The Sun. — London, England, 1854-02-11 00:00:00

or two to offer. The one related to the question of bribery; tions ; for not every one worth a thousand pounds could and he thought he understood the noble lord to say, that if deposit it any time. a sitting member was deprived of his seat in come- Mr. T. KENNEDY said a few words in favour of the queue° of bribery, by himself or agents, the candi- ballot. date opposed to him, if he had two-thirds of the votes given Lord J. RUSSELL said his bill comprised provisions as for the sitting member, was to have the seat. He doubted to petitions and agents. And it was provided that every whether that could be called an entirely constitutional pro- candidate should have only one authorised agent, and be posal, because he considered the fact of a sitting member responsible for no other. (Hear.) losing his seat for bribery was no proof whatever of a candi- Leave was given to bring in the bill. date who opposed him having the majority of the votes of THE LAW OF SETTLEMENT. the eleotors. He feared it would be extremely difficult Mr. BAINES, in rising to move for leave to bring in a to say that because A had been unseated for bribery, B bill to amend the laws relating to the settlement, removal, therefore had a majority of the votes of th e e l ec t ors . B u t a nd the chargeability of the poor in England and Wales, he thought the greatest difficulty " would be found "in the said he hoped the house w ou ld a ll ow hi m very respectfully clause which a tt em pt e d t o define undue influence. Why, to request their ind u l gence while he endeavoured to bring they all knew that a look or a frown was sufficient to inti- before them, with as much simplicity and brevity as pos midate some voters. He contended it was utterly impossible, a subject of great difficulty and perplexity, and cer sible to define what was called "undue influence," and espe- tainly of great importance. (Hear.) He believed that it cially by a clause in an act of Parliament. He thought that was a subject important to all classes—to those engaged in part of the bills would lead to litigation of a very disagree- commerce and agriculture, to employers as well as to la able character, and not to any very successful result. On bourers, and above all to that class which, in the situation the question of undue influence or intimidation, he would he had the honour to hold, he considered himself the pecu refer the house to the opinion of the right how. gentleman liar advocate in that house—the destitute poor. (Hear.) the member for Edinburgh (Mr. Macaulay), who had laid Within the last ten years a very unusual degree of public it down that it was impossible to find any statutory remedy attention has been bestowed on that subject, and within for that evil, and that they could only hope to get rid of it that time he might say with truth, that a greater amount by adopting the ballot. (Cheers.) He would also with of accurate information with respect to it had been confidence refer the noble lord to the opinion on th at s ub" ob tained than at any former time. (Hear, hear.) In ject of his right hon. colleague in the Cabinet, the member the years 1844, 1845. and 1846, earnest discussions took for Southwark (Sir W. Molesworth). He was glad, how- place in that house, and in the year 1847 a committee ever, to find that they were thi s sess ion to have an effort wa s appo i nted to investigate the whole subject of the made to put down the offence of bribery. The hon. and law of settlement and removal. That committee con learned gentleman the member for East Suffolk, who re- sisted of gentlemen admirably qualified to conduct such presented him (Mr. M. Gibson) in that house—(a laugh)— inquiries; and, inasmuch as he should have to lay some since he had a residence in that county, had given notice stress on their recommendations, the house would pardon of his intention to bring forward a similar measure ; and, him if he stated the names. Mr. Charles Buller was the with the gre a t l ega l k now l e dge of the hon. and learned chairman, and the other m em b ers were th e present Fi rst member, he (Mr. M. Gibson) had no doubt the house w ou ld L or d of thei Admiralty (Sir James Graham), Sir George proceed in this matter with considerable advantage. But Grey, Mr. Henley, Mr. W. Miles, Mr. Bankes, Lord Harry he had a very strong belief that the sole remedy for all the Vane, Mr. Evelyn Denison, Mr. George Poulett Scrope, three offences of bribery, treating, and intimidation was Mr. C. Villiers, M r . Ald am , M r . B o dki n, M r. Duncombe, to be found in secret voting. (Hear.) Mr. Round, and Mr. Borthwick. They investigated the Sir F. KELLY thanked the noble lord for having taken subject most fully, and they had the advantage of examin up the subject of bribery and corruption. H e assure d the ins , witnesses from all pa r t s o f th e coun t ry, an d particu laaqy persons who were conversan t w ith t h e a d ministration nob frora le hi lo that he would receive every po ss ibl e assistance his (Sir (Sir F. Kelly's) friends, to carry out a measure of the poor-laws. In the year 1848 M r . Ch ar l es B u ll er, sdescribedby tihmepneobnlge who in the m ean ti me h a d b ecome P res i dent of the Poor calculated to pat a lord. He agreed with h p thoinithe es the system of imposing law Board, in orde r t o o bt a i n s till f ur th er li ght on this penalties had failed of its effect. What they ought to subject, determined to send out into different parts of the do was to facilitate the means by which bribery could be country eight gentlemen, all duly qualified to conduct such easily detected, and this would deter parties from being an inquiry with efficiency, to inquire into the law of guilty o f it. He conceived it would be a most unconstitu- settlement and removal in fourteen counties of the country, tional matter to give to an election committee the power chiefly agricultural. They did inquire very minutely and o f sa ying that persons who bad only two-thirds of the elaborately, and reports were presented and laid on the voters had been duly elected. (Hear, hear.) He heard table of the house, and afterwards distributed among the with great satisfaction the noble lord's statement of his in- members, fall of important evidence as to the working of tendon to give to the election committee assessors. It the law, and peculiarly valuable, as especial pains had would simplify the proceeding before such committee, and been taken to obtain information from those who were give to their decisions that which did not attach to them practically acquai n t e d w ith th e a d m i n i s t rat i on of the —uniformity. (Hea r .) existing law. When these reports, parliamentary and Colonel SII3TH ORP considered that this movement in official, had been a ll l a id b e f ore thi s h ouse, an op i n i on was, he thought, very naturally expressed in various quarters, reference to bribery was nothing more than an effort to that inasmuch as all the information that could be hoped screen the Ministers of the Crown from the consequences for was obtained, it became the duty of the Government, of their conduct in reference to Eastern affairs. Bribery difficult and complicated as the subject was, to grapple —why, the very Treasury stinks of it. (Laughter.) He with it, and do their best to arrive at some improvement would tell the Treasury Bench that he had exercised bene- of the existing law ; for all agreed on this, perhaps the volence in the course of the last year, and he would do so ony point on which they wero agreed, that nothing could again next year, in spite of the Treasury Bench or that bed worse or more indefensible than the existing law. house. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) He repudiated any- (Cheers.) Inquiries were made of the Government from thing like undue influence. The right hon. member for time to time as to thei r i n t en ti ons t o or i g i na t e such a mea- Manchester said that th e on ly way t o ge t r id o f undue in- sure, and last se s si on , it wou ld b e remem b ered, notices finance was the ball o t. Oh, th e b a ll o t ! w h y, i t was the of motion were given on both sides of the house—one by most contemptible—the most un-English mode of proceed- the hon. member for Berkshire, and the other by the hon, tion that could be adopted. He looked upon the introduc- member for Staffo r d— o f reso l u ti ons propos i ng to affirm tion of thi s measure as a sor t o f po li t i cal subterfuge on the part of Ministers. (A l aug h.) this propo s iti on , that the law o f se ttl emen t an d removal ought be al:ashed an area of cea en- Mr. HUME thou g ht th a t th e h ouse an d the country were laraed. to fi , ous In the other h d th e of e nt ha rg Parliame , Lord bilit Ber y ners . indebted to any man who proposed measures for putting actually introduced a bill affirming that principle ; and it down bribery at elections, because the value of that house was only on a distinct pledge being given by the Govern depended on the conviction entertained by the public that ment, that they would consider the subject with a view to it represented the honest sentiments of the community at introducing some measure this session, that the bill was large. (Hear.) He believed that the bribery which had withdrawn. It was in redemption of that pledge that he recently taken .place, and the exposures of that bribery had now the honour to stand before them to explain as which had been made, convinced many people that the time simply and as shortly as he could the bill which the Govern had come when some remedy for the evil should be de- ment thought fit to submit to Parliament. He was quite wised. There were two points which had been overlooked sure of this, that he had the honour of speaking in the by the noble lord—the first was the punishment of agents presence of a great number of gentlemen whom it would convicted of bribery, and, secondly, the punishment of be perfectly vain in him to endeavour to instruct in any those who were proved to have been bribed. Candidates way as to the law of settlement. Very much to the ad might often shelter themselves under the conduct of their vantage of the country they had themselves taken an active agents, and until the agents were punished by suspension part in the administration of that law. But there were for ever the enormity of bribery would not be corrected, other gentlemen who had not•perhaps paid the same atten- In the case of the bribed, it would be well if a tribunal tion to the subject, and there were many out of doors who having summary jurisdiction were appointed, with power seemed to him to entertain very erroneous opinions with to disqualify those proved guilty of bribery for 10 or 12 respect to it. He should, therefore, very shortly, and years. (Hear, hear.) His own opinion was that the only avoiding everything like technicality, state what he con remedy for putting down bribery would be found to be the ceived to be the substance of the present law of settlement ballot. The noble lord would decidedly give a crowning and removal, and the