now filled by sovereigns, without increasing the general amount of the currency ? If this be their object, it is plain, on their own hypothesis, that they could not alter prices or reduce the burden of taxation. They would have the same quantity of money, though of a cheaper material, and that money would bear the same relation to the amount of transactions which it is employed to perform or the prices of commodities for which it is exchanged. The only difference would be, that the interest of the gold now employed in circulation would be saved, and that that interest would go into the pockets of the bankers who supplied notes for its substitute. This, therefore, cannot be the sole or avowed object of our currency politicians, though among them are to be found all the country bankers, who would pocket the large sum of interest (say a million a-year) to which we have alluded. 2. Then, do they intend that their 1/. notes shall be an . addition to the currency, and that they shall in crease its general aggregate beyond its present amount? The gold, of course, in this case wily disappear as well as on the former hypothesis ; but a greater quantity of 1/. notes will be into o duced than the amount of sovereigns which have been banished. In this case, no doubt, prices will be raised, and money obligations will he altered in proportion to the contemplated excess of currency above its present rate ; but what then becomes of all the protestations of our currency philosophers against any intended depreciation ? We do not, say they, wish to depreciate the currency, God forbid ! We do not desire to take one step on the road to assignats. We only desire relief by an additional issue o f small paper." Now, if anything is demonstrable by human reason,—if there be any truth in the plainest principles of arithmetic,—an addition to the quantity of currency, commodities . remaining the same, must lower or depreciate its value as regards those commodities. The two. ideas of an increased abundance and a depreciated value of money are as necessarily connected as' those -of any cause or effect in the univet se. Will ans advocate fora change of our monetary system be hardy enough to deny this truth, or rather this truism ? We speak not now of a commutation of gold into rags, but of more rags than we bad gold. 3. If depreciation, then, is intended, 07 • m ust be the result of the proposed change, we ask what class of people it can benefit except the class of debtors, or those who owe money, and who can thus discharge the same nominal amount of debt with a smeller real amount of property ? This being undeniable, and, in fact, admitted by every • person who understands the meaning of the terms, would it not be better to fix upon a cer tain rate per cent., by which all existing debts and dividends sould be reduced, instead of forcing the whole currency of the country to effect, by a roundabout method, such an object Suppose JO, 15, or 20 per cent. were to be deducted from their payment from public and private debts, mortgages, or dividends, woulu not the reduction go as far as our currency po li. cians intend to carry their depreciation ? The .fundholder would then only receive 16s. or 18s. for the pound in receiving the interest on his stock, and all other pecuniary obligations would be discharged in the same proportion. There can be no- doubt that such a project would be a rob bery ; but it would be a bold, open, undisguised, and definite robbery, the amount of which could he estimated—the In)ustice of which could be limited—a robbery which, from its flagrant na ture, could never be drawn into a precedent, and which, from its isolated character, would lead to no future convulsion in our currency. The .zupporters of depreciation mean, of course, to do the same thing, hut through a plan which will unsettle all the relations of society, and place us again in the circle of indefinite mone tary revolutions. Such are a few points on which the Members of the Honourable House ought to reflect IxfOre they give their vote to-night. If they support the motion of Mr. Attwood, they in fact declare that they desire a depreciation of our currency—i hat they are willing again to unsettle all contracts, and bring hack the reign of fraudulent speculations, Bank restrictions, and panics, for the intermediate purpose of discharging their mortgages, defraying their debts, or paying the national creditor with a smaller amount of pro perty. The Ministers should not meet such a motion with the order of the day. They should call, from the great majority by which they will he supported, for such a strong expression of opinion as will satisfy the country that no change is to be permitted either in our standard of value or in the present composition of our currency,— that the reign of currency quacks is at an end, — d that, if we long deviated from the path of sound policy and integrity in the management of our monetary system, we are resolved never again to run the same hazards or to perpetrate the same injusiice. If, after settling this great point. a committee should still be demanded to inquire into " the distresses of the country," we are con fident that the honest patriotic majority,. who support our monetary standard will see that such an alteration of the motion is a mere trap, baited with national sufferings, to catch those votes which could not be caught by the currency juggle. They will see, and their constituents will acknowledge, that a committee called for by such a party, and meeting under such auspices, will be nothing else titan a board of inquiry into the efficacy of country 1/. notes, under whatever pretext it may