The Sun. — London, England, 1833-01-05 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. All the French papers of the Ist inst. have arrived, or at least such of them as, owing to the previous holyday, were published on Wed nesday. The Moniteur, which is one of the latter, contains the addresses of the different public bodies to the King on the happy occa sion of the new year, together with his Majesty's replies. The address of the diplomatic corps, from the delivery• of which M. Pozzo di Borgo is alleged to have rushed away from the lumi nary about which he revolves, with . a centrifugal force that carried him into a new political orbit, contains, contrary to report, nothing formidable tolegitimacv, and nothing which the most ardent friend of Holland might not with pleasure have heard and re-echoed. It makes no allusion to the differences between Holland and Belgium— it does not even hint at the existence of a treaty to arrange these differences—it considers the French expedition to Antwerp as a thing with which the united diplomacy of Europe has nothing to do—it offers no congratulation 011 French military successes at the expense of his Dutch Majesty—it recounts none of the events of the year, either internal or external, on which there could be a diversity of opinion —and only unites the common wishes of all the Powers for the continuance of peace, which probably all the Ambassadors felt, and which certainly all were compelled to avow. The Dutch Ambassador might have been present at the ceremony with out experiencing any offence to his feelings. and Pozzo di Borgo might have deli vered the congratulatory oration without compromising his Imperial Master in any judgment with respect to the past, or in any pledge with regard to the future. There pri hahly could not be a more decisive proof of the inutility, or a greater satire on the folly, of such a ceremony, accompanied with such an ad dress, than to say that at an important crisis in European history, the diplomatic corps ofEurope formally met, proceeded to the Tuileties, and made a joint speech, the most striking merit of which was that it signified nothing. We are no enemies to Court etiquette within certain limits, but surely a custom like this, of making mutual speeches, or bandying mutual compliments, between a Sovereign and public bodies, where nothing can be intended beyond mere congra tulation, ought to be discontinued, as inconve nient where it is not dangerous, and useless where it is only inconvenient. A levee or a drawing-room, where each foreign Minister or domestic functionary would be admitted to pay his respects or to do his homage to the Sove reign in his individual capacity, would appear in our eyes better adapted to the present state of things in Europe, than these unmeaning au diences given to the representatives of national or international corporations. We, however, pretend to no right of criticising the political customs or tastes of our neighbours, and merely venture to make a reserve in favour of our own. If the diplomatic body, embracing the friends as well as the adversaries of the late expedition to Antwerp, were obliged to be silent on the glory of the French arms displayed against Hollandalomes tic corporations were not bound by the same rule. They, therefore, made the late success of the French troops the chief topic of their congratti la'ions, though we are glad to find in their words no offensive boasting of past victory, and no menace of contingent eggression. The Chamber of Deputies, as might be expected, took the lead in this declaration of French or Ministerial sentiment, and the following expres sion of M. Dupin will, we hope, find an echo in every kingdom or state of Europe : " Sire,—lt can be no longer doul.ted that our modera tion is sustained by our strength. IThen France, so dis interested for herself, stipulates only for her allies, her voice cannot fail to be listened to. Europe, on seeing the manner in which we carry on war, will feel the full ne cess;ty of joining in our .fforts to maintain peace." We remember a time in which the diplomatic corps was less reserve, and domestic func tionaries more obtrusive. The collection of New-year addresses to the Bourbons during the 15 years of the restoration would form as pretty a manual of flattery, hyperbole, and gasconade, as can anywhere be found in the annals of courtly adulation. The congratulations to Louis XVIII. on the abominable invasion of Spain would furnish of themselves a sufficient reason for abolishing a custom which the Court and the people are equally liable to abuse, and where the extravagance of the latter encourages the folly or tyranny of the former.— Times. Under the ban of some of our contemporaries. who seem to have lost their temper with their judgment, we have made bold to persevere in our distrust of all those magnificent attributes ascribed by some persons to the choice of re presentatives by ballot. We are not conscious of being " tricksters " in our profession either of attachment to Reform or of hatred towards per fidy ; nor is it our opinion, that on a search into the state of feeling throughout this country, one decently' , educated man in three would now be found favourable to ,an exchange of the present frank and manly mode (Selection, for one which, if it fulfilled its end, would at best he fraught with mystification and duplicity, like that in which the partisans of the ballot express such unbounded confidence. However, it is plain that electors ought not to be intimidated any more than corrupted. If the ballot had ap peared to statesmen of any former time an effec tive means for insuring secrecy at elections, is it not probable that one or more of them would have enforced upon Parliament the wisdom of such an expedient for preventing the crime of bribery? If absolute secrecy could be afforded by any human measure, it is certain, and indeed obvious, that the guilty practice of offering and receiving bribes would be undermined by it no less successfully than that