manner in which it operated. It triumph to his previous career by introducing the ballot— was well known that the area of chargeability under our at least permitting it to be exercised by any constituency, law for the support of the poor was a parish—not the parish two-thirds of whom should prefer that mode of polling even in the ecclesiastical sense of the term, for under the their votes. (Hear, hear.) poor law, "parish" was used to designate every place Mr. PACKE approved of the idea of giving assessors to maintaining poor. There were different divisions, in dif the Parliamentary c omm itt ees i n f u t ure. He wished to ferent parts of the coun t ry, h av i ng d i fferent names, but call attention to the practice of treating, and to suggest a he was speaking now of "parish" under the poor law. Of remedy for that evil. The elections at present occupied such parishes there were no fewer than 14,614. Those dis two days—the day of nomination, and the day of polling, tricts varied infinitely in size and population. For in on which days riot and drunkenness widely prevailed. It stance, in the county of Durham there was a parish of would certainly be a great improvement if the public- 53,000 acres, and in the adjoining county of Northumber houses in the locality where the election took place were land a parish of five acres. With regard to population, compelled to remain closed on those two days—(laughter) there were many parishes extremely populous, and there —as by these means mu c h immorality) would be effect ua ll y w ere other parishes the population s o f w hi c h were very small inde e d. Th ere were no fewer than 7,000 parishes prevented. (Hear, h ear, an d a laugh. the population of which were less than 300 each, and very Mr. H. BERKELEY was glad to see the noble lord pro- nearly 800 parishes the population of which were less thau greasing in the cause of reform, though he should regret at 50 each These were facts which were vry material with the same time that his pace was so ta r dy. Th e noble lord . regard icy the inquiry il i t n w to a which the house was ti r i l e ow r e e nter ; spoke of intimidation by violence ; but did he not know ing (Hear, he well known that there were such things as intimidation of tenants by land- t he of settlement ' and remo s val originated with a sta p tut s e en of lords, and of tradesmen by customers? The noble lord was the fourteenth year of Charles 11., in 1662, the effect of evidently on the brink of the ballot, but was afraid to take which, coupled with subsequent acts of Parliament, was the final step. Secrecy at the polling-booth was the only this, that if a person became destitute in any parish in protection to the voter ; and the number of election peti- this countiy, not that of his legal settlement, upon be tions tried last year demonstrated the necessity for the coming chargeable he was liable to be removed by warrant - ballot. No man received money for a vote until after he of justices —by force, if necessary—to the place of his had recorded it—the great mass of evidence last year went legal settlement. A settlement, as hon. gentlemen were to prove that. So that, with the protection of the ballot, aware, had been acquired in a variety of ways—by no man would give money either before or after, inasmuch serving an office, by apprenticeship, by hiring for service, as he would not know how the vote was recorded. The by renting a tenement, and iceship, otherwise ; and effect of ballot wan, however, a measure of time : and the day was the law of Charles, coupled with other statutes, was this certain to arrive when the people of this country would —that if a person bcame destitute in any parish but that stand astonished that such an act of justice should have been so long d en i e d th em . (H ear, h ear.) of his legal se ttl emen t , he, on becoming char gea bl e , was liable to b e remove d by the warrant of justices, and by Mr. PHINN said that treating should be placed on the force if necessary, to the parish of his legal settlement. same footing as bribery. He thought that good would be That was the principle of the law. Many people were done by the withholding the publication of the poll book under a misapprehension upon this subject; they thought for some time after the election. The preliminary corn- settlement conferred a right to relief. That was a mis mittee would act as an impediment to justice. He asked take ;by the law of England destitution conferred the that the compromising of election petitions should be pre- right to relief. (Hear, hear.) If a person who had no vented, and that a public prosecutor should be appointed. settlement—a foreigner for instance— was destitute in a And he also advocated inquiry on the spot, instead of bring- parish, he mus t b o re li eve d t h ere. So with regard to a ing witnes ses t o L on d on. very large class of persons who had no settlement, or Mr. MILES thought that in any measure which the whose settlement could not be ascertained, they must house might adopt, provision should be made to check the be relieved where they became destitute. If a person scandalous intimidation which, at the last election, had who had a settlement became destitute in the parish prevailed in Clare and in other parts of Ireland, and which of his settlement, then the removal did not attach as had been a disgrace to that country. He thought the a condition of relief ; but, if he became destitute in clause proposed by the noble lord would not touch spirt- any other parish, the relief operated as a penalty upon tual intimidation. (H ear , h ear. ) If they were to have him, because it necessitated his removal to the place of assessors to guide the decisions of the election committees, his legal settlement. Such a man was, therefore, in they should at least be men of such standing as would con- a worse position than the destitute foreigner, or a vince the country that their decisions were not influenced person whose settle men t was no t k nown. The latter by party feeli ngs , might be relieved when he became destitute, and as long Mr. RICH would also suggest to the noble lord that the as he continued so, while a man who had a settlement at assessors should possess higher legal attainments than bar- the other extremity of the country, if he received a single risters of ten years' standing did, and the number of ten farthing, or a single loaf of bread, as relief from the over night be reduced to three or four who would form a seer, was liabl e t o b e remove d b y a justice ' s warrant to his of aid to Parli amen t on private bills and other matters,eorPs legal s e ttl emen t as t h e condition of that relief. There was, Mr. WARNER wou ld regret if the house could not however, a further consequence of this law. If the man who had been removed, in the case he had just put, to .the confer a permanent jurisdiction in election matters other end of the country, ventured forth again from the some older body than a committee of the house, for re to of his settlement, and came to the place from which thought everything should give way before the extreme' e had been removed, and there by any accident—such as importance of an investigation on the spot. He hoped that the stagnation of trade, became destitute again, he as the if assessors were appointed to advise committees of the law stood at this moment, was liable to be treated' under house, they would be men of the highest legal standing tae Act as a vagrant, and might be sent to gaol Ile thought, however, that intimidation would never be successfully put down unless there were vote by ballot, and i.s kept a to hard labour as an idle and disorderly person, he believed, a correct and compendious view of and that the publication of the state of the poll in the the laww w a s, settlement as it stood . at present. (Hear, hear.) middle of the day was one great source of bribery. He He had now to call the attention of the house to some of thought a measure might be introduced by which votes the effects of this state of thin s His belief, after looking might be taken at the residences of the voters, or they most carefully and anxiously g. into the subject,that might get a stamped form from the relieving officer, which there was no one class of the y community which was, wts not they might fill up, and send by post as a record of their prejudiced to a greater or less extent by the existing law. vote. IVith the permission of the house h would Mr. P. PHILLIMORE congratulated the no bl e l or d on attention to its effect upon that most important draw relation of having brought forward a bill, w ith an o bj ect which every all—the relation between the employer and the labourer. lover of truth and honour must applaud. He, however, By the operation of the present law of settlement, a great thought there were some points of difficulty in the pro- many labourers were kept in their own parishes, instead of posed meaanre. He agreed with the hon. member for going to other parishes where they would be able to obtain Bath (Mr. Phinn) that, considering there were members of remunerative work. Cases frequently happened which he the house most eminent in the legal profession, they would would illust ra t e by a supposition which, he had no doubt, answer the purpose intended by the noble lord far better had been exemplified within the knowledge of many hon. than a tribunal of assessors. He thought also the noble gentlemen. A farmer was in want of a labourer; two men lord should introduce into his measure a clause, with the presented themselves to him ; one of them was an idle, view of calling on ever y mem b er taking his seat in that worthless, slovenly labourer, but a seteed inhabit an t o f th e house, to declare on his honour that no bribery had to his farmer's parish ; the other was an industrious, sober, skilful knowledge taken place during his election. (Hear.) man, anon-settled inhabitant of the parish. Now, what were Mr BALL said the country would never be perfectly they to think of a state of the law which actually made the satisfied with the integrity of the house until a candid de- farmer take the worthless labourer and reject the good one? claration was required from every member, that he had (Hear.) Yet t' lat was the case. The farmer reasoned with not spent one shilling, directly or indirectly, in bribery or himself in this manner :—" This idle, worthless man will treating. With respect to the suggestion of the hon, do some work, to be sure; he is settled in my parish; if member for Bath, he would carry it further. He thought he goes into the workhouse I shall have to maintain him as they bad so many legalgentlemen in the house, it would and his wife and family ; therefore, the best thing I can do not be a bad plan to make use of them. They all knew in will be to give him some kind of job out of the workhouse, election petitions how the time of the committee was oc- and put up with him instead of taking the more skilful copied by long speeches, and the large sums that had to be man." Now, this system operated, in the first place, to paid in the shape of