be obtained. Let us, then, hope that the Government will display its vigour, and Parliament its courageous wisdom in resisting the party of currency agitators, whose exertions, if successful, would be much more fatal to the peace and resources of this great country than those of the more noisy faction in Ireland, which the Irish Coercion Bill was enacted to suppress. Times. We are under little apprehension as to the result of the motion of Mr. M. Attwood this day. We are quite aware that it would be very convenient to many debtors in England to rid themselves of their obligations by paying 15s. or less in the pound. But even of those to whom such a result would be convenient, we trust there are few so shameless as to aid in pro ducing it. The evil eff e ct e d by a pp rec i at i on would not be remedied by depreciation. The sufferers, in consequence of the improvement in in the currency, would not be the gainers by the depreciation, but another class, while the suf . - .erers by it would not be the gainers from the ,ormer change. It is quite true that we all of us greatly under-rated the effects which would be produced by the return to gold payments; but are we to undertake the herculean task of open ing up all transactions from the Bank restriction down to the present period, for nothing short of this would be necessary ? Plain English, in speaking of matters of this kind, is best. The effects of Mr. Peel's Bill were not anticipated, and the ignorance of Parliament forms its ex cuse. But to .depreciate the currency with a knowledge of the effects to be produced, would be downright robbery. We have better thoughts of Parliament than to suppose for a moment that any such violation of the principles of justice can be contemplated. Once set the example of spo liation, and where will it end ?—Morn. Chron. The Budget opened by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the first reformed Parliament af fords no real relief to the over-taxed industry of the nation, nor has it, like Pandora's box, hope at the bottom. We are now in the eighteenth year of a general peace—(for Lord Palmerston denies that the seizure of Dutch vessels, and the slaughter of Antwerp, were warlike pro ceedings), and in this, the eighteenth year of a general peace, what prospect is there afforded to the country, by its liberal financiers, of a sub stantial alleviation of its intolerable burdens ? None whatever. The \v hips, who, when out of office, used to ascribe tie prodigal expendi ure of the State to the corruption and cupidity of their political rivals, and threw unsparing sarcasm and ridicule upon Castlereagh for taunting the people with "an ignorant impa tience of taxation "—those very Whigs now dis cover that the pension list is sacred to charity ; sinecures are honourable rewards for merit ; extravagant salaries to public functionaries are only a just liberality ; and a mountain of taxes, which press the giant energies of the country to the earth, is a weight which the people ought to bear, if not with satisfaction, at least with patience, looking on the whole arrange ment of those taxes and their pressure upon the productive industry as the contrivance of financial wisdom, which the rash hand of innovation ought not to disturb. Yet we are of opinion that it any additional argument were re quired beyond those already advanced for con ceding Mr. M. Attwood's motion, which was postponed to this day, for an inquiry into the causes of the distress of the country and the mode of remedying it, it is the Chancellor's budget. W hat is afforded to the country by that financial plan in the way of a remission of taxation it is a mockery to call relief. When the commerce of the country langui4ies—when its manufactures cost humanity a dreadiul price in the sufferings of the multitudes of infant slaves, whose " cheap labour" is to countervail the effects of heavy taxation—when the farmers pay their rents and taxes out of their capital, and their poor rates rise as their prices decline— when a dense and destitute peasantry look with evil eye on the abundance that mocks their misery, and are almost in a state of servile war —when these and other calamities indicate the rapid decline of England's prosperity, it is quite burlesque to talk of affording the country relief by the repeal of such taxes as those upon tiles and taxed carts! We should like to know what quantity of tiles and taxed-carts we export, and now tar the remission of taxation on them will enable us to turn to our advantage the losing game of " free trade." But the Chancellor of the Exchequer says, I have relieved the cotton manufacture by taking off' a portion of the duty on the raw material. It is true a portion of that most injurious tax is to be taken off; but it is only the additional portion, which with extraordinary tatuity the Noble Lord laid upon the raw ma terial since he came into office. An advocate for .