of delivering and being swayed by menaces. Did not method exist of discovering how a man had voted, there can be little doubt that few candidates would risk their moliey when it was impossible to ascertain whether the promised equivalent would or would not be paid. Yet, we have not heard that among the various devices brought forward by the most eminent and honest legislators of the last or present century for the crushing of cor ruption, the vote by ballot was one. Now, with regard to " intimidation," our readers will recollect that we have ever described it as an enormous evil, and as one with which purity and freedom of election were altogether incom patible. The question is, how to put an and to or greatly ditnish it, the ballot not being, in our opinion, calculated for either purpose. In such cases of embarrassment, arising from outrages upon the spirit of all law and justice, the best way of meeting them is to look to the analogies of the Constitution. Bribery has been frequently punished, and sensibly checked by Act of Par liament., But bribery is, in its nature, more easy of concealment and more difficult of proof than any threat or vindictive act by landlord or superior ; ihere is, there can be, no want of evidence that threats have been tit-1 tered, notices served, or ejectments or other legal processes executed. The re ceiver of a bribe, again, is a particeps criminis and will not 'peach for shame ; whereas the victim of fear or vengeance has no such motive for concealment—publicity would injure the other party, not him. We are satisfied, there fore, that the best adapted measure for the putting down of " intimidation" every where is the enactment of a statute rendering the attempt to intimidate, by word or deed, by any landlord, his steward, or election agent, or any person authorized to act on his behalf, penal as against the party convicted of such conduct,— Ist, by heavy fine ; 2d, by -vitiating his election. If a tenant be turned out within a twelvemonth after the election, unless strong and reasonable ground for such ejectment can be shown from causes wholly independent of the election, such as non-payment of rent, injury to his farm,&c., the tenant so dealt with ought to be entitled to commensurate damages against his landlord, and the election ought to be declared invalid as against him on whose side such iniquitous acts had been perpetrated. We have fixed a persuasion that an act of Parliament for such an object m;ght be so framed and administered as to set the most dexterous forms of evasion at defiance ; and if an oath were imposed upon each Member of the House of Commons, ne gativing, under the pains of perjury, that any corruption or intimidation had been practised or encouraged by any agent, in his name or for his interest, at the late election, or in contempla tion of it, a powerful safeguard, long and vainly called for, would be established against election crimes. In our judgment such a law would be worth a thousand ballots.—Times. The voluminous evidence taken in the Com mittee of the House of Commons, on the Fac tories' Labour Regulation Bill, is of a nature to make a man almost loathe his species. We could hardly have believed that such systematic cruelty is practised in this country. We now under stand why the labouring people of the manu facturing towns are jealous of the middle classes, and hostile to the ballot, from a belief that they can only protect themselves from oppression by obtaining, indirectly, a share in the franchise, through the intimidation of the small dealers. There are in the Island of Britain a greater number of individuals, perhaps, compared with the whole population, who enjoy good food, shelter, and raiment, than in any other country. But we suspect it will be found, that there is in no country in Europe, perhaps anywhere, so large a proportion of the population existing in a state of suffering. The life of the West Indian negro is happiness itself compared with that of the poor inmate of our spinning-mills, who never ki,ew the joys of infancy and youth, and to whom life is one unvaried disease. The perusal of the evidence makes one almost wish that ma chinery never had been known, and that such places as Leeds, Manchester, and Dundee had never exist ed . In the last Session,vdtenMr.Sadler first agitated the subject of infant labour in factories, there were, we remember, two Scotch Members (Mr. R. Forguson, and Mr. Morison), who contended strenuously that Scotland should be excepted, as none of the abuses in English factories were known in Scotland. It appears that the most barbarous of the Yorkshiremen are outdone in lbarbarity by the Scotch. But we hardly ever knew a testimony given in the House of Corn mons, in similar cases, which did not turn out to be like Old Bailey evidence. Alexander Dean, an overlooker at Dundee, age going on to 27, who had been about 14 years in the flax business, gives a history of the systems of the various mills in which he had been employed. In the first mill, Duntruin mill, four miles from Dundee, they worked not less than 17 hours a day, exclusive of meals. The master's name was Braid. Four or five orphans, all that were left alive of about 16, supplied by some poor in stitution in Edinburgh, were there employed : " Usually, for how long a time did they stop ?—I could not say for how lone a time ; there were always some of them deserting, and being brought back. " Speaking of those long hours, how were the children kept in the establishment, they having to I..bour to such an extent as you have described ?—They were kept in a constantly standing posture ; no leave was allowed for sitting. " Were they confined to that sort of work ?—Yes, the doors were all locked, both with check and turnkey. " They were locked up while at their labour ?—Yes. " Did they sleep upon the premises ?—Yes, it was upon the very same premises that they slept ; the houses were all connected. " Were those o. ho were immediately under the control of the manager guarded all night ?