retainers, fees, refreshers, and such give the farmer an inferior kind of labour. As this was like. Now, he thought if the legal gentlemen in the house the case in thousands of parishes, what an effect it must were to conduct the cases before the committees, each have upon the productive agricultural industry of the taking the cases belonging to their own party, the business country ! The system must, also, have a most pernicious would be done a great deal better and a great deal cheaper effect in th e way o f examp l e upon the character of the at the same ti me . (L aug ht er. ) labourer. What could they think of a system of law which Sir, B. HALL tendered his thanks for the bills, but taught the idle and unskilful labourer to rely upon the ac thought Lord J. Russell had been too lenient as regarded ciclent of being settled in a parish instead of upon his agents. Adverting to the country attorneys who mixed sobriety and skill, and which discouraged these charac themselves up in elections, he suggested a clause, that if teristicsin the man who possessed them? When theyremem they were caught tripping they should be at once struck off bared that these cases might be numbered by hundreds and the rolls. He was strongly opposed to the assessors being by thousands, he left the house t o im ag i ne w h a t the aggro members of that house, gate effect must be upon the productive industry of the Mr. T. DUNCOMBE expressed his opinion that under country and the character of the labourers. Under such no circumstances ought a petition, once presented, to be a system neither capital nor labour in this country could allowed to be withdrawn, and that the recognisance sys- be said to meet with its just return. He had seen peti te tn ought t o b e amended. H e w i s h e d the lawyers were tions presented to that house from the farming districts, not to be let in, as they bothered the members and mysti- especially since the repeal of the corn laws, complaining fled the objects.!t of the hardship that, while farmers were exposed to unre r:,saSisrs*Te. TROLLOPE was also an advocate for in* troduc- stricted competition with respect to the commodity_ in u%szin. preliminary measure in a much more stringent which they dealt, they should not have the advantage of Sir J. free trade in labour. He th o u g ht their complaint was am " A.LMSLPY thought in thethe measures were a step most reasonable, and that it behoved the Legislature to punishment of right direction. But he recommended that the consider how the grievance might be remedied. The only expensive, throughbribing voters should be made easy and in- commodity the labourer possessed washis labour ; and the medium of the county courts. could it be said that he enjoyed free trade when he could Mr. NAPtgat the people was thee:fnf sidered that the mor a l e d uca ti on of not take that labour to the best market, but was practices, but he ad in T s t . ual t wa edh a y tt th i n uppress election mai- obliged to remain in hia own parish ? He (Mr. Bahasa) good. He urged that bill was likely to do was not sure that he had stated the strongest part of against the intimidation practised ought to be granted tho case with regard to the labourer, but what he had Mr- AZZIK . and Mr . H. in I l d stated would be verified by the observation and expel After some observations, by at r ienee of many honourable gentlemen. (Hear, hear.) BENTINCK, The present law, h owever , opera t e d most i n j ur i - Mr. H. tion a ainst DR hi UMMOND sa i d it yeas t lion• friend th e ins me that th e p e ti- ous ly w ith regard to the residences of the labourers. gs mber rn for East Surrey He would show the house bow the ritv of settlement gave was groundless, but his hon. friend _had forgotten to state a direct interest to prevent residences for labourers being how it came to be abandoned. rlis hon. porters had got up a counter Petiti on a friend's sup- erected in parish es w h ere, b y th e com bi nation of a few gainst himself, and landlords, such erection could b e p reven t e d . N ear l y every for the purpose of the other being withdrawn. A. laugh.) one of the ' present modes of creating a settlement required He believed the real remedy for th e ev i ls of the( existi ng a residence of a certain d ura t ion in the parish; by pre system was the revival of the annual Parliaments —which venting, therefore, the residence of a labo urer i n a parish, used to be the system until the Whigs cam e in with their the chance of his be com i ng se ttl e d th ere; Septennial Act. (Laughter.) you prevented and covenants were accordingly not unusually inserted in Mr. J. O'CONNELL agreed with the right hon. and leases that the lessee should not build, or permit to be learned member for Dublin University, that it was neces- built, any labourers' cottages on his farm, (Hear.) There nary to protect Irish voters against intimidation, but it was was actually a case on the books wherein a farmer had had the intimidation of their landlords. He was persuaded an action brought against him by the parish for having that the only true remedy a gainst corruption and intimi- "made new parishioners," that was to say, for having elation was the ballot ; a nd that all this patchwork hired two farm servants for a year, and so created two pos would prove utterly in- sible additional claimants on the rates. (Hear.) There legislation, session after session, effectual. . were a great many parishes in the country called close ; a aa a Mta l fa KING doubted the wisdom of requiring.deposit parishes, •''d a.. 101 tkesthousand pounds for which the recognisance& were cated pa r i s h es, Iles, bY which very expressive designation was inch. wherein there was but one landlord, or, - litywrati: lt might prevent the presentation of peti• - perhaps, two or three, who, by combination among them. , „---:•4' -t / a' s '-` . " ',t.... ',,,.., '3., , , 'i.,V..4 441.. to the house on the 2nd of May, and on the 7th of the same month was agreed to without amendment." Fifty years afterwards Adam Smith delivered an opinion on the subject, which was perfectly familiar to the house, but which could not be too frequently cited, because it was the oeinion of a great man, of a great authority on the subject —a man of peculiar sagacity, and having the great advantage in the matter of perfect impartiality—. writing, as he did, in Scotland—wit - le relation to the state of our institutions in England : "To remove a man who has committed no misdemeanour from the perish where he chooses to reside is an evident vio lation of natural liberty and justice. There is scarcely a poor man in England of 40 years of age, I will venture to say, who has not in some part of his life felt himself most cruelly op pressed by this ill-contrived law of settlements . . . . . Let the same natural liberty of exercising what species of in dustry they please be restored to all his Majesty's subjects— that is, break down the exclusive privileges of corporations, and repeal the statute of apprenticeship, both which are really encroachments upon natural liberty, and add to these repeal of the law of settlements, so that a poor workman, when thrown out of employment either in one trade or in one place, may seek for it in another trade or in another place, without the fear either of a prosecution or of a removal." The house was aware that the wiser legislation of later years had removed two of these impediments to the exer cise of the industry of the labouring man—the exclusive monopoly of corporations and the statute of apprentices. It was for the house now to decide what should become of the third impediment this denounced. (Hear, hear.) He would now quote another authority of importance —one followed with implicit deference by many members of that house, and reg arded with respect by a ll—M r . Pitt . O n the 12th of Fbruary, 1796, Mr. Pitt thus expressed him self on this subject : " The laws of settlement prevent the workman from going to that market where he can dispose of his industry to the greatest advantage, and prevent the capitalist from employ ing the person who is qualified to procure him the best re turns for his advances. These laws have at once increased the burdens of the poor, and have drawn from the collective resources of the State to supply wants which their operation has occasioned, and to alleviate a poverty which they tend to perpetuate I conceive that to promote the free circulation of labour, and to remove the obstacles by which industry is prohibited from availing itself of its resources, would go far to remedy the evils and diminish the necessity of applying for relief to the poor-rates. In the course of a few years this freedom from the impolitic restraint which these laws impose will in part supply the purposes for which these laws were instituted. The advantages will be widely diffused, the wealth of the nation will be increased, and the poor man rendered not only more comfortable, but more virtuous." The last authority to which he would call the attention of the house was that of a resolution agreed to by a commit tee of the house which sat in the year 1847. That committee sat 50 years after Mr. Pitt had used the expressions which he had before quoted, and therefore their experience was of later date. That committee had examined persons best qualified to give all the requisite information, end after the most careful inquiry they had agreed to asresolution— " That the law o f settlement and removal is generally pro ductive of hardship to the poor, and injurious to the working classes by impeding the free circulation of labour. That it is injurious to the employers of labour, and impedes the im provement of agriculture. That it is injurious to the rate payers, by occasioning expense in litigation and removal of paupers. That the power of removing destitute poor per sons from one parish to another in England and Wales be abolished." Mr. HENLEY.