• free trade," like the sagacious Mr. Poulett Thomson, he oppressed the English manufac urer with legislative burdens while he was taking Away from him legislative protection. As to the duty upon soap, that tax upon the cleanliness, and, consequently, upon the health of the poor, his Lordship could only make up his mind to reduce it by one-half, which leaves the expen sive machinery for its collection still in existence to swallow up a considerable part of the produce of the other half. Indeed, the only items of our manufactures which he relieves altogether from taxation, are the tiles and taxed carts. Even in the article of the advertisement duty, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, while affording some relief to the public, complicates the subject so as with a very moderate remission of duty to create the greatest possible quantity of trouble. If he had remitted a portion of the tax upon all advertisements, having under a certain number of lines, the rate of duty to be paid could be easily ascertained ; but not so when the amount of duty to be paid depends upon whether the advertisement has been inserted for the first, se cond, or third time, which must increase very much the labour of clerks both at newspaper offices and at the Stamp office. There is no more certain characteristic of a financier of small talents than a love of complexity. He thinks that in pro portion as his plans are difficult they will be thought to be ingenious. But as to the as essed taxes, has he not given substantial relief On thAt point? Let the public answer that question. The Lon don electors who voted "fur Sir John Key and the repeal of the assessed taxes," will hardly con sider that taking off the tax upon the windows of shops, and show-rooms, and warehouses, is an equivalent for what Sir John undertook to procure for them when he volunteered to become ilie champion of the " total repeal." His speech and votes in favour of martial law, and of almost every Ministerial measure, have not 'raised him in the opinion of his constituents, to whom he liberally pledged himself; and if he does not now come forward and thoroughly redeem his pledge as to the assessed taxes, we imagine that few will envy him his reception at the hustings of another election. We may say again that the Chancellor of the Exchequer's budget is the strongest argument that can be adduced in sup port of Mr. Attwood's motion, which, we trust, he will not allow Government to induce him to postpone any longer. The distress of the country is, unhappily, too manifest in every quarter to allow the hardiest sycophants of Go vernment to dispute its existence. As the finan cial plans of Ministers offer no relief, it becomes more necessary than ever to inquire into that distress, and ascertain what other mode there is of relieving it. Constituents will in quire hereafter what the votes of their repre sentatives were on this question. It will afford another trial of the character of a reformed Par liament.—Mornin€, Herald. It will be seen from the proceedings of the House of Commons last night, that Mr. Attwood, as we had anticipated, having given way, Lord Althorp was enabled to bring forward his long looked-for financial statement for the year. Upon this statement there will be as many opinions out of doors as there are taxes to be reduced, and persons on whom they press with more er less severity. In the House, it appears to have been, on the whole, received with considerable satisfaction ; but we question greatly whether the public voice will re spond to that of the Reformed House of Commons —riot because the Budget is a bad Budget—not because the taxes to be reduced, or abolished, are not taxes which ought to have been both reduced and abJlished—but because the scheme betrays no vigour of intellect, and, with two exceptions, will not very greatly benefit any class of the community. The proposed reduction of taxation is as follows, and after having stated it, we shall take the liberty of giving our opinion of each, as they occur in order. 1. Tiles—whole duty 37,000 Marine Insurance—estimated diminution lOO,OOO Advertisements—ditto 4. Assessed Taxes—Reduction of House and Window Duty on Shops 5. Cotton—Reduction of additional duty imposed in 1631 300,000 6 Soap— (half present duty) 593,000 1,349,000 Estimated return on Soap Probable loss to revenue 1,056,000 Surplus for year ending 1834 Estimated surplus after the above reductions 516,000 The abolition of the duty on tiles, amounting to only 37,0001., is a thing not to be spoken of seriously —its very nonentity is an argument against it, and the only wonder is, how it should have been permit ted to find a place in the book of the tax-gatherer. It has all the features of a bad tax, and is justly sent to sleep with other oonentities of financial creation, of which no one would have thought but one who was driven by actual necessity, or sheer stupidity, to its imposition. The tax on Marine Insurances has proved itself to be a most unjust and impolitic tax, and it is now reduced, because its enormity has driven the owners of vessels to effect their insurances elsewhere than in this country, and the tax had, in consequence, failed to be as productive as it had formerly been. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has shewn his good sense in this reduction, and the shipping interest will no doubt be proportionably grateful ; but we think the reduction might have gone much farther, and proved thereby more beneficial to the public as well as to the revenue. Thirdly, the proposed re duction of the duty on advertisements will unquess ' tionably prove a great benefit to the public in various ways; but the plan wants simplicity, and we fear, will give rise to more trouble and annoyance be tween the newspapers and the Stamp-office than is required, either for the accommodation of the public or the benefit of the revenue. A great boon is un questionably given to the proprietors of newspapers in the proposed maintenance of the same scale of duty on all advertisements, u heftier they be long or short; but an injustice is thereby done to the public, and it appears to us, besides, that there exists neither propriety or necessity for re duc►ng the duty in proportion as advertise mews are repeated. We put it, in fact, to Lord Aithorp, as a matter of conscience, whether it would not have been better to have adhered