—Yes ; there were iron. stanched windows, and the master himself, or his son, at tended to locking them up at night, whenever they got their suppers; so that they had no chance of escaping till the morning, when he released them for their next day's employment. " How were they taken care of on the Sunday. then ? —lt was always one of the sons that staid at home and guarded them on Sunday; he would not suffer them to go to Church. " Were the children and young persons kept down to that work by chastisement ?—Yes. 4, Were they severely cha , ,tised?—Frequently they were; for the least fault they were struck and abused. 4 " You were speaking about children being prevented from deserting by tieing locked up ; was it often that chil dren made an attempt to escape ?—Yes, if they got the least opportunity. • M M It * Where were the hands that did not sleep in the mill sent at night?—The houses which the hands slept in were about 50 yards from the mill. " What were they called ?—Bwhies. " In any of those Bothies were the boys and girls mixed up indiscriminately at night ?—Yes ; I myself, with six hop, wa• in one apartment, with oldish girls. What were the ages of those boys so locked up?— From 14 to 16. " And what were the ages of the females?—From 12 to /4. " And you state that they were turned indiscriminately into the same Bothy ?—Yes. " And locked up there all night ? Yes." He next got into employment at Birdevy Mill, about four miles from Dundee, where he was card-winder, and where he was more hu manely treated. The hours were about four teen, excluding meals. The next mill he went to was Trollick Mill, three miles from Dundee, where the hours of working were also fburteen, excluding meals; amounting altogether to about fifteen hours' confinement. The next place was Maryfield-mill, about four miles and a half from Dundee, where he was a spinner ; his treatment there was harsh—sometimes the hours were sixteen What effect upon the children—the female chil dren more especially has this long standing to their labour?—lt has a great effect. 1 have observed it at the mill; the feet of the girls have swelled so, that they have been ready to take off their shoes. " Does it occasion positive deformity sometimes ?—Yes, very often; the girls become knock knee'd and how-legg'd. " To a considerable extent ?—Yes, to a great extent. I know one girl so bow-Itged that you could put a chair between her legs. " Has it at all affected you ?—Yes; I am very much knock knee'd. " Have you seen one of the witnesses in waiting of the name or Opeushaw, a hoy ?—Yes. "Is there anybody that you have witnessed in your neighbourhood that is as strikingly deformed as he A great deal more so; one man that is working now at a mill rear Brachin, about g 0 miles from Dundee, and who is about 30 years of age. This man does not stand, with his deformity, above 4 feet 6 inches high ; and bad he grown to his proper height, I think he would have been about 5 feet Bor 9. He has been in mills since he was five years old, and he is reduced to that state, that he slides about on a stool to do his work ; and though be is about 30 years of age, be can now do no more than a girl's work." The next mill was Strathmartin, distant only half a mile from the former. Fifteen hours, ex clusive of meals, the time. But the overseers were jealous of their knowing the time : ti Ater the overlooker found I was possessed of a watch I had lost the key, and he took the watch and broke it, and gave it me back, and said I had no use for a watch, and chastised me for letting the bands know the time of day." Here the boys and girls all slept in one apart ment, with a small division about four feet high between them. After staying a yesr and a half there, he endeavoured to get some other employ ment, but was forced to return back to Dun truin Mill as overlooker. There the system, since he had been away from it, was worse : " At what time of the morning did you have to attend your labour there ?—I have been called up by the master, who stood at the door cursing and swearing, at 3 o'clock in the morning. " How late in the night were you kept at that work?— We were never less than till 10 and 11 o'clock at night. " Were the hands princ pally young ones at that mill —Yes ; there was a great number of them below 12. " Were they very poor ?—Yes, very poor ; the poorest of the poor. " Where did they come from ?—Some from the poor houses in ESinburgh. " Were they sent young ?—Yes: they came at 6 and 7 years old. " And they were sent for a stated length of time Yes. " For a number of years ?—Yes: I kncliome that were engaged for three and four years. " Were those children worked as long as you have been stating ?—Yes. " Pi,t exceptions in favour of the yowler children, and the girls ?—Not in the least. " Was that excessive working accompanied by excessive beating ?—Yes, very frequently they were beaten ; chil dren wete not able to stand the work ; and, if they had mile the least fault, they were beaten excessively. Did you ever hear of any one attempting to escape from that mill ?—Yes; there were two girls thit made their escape from the mill through the roof of the house, and left nearly all their clothes behind them." No person will have anything to do with any of the unfortunate wretches so reared, for they are quite helpless. If the females, when grown up, are not ugly, they may find relief in prosti tution. The flogging or strapping is continual, and when it happens to be extreme the overseer is fined : " Did you know any individuals brought to trial for inflicting the extreme punishment you hive described ?