—Was the report of that committee laid on the table of the house ? Mr. BAINES believed not ; but the resolution which he had just read to the house was one which had been agreed to, and Ler Majesty's Government were of opinion that the resolutions of that committee were perfectly right. They had arrived at that opinion on the grounds which he hail already stated to the house, and upon some other grounds which he did not think it necessary to state. The only real remedy, they thought, for such a state of things as he had described was to take away entirely the power of com pulsory removal, and, by the first clause of the bill which he was asking permission of the house to introduce it was enacted, " That from the passing of this bill it shall not be lawful to remove by force any poor person, upon the ground of settlement, from any parish in England or Wales." The committee which sat in 1847, having inquired into the question of forcible removal, tai ned their attention to another subject connected with the system, and that sub ject was the area of chargeability. At present the area of chargeability was the area of the parish, and he had already adverted to the great difference of size between various parishes. There was abundant evidence before that com mittee of the evil of close parishes, and the en bject to which it became necessary to extend the inquiry was as to whether, if the law allowing forcible removal were abo lished, it would not be also expedient to alter the area of chargeability ; or, if this were not done, whether the poor man would be any better off than before. If any parish had no place in which a poor man could be sheltered, there was as complete an escape from any expense of maintain ing a pauper as under the present la w. An evil which would necessarily result from this would be, that poor men would be caged up in buildings such as he had already de scribed, and in which, in a moral point of view, there was as much danger and evil as described by gr. A'Beckett. To this danger, however, another might be added in regard to the sanitary effects of such a state of things. Eames, such as he ha l described, were the favourite haunts of all pestilential diseases, with cholera itself in the van ~Hear, hear.) He would now ask the house to go with him into the consideration of whether, under these cir cumstances' it might not b e desirableto make some al teration in the area of chargeability. He would read to the house the resolutions to which the committee or 1847 had come on that subject. That committee had resolved— " That the narrowness of the area of charg eability is one great source of the evil s a b ove a d verted to, as well as of others %rising from the interest of landowners and rate payers in preventing the residence within that area of persons likely to become chargeable. That it is therefore desirable to extend the area of rating for the relief of the poor. That unions would form the fittest area for that purpose." He was also of opinion that unions formed the fittest area for levying rates for the relief of the poor, for, although those unions differed in extent, some being larger and some smaller tian others, still they were nearly of thesame size, and at all events there were no such monstrous dis crepancies in aze as existed among the parishes. He con sidered that tie area of the unions would be more advan tageous than a wider area. It was an area next in degree to that of parishes, and he was of opinion that it was not desirable to extend the area too much, as it was of the ut most importance that ratepayers should look after every case of distress which came before them. (Hear, hear.) There was another thi ng t o b e considered, and that was, that the unions were districts well known to the law, and in them the ratepayers were represented by the hoard of guardians who presided over its affairs, and all rates were levied and expended within the same district and under the superintendence of the ratepayers or their representa tives. There would therefore, he believed, be a great ad vantage in saying that chargeability should be attached to the unions. (Hear, hear.) There were, he was well aware , some well-meaning p ersons ou t of tha t' house who would go further than he felt inclined to do, and who were in favour of a system of national rating, or even to having recourse to the consolidated fund for the relief of the poor; but he begged to state that he entertained the most insu perable objections to such a proceeding. (Loud cries of ' Hear, hear.") It was his firm conviction that any such scheme Must inevitably lead to fraud and jobbery of the very worst description. (Hear, hear.) Such a scheme would lead to the greatest wastefulness and carelessness. (Hear, hear.) The direct effect of it would be to bring about such a degree of pauperism as no man would ever be able to get rid of. (Hear.) Such a scheme would be totally inconsistent with the present proposal, which recog nised in the fullest possible way the expediency of pre serving the system of local self-government. (Hear.) If such a course were adopted, there would be no local self government at all—honest men would become so careless that they would take no part in the manner in which relief was bestowed, and those who did concern themselves would do so with some sinister object. The sum of money raised for the relief of the distressed ought to be levied and expended in the same area, and expended under the con trol of the contributors or of their representatives. That was the safest and the justest principle for legislation upon this subject. One clause in the bill which he wished to introduce into the house established that unions should be the area of chargeability, instead of the parishes, as had hitherto been the case • and he believed that the imme diate effect of this enactment would be to get rid of close parishes, and that it - would be found to act in a satisfac tory meaner. Another question which required conside ration was as to the manner in which the contributions were to be raised and the sums to be levied. One plan would be to have some fixed, uniform scale ; but in the course of a few years a parish might alter most materially. There might be a parish, in which a new factory having sprung up, or mineral springs having been discovered, might in a few years have made a great variation in the value of property is the parish ; yet, according to the sup position he had started with, the scale of payment would be invariable. einother circumstance which led him to suppose that it would not be right to take the returns and according to them to establish a fixed sum, was that to do so would be to give close parishes for the future a benefit on account of the mismanagement of them in times past. It would be, in point of fact, stereotyping injustice for all future times. Another alternative was to aim at gradually introducing a system of equal rating throughout the various districts. He would admit that there would be a hardship in introducing such a principle at once—(hear, hear, from the Opposition benches)—but it was One which be thought it desirable to aim at ultimately. Her Majesty's Govern ment proposed to take 10 years to accomplish that purpose, but that was purely a matter of detail, and it was compe tent to the house to consider and deal with that topic in committee. The proposal appeared to him to be a fair one, and he therefore submitted it to the candid consideration of the house. It was not proposed to make any altera tion in the mode of rating in parishes not included in the unions which were generally of large size and under local acts, and in which the ratepayers entertained a great jealousy of their own system. There was not the slightest intention on the part of the Government to interfere with them ; in short, they would be left precisely as they were at present. He had now stated to the house an outline of if that t plan had the plan which he had th oug ht it fit to introduce t o th e i r should b c onsideration,e found infringe f s r i h n o g u e l d u regret vested very been his object to form a plan which would effect the interests. much greatest possible amount of good, and which, at the same time, would inflict the least hardship upon any class ; but he would defy any man t o s ti r a s tep in this matte r with out interfering with some interest. (Hear, hear.) Th e great point in such a case was that the interferenc e should be a max i mum i n po i n t o f qu ality, and at th e same time justifiable in point of principle. He would repeat that, to take any course at all, would be to interfere with some existing interest, but he must add that not to take some course would be prejudicial to all the interests of the country. He had referred to two or three topics which were really only matters of detail, and nothing ! communication with any gentleman who might be willi ng to offer any suggestion on the subject. He should be happy to receive any suggestion, either in or out of that house, on the subject. (Hear, hear.) It was his wish to accom plish the obj ec t h e had in view as efficiently as possible, and he should be delighted if he could introduce a measure which would conciliate most support, and which would least interfere with vested interests. (Hear.) He would only repeat his earnest. request that the house, for the sake of the commerce and manufactures of this country, of the employment of labour and capital, and of the destitute poor, would give the measure he had the honour of pro posing to them a calm, candid, and dispassionate con sideration. selves, could effectually prevent the erection of labourers' cottages in the parish, and where cottages already existed suffered these to fall into decay, so as, after a time, to have no labourers whatever resident in theparish. The result of this was, of course, that the labourers who worked in the parish had to reside elsewhere, an injustice and hardship to which the present law of settlement gave every encour agement. (Hear.) The evidence before the committee of 1847, and before the commission of 1843, showed more cases in which, owing to this policy, labourers had to walk three or four miles to their work in the morning, and three or four miles home from their work in the evening. (Hear.) The house must see at once how severely the farmers' in terest suffered by this state of things in the depreciation of labour. It was occasioned by the extra toil to which the labourer was so needlessly and cruelly exposed. (Hear.) Nor was the additional toil undergone by the labourer the only suffering to which the law of settlement exposed him ; for, compelled to take up his abode in the " open" parishes, he was placed there amid an overcrowded population, and, with his family, exposed to all the manifold evils and wretchedness incident to that condition of over crowding. This part of the subject called for the moat se rious consideration of the house. He would not then dwell upon the gross frauds which the system permitted and en couraged; his attention was most especially applied, on the present occasion, to the severe hardships to which the labouring population was so needlessly exposed by the ex isting law. With the permission of the house, he would read a passage on this subject from the report of one of the commissioners of 1848, a gentleman now distinguished as one of the most able and intelligent of the metropolitan police magistrates—Mr. A'Beckett : " It is, however, as to their command of their places of re sidence, and in the comfort and condition of themselves and their families, that the labouring classes suffer most severely from the operation of the law of settlement and removal of the poor. It is almost impossible to imagine the misery, dirt, degradation, and comsequent immorality in which a large por tion of the labouring classes of this country are at the present moment living. If it can be shown, as I believe it can, that much of this moral and physical abasement is caused by the operation of the existing law of settlement and poor removal, the necessity for au immediate alt.