to his original plan of imposing a' duty of one shilling on small, and of one shilling and sixpence on long, advertisements, than to have adopted that which he has now announced? We doubt not, however, that the scheme will be modified. Fourthly, the Assessed Taxes—and here there is o o virtual relief, although nearly a quarter of a mil lion is set down for reduction. A port►on of the duties on houses and windows, having shops or warehouses attached to them, is proposed to be re• duced along with some stoatl items belonging to the head of assessed taxes, which ought never to have found their way into the statute book; but what will be the relief to the public ? None, literally none, com pared with what it had a right to expect. On 1) think of 244,0001. being spread over the whole mass of shopkeepers in the United !Kingdom, and what is the benefit to each from the reduction to be made to them? We answer again, nothing—literally nothing 1 It will not be felt in the reduction of the price of any one article sold to the public; nor will it even tend to enrich the shopkeeper, which would f o rm some apology for it at the expense of the pu bli c . We hesitate nut, in consequence, to pro nounce this as the least useful of all the proposeu reductions, as well as the least popular. Why not 'educe the window duty or the house duty entirely, instead of Proposing aieduction which is fettered w itti all ti , e expense of collection, and affords no substan tial relief ? The public must be again on the alert, and press upon Lord Althorp the propriety of alter ing this part, at least, of his financial ►cheme. The reduaion of the additional duty imposed on raw cotton in 1831 is judicious, and the observations of Lord Althorp upon this subject, entitled to every cre dit. The tax, however, ought never to have been Imposed. we earns now to the last attlolo of all. the reduction of the duty on Soap , and here there is no ground for cavil. The reduction will greatly benefit the public, as well as tend to put down smuggling in the article, which has been carried to a great extent. The total of the abolitions and re ductions amounts to upwards of a million; and far be it from us to say that the articles to which they apply, have not been selected with the most heart felt desire to afford relief where relief appeared to be most wanted ; but we must observe, at the same time, that the Budget, as a whole, has two, if not three, capital and unpardonable faults—first, it does not carry reduction far enough, as, for instance, in the duties on newspapers, where it might have been carried both with benefit to the public and to the Revenue—and, secondly, in the matter of the assessed taxes, it pretends to give a relief which will not be felt by the public, and which nevertheless deprives the revenue of nearly a quarter of a million. We might add a third, and an equally egregious blemish, in the Budget, and that is, that a surplus of upwards of half a million is expected to accrue from the remaining taxes, after the above reductions; and why ? We ask again, why? Would it not he much better, as well as more con sonant to the principles professed by Lord Althorp, to have reduced taxes—the assessed taxes for example—to this amount, than to have had it lying dormant in the Exchequer; for as to a reduc tion of the national debt, the thing is utterly ridi culous—a humbug—a fraud-- an imposition on public credulity ? Before concluding, it is but just that we should do justice to his Majesty's Ministers, as well as to the public and to our own feelings. They have nobly implemented their pledges of re duction, as the official statements in another column will satisfactorily show—they pledge themselves to pursue the same course in future; and if their plans of finance have not met with our approbation, and do not meet with that of the puhlic, we are con fident that the fault rests, not with their inclination, but with their fears of the result upon the revenue. The public will, in consequence, judge charitably of their short-comings ; while we feel assured, at the same time, that it will lay such a case before them, in the matter of the assessed taxes, as to induce them to adopt a much larger measure of re duction. We shall return to the subject on Mon day.—Morning Advertiser. The Chancellor of the Exchequer last night brought forward his financial statement for the year, from which it appeared that tbere is a surplus of re venue sufficient to admit of a reduction of taxes to the extent of 1,349,0001.; but to admit of this re duction only upon the condition, which is so plainly implied in the statement of the Noble Lord that he did not think it necessary to mention it, that the National Debt shall remain at its present amount, without any attempt whatever on the part of Go vernment to diminish it. We are strongly of opi nion that the application of the surplus revenue which the Chancellor of the Exchequer calculates upon during the next year to the redemption of a portion of the national debt, and the support of public confidence and credit, would have done more to relieve the existing pressure upon the country, than the repeal of an equal amount of taxes, how ever judiciously selected. The process of reducing taxes has now been carried on with considerable vi gour for several years, to the impoverishment, and as it now appears, finally to the extinction of the sinking fund; yet he must be a bold man who would under- take to say that by this process the general condi- Aon of the country has been sensibly improved. It is probdble that the result would have been more favourable to the immediate prosperity of the country, and