—I heard of one ; there was an overlooker in Mr. Edwards', mill at West End, Dundee, who was brought before the Justice for licking a girl, and on being examined before vie Justice he was fined ; but the master returned the fine back to the overlooker, and turned away this girl whom he had struck, and also her 9i-ter and two other sisters who were connected with her. Mr. Edwards was ques tinned about it in the Advertiser paper, and he ri-fused to answer. The only reply he made was, that he could do anything he liked with his own, though four er five suffered by that transaction of taking the overseer to jus tice for that bad usage." Thus the overseer is encouraged to violence, and he is paid for making himself the scape goat of the master, who cannot be reached. The poor children are hardly able to stand from fa tigue, and the overseers keep continually strap ping them to prevent them from dropping down a-leep. We shall return more than once to this interesting subject. The evidence of the emi nent medical men examined on the effects of this system on the population, is well deserving consideration.—Morning Chronicle. The Times now seems to rest its objections against the ballot on two principal grounds. Ist, that the ballot would be odious to all that portion of the electors who take pleasure and pride in openly demonstrating their political pre- ferences-2d, that it is inconsistent with the duty which the electors, as a body, owe to the non-electoral population, for whose benefit alone they receive the trust, and to whom they ought to be responsible for the proper discharge of it. Ist. As to the first objection, we shall merely remark, that the ballot does not debar any voter from proclaiming his political preferences, if he be inclined to do so. However fond a man may be of publishing his opinions, he may surely be satisfied' with the power of doing so through out every minute of the year, except the single minute of actual voting. We do not at all desire to circumscribe liberty of speech on the part of those who choose to indulge in it. If they can speak and vote as they please, without dread of the oppressor's wrong, let them thank Heaven for their enviable position ; but let them not raise an outcry, because precautions are taken to insure the simple liberty of conscien tious voting to those who are less favoured by position than themselves. Can it be seriously contended, that the invulnerable portion of the electors will not renounce that transient and frivolous gratification from which the ballot de bars them, when it is to the ballot alone that the vulnerable portion of the body must owe the blessing of au unconstrained political conscience ? The supposition is monstrous : but even if it were exact in point of fact, we should still con tend that the Legislature must submit to the pain of overruling this most tender sensibility on the part of the former class, in order to insure to the latter class a protection, vitally necessary to the faithful dischage of their trust. 2d. The second obj , ction above alluded to is so far of weight as it professes to be grounded on a consideration of incalculable importance—the working of the electoral system on the well-being of the more numerous non-electoral population. If itillguld for a moment he pretended that the choice of the electors, taken openly, would be more favour able to the interests of the unfranchised majo rity than if it were taken secretly, we, for our parts, should be among the most strenuou o s pi s! sup porters of open voting. But how ands the fact ? It is precisely the poor and p minded electors, those who have the keenest sympathy, and the strongest feeling of commu nion with the mass of the people—it is precisely these electors whom open voting condemns to virtual disfranchisement : for disfranchisement it really is, when a man is robbed of his conscience and volition by the threats of a superior. Take a particular instance :—Under the ballot, there would be eight hundred independent voters in the borough in Stamford ; each of them a real man; each of them having affections and a judgment of his own ; many of them poor, and estimating the merits of candidates by the same standard as the non-qualified poor without. Under open voting, there is but one real elector at Stamford : the nominal regiment of 801) dwindles down into so many umbrae of the Marquis of Exeter : the voices employed in the ceremony are many, but the will is only one. Now, will any one pretend that Members fa vourable to the non-electoral population are more likely to be chosen under the 'dictation of this Noblemen, that under the free choice of the Stamford voters themselves ? The reverse of this is notorious: and. the eise of Stamford af- Fords an exact sample of the contrast between open voting and secret voting everywhere else, Electors (we are told), when they vote openly, are placed under moral responsibility to the general mass of non-electors. We deny this in toto : we contend that the responsibility here talked of is, in every case, a pure phantom of the brain. But open voting introduces another responsibility, which is indeed a most destruc tive reality—the responsibility of each voter to his own separate superior, to his landlord, his customer, his employer. Here is matter for alarm—imminent and serious—quite enough to banish all other considerations, and to render a voter the passive instrument of those who can thus molest him. So that, if it were true (which it is not), that open voting tended to make the voter in some degree responsible to the multitude of non-electors, this feeble spark of responsibility would be of no avail, since the open voter is at the same time degraded into the de pendent slave of some private dictator, and is cut off from sympathy with the country at large. This idea of responsibility in electors to the non-electoral multitude is not only a phantom, but a most pernicious phantom, diverting the mind from the real guarantees of a well-ordered elective systeni. How are the multitude to enforce responsibility to themselves ? They mug do so by resolutions of exclusive dealing, or by hooting, and yelling, and manual violence ; and all these mischiefs, which the best friends of the People have been the first to deplore, are now legalized in effect by the Times, as means neces sary for its newly-discovered end—control by the multitude ! The multitude are either fit or unfit for the elective