-ration of the law will be admitted on all hands. In almost every union where the course of my inquiry has taken me, I have found some one or more densely populated parishes in the neighbourhood of others very thinly inhabited by labourers, and in some in stances having scarcely any cottages at all. In the former the dwellings are for the most part wretched, damp, unwhole some, inconvenient, excessively high-rented, and crowded with inmates to such an extent as to render it impossible that health or comfort could be enjoyed, or the commonest rules of decency observed. It is the general result of my inquiries on this head that the labouring classes are to a great extent demo ralised and deprived of domestic comfort by the inducement offered to owners of property in close parishes to clear their estates of cottage habitations—an inducement for which the present law of settlement and removal of the poor must be held chiefly, if not entirely, responsible. The desire to shift the burden of parochial chargeability prevails almost co-ex tensively with the power, though I have met with some honourable exceptions, and in many cases I have heard the motive openly avowed, and the sanction of the law cited as a justification of conduct involving much unfairness, if not actual dishonesty, towards, one's neighbours, and great oppression towards the labouring portion of the community." Another process to which he would solicit the attention of the house was the hardships involved in the removal itself. Let the house consider what that removal was to the un fortunate pauper, transferred—forcibly removed, if neces sary—under a justice's warrant, from, in many cases, one end of the kingdom to the other. He was removed in all probability from a place where he hadformed attachments, connexions, and occupation, to a place where he was alto gether unknown—for he might be removed by reason of the birth settlement, 60 or 70 years before, of his father or his grandfather— to a place where he had no chance of the employment to which he had been accustomed all his life, and where, consequently, his own prospect was pauperism for life, and the communication of the taint of hereditary pauperism to his children. The house, perhaps, was scarcely aware of the extent to which the system of re movals was carried under the present law. According to the latest returns on the subject—those moved for by Cap tain Pelham—it appeared that in 1849 there were no fewer than 13,867 orders of removal issued inEngland and Wales, and the average number of each family removed under these 13,867 removals not being less, certainly, than three persons, it followed that no fewer than 40,000 persons were, in this one year, rendered liable to forcible removal from the place in which they had bean residing to more or less remote parts of the country. (Hear, hear.) The house could readily picture to itself the aggregate of misery thus inflicted upon the unfortunate labouring class by this very oppressive law. (Hear, hear.) Various provisions had been enacted by the Legislature for the purpose of mitigating that misery ; but the law of settlement had largely ope rated to frustrate them. An act of George 111., in 1795, had, indeed, effected one very beneficial modification of the law of Charles 11. ; for whereas by the latter persons were removable who were likely to become chargeable, the sta tute of George 111. provided that no person should be re moved who had not actually become chargeable. But here, again, the operation of the law of settlement had frustrated, to a very material extent, the mitigation con templated, for whereas, under the former law, a person would, perhaps, have been removed within 40 clays after his coming into a parish, under the later law he was allowed to remain in the parish till he had formed attach ments, or connexions, or occupation there, and then, all at once, upon the occurrence of some matter, he would„be removed under circumstances entailing far greater hard ship than would have been occasioned by removal after the briefer residence. (Hear, hear.) Let him give a still more striking illustration of the harsh working of the pre sent system :—ln 1846 the present First Lord of the Ad miralty, then Home Secretary, carried a measure of most benevolent intention, rendering persons irremovable from a parish in which they had resided for five years. Some benefit had, doubtless, accrued from this act, but it had been largely frustrated by the practical working of the system under consideration, and with what cruel effect he could not better illustrate than by an extract from a letter addressed to him in 1851 by Mr. Doyle, the able Poor Law Inspectorfor the Staffordshire and North Wales district : " But all other injurious effects of the law sink into insig nificance when compared with the sufferings to the poor of which it is the source. In putting upon paper the plain matter-of-fact details of one or two out of many cases that have come under my own observation, I can hardly hope to escape the suspicion of writing under the influ e n ce o f exaggerated feeli ngs . L as t year, for instance, I was instructed by your board to inquire into the circumstances connected with the removal of a man with a family of young children from a union in Lancashire to a union in North Wales. He had been in the receipt of good wages, some 255. a-week, in the parish in which he was on the eve of completing his 'five years' residence.' From some Cause his employment suddenly ceased, and he was compelled to apply for relief. The relief was at once granted, and when accepted an order of removal was taken out. In the meantime the man again got work and was busy at his labour, earning the same wages as before, when he was literally forced away, removed to his parish, a place he did not even know, where he was utterly friendless, and where he had as little chance of finding the peculiar em ployment to which he was accustomed as if he had been cast on a desert island. One of the witnesses, in the course of the inquiry, happened to remark, speaking of this man, He was more like a madman than anything else he suddenly broke out, in uncontrollable passion, Yes, and lam more like a madman,than anything else; it is enough to drive me mad to be dragged here with my family as I have been.' I turned to the overseer of the removing parish, who was present, and asked, What induced him to remove this man under such circumstances ?" To prevant him from completing his five years, sir.' It would be easy to multiply cases of this sort, characterised by more or less hardship to the poor, so as to prove that one grievous general effect of the Poor Removal Act is to stimulate officers, guardians, and ratepayers to have recourse to every means in their power to induce those who aro liable to become chargeable to break their residence.' From this district, at least, complaints are constantly made to your board of such proceedings, and, while investigating cases referred to me, I have seen quite enough of the means by which the provisions of the law aro evaded to know how hopeless it is to attempt to check the prevailing practice, so long as the inducement to it exists." (Hear.) Another great evil of the existing system was the enormous amount of money annually wasted in the litiga tion arising out of removals, a waste of which the rate payers had most grave cause to complain. (Hear, hear.) The law on thi s subject was th e most complicated, the most obscure, the most unsatisfactory that had ever been de vised; there were no fewer than 40 statutes on the subject, while, as to the adjudged cases, they were to be counted by thousands, and of such a nature as to make confusion worse confounded. Yet such was the law, and such the decisions which the poor law overseers were to construe and administer, as it were, in dealing with the unfortunate paupers. (Hear, hear.) Observe the ordinary course of an order for removal. A man has become chargeable on a parish, say in Middlesex; the overseer finds some reason to suppose that the man's settlement is in a remote country parish, say in Northumberland : he accordingly goes before two magistrates, and obtains an order for the pauper's re moval to his supposed parish in Northumberland, the parish in Northumberland being utterly ignorant, mean while, of the 'whole affair ao far ; the order, however, when made, is transmitted to the Northumberland parish, with a notice that the Northumberland parish may, if it thinks fit, appeal within 21 days to the Middlesex Ses sions. The Northumberland parish, perhaps, conceives it more expedient to receive the pauper than to fight so formidable an opposition ; if, however, it does ap peal, it comes up to the Middlesex Sessions with its counsel, attorney, and witnesses, and there contends with the Middlesex parish and its counsel, attorney, and witnesses, at an outlay on each side of not less than 501., which the loser has to pay. If the Northum berland pariah loses, it has to take the pauper and to pay the 1001. besides ; if the Middlesex parish loses, it has to keep the pauper and to pay the 1001. besides ; or, in other words, a sum is squandered, under this law, upon the lawyers, more than sufficient, perhaps, to maintain the pauper and his family during the whole period of their chargeability. (Hear.) Some five years ago the matter was still worse, for then questions of removal were decided in the courts of law upon the nicest technicalities, utterly irrespective of the merits of the case. A measure, how ever, which he (Mr. Baines) had carried, had swept away these mere technicalities, and had, he believed, done some good so far. (Hear, hear.) Another measure which he had introduced, giving power to the Poor Law Board to arbitrate between parishes, had also, he believed, effected good—(hear)—but, after all, these measures were mere palliatives which had left a vast amount of litigation, wasteful expenditure, and individual misery still unre medied. One most objectionable feature of the present system was that scandal to - public justice which exposed the Court of Queen's Benoh to have its time wasted, its dignity compromised, and the rarepayers' money squan dered, by b e i ng called upon to decide whether, perhaps, some stable boy had been, 50 years ago, hired by one hiring or by another. He trusted he had now shown sufficient ground for the changes be desired. (Hear, hear.) He could say most truly that he had made a minute search into the opinions of all those persons who might fairly be considered authorities on questions of this kind, and he could not find, since the passing of the act of Charles 11., any one, whether writer or speaker of reputation, who de fended seriously the principles of our law of settlement and removal. (Hear, hear.) He found, on the other hand, authorities in his favour, whose views were deserving of the gravest attention, and to some of these he would ven ture very shortly to refer. In 1735 a committee of that House was appointed to inquire into this subject, and he found this expression of their views, reported in the ninth volume of Hansard under that year : " March 27, 1735.