certain that it would have been more conducive to its permanent strength, character, and security, had reductions of the national debt been effected to an amount equ3l to that of the taxes thus abolished or mitigated. The latter operation is, however, more immediately conducive to the popularity of the Ministers of the day; and it can excite no surprise that when the popularity of Mi nisters is at stake the permanent welfare and prospe rity of the country should be overlooked. We cannot compliment the Chancellor of the Exchequer upon the acuteness or penetration with which he has selected the taxes for reduction, or concur with him in the expectation that the relief thus afforded will be much felt or highly valued by the community at large. The relief afforded by these remissions is of a nature in every in stance, with the exception of those of the taxes upon soap and raw cotton, to benefit, not the general body, but merely particu'ar classes of the people. Who will benefit by the remission of the duty on tiles to the amount of 37,0004 ? Those only who have occasion to build new houses or to new roof their present dwellings. The only way, indeed, in which it is possible that the repeal of a tax upon materials employed in building should ope . . rate extensively as a relief would be by diminishing the rental and the value of the houses that are already built. The amount of the tax is plainly much too small for so large a consequence to ensue from its repeal; and, if this effect could be produced by it, the a - dvantagewould be conferred upon a very extensive division - of society at the expense, not of the Exchequer, but of another division of society one degree less extensive. How few men again, compared with the great bulk of society, have ever occasion in the whole course of their lives to pay for a newspaper advertisement ; how much fewer have any inducement to pay for the insertion of the :same advertisement a second time; how much fewer still to advertise the same matter more than twice ? The sphere of relief in this case is very narrow to begin with, and as the relief grows more sensible the elide of its operation con tracts. It is foolish thus to give away money from the Exchequer for the benefit of a few. Would it not have been much better to take off at once the whole duty upon soap, leaving the other taxes in cluded in this budget of relief as they are ? Little direct benefit can indeed accrue to the country from these abatements of taxation; and, implying, as they do, a total abandonment on the part of the Govern ment of the Conservative policy of reducing in time of peace the debt contracted during war, they can scarcely fail to diminish public confidence, and thus, by patalising enterprise and withdrawing employ ment from labour, they will probably inflict in directly upon the community an injury more than tquivatent to any positive advantage they can be supposed to confer.—Morning Post. COURT OF EXCHEQUER, APRIL 20. PEARY V. FLEMING. Mr. GODSON moved for a rule to show cause why a verdict with 1001. damages should not be entered 'or the plaintiff in this cause, which was tried at Guildhall, before Lord Lyndhurst, at the sittings ,tier last Hilary term, when a verdict was found for the defendant. The motion was made with leave of the Noble Lord. It was an action to recover back the Amount of a deposit made on the purchase of a pub iic-house.---Rule Nisi granted. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, APRIL 20, :MEYER AND ANOTHER V. HOLMES. This was an action brought by the plaintiffs, who are merchants at Birmingham, against the defendant, 4 retired coach-maker, to recover the amount of two bills of exchange, one for 5001. and the other lot 3004 The cause wa, tried at the London sitting, after last Michaelmas term, before Mr. Justice Gazelee, when it appeared that a person named Pearsall, who was married to the defendant's augh ter, had been agent for the plaintiffs, and as such had become indebted to them. The 3001. bill was admitted to have been given by the defendant on account of, and as security for, Pearsall, aml there fore there was no dispute as to their right to recover for the amount of that; but it was contended that the 5001. bill was a direct accommodation or loan from the defendant to the plaintiffs. On this point here was a great deal of documentary and other evidence, and the jury decided that the defendant was not liable for it, and therefore only returned a millet far ths plaintiff far ti - ttl aresunt df the 3001. hill. Mr. Sergeant SPANKIE last term obtained, on be half of the plaintiffi, a rule to show cause why the verdict should not be set aside and a new trial had, on affidavits stating that the line of defence set up by the defendant came upon the plaintiffs by surprise Mr. Sergeant JONES to-day showed cause against the rule. The COURT thought, without pronouncing any opinion on the case, that the plaintiffs were en titled to have it further investigated, upon their paying the costs of the former trial. CONSISTORY COURT, APRIL 20. BAGSTER, FALSELY CALLED NEWTON, BY HER COM- MITTEE, AGAINST NEWTON. This was a suit of nullity of marriage promoted under the direction of the Court of Chancery, by Rosa Matilda Mary Bagster (acting by her mother), against Raymond Darcy Newton, falsely calling himself the husband of Miss Bagster, by reason of her ►►nsoundness of mind at the time of his pre tended marriage, and by reason of fraud and circum vention practised against Miss Bagster by Mr. New ton and his family. The libel consisted of 48 articles, detailing the facts and circumstances which came out in the course of the inquiry under