franchise. If they are fit, it is gross injustice not to give them votes at once; if they are unfit, that is a good reason for debarring them from that secondary and indirect control which the Times is now pleased to extol. We thought we heard it alleged, over and over again, 14y the panegyrists of the Reform Bill, that a constituency had been ereated by it so numerous and extensive as to be identified in interest with the whole people. Certainly the Ministers have pretended to do this ; and if they have not really done it, the sooner the Bill is recast the better. But, assuming that the Bill is really such a measure asits authors profess, have not the constituent body themselves a paramount interest in choosing good representatives, and is not this interest the best guarantee which any electoral system can ever afford ? We affirm that it is not only the best guarantee, but the only real guarantee. The only service which can ever be exacted from a voter is, that he shall deliver his own genuine conscientious preference at the poll, whether it coincides or not wi.h the preferences of others. The only wrong which he can do, is to deliver a vote not dictated by genuine and conscientious preference. His duty conists in conformity to his own conscience, not to any standard imposed upon from without ; his responsibility is, and must be, to the moni tor within the breast, not to the general public. A Tory who votes for Sir Charles Forbes, and a Radical who votes for Mr. Hume, each dis charges the electoral duty with equal fidelity. It is to secure the elector's conscience from being overmastered by private hopes and fears, applied from without, that we now call for the ballot. Let the elector be left at liberty to follow his own conscience unmolested, whether he be Tory, Whig, or Radical. Alas there are but few who can taste of this blessing, while votes are taken openly.—Morning Chronicle. It too often happens that those who are most ready to call for reform in others are the most slow to apply their principles to their own case. The same may too often be said of charity, in the cause of which we frequently hear most eloquent declaimers at public meetings, but look in vain for their names in the subsequent lists of con'ributors. The loudest declaimers against public abuses have, at all times, been found among the civic body of the metropolis; nor are we at all inclined to deny, or undervalue the fact, that it has been owing, on repeated occa sions, to the lead taken by the Corporation of London that the country has been indebted for many of those subsequent manifestations of public spirit which have ended in the happiest results. Still the scriptural doctrine of " Phy sician, cure thyself," has but rarely occurred to the minds of the most flaming of our civic patriots, who appear to be rather obnoxious to the satirical remark of a poet of the last century, who characterised one of the then Whig party as a person " Whose attention, 'tis said, has so long been directed To the National Debt, that his own are neglected." A very amusing little volum.. might, we are persuaded, be made out of the jobbings, the feastings, and other doings, of the Corporate body. In this we, of course, include not merely what passes under the eyes and noses of Gog and Magog, but the abuses of the various funds, some of them of enormous amount, confided to the guardianship of various of the city com panies. We are glad to see a spirit arising, which, if persevered in with energy and temper, cannot fail to root out existing abuses. The citizens begin to perceive that the hurried nature of their annual elections on St. Thomas's Day does not afford any thing like an adequate oppor- . tunity to bring about the much-wished-for Re form, and have commenced holding ward and parochial meetings for the purpose. As the main protector of abuse is concealment, so one effectual rooter out of it is publicity. Why the Court of Aldermen should have been so long allowed to close their doors against those over hose rights and interests they are the elected guardians we could never understand. The very term " Court" implies publicity, except in the tw o instances of the Star Chamber and the In quisition, to neither of which, we ate convinced, can it be the wish of the worthy members of the Court in question to assimilate themselves. We shall be glad to see the members of the civic body, more especially the Aldermen, meet ing their constituents half-way upon this subject. The reform which they have so honourably pro moted in the State, cannot but in the end reach public abuses, wherever they exist ; and they will be the wisest who advance to ~,eet the spirit of the age, which is become of too subtile, penetrating, and powerful a nature to be any longer re , isted.—Morning Herald. We call upon the friends of humanity to con sider attentively the picture presented to them i n the portion of evidence we ; have this day se lected tom the Report of the Committee on the •' Bill to regulate th e L a b our o f Children in the Mills anti Factories in the United Kingio,n." This is but the commencement of a series of s imilar, and some of them even more striking, delineations which we intend to give from the same authentic source. Are such abomina tions as these, we now demand, to be tole rated in a Christian country which boasts of its religion and philanthropy ? In comparison with these horrors, all that has ever been said of the cruelties connected with negro slavery may be taken for a description merely of the overflowings of charity, brotherly love, and the " milk of human kindness." We will not believe that any thing more is neces sary than to make the facts known, in order to unite all classes and descriptions of men in this country in one common effort to put an end to a system so full of wickedness and disgrace and danger. It is a crime for the present, and the menace of a terrible future, to the land which permits it to exist for a day, after its existence shall have been generally known. And it