—The Commons appointed a committee to consider the laws in being relating to the maintenance and settlement of the poor, and to consider what further provi sion might be necessary for their better relief and employ ment; and the said committee, having considered and exa mined this affair with great care and attention, came to seve ral resolutions, among which is the following :—That the laws relating to the settlement of the poor, and concerning vag rants, are very difficult to be executed, and chargeable in their execution ; vexatious to the poor, and of little advan tage to the public, and ineffectual to promote the good ends for which they wore intended. This resolution was reported , Mr. WALPOLE asked if the measure would eztend to the removal of the Irish poor? Mr. BAINES was obliged to his right honourable friend for the question. The bill related to the removal of per sons on the ground of settlement, and it was limited to England and Wales, It did not therefore affect the re. moval of the Irish poor, because they were removed not on on the ground of settlement, but on different grounds alto gether, and when the question came to be dealt with, the case of the Irish and the Scotch poor would have to be considered together. He concluded by moving—" That leave be given to abolish in England and Wales the com pulsory removal of the poor on the ground of settlement, and to make provision for the more equitable distribution of the charge of relief in unions." (Loud cheers.) Sir G. GREY said he had listened with satisfaction to the clear and able statement of Mr. Baines, and that he gave his cordial support to the principle of the bill. Mr. W. MILES wished that a more extended view of the law had been taken, and that we were not to attack the poor-law piecemeal. The bill only went to the question of settlement, but the bill would not be allowed to pass with out a full inquiry into the system. He wished for the pro duction of certain returns as indispensable to a proper con sideration of the measure. Mr. PACKE thanked the right hon. gentleman for his clear and lucid statement, and concurred in a great deal of what the right hon. gentleman said as to the hardship to the poor man of the present law of removal. He con sidered that the change in the area of rating from parishes to unions would be productive of the grossest injustice. Another point most material in his mind, was the altera tion of the area of rating; and he felt confident that in many parts of the country that alteration of the area of rating from parishes to unions would be productive of the grossest injustice. (Hear.) Land had been purchased, and was being purchased comparatively free from rates on one side of a hedge, while on the other the :and was burdened with poor, and there was consequently a considerable difference in the purchase money. Therefore it would be a gross rtibbery upon those persons who had been purchasing property on the understanding that it was free from burdens, if the right hon. gentle man's bill were to saddle them with very serious charges. r U a. Under w t e h r e e s e increased, crea sedcircumstances,the area he of rateablethog uh t , if the a property y re of a should also be increased. It was not fair that lauded property should be exclusively called on to contr. bute to the suste nance of the poor. All property in the country without exception should share in the expense of the maintenance of the poor. (Hear, hear.) Lord LGVAINE inquired whether the Gilb.'rt unions and the parishes under local acts were to be exempted from the operation of the proposed bill ? He thought that if there were any part of the country where the administra tion of poor relief required amendment it was in the n:e tropolis' where some parishes were entirely inhabited by the rich, and others almost wholly filled with poor ; and in the latter the rate was, of course, exceedingly h eav y. Mr. BAINES observed, that the Gilbert unions were not comprised within the bill. The abolition of the poor's removal would extend to all unions in England and Wales formed under the Poor Law Amendment Bill, Mr.HILDYARD said, the present was a subject of great importance, and required serious consideration. Without disrespect to the great talent and industry displayed by the right hon. gentleman, he must say that he could not altogether concur in the general favour with which the right hon. gentleman's observations appeared to have been received. He thought the right hon. gentleman had to a certain extent exaggerated the evils of the present Poor Law, and had rather described the state of things existing 20 years ago. (Hear.) The state of the country was now different from its condition at the period when the report which had been read to the house was made. That was a period of very great distress, and therefore any defects in herent in the Poor Laws exhibited themselves with great intensity. Within the last two or three years enor mous emigration and other circumstances had, happily, mitigated the evils of a surplus population. He called the right hon. gentleman's attention to a serious defect in his scheme. He understood that as soon as the present bill passed the poor would become chargeable on the spot where they resided ; and the consequences of such an enactment would be, that if a poor man died, leaving a widow and a burdensome family, immediate means would be had re course to in order to get the latter out of one union into another. This mode of dealing with the poor, namely, driving them from one parish to another, had actually led to the law of settlement ; and he was apprehensive that the right hon. gentleman had not been able to grapple with this difficulty. He contended that gross injustice would be done to well-regulated parishes by this proposed law. Mr. KNIGHT contended that to increase the rate in a parish was in effect to reduce the value of the property, and that the measure would prove one of confiscation. From statistical data he deduced results which went to show that much error and mystification prevailed respect ing the operation of the law of settlement in close and open parishes. If the principle of equalisation was adopted, it would be impossible, he said, to stop short of a national rate. He argued that taking away the Settlement Act (which was the real Poor Law) would be a hardship to the poor. Mr. V. SMITH insisted that the law of settlement was a curse to the poor man, and as great an e v il t o th e em ployer as to the employed, and that, although this mea sure might be injurious to some property, it would remedy a greater injustice. Sir J. TROLLOPE thought it was a defect in the mea sure that it exempted parishes under local acts and Gilbert unions. He was convinced that the house would consider the bill, not as a party measure, but as one for the benefit of the country. Mr. HENLEY characterised the measure as a confis cation of a large portion of the property of the coun try, and complained of a union rating, as in Tome cases, where the union district was large, weakening the control of the ratepayers. As it affected the poor, if a large pecu niary burden was cast upon particular parishes, they would endeavour to recoup themselves by pulling down dwellings. Before this question was settled it ought to be known what was to be done with Ireland. He hoped that ample infor mation would be laid befcre the house in order to enable them to come to a dispassionate judgment. Sir J. SHELLEY had no good argument in favour of union rating. Lord C. HAMILTON complained of the hardship that would be inflicted upon Irish paupers in England. Sir J. PAKINGTON could not refrain from expressing his satisfaction that a subject of so much importance as that which they were engaged in discussing had been at length fairly brought under the consideration of the house. He was one of those persons who had for some years been of opinion that the law of removal had inflicted great hardships and great sufferings upon the working classes of this oountry. He had also lon g boon of opinion that if the present law had been abolished, the retention of the existing system of parochial rating would be attended with very considerable difficulties. A feeling of alarm had, however, sprung up in this country—a feeling which had rapidly increased within the last two years, lest any changes which might be made in the law of removal while they had the effect of doing away with some hardships, would lead to the infliction upon the labouring classes of others of a character no less severe. That alarm had been founded upon the efforts which had been made in numerous parishes of the kingdom to defeat the opera tion of the Five Years Act, by forcing parties to change their residence after a certain period, and thus to de prive them of the advantages which that act had been framed to confer. He understood his right hon. friend opposite to say, that although he intended to abolish the law of removal, he did not intend to touch upon the right of settlement. He (Sir J. Pakington) w as of opinion that that was a most important feature in the measure, and contributed to relieve it from the grave objections to which it might otherwise have been liable. His right hon. friend also proposed to establish a union instead of a parochial rating. Now, that proposition was open to the objection of tending materially to affect the value of property in this country. (Hear, hear.) He trusted that his right hon. friend opposite would avail himself of the information thus produced, and that, if he found there were well founded apprehensions with respect to the introduction of a system of union rating, that he would do all in his power to obviate the grounds upon which those apprehensions were based. He hoped also that the right hon. gentleman would consider the case of Ireland, and that he would not shrink from the difficul ties which, in dealing with that portion of the United Kingdom, he undoubtedly would have to encounter. After some remarks by Mr. Maguire, Mr. Barrow, and Sir G. Tyler, Mr. BAINES said he was gratified at the manner in which the question had been discussed. In reply to the request for ample time to consider the bill, he should, without such an appeal, have given ample time for consi deration. On the 10th of March the subject would be again brought forward, and before that he expected a valuable report would be in the hands of members, which would throw much light on the subject. Leave was then given to bring in the bill. IMPROVEMENT OF TOWNS IN IRELAND. Leave was given to Sir J. YOUNG to bring in a bill for the improvement of towns in Ireland, and to Mr. Ross MOORE to introduce a bill on the same subject. Mr. I. BUTT moved "That the general committee of elections do appoint the select committee agreed to, to inquire into the allegations of the petition of John Patrick Somers ; and that such select committee consist of five members."