the writ de lunatico inquirendo, and which must still be fresh in the recollect►on of the public, relating to the conduct and character of Miss Bagster prior to the alleged marriage, and to the marriage itself, which took place at Springfield, or Gretna-green, on the 22d of April, 1832. An appearance had been given by Mr. Newton at the commencement of the su't, but he had given in no plea, nor had he administered any interrogatories to the witnesses (in number 34), nor did he appear now either personally or by counsel. The KING'S-ADVOCATE, on behalf of Miss Bagster, contended that the evidence plainly showed that the elopement was the result of a conspiracy on the part of the Newton family, and prayed the Court to pronounce the marriage null and void ab initio ; but, he further observed, the Court, with such full and clear evidence of fraud and circumven- tion, would not do justice unless it condemned Mr. Raymond Darcy Newton in the costs. br. ADDAMS - followed on the same side. Dr. LusHINGToN was clearly of opinion that the marriage was null and void, and it was only neces sary for him to say a few words on the question of costs. The Learned Judge thought it was impos sible for one instant to doutt that the rule of con demning in costs ought to apply to such a case as this ; and he only regretted that conduct of this kind could-be visited by this Court with no heavier punishment. Marriage pronounced null and void, with costs against the defendant. It is remarkable that exactly one year has elapsed between the elopement and the sentence of nullity. COURT OF EXCISE, APRIL 20. SEIZURE OF AN ILLEGAL GLASS FACTORY.-EXTEN• SIVE FRAUD ON THE REVENUE. THE KING V. WILLIAM CANE. The defendant was charged upon an excise in formation for bring unlawfully in possession of and conducting a private and illicit factory for the ma nufacture of glass,—the penalty 1001. .. .—.... Mr. MAYow, the Crown solicitor, called William Burgess and other excise officers, from whose evi dence it appeared they went to a house in High street, Mile-End, New-town. Two of them effected an entrance at the back by passing through the ad joining house, whilst the other kept watch at the front door, and heard a sudden noise as of men men rushing away. In the premises they found 671 b. of manufactured glass, a press-mould fur making it (in a hot state, having evidently been recently used), and the usual materials for the manufacture, all of which they seized. The defendant was taken into custody in the house, not having been able to make his escape, and was conveyed before a Magistrate, by whom he was convicted in the usual penalty of 301, which being unable to pay, he was sent to prison for three months. The glass mould was here produced and corre sponded ‘Aith the manufactured..glass. The COURT condemned the goods seized, but re mitted the penalty of 1001., us the defendant had suffered imprisonment. THE KING V. BARNEY HENRY COHEN. In this case the defendant was charged upon an information containing three counts, with illegally receiving, and being concerned in removing, a large quantity of manufactured glass unlawfully made, and which had not paid duty, for which offence he was subject to 2001. penalties. The defendant said he had a wife and family and an aged mother to keep. The COURT gave judgment, mitigating the penalty of 2001. to 501., and condemned the goods seized. CURIOUS ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE.—On Monday night as a watchman was going his rounds near one of the docks he heard a strange noise in the water, and on looking closely he saw something ducking about, puffing like a grampus. Having obtained assistance, he fished up an old lady who is well known in our market, who bad thrown herself into the water with the intention to end at once her share of the ills which flesh is heir to. The water, however, most ungallantly refused to admit her into its embraces, and the strange noise was caused by the old lady ducking her head in order to force a des cent to the bottom. When she was thwarted in her in tention, she vented her indignation in no measured terms turOn her rescuers.—Hull Advartiser. THE INFLUENZA.--The influenza, Of Which we g.ve an account last week, continues in undiminished activity, constituting by far the most extensively prevalent epidemic which has for many years visited this metropolis. We have little to add to the description of the symptoms which we have already given, nor have we seen occasion to change the opinions we then offered regarding its treat ment. Under the use of saline diaphoretics, warm diluents, and a short confinement to bed, the most cases speedily lose their character of urgency ; but very few pass off en tirely without several days of langour and depression. We must, however, add to our remark last week against the propriety of bloodletting, that we have heard of seve ral cases in which this has been followed by the most in jurious results. The phenomena of the disease—the sud denness of its invasion—the numbers (sometime' amount ing to ten, or even more, in a family) who are simulta neously seized with it—and its having swept like a torrent over the whole town, contrast very strongly with the slow progress and detached irruptions of cholera, and forcibly illustrate to all who are not blinded by prejudice the differ ence between a disease which is purely epidemic, and one which is contagious. —Medical Gazette. DEMOLITION OF THE GAOL OF TH REE PRISONERS BURNT.