shall be generally known that here in England there are thcaishnds upon thousands of helpless and forlorn children compelled to work for fourteen, sixteen, and even eighteen hours out of the twenty four at the most exhausting and unwholesome em ployments, to the certain destruction of their health, to the titter rui❑ of their minds, to the entire depravation of their morals ; that these children of poverty and wretchedness are condemned by myriads to premature vice and premature de bility, for no other end than to enable certain master manufacturers to send to market a few articles of use or luxury at a price somewhat lower (for even this is problematical) than they would otherwise be enable to supply them. Here is an opportunity for those who have so long and strenuously exerted themselves to im prove the situation and to break the chains of the slaves in the West Indies to show to the world that they have not been actuated by feelings of morbid sensibility, or stimulated merely by the desire of a party triumph. Let those who are sincere in their hatred of slavery, as such, unite their efforts with ours in the attempt to put an end to this British slavery, a thousand times more debasing and severe than any which the sons of Africa have at any time undergone. Let the tables of the two Houses of Parliament be overloaded with petitions from every city, borough, parish, and hamlet in the three king doms, praying that the nation may be relieved from this terrible crime of gradual but whole sale infanticide. And we trust that Senators will be found in the new Parliament, in that Parliament even from which so active and en lightened a philanthropist as Mr. Sadler is ex cluded, to follow in his footsteps as the advocate of suffering humanity, and the bold and zealous asserters of the rights and the dignity of human nature.—Morning Post. COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, JAN. 4. SIR GEORGE DUCKETT, MORLAND, AND COMPANY'S BANKRUPTCY, A meeting of the creditors of this banking-firm was held to-day for the further proof of debts, audit big the accounts, and the declaration of a dividend Mr. Springall appeared to support a claim for the value of an annuity in favour of Mrs. Isabella Spencer, under the following circunsstances The late S'r C. Morland was appointed adminis trator by the Lite Miss Edgworth to her property, which consisted of a personality of about 1,2001, to pay certain annuities, among which was that of 1501. to Mrs. Spencer. The annuity was regularly paid up to the death of Sir C. Morland, who died in. testate—and his son, Sir F. Morland, the bankrupt, administered to the effects of his father, and con tinued to pay the annuity. When the bankruptcy took place rtie annuity ceased. A part of the pro ceeds of the estate of Miss Edgworth was, as al leged, placed in Government Securities, and, on be half iif [es client, he wished to ascertain the nature of the security, and to prove for the value of the an nuity against the estate. After some discussion a claim was allowed to be entered for the value of the annuity. Mr. Briggs asked for the decision of the Court in the case of a voluntary bond given by Sir G. Duckett, for an annuity to a servant of his uncle, for faithful services. The question was, whether this bond could be estsb!ished. The COMMISSIONER said, the question was whe ther a voluntary annuity came under the same deci sion as a bond. H's impression was, that proof could not he allowed for the value of this bond. He had no objection to allow a claim to he entered, to be again considered, in the event of there being as sets sufficient to pay all the creditors. In reply to questions, the official assignee said that all the bona fide debts, excepting about .500/. had been collected, riot including the dividends du. to the estate of the bankrupt, and that several debt had been lost. Mr. Batron complained that the accounts had not been properly audited. Mr. Briggs defended the conduct of the assignees, and, in reply to certain questions from Mr. Barber Beaumont, stied that measures had been taken to dispose of the canal property belonging to Sir. G. Duckett. With respect to the bankrupt's estate at Ruyton, the purchasers would not complete the purchase until the Crown debts, to the amount of 12,0001. hanging over the property were cancelled. With regard to the canal property, an offer had been made by the proprietors of another canal to pur chase; hut they awaited the results of an applica tion to Parliament for power to do so. Under these circum•tances it was considered improper to put up the Stort navigation, encumbered as it was with mortgages, especially as it realised a profit. With re spect to the Lee navigation, it only paid its expenses. Mr. B. Beaumont was desirous of having an ac count of the bankrupts' property from the com mencement of the business—the amount of property they then possessed. S.r Gen. Duckett was now I viug in the same style as before the bankruptcy. His son had been Gazetted as an Officer in the Life Guards, wh , ch must have cost 2,0001. These ex p,nses begat suspicion, and the creditors had a right to know, if posiible, how so huge a bum had been got rid of by the bankrupts. Mr. Bri;gs challenged Mr. Beaumont to state one act of Sir G. Dackett's life in which he had acted wrongfully. That gentleman's character was aspersed without cause. Mr. Barron asked what amount had been allowed to the official assignee _ _ _ Mr. Goldsmid,"t he official assignee, said, in all, he had received 7501. Mr. Brigg 4 said a cla;m was made by Mr. Ra phael, for the agent of a "Liman Catholic Priest of Quebec, for two sums of 6,3201. and 4301., money advanced to the bankrup.s. No security was exhibited, and he trusted the Commissioner would not allow the dividend to be diminished by admitting such a claim. Mr. Raphael had hills of exchange, and would produce them on a future day. The claim was entered. THE IRISH FISHERIES. Mr. Briggs said he hail a vestion of very con siderable importance to submit. The