—Agreed to. The house iadjourned at twenty minutes to one o'clock, until Monday next. SPORTING NOTES. THE PROGRESS OF SPECULATION. The movements in the Turf Market during the week have been somewhat important and although at present it is difficult to determine their origin satisfactorily, yet their tendency is perceptible and significant. Those relative to the Star of Surrey and the Chester Cup are perhaps the most interesting. This horse steadily advances in popularity and his pretensions to support are daily vaunted with growing confidence. The " stable," too, in which he has been recently lo• cated, and the party into whose possession he has been transferred have a powerful prestige, and this circum stance has undoubtedly produced a telling effect on the public, and will account for the increased eagerness which has within the last day or two been evinced to " get on" him at advantageous terms. At any rate, the knowledge that he is now the property of Mr. Howard, and that he is trained by " H onest J o h n, " i s sufficient to render backers confident and layers wary. Still the Star of Surrey encounters violent opposition in certain well-informed quarters where the belief widely obtains that he is a confirmed " wind-sucker." Although there may be some foundation for this report, yet I am in clined to believe that the person who recently purchased him, is too good a judge, and too well-advised, to buy a horse of that description. That the Star of Surrey possesses a favourable chance of carrying of the Great Cestrian prize, I will not attempt to deny, but it is scarcely more formidable than that of many other ani mals that are as leniently handicapped, and have, per haps truer titles to support. Among the animals of his own age the undermentioned are weighted lighter':— The Duchess of Loraine colt, Bridesmaid, and Miss Sellon ; and among those "in" with him on in:question ably good terms are Toni Sandhurst, Aldford, Black Doctor, Llanforda, Joe Miller, Cobnut, Muscovite, and Newminster. For the last mentioned I still retain my old fancy, a fancy that is increased by his return to his former position in the betting. Muscovite must be marked " dangerous." He is doing strong steady work for either the Chester Cup or Metropolitan Stakes, and he will prove a most formidable antagonist for whichever event he is in tended. The most important incident connected with specu tion on the Derby is the strong and steady support which Autocrat still receives. Last Thursday he was backed for little less than a thousand pounds. A heavy commiksion is, I understand, in the market to lay against him when his price is shortened to 3 to 1. Even this prospect, however, does not discourage his backers. A FRESH MAN. Feb. 11. LIVERPOOL SPRING MEETING, 1854. Weights for the LIVE RPOOL SPRING CUP of 100 sovs. in specie, by subscripti on o f 10 sovs. eac h , h ft, with 60 added; one mile and three-quarters. 24 subs. Age st lb Colsterdale 6 8 7 Cariboo Lancashire Lass 4 8 2 Ulster 4 7 10 Dove Kilquade Missive Cleveland Cabin Boy 4 7 6 Angelo The Event 5 7 2 Light of the Harem 4 7 2 Escape Weights for the AINTREE Pr Age st lb' Eulogist 4 8 7 Lancashire Lass 4 8 2 Sir Robert Axwell War wick Worcester The Tempest 5 7 6 Songster 5 7 6 Escape Age st lb Charity Helena (h b) Lurley The Speaker, by Gabbier ........ St Clair Roebuck 3 5 8 The Medal, by Pantaleon Mrs. Humby 3 5 7 Antonia 3 5 6 The Cripple • Andromache 3 5 0 DATE of 70 sovs. One mile. Age st lb Voucher 4 7 4 Game Tommy The Buck Lord Lieutenant 4 7 0 Rachet6e 5 6 10 The Speaker Antonia Andromache 3 5 2 Daphne DONCASTER SPRING ACCEPTANCES FOR THE Age st lb Hungerford King of Trumps 5 8 1 Eulogist 4 7 13 Daniel O'Rourke 5 7 12 Ethelbert Feversham 4 7 4 The Little Fawn 6 7 2 Lerrywheut St. Michael 5 7 2 Mr. Sykes 4 7 0 Jack Leeming 6 7 0 Dove Windsucker Alonzo Colsterdale Lord Fauconberg 4 6 12 Catherine Parr Radcliffe Hero 4 6 10 Janey 4 6 9 Jack the Giant Killer 4 6 Need wood a 6 Candlewick Marchioness St. Andrew 4 6 MEETING.—MARCH 7. DONCASTER HANDICAP. Age st lb England's Glory 5 6 2 Helena (h b) Vixen... .... Light of the Ha rem 4 5 12 Pearl ... Criterion 4 5 12 4 5 10 Village Lass Middlesborough 3 5 7 King Alfred Caliph Baal bec 3 5 6 Midsummer Ptolemy 3 5 5 Lady Napier 3 5 2 Blakeley Toggery Streatlam Fairy 3 5 0 Julius Agricola 3 5 0 St, Clare 3 5 0 Pauline Sister to Aphro- date 3 4 9 Antonio 3 4 6 U.—APRIL 27 and 28. Ec MALTON HANDICAP. Age st lb Cabin Boy 4 6 5 The Collier 5 6 4 Bracken 3 6 2 The Event 5 6 2 Birdtrap 4 6 2 Twinkle 3 5 12 Queen's Own 3 5 10 King Alfred 3 5 9 The Jewess ..... Diligent Phoenix 3 5 3 Bright Phoebus 3 5 2 Jetty Treffz 3 5 0 Monimia • 3 4 10 Penitent 3 4 7 CONVIVIAL HANDICAP. Age st lb The Tempest 5 6 9 The Collier 5 6 7 Axwell Patience Wings of a Dove 4 6 2 Light of the Harem 4 6 2 Middlesborough 3 5 12 The Jewess Jetty Treffz Monimia Penitent 3 4 10 MALTON MEETIIS ACCEPTANCES FOR TH Age st lb Daniel O'Rourke 5 8 5 Songstress 5 8 3 Vindex 4 7 12 Lough Bawn 6 7 8 St. Michael ..... 5 7 7 Windsucker 5 7 6 Catherine Parr 4 7 4 Colsterdale 6 7 4 Tonic 6 7 3 Dove 4 7 2 Janey 4 7 0 Captain Cornish 4 6 10 Provost Marshal 4 6 9 Miss Agnes 4 6 9 St. Andrew 4 6 7 ACCEPTANCES FOR THE Age st lb Daniel O'Rourke 5 8 5 Songstress 5 8 3 Vindes Catherine Parr 4 7 8 Brocket 4 7 8 Tonio 6 7 7 The Puritan The General Ann Eliza 4 7 0 Braxey CaptairrCornish 4 6 12 Miss Agnes NOTTINGHAM SPRIT ACCEPTANCES FOR THE NO7 Age st lb Windsucker Alonzo Jack Leeming Cariboo Tickton - 4 7 4' Surveyor , Tomboy a 6 10 Landscape 4 6 7 Florist G MEETING—FEB. 21. TINGIIAM SPRING HANDICAP. Age st lb Wellsbourne (h b) 5 6 7 Vixen 3 6 4 The Event 5 6 0 Old Castoff 5 6 0 Miss Goldschmidt 5 6 0 Criterion Annabel 3 5 '2 Roebuck ...... 3 5 2 TowEE-Hru.—lt is in contemplation to form a car riage roadway for waggonß, &c., to pass over Tower bill, instead of, as at present, having to take a circuitous route. INDIA AND CHINA MAIL.—The telegraphic accounts received yesterday from India, represent trade to have improved at Calcutta, but no mention is made as to the state of the markets at Bombay. Vrom Madras the reports are peculiarly distressing. In consequence of the continued want of rain, there had been a failure of the crops, and a famine threatened the Presidency. The markets would, however, soon be supplied from other places, but in the meantime several riots have taken place. The revenue of the local Government would necessarily be greatly reduced by the loss of one of the principal sources from whence the Treasury is supplied. From China the advices represent little alteration to have taken place in the state of general affairs ; neither the Imperialists nor the insurgents appear to have made much progress lately. The mails byway of Marseilles will not arrive in London till Monday next. The present opportunity will bring much later news from the Australian colonies, the dates being—Sydney, Nov. 26 ; Mel bourne, Nov. 29 ; and Adelaide, Dec. 3, by way of Singapore. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—Fifty thousand Cures have been effected by Du Barry's delicious Revalenta Arabica Food, without medicine, inconvenience, or expense (as it saves fifty times its cost in other remedies).—" Twenty-fiveyears nervousness, constipation, indigestion, and debility, from which I had suffered great misery, and which no medi cine could remove or relieve, have been effectually cured by Du Barry's Food in a very short time. W. R. Reeves, Pool Anthony, Tiverton." " Eight years' dys pepsia, nervousness, debility, with cramps, s p a sms, and nausea, for whi c h my servant h a d consulted the a d v i ce o imany, have been effectually removed by Du Barry's delicious food in a very short time. I shall be happy . to answer any i nqu i r i es . R ev . J o h n W. Fl ave l, R d lington R ec t ory , N or f o lk . " Q o Three years' excessive and nervousness, with pains in my neck and left arm, general debility, which ren d ere d my life very miserable, has been ra di ca ll y remove d b y Dti_Barry , s excellent ACCEPTANCES FOR THE ] Age st lb Alp a 10 7 Tomboy a 10 4 Victress a 10 0 Star of England a 10 0 Nonsuch Songster Miss West (h b) a 9 8 May-day Squire of Malton a 9 7 Beresford Fazely lIIRDLE-RACE HANDICAP. Age st lb Tom Gurney 6 9 4 Teddesley Gerald 5 9 4 President Luck's-all Friendless Boy a 9 0 Blue Bonnet Bravo 6 9 0 Galileo 6 8 12 Salopian 5 8 10 Beech-nut MARSEILLES.—Advices from Marseilles mention a considerable decline in the price of wheat at that port, and add that 50 or 60 ship-loads were about to be sent to England. ST. PETERSBURC.—The letters from St. Petersburgh reach to the 2d of February. The fact of several pur chases of tallow having taken place indicated that there are some operators who still doubt the probability of a blockade. The rate of exchange continued with a de clining tendency, and was last quoted 380. ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—The following mem bers of the college, having undergone the necessary exa minations, were admitted licentiates in midwifery of the college at the meeting of the board of examiners on the Bth inst. :—Messrs. Joseph Walter Raleigh Amesbury, Hon. East India Company's service, Bengal, diploma of membership dated May 24, 1850 ; William Gabb Jen kins, Aberystwith, April 15, 1852 ; James Ekin, Lon don, November 5, 1852 ; John Buck Stedman, Union street, Borough, March 5, 1841 ; Henry Cornelius Thomas, Glocester-street, Pimlico, May 9, 1851; Tho mas Dandy, Rufford, Lancashire, April 1, 1853 ; Henry Pratt, Montreal, June 24, 1853 ; John Ignatius Purcell Williams, Denbigh, November 4, 1853 ; George Stop ford Taylor, Sheffield, February 3, 1854. THE FIRE IN SOHO.—Yesterday Mr. Bedford, coroner for Westminster, held an inquest at the Vestry-hall, St. Anne's Church, respecting the deaths of the eight per sons who were killed by the fire which took place on Tuesday last in Prince's-street, Soho. The particulars of the calamitous occurrence have already appeared, and the evidence did not elicit any further facts of interest. The verdict of the jury was, that W. H. Adams, C. H. Adams, Sarah Mullins, and the other five persons died from burning in the house 19, Prince's-street, but that there was no evidence to show how the fire originated. The jury added their opinion that better means should be adopted to secure the efficient use of the parish engine. Two OF OIIR CIISTOMERS.—The revenue tables for . food. Ale xa Sturt, Archdeacon of Ross, B kibbereen." 1851 show the declared value of ou r exports to Russia —" Fifty years indescribable agony from dyspepsia, in that year to have been 1,289,7041. T o ' Wallachia nervousness, asthma, cough, constipation, flatulency, and Moldavia, 284,3481. ; Syria and Palestine, 359,8711. i spasms, sickness at the stomach, and vomittings, has Egypt (Mediterranean ports), 968,729/. • the rest of en removed by Du Barry's excellent food. Maria Jolly, Wortham Ling near Diss, Norfolk." Copies of testi- Turkey, I,937,ola—making a total of 3,540,050/. Russia took of us cotton manufactures of the value of I monials of 50,000 cures (including those of Lord Stuar 48,846/. ; cotton twist and ya rn , 17 6,271/. ; hardwares de Decies, Major-General Thomas King, Drs. lire, and cutlery, 86,0441. • lead and shot, 52,640/. ;iron and - Shorl d and Harvey (gratis). In canisters, with full t a c n tiOns llb , 2s. 9d. ; 21b., 45. 6d. ; 51b., 11s. ; steel, 70,2141. ;machinery ' and mill work, 216,052/. ; 1 1 n 2 s 11; 11 22s. ;' .super -refined, 51b., 225. ; 101 b., 335. The silk manufactures, 7,422/. ; ti n unwrought, 14,130/. ; 101 b.. and 121 b. carriage free. Barry Du Barry and Co., tin wares, 8,1671. ; woollen and worst e d yarn, 21/,512/.; I 77, Regent-street, London; also, Fortnum, Mason, and woollen manufactures and hosiery, 34,910/, Co., purveyors to her Majesty, Piccadilly. THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 11, 1854. SHIPPING INTELLIGIVNOI CUSTOM HOUSE, FEB. 10. ENTERED INWARDS.—The Maria, from Seville ; Et' queta, Denia; Jonge Renjee, Worcum ; David, (:alto; Caroline, do. ; Hoffiling, Antwerp; Elizabeth aid Sax' Gothenburgh ; Zante Packet Packet, Ancona ; )De) ners Trinidad ; Mermaid, Messina ; John and Thorns s, 14' horn ; Eagleswing, Denia and Calpo; Jenne Albei •t, 13$ deaux ; Wave, Medemblik. ENTERED OUTWARDS FOR LOADING.—The Yli lefona for Bilboa ; Lord Wm. Bentinck, Valparaiso ; Maid, Corfu and Patras; Argentina, St. Thorns e ; EAR Porto Rico ; Rosalie, Syra and Smyrna ; Pengn in, Thomas ; Tulloch Castle, Port Philip ; Tiber, Abel bourso. CLEARED OUTWARDS WITH CARGO.— The Jr,ane, Corfu, Zanto, and Patras ; Jan de Witt, Payta. LIVERPOOL, FEB. 10. The Lusitania (s s), from Monte Video, off Pwlllaei, P° l in for fuel. Th e L us it an i a l eft Admiral Corry's sgruadv i at Lisbon, Feb. 4. A vessel, bottom up, not coppered, was passed Feb.ll by the Lusitania. The Great Britain (s a), was to sail from Sydney, N° l ' 19) and from Melbourne, Dec. 30, for Liverpool, via. Caps Horn and the Falkland Islands, tod h with for New York, put into Belfast Lou g h yew ayit loss of sails, and making a little water, Th. E. Z. sailed from Liverpool Jan. 18, after putting back. The Argentina, tender to the Liverpool and Bra's° steamer, struck on a sunken reef, Jan. 21, when leanot Monte Video fur Buenos Ayres, and is reported to We been abandoned and sold. HOLYHEAD, Feb 9. —Yesterday it blew.a fresh gale from the N.W., which continued to-day. Two steam tugs have arrived in the new harbour, ready, when the gale subsides, to render assistance to the Bona Ventura, from Savannah, on shore at Rhosuigyr • the spars, sail s , & c., cast on shore , are being sa ve d. The :Eliza, of Waterford, from Cardiff to Liverpool, with foretopmast carried away, and sails blown to pieces, is at anchor close to the rooks near Aber• fraw, near Caernarvon Bay, a steam tug will go to her sr sistance as soon as the weather moderates. GLASGOW, Feb. 9. The Agnes, of Dundee, bound to Australia, with a general cargo, was wrecked on Beals' kerry, one of the Orkney Isles, during a gale on the 29th January —crew saved ; portions of the wreck have colas ashore. GOTHENBURG, Feb. I.—The Mary is reported to her' been totally lost near Lysekill, Jan. 29—crew saved. The Charles Jones, of Liverpool, from Leith to Valps' raiso, was totally lost, with all hands, on the 31st Of January, during a hurricane from north-north-west ti) north-west ; no trace of cargo has been observed, bit portions of the hull, such as decks, lopsides, spars, &co and a cask of wine have been found, but as no floors 0 timbers have been seen, it is supposed that that the wrettig has not yet broken up. Some pieces of the ship's papelS have been picked up, which identified the vessel. The Crescent, of Swansea, from Limerick to Glasgow, is working up from Cliff Sound to Scalloway, on the 2d February, struck the ground on a bar, but was got off tb, same day, and is now at Scalloway, discharging cargo in damaged state. The Dispatch (schooner), of Belfast, coal laden, got taborl on the north-east end of Lady Isle, on the night of the 31 of February. The crew were taken off by a tug frog Troon, and it is feared the vessel has gone to pieces. A dismasted ship abandoned was fallen in with on thO 24th January, during a heavy N.W. gale, in let. 43 N., long. 47, by the Commonwealth, arrived in the Downs, which vessel lost during her passage, two top sails, watet casks, and had bulwarks stove. The Steven Lurmann, from the Texel to Liverpool, got in contact with the Eliza Morrison, from Callao to London, and lost both anchors and chains, and is in Dover-roads, being supplied ; the latter received considerable damage. VESSELS SPOKEN WITH. The Lord Dalhousie, for Calcutta, Nov. 9, lat. 14 8, long. 87 E. The Prompt, Grangemouth to Melbourne, Jan. 3, lat. 1 N, long. 21 W. The Typhoon, from London to Bombay, Jan. 4, lat. 2 Is T, long. 23 W.; Hyderabad, from London to Adelaide, S.A., same day. The Ann Miln, from Leith to Port Philip, January 6, lat. 2 N., long. 22 W. The Antoinette Maria, from London to Port Philip. The America, from Cardiff, Jan. 10, lat. 7 N. long, 25 W. The Ocean Eagle, bound South, lat. 11 N.,long. 29 W. The Ada, for P or t Phili p, D ec. 7, lat. 10 . long. 28 W. North Star (s.), for Melbourne, same day. The Northern Light, 2 dis. pendant, (No. 9,163), steer ing west, lat. 20 N., long. 31 W. The Flora Hastings (barque), steering to the south-west, westward of Scilly. COUNTRY MARKETS. LIVERPOOL—FEB. 10. The market this morning was thinly attended by buyers. A moderate business transpired in wheat and flour at quite as good rates as on Tuesday; but if holders had yielded a little in price, there were buyers of both articles. Indian corn heavy, and 6d to is per qr. lower. Oats id to ld per bushel, and oatmeal 6d to is per load, reduction. Beans Is per qr. lower. WAKEFIELD—FEB. 10. The arrivals of grain reported this week are moderate. The wheat trade continues very inactive, and prices must be noted 2s per qr. lower than last week, without leading to much business. Barley is per qr. lower. Old beans in limite t demand, and new, being generally out of condi tion, are very difficult to quit, and is to 2s per qr. cheaper. Oats and shelling have respectively declined id per stone and is per load. EXETER—FEB. 10. CATTLE.—Prime beef, 10e 6d per score ; cows and calves, 9/. to W. ; butchers' calves, 6d to Od per lb., rearing calves 00s to 00s e ac h. Sheep, 6d t o 7d. Lambs, Od to Od per lb. St ore hogs, large size, 40s to 508 each; 20, to 26s ; small, 16s to 18s. Rough fat, 5d per Ib. Pork carcases from 9s 6d to lOs 3d per score. CORN.—In our market wheat may be quoted from 9s Od to lOs 3d. Malting barley, 4s 9d to 5s Od ; grinding do., 4 4 0.1 to 4s 9d. Oats, 25s Od to 288 Od. Beans, 56s Od to 58s Od. Peas, 00s Od to 00s Od. FLOUR. —Fine, 603 Od to 62s Od ; seconds, 58s Od to 59s Od per sack. INVERNESS.—Iezn. 7. - - MEAL. — Oatmeal, per imp. boll 22s Od to 23s Od ; ditto second, 00s Od to Os Od ; barloymeal, 15s Od to Os Od ; peasemeal, 15. Od to Os Od ; bran, per stone, Os 7d to Os Od ; Ist flour, per 2801 b, 54s Od to 56s Od ; 2d ditto, 475 Od to 495 Od; oatmeal, best, per st. of 141 b imperial 2s 2d to 2s 4d ; ditto second, Os Od to Os Od ; barleymeal is 4d to is 6d ; peasemeal, is 6d to Os ; Ist flour, 2s 9d cash, 3s Od credit ; 2d ditto, 2s 3d cash, 2s 7d credit. BRISTOL STJGAR—FEB. 10. The market has been rather quiet this week, and but little business transacted since our last either in British plantation or foreign. Prices, however, are firmly sup ported, importers showing no disposition to relax in their pretensions. The refined market is dull, with a tendency to lower prices. :ET.—Fes. 10. he close of the market : N. d. 'West Pelew 21 6 Wylam .......24 6 Wallsend, &c. Gosforth 28 0 Bell 29 0 Belmont 28 0 Hetton 3O 0 Haswell 30 0 South Durham ., ~..21 6 Lambton 29 6 Plummer 29 • ,Russell's Hetton 29 6 Ilunwiek 2l 0 Kelloe ... — 3 O 0 !Adelaide Tees 29 6 Hetton Tees 23 0 Elgin ................ . 2l 9 Sold 124. COAL MARK. Prioes of Coal per ton at tl s. d. Bate's West Hartley 22 6 Buddle W. Hartley 22 6 Cragwood's Hartley 2l 0 Davison's West Hartley 22 f Dean's Primrose Hasting's Hartley 22 6 Hol ywell Howard's West Hartley Netherton . . ........ . ... 21 6 Longridge's Wst liartley22 Old Adairs 2l 0 Ravensworth Hartley 22 6 Redheugh Main 9 0 0 Tanfield Moor 2l 3' Tanfield Moor Butes 21 3! West Hartley 23 0 Walker Primrose 2l 0 Ships at market... 587 RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. LIVERPOOL, FEB. 10. STOCK EXCHANGE.--The following were the sales in the morning :—Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire (Chester and Birkenhead), 17i ; Caledonian, 261; East Lancashire, 16i ; Lancashire and Yorkshire, 65i ; Midland, 634 Norfolk, 8$ ; S ou th-E astern and Dover, 18 19.16. ; The afternoon's sales were :—Caledonian, 26g ; East Lancashire, 16$ ; Lan cas hi re an d Yorkshire, ; London and North-Western, 103 ; Manchester, Sheffield, and Lin colnshire, 22/ ; Midland, 63* 21; North Britisk.B 546; South-Eastern and Dover, 18 7-16. MANCHESTER, FIB. 10. STOCK EXCHANGE.—We have had a declining market, and but a limited amount of business. BIRMINGHAM, FEB. 10. STOCK EXCHANGE.- -There was no material alteration in the railway share market to-day ;it Was remarkably quiet, and prices about the same as yesterday. BRISTOL, FEB. 10. STOCK EXMIANGE.—The market remains in the same inanimate state. 81.R7918. OP A. SON. On the 10th inst., at 24, Oxford-square, Hyde-park, the wife of T. W. L. Mackean, Esq. On the 10th inst., at Gaston. ouse, the wife of Justinian Pelly, Esq. OF A. DAUGHTER. On the Bth inst., at Ludford, near Ludlow, the wife of Lieut.-Colonel Inigo Jones. On the 9th inst., at Weimer, the wife of the Rev. B. Holland. W. On the 10t le h inst. MARRIED. to Madem o , at Paris, Henry Baring, Esq., M.P., isel Marie de Martinoff. On the 10th inst., at St. Mary's, Islington, James, only surviving son of Mr. Richard Sandprson, of 4, Thornhill= Holbcrescent, Barnsbury-p ar k , I s li ngton, and 9, Brooke-street, orn to Harriet Richard'G reen, Framlin g ha m , Tyrell y Soungest daughter of Mr. uffolk. DIED. On the 10th inst., Catherine, the wifs.of Mr. J. Brady, of Canonbury-square, Islington, and Staple-irua, in the 61st year of her age. On the 10th inst., at the residence of his father, Thomas Hopper, Esq., Bayswater-hill, Edwin Hopper, Esq., aged 39. LONDON: Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, Ne. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the county of !diddle's', Saturday, February 11,1851. r on Driver of rude with gave tke aftexwarC the same yard lead him. It cut open, The ME been com 5 feet 10 wore a 11 he had a WEI EE prebensio POUNDS_ Apply 1 Mae. Genera T _ON .11Li T 1 en the Be Mg 4% p due. York-r Gm Puny, th writing, intention of this 0 don, on 1 Paddin B GENER held in I Station, o'clock, Baker, I retiring said !Ace dering,ft went ent }any, an the 28th panes therein c Into effel The D Act ; an the Seer, Proprieti the said The T from the isaid half GR NOTI Certifies will, on tared Ce tares of GB made a the coin Denture: and Co., The 0, paid on annum Share Of their num wil The L' to the G be issue Ideas:a. in addit in full c entitled E' PURCI Polk,: Assii A Lit ittrodu, L of co!i Import and GE The P ntittee 14 T , ILTRANC SOLEMN after ti transac DUICHAI office s PAST T. offices of the NAPPY s /lOUs I /IttisT` On tl from .• INO" may pi Tenieni draw t drawn Policy A B, it will raddii 2, Lea 2, Le Th ♦als i 'CI this at di 41. 4 Part Con; of 111 Sayi pout posy