—It was di• covet ed this morning (Monday, the 15th inst.), between two and three o'clock, that the new gaol of Tain was on fire. When the alarm was given, only the wesTmost room was in flames ; but some delay took place in getting the gaoler to open the prison. Upon their arrival, the keys were atter some confusion, obtained—but owing to some mis ake in discovering the proper keys, the fire extended to the passage, and no access could be obtained to the pri soners in that portion of the gaol ; and the consequence has been, that GEORGE ALEXANDER, architect, in Gols pie, and ANGUS MACLEOD, vintner, Ballintrade, both confined for debt, along with Maeuron's wife, who came on a visit to him on Saturday last, have all been burnt to death. It was truly horrifying to hear the cries of the sufferers for assistance, before they bad been suffocated by the smoke. The delinquents who were confined in the tower adjoining the gaol were all saved, and allowed to go at large. The gaol and court-house, with the excep tion of the tower, are all burnt to the ground, and no part -eyed, owing to their being no fire-engines in the place. The portraits of Mr. MACLEOD, Sheriff of Ross.sliire. and AIURRAY, Provost of Tam, which uo re placed in the Court-room, were with difficulty rescued from the flames tree of iejnry. It is believed the fire was occasioned by some ashes being placed in a wooden cinder bucket in the mom wi.ere the fire originated, in which there was a considerable quantoy of straw, which ignited and gave rise to the conflagration. Tne bodies of ALEXANDER, and MACLEOD and his wile, have b. en round in the ruins, but tieither of them can be distinguished. Had not the morning been cairn and still, ELLISON'S hotel and sqi les would also have been d:stroyed, as well as probably the British' Linen Company's office ; but every precaution n as Laken to prevent the fire from extending.—Edenburyh Evening Courant. 40,alefgaidigaiiiaiiii Wheat.: 1 Barley. Per Quarter. Carlisle Murpeth Penrith Sheffield Winchester S. tO 6. '2'7 -- 64 27 30 51 24 27 58 -- 27 58 31 48 57 22 26 s.d. s.d. s.d. 6. d. 56 60 28 2 9 70 90 48 54 80 86 46 50 70 93 36 46 80 86 40 48 66 69 36 39 90 10 0 4 6 50 11 0 17 6 116 140 8. to 8. 59 52 43 Per Bushel. Carmarthen Coventry Newcastle (Staff.) Northallerton Swansea ....--.... Warwick Per 8011. Barnardcastle ..—. Durham ....—.....,. Richmond —«.... Stockton .—.....-- 80 86 66 73 66 70 06 100 COUNTRY CORN 'MARICSII DURIWO LAST Wllitt. s. to s' 40 17 2 . 1 , 16 I l i 19 4 0 24 A A a. 36 . 14— 1 6 1 2 4 0 50 . 29 5 2 0 33 40 ; 34 n 6 0.0 u 0 22 26 46 52 0 43 s g 3ir 0 0 4 0 o 16 0 6 13 0 --- 9. ELI) CORN MARKET.---APollAdrr Wolk and Sullblk —s. 449. to 50 61 . 00 in. and Cam. — s . 38s. to 50s S. 995. t° 521' file nkshire —. to —..5. 455. to 58&,„. Dm 05ert 0 .4, Red /Ps• to DJ.* ..... at, White __,. 525. t.o ...-• 60 5, Barley, Norfolk and Suffolk ................ 191 to 2 0 . 0 0$ Lincolnshire Yorkshire Wold Foreign Beans, Small -- Tick 2 6 5. to Vs. 60 51 , Oats, Potato to 21& 0 1 18s. ....,„•WA Poland „, 17s. tO An s tTo Friezland and Small —s 15s. to 10s. u r i Mealing 8 1 , 5 d. to 510 ~ , Shelling oos. to 248. 1....... r ip; Malt t Best Wheat 3O 355. fine 5 0 s. F t ; e r I.S, Rapeseed32B2...ll: tt00 0 5...415,1 0: 1... 0 1 / 4.....aze . ... 1 211. Os. 4 23/ Os. 231 . i t--- - " .- 7272.pnsaedrcskasc D okf E W V h 1 28 : esa4. E t S sd060. C idto O i R wa N d0 11:1 B A ap R rle K ery E (.2. T .ua. .. — .r..t A .e.r. p ... r . i1 2 : : : 9 1 to i ll ' 2 2 6 5 6 7 O FBl a roe t u s ar: Thirds 2l 0 23 0 Beans (per sack) I' 0 71 at the average of (per e . ; .b a ga .13. 11 1" ) . :. 43' 'i l ° O : r 4. WAKEF] Wheat, Red, N, ......... Yl • White, • Foreigi SCOTCH MARKET 5.........../ Beans' Wheat. Barley Oats. ...............0 4 Aberdeen ....... 40 50 20 25 16 20 -- 01 ° 1 8erwick............ 34 37 17 19 12 14 1 1 '"' # Coldstream ... 36 38 18 19 13 14 t 2 6 " , Cupar ..............., 46 51 24 ‘i9 16 20 _,'. 4-4 01 Dundee........... 50 60 30 33 20 25. au,,,,„ 0 ; Elgin —............... 40 49 24 26 16 20 143 _, 0 ~ Inverness.,.... 40 46 24 27 16 20 11 ., A „ 0 I t ! Kelso 36 39 20 21 12 14 '‘., 48 '- Kirkaldy.—... 40 45 27 39 25 32 45 0, '' . .0., Perth ..--.... 50 56 23 26 20 22 22 the - Vi.. The size of the measure varies through out A „ r Ol/, di EDINBURGH CORN MARKET.--,11, We had a small supply of all kinds of Grain t. -- 0 4 Wheat, and the sales were rather heavy. .._.,; se. 5 0 Wheat. Barley. Oats. _ 1 "." 0. 1 sl y g First 6Bs Od 36s Od 22s Od ;.i. , ' .-in. 10 81$ Second 6os Od 32s Od 215 Od ----_, a l Third 49s Od 27s Od 18s Od re , ' ',,, it l' PRICES OF rßovisltaSS, & C ' , 0.1:"0 9 , Beef, per lb. .. Os. 4d. to Os. 6d. Freshßutter, lb. ll' 0 0 r Mutt0n............... 0 5 0 7 Salt Ditt0......... 0 0 0 9 Vea1.................,..... 0 6 010 Ditto, per c5 ;t.56,, 6 - 1 I I I I P0rk.......—...... ...... 0 4 0 6 Eggs, per do , , 0 Lamb, per qr. 5 0 6 6 OatStrawo e s. c 1) ,) . 6 6 A Callow, Cwt.... 33 0 38 0 Wheat Ditto.* 5 .r_..6...y 2 uartern Loaf 0 8 0 0 Barley Ditto.. 8 potatoes. 17iIb. 0 00 Hay, per 5t...,•• '1 EDINBURGH MEAL MARKET. ----A, ~1 1f 1 F '''? 'rho supply of Oatmeal at this day's market wr and the last week's prices were barely maintaine d ' Per Sack of 2801 b. Imp. Per Stone 0 1 1 ~ AI . First Oatmeal £l 10 0 First Oatmeal ........ ~ t Second ditto ... 1 8 0 Second ditto ...... .... 0 I Barleymeal 1 6 0 Barleyineal ... ......•' ~ .0 Peaserneal . 1 3 0 Peasemeal ... .....1 10 ' Pot Barley—No. 1, per cwt. 125. -2 d. 145,- 34 1614. I GLASGOW CORN MA lIKET.--APlthet ,- We have had a fair business doing in Grain , w ' 1. 1 tion in prices. bna (1. il 4 Wheat, per 2401 b. s. d. a. d. I Oats, per -- 1 ' 6 019 1- - British, old 25 oto 31 0 1 Irish . " ....... . ........ ...0 new 25 0 27 01 British ................... *, n Canada, free 27 0 30 0 1 Beans, pit ••• '" Irish 22 0 27 0 English .. ...... ••••• 10 0 Barley, per 3201 b. Scottish . . ..... • ..... 15 0 English 0 C Pease, Scottish ::: 14. Scottish 22 0 24 0 Oatmeal, per 14 01 .• 45v Irish .... 4 CORNWA LI MARK VI 5.,,,, 004 . 0 ,4 Tango—Wheat (average) 20s. 6d.—Barley. 1 7.10 I' ST A uFrrELL—Wheat, —s. to 21s. —Barley. -- . 0 7s. to 7s. 6d. to 19' 9 ,, „A tO PENZANCE—Wheat, 205. to 21s.—Barley, 0 ,,,.),, v.' na. to 7s. 64.—Beef and Mutton, Od. to 6d.--."' , Rutter, 12d. per Ih. 0 9x Law - —Why 198.61—Bartel, ...avticEsvoN— ...teat (average) 5s 3d —Beef. 5d.--Mutton. 6d. aarley, 133. - • . LisimsgroLWiseat, —s. to s. m.. 0 to Bs. Bd. A L..os t* Bonstlx—Wheat (average) 22s.—Barley, P. „.• HetsToN—Wheat, 21s. Od.—Barley, 9s Od. ~. to PP ST. CoLusus—Wheat, 20s. to —s.—Barley, v. and Mutton, sd. to 6d.—Veal, al.—Lamb. 04. I 0 1. MINING INI I'ELLIGENC ... ir% • quantity of Copper Ore sold at R edruth last Thurdo Quantity of fine Average Produce ----. _ jl Amount of 5a1e.16.745/. 4s. Od.— A verage Sta fn FALMOUTH, APRIL 9 18 o brig packet Thais, Lieutenant CHUKc' , ser• morning from Mexico. She left Tampico on lite February, and Vera Cruz and the Havannab datisl., of March. The accounts by her represent to of to he restored to tranquillity, and the electier l o ° , A i r President was fixed for the Ist instant. i f e i 'V r brought on freight gold and silver to the valu e dollars. Immense shipments of bullion wer e s eltr A l England. Also arrived, his Majesty's brig t he 11 naldo, from the Brazils, which she left on t''' A - t ll O l p arty subsided. with a freight of 100,300 dol laro• rtY fee jiP greatest order prevailed, and strong subsided. A N THE MANCHESTER GARRISO- woe, respectable inhabitant of Manchester, in friend, dated the 17th instant, writes tia":, f or just mention that last night five offi cer s Of tbl ' o rber h y) viz., three officers of the Lancers, and teff; ir t consigned to the lock-ups for the truly to r e ' lamp breaking ; and this morning, having i f i fiertit to pay all the damage done, they were set at e l( out being brought into open Court." d to The Conservative Clique assemb le 00 numbers, yesterday afternoon, at their Pit/I°ol,o Terrace, for the purpose of endeavouring, bYfireo and compromi7te, to harmonise jarring oP ini l, be Mr. ATTWOOD'S motion on the currenCit. t ie r 4 , this evening in the House of Commons, aod..2rien ; persuading each other that they would Pre' l i o iseflls sistency, even if they divided against the $ ,0 1 P - ,., fr. the early part of the day Mr. ALEXAI4Dg. i d long interview on the subject at Aptiley l3°- :0 C . „; 0 1' of which was communicated to the ansiot o 0 101 the Divan. Many of the trading e x-M•P'''. 3 „tbf, e % JOHN BECKET and Mr. WARD, took a oho.' but the active whipper-in, although much wanted, was, on this occas ion, I ' d e; Joseph Swface and his satellites can We, former opinions and vote for the motion' col te I LOWTHERS vote? The Marquess o f joined the conference late in the day. A 1/ iii ; TENORISTS.—The town an d _ e Bergamo seem endowed with the exclitsir,co • vol vied supplying the rest of Europe with tenor te t '• 0 0 ' Ala al° I ever element it may be which ow- 11 , 00e - ow throats, whether earth, air, or water, it o eo 6 four-fifths of the Italian tenors are 1 36 1„g i r ese r$ 0 0_, the managers of the Italian Opera-13 0 °%itia%. 3 riably to Bergamo for the purpose of ree fr o roe k pot the epicure does to Naples in quest of be produces neither bass, soprano, nor ene,ole til s tetl i , other species or modification of vocular ale° t he the tenor. Take the names of the DO' IP r ati ° duce fee f florists whom the soil of Italy has Pr° d go hundred years, and and there will be Inu", of '',o l ", them whose powers were not, or are n°OtArlior origin ; we need but instance the threeovs• two DAVIDS (father and son), V 1 1:00 / 'hil DONZELLI, BORDOGNI, MACHETTII CANTU. BOLOGNESI (Who Cut his Oros t cut him), and the three Itonniis. 1 7 . 1 BIRTHS. , t WA. On the 18th inst., at Canonteign, the Re se Exmouth, of a son. o f the On the 18th inst., at Ealing, the w , f d e. t ieite r ; Simpson Vicar of Horsham, Sussex, ofa lady o~ On the 19th inst., in Eaton.placep th e Esq , M.P., of a daughter, j i ,; Of PI MARRIED- , t „, kir. l '' 04' On the 17th inst., at St. Martin's, Luug a r‘ r - ' Al Miss Frances Coleman. n r fr e fiet i On the 18th inst., at Charlton Kings, 't. 1:1 * r Cheltenham, to Frances, widow of the late Capt. _ On the 20th inst., at St. James's Church, t`ri to o f / Lovegrove, Esq., surgeun, of Upper Baker.scre`,,;ion ii Ryan, youngest daughter 01 the late Captain .-, 1 0/111 f Veteran Battalion. Mr' 0 1 ' On the 20th inst., at St. Dunstan s • Stepney late of Liverpool, to Jane, youngest daughter of ''' m e, min Walker, of Mile End Chu ITN VIT, On the 20th in at St Pancras New - m ote bury, Esq ,01 Sydney, New Suuth Wales. Y)..street• • , (laughter of John Rubinson, Esq., of Doug h " „1 On the 19th inst., John FieDltlf,EX q.,2,1 itegiejil,k/ Guards, and of Oxford.street, vetearY rotre-PST, On the 20th inst., at his house, i Der r. for ij ri,i,d John Ilailde, of Ley s, Inverness-shire! N. Est 1n.,.4tr% r District of liurgns, and a Director of the _eriano_ pi On the 20th inst.,_at her house, in u.UT a til° API man_square, Mrs. Elizabeth Christie, relic( for xit e , Daniel Beat Christie.of Mr. Dun • Oti the'' Ist inst., Henry, eldest son .00Driee" On the 16th lost , Mrs. Crossley, of ki e ' of the ....An, i ....1 1 1 - Us Pitipar• AND PU101.103E1) HY muav o om, or" SUN Oprics, 11Q, -Wl lll3g. A R it tearn 6 46. 8. ; Fr .-... tvT;i ti„ 1 ki ttet of 1 4, t NIZIA ° e tt the A / u St FL,