property in frish:fisheries, held by Mr. Little, had been assigned over to the bankrupts in trust, to pay a large debt due to the bankrupts by Mr. Little. Up to the time of the bankrup cy the fisheries had proceeded successfully, and the creditors sanctioned the car rying them on for the benefit of the estate of Wssrs. Wright, the bankers, having undertaken to make the necessary advances. During the last sea son, however, in consequence of the prevalence of the cholera morhus, salmon did riot realise the former prices in the market, and the sale had been so bad that a loss on the fishery had occurred to tke extent of 1,4581. He wished to have the opinion of the Court whether those fisheries should be tried another season, as, should the property be sold now, they would fetch little or nothing. The COMMISSIONER said it was a difficult case, and he considered the assignees should act on their own responsibility. He was called upon to advise judicially; his own private opinion was that they ought not to be carried on. From a statement handed in, it appeared that in the season before last the produce of the fisheries was as follows :—l n th e _Bann fi shery 22/ salmon were caught—in the Foyle fishery,_62 —in the Bans fishery, 34,806—and in the ford fishery, 2,000, yielding a produce of 16,1• Pi from which was deducted 10,5001, for expeno; carrying on the fishery, and leaving .a wand clear profit of 5,5001. Last year, however, in sequence of the prevalence of the cholera, a had occurred, as stated, of 1,4581. Mr. Briggs should take the advice of the get)/ body of creditors 83 to how he should proceed. The total amount of proofs and claims eid to-day was nearly 20,0001 The total proofsf viotisly made were about 157,0001. The off ; assignee then proceeded to prepare the accoun t make a dividend, w hi c h was not announced 1, the rising of the Court. INSOL VENT DEBTORS' COURT, JAS.I In the matter of the petition of Thomas Caft a baker, formerly of Fetter-lane, and now e a.rf on business in Great Peter -street, Westmie who took the benefit of the Insolvent Act in.° . last, an application was made by Mr C. JoNESi ‘ i the part of a creditor named Smith, to the that the Court should grant a re-hearing, oa ground that there had been a secreting of prope, the knowledge of which had but lately come tot ears of the creditor. The Learned Counsel groull his application on v e ry stro ng a ffid av i ts, and I Court, after some consideration, granted a miler Charles Platt was opposed by Mr. CooKS f Mr. Shepherd and Mr. Allington, and supportee Mews. WOODROFFE and C. JONES. The insolvent had been a farmer at LamborFti Berkshire. His debts amounted to 1,0.581., which he owed to one brother 443/.; to anotr brother 103/4 and to a b rot h er - in -l aw 1 1 81 . i„ had given a bill of sale of his effects, &c., to Ivo!: brothers, under which instrument the property disposed of, and a net sum of 207/., after teat and expenses, paid to the two brothers tit jury of the general creditors. It appeared t hat t credits of the insolvent did not amount to .50/. The COURT adjud ge d t h e i nso l vent to ten move , imprisonmi-nt . for a fraudulent preference in par, t ' hls debt to hi s b rot h ers , to t h e exclusion and irir of his other creditors. GERMAN PAPERS. TRIESTE, DEC. 22.—The Bavarian troops deslip e , for Greec e hav e a l rea d y arr i ve d h ere i n three colum n" in their whole march through Austria they were real .), the Imperial Generals, and heartily welcomed by inhabitants who flocked togeth. rto meet them. The were lodged in one of the b !Tacks here; and, aftd day's halt, the first column is ember king on board Aul merchantmen. Each battalion will be distributed in ships. In all twenty-nine ships will be required for , conveyance of the troops, the artillery, and the tf Three frigates are in the outer road for the service of it ir expedition. The French frigate will take on board Greek Deputation and suite ; the Russian the Generalfii Caief, the per sons belonging to the several department.) &c., of the corps. The English fri g ate onvo the transports to Corfu, and then go to Brindisi) K rig (itho and the Regency. As soon as a detachow, of the Bavarian troops is embarked, which is d o ne very convenient manner, it immediately sails to the e t of Pirano, f o ur l eagu , s f rom T rieste, which is the fr'i , pevnue for all the transpo rts ; w h en t h ey are all collect: the fl et will sail to Co r f u , and remain at anchor to ii i ;t or the King, and take on board refreshments for 7 .e r troops, the whole will then proceed to Napoli di Roma!'" The bray, Bavarian soldiers have performed in a tivin: i credible to thems e lv es th e t as k o f per f orm i ng i n the sev e:i season a march of 260 leagues. They all arrived at Tri7J or the neighbourhiaal without a single man having quti his colours on the road, and it is a matter of astoo e o ment that the number sick in the whole corps is 0 10 7 1 1 about 50. The healthy cheerful appearance of the is generally admired; the spirit that animates theold was manifest at their embarkation, in the presence o l crowd of spectators, singing and with loud cheers their beloved King Lewis and King 0-ho; they haste on board the transport, and we learn that those that ba arrived at Pisano are enjoying excellent health. i The Greeks i n T r i este , b o th t h ose who are settle d h and others, and many citizens of this fine country, - t t done, and will still d o every thing to give to Bavarian troops testimonies of regard ; one enterta i i tent follows another. The officers who appear j the Greek circles are loaded with marks of esti: and the Greeks are conv i nce d th it all Greece Sfy share their ent h us i asm f or the august member ofli Royal House of B a v ar i a , w h om P rov i dence has calie°,o govern that beautiful cou n t r y. T his good dispos i'i f prevails not only among the higher class of Greek.), is evident by the c on d uct o f t h e G ree k sa i lors, w h o tery hunurous here. They were the first who h as te r to meet the troops on th e ir a r ri va l ; t h ey em b race eve t ‘ e opportunity to shear kindness to th em , an d ca ll tb i a nong themselves " Our people." A few days BKe myself saw a tavern full of Greeks and B rvarians•-••d latter wearing the red cap of th e G ree k ', t h e f orme r 7 .1( helmets of the Bavarians. They were all extretf; merry, and engaged in the most animated co nve rs,tl though they did not und ers t an d eac h ot h ers l anguageo ° this pleasing concord continue on Greek ground. VIENNA. DEC. 24.—Five per Cent. Metalliquee Fo3r per Cents. 74 I; Bank Shares 1,123--Ai/gernl i Zeitung, Dec. 29. RHENISH PRUSSIA, DEC. 22.—Orders are said to P fl.' been rec e iv e d i n C o bl entz f rom B er li n , immediately I, IP assemble the field battalion of the first ban of the !anthill This operation will, how e ver, be carr i e d i nto effect i 7/ the g rea t es t regar d t o th e i n t erests o f families, as wel l) to agriculture and manufactures; fot which purpose of these battalions were made some months ago, in w these circumstances were tak e n i nto consideration. itt; the battalions, it must be observ e d, are , accoro i ng to lists, far more than complete, so t h at w hil e each beta'', is 1,000 men, the lists often co n t a i n d ou b: e or tr i p l e '; 1 number. Cannon and military stores continue to seat' in the fortr.sses of our provinces from the eastern partl i the monarchy, partly by water and partly by land' Nuremburg Correspondent. D c. 27. INCENDIARISM.—Friday night three had e l ricks, the property of Evuz COOTE, Esq., of West-K4, were set on fire and totally consumed. A large WM' hirs been offered for the diseovei y of t - e offender or off,n , le is , hut hitherto in vain. Mr. C OOTE ' S lib era li ty as a 140:, lord, and his character for kindness to all around hint,' universally aeknvwilse,llgTeAd.T—lDON ON A CHILD evizesGazelle. A Yesterday an inquest was held at the Fortun e of Vi r ; King's-road, St. Pancras, on the body of CHARLES 1 0 ; MKS, aged eleven years, the son o f M r . WATKINS, ofEi Lodge, King's. road. On Monday the deceased cli tt with his parents, at Elm Lodge, off mutton and vegetab and drank Nome ale. On the same afternoon he w ent j his uncle, Mr. .T. MASON, of Seytnour-street, where r j dined a second time, off roast goose, and partook o f aor g , ale and sherry. He went home in high gle e , t i . un alt , plained of violent pains in his stomach, an d exc l a v e , his hoop, but an ho ur after he had been i n b ed, he coil, ''Oh ! what shall I do ?" He was then seized with viol. pains and vomiting, and threw off his stoma c h a p o rt') ~f goose, which was unmaaticated. Brandy w as gli him, and Mr. WOODS, a medical man, was sent for; I : before his arrival the unfortunate boy' s breathing bed': more difficult, and he (lied in great agony. Mr. W 0 0,7 was of opinion, that he had died of inflammation in stomach, brought on by the wine and ale, and ineree by the brandy. He was a remarkably fine full-gre , boy. Verdict—Died by the Visitation of Gd. On the 3d inst. Mrs. W il il l h it am ni so S n . , of Hunter-street, 81. wik.square, of a daughter . On the 31st ult. at Wormington Grange, in the countl daughter. On the 2d inst. in Leicester, the lady of Sir John L L. Bart., of twins, a girl and boy. u l H E gh o p t o c . d r , o Es f y., l ? . f T N ho o m rto so n n -'s , t r 4 .. of Kilburn, Middlesex. On the 3d inst. st Paling, William Watson, Esq., of Barl!"d 4 , Castle, to Louisa, only daughter of the late Wm. Senior, rr o P e' t o . lO so o rt un l .DIED. ‘( On the 3d inst. in Cumberland-terface, Regent's Park, 111& General Sir George Ridout Bingham, K.C.B. and T.S. of Der Leaze, Dorsetshire, Colonel of the 2d battalion Rifle Brigade'? on the 31st ult. in Caroline-street, Bedford-square; - ag, d Frances, relict of the late Major General Hewitt, CB, of Madras Army. Ou the 3d inst. at Sudbrook Park, aged 18, the Hon. oe giana Sarah Elizabeth Lambton, 2d daughter of Lord Dialled On the 2d inst. at Bigby, near Bigg, Lincolnshire, the Charles Drake Barnard. On the 4th inst. aged 56, Ann, wife of P. Emans, of the P ) burgh Castle, Strand. .1 On the 3d hist., after a long and painful illness, Mr, Rich Curl', of Sutton-street, Soho, in his 60th year. iu o at f dhi t e li eh s e ml:xteA ß .s:Rvpdß. daughter of Steele Perkins, tcaitlnhhdetl9-Pri d.l'ageitrnehes:ett:loa:(Edi:yi PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY MU It 1) 0 11 0U N O , AT 14° ' Surf OFFIcs, 112, STRAND LoNDON. OFF THE , M ttthat the A, y be trillin g and IROD • 2 n store, which hat °Poo appi Royal Arts fixed fur ti the several beCOM e Pu See, in Pa number of TIitRIDA) 1 ri e S tC7 e p TBI leYr a t t ip e ahA r --- e "iN a R w or n n i e i r ) E o h i ' t ic a Lond on, a Schem es Money f or Sinn set a 2 dithin s th e' OUI SA Envading Lipvc r , tabil uentletaan 00 advanta a ienee attar Commerce, Virktte 4 " 1104 -atr. e A* refer; be given, exceptional Th T EN and annoda r.Cure.es9, CoNTEN of Cold on able to the ger0u R ...... 5, and Cure ----•---__ L I G t iv i h :ic:h h r w y e , Pc 2 c o t PIo 2rvino: THE A e " The g, 4311 Y eStiina e PriPan i on s )1 w •th equal it Mr m I.i-tinted 4.4brary O I- Col NATIe . a Proclttel We io f ns eel 7 , Zn e i netri r ed. " to oTesev nazetth re i e Prin'te.l Lib rary, 2 THE THE Price, " Of the thege the m " These t e: These t' — reetator. be It is itm given th the k ingdoti ' Put.lisht 'O'rdr• IQ 1 large ST EE AN `'"eral an arr anged ai 141 'h Tabi KELLN T. Lotui on urt e; In 8 b , O. iCi DI( 'thie l) i r * Cop] thin g ( ;?rfc I :l 44n en se ti We re j" „ated s urg i Thig TH F By _ Phis is t coritai ti 41;r eel,ereve.r C everit4luianrtte( This day w i !ot the Blind Si 1 s eal —Th Vgle and 4: 5 ,..., v i , °Pe of 4 1 gr a l, r y P to4lerry t -...41:Z"ch Rid 134 t he Ist THE 14 tte th, t r th f C 4 p f u l git T ax \ t, P k t ing T Ar am „ "" itt, 4 7 e 14 n. 4. 0 of " rto R . nelish !lo b , 14 L on L:" fi 4 4 0 P l ui ; in wi 8 h ußto, catig etre